Some high-performing high schools offering non-traditional electives.
The New York Times (10/27, A21, Hu) reports that Pelham Memorial High School in Westchester County is “redefining traditional notions of a college-preparatory education and allowing students to pursue specialized interests that once were relegated to after-school clubs and weekend hobbies.” Students can now take guitar lessons, “enact military battles, and…build solar-powered cars — all during school hours, and for credit.” Several “other high-performing school districts have [also] begun to expand their course catalogs with electives.” For instance, “in New Jersey, Ridgewood High School is bringing back woodworking and adding global economics, 3-D animation and seven other electives over the next two years to encourage students to cultivate interests beyond traditional subjects and to demonstrate the depth and seriousness of study that appeal to colleges.” According to Richard A. Flanary, senior director of an administrators’ union, “much of the demand for electives comes from parents and students who see them as a way to round out transcripts for entrance to elite colleges.”
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In the Classroom
STEM academy teaches students in two Virginia districts modeling, simulation.
The Virginian-Pilot (10/28, Garrow) reports, “This fall, eight students” from Suffolk and Isle of Wight County high schools “joined the new science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) academy at the Pruden Center for Industry and Technology” called Fostering Innovation and Relevance Through STEM and Trades (FIRST). The students “travel to the center for about two hours every school day to study engineering and technology, with an emphasis on modeling and simulation.” During their second year, students will be “paired with workplace mentors in the field of their choice.” Those “who complete the two-year program will earn” 12 high school credits from Tidewater Community College, “and the skills to work as a modeling and simulation support specialist.” FIRST is funded by a grant from the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices matching support from the state using “federal Workforce Investment Act funds. The Pruden Center received $120,000 to plan and start FIRST.”
Teachers in Maryland elementary school use election season to teach students about democratic process.
The Baltimore Sun (10/27, Williams) reports, “At Running Brook Elementary in Columbia [Md.], students are preparing for a mock election on Wednesday. The vote will be done electronically on 10 laptops designated as polling stations.” During the election, students will vote for president and a few other ‘fun’ school-related items.” Eric Soskil, the school’s instructional technology teacher, said that “the election is a way to teach students about the importance of voting and participating in the democratic process. … Students in kindergarten through second grade have worked on assignments that ask them to describe how they can be good citizens. They also watched a short video about citizenship and discussed how the president is one of the most important citizens in the world.” Third- through fifth-graders, meanwhile, “completed a poster project titled ‘Vote For Me For President.’ Some of the promises on the posters included: improving medicines, increasing recycling programs and hiring more teachers.”
Reading program uses small-group methods to teach comprehension, vocabulary.
New Jersey’s Courier-Post (10/26, Gidjunis) reported on a reading curriculum called Read 180, under which students learn “their reading comprehension and vocabulary using small-group methods.” The program “is being used in more than 11,000 schools nationwide in grades four through 12, and is gaining in popularity as language arts skills are often lower than they should be.” Read 180 “provides is a two-tiered learning path allowing students to read at their level and at their recommended grade level. Each student’s reading level is determined by the computer skills training, and every one is given a rating number corresponding to books for his individual reading and assignments.” All of the “small groups work with the teacher and the whole class discussion is done at grade level, or above their current proficiency to expand their knowledge. This meets students at both points and doesn’t dumb down their abilities, educators said.”
On the Job
Study finds low-performing schools fail to communicate with parents.
The Christian Science Monitor (10/27, Khadaroo) reports on a new Civic Enterprises study called, “One Dream, Two Realities,” which argues, “If America is going to stem the dropout crisis, low-performing schools will have to do a better job of reaching out to parents.” The report found that “fewer than half [of parents surveyed] said the schools did a fairly good job communicating about their child’s academic progress.” Co-author and Civic Enterprises CEO John Bridgeland said that parents “need schools to provide good information and more tools — from homework hot lines to [guidance on] how to help their child get into college.” The study found that, “In schools considered high performing, 83 percent of parents say the school did a fairly good or very good job communicating about their child’s academic progress,” while “just 43 percent say the same of low-performing schools.”
DC teachers’ union in “protracted struggle” over chancellor’s plan.
