Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 3-6 #soschat #EDReform

Police Anonymity Demands Thwart Release of UC Davis Pepper Spray Report « Student Activism

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 53 minutes ago

Police Anonymity Demands Thwart Release of UC Davis Pepper Spray Report « Student Activism:Police Anonymity Demands Thwart Release of UC Davis Pepper Spray Reportby Angus JohnstonAs I noted last month, only one of the dozens of police officers involved in the notorious November 18 UC Davis pepper-spray incident has yet been publicly identified. Now a police demand for continued anonymity has delayed today’s intended release of the university’s report on the incident.Attorneys for the officers claim that because the report ... more »

School official outs 8th-grader as pregnant - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 53 minutes ago

School official outs 8th-grader as pregnant - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:School official outs 8th-grader as pregnantby Valerie Strauss“We learn by example and by direct experience,” wrote Malcolm Gladwell in “Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking,” “because there are real limits to the adequacy of verbal instruction.”And herein lies a fundamental obstacle to increasing efforts across the country to counter bullying by young people: adult bullies.Read full article

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Education Reform: Socks Worn Inside-Out

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 53 minutes ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Education Reform: Socks Worn Inside-Out:Education Reform: Socks Worn Inside-Outby Charlie MasI have touched on this idea a couple of times before, but with the Board poised to vote on the contract with Teach for America I think it is time to bring it back.I am not an advocate for the status-quo. I'm surprised that I even have to write that. Holy cow, if I haven't established myself as a critic of the education establishment, then I ... more »

Florida Parent Groups Frustrated by Lack of Access « Parents Across America

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 53 minutes ago

Florida Parent Groups Frustrated by Lack of Access « Parents Across America:Florida Parent Groups Frustrated by Lack of Accessby leoniehaimsonCheck your pockets when a Corporate Education reformer claims to care about parent empowerment; nearly always, as in this case, they are working for their own private ends.For immediate release.Tallahassee, FloridaOn Saturday, March 3, 2012, for the third time in a matter of weeks, a real Florida parent was cut off mid-sentence during testimony opposing SB 1718/”Parent Empowerment” and told by ... more »

Fresh Evidence: Pascale Mauclair’s Report Should be Declared Invalid | Edwize

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 53 minutes ago

Fresh Evidence: Pascale Mauclair’s Report Should be Declared Invalid | Edwize:Fresh Evidence: Pascale Mauclair’s Report Should be Declared Invalidby Jackie BennettLast week, Leo Casey gave Edwize readers the real story of Pascal Mauclair, whom the NY Post declared was the “at the bottom of the heap” when the DOE released the Teacher Data Reports to the press. The DOE gave Ms. Mauclair a “0” on her report, but the results seemed, to put it mildly, arbitrary. As Casey pointed out, ... more »

Answering Questions of Fundamental Fairness | ED.gov Blog

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 53 minutes ago

Answering Questions of Fundamental Fairness | ED.gov Blog:Answering Questions of Fundamental FairnessPosted on March 6, 2012 by Cameron BrenchleyEarlier today, Secretary Duncan released new data from the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights that reveal unfortunate truths about our nation’s schools. The Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) is a first-of-its kind national data tool that highlights schools that are making real progress in closing opportunity gaps, as well as educational inequities around teacher experience, discipline and high school rigor.Key ... more »

Dozens Arrested in California and New York Capitol Protests « Student Activism

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 53 minutes ago

Dozens Arrested in California and New York Capitol Protests « Student Activism:Dozens Arrested in California and New York Capitol Protestsby Angus JohnstonRunning around today, but wanted to at least quickly follow up on the student protests in Sacramento and Albany yesterday.The New York Times has a good overview of the Albany action. Excerpt:About 300 students, most of them from public universities in New York, rattled the Capitol on Monday with an outburst of loud protests, in the gallery of the ... more »

Chicago Public School Students Face Racial Discipline Gap: Education Department

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 53 minutes ago

Chicago Public School Students Face Racial Discipline Gap: Education Department:Chicago Public School Students Face Racial Discipline Gap: Education Departmentby Joy ResmovitsIn Chicago public schools, black students receive harsher punishments for in-school infractions than white students, a fact that mirrors a nationwide trend, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Education Tuesday. The report paints a startling picture of racial disparities in how students are disciplined in schools across the country.Nationally, black students are more than three-and-a-half times... more »

Parent trigger: A farce in Florida - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 53 minutes ago

Parent trigger: A farce in Florida - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:Parent trigger: A farce in FloridaBy Valerie StraussThere’s one important thing missing from the effort in Florida to pass a bill that would institute a “parent trigger” allowing parents to force specific changes at low-performing public schools: support from Florida parents.The legislature has been considering whether to join a movementstarted in California that gives parents with children at low-performing (based on standardized test scores) to ask the ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Look who's taken by surprise

