Friday, May 21, 2010

Cerritos City Council outraged by State’s raid of $11.8 million from Cerritos Redevelopment Agency

Cerritos City Council outraged by State’s raid of $11.8 million from Cerritos Redevelopment Agency
Cerritos City Council outraged by State’s raid of $11.8 million from Cerritos Redevelopment Agency
The State of California required the Cerritos Redevelopment Agency to make a payment of $11,812,007 to the Los Angeles County Auditor on May 10. The payment is a result of the State’s decision to raid $2.05 billion in local redevelopment funds.
“The State of California continues to live beyond its means and California’s cities are paying the consequences,” said Cerritos Mayor Joseph Cho, Ph.D., “State legislators must address
the State budget’s structural deficit instead of continuously raiding funds from local government coffers.”
The Cerritos City Council expressed outrage over the taking of the Cerritos Redevelopment Agency funds as there will be a significant negative impact on local projects. As a result of the loan, the development of the planned Cuesta Villas affordable senior housing project will be delayed.
Mayor Cho said, “Local seniors and school children will suffer as a result of the delay in the Cuesta Villas project. The affordable housing seniors so desperately need will take longer to complete due to the loss of funds. The estimated $3 million in annual revenue that Cuesta Villas will generate for the ABC Unified School District is indefinitely delayed,

CDE Denied Federal Data Grant - Year 2010 (CA Dept of Education)

CDE Denied Federal Data Grant - Year 2010 (CA Dept of Education)

Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Issues Statement in Response to Federal Denial of Grant to Expand California's Education Data System

SACRAMENTO -- State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today issued the following statement after California was not named as a winning state in the federal competition for a grant from the Institute for Education Sciences (IES) within the U.S. Department of Education:
"California is strongly supportive of President Obama's education reform goals, including improving teacher effectiveness, adopting standards to ensure that all students are ready for college and careers, turning around lowest-performing schools, and strengthening the collection and use of education data. Using data is the key to making improvements in all four of these areas of school improvement.
"California's education data system needs to be stronger and more comprehensive. We know what we need to do to make our education data system world class, and we are ready and willing to do this work. Given the severity of California's ongoing budget crisis, we pursued the IES grant to help us make these critical improvements.
"It is deeply disappointing that states that seem to be further along in the development of comprehensive educational data systems were given preference in the IES grant evaluation process, rather than states, like California, that truly need the federal investment to better serve California students.
"I will review the feedback from federal officials about our application when it is available, and will continue to advocate for support for our data system from the U.S. Department of Education. I will also continue to make the case that here in California we also need to live up to our commitment to students and invest state dollars to make critically needed improvements to our longitudinal education data system."
Background: IES grants, funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, are intended to support states with the development and implementation of systems that promote the linking of data across time and databases, from early childhood into career, including matching teachers to students, while protecting student privacy and confidentiality consistent with applicable privacy protection laws.

Nearly 1,000 kindergartners won’t get a spot at zoned school | GothamSchools

Nearly 1,000 kindergartners won’t get a spot at zoned school | GothamSchools

Nearly 1,000 kindergartners won’t get a spot at zoned school


picture-221
The distance that 67 students re-routed from P.S. 169 in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, (marked A) to a mix of five other schools will trek.
Kindergartners-to-be jilted by neighborhood elementary schools too crowded to hold them will receive a new school assignment in the mail this weekend, the Department of Education announced today.
Some of the new assignments will send families to less-coveted schools just down the block. Others will send the 5- and 6-year-olds on treks as arduous as a nearly 3-mile hike from Sunset Park to Red Hook, in the case of four unlucky Brooklyn families.
Letters with alternate matches are going out to 980 families, more than double the number that received them last year. But the matches are a better option than what seemed possible in March, when 1,885 families were told they would be on a waiting list. Schools have since found spots for many of those families.
None of the decisions are final, and all families will remain on their wait lists even while they receive their new assignment. The city expects some spots will open up as children are admitted to gifted and talented programs and private schools, schools spokesman Jack Zarin-Rosenfeld said.
The vast bulk of redirected children live in Queens, where 432 families zoned for 16 schools will be re-routed to a group of 18 less-crowded alternatives. (Brooklyn comes next with 220 redirected families, then Manhattan with 179, 101 in the Bronx, and 48 in Staten Island.)
Also:
  • 37 children zoned for the Upper West Side’s coveted P.S. 87 will go to nearby P.S. 75 and P.S. 84 instead.
  • One giant batch of 200 Queens children will be shipped to a new school opening in September in Elmhurst. They are being sent by schools including A-rated P.S. 143 in the Corona section of Queens.
  • Four kindergartners-to-be zoned for P.S. 169 in Sunset Park are being told to report instead to the