On the front page of its Education section, the Washington Post (10/25, B1, Turque) reported, “D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee and the Washington Teachers’ Union — aided by its national parent organization — are digging in for what could be a protracted struggle over Rhee’s plan to fire instructors deemed to be ineffective.” Rhee’s plan includes identifying teachers who will be given “90 school days — or about five months — to upgrade their performance,” along with the assistance of a “helping teacher” who will “document all assistance given to instructors and report to central office administrators.” Both the “90-day provision” and “helping teachers” are said to have “been on the books for years” but have not been used. Rhee is planning to make use of them after negotiations for an earlier plan to offer substantial pay increases to teachers in return for ending tenure “stalled.” The AFT is said to be opposed to the plan and “paid for a membership poll this summer that revealed opposition to Rhee’s [earlier] plan by a 3-to-1 margin,” though the Post says that “in large public gatherings of teachers…sentiment seems more evenly split.”
Law & Policy
New science-testing requirement may lead to more science instruction in schools, experts say.
The Washington Post (10/27, B2, De Vise) reports, “In the past six years, science has slipped as a priority in public schools while reading and mathematics have grown dominant. But in coming years, experts say, the same federal law that elevated reading and math could spark a resurgence of science in the classroom.” Under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law, states have been required to “test students in science starting in the 2007-08 year, on top of reading and math assessments mandated” in 2002. Some schools in Maryland “offer students two hours or less of science studies a week.” But, schools in Virginia, which have “given science tests since 1998,” give students more science instruction time. This “may point to a benefit of continuous state testing,” as “Virginia outperformed Maryland in science scores on the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress.”
DOE releases new guidelines for noting special education status on report cards, transcripts.
Education Week (10/24, Samuels) reported, “School districts are allowed to refer to a student’s disability or special education status on report cards, but they should generally refrain from such notations on student transcripts, according to new guidance released by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE).” The guidance letter released this month “is intended to clear up a source of confusion for some educators, who have worried that referring to a student’s disability in any way on report cards or transcripts could be a violation of that student’s privacy rights.” In the letter, Stephanie J. Monroe, the department’s assistant secretary for civil rights, also wrote that “those report cards should… contain information about the child’s progress in academic coursework, consistent with standard report cards.” But since transcripts “are generally provided to people other than parents…schools must be more circumspect on what information they include on them,” Monroe wrote.
USDA school meal standards may not go into effect until after 2010.
New York’s Newsday (10/27, Kelleher) reports, “Department of Agriculture (USDA) standards for school meals haven’t been upgraded since the mid-1990s. With no regulations…school meal standards aren’t even on par with current Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the federal government’s advice on good dietary habits published every five years.” According to Kate Houston, a USDA deputy undersecretary, “it could be after 2010 before any rules go into effect.” The USDA is currently seeking suggestions for updated standards from the “Institute of Medicine — a private nongovernmental organization that provides advice on health issues to policy-makers, government agencies, and others.” Meanwhile, “those involved in school food service say the USDA should provide more subsidies to fruit and vegetable farmers” to help schools can provide healthier foods to students.
Special Needs
Program helps students with special needs in Mississippi district transition from high school to work.
The Mississippi Press (10/26, Kirgan) reported, “Five Jackson County School District special education students are participating in a program that provides a transition from high school to work and additional learning opportunities, according to Tanya Green, the school district’s director of special education.” For the program, the five students “work for two hours at local businesses” every day of the week “before meeting for class at 11 a.m. at the University of Southern Mississippi.” Their “jobs include cleaning, filing, stocking and automotive work, such as oil changes.” Green said that “the program’s goal is to teach the students to be independent,” because state law requires that schools transition special education students “so that they are…productive once they” leave high school.
Safety & Security
Some Georgia districts self-insure against technology thieves.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (10/27, Dodd) reports, “Inventory thefts cost metro Atlanta school districts hundreds of thousands of dollars each year, with students losing resources and taxpayers footing the bill.” In Gwinnett public schools, for example, “nearly $400,000 has been spent to replace missing or stolen equipment” since 2005. The district, like others, self-insures “against thefts by budgeting money to cover the cost of missing equipment.” The Journal-Constitution notes that “thefts mostly occur on weekends or during winter and summer breaks, when schools typically are empty. Thieves are drawn to schools because of the high-end electronics that outfit some classrooms, including computers, digital cameras and projectors that not only show movies but also flash assignments written on a teacher’s laptop.” They are also drawn to poorly-lit portable buildings, which allow “them quick access to valuables without the risk of having to break into a main building, which is more likely to be protected by alarms and cameras.”
