Saturday, August 28, 2010

The Myth of the Third Grade Milestone - voiceofsandiego.org: Education

Kimbrough Elementary third grader Brianda Avila Ramirez works on a reading assignment. Reading smoothly by the end of third grade is seen as a crucial ability, but nearly half of the county's third graders fell short in English on state tests this year.

The Myth of the Third Grade Milestone

By EMILY ALPERT

Third grade has traditionally been seen as the point where kids master reading and start using it to learn other things. But so many kids fall short of that mark that schools must teach reading long after third grade.

» Yesterday

: Want Preschool? Just Sign Here -- And Here, Here and Here; » By EMILY ALPERT; Despite solid evidence that it matters, preschool is still a privilege, one many families have to fight to prove they're poor enough for.

More On The Economic Benefit Of Going To College | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

More On The Economic Benefit Of Going To College Here are the newest additions to The Best Resources For Showing Students Why They Should Continue Their Academic Career: Get Schooled has an accessible graph from the Bureau of Labor Studiesshowing the latest data on income based on educational ...

Un-rules - The Boston Globe

Un-rules

Start the school year right: Forget these 10 language laws

By Jan Freeman

August 29, 2010

Text size – +

Another school year, another set of writing assignments: Students of all ages will soon be composing papers on summer vacations, the Chinese economy, or the heroines of Henry James. And beginners or veterans, these student writers all risk exposure to usage myths — bogus rules of English they may hear, or read, or suddenly discover (via a teacher’s red pen) that they’ve violated.

Fake language rules can come from respected sources, but that’s no reason to believe them. As Kathryn Schulz explains in her new book, “Being Wrong,” people don’t know that they’re misinformed: Being wrong, after all, feels just like being right. But learning to write is hard enough without the burden of following non-rules. So let’s lighten the load a bit, starting with 10 usage topics that deserve a good leaving alone.

GLOBE EDUCATION NEWS

Un-rules

Start the school year right: Forget these 10 language laws (By Jan Freeman, Boston Globe)

When left is right

Surprising insights from the social sciences (By Kevin Lewis, Boston Globe)

Fabrication plausible, journal editor believes

The editor of a scientific journal said yesterday that the only plausible conclusion he can draw from his knowledge of an internal investigation into research by a Harvard psychology professor is that some of the data had been fabricated. (By Carolyn Y. Johnson, Globe Staff)

Mass. schools to share $204m in jobs funds

Governor Deval Patrick announced yesterday how much each school district will receive in the coming weeks to rehire laid-off teachers and other employees, under a new federal aid program that is bringing $204 million to the state to save school jobs. (By James Vaznis, Globe Staff)

Sports facilities also suffering under strain of funding

Just as battered budgets in Gloucester and most communities are making it hard to fund afterschool activities such as sports, increasingly the communities are also finding it hard to maintain playing fields and field houses. (By Rich Fahey, Globe Correspondent)

33 schools in the Philadelphia region will share $58.7 million in federal grants | Philadelphia Inquirer | 08/27/2010

33 schools in the Philadelphia region will share $58.7 million in federal grants

By Kristen A. Graham and Dan Hardy

Inquirer Staff Writers

Fifty-seven struggling Pennsylvania schools - most of them in Philadelphia - will share $101 million in federal grants over three years to boost student achievement.

In the region, 33 schools will split $58.7 million.

But the money comes with strings attached.

The schools must adopt one of four reform models that trigger changes such as replacing principals or at least half of their teaching forces, bringing in outside management, or closing schools and transferring students to higher-performing ones.

Schools in the Philadelphia, William Penn, and Southeast Delco districts, plus the Philadelphia Montessori Charter School and the West Philadelphia Achievement Charter School learned Thursday that they would receive between $679,200 (Park Lane Elementary in Darby) and $4.2 million (Lincoln High in Philadelphia).

The Chester Upland School District, which applied for $6 million in grants for

Two more schools added to list of 'persistently dangerous' institutions; state list up as well

BY RACHEL MONAHAN
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Saturday, August 28th 2010, 4:00 AM

Egan-Chin/News

Both New York City and New York state have released lists of dangerous schools that are longer this year than last. There are also more stringent requirements to be removed from the lists.

RELATED NEWS

They're cracking down on school crime, too.

After raising the bar for passing standardized tests, state education officials Friday ramped up efforts to keep students safer, releasing a longer list of schools labeled "persistently dangerous."

The state also created tougher requirements for schools seeking to be removed from the most-violent list this year. Schools had to demonstrate two years of improved crime statistics instead of just one.

The number of city schools on the dreaded list rose to

How many NYC kids take ACTs? � JD2718

How many NYC kids take ACTs?

by jd2718

1500 just a few years ago, 5000 last year. And what follow-up questions should we have?

At Gotham Schools, they had none. I have previously complained about the bias embedded in their reporting. But this was just lousy journalism. (I explain more in the third comment some of which is copied below the fold)

1. You’ve provided no source for your data. (I assume these are regurgitated NYCDOE numbers?)
2. You’ve failed to define NYC student. (I want to assume these are public school students? Did you include charters? Private schools? Parochial? Hunter?)
3. You’ve compared 1500 students five years ago with 5000 this year. Are they comparable? From

How Will My Students Be Different This Year? � InterACT

How Will My Students Be Different This Year?

by Martha Infante

As I enter my 16th year of teaching I am quietly anticipating a new cadre of students who will undoubtedly surprise, test, challenge, and inspire me. It happens every year; you get your roster of students and at that moment, you have no attachments. But soon I will re-enter the world of Middle School Land, a place that can be very bizarre, hilarious, and humbling.

Preparation begins before Day 1, and in reality, it never stops. During the summer I read several Young Adult Literature books recommended by the school librarian; these will be made visible on the chalk tray in the front of the classroom, for students to check out at any time. This weekend I will rush to finish Mockingjay, the third

Friday, August 27, 2010

School Tech Connect: Meanwhile, Back In TechWorld

Meanwhile, Back In TechWorld

by effacethefacade@yahoo.com (Tim)

This is the conversation I'm always having with myself, like a crazy person. I think @jerridkruse nails it in the comments:

Puerto Rican teachers walk off the job. � Fred Klonsky's blog

Puerto Rican teachers walk off the job.

by preaprez

In the largest public school walkout since 2008 Puerto Rican teachers hit the bricks in a one day strike over wages and working conditions.

AP reports:

Teachers walked off their jobs Thursday in a one-day strike over staff and funding levels in Puerto Rican schools, giving students an unplanned day off

A New Turnaround Strategy – ED.gov Blog

A New Turnaround Strategy

MOBILE, Ala.—Of all the strategies we’ve heard for turning low-performing schools into high-performing schools, we had never heard this one: become a mind-reader.

Extrasensory perception—or at least a staff with a shared vision and the ability to anticipate each other’s needs—has apparently been key to the transformation at George C. Hall Elementary School.

“We’ve come to read each other’s minds at this point,” Principal Terri Tomlinson said today when the Courage in the Classroom bus pulled up at Hall. “We’re just a solid team.”

Earlier this year the Department profiled the school’s success in a series of videos on school turnaroundsabout the federal School Improvement Grant program. It was good to meet the administrators, teachers, parents and partners from that video in person and to hear from the larger team and community.

Click here for an accessible version of the video.

The community’s role in this turnaround was key, especially the support of the Mobile Area Education Foundation. For hard work like this, everyone has a role to play.

Massie Ritsch
Office of Communications & Outreach

This entry was written by jjohnson, posted on August 27, 2010 at 9:07 pm, filed under Back To School Tour, Headlines, News. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post. Trackbacks are closed, but you can post a comment.

SC agency finds 35 illegal workers at school sites - Boston.com

SC agency finds 35 illegal workers at school sites

By Seanna Adcox

Associated Press Writer / August 27, 2010

Text size – +

COLUMBIA, S.C.—State investigators have identified nearly three dozen illegal immigrants working at school construction sites in one South Carolina county, and fined a company, officials announced Friday.

The state agency overseeing South Carolina's illegal immigration law reported that five subcontractors have been cited for employing 35 illegal workers -- 32 of them identified since the 2008 law began applying to all businesses July 1.

The investigation at public school construction sites in Pickens County began in November, following complaints from residents and contractors not hired for the jobs. But the scope was initially limited, since the law applied then only to employers with more than 100 workers, said Jim Knight, head of the

How The Times built teacher effectiveness database | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times

The Times soon plans to publish a database on its website charting Los Angeles Unified School District teacher performance, allowing parents and others to examine the information.

In the video above, Times Database Editor Doug Smith describes the yearlong effort to gather the test scores and build the database. He also talks about the efforts over the last few weeks to provide teachers with the information before it goes online, giving them a chance to submit comments that will appear next to their scores. Smith said. The Times assembled a team to send out the information to nearly 2,000 teachers.

Smith also addresses some of the concerns raised by teachers and others about publishing the data. Smith said he's aware of concerns that the database could embarrass teachers and confuse parents. But he said he felt strongly it is important to make the data public and spark a debate about how to better use the information in making schools better.

What do you think? Share your views below.

You can't be my teacher.

If you don't know the internet you can't be my teacher, I need someone who knows what I know. Meet me on the web, at least half way. Teachers today need to be literate to relate to digital natives.

Text

Are you going to teach me in a school?

Are you going to make me sit in a desk all day?

Is this what you are going to use to teach me with?

Is this what you are going to use to teach me with? (echo)

Do you know how to use a computer?

Do you know how to use a computer? (echo)

Are you a teacher?

Are you my teacher?

Are you going to teach me using the internet?

Are you going to teach me how to be safe on the internet?

Do you know what goes on on the internet?

Are you sure you are my teacher?

Are you sure you are my teacher? (echo)

Are you going to learn how to use the technology?

I am a digital native.

Do computers scare you?

Are you afraid to use them?

Have you been on facebook?

Have you been on twitter?

Have you been surfing?

Do you even know what is on the internet?

Are you going to be my teacher?

Or just that textbook?

Because I want to know...

what the world has to offer

And if you are not on the internet...

and know nothing about computers.

you can't be my teacher!

I said you can't be my teacher.

Make room for somebody who knows how to use the internet.

Do you think I am going to be ready?

Do you think I am going to be ready?

Do you think you are preparing me for the
world that I have to live in?

Do you think I am going to be ready?

That's your job!

That's your job! (echo)

Freedom School Program Jackson State – ED.gov Blog

Freedom School Program Jackson State

JACKSON, Miss.—At the Kids Kollege Children’s Defense Fund Freedom School, the children aren’t called students; they’re called scholars. And the adults aren’t teachers; they’re servant leaders.

That’s how this after-school program serving disadvantaged children in Mississippi’s capital sets high expectations for everyone.

The program is a partnership between Jackson State University, a historically black college, and Children’s Defense Fund. CDF’s founder, Marian Wright Edelman, joined the Courage in the Classroom Tour this morning in Jackson. There, Secretary Duncan listened to a group of Kids Kollege interns talk about why they are drawn to the field of education.

Watch video from this morning’s visit to Jackson State University:Click here for an accessible version of the video.

Remainders: N.J. education chief fired over Race to the Top error | GothamSchools

Remainders: N.J. education chief fired over Race to the Top error

by Maura Walz

More Race to the Top:

N.J. Gov. Chris Christie fired his education chief over his costly Race to the Top goof. (Star-Ledger)
Christie previously blamed federal officials for not checking the clerical error. (NYTimes)
But USDOE released video showing that the state didn’t give the right data when asked. (USDOE)
Nine of the 12 winning RttT applicants were supported by Gates Foundation grants. (State Ed Watch)
Former city schools Chancellor Rudy Crew is “not there yet” in his support for RttT. (Russo)
La. schools chief Paul Pastorek says most state ed departments aren’t designed for reform. (Rick Hess)
And Arne Duncan will appear at the state teachers union on Monday to talk teacher evaluations. (T-U)

And in other news:

A parallel between Mayor Lindsay’s fire department and Mayor Bloomberg’s schools? (NYSun)
A Mississippi middle school has ended its race-based rules for class election eligibility. (Jezebel)
A group of parents write to President Obama opposing the federal turnaround strategy. (Answer Sheet)
And a portrait of how New Orleans schools have changed since Katrina. (EdWeek)

Voices of Courage: Dr. Tom Burnham – ED.gov Blog

Voices of Courage: Dr. Tom Burnham

We’ve been fortunate on the Courage in the Classroom tour to have a number of state-level leaders join us along the way. On Thursday the state education commissioner of Arkansas, Dr. Tom Kimbrell, and the state superintendent in Louisiana, Paul Pastorek, both hopped on the bus and joined us at the day’s events. On Friday we welcomed aboard Dr. Tom Burnham, Mississippi’s superintendent of education, for stops in Jackson and Hattiesburg.

“I believe very strongly as educational leaders that one of our challenges is to stay connected with the teachers, and stay connected with the classrooms,” he said of the tour’s value.

Dr. Burnham assumed his position in January. It’s his second tour of duty as head of Mississippi’s K-12 public education system. In between stints he has served as the dean of the School of Education at the University of Mississippi and as a district superintendent in Biloxi, Miss., and in Henderson County, N.C. He began his career as a classroom teacher and coach.

Mississippi teachers, he said, “are working each day with a great deal of passion, they’re working each day with a great deal of professionalism, and in most cases a pretty significant level of preparation to be successful”—but, all too often, inadequate resources.

“At the end of the day, each day, many of these people go home very, very tired from having attempted to achieve success,” he said.

Here’s video of our conversation with Dr. Burnham aboard the bus:

Click here for an accessible version of the video.

The First Action of the New Year � Student Activism

The First Action of the New Year

by Angus Johnston

At least, the first I’m aware of.

Student activists at UC Berkeley floated budget stats and contact info into some of the campus’s largest lecture halls on the first day of class this week. Have I missed something, or was this the country’s first student protest of 2010-11?