Thursday, August 5, 2010

NYC Public School Parents: Revised NYSED Grade 3-8 Math Exam Cut Scores: Say WHAT?

NYC Public School Parents

Independent voices of New York City public school parents

NYC Public School Parents: Revised NYSED Grade 3-8 Math Exam Cut Scores: Say WHAT?

Revised NYSED Grade 3-8 Math Exam Cut Scores: Say WHAT?

by Steve Koss

NYS Education Commissioner David M. Steiner made waves last week by announcing a new, toughened regime for the state's annual Grade 3 - 8 standardized exams in Math and English Language Arts (ELA). Through an NYSED press release, Steiner assures the public that future exams and their "proficiency" (i.e., Level 3) cut scores will be set at a level to "indicate whether a student is on track to pass Regents exams and to go on to higher education prepared to do college-level work." As one mark of that new standard, aseparate NYSED press release defines the new Grade 8 cut score as "being set at a

Schools Matter: The 15 for 15 Corrupt For Profits Named

The 15 for 15 Corrupt For Profits Named

by Jim Horn

From Inside Higher Ed:

Deceptive or Completely Questionable' Practices
Presenting the findings of the GAO investigation was Gregory D. Kutz, the office’s managing director of forensic audits and special investigations at the Government Accountability Office. In testimony made more powerful by the brief undercover video clips that punctuated it, Kutz detailed “deceptive or completely questionable” practices at all 15 institutions.

Children's Literacy Initiative gets $21 million federal innovation grant | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Children's Literacy Initiative gets $21 million federal innovation grant

by Dale Mezzacappa on Aug 05 2010

Tags:

Philadelphia-based Children's Literacy Initiativeis one of 49 winners of so-called i3 grants from the U.S. Department of Education, awarded to school districts and non-profit organizations to promote educational innovation.

CLI, as it is known, has worked for more than 20 years to train teachers, caregivers and child care workers to in how to create literature-rich environments and promote reading skills in the youngest children. Even before getting a foothold in the School District, it worked with the Philadelphia Housing Authority and individual child care providers, often grandmothers or informal neighborhood centers, to run workshops and

CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS: Chicago Math and Science Academy

Chicago Math and Science Academy

by The Perimeter Primate

NOTE: The Chicago Math and Science Academy is one of the 19 Gulen charter schools operated by Concept Schools. The CEO of Concept is Sedat Duman, the VP is Salim Ucan, the principal of CMSA is Ali Yilmaz. Click here to see the school's listing of Turkish activities and watch the video of CMSA students demonstrating their Turkish skills at the 2008 regional Turkish Olympiad held in Columbus, Ohio (as presented by Samanyolu, a Gulenist Turkish TV station), below.

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE CHICAGO ALLIANCE OF CHARTER TEACHERS AND STAFF:

Blog U.: Pacific Rim views on global education: Hong Kong Seattle - GlobalHigherEd - Inside Higher Ed

BlogU

Pacific Rim views on global education: Hong Kong+Seattle
By Gray Kochhar-Lindgren August 5, 2010 7:05 pm

Editor's note: this guest entry was kindly produced by Gray Kochhar-Lindgren, Professor of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, as well as Director of the First Year Experience, at theUniversity of Washington, Bothell. During 2009-10, Gray served as a Fulbright Scholar in General Education based at the University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong America Center. With Kanta Kochhar-Lindgren, he is currently working on a book entitled Designing the Global

Are These the Lessons Learned by the Demise of Google Wave? Joshua Kim

What Was It Now? Oh, Yes: Memory Oronte

Vermont education chief recommends school cuts - Boston.com

Vermont education chief recommends school cuts

By Lisa Rathke

Associated Press Writer / August 5, 2010

Text size – +

MONTPELIER, Vt.—School districts across Vermont are being asked to trim a total of $23.2 million from their already lean budgets. If they don't, the education commissioner might ask the Legislature to require them to.

But $19 million to save teacher jobs in Vermont included in a jobs bill - that passed the U.S. Senate on Thursday and is up for a rush vote in the House next week - could offset the cuts.

The reductions to education spending range from $1.1 million for the Burlington School District to around $38,000 for the Essex

Supreme Court Resources | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

Supreme Court Resources The Associated Press has published an updated interactive on the nomination and confirmation of Elena Kagan. I’ve added it to The Best Sites To Learn About The U.S. Supreme Court.