Michigan districts implement rules to curb written threats from students.
The Detroit Free Press (10/26, Wilkins) reported on some of the ways some school districts in Michigan “are dealing with written threats that disrupt school days and cause police to expend time and resources searching for those responsible and ensuring student safety in class.” Such threats result in lost “hours of instruction time as schools are evacuated and searched,” district officials say. And “police say they spend thousands of dollars for bomb sweeps, backpack searches and detective work.” Because of this, “Plymouth-Canton Community Schools and police departments in Plymouth and Canton…plan to seek reimbursement for police resources from the parents of the young offenders.” They hope the plan “will eliminate the threats.” The Rochester Community School district “encourages parents to talk to their children about the repercussions of making a threat, and the issue is discussed in classrooms and at special assemblies at all grade levels. So far this year, no threats have been found.”
Facilities
Chicago school unveils earth-friendly makeover.
The Chicago Tribune (10/27, Fitzsimmons) reports that Chicago’s Bloom High School has undergone an earth-friendly makeover, “courtesy of a $175,000 grant” from the Wal-Mart Foundation. “The campus now boasts a greenhouse, solar panels that power 20 classrooms, energy-efficient light bulbs and power strips, a restored prairie and a living wall — a vertical row of plants that filters air and water.” In addition, science club members now use “a bus that runs on biodiesel fuel made from used vegetable oil.” The Earth Day Network, which organized the project, “says green schools improve attendance and test scores.” The Tribune points out that the Earth Day Network and the Wal-Mart Foundation “work together to identify urban schools that have taken steps to become more sustainable.”
Also in the News
New Jersey governor announces initiative aimed at boosting graduation rates.
The New York Times (10/26, NJ2, Hu) reported that, last week, New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine (D) “and state officials announced a yearlong, multi-agency initiative to boost the state’s graduation rates.” The New Jersey High School Graduation Campaign “will be led…by the state attorney general’s office, with funds from businesses like Verizon and Prudential, among others.” The purpose is to “keep young people in school not just for their own good, but also as a pre-emptive strike against violence and gang activity.” The “campaign, which is expected to cost about $150,000, will be financed entirely by donations and grants from a cross-section of foundations, businesses, and civic groups.” School officials will meet with “community and business leaders to brainstorm about specific strategies for keeping students in school. For instance…they will focus on reducing truancy by tapping into community resources to provide mentors or support programs, among other things.”
Most employees in Texas school district give up pay increases to help save money.
The Dallas Morning News (10/25) reported, “Ninety-six percent of teachers, administrators and other staff in [Texas's] Lancaster school district agreed to take salary cuts to help avert a budget deficit, district officials said Friday.” The “employees had to decide whether to sign revised contracts reducing their pay after the school board adopted a plan Monday to use salary reductions to save money. Employees who didn’t sign will not have pay cuts.” The teachers and support staff that did sign gave “up half their raises of five percent and four percent, respectively.” Meanwhile, administrators forfeited “a four percent raise.” The pay reductions are expected to “save about $522,000. … The district faces a potential $1.5 million deficit this fiscal year that officials blame on enrollment figures that fell short of…projections.”
NEA in the News
NEA opposes South Dakota measure that would prevent teachers from making campaign donations.
The AP (10/27) reports, “The National Education Association (NEA) is providing about $1.1 million to the No on 10 Committee, a coalition of 66 organizations representing unions, business groups, local governments, and farm groups” opposed to Measure 10, a law that “would prevent teachers and others who work under collective bargaining agreements from making campaign donations to candidates.” Bryce Healy, executive director of the South Dakota Education Association (SDEA), “said the national teachers’ union got involved in the South Dakota campaign because similar ballot measures are being attempted in other states. The money for the South Dakota campaign comes from a fund supported by contributions of 50 cents a month from teachers and other school employees, which includes 3.2 million NEA members and 7,000 SDEA members,” Healy added. South Dakota’s Argus Leader (10/25, Walker) also covered the story.
The Los Angeles Times (10/27) asked, “Is another College Board exam, aimed at even younger students, really necessary?” Beginning next September, eighth-graders…will be presented with “yet another standardized test from the College Board, the organization that brought us the Advanced Placement exams, plus the SAT, SAT II and PSAT.” College Board officials said that the test, “Readistep,” will “help teachers and parents determine whether eighth-graders are ‘prepared for rigorous high school courses and for college.’” That, the Times contends, “sounds a lot like pushing college admissions testing down to ever-younger students.” And, even though Readistep is touted “as a low-stakes test,” should it become a “gateway to honors and other advanced courses in high school, it’s easy to imagine pricey ‘Readistep Prep’ courses.” The Times concludes that based on state tests and class portfolios, teachers should be able to tell how prepared their students are for high school work. “If they [can't], the problem is not that kids need more assessments, but that they need better ones.”
Some critical of new College Board test for eighth-graders. The Charleston (WV) Daily Mail (10/28, Rivard) reported, “The maker of the SAT hopes its new assessment for middle school students will prepare them for college. … The College Board says the test, announced last week, can provide a clear map for students, parents, and teachers about what colleges want.” In West Virginia, however, the test is not likely to be used in schools “for a while. The state Department of Education is committed to using the ACT Explorer to assess eighth graders until at least 2013.” Meanwhile, “critics worry that ReadiStep…is part of a hysterical national arms race and could be useless for students.” Robert Schaeffer, public education director at FairTest, “an organization that focuses on improving student assessments,” said that, “if parents in one school district see students in another taking the test, parents will fear if their children aren’t. … So, if Kentucky uses the ReadiStep, parents in West Virginia may think children in Kentucky are getting a leg up.”
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Idaho middle school teacher uses iPods to supplement instruction.
The Idaho Statesman (10/27, Forester) reported that Richard Whittaker, a sixth grade teacher at Collister Elementary School in Boise, “can load lessons laced with video clips, homework assignments, quizzes, videos, music, books on tape, and more” onto a class-set of “iPods for use in all subjects he teaches, including English, math, social studies and reading.” Then, “students can take the iPods — purchased with a Qwest Foundation grant – home,” where “they can do much of their work on the machines and even create their own videos.” The foundation “will give away another $75,000 early next year for innovative technology projects like Whittaker’s, which garnered a $10,000 grant in January.”
California district requires students to demonstrate technological proficiency.
The Long Beach (CA) Press-Telegram (10/28, Butler) reports, “The ABC Unified School District is moving to enhance the use of technology in its high school classes as part of a graduation requirement that students be technologically proficient.” The district is currently training “teachers in the new approach, which would have students use computers to prepare presentations or classwork.” For instance, “students in a science class, for example, could be required to make a presentation of their project using PowerPoint software by Microsoft,” Mary Sieu, ABC deputy superintendent, said. She also said that students “are going to be expected to demonstrate their technological proficiency as part of their everyday classes.” A recent survey conducted by the district indicates that “a majority of high school teachers” include “technology elements in their classes.”
High schools in Kentucky district may be converted into career academies.
The Louisville (KY) Courier-Journal (10/27, Konz) reported, “Sixteen high schools would adopt specialized career academies as part of a massive plan aimed at overhauling the vocational programs offered by Jefferson County Public Schools so students are better prepared for college and the work force.” Each school will feature “specialized career courses…in one of five fields — business, medicine, human services, engineering, or communications.” All of the schools “would still have the same core curriculum — math, English, social studies, and science — as well as arts courses.” Additionally, “Students would still be assigned to home schools based on their addresses, but they could attend other schools within the region that matched their career interests.” Superintendent Sheldon Berman said that the “plan would better organize the district’s scattered vocational programs, increase academic rigor, and make coursework more relevant to students.”
Second-graders in California elementary school study Japanese culture.
California’s North County Times (10/27, Bentley) reported that second-grade students at Freedom Crest Elementary School in California last week “participated in an afternoon assembly that focused on Japanese culture and foods.” The students “were treated to a sit-down meal, Japanese-style…that featured noodles, white rice, pieces of seaweed, Japanese tea, soy beans and rice crackers.” During the meal, “teachers encouraged the children to try all the foods and use their chopsticks.” One teacher “also demonstrated how Japanese people crush sesame seeds inside their soup bowls before they pour in miso soup, which is served with most typical Japanese meals.” The meal “was part of an Asian cultural lesson tied to the second-grade curriculum. Each month, the school’s second-graders learn about a different continent, and during October, the focus has been on Asia.” In class, “students specifically studied Japan by creating an art project of cherry blossom trees as well as studying the flag and maps of Japan.”
Arizona counties add Navajo language textbook to curriculum.
The AP (10/28) reports that high schools in Arizona’s “McKinley and San Juan counties have added a new Navajo language textbook – the first certified by the state — to their curriculum.” The textbook, is titled Dine Bizaard Binahoo aah, or Rediscovering the Navajo Language.
On the Job
Continuing education a common pursuit for Indiana teachers.
The Evansville (IN) Courier & Press (10/28, Wilson) reports that “the learning never stops when it comes to being a teacher.” And, “although the educational requirements vary depending on when they first graduated from college and received a teaching certification, teachers often end up going back to school.” In Indiana, “many choose to pursue master’s degrees, both as a way to meet” the state’s “certification requirements and as a way to increase their salaries.” For instance, “at the top of the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation’s pay scale, after 17 years of service, a teacher with a master’s degree can earn more than $16,000 in additional annual pay compared to one with a bachelor’s degree.” Keith Gambill, president of the Evansville Teachers Association, said that teachers in Indiana also go back to school to renew their licenses. They can do that by “earning six hours of college credit every five years; completing a master’s degree;” or “earning certification renewal units.”
South Dakota teacher certification requirements adequately assess teachers, education officials say.
The AP (10/27) reported that according to South Dakota officials, teachers in the state “are as qualified as their peers anywhere,” despite being “among the lowest paid in the nation.” The AP pointed out, “Requirements for teacher certification vary somewhat from state to state, but all of them must meet the rigorous mandates of No Child Left Behind, federal legislation implemented about four years ago.” Education officials “in other states say that South Dakota’s standards for certification hit the bull’s-eye. As examples, Nebraska” and Iowa accept “teachers who have completed teacher certification programs in South Dakota.” George Maurer, executive director of Iowa’s Board of Educational Examiners, said, “When somebody comes to Iowa from South Dakota, we accept their program. We do not challenge it.” Nevertheless, the AP noted, “A South Dakota teacher moving to another state might have to take a course or two, but the same is true of an out-of-state teacher transferring to South Dakota.”
Safety & Security
Anti-bullying program at South Carolina school targets girls.
The Aiken (SC) Standard (10/28, Novit) reports on Girls Against Bullying (GAB), a “four-session program” at Schofield Middle School that teaches students “about issues and preventive measures involved in girls bullying other girls.” The program “focuses on being proactive for kids who experience bullying or see others experiencing it.” Barbara Garlinger, a GAB advisor at Aiken High School, and a student at Aiken high school “started the program four years ago. … Now Garlinger has her own class of 20 students in the program. While bullying can be a weapon, she said, ‘some kids are under so much tension, and bullying is a way of getting it out.”
School Finance
Education funding should be linked to student achievement goals, report says.
Education Week (10/27, McNeil) reported, “Policymakers need to turn the nation’s school finance systems on their head by connecting education dollars to student-achievement goals and outcomes…and funding research that’s more closely aligned with the classroom, according to a study…released today” by the National Press Club. The study was conducted by “the National Working Group on Funding Student Learning, a team that included 11 researchers and education advocates from across the country.” Researchers examined “how [education] funding systems should be structured.” They then proposed “a rethinking of how states and local districts pay for schools.” A major goal, “according to the report,” is to “align money and resources with student-learning goals and outcomes, rather than determining funding levels and spending by individual school or by district.” Researchers also said that “school funding streams and budgeting need to be more transparent, with clearer ways to follow the money to the students.”