Remainders: Klein’s approval rating drops nine points in new poll

After test tampering concerns, Regents exams will be scanned

High school Regents exams have long come under criticism for being easy to game: Teachers grade their own students’ work, and checks against cheating are flawed. That could change next year with a new rule voted in by the Board of Regents.
Rather than rely on a group of teachers and state officials to examine tests for grade tampering, the city will begin scanning students’ multiple choice answer sheets next year. State officials said scanning tests will let

Ethics of UC Berkeley's gene testing questioned Education — San Francisco Bay Area Schools, Performance, Profiles, News — SFGate

Education — San Francisco Bay Area Schools, Performance, Profiles, News — SFGate

Ethics of UC Berkeley's gene testing questioned

Genetic watchdog groups want UC Berkeley to suspend plans to ask incoming freshmen and transfer students...

Sacrificing educated workforce won't help

Sacrificing educated workforce won't help
In 1790, President George Washington proposed to Congress the establishment of a national university. ...

San Francisco Ballet School Student Showcase

The San Francisco Ballet School Student Showcase this week is not your run-of-the-mill recital - it's a chance to scout star dancers...
Chronicle 5.21.10 4:00 AM

ScholarMatch.org offers aid to needy students

The 80 or so stories that students posted on a new San Francisco-based Web site are for the most part deeply personal, summing up...
Chronicle 5.21.10 4:00 AM

Schools, students sue state over funding

More than 60 children and nine school districts across California filed a historic lawsuit Thursday, arguing that elected officials...
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Secretary Duncan Visits Bladensburg Elementary to Promote the Teacher Incentive Fund – ED.gov Blog

Secretary Duncan Visits Bladensburg Elementary to Promote the Teacher Incentive Fund – ED.gov Blog


Secretary Duncan Visits Bladensburg Elementary to Promote the Teacher Incentive Fund

Secretary Duncan listens to teacher Bridgette Blue speaking at the teachers roundtable
Secretary Duncan listens to teacher Bridgette Blue speaking at the teachers roundtable
“In the first year, the financial incentives were attractive but as time went on, the program became a way to help improve my teaching practice and focus on student achievement.” This statement was one of the many comments shared by Bladensburg Elementary School teachers and administrators, Prince George’s County school district officials and local union officials who joined Secretary Arne Duncan for a roundtable discussion on Bladensburg’s implementation of the Financial Incentive Rewards for Supervisors and Teachers (FIRST) program.
FIRST is funded by a five-year, $17 million Teacher Incentive Fund grant awarded to Prince George’s County in 2007. Prince George’s County developed FIRST as a voluntary program with union support and input from teachers and administrators who served on planning committees. The program rewards participating teachers and administrators for school improvement and considers factors like student test gains, positive classroom performance evaluations, and professional activities such as mentoring other teachers or becoming certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Lewis Robinson, Executive Director of the Prince George’s County Educators Association, and a partner in the development of the FIRST program, credited the program for creating better collaboration and improving student achievement.
Following the roundtable discussion, Principal Rhonda Pitts, Lewis Robinson and FIRST participating teachers Bridgette Blue and Bernadine Reid, joined Duncan for a national media call to discuss Prince George’s FIRST program and kick off the competition for this year’s $437 million Teacher Incentive Fund program




Deputy Secretary Miller to Visit Japan

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Tony Miller is traveling to Japan to discuss the importance of international education and exchange. His weeklong visit will include stops in Tokyo, Sapporo, Hiroshima and Kyoto. Miller will participate in a Town Hall meeting at Hitotsubashi University on Monday, May 24. He will also deliver a keynote speech and [...]

Todd May
Office of Communications and Outreach


Bladensburg Principal Rhonda Pitts greets Secretary DuncanSecretary Duncan speaks at Bladensburg teachers roundtableTeacher Bernadine Reid at Bladensburg teachers roundtable
Secretary Duncan listens to teacher Bridgette Blue speaking at the teachers roundtable











May Revision Reaction CELDT Results for 2009-10 - Year 2010 (CA Dept of Education)

CELDT Results for 2009-10 - Year 2010 (CA Dept of Education)


State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Releases Results of
2009-10 California English Language Development Test

SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today released the results of the California English Language Development Test (CELDT) that showed an increase in the percentage of English learner students scoring at the advanced and early advanced performance levels compared to last year.
"English fluency is critical for students to succeed in school and in the workforce," O’Connell said. "A U.S. Census Bureau report released last month shows that 20 percent of U.S. residents 5 years and older speak a language other than English at home. In California, nearly a quarter of students are learning English as a second language, and by becoming fluent, they will more readily be able to fulfill their potential and compete in the demanding global economy."
The CELDT assesses the English-language proficiency of students in kindergarten through grade twelve. These results are used to calculate Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAOs) for federal accountability requirements.
Compared to the rest of the nation, California has the largest number of students whose primary language is not English. More than 100 languages are spoken by the state's English learners, of which approximately 85 percent speak Spanish.
The overall annual assessment results for 2009–10 show that nearly 40 percent of the 1,292,131 English learners who took the CELDT in California's public schools scored at the early advanced (30.7 percent) and advanced (9.1 percent) performance levels (see Table 1). During the 2006–07 administration, a new scale with new cut scores was introduced, therefore, scores of tests administered before 2006–07 cannot be used to compare to results of later years. Between 2006–07 and 2009–10, the percentage of English learners scoring at the early advanced or advanced performance levels increased nearly 8 percent (see Table 1).
Prior to 2009–10, students in kindergarten and grade one (K–1) were assessed only in the domains of listening and speaking. Beginning in 2009–10, K–1 students also were assessed in the domains of reading and writing.
To satisfy the CELDT criterion for English-language proficiency, a student must have an overall scale score of early advanced or advanced, plus a score of intermediate or above for each of the domains tested (listening, speaking, reading, and writing). The CELDT criterion is synonymous with AMAO 2, the percentage of English learners attaining English proficiency on the CELDT, for federal accountability under Title III of Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
The CELDT is one of four criteria in state law to be used by schools in determining whether or not an English learner should be reclassified as fluent English proficient. Other criteria include comparison of performance in basic skills (e.g., the California Standards Test in English-language arts, which is part of the Standardized Testing and Reporting Program), teacher evaluation, and input from parents. Each school district establishes its own local reclassification procedures using these criteria.
Results for the 2009–10 CELDT show that almost 37 percent [1] of English learners met the CELDT criterion for possible reclassification with the greatest percent in grades six to eight (see Table 2). Since 2006–07, there has been steady growth in English-language proficiency performance on the CELDT. This is about 0.5 percentage points higher than last year.
School, district, county, and state results of the 2009–10 CELDT Annual Assessment are available on the CDE Web page at CELDT Reports.
1 Weighted average across the grade spans within the school year.
# # # #
Attachment

California English Language Development Test
2009–10 Annual Assessment Results

The summaries presented in this attachment are based on the preliminary 2009–10 California English Language Development Test (CELDT) annual assessment results provided to the California Department of Education by the CELDT contractor, Educational Data Systems. This report only includes annual assessment results of tests submitted during the annual assessment window (July 1, 2009 – October 31, 2009).

Table 1. Percentage of English Learners Tested for CELDT
Annual Assessment by Overall Performance Level

Overall Performance Level
2006–07*
2007–08
2008–09
2009–10
Change From Previous Year
Change From 2006–07
Beginning
10.4
8.9
8.1
7.4
-0.7
-3.0
Early
Intermediate
18.0
16.6
15.4
14.7
-0.7
-3.3
Intermediate
39.4
38.6
37.3
38.1
0.8
-1.3
Early
Advanced
25.3
28.2
29.7
30.7
1.0
5.4
Advanced
7.0
7.6
9.5
9.1
-0.4
2.1
*Beginning in 2006–07, CELDT results are based on a new scale

Table 2. Percentage of English Learners Who Met CELDT Criterion for Possible Reclassification by Grade Span

Grade Span
2006–07
2007–08
2008–09
2009–10
Change From Previous Year
Change From 2006–07
K–2*
20.0
23.6
26.6
28.0
1.4
8.0
3–5
27.3
31.5
35.9
34.9
-1.0
7.6
6–8
37.4
42.4
44.8
47.0
2.2
9.6
9–12
34.3
36.8
40.4
41.0
0.6
6.7
All Grades**
29.1
32.8
36.2
36.7
0.5
7.6
* Repeating kindergarten and grade one (K–1) only includes listening and speaking scale scores.
** Weighted average across the grade spans within the school year.
The percentage of English Learners Reclassified that is reported by districts on the CDE Language Census R-30 Web page Language Census (R30-LC) - Student Demographics will be available by this summer.

State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Responds
to Governor's May Budget Revision

SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today issued the following statement in response to the release of Governor Schwarzenegger's May Revision (Outside Source) to the 2010-11 Budget:
"While we are still working to analyze details of the Governor's proposal, it appears that the voter-approved guarantee for K-12 education funding does not seem to have been further reduced since the Governor's January budget proposal.
"However, I have grave concerns that child care for thousands of preschool age children will be eliminated. The Governor's plan cuts $1.45 billion in state-funded child care. This cut is yet another severe blow to poor- and middle-class working families who are struggling to provide for their families. Child care is a vital and essential element in the development of young minds, and to the ability of parents to work and contribute to the state's economy.
"California is long overdue in creating a stable, consistent funding scheme for K-12 public education. We delay funding allocations to schools; we break commitments to fund class-size reduction, summer school, nurses, counselors, school librarians, and a host of other support systems that play a role in the quality of our children's education. This failure to provide adequate funding is choking off our state's economic engine to recovery and our future."

NY Times Discovers the University of Puerto Rico Student Protest � Student Activism

NY Times Discovers the University of Puerto Rico Student Protest � Student Activism

NY Times Discovers the University of Puerto Rico Student Protest

The New York Times has published a major article on the University of Puerto Rico student strike, after a month of near-total silence from the American press.
The article, which notes that the strike “has crippled an 11-campus system with more than 62,000 students,” compares Puerto Rican student protests to recent student agitation at the University of California.

The Educated Guess � A second school suit is in the chute

The Educated Guess � A second school suit is in the chute


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A second school suit is in the chute

Posted in Uncategorized
If one major school suit weren’t enough for the governor, another is heading his way.
The Campaign for Quality Education and other groups representing low-income students and their families sent Gov. Schwarzenegger a letter on Thursday, which he will no doubt ignore, threatening to file their own lawsuit unless he acts immediately “to provide all California public school students with a new school finance system that sufficiently and equitably supports its public schools.”
The nine-page letter which reads like a legal complaint that lacks only a stamp on the envelope, documents calls for action over the years and the efforts by community groups to lobby for it. “Yet to date, the State has failed to take any action to respond to these demands to adequately and equitably fund our schools. Indeed, the policymaking process seems paralyzed, unable to put a stop to drastic funding cuts and budget impasses and even less able to enact a new and different school funding system.”
(Read more and comment on this post)

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Mayoral control of the schools?

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Mayoral control of the schools?

Mayoral control of the schools?

At a news conference to discuss Chicago's gun ban and the Supreme Court's pending ruling on the issue, a reporter from the Chicago Readerasked him if the ban was effective.

"Since guns are readily available in Chicago even with a ban in place, do you really think it’s been effective?" asked Mick Dumke.“Oh!” Daley said.

Elk Grove Citizen : News Picketing cancelled at school board meeting

Elk Grove Citizen : News

Picketing cancelled at school board meeting



Teachers reach tentative agreement; if approved, 210 jobs will be saved

By Citizen staff
Published: Friday, May 21, 2010 10:06 AM PDT
Working late into the evening of May 17, Tom Gardner, president of the Elk Grove Education Association, announced via text message that a tentative agreement between the Elk Grove Unified School District and the teachers was reached.

It was officially announced at the May 18 school board meeting.

“We did call off our picketing for Tuesday’s school board meeting, that action would be moot,” Gardner said.

The teachers had planned a massive demonstration and planned to have a selected group of teachers make their plea at the board meeting that evening.

Gardner and his negotiating team met with the teachers’ council Tuesday afternoon to review the contents of the contract.

The agreement still has to be put before the membership for approval, but Gardner was “encouraged” the rank and file certificated union members would ratify the tentative agreement.

If ratified by the teachers, it would bring back about 210 elementary teachers into the classrooms.

Voting by the 3,000 teachers on the agreement will begin May 21 and close on June 1. This will give teachers off-track in year-round schools a day to vote. The agreement involved