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Saturday, March 31, 2012

Last Week's Best Posts on Big Education Ape 3-31-12 » PostRank #EDchat #EDreform #soschat #p2 #1u



Last Week's Best Posts on Big Education Ape » PostRank
 


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Modern School: Weed Workers Unite!

2012-Mar-30
Modern School: Weed Workers Unite!: Weed Workers Unite!byMichael DunnWeed Workers Woof! (Image byChris Yarzab, from Flickr)Marijuana workers at 14 dispensaries in Los Angeles have formed the “medical cannabis and hemp division” of the United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 770, theInsurance Journalwrote this week. UFCW also represents grocery clerks, pharmacists and health care workers.Local 770 President, Rick Icaza, said the union would use its political weight to pressure officials to find an alternative to a total ban on dispensaries. Los ...
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Big Education Ape: 3-30-12 AM Behind Every Harassed Child? A Lot of Clueless Adults EDition

2012-Mar-30
Big Education Ape: PARENTS CAN!:Big Education Ape:PARENTSCAN!Published byCoopmike48– 7 news spotters todayNext update in about 11 hoursSee all articlesHEADLINESEDUCATIONSOCIETYPOLITICSENVIRONMENTBUSINESSART ENTERTAINMENT#CORPREFORM#WHATJERKSProtesters Wreak Havoc As Ten Arrestedhuffingtonpost.com- A class meets in the auditorium building at Oakland Technical High School in Oakland, Calif., Friday, March 18, 2011. Oakland, Calif. (AP) -- Oakland's school board is planning to resume a meeting ...mikeklonskyEureka College maintains spot on honor roll - Peoria, ILpjstar.com- For the second consecutive year, Eureka College has been named to the President's ...
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Celebrate Cesar Chavez Day SACRAMENTO PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE:

2012-Mar-30
SACRAMENTO PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE: Celebrate Cesar Chavez Day: Celebrate Cesar Chavez DaybyDuane Campbell Cesar Chavez Day is a state holiday inCalifornia – one of eight states to recognize the date, and one of the few holidays in the nationdedicated to a laborleader. Sacramento and dozens of cities, counties and laborfederations will celebrate the life of Cesar Chavez on March 31, 2012,OnMarch 26, U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis honored Cesar Chavez and the UFWfounders by dedicating the auditorium at the Department ...
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Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 3-29 #soschat #EDReform

2012-Mar-29
Commenters in a Silly Tizzy Over Testing Topic Ban – SchoolBookBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-10 minutes agoCommenters in a Silly Tizzy Over Testing Topic Ban – SchoolBook: Commenters in a Silly Tizzy Over Testing Topic BanByMARY ANN GIORDANOWith all that there is to be outraged about when it comes to public education and the fate of American children, the Internet is having a silly fit about a clause in a request for proposals sent out by the New ...
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Democrats for Education Reform Enter Parent Trigger Fray With Spin, Smear and Intimidation | Scathing Purple Musings

2012-Mar-29
Democrats for Education Reform Enter Parent Trigger Fray With Spin, Smear and Intimidation | Scathing Purple Musings: Democrats for Education Reform Enter Parent Trigger Fray With Spin, Smear and IntimidationbyBob SikesMoving to the forefront of the parent trigger battle is former California Sen. Gloria Romero. Now the president of her state’s chapter of Democrats for Education Reform, Romero felt the need tooffer heranalysis of parent trigger’s defeat in Florida.I fear what we witnessed Friday in Florida is the status quo ...
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Democrats for Education Reform Enter Parent Trigger Fray With Spin, Smear and Intimidation | Scathing Purple Musings

2012-Mar-29
Democrats for Education Reform Enter Parent Trigger Fray With Spin, Smear and Intimidation | Scathing Purple Musings: Democrats for Education Reform Enter Parent Trigger Fray With Spin, Smear and IntimidationbyBob SikesMoving to the forefront of the parent trigger battle is former California Sen. Gloria Romero. Now the president of her state’s chapter of Democrats for Education Reform, Romero felt the need tooffer heranalysis of parent trigger’s defeat in Florida.I fear what we witnessed Friday in Florida is the status quo ...
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This Week In Education: Ideas: Please Stop Talking About Banning Private School

2012-Mar-29
This Week In Education: Ideas: Please Stop Talking About Banning Private School: Ideas: Please Stop Talking About Banning Private SchoolbyAlexander RussoIt's become somewhat popular among reformy types over the past couple of years to float the idea of "banning" private school and making everyone go to a public school. (Counter-reformers have their favorite stories, too, but we'll save those for another time.)Warren Buffet, Joel Klein, Michelle Rhee, Steve Barr, and most recentlyJason Kamrasare those I've seen or read deliver a ...
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H.R.4207: American Dream Accounts Act of 2012 - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress

2012-Mar-29
H.R.4207: American Dream Accounts Act of 2012 - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress: H.R.4207- American Dream Accounts Act of 2012To award grants in order to establish longitudinal personal college readiness and savings online platforms for low-income students.view all titles (2)OverviewActions VotesNews(0) Blogs(7)Comments(0)Bill's ViewsToday:3Past Seven Days:13All-Time:23IntroducedHousePassesSenatePassesPresidentSigns03/18/12Official Bill TextComment on about 17 PagesSponsorRepresentativeChaka FattahD-PANo Co-SponsorsCommitteesHouse Education and the WorkforceRelated Issue AreasStudent aid and college costsInternet and video servicesData via Congressional Research ServiceView all Issues (9 more)FEEDRecent News CoverageHmmmm, no news coverage found for ...
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Seattle Schools Community Forum: Charter School Drumbeat Continues at the Times

2012-Mar-29
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Charter School Drumbeat Continues at the Times: Charter School Drumbeat Continues at the TimesbyCharlie MasThe Times never runs out of space for people to advocate for charter schools."If voters favor charter schools, why can't state lawmakers?" by Robert Enlow and Jonathan Bechtle.Robert Enlow is president and CEO of the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, the legacy foundation of Nobel Laureate Milton Friedman headquartered in Indianapolis. Jonathan Bechtle is CEO of the Freedom Foundation, a free-market think ...
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Thank You, Teacher Project - California Teachers Association

2012-Mar-29
Thank You, Teacher Project - California Teachers Association: Thank You, Teacher ProjectFrom teachers, to paraprofessionals, to community college instructors, we know that educators in California have received thank you notes from students whose lives you’ve touched. Here’s a chance to go public with them. As part of a new feature on the CTA website and Facebook page, we would like to publish some of those letters. They will also be included in the upcoming “Thanksgiving” issue of theCalifornia Educatormagazine. If ...
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Rockford School District 205 Teachers Strike

2012-Mar-29
Rockford School District 205 Teachers Strike: Rockford School District 205 Teachers StrikeLast minute negotiations between the Rockford Education Association and the Rockford School District have ended with no contract deal. No School and Teachers will strike Thursday morning.Posted:3:41 PM Mar 28, 2012Reporter:Lauren Kravets, Faran FronczakBREAKING NEWSRaw Interview with Rockford School District Interim Superintendent Dr. Robert WillisDistrict 205 Teachers to Strike Unless Tentative Agreement Reached by ThursdayBoard Meeting Preview6:00 P.M. Interview With Rockford School District Interim Superintendent Dr. Robert WillisStory184 CommentsFont ...
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Elham Palestine: Overcoming the Odds — Whole Child Education

2012-Mar-28
Elham Palestine: Overcoming the Odds — Whole Child Education: Elham Palestine: Overcoming the OddsbyASCD Whole Child BloggersPost submitted byElham Palestineexecutive director Huthayfa Jalamna and communication specialist Alla Atari. Elham is a nationwide program extending throughout Gaza and the West Bank that aims at improving the physical, mental, psychological, and social well-being of Palestinian children and enhancing their learning environments to become more conducive for their well-being. It is the Middle East setting of whole child partnerLearning for Well-Beingand the principles ...
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Chicago Congressman violates House decorum. House what? « Fred Klonsky

2012-Mar-28
Chicago Congressman violates House decorum. House what? « Fred Klonsky: Chicago Congressman violates House decorum. House what?byFred KlonskyChicago Congressman Bobby Rush gave a speech on the US House floor today. It was moving message about the murdered teenager Trayvon Martin. As he neared the end of his talk, he pulled a hoodie over his head and put on a pair of shades.“A hoodie doesn’t make you a hoodlum,”said the Chicago Congressman.To the presiding officer of the House, this was a ...
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Shanker Blog » Ohio's New School Rating System: Different Results, Same Flawed Methods

2012-Mar-28
Shanker Blog » Ohio's New School Rating System: Different Results, Same Flawed Methods: Ohio’s New School Rating System: Different Results, Same Flawed MethodsbyMatthew Di CarloWithout question, designing school and district rating systems is a difficult task, and Ohio was somewhat ahead of the curve in attempting to do so (and they’re also great about releasing a ton of data every year). As part of itsapplicationfor ESEA waivers,the state recently announced a newly-designed version of its long-standing system, with the changes ...
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Schools Matter: Robichaux Calls Out La. Fascists, While Scott in Florida Pays Corporations to Privatize Schools

2012-Mar-28
Schools Matter: Robichaux Calls Out La. Fascists, While Scott in Florida Pays Corporations to Privatize Schools: Robichaux Calls Out La. Fascists, While Scott in Florida Pays Corporations to Privatize SchoolsbyJim HornNew Orleans has a defender of democracyin Orleans Parish School Board President, Thomas Robichaux. Robichaux is clearly aware that as the public space recedes in these late days of casino capitalism, corporate fascism advances, and he is unafraid to say as much. He is also keenly aware that for schools ...
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Parents decry cuts to ELL services to Council | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

2012-Mar-27
Parents decry cuts to ELL services to Council | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Parents decry cuts to ELL services to CouncilbyDale MezzacappaAlthough one in eight students in Philadelphia public schools now come from homes in which English is the second language, services for them are being dismantled through the District's budget cuts, activists told City Council.Schools serving these students lack materials, are largely staffed by inexperienced teachers in overcrowded classrooms, do not have enough counselors, and have cut back crucial ...
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Free Webinar: Common Core Assessment Shifts — Whole Child Education

2012-Mar-27
Free Webinar: Common Core Assessment Shifts — Whole Child Education: Free Webinar: Common Core Assessment ShiftsbyKlea ScharbergDiscover the kinds of formative and summative classroom assessments that best coordinate with the new generation of testing consortia for the common core. JoinASCD author Susan Brookhartin a discussion of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) and Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) assessments and discover how to create classroom assessments that form a balanced system that supports student learning ...
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RheeFirst! » A poster child for ed reform’s moral disconnect

2012-Mar-27
RheeFirst! » A poster child for ed reform’s moral disconnect: A poster child for ed reform’s moral disconnectbyadmin Written by Joanne Barkan for Dissent Magazine. Read theentire article here.“The disconnect between what ed reformers claim to be doing for low-income children and what they actually bring about boggles the mind.The poster child for this moral disconnect is former Washington, D.C. schools chancellor and ed reform celebrity Michelle Rhee. Rhee resigned her D.C. post in October 2010 after her boss, Mayor ...
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Several charter leaders blast Great Schools Compact | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

2012-Mar-27
Several charter leaders blast Great Schools Compact | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Several charter leaders blast Great Schools CompactbyDale MezzacappaTestifying before the City Council Education Committee Tuesday, several charter school operators blasted the Philadelphia Great Schools Compact. The compact is working to help District and charter schools work together more productively andcreate more high-quality educational seats.Jerry Jordan, president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, called for an end to theRenaissance SchoolsInitiative, a program that has converted low-performing District schools into ...
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Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 3-26 #soschat #EDReform

2012-Mar-26
OCCUPY EDUCATION - Education is not for sale from Taiwan to Quebec .. #ows.Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-33 minutes agoOCCUPY EDUCATION - Education is not for sale from Taiwan to Quebec ...: Education is not for sale from Taiwan to Quebec One World One...Education is not for sale from Taiwan to QuebecOne World One StruggleCourt upholds limits on religious messages in schoolsBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-33 minutes agoCourt upholds limits on religious messages in schools: Court ...
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Teachers' Support For Reform Depends In Part On Experience -- Gates/Scholastic Survey

2012-Mar-26
Teachers' Support For Reform Depends In Part On Experience -- Gates/Scholastic Survey: Joy ResmovitsJoy.resmovits@huffingtonpost.comGET UPDATES FROM JOY:Like856Teachers' Support For Reform Depends In Part On Experience -- Gates/Scholastic SurveyPosted: 03/26/2012 7:08 pm Updated: 03/26/2012 7:30 pmRevamping the makeup of the teaching profession through tweaks such as altering tenure and teacher evaluations has become a policydebate du jour, one that hasriled many a state housein recent years. As it turns out, teachers themselves support that overhaul, according to recent survey data.But that ...
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Big Education Ape: 3-26-12 PM The Rich Get Even Richer EDition #soschat

2012-Mar-26
Big Education Ape: PARENTS CAN!: EDitionBig Education Ape:PARENTSCAN!Published byCoopmike48– 6 news spotters todayNext update in about 12 hoursSee all articlesHEADLINESEDUCATIONSOCIETYPOLITICSSTORIESBUSINESSART ENTERTAINMENT#EDU#OCCUPYTHEThe Rich Get Even Richernytimes.com- NEW statistics show an ever-more-startling divergence between the fortunes of the wealthy and everybody else — and the desperate need to address this wrenching problem. Even in a country that somet...DianeRavitchSmiley West featuring Pasi Sahlbergsmileyandwest.com- West: From PRI, Public Radio International in Princeton I’m Cornel West and this is Smiley West. Duncan: All of us ...
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Seattle Schools Community Forum: Adding up the score from Lowell

2012-Mar-26
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Adding up the score from LowellAdding up the score from LowellbyCharlie MasAs the story at Lowell comes out, there are definitely some lessons learned and some people who come out looking good, bad, and mixed.Here's the central absurdity: two employees were investigated for failure to report inappropriate behavior and the only evidence against them was their report of the inappropriate behavior - the one that satisfied their requirement to report. The people who accused them were ...
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RheeFirst! » D.C. test tampering hurting teachers, poisoning schools

2012-Mar-26
RheeFirst! » D.C. test tampering hurting teachers, poisoning schools: D.C. test tampering hurting teachers, poisoning schoolsbyadminWritten by Jay Mathews forThe Washington Post. Read theentire article here.“When J.P. Cotton began teaching at Davis Elementary School in Southeast Washington in August 2010, he puzzled over the scores of his fifth-graders on the previous spring’s D.C. tests. They were doing poorly in his class, as were most of the children at a school long plagued by low expectations and teacher turnover.Yet several of ...
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SF schools try to mend problems without suspension

2012-Mar-26
SF schools try to mend problems without suspension: SF schools try to mend problems without suspensionJill TuckerMonday, March 26, 2012PrintE-mailShareComments(4)Font|Size:7Michael Macor / SFCRosa Parks Elementary school Principal Paul Jacobson, stops to talks with students during lunch, Akese King at his side, in San Francisco, Ca. on Thursday March 8, 2012. Jacobson is using restorative justice practices to reduce suspensions and behavioral problem with his students. He walks around the school with restorative justice questions on a lanyard he wears around ...
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SB24 won’t solve CT’s real Teacher Equity Problems « School Finance 101

2012-Mar-26
SB24 won’t solve CT’s real Teacher Equity Problems « School Finance 101: SB24 won’t solve CT’s real Teacher Equity Problemsbyschoolfinance101Connecticut’s SB 24 appears to be little more than boilerplate reformy legislation which, like similar legislation in other states, creates a massive smokescreen concealing the very real problems facing Connecticut school districts. I addressed in a previous post my concern that SB24′s emphasis on charter expansion as a solution for high poverty districts is misguided, mainly because most of those successful ...
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Today in Real Reform & Innovation · TeacherSabrina · Storify

2012-Mar-26
Today in Real Reform Innovation · TeacherSabrina · Storify: Storified bySabrina Stevens2 months ago·28 views36Today in Real Reform InnovationlikeShareEmailEmbed1/24/12: State of the Union edition! What did public school supporters have to say about the President's speech, or the education panel afterwards?Monday night, President Obama gave his annual State of the Union Address. From as many as 34,000 tweets sent about education just prior to and during the speech, a few key themes emerged.Though many agree that the speech itself was ...
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Parents: The Missing Engine Behind School Reform - New America Media

2012-Mar-26
Parents: The Missing Engine Behind School Reform - New America Media: Parents: The Missing Engine Behind School ReformStorytoolsCommentsAAAResizePrintShare and EmailNew America Media, News Report,Khalil Abdullah,Posted:Mar 26, 2012Modesto E. Abety-Gutierrez, President of The Children's Trust (with the mic), along with other panel speakers, including (from left) Liz Looney, Service Manager with City Year Miami; Principal Pablo Ortiz with Miami Edison Senior High School; School Board member Raquel A. Regalado with Miami-Dade County Schools; Dr. Lenore Rodicio with Miami Dade College; Mc ...
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The Fate of the Common Core: The View from 2022 :: Frederick M. Hess

2012-Mar-26
The Fate of the Common Core: The View from 2022 :: Frederick M. Hess: The Fate of the Common Core: The View from 2022by Frederick M. Hess • Mar 26, 2012 at 8:31 amCross-posted fromEducation WeekPrintSendRSSShareFunny story. A few weeks back, I was out in DC after one of my AEI working groups. It got late and just a few of us were left, including ed tech gurus Jonathan Harber, Larry Berger, and Mick Hewitt. Anyway, walking out of Panache ...
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5 Tips for a Successful Parent-Teacher Conference - High School Notes (usnews.com)

2012-Mar-26
5 Tips for a Successful Parent-Teacher Conference - High School Notes (usnews.com): 5 Tips for a Successful Parent-Teacher ConferenceByLAURA MCMULLENMarch 26, 2012RSS FeedPrintParents andhigh schoolteachers are not typically people with ample free time. But as the two groups that often influence children and their education the most, parents and teachers need to make time to communicate with each other.They should form a partnership, saysNational Parent Teacher Association (PTA)president Betsy Landers, because parents and teachers both want their students to succeed. ...
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20 questions for parents about K-12 school reform - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

2012-Mar-26
20 questions for parents about K-12 school reform - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: 20 questions for parents about K-12 school reformbyValerie StraussThiswas written by Ronald Willett, a former university professor, researcher and administrator, and former corporate executive, entrepreneur and CEO. For the last decade, as an avocation, he has tracked and researched U.S. K-12, and advocated its legitimate reform and pursuit of innovation.By Ronald WillettInan earlier post, I made a case for taking a broader perspective about ...
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solidaridad: Why everyone effected by the LAUSD cuts needs to come to Thursday’s rally at Mariachi Plaza

2012-Mar-26
solidaridad: Why everyone effected by the LAUSD cuts needs to come to Thursday’s rally at Mariachi Plaza: Why everyone effected by the LAUSD cuts needs to come to Thursday’s rally at Mariachi PlazabyRobert D. Skeels * rdsathenePopoutMicheltorena Screening: The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for SupermanbyRobert D. Skeels * rdsatheneThe Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman Micheltorena Screening
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Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top 3-26 AM Posts #soschat #edreform

2012-Mar-26
Melissa Harris-Perry: Standing in solidarity with Trayvon Martin #trayvonmartinBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-19 minutes agomsnbc video: Standing in solidarity with Trayvon Martin: Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economyMelissa Harris-Perry Mocks Geraldo Rivera For Trayvon Martin Hoodie Comments (VIDEO)Posted: 03/25/2012 10:10 am Updated: 03/25/2012 10:19 amVisit msnbc.com forbreaking news,world news, andnews about the economy89736352,126GET MEDIA ALERTS:SIGN UPREACT:AmazingInspiringFunnyScaryHotCrazyImportantWeirdFOLLOW:Video,Geraldo Rivera Melissa Harris-Perry,Melissa Harris-Perry,Melissa Harris-Perry Geraldo,Melissa Harris-Perry Trayvon Martin,Trayvon Martin Melissa ...more »Today's Big Education Ape ...
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Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 3-25 #soschat #EDReform

2012-Mar-25
Jersey Jazzman: Arne Duncan: Indifferent ManiacBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-12 minutes agoJersey Jazzman: Arne Duncan: Indifferent Maniac: Arne Duncan: Indifferent ManiacbyDukeWhat a nutcase:Publishing teachers' ratings in the newspaper in the wayThe New York Timesand other outlets have done recently is not a good use of performance data, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in an interview yesterday."Do you need to publish every single teacher's rating in the paper? I don't think you do," he said. "There's not ...
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Walton Family Foundation awards Denver $8M for school reform - The Denver Post

2012-Mar-25
Walton Family Foundation awards Denver $8M for school reform - The Denver Post: "Walton Family Foundation "Walton Family Foundation awards Denver $8M for school reformPOSTED: 03/25/2012 01:00:00 AM MDTBy Karen AugéThe Denver PostThe Walton Family Foundation gave out more money for education reform last year than any other year in its history, and a big chunk of it ended up in Denver.Organizations here, from individual schools to influential nonprofits, got just shy of $8 million of the $159 million in ...
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S.1782: Real Education for Healthy Youth Act of 2011 - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress

2012-Mar-24
S.1782: Real Education for Healthy Youth Act of 2011 - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress: S.1782- Real Education for Healthy Youth Act of 2011A bill to provide for the reduction in unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, and the promotion of healthy relationships, and for other purposes.view all titles (2)OverviewActions VotesNews(1) Blogs(65)Comments(1)Bill's ViewsToday:2Past Seven Days:6All-Time:221IntroducedSenatePassesHousePassesPresidentSigns11/01/11Official Bill TextComment on about 26 PagesSponsorSenatorFrank LautenbergD-NJView Co-Sponsors (6)CommitteesSenate Health, Education, Labor, and PensionsRelated Issue AreasViolent crimeTeaching, teachers, curriculaData via Congressional Research ServiceView all ...

This Week's Education Research Report 3-31 #soschat #p2


CDC estimates 1 in 88 children (11.3 per 1,000) has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 day ago
Ω Complete report This marks a 23% increase since the last report in 2009 and a 78% increase since CDC's first report in 2007. Some of the increase is due to the way children are identified, diagnosed and served in their local communities, although exactly how much is due to these factors in unknown. The number of children identified with ASDs varied widely across the 14 Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network sites, from 1 in 47 (21.2 per 1,000) to 1 in 210 (4.8 per 1,000). ASDs are almost 5 times more common among boys (1 in 54) than among girls (1 in 252... more »

The characteristics and experiences of beginning teachers

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 day ago
Ω This report describes the characteristics and experiences of beginning public school teachers (teachers with fewer than five years of teaching experience) in the Northeast and Islands Region states and compares them with the characteristics and experiences of beginning teachers nationally using data from the 2007/08 Schools and Staffing Survey. The study focuses on variables related to teachers’ preparation and workplace supports that research suggests might be associated with their perceptions of preparedness, effectiveness, and retention. Ω

Meditation Improves Emotional Behaviors in Teachers

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 2 days ago
Ω Schoolteachers who underwent a short but intensive program of meditation were less depressed, anxious or stressed – and more compassionate and aware of others’ feelings, according to a study that blended ancient meditation practices with the most current scientific methods for regulating emotions. A core feature of many religions, meditation is practiced by tens of millions around the world as part of their spiritual beliefs as well as to alleviate psychological problems, improve self-awareness and to clear the mind. Previous research has linked meditation to positive changes in b... more »

Characteristics of school districts identified for improvement

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 2 days ago
Ω Like other states across the country, the seven REL Midwest Region states have been striving to meet the performance targets established under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Under the act, districts are identified as “in improvement” and schools as “in need of improvement” after two successive years of not meeting adequate yearly progress performance targets. This report, Characteristics of Midwest Region school districts identified for improvement, presents statistical profiles of school districts designated as in improvement in the Midwest Region states as of 2009/10. I... more »