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 53 minutes ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Look who's taken by surprise:Look who's taken by surpriseby Mike KlonskyChicago Public Schools chief Jean-Claude Brizard, second from left, takes part in a panel discussion Monday with moderator Tim Knowles, left, director of the University of Chicago’s Urban Education Institute, Michael Milkie, CEO of the Noble Network of Charter Schools, and Sister Mary Paul McCaughey, superintendent of the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools. (Antonio Perez / March 5, 2012)Taken aback yesterday was corporate reformer Tim Knowles, ... more »

Motion to Cancel Teach for America, Inc. Contract in Seattle | Seattle Education

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

Motion to Cancel Teach for America, Inc. Contract in Seattle | Seattle Education:Motion to Cancel Teach for America, Inc. in Seattleby seattleducation2011On February 16th, there was a motion to cancel the Teach for America, Inc. contract by one of the school board members in the Board Curriculum and Instruction Committee meeting. Five board members were in attendance. A majority of them supported a motion to terminate the district’s contract with Teach for America, Inc. The motion will appear as an ... more »

Opposition to California’s school ranking system grows | EdSource Extra!

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

Opposition to California’s school ranking system grows | EdSource Extra!:Opposition to California’s school ranking system growsMarch 6th, 2012 | Add a CommentBy Louis Freedberg ~ EdSource ExtraShare on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on google_plusoneMore Sharing ServicesOpposition at the highest levels of state government is emerging against the more than decade-old system of ranking California’s schools on a scale of 1 to 10, based on how they score on the state’s Academic Performance Index.Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, ... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: "Um...no...data isn't all that important." - Bill Gates

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

Missouri Education Watchdog: "Um...no...data isn't all that important." - Bill Gates:"Um...no...data isn't all that important." - Bill Gatesby AnngieDon't worry. Every decision will be data driven.We've heard that a million times lately. It is meant to reassure us. But we are finding more and more of this data, that somebody just HAD to collect, that is not seeing the light of day and that should concern us.Forbes just reported that Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has been delaying ... more »

Hechinger Report | Must value-added models grade teachers on a curve?

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

Hechinger Report | Must value-added models grade teachers on a curve?:Must value-added models grade teachers on a curve?by Sarah ButrymowiczAdd one more point of critique to New York City’s Teacher Data Reports: experts and educators are worried about the bell curve along which the teacher ratings fell out.Like the distribution of teachers by rating across types of schools, the distribution of scores among teachers was essentially built into the “value-added” model that the city used to generate the ratings.The long-term ... more »

Daily Kos: Separate, Unequal...and Distracted

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

Daily Kos: Separate, Unequal...and Distracted:Separate, Unequal...and DistractedbyplthomasEdDFollowShareNew PERMALINK1 COMMENTWhen research, history, and allegory all converge to tell us the same story, we must pause to ask why we have ignored the message for so long and why are we likely to continue missing the essential thing before us.The New York Times and Education Week reveal two important lessons in both the message they present and the distinct difference in their framing of that message:"Black Students Face More Discipline, Data Suggests ... more »

Shanker Blog » Why Stop In Early Childhood? Two-Generation Strategies To Improve Educational Outcomes

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

Shanker Blog » Why Stop In Early Childhood? Two-Generation Strategies To Improve Educational Outcomes:Why Stop In Early Childhood? Two-Generation Strategies To Improve Educational Outcomesby Esther QuinteroIn education research, it is now widely accepted that ages 0 to 5 are crucial years for child development. In addition, there is a growing body of evidence demonstrating that children perform better behaviorally and academically in families with stable employment and rising incomes, families with stable employment and those where parents themselves are improving ... more »

Bobby Jindal vs. Public Education - Bridging Differences - Education Week

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

Bobby Jindal vs. Public Education - Bridging Differences - Education Week:Bobby Jindal vs. Public Educationby Diane RavitchDear Deborah,I went to Lafayette, La., last week to speak to the Louisiana School Boards Association. These men and women, representing their local schools from across the state, are trying to preserve public education in the face of an unprecedented onslaught by Gov. Bobby Jindal and the state's Republican-dominated legislature. Jindal has the backing of the state's corporate leaders, the nation's biggest foundations, and ... more »

SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: Peggy Robertson On Next Mind of a Bronx Teacher Internet Radio Show

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: Peggy Robertson On Next Mind of a Bronx Teacher Internet Radio Show:Peggy Robertson On Next Mind of a Bronx Teacher Internet Radio Showby noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher)http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bronx-teacher/2012/03/07/the-mind-of-a-bronx-teacherOn Tuesday night, March 6 at 9 PM EST we welcome one of the leaders of the Standardized Test Opt Out Movement, Peggy Robertson. Peggy is spearheading a nationