Closing the achievement gaps: Will California’s reforms make a difference? | EdSource

Closing the achievement gaps: Will California’s reforms make a difference? | EdSource:

Closing the achievement gaps: Will California’s reforms make a difference?

Student scores on the Smarter Balanced assessments, the centerpiece of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress, or CAASPP, were released in September 2015. They underscored the continuing achievement gaps that decades of education reforms have failed to close. EdSource conducted a series of interviews with leading educators and scholars about the persistence of these achievement gaps and the prospects for the current set of reforms in California to help close them.

Just click on each of the boxes below to read the Q&A – and let us know your reactions as well.

We have also collected the Q&As in one place in this easily downloadable – and printable – document.   Closing the achievement gaps: Will California’s reforms make a difference? | EdSource:

Louis Freedberg

Executive Director, EdSource

Christopher Edley, Jr.

Professor and Former Dean, UC Berkeley School of Law

Sean Reardon

Professor of Poverty and Inequality, Stanford Graduate School of Education

Michael Fullan

Professor Emeritus, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto

Linda Darling-Hammond

Professor, Stanford University and President and CEO, Learning Policy Institute

Marshall 'Mike' Smith

Former Undersecretary of Education, Clinton administration

Closing the achievement gaps: Will California’s reforms make a difference? | EdSource:

Hillary Clinton: Vowing to Close Schools Not “Above Average” | deutsch29

Hillary Clinton: Vowing to Close Schools Not “Above Average” | deutsch29:

Hillary Clinton: Vowing to Close Schools Not “Above Average” 

A numeric average is a relative statistic. If I have a set of numeric values and I calculate an average using the set, by definition, some individual values will fall below average, and likely, some will be right on the average. If I remove these below-average and average values, the original average does not remain fixed– and if I average the remaining originally-above-average values, some will newly be below average, and likely, some exactly average.

The truth about the relative nature of averages is apparently lost on Democratic presidential hopeful, Hillary Clinton. On December 22, 2015, Clinton spoke at a high school in Keota, Iowa, where she said, “I wouldn’t keep any school open that wasn’t Hillary Clinton: Vowing to Close Schools Not “Above Average” | deutsch29:

New Fafsa Rules to Eliminate Frustrating Financial Aid Problem - The New York Times

New Fafsa Rules to Eliminate Frustrating Financial Aid Problem - The New York Times:

New Fafsa Rules to Eliminate Frustrating Financial Aid Problem

After holiday celebrations are over, students who plan on attending college next fall should begin preparing for a looming financial chore: completing the document that is crucial for financial aid.

Known as Fafsa, which is short for Free Application for Federal Student Aid, the form is used to calculate how much students and their families are expected to contribute to the cost of attending college, and what sort of financial aid they will receive. “The Fafsa,” said Lauren Asher, president of The Institute for College Access & Success, “is the gateway to government aid and federal loans.”

The form for the 2016-17 school year becomes available online on Jan. 1, and filling it out as soon as possible helps families maximize the odds of qualifying for grants, scholarships and federal loans. Students seeking financial aid must file the form each year.

Applying early is important because some states have early grant deadlines, and some distribute aid on a first-come, first-served basis, Ms. Asher said. So waiting may mean students will miss out.

Although filing the form in early January is ideal, not all families are ready to do so. The form requires filers to use information from their federal income tax return from the calendar year that just ended — so, January filers would use information from 2015. But most people will not receive their W-2 forms and other information necessary to file a 2015 tax return until later in January, at the earliest.

This is the last year filers will face this situation. Starting in 2016, changesNew Fafsa Rules to Eliminate Frustrating Financial Aid Problem - The New York Times: 

CURMUDGUCATION: Clinton's Math Problem

CURMUDGUCATION: Clinton's Math Problem:
Clinton's Math Problem

In Iowa, Clinton displayed a lack of-- well, something. Math comprehension? Education reform understanding? Thinking things through? 

