voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled... Bright and Early

voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled... Bright and Early

One thing I left out of my story about calculus at Crawford High is that every now and then, Jonathan Winn sings. (The song is addressed to his classroom volunteer, Becky Breedlove, who is nicknamed B squared.) That and other, somewhat less musical tidbits in your daily newsblitz:

It's a calculus class so crazy, it just might work. Seventy-odd teens are packing an early morning class at Crawford High to learn calculus with a guy who resembles Jim Carrey with a mathematics degree. Advanced Placement classes like this are commonplace in La Jolla and Scripps Ranch, but are historically less common at disadvantaged schools such as Crawford, which threw the class open to anyone.

Free speech advocates are challenging Southwestern College on how it handled a campus protest, particularly putting four professors on leave, the Union-Tribune reports.

Race to the Top Fund

Race to the Top Fund

Race to the Top Fund

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More Resources Race to the Top Assessment Program

The rules for the Race to the Top competition have now been finalized!

Thank you to the 1,161 people and organizations who sent us comments on our draft rules—your collective outpouring of thoughtful input prompted us to make numerous changes and improvements to the final application. But just as important, the overwhelming volume of comments demonstrates the potential for Race to the Top to propel the transformational changes that students and teachers need.

You can now find:

The Press Release announcing the final application -->

The Race to the Top Application MSWord (784K)

The key policy details, summarized in the Executive Summary PDF (288K)

A Summary of the Major Changes we made based on the comments we received PDF (376K)

More details for applicants in the Notice Inviting Applications PDF

The full details on Race to the Top, including our responses to comments, in the Notice of Final Priorities PDF (1.3M)

Upcoming Events

We intend to host two Technical Assistance Planning Workshops this December for States who are considering applying. The first will be in Denver, Colorado on December 3, 2009. The second will be in the Washington, D.C. area on December 10, 2009. We recommend that applicants attend one of these two workshops. For those who cannot attend, transcripts of the meetings will be available on our website.

Watch here for more details regarding the workshops.

Program Description

Program Office: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE)
CFDA Number: 84.395 Program Type: Discretionary/Competitive Grants

Through Race to the Top, we are asking States to advance reforms around four specific areas:
Adopting standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace and to compete in the global economy;

Building data systems that measure student growth and success, and inform teachers and principals about how they can improve instruction;

Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most; and

Turning around our lowest-achieving schools.

Awards in Race to the Top will go to States that are leading the way with ambitious yet achievable plans for implementing coherent, compelling, and comprehensive education reform. Race to the Top winners will help trail-blaze effective reforms and provide examples for States and local school districts throughout the country to follow as they too are hard at work on reforms that can transform our schools for decades to come.

Cutting sports and opportunity at Hartford Public - Rick Green | CT Confidential

Cutting sports and opportunity at Hartford Public - Rick Green CT Confidential:

"This is education reform that makes no sense: eliminating high school sports for city kids.

Is there a population of young males and females more in need of the discipline and motivation that high school athletics can bring?

We've got gangs and shootings while a city council member and staff spend thousands of dollars on travel junkets. There are bonuses for aides to the mayor and raises all around for teachers and administrators. There's just not enough money for high school athletics.

As my colleague Lori Riley wrote this past Sunday, it's over for the 16 boys who hoped to wrestle at Hartford Public High School this year. Tennis, golf, freshman volleyball and JV soccer were also cut."

Alex Jones’ Prison Planet.com » Liberals refuse to admit Obama’s policies look a lot like Bush’s

Alex Jones’ Prison Planet.com » Liberals refuse to admit Obama’s policies look a lot like Bush’s:

"During last year’s Republican National Convention, South Carolina GOP leaders were regularly calling in to talk radio station WTMA to provide event coverage. On the day they were supposed to talk to me, I was informed that Republican Party officials did not wish to speak to Jack Hunter. A denouncer of big government and all its works, I never saw any reason to make special exceptions for Republicans, and for my anti-GOP sins I had become persona non grata.

Today, everyone is denouncing big government. Since Obama’s election, tea party protests have sprung up across the country and conservatives are now rallying loud and clear against Washington’s spending. But liberal politicians and pundits who are calling conservative activists “crazy” — or to borrow MSNBC host Chris Matthew’s phrase, “wing nuts” — have it exactly backwards. It was crazy that anyone who might claim the label “conservative” would also claim to be a part of George W. Bush’s GOP. Today’s conservatives haven’t lost their sanity — they’ve regained it."

