Education News & Comment

Education News & Comment:

"California Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR)
Sacramento City Unified District
All Students"

A good education doesn't have to be taught by the book - The Daily Breeze

A good education doesn't have to be taught by the book - The Daily Breeze:

"Schoolchildren already know that the Internet is an almost infinitely better source of information than many printed books"

Negotiating With the Principal - PTOToday.com

Negotiating With the Principal - PTOToday.com

The principal can be an active ally, smoothing the way with faculty and staff, or your biggest roadblock, impeding your progress at every turn.

CA California Standards Test scores - California CST test results - CA CST test scores

CA California Standards Test scores - California CST test results - CA CST test scores:

"CST Results Are In!
On August 18, 2009, we posted test results just released by the state."

Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Results (CA Dept of Education)

Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Results (CA Dept of Education):

"STAR 2009 Test Results
STAR 2009 Test Results - Revised 18-Aug-2009 - School, District, County, and Statewide Summary Results.
STAR 2009 News Release - 18-Aug-2009
STAR 2009 Research File Layout
STAR 2009 Summary of Results (DOC; 372KB; 17pp.)

Explaining 2009 Internet Reports to the Public (PDF; 1.3MB; 59pp.)"

California students improve in the basics, test scores show - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

California students improve in the basics, test scores show - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"'I'm pleased and encouraged to see that for the seventh year in a row, California public school students continue to improve,' said state school chief Jack O'Connell. 'Half our students are now proficient in English-language arts. This is particularly impressive if you consider that seven years ago, only 35 percent of our students met this bar. The improvement trend in mathematics is also impressive, with 46 percent of students now at the proficient or above level.'"

SCUSD Observer: Board Meeting Thursday evening...

SCUSD Observer: Board Meeting Thursday evening...:

"On the agenda:

Charter School Quarterly Report
St. HOPE public schools
Charter Facility Use Agreements"

Dan Walters: Voc ed bill on right track, but facing uphill battle - Sacramento Politics - California Politics | Sacramento Bee

Dan Walters: Voc ed bill on right track, but facing uphill battle - Sacramento Politics - California Politics Sacramento Bee:

"The California Industrial and Technology Association and other CTE advocates, tired of playing defense, have gone on offense, pushing a controversial bill that would prohibit a local school district from mandating college prep unless it also 'adopts an optional graduation requirement that requires the completion of an equal amount of course-work to attain entry-level employment skills in business or industry upon graduation from high school,' as an Assembly Education Committee analysis summarizes it."

School Resources & Educational Help By Grade & Subject For Parents - FamilyEducation.com

School Resources & Educational Help By Grade & Subject For Parents - FamilyEducation.com:

"School Resources for Parents
At School.FamilyEducation.com, you'll find information for parents on the educational issues affecting your child in every grade level -- from preschool through high school. Find homework help, skill-building tips in every school subject, educational printables and worksheets, plus advice on report cards and talking with the teacher."

First Day of School Traditions: 5 Ways to Celebrate the New School Year

First Day of School Traditions: 5 Ways to Celebrate the New School Year:

"“I waited with anticipation for the day we would receive the letter in the mail from school that detailed all the stuff we would need,” she says. “Sometimes I was excited about the clothes, but most of the time it was the supplies: pencils, pens, trapper-keepers, lined paper, notebooks.”"

Parents, kids today more in harmony than prior generations - USATODAY.com

Parents, kids today more in harmony than prior generations - USATODAY.com:

"'Most Boomers would rather have been caught dead than have serious discussions with parents about these things, because serious discussions tended to break down into painful arguments,' says Galston, who has studied the younger group. 'I don't think today's young people are afraid the relationships they have with their parents will be frayed or broken if they're more candid.'"

Age-Old Problem, Perpetually Absent Solution: Fitting Education to Kids' Needs - washingtonpost.com

Age-Old Problem, Perpetually Absent Solution: Fitting Education to Kids' Needs - washingtonpost.com:

"I also avoid special education stories because they all seem the same, one tale after another of frustrated parents and ill-equipped educators trying but failing to find common ground, calling in lawyers while the children sit in class, bored and confused."

Stay at Home Mom 101: Keeping Dad in the loop

Stay at Home Mom 101: Keeping Dad in the loop:

"Find ways that Dad can stay involved in the children’s activities as often as possible. The children will enjoy the extra attention and it will prevent Dad from feeling that he’s never a part of anything!"

Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, Arne Duncan writes an Op-Ed about improving education for African American children - Essence.com

Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, Arne Duncan writes an Op-Ed about improving education for African American children - Essence.com:

"In his speech, the President called on Americans to stop fighting with each other about education and start fighting for our kids. That"

Obama: We must fix education in black communities - CNN.com

Obama: We must fix education in black communities - CNN.com:

". 'Arne Duncan, I think, is pushing for more aggressive reforms than we've seen under any previous president"

The new world of NCLB, testing and charter schools | Get Schooled

The new world of NCLB, testing and charter schools Get Schooled:

"“Duncan’s enthusiastic championing of a “reform” that has been shown not to work very well — charter schools — can only be taken as an instrument for union busting. If the NEA and AFT won’t stand up to this abuse of testing, they deserve to be busted.”"

The Associated Press: Are charters schools a price of entry to reform?

The Associated Press: Are charters schools a price of entry to reform?:

"Duncan has been putting states on notice for months that he wants them to embrace charter schools, and that their failure to do so could mean they lose out on federal money."

School Board Member Denis O'Leary Fasting For Education Funding - Brian Dennert here

School Board Member Denis O'Leary Fasting For Education Funding - Brian Dennert here:

"Please join me in an action to call for the restoration of State education funds. As you well know, Governor Schwarzenegger has led a confrontation over our state budget. Backed by a 2/3 vote rule necessary to raise any new revenues, the Governor's leadership has brought cuts to education which could be felt for a generation of students."

U.S. should reward, not penalize, our schools - Press-Telegram

U.S. should reward, not penalize, our schools - Press-Telegram:

"The feds could write off our entire state, even though the reality is that we in Long Beach are using data left and right to improve classroom instruction. Here we have another example of what can go wrong when people hundreds and thousands of miles away in Sacramento or Washington - people who've never set foot in our classrooms - tell us how to run schools"

Is UC opening the door to trouble? -- latimes.com

Is UC opening the door to trouble? -- latimes.com:

"the top 4% of students at all schools in the state have been assured a spot. Under the new guidelines, only the top 9% statewide are guaranteed spots, as well as the top 9% at every high school."

California school test scores due; here's what they mean - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

California school test scores due; here's what they mean - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News Sacramento Bee:

"'I've found that parents appreciate getting feedback on how their children are doing.'"