Friday, August 9, 2013

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California sees surprise drop in student test scores





Education Headlines

Friday, August 9, 2013

Kern, state test scores edge down slightly

Student performance on the annual Standardized Testing and Reporting, or STAR, assessments dipped slightly in Kern County and statewide in the 2012-13 school year, a decline generally attributed to cuts to school funding and the transition to new state academic standards.

County mirrors statewide trend with STARS dip

The figures are a slip away from gains of the past couple of years, but they mirror a dip in test performance across California, and education officials point to budget cuts and a shift in curriculum standards as the reasons for the change.

Test scores above average, but no growth

San Diego County students again outpaced statewide averages in standardized test scores released Thursday, but steady gains seen in recent years locally and throughout California have leveled off.

Superintendent John Deasy urges LAUSD staff to stay calm in the face of change

The yearly speech is viewed as barometer for both the state of L.A. Unified and perceptions of Deasy, who took office in spring 2011.

Schrag: Those federal school waivers: it ain't over yet

The waivers that eight large California school districts got this week from U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan are yet another measure of the power of the federal law they tried to escape from.

15 Sacramento-area schools flagged for possible test cheating

California education officials have flagged 246 schools statewide, including 15 in the Sacramento area, for possible cheating concerns because their students shared test-related photos on social media.

Judge to Denair schools: Don't lay off more teachers

The school district lost its case that it can lay off additional teachers because of basically flat funding.

California sees surprise drop in student test scores

Overall, the percentage of students at grade level in English slipped to 56.4%, from 57.2%, and in math to 51.2%, from 51.5%.

Academic performance in state, Los Angeles County drops for first time in years

For the first time in a decade, test scores of students in California's public schools slid in the wrong direction, a partial product, educators say, of tough economic times -- and the results for students in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties were no exception, according to a report released by the state Thursday.

California test scores dip slightly but L.A. Unified holds steady

California students scored slightly lower in math and English on standardized tests this year, the first dip since 2004, in what education officials Thursday blamed in part on brutal budget cuts over the last several years.

School test scores dip in state for the first time in 10 years; East Bay scores also drop

For the first time in a decade, student scores on standardized tests in English language arts and math slipped in California, after seeing steady gains since 2004.

Mt. Diablo school board selects superintendent finalist from San Diego

The Mt. Diablo school board has unanimously selected Nellie Meyer, deputy superintendent of the San Diego Unified School District, as the finalist for the Mt. Diablo superintendent position.

ACLU updates lawsuit over Clovis Unified sex education

The American Civil Liberties Union has updated a lawsuit against Clovis Unified School District alleging the district's sex-education curriculum fails to meet state education code.
Thursday, August 8, 2013

Two Lodi Unified School District trustees ask for student input on networking policy

Two Lodi Unified School District trustees acknowledged that the district’s social networking policy needs to be revisited, and they asked students to help them change or clarify the policy.

Schools crack down on truancy

Of special concern to teachers and principals is chronic absenteeism, which the law defines as missing more than 10 percent of the days in a given school year, and truancy — skipping school with no valid excuse.

4 Simi Valley trustees vote to file complaint against fifth

Four Simi Valley Unified School District board trustees voted Tuesday to file a complaint with the Ventura County grand jury against Trustee Dan White, alleging violations of the state’s public-meeting law.