Views: A New Manhattan Project - Inside Higher Ed

Views: A New Manhattan Project - Inside Higher Ed:

"The seemingly endless debates about the pros and cons of race-based affirmative action point to two essential conclusions. First, without denying the relevance of moral or philosophical arguments and legal principles, it is important to confront claims with empirical evidence. This is what we do in our new book, No Longer Separate, Not Yet Equal — a study of how students’ racial and social class backgrounds are intimately intertwined with the selective college experience. We find, for instance, that:"

Compared to white applicants at selective private colleges and universities, black applicants receive an admission boost that is equivalent to 310 SAT points, measured on an all-other-things-equal basis. The boost for Hispanic candidates is equal on average to 130 SAT points. Asian applicants face a 140 point SAT disadvantage.

"Descendant" black applicants (those who are in the fourth-or-higher immigrant generation and single race — to a first approximation, the descendants of the American slave population) are admitted to selective colleges at significantly higher rates than "vanguard" black candidates (students who are multiracial and/or first- or second-generation immigrants). Even so, vanguards make up close to 60 percent of all black students on private college campuses and nearly 25 percent at public universities. Vanguards represent even larger shares of black applicant pools.

We find evidence for and against a "mismatch" hypothesis. Students who are the beneficiaries of race-based affirmative action are more likely to graduate, more likely to enroll in professional or graduate schools, and more likely to have higher lifetime incomes if they attend a more selective college. However, class rank at college graduation for a given student is likely to decline as college selectivity goes up.

No boys left behind at Detroit public school | freep.com | Detroit Free Press

No boys left behind at Detroit public school freep.com Detroit Free Press:

"The school-to-prison pipeline, especially in poverty-plagued cities like Detroit, has become a national disgrace. Nearly eight in 10 African-American males drop out of Detroit public schools."

As someone who spends a lot of time in Michigan's prisons, I see where too many of them wind up. Black men make up more than half of the nearly 50,000 people locked up in Michigan, and a similar slice of the more than 2 million people imprisoned in America.

Nationwide, more than half of high school dropouts, ages 16 to 24, are jobless, and an estimated one in 10 male dropouts are in jail. It's no accident that prisoners typically read at a sixth-grade level.

Community leaders, including Mayor Dave Bing and Bishop Edgar L. Vann II, will seek some solutions to this local and national tsunami during the "Boys to Men" education forum on Saturday. I'd suggest they also spend some time at Detroit's Frederick Douglass Academy, an all-male middle and high school that's changing lives and switching the statistics.

Formerly an alternative school for bad boys, Frederick Douglass has become, over the last five years, a high-achieving college preparatory academy. All 32 of this year's graduating class were accepted to college, clocking $1.2 million in scholarships and financial aid. It was one of only a handful of Detroit public high schools to make adequate progress under the No Child Left Behind Act.

Education Week: Peer Review Undergoing Revitalization

Education Week: Peer Review Undergoing Revitalization:

"Around a conference table, six people finger binders stuffed with teaching standards, sheets on which to record teachers’ practices, and handbooks outlining when materials need to be submitted. For good reason: They are now immersed in the intensive period of documenting in writing whether the teachers they counsel have improved over the course of the year. Ultimately, their findings will help determine whether their teacher “clients” remain employed.

The job’s downside—lots of paperwork—contrasts with its high point: helping teachers reach their potential.

“The best part is when you get thankful e-mails and phone calls, when they are just so happy that they’ve tried something new out and seen that it works,” said Greg Barnes, one of..."

Mayor Cory Booker to speak at Pioneer Institute dinner - BostonHerald.com

Mayor Cory Booker to speak at Pioneer Institute dinner - BostonHerald.com:

"The Newark, N.J. mayor who carried on a facetious feud with “Tonight Show” host and Brookline native Conan O’Brien is in Boston tonight to discuss the more sober topic of urban school choice and reform.

Mayor Cory Booker is the keynote speaker at the Lovett C. Peters Lecture and Dinner sponsored by the Pioneer Institute.

Booker, a rising figure in national Democratic politics, proved he could pursue a second career in comedy after carrying on a frivolous spat with O’Brien."

Valdosta State University > International Education Week Nov. 16-20

Valdosta State University International Education Week Nov. 16-20

International Education Week Nov. 16-20

VALDOSTA -- The Center for International Programs will host International Education Week Nov. 16-19 to celebrate the benefits of worldwide education and exchange. Various activities will take place throughout the week to inform the public about different countries, cultures and points of view.

In mid-November, VSU President Patrick J. Schloss signed a university proclamation recognizing the 10th year of this joint effort between the U.S. Departments of State and Education to promote international awareness and exchange worldwide.

View the president’s commitment to international education at http://www.valdosta.edu/news/media/2009/11/proclamation.pdf

The following International Education Week events are free and open to the public:

Monday, Nov. 16 7 p.m. “Parade of the Nations: Breaking Stereotypes” in Powell Hall Auditorium. International students will talk about various stereotypes associated with their countries and dispel myths and misconceptions. An informal question and answer session will follow the various presentations.