She wouldn't keep any school open that wasn't doing above average. So... close half the schools? Of course, once you close half the schools, then the average will have to be recalculated, and then you'll have to close half of those schools. And so on until there is only one school left. Or maybe we close parts of that school. I am suddenly remembering the many hats of Bartholomew Cubbins and imagining a Seussian school at which a sky-reaching stack of students are seated at a single desk.

But maybe what she means is closer half the schools and replace them with charters, which means we'll close a new half of the schools every year. Will we allow students to move around? Will low-scoring students become educational hot potatoes, thrown off by schools who don't want to fall in the bottom half.

It will be frustrating of course-- half of the schools (a few more, actually) will always be average or lower, so every year we will close half the schools and every year we will have to farm out the students and putCURMUDGUCATION: Clinton's Math Problem:

Jersey Jazzman: Democracy, Markets, & Charter Schools: Part I

Jersey Jazzman: Democracy, Markets, & Charter Schools: Part I:

Democracy, Markets, & Charter Schools: Part I

I promise I'll get back to Teachers Village in a bit and wrap up that series. But recent events have got me thinking more about the intersection of democratically elected school boards, local control, race, class, and charter schools.

Because the argument I often hear from the "reform" industry is that people like me have no business expressing our skepticism about charter schools (nor should we ever dare to call out the incoherence of those who make poor cases for chartering) because charters represent a "choice" that urban families of color -- who are often at economic disadvantage -- make, and no one has the right to take away that "choice" if the only alternative is a "failing" school.

As I've said many times: I'll never blame a parent for enrolling their child in a school that they believe best meets their child's needs. But the idea that the "choice" an urban parent makes when enrolling their child in an urban charter is somehow equivalent to the "choice" a suburban parent makes for their child's schooling is just wrong:

Charter "choice" is not suburban "choice." Shuffling children around within the borders of their district into schools that have unequal access to resources and unequal commitments to educating all students is not the "choice" offered in the suburbs. Offering families either underfunded, crumbling, filthy public schools or charters that are not state actors and do not afford students and

- See more at: http://jerseyjazzman.blogspot.com/2015/12/democracy-markets-charter-schools-part-i.html#sthash.lBdZKqP1.dpuf

Clinton: 'I Will Close All Schools that Fail to Meet The Lake Wobegon Standard

Clinton: 'I Wouldn't Keep Any School Open That Wasn't Doing A Better Than Average Job' | The Weekly Standard:

Clinton: 'I Wouldn't Keep Any School Open That Wasn't Doing A Better Than Average Job'

Hillary Clinton may be planning to close a lot of schools. At a town hall event today in Keota, Iowa, Clinton said she would keep open "better than average" schools:

"This school district and these schools throughout Iowa are doing a better than average job," Clinton told the crowd. "Now, I wouldn't keep any school open that wasn't doing a better than average job. If a school's not doing a good job, then you know it may not be good for the kids.

"But when you have a district that's doing a good job it seems kind of counterproductive to impose financial burdens on it."
Clinton: 'I Wouldn't Keep Any School Open That Wasn't Doing A Better Than Average Job' | The Weekly Standard:

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 12/22/15

CORPORATE ED REFORM

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: That's a quarter-million #RahmResign sigs with a Q

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: That's a quarter-million #RahmResign sigs with a Q: That's a quarter-million #RahmResign sigs with a QA coalition of activists demanding Mayor Rahm Emanuel's resignation marched to City Hall Monday, carrying 250,000 petition signatures. That's a quarter million with a capital Q. With Rahm off with the family, vacationing in Cuba ("Never let a crisis happen while

by mike simpson / 40min 

OPT OUT @ 3% We Can Do Better: Smarter Balanced Assessments - Year 2015 (CA Dept of Education)

