Latest News and Comment from Education

Monday, February 22, 2010

Arianna Huffington: Announcing HuffPost College: No SAT Scores or Admission Essays Needed

Arianna Huffington: Announcing HuffPost College: No SAT Scores or Admission Essays Needed

MAJORING IN DEBT 
Average Debt Burden Of Recent College Graduates Is Over $23,000... Read Their Stories

Arianna: Announcing HuffPost College -- No SAT Scores or Admission Essays Needed... Check Out HuffPost College

Between visits with my older daughter, who is in the middle of her sophomore year in college, accompanying my younger daughter on her college tours (she's starting in the fall), and regularly speaking at colleges all across the country, I've spent a lot of time on campuses lately.
And it's reminded me of all the excitement, promise, passion, intellectual curiosity, and vitality of college life.
That's why I'm delighted that we have created HuffPost College, our latest section, which launches today.
HuffPost College features voices from colleges and universities all around the country and offers a real-time snapshot of what's going on in the lives of the nation's 19 million college students -- from coverage of the latest trends and sports happenings to more serious issues such as freedom of expression on campus and the rising cost of tuition.
Edited by Jose Antonio Vargas, our Tech and Innovations editor, with the help of Leah Finnegan, a recent graduate of the University of Texas and the former editor of the Daily Texan, HuffPost College is designed to be a virtual hub for college life, bringing you original and cross-posted material from a growing list of college newspapers.
So far, we've partnered with over 60 of them, including the Yale Daily NewsThe Harvard CrimsonThe Stanford Daily, UC Berkeley's The Daily Californian, the Iowa State Daily, theDaily Nebraskan, UT-Austin's The Daily Texan, the University of Hawaii's Ka Leo, theColumbia SpectatorThe Wesleyan Argus, NYU's Washington Square NewsThe Michigan Daily, Duke's The Chronicle, the University of Alaska's The Sun Star, and the University of Missouri's The Maneater -- all of which will be providing us with up-to-the-minute college news and opinion, including photos and videos.


Arne Duncan: Move Our Money From Banks to Students

President Obama has a plan to move our money from banks to students to make college more affordable for the next generation of engineers, teachers, and scientists. 

Data Quality Campaign | Home

Data Quality Campaign | Home

Icon_new 2009-10 Survey Results by State

States have made remarkable progress in developing longitudinal data systems that can follow student progress over time, from early childhood through 12th grade and into postsecondary education through implementation of the 10 Essential Elements. The 10 State Actions are the fundamental steps states must put in place to change the culture around how data are used to inform decisions to improve system and student performance. The maps below show how many of the 10 Essential Elements and 10 State Actions each state reports having based on responses to the 2009-10 DQC survey of states.
Rollover a state map to see which Essential Elements a state has in place based on 2009-10 survey responses.
Click a state to go to it, or choose from the menu:  

Looking for Your School's Data?

We recommend the following sources: School Data Direct Ed Facts Great Schools

Don't Let Ex-Gay Propaganda in Public Schools | Gay Rights | Change.org

Don't Let Ex-Gay Propaganda in Public Schools | Gay Rights | Change.org


Don't Let Ex-Gay Propaganda in Public Schools


Targeting: Patricia O'Neill (President, Board of Education) and Dr. Jerry Weast (Superintendent of Schools)
Started by: Michael Jones
This past week, hundreds of students in the Montgomery County Public School system were given fliers by an ex-gay organization. That organization - Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX) - believes that people choose to be gay and that homosexuality is destructive. They regularly counsel people to convert their sexual orientation from gay to straight, and suggest inaccurately that science supports the notion that homosexuality is not biological.
Why are public school students receiving handouts from an organization like this? The President of the Montgomery County Public School board even went on record to say that the PFOX fliers "are probably counter to what is available in our health curriculum." So why give students information that defy what you teach them in class?
Furthermore, these fliers are intended to tell LGBT people, particularly LGBT youth, that they can change their sexual orientation. That is a damaging message to send to queer youth. Tell the Montgomery County Public School District that fliers like this don't deserve an official endorsement from the school.