Descriptive analysis of the principal workforce in Wisconsin,

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 3 days ago
Ω National and state policymakers are concerned that the principal workforce is aging, that fewer new principals are joining the workforce, and that fewer female and racial/ethnic minority educators are entering and remaining in the principal workforce. This study describes trends in demographic characteristics and retention rates in the Wisconsin principal workforce between 1999 and 2009. Over this period, the principal workforce remained predominantly White and male, but the share of female and racial/ethnic minority principals rose. Fewer than half of new principals remained as... more »

Study Shows Promise of Grade Contracts for Improved Learning

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 3 days ago
Ω Contracts are meant to hold people accountable, including college students who sign contracts for admission into school, financial aid and housing. How about also using contracts to hold college students accountable for their grades? Two Western Illinois University psychology professors and researchers did just that in a behavioral research study. Assistant Professor Dana Lindemann and Associate Professor Colin Harbke assigned 40 freshmen introductory psychology students to a traditional or an experimental contract grading system. The experimental group signed individual contrac... more »

Middle school boys who are reluctant readers value reading more after using e-readers

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 3 days ago
Ω Middle school boys rated reading more valuable as an activity after two months of using an e-reader, according to a new study. The findings come from a study of 199 middle school students who struggle with reading and who participated in a reading improvement class that included Amazon’s Kindle e-reader, said one of the study’s authors, Dara Williams-Rossi, Southern Methodist University, Dallas. The researchers found that boys consistently had a higher self-concept of their reading skill than girls both before and after using the e-readers. After use of the e-readers, boys’ attit... more »

Connected Mathematics 2: no greater results on Math Achievement in Grade 6

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 4 days ago
Ω The 2006-11 Regional Educational Laboratory Mid-Atlantic at Penn State University has concluded a rigorous experimental study of the effect of the Connected Mathematics Project 2 (CMP2) on the mathematics achievement and engagement of grade 6 students. CMP2 is designed to encourage students to be responsible for their mathematics learning by exploring different solution pathways, sharing their ideas with other students, listening to the ideas of others, and questioning each other. The study, Effects of the Connected Mathematics Project 2 (CMP2) on the Mathematics Achievement of ... more »

Postsecondary Enrollment, Graduation Rates, and Student Financial Aid

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 4 days ago
Ω For those attending public 4-year institutions, average price before aid was approximately $16,900 and net price was about $10,200; for those attending nonprofit 4-year institutions, average price before aid was roughly $32,700 and net price was about $16,700; and for those attending for-profit 4-year institutions, average price before aid was approximately $27,900 and net price was about $23,800, according to new data released by the National Center for Education Statistics. Enrollment in Postsecondary Institutions, Fall 2010; Financial Statistics, Fiscal Year 2010; and Graduat... more »

Heart healthy lessons plus better food offerings lower heart disease risk factors in sixth-graders

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 4 days ago
Ω * Portable program could help middle schools across the country keep kids heart healthy* Sixth-graders taking part in a 10-week program that included interactive lessons to get heart smart coupled with healthier food and beverage options in the cafeteria and vending machines had marked reductions across all cardiovascular risk factors, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in t... more »

When targeting obesity in sixth-graders, gender matters

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 4 days ago
Ω *Behaviors and cardiovascular risk factors differ; For boys, getting exercise and playing sports predicts healthy weight and for girls, it's drinking milk* Intervention programs aimed at curbing obesity in adolescents may be more effective if they are gender-specific, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field. This study looked at the health behaviors and cardiovascula... more »

'Coaching Boys into Men' an effective tool for stopping teen dating violence

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 4 days ago
Ω Male high school athletes' ability to recognize and intervene to stop dating violence -- the physical, sexual and emotional aggression prevalent in adolescent romantic relationships -- is improved with the intervention of some of the most important role models in young men's lives: their coaches. A new study conducted in Sacramento, Calif., led by UC Davis researchers has found that a structured program delivered by coaches, called "Coaching Boys into Men," is effective for discouraging adolescent dating violence. The research is published online today in the Journal of Adolescen... more »