Smarter Balanced Assessments - Year 2015 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces 97 Percent Participation Rate for Smarter Balanced Assessments SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced that California students reached a 97 percent participation rate in the 2014–15 Smarter Balanced assessments and the California Alternate Assess

by mike simpson / 1h 

Judge rules sexual orientation discrimination falls under purview of landmark Title IX law - LA Times

Judge rules sexual orientation discrimination falls under purview of landmark Title IX law - LA Times: Judge rules sexual orientation discrimination falls under purview of landmark Title IX lawederal judge in California has ruled that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation falls under the purview of the landmark Title IX law, giving a broader interpretation to the 1972 statute that proh

by mike simpson / 2h 

CURMUDGUCATION: Lamar Alexander: Privatization, Cronyism, and the Big Bucks

CURMUDGUCATION: Lamar Alexander: Privatization, Cronyism, and the Big Bucks: Lamar Alexander: Privatization, Cronyism, and the Big BucksThe rich are not like you and me. In fact, many of the rich get rich through avenues not remotely available to you or me. Would you like to see how it works?Let's take a look at Lamar Alexander.These days Alexander is the reasonably amiable, semi-avuncular senator

by mike simpson / 2h 

Ed. Dept. to States: Even Under ESSA, You Need a Plan for High Opt-Out Rates - Politics K-12 - Education Week

Ed. Dept. to States: Even Under ESSA, You Need a Plan for High Opt-Out Rates - Politics K-12 - Education Week: Ed. Dept. to States: Even Under ESSA, You Need a Plan for High Opt-Out RatesIt's only December, but the U.S. Department of Education is already thinking ahead to the 2015-16 assessment season in the spring—and it's reminding states that they are still on the hook to do something about sch

by mike simpson / 3h 

How Goldilocks Opened a Charter School That Nobody Wanted

How Goldilocks Opened a Charter School That Nobody WantedBig Education Ape: Charter School Approval Flea Flicker: Three charter schools closed by CPS file appeals with stat... http://bit.ly/1QGhKNdBig Education Ape: Glendale Unified board denies charter school plans; petitioners say they will appeal to county -... http://bit.ly/1P9tvbDBig Education Ape: Flea Flicker: Rocketship appeals to state bo

by mike simpson / 3h 

Latino education decline a looming Texas disaster « NewsTaco

Latino education decline a looming Texas disaster « NewsTaco: Latino education decline a looming Texas disaster*Sosa outlines a seven piece plan to change education in Texas for the better: teach college expectation in school; be open to technological change; experiment; reward best schools and teachers; call-out failing schools and teachers; don’t drink the “things are getting better” Kool-Aid; i

by mike simpson / 4h 

The Blame for Our Failures | educarenow

The Blame for Our Failures | educarenow: The Blame for Our FailuresIt’s been another miserable year for educators.I could spend some time giving a detailed list of all of the negatives, but I’m tired. So just trust me on this.I do, though, want to try to summarize the most disheartening thing to me. That is, the continued narrative that makes schools both the savior of our society (read, “economy”

by mike simpson / 5h 

Don’t Blame My Students For Society’s Ills | gadflyonthewallblog

Don’t Blame My Students For Society’s Ills | gadflyonthewallblog: Don’t Blame My Students For Society’s IllsAs a public school teacher, I see many things – a multiplicity of the untold and obscure.On a daily basis, I see the effects of rampant poverty, ignorance and child abuse. I see prejudice, racism and classism. I see sexism, homophobia and religious intolerance.And hardly any of it comes from

by mike simpson / 5h 

A Right-Wing Delusion: ESSA is "leftist and progressive" victory. | BustED Pencils

A Right-Wing Delusion: ESSA is "leftist and progressive" victory. | BustED Pencils: A Right-Wing Delusion: ESSA is “leftist and progressive” victory.Since the passage of the new Elementary and Secondary Education Act (Every Student Succeeds Act)—pundits are either confused or simply just acting out their part in this never ending nightmare.Being a “leftist” I typically don’t read The Pul

by mike simpson / 5h 

Have Yourself a Common Core Christmas…A Close Reading Parody

Have Yourself a Common Core Christmas…A Close Reading Parody: Have Yourself a Common Core Christmas…A Close Reading ParodyIn case you missed it last year…As you snuggle next to a roaring fire and reach for the family’s favorite Christmas poem, don’t forget we live in a Common Core world now where close reading rules even for the youngest among us.Follow the script! And don’t forget you are to read

by mike simpson / 5h 

Oakland Teachers Struggle to Get Help for Kids Fleeing Violence | The California Report | KQED News

Oakland Teachers Struggle to Get Help for Kids Fleeing Violence | The California Report | KQED News: Oakland Teachers Struggle to Get Help for Kids Fleeing ViolenceUnaccompanied minors fleeing violence in Central America are still arriving to live with family members or guardians in communities across California, while they wait for their court dates to find out if they can stay in this country. I

by mike simpson / 6h 

Teacher: Why I burned out and what I did about it - The Washington Post

Teacher: Why I burned out and what I did about it - The Washington Post: Teacher: Why I burned out and what I did about itJackie Parrish is a retired teacher who spent 30 years in the same inner-city school in Philadelphia. She has certification in elementary education, secondary mathematics and is a reading specialist. She wrote in the following post about her two episodes with burnout — a not in

by mike simpson / 6h 

CURMUDGUCATION: CAP: More Silly CCSS PR Polling

CURMUDGUCATION: CAP: More Silly CCSS PR Polling: CAP: More Silly CCSS PR PollingIn an era in which even Jeb Bush has stopped saying the name out loud, no group has cheered harder for the Common Core than the Center for American Progress (theoretically left-leaning holding pen for interregnum Clinton staffers). No argument is too dumb, no data set too ridiculous. If that dog won't hunt, CAP ties a

by mike simpson / 6h 

Plunderbund: Takeover of the Youngstown City Schools

Plunderbund: Youngstown Cabinet Kept Meetings Secret While ODE Superintendent Dick Ross Developed Takeover Planby Greg on December 22, 2015 · 0 CommentsOver the past two days, we’ve revealed how emails and documents released by the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) directly link outgoing State Superintendent Dick Ross to the creation of a Youngstown Cabinet that worked to enact a takeover of the

by mike simpson / 6h 

Education Pendulum? No, Meat Grinder | the becoming radical

Education Pendulum? No, Meat Grinder | the becoming radical: Education Pendulum? No, Meat GrinderThe irony of apt analogy is that when a comparison works it becomes overused, and thus, tossed eventually like so much waste in the cliché bin.In education, possibly the most enduring metaphor is the education pendulum that represents the swings in educational policy since at least the beginning of the

by mike simpson / 7h 

Educator and Education Blogger Steven Singer’s MUST READ commentary piece - Wait What?

Educator and Education Blogger Steven Singer’s MUST READ commentary piece - Wait What?: Educator and Education Blogger Steven Singer’s MUST READ commentary piecePennsylvania educator and public school advocate Steven Singer is one of the most powerful voices in the nation when it comes to speaking out for students, parents, teachers and our public schools.The tag line for Steven Singer’s blog is –

by mike simpson / 7h 

Cartoons about Winter Holidays–Families, Children, and Schools | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Cartoons about Winter Holidays–Families, Children, and Schools | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Cartoons about Winter Holidays–Families, Children, and SchoolsFor this month with winter holidays upon the nation, I have gathered some cartoons that poke fun at what transpires in homes, schools, and Santa’s place. Enjoy!See More @ Cartoons about Winter Holidays–Families, Children

by mike simpson / 7h 

In Case You Missed It...(because yes, educators also work summers) - Lily's Blackboard