The Educated Guess The Educated Guess Study math to be an Olympian

The Educated Guess

Study math to be an Olympian

Posted in Program innovation
Knowledge of science and math can make you the next Olympian. At that’s what I would tell any 12-year-old with dreams of bringing home the gold at Sochi, Korea, in 2014.
You, young Sidney Crosby: See why slamming the ice with your stick an instant before you strike the puck adds speed to your slap shot.
Hey, aspiring Kim Yu-na: Study the law of conservation of angular momentum and centripetal force to make you a whirling dervish with a triple toe loop.
Shaun White wanna-be: Learn the physics of angular momentum, drag and torque before you even think about imitating that gravity- and death-defying Double McTwist 1260.
And you, their teachers: Inspire them by going  to Lessonopoly to watch videos on the physics behind Olympic sports and download some hands-on experiments to reinforce what students are watching.
(Read more and comment on this post)

Schools Matter: Anti-Gay Group Spreads Propaganda - When Education is Misinformation

Schools Matter: Anti-Gay Group Spreads Propaganda - When Education is Misinformation

Anti-Gay Group Spreads Propaganda - When Education is Misinformation

If you're a student in the Montgomery Public Schools, chances are your recent report card was accompanied by a pamphlet created by Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (PFOX), a religiously-based anti-gay group that "educates the public on sexual orientation." Their version of "education" and "sexual orientation" is almost entirely Biblically-based: no matter how you view their materials, it's awfully clear that LGBT = bad. This does not create a safe and welcoming environment for MPS students.

It is entirely legal for PFOX to distribute their materials through the schools, but it raises serious questions: should schools distribute materials that are considered offensive to particular communities? PFOX's message clearly contradicts the lessons taught in MPS health classes - is that really okay? Does MPS distributing the material make it look like the public schools support such a stance?

Sign a petition here to let the Montgomery County Public Schools know this kind or propaganda not only deceives our children, but it sends a terrible message to the LGBT


Education Sector: Analysis and Perspectives: The 411 on Cohort Default Rates

Education Sector: Analysis and Perspectives: The 411 on Cohort Default Rates

Each year, the federal government spends billions of dollars to provide grants and loans to college students. To ensure that these funds are not wasted, the federal government has developed an accountability metric known as the cohort default rate (CDR). CDRs, or the percentage of borrowers who default on their student loans within two years of graduating or dropping out, are calculated annually for every college and university that participates in the federal student aid program. While these rates have been used for years, the U.S. Department of Education recently released a new set of CDRs that provide better information about the longer-term borrowing prospects for students at individual schools. In this presentation, Policy Analyst Ben Miller explains the ins and outs of cohort default rates and why the new rates have important implications for students, parents, and schools.

Cohort default rate data are an important measure for parents and students to know, Miller argues. "Parents and students can use 

voiceofsandiego.org | News. Investigation. Analysis. Conversation. Intelligence. - Bright and Early: The Education Newsblitz

voiceofsandiego.org | News. Investigation. Analysis. Conversation. Intelligence. - Bright and Early: The Education Newsblitz
Bright and Early: The Education Newsblitz

The newsblitz cometh:

Sac City Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment



         child 



Dear Parents/ Guardians:

The Open Enrollment process is an opportunity for each student who resides permanently within the
boundaries of the Sacramento City Unified School District to apply for enrollment in participating elementary,
K-8, middle or high schools within the district, based on space availability for the 2010-2011 school year.
Parents or guardians will need to complete an application in order for their children to attend the “school of
choice” requested.

1. Application Process and Open Enrollment Dates: you from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m...read more
2. Lottery Process...read more
3. Lottery Placement Notification...read more
4. High School Specialized Programs: Students applying...read more
2010-2011 K-12 Open Enrollment
What is Open Enrollment?  



Application Timeline:You can apply two ways!
24-hour On-line Application Process                 orAccess link above
February 16, 2010 - February 28, 2010
Time: 24 hours a day 
Walk-in Application ProcessAt the Serna Center, 5735 47th Avenue
February 23, 2010 - February 25, 2010
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 
5:30 p.m. 

Questions? Please call the Open Enrollment Office for directions or any other questions regarding this process
at 
(916) 643-2348 or 643-9075. 
 Students Residing in SCUSD:Open Enrollment is an opportunity for each student who resides permanently within the boundaries of SCUSD to apply for enrollment in participating elementary, K8, middle and / or high schools within the district. The Open Enrollment application period is scheduled for February 2010.
Students Residing Outside of SCUSD Boundaries:There are many students that attend SCUSD schools that live outside of district boundaries.  If you do not live in SCUSD, but wish to attend one of our schools, please visit with the school principal to learn if space is available.  Once space availability is determined, you must obtain an Inter-District Permit at your current school district office.  Once completed, submit the Inter-District Permit to the SCUSD Student Hearing and Placement Department.
For more information, please contact Mike Crosby in the Open Enrollment Office at 6432348. 

"Putting Children First"