Virginia district superintendent details budget reduction proposal.
The Washington Post (10/28, B4, Chandler) reports, “Fairfax County Superintendent Jack D. Dale yesterday revealed new details about the economic downturn’s potential hit on the region’s largest school system, offering a budget scenario that includes no cost-of-living raise for teachers, an increase in class size, and elimination of such services as busing to centers for gifted and talented students.” Dale’s “proposal estimates a five cent reduction from the $2.2 billion spending level for the fiscal year that ends in June.” It also does not assume an “increase in the county’s share of the school budget,” but does assume “a decrease in state funding.” The Post notes, “Other local school systems face similar challenges as they confront declining tax revenue. Montgomery County school officials are warning teachers that they cannot afford scheduled pay raises, and Prince George’s County school officials have asked each division to identify potential cuts…to prepare for next year’s budget.”
Also in the News
Analysts call for “major” changes in Colorado district’s food service program.
The Boulder (CO) Daily Camera (10/27, Miller) reported, “An independent consultant has completed an analysis of the Boulder Valley School District’s food-service program, and the nutritionists are recommending major changes to the way students dine between classes.” The analysts from “California-based Lunch Lessons LLC have advised the district to eliminate “a la carte” items from every school within two years — including the popular cookies and granola bars that are sold in high schools.” Furthermore, they “challenged Boulder Valley, within one year, to ditch as many manufactured foods as possible, increase staffing in the food-service division, and add salad bars to every elementary and middle school.” According to the Daily Camera, “along with its recommendations, the nutritional report came with plenty of criticism of the way Boulder Valley now operates its food-service program.” The report said, “Highly processed foods are the cornerstone of the district’s meal program.”
North Carolina high school extends automotive program to community college students.
The Rocky Mount (NC) Telegram (10/28, Robinson) reports on the Automotive Systems Technology Program, which “began in the fall 2008 semester with the Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools Huskins Program for high school students.” Next week, “the high school said it would be expanding the program offerings to allow Nash Community College students to enroll for spring 2009.” Students who complete the program will receive “a degree, diploma, [or] certificate, depending on the graduation track students select. When students complete the program, they should be prepared to take the ASE exam and be ready for full-time employment in the auto services industry, officials said.” According to Rocky Mount High principal Leondus Farrow, the program will help students move “closer to achieving the American dream by giving [them] an alternative to four-year colleges.”
NEA in the News
NEA donates money to California’s Proposition 8 opposition.
Education Week (10/27, Honawar) reported that the California Teachers Association (CTA) “has ignited a fierce debate among its members by donating $1 million to oppose a ballot initiative that would end same-sex marriage in the state.” The CTA, an affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA), “voted overwhelmingly in June to oppose the ballot initiative because, officials say, it goes against the union’s stand on equal rights for all.” Education week noted that “the proposal has become the focus of intense debate in California, including television advertisements by supporters of the ban that say schools will teach students about same-sex marriage if the initiative fails.” But “last week, several…education officials in California spoke out against the TV ads.” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell said, “Our public schools are not required to teach about marriage. And, in fact, curriculum involving health issues is chosen by local school governing boards.”
Proposal would increase hotel room sales tax revenue to fund education in Nevada counties.
The Reno (NV) Gazette Journal (10/27, Hagar) reported, “If passed, Washoe County Ballot Question 6, a nonbinding advisory question, would ask the 2009 Legislature to raise the hotel room tax up to a maximum of 13 percent in Washoe and Clark counties.” Revenue from the tax “would be used for teacher salaries, professional development and student achievement.” The increase “amounts to an average [of] $3.50…and would generate more than $125 million per year for Nevada public education beginning in 2011, if the Legislature approves, according to” the Nevada State Education Association (NSEA), a National Education Association (NEA) affiliate. “Major gaming companies in Northern Nevada have not opposed the increase,” the Gazette Journal noted. In fact, “the mayors of Reno and Sparks support the measure.” In addition, “Harrah’s Entertainment, Station Casinos, and Wynn Resorts agreed to support the proposal in return for the [NSEA] dropping its petition drive for a 44 percent increase in the gaming tax.”