In Case You Missed It...(because yes, educators also work summers) - Lily's Blackboard: In Case You Missed It...(because yes, educators also work summers)In Case You Missed It…Educators are busy people. Hard as we try to stay current with the latest education news and trends, we can’t keep track of everything. With 2015 coming to an end, here’s your chance to review this year’s most widely read it

by mike simpson / 7h 

Advice for My Students: DON'T "Teach For America" | Daniel Katz

Advice for My Students: DON'T "Teach For America" | Daniel Katz:Advice for My Students: DON'T "Teach For America"As fall semester slides into the holidays, most of my senior students turn their attention to full time student teaching. They also begin to think very seriously about how to enter the job market for new teachers beginning their careers in the Fall. It can be a harro

by mike simpson / 7h 

Ex-Detroit principal arraigned on multiple charges

Ex-Detroit principal arraigned on multiple charges: Ex-Detroit principal arraigned on multiple chargesDetroit — A former Detroit high school principal accused of stealing school funds to enrich herself made her first appearance in federal court on Monday for her arraignment on charges including conspiracy to commit bribery and money laundering.Kenyetta Wilbourn-Snapp, former principal of Mumford a

by mike simpson / 7h 

Arne Duncan: ESSA embodies the "core of our agenda" | Truth in American Education

Arne Duncan: ESSA embodies the "core of our agenda" | Truth in American Education: Arne Duncan: ESSA embodies the “core of our agenda”Politico Pro just released an interview with outgoing U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan that is pretty damning of Congressional Republican leadership.They asked about the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).I’m stunned. at how much better it ended up t

by mike simpson / 7h 

Giving them Helen Gym in Phila. schools: deficient curricula

Pa.: Four Phila. schools offer deficient curricula: Pa.: Four Phila. schools offer deficient curriculaThe Pennsylvania Department of Education has declared deficient curricula at four Philadelphia schools where parents complained after budget cuts forced sharp program reductions.It is a "significant victory" for parents, education activists said, a signal that the state Department of Edu

by mike simpson / 7h 

Why Has the Common Core Not Been Discussed on the Campaign Trail - The Atlantic

Why Has the Common Core Not Been Discussed on the Campaign Trail - The Atlantic:What Happened to the Common Core Debate?Several Republican presidential candidates have backed away from the term, but not the standards. Why?The Common Core was expected to be a ubiquitous subject on the campaign trail in 2016. The education standards had, over time, become a political football as conservatives condem

by mike simpson / 8h 

Give the Gift of Student Voice—In New Orleans | EduShyster

Give the Gift of Student Voice—In New Orleans | EduShyster: Give the Gift of Student Voice—In New OrleansA holiday shout out to Kids Rethink New Orleans SchoolsReader: this is typically the time of year when I ask you to open your hearts, meaning your wallets, on my behalf. But this year I’ve decided to roll a little differently. (This has nothing to do with the fact that last year’s fund drive, w

by mike simpson / 8h 

Why 5+5+5=15 is wrong under Common Core - Business Insider

Why 5+5+5=15 is wrong under Common Core - Business Insider: Why '5+5+5=15' is wrong under Common CoreHere's a "repeated addition" Common Core problem that's taught in third-grade in US schools.Use the repeated-addition strategy to solve 5x3. If you answer the question with 5+5+5=15, you would be wrong. The correct answer is 3+3+3+3+3.Mathematically, both are correct, but under Common Cor

by mike simpson / 8h 

This is what Americans think about transgender students in locker rooms - The Washington Post

This is what Americans think about transgender students in locker rooms - The Washington Post: This is what Americans think about transgender students in locker roomsEarlier this month, a suburban Chicago school district erupted in anger after a high school agreed to allow a transgender girl to change in the girls’ locker room. The school’s decision came after the girl had filed a Title IX complai

by mike simpson / 8h 

Rick Hess Cage-Busting Teacher and Escaping from the School Reform Cage | John Thompson

Rick Hess Cage-Busting Teacher and Escaping from the School Reform Cage | John Thompson: Rick Hess Cage-Busting Teacher and Escaping from the School Reform CageI've long admired Rick Hess's iconoclasm and his realism. The conservative Hess also writes things that drive me up the wall. His recent defense of District of Columbia Chancellor Kaya Henderson and her kinder, gentler implementation of Mic

by mike simpson / 8h 

5 Attacks Against Teachers Unions By State Newspapers In 2015 | Research | Media Matters for America

5 Attacks Against Teachers Unions By State Newspapers In 2015 | Research | Media Matters for America: 5 Attacks Against Teachers Unions By State Newspapers In 2015 Public school educators and their unions in major cities made national headlines in 2015 following strikes, contentious contract negotiations, school board elections, and funding battles. While research shows that teachers unions benefi

by mike simpson / 8h 

Teachers Are About to Get the Data They Need to Educate Your Kids, Experts Say | Mother Jones

Teachers Are About to Get the Data They Need to Educate Your Kids, Experts Say | Mother Jones: Teachers Are About to Get the Data They Need to Educate Your Kids, Experts SayNine big-city schools in California, covering almost 1 million kids, are trying to break away from "one size fits all" teaching.When President Barack Obama signed the new Every Student Succeeds Act earlier this month,

by mike simpson / 9h 

Florida teachers union says new 'Best and Brightest' bonus program discriminates | Tampa Bay Times

Florida teachers union says new 'Best and Brightest' bonus program discriminates | Tampa Bay Times: Florida teachers union says new 'Best and Brightest' bonus program discriminatesFlorida's Best and Brightest teacher scholarship program had its critics from the moment it became law last summer.It set aside $44 million to give teachers up to $10,000 in bonus money if they received a "highly ef

by mike simpson / 9h 

Elia: Big changes coming for testing, evaluations, Common Core standards | POLITICO

Elia: Big changes coming for testing, evaluations, Common Core standards | POLITICO: Elia: Big changes coming for testing, evaluations, Common Core standardsALBANY — Substantive changes will be made to testing, teacher evaluations and the Common Core learning standards in New York State, state education commissioner MaryEllen Elia said in a television interview set to air Monday night.“We’ve alrea

by mike simpson / 9h 

The new educational philanthropy - AEI

The new educational philanthropy - AEI: The new educational philanthropyAEI's Rick Hess sits down with Education Next's Michael F. Shaughnessy1) Rick, you and Jeff Henig have just edited a book, The New Education Philanthropy. What brought this about?Just fifteen years ago, there were concerns that the nation’s philanthropic community was retreating from K-12, frustrated with what they regarded as

by mike simpson / 9h 

YESTERDAY

After-school program funding remains separate under new education law | EdSource

After-school program funding remains separate under new education law | EdSource: After-school program funding remains separate under new education lawAfter-school and summer programs will not only retain a separate funding stream, they will also get a slight boost in dollars under the new federal education bill and budget.At one point during the negotiations that resulted in the Every Student Suc

by mike simpson / 22h 

High Stakes Testing and the Black Community: Just Say NO! | Poetic Justice

High Stakes Testing and the Black Community: Just Say NO! | Poetic Justice: High Stakes Testing and the Black Community: Just Say NO!Please watch and share this video of Jamaal Bowman, principal of CASA Middle School in the Bronx, talking about the deleterious effects of testing on our children. Opting Out of high stakes testing and testing tied to teacher evaluations is a decision parents can and

by mike simpson / 23h 

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 12/21/15

CORPORATE ED REFORMCURMUDGUCATION: Free Market Bad for Students with DisabilitiesCURMUDGUCATION: Free Market Bad for Students with Disabilities: Free Market Bad for Students with Disabilities Disabilities Studies Quarterly, a peer-reviewed quarterly journal, published a paper back in 2012 that makes some sobering points about how a free market approach to schools works out (or not) for students wi

by mike simpson / 23h