Tuesday, Nov. 17 11 a.m-2 p.m. Study Abroad Fair on the Palms Quad Come learn about the latest study abroad and exchange opportunities. 12:30 p.m.-2 p.m. Parade of the Nations: International Talent Show on the Palms Quad. International students will showcase traditional outfits, perform cultural dances and engage in other native demonstrations. Come enjoy the sights and sounds of the world.

Wednesday, Nov. 18 7:30 p.m. International Movie Night: “Pulse: a STOMP Odyssey” Bailey Science Center Auditorium, Room 1101. The Center for International Programs will present the full-length film, “Pulse: a STOMP Odyssey,” a celebration of global beats from the creators of the acclaimed stage production, “STOMP.”

Friday, Nov. 20 2:30 p.m. Society for International Students Cookout at the Center for International Programs, 204 Georgia Avenue. Enjoy free food and fellowship with people of all nations at this tasty event.

Go to http://iew.state.gov/ to learn more about International Education Week and ways you can get involved in the global movement. Call VSU’s Center for International Programs at (229) 333-7410 for more information about the week’s events as well as other study abroad opportunities.

Education reform package produces odd alliances

Education reform package produces odd alliances:

"The package of education reform bills just signed by Gov. Jim Doyle featured an unusual lineup of friends and foes, with politics making some strange bedfellows.

The state’s largest teachers union, Wisconsin Education Association Council, reversed its long-standing opposition to using student test scores to evaluate teacher performance.

The Wisconsin Association of School Boards switched positions, too. In the past, the school board association supported the use of student test data in doing teacher evaluations; this time the group was opposed."

The Milwaukee Association of Commerce, not usually an ally of WEAC, was on record in favor of the legislation. Madison Teachers Inc. did not formally oppose the bills, but executive director John Matthews distanced himself from WEAC’s position, bluntly cautioning against hasty lawmaking in an effort to chase down federal funding.

“We should be careful to change laws based on what’s best in the long run for Wisconsin,” he says.

The new federal funding causing all the fuss is associated with President Barack Obama’s “Race to the Top” program, which allows states to compete for $4.3 billion in stimulus funds aimed at education reform. Obama touted the program last week in Madison at Wright Middle School.

U.S. devises scoring system for school reform contest - washingtonpost.com

U.S. devises scoring system for school reform contest - washingtonpost.com:

"Educators argue endlessly about the merits of one idea or another to improve schools. But with billions of dollars at stake, the Obama administration Thursday will lay out a novel federal system for keeping score.

Making education funding a priority? Good for 10 points. Demonstrating significant progress in raising achievement and closing gaps? That's worth 30. Developing and adopting common academic standards, turning around the lowest-achieving schools and ensuring successful conditions for high-performing charter schools: Those are worth 40 each."

CUNY's got math problem: Report shows many freshmen from city HS fail at basic algebra

CUNY's got math problem: Report shows many freshmen from city HS fail at basic algebra:

"More city kids are graduating from high school, but that doesn't mean they can do college math.

Basic algebra involving fractions and decimals stumped a group of City University of New York freshmen - suggesting city schools aren't preparing them, a CUNY report shows.

'These results are shocking,' said City College Prof. Stanley Ocken, who co-wrote the report on CUNY kids' skills. 'They show that a disturbing proportion of New York City high school graduates lack basic skills.'"

8th-graders' shot at elite high schools better :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Education

8th-graders' shot at elite high schools better :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Education:

"Poring over data about eighth-graders who applied to the city's elite college preps, Chicago Public Schools officials discovered an alarming pattern.
High-scoring kids were being rejected simply because of the order in which they listed their college prep preferences."

"I couldn't believe it,'' schools CEO Ron Huberman said. "It's terrible.''

CPS officials said Wednesday they have decided to let any eighth-grader who applied to a college prep for fall 2010 admission re-rank their preferences to better conform with a new selection system.

Previously, some eighth-graders were listing the most competitive college preps as their top choice, forgoing their chances of getting into other schools that would have accepted them if they had ranked those schools higher, official said.

Under the new policy, Huberman said, a computer will assign applicants to the highest-ranked school they qualify for on their list.

The merit-pay test

The merit-pay test:

"With Election Day behind him, Mayor Bloomberg is politically free to drive a much tougher bargain in negotiations on the city's teacher-union contract than he did four years ago.

The current contract expired Oct. 31, and City Hall has already warned that it won't feel bound by the 'pattern' of recent municipal-labor deals, which saw pay hikes of 4 percent. With state and city finances deteriorating by the day, salary raises should be offset by gains elsewhere in the contract, the Citizens Budget Commission recommends.

In tight economic times, real reforms become a must. A 'go along to get along' contract can't be justified."

Dallas-Fort Worth programs helping Hispanic mothers find teaching moments | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | News: Education

Dallas-Fort Worth programs helping Hispanic mothers find teaching moments News for Dallas, Texas Dallas Morning News News: Education

Dallas-Fort Worth programs helping Hispanic mothers find teaching moments


Catalina Vazquez had to become a student herself to learn how to be her child's first teacher.

Jovita Torres wants to help keep her daughter Karen, 3, learning and is doing so with the help of Avance, a program that teaches mothers how to engage their children and prepare them for school. Jovita Torres wants to help keep her daughter Karen, 3, learning and is doing so with the help of Avance, a program that teaches mothers how to engage their children and prepare them for school.

With help from the Dallas nonprofit program Avance, she and other Hispanic mothers are taking a more active role preparing their children for school.
"At school, he likes to read and participate in class," Vazquez said of her 4-year-old son, Angel. "The teacher asked, 'Who taught him this?'

China’s Tough Measures on Flu Appear to Pay Off - NYTimes.com

China’s Tough Measures on Flu Appear to Pay Off - NYTimes.com:

"CHANGGANG, China — Few farmers in this southern village gave much thought to the epidemic that had begun spreading rapidly in the United States early this summer until the authorities sealed its 100 residents off from the outside world for about a week. It turned out that a visitor from California had shown symptoms of the swine flu virus, or H1N1, when he arrived for a funeral."

Quarantines and medical detentions are among the aggressive measures that Chinese officials have taken to slow the transmission of H1N1, which quickly spread worldwide after being diagnosed first in North America.

To protests from around the world, China isolated entire planeloads of people entering the country if anyone on the plane exhibited flulike symptoms. Local authorities canceled school classes at the slightest hint of the disease and ordered students and teachers to stay home. China was virtually alone in taking such harsh measures, which continued throughout most of the summer.

Author will speak about multicultural education - News

Author will speak about multicultural education - News:

"This year's multicultural education conference will feature Brian D. Schultz, author of 'Spectacular Things Happen Along the Way,' an acclaimed and widely read book by Sacramento State education students.

The 16th Annual Multicultural Education Conference entitled 'Social Justice Through Civic Engagement and Action' will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 14 at the University Union.

It will include a panel forum by the candidates for California State Superintendent of Public Instruction and multiple presentations by faculty and graduate students from the department. Schultz will also have a book signing after the candidates' forum."

Editorial: State must stop destruction of higher education - San Jose Mercury News

Editorial: State must stop destruction of higher education - San Jose Mercury News:

"Faced with a $42 million budget cut, San Jose State University is making the best of a terrible situation.

It will cut enrollment by 2,500 students next year, on top of the 3,000 slots eliminated last year, and give priority to applicants from Santa Clara County. The strategy will help preserve the quality of instruction, and it's the fairest way to choose who will get a coveted spot at SJSU.

Some rejected applicants may be admitted to another California State University campus. But given that the system is shrinking overall enrollment by 40,000, many will end up on the doorsteps of community colleges. These schools are dealing with catastrophic budget cuts of their own."

Michigan will be among the poorest states for years, study says | freep.com | Detroit Free Press

Michigan will be among the poorest states for years, study says freep.com Detroit Free Press:

"Reliance on a shrinking automotive industry, the loss of 1 million jobs, outmoded taxes and lack of government reforms will make Michigan one of the nation's 10 poorest states for the foreseeable future, according to a study released Wednesday."

Michigan's state government -- trailing just Rhode Island and Arizona -- was amid nine states in danger of following California into an even deeper financial crisis, the report by the Pew Center on the States said.

"Michigan is adjusting to a new normal, where the state may just have to deal with a permanent set of pared-back services," said Susan Urahn, managing director for the Washington-based think tank.

Michigan suffers because of chronic deficits fed in part by generous tax exemptions to businesses and retirees and no tax on services, the report says. People 65 and older are the only segment of Michigan's population that's growing.

"In 20 years, we're going to look like Florida if the demographic trends continue, and no one's going to be paying taxes except those ... working," Mitch Bean of the House Fiscal Agency told researchers.

Schwarzenegger estimates another $17 billion budget shortfall -- will education pay again?

Schwarzenegger estimates another $17 billion budget shortfall -- will education pay again?:

"Governor Schwarzenegger is predicting a $17 billion dollar budget shortfall and stated that he will once again propose cuts across the board as the choice method for balancing the budget; however there are only two things that the State of California is constitutionally obligated to pay: for education and for the debts it incurs.

School districts across the State have made unprecedented cuts already. Minimum guarantees have fallen victim to the Sacramento game of smoke and mirrors and the original intent of safeguards, such as Prop 98, have been manipulated and distorted under the guise of not “hurting” education."