All agree on value of EAP
Tags: California Diploma Project, EAP, Early Assessment ProgramPosted in Community Colleges, UC and CSU, Uncategorized
Seven years ago, the California State University system developed a test in math and English language arts to help inform high school juniors whether they are on track to attend one of their campuses. The Early Assessment Program – EAP – has become a national model, and many high school students use the results in deciding whether to seek extra math and English help in their senior year.
Now, the heads of the state community colleges and the University of California have gone on record in agreeing that EAP is a solid measure of college readiness. And they’ve pledged to promote its use among their potential students. While that may not seem like a big deal, it’s a strong signal that the state’s staunchly independent higher ed institutions plan to unite in more assertively working with K-12 schools to prepare students for graduation – not simply remediate them once they show up as freshmen.
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Now, the heads of the state community colleges and the University of California have gone on record in agreeing that EAP is a solid measure of college readiness. And they’ve pledged to promote its use among their potential students. While that may not seem like a big deal, it’s a strong signal that the state’s staunchly independent higher ed institutions plan to unite in more assertively working with K-12 schools to prepare students for graduation – not simply remediate them once they show up as freshmen.
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Still no common-core appointments
Posted in Common Core standards, assessmentsThe decision of whether California should join other states in adopting common-core standards in math and English will have a monumental impact on K-12 education. And yet neither the governor nor the Legislature has made any appointments to the 21-member commission that’s supposed to make the recommendation on common core to the State Board of Education by July 15.
That’s less than three months away.
The delay in activating the commission is not for lack of interest or understanding its importance. I assume it reflects the intense debate and lobbying behind the scenes over common core and its ramifications.
If California rejects common core in favor of keeping its current standards, then it will also be making the de facto decision not to join the $350 million federally funded initiative to replace 50 states’ standardized tests, like California’s yearly STAR exams, with uniform assessments that will be different and, some claim, much improved.
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That’s less than three months away.
The delay in activating the commission is not for lack of interest or understanding its importance. I assume it reflects the intense debate and lobbying behind the scenes over common core and its ramifications.
If California rejects common core in favor of keeping its current standards, then it will also be making the de facto decision not to join the $350 million federally funded initiative to replace 50 states’ standardized tests, like California’s yearly STAR exams, with uniform assessments that will be different and, some claim, much improved.
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Charter fund buys online software firm
Tags: DreamBox, Reed Hastings, RocketshipPosted in Charters, Program innovation
California charter school funder Reed Hastings has underwritten the non-profitCharter School Growth Fund’s purchase of 2-year-old DreamBox Learning, a much-praised company producing online math software for K-3students. Beyond an undisclosed purchase price, Hastings is putting up an additional $10 million to extend DreamBox offerings to other grades and to add literacy software – evidence of Hastings’ interest in scaling up e-learning for public schools.
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