“What Do Latino Parents Say About Schools?” The Associated Press and Univision have just published a poll of Latinos in the United States that included quite a few questions related to education. I’ve written a post about it in my other blog, Engaging Parents In School, which include a number ...

Statement from the First Lady on the Senate Passing Child Nutrition Legislation | The White House

Statement from the First Lady on the Senate Passing Child Nutrition Legislation

I am thrilled that Congress has taken a major step forward today in passing the Child Nutrition bill – a groundbreaking piece of legislation that will help us provide healthier school meals to children across America and will play an integral role in our efforts to combat childhood obesity. Over the past few months, this bill has garnered widespread support from both Democrats and Republicans, all of whom care deeply about the health and wellbeing of our children and are committed to ensuring they have the nutrition they need to learn, grow and succeed. I know how much work it has taken to get to this point, and I want to commend Senators Reid, Lincoln, McConnell, and Chambliss for their leadership and thank them for their work to garner bipartisan support for this legislation. While childhood obesity cannot be solved overnight, with everyone working together, there’s no question that it can be solved -- and today’s vote moves us one step closer to reaching that goal.

For-Profit Colleges Encouraged Fraud, Used Deceptive Marketing, GAO Reports : The Two-Way : NPR

For-Profit Colleges Encouraged Fraud, Used Deceptive Marketing, GAO Reports

A Senate committee saw video evidence that for-profit colleges are using high-pressure sales tactics that would make a used-car salesman blush.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held a hearing on recruiting efforts by for for-profit industry, which has been growing rapidly over the last decade, thanks in large part to federal loans students take out to pay tuition.

The Government Accountability Office sent undercover investigators into 15 different for-profit colleges around the country.

Some recruiters, caught on hidden cameras, openly urged applicants to lie on the federal form use to obtain student aid. One

Schools' no-lice policies called overkill by doctors' group - San Jose Mercury News

Schools' no-lice policies called overkill by doctors' group

By Kerry Benefield

Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Posted: 08/05/2010 01:10:40 PM PDT

Updated: 08/05/2010 01:10:41 PM PDT

Head lice -- the tiny critters that cause itchy scalps among school kids and strike fear in the hearts of parents -- are relatively harmless and should not prevent students from attending school, a national pediatric advisory group now says.

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that "no healthy child should be excluded or miss school because of head lice."

The group goes further to recommend that schools drop policies that prohibit students from coming to class until

Foothill-De Anza Community College District proposes $69 annual parcel tax

Three South Bay students head to China Girls Math Olympiad

Parents push for sprinklers, automatic alarms at Trace Elementary

Two filmmakers want to talk to teachers, make them stars | GothamSchools

Two filmmakers want to talk to teachers, make them stars

by Elizabeth Green

Since I’m basically a filmmaker now, I have to support my own. A two-man team of smart young filmmakers is looking for teachers to tell their stories.
They write:

What kind of story? Stories like that big time success that deep down you’ve been burning to brag

How to get around the cell phone ban at Automotive High School

by Elizabeth Green

Today in Williamsburg, I ran into two high school seniors on their way back from summer school. The students — Miguel, 18, and Edward, 20 — both carried cell phones.

Remainders: A new education film, “Race to Nowhere,” emerges

by Elizabeth Green

Filmmakers challenging the “achievement culture” have a video op-ed. (NY Times)
Teach For America and KIPP won big in the i3 contest; so did School of One. (Times)
The Senate passed a $10 billion “edujobs” bill today to stave off layoffs. (EdWeek)
One reaction: “My debt grows to protect union dues.” (Ed is Watching)
Distributing this money in NY might require a legislative session. (NYSSBA)
Report: Half of high schoolers attended crowded schools in 2008-2009. (IBO: pdf)
Kudos to Rick Hess for the phrase “over-caffeinated value-added enthusiasts.” (Dorn)
Who is the “blame-the-teacher crowd”? Tim Daly thinks it’s a mirage. (Eduwonk)
Meanwhile Claus thinks veteran teachers’ job angst is understandable. (Learning First)
Aaron Pallas is still skeptical that D.C.’s teacher evaluation does what it claims. (Hechinger)

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Thursday, August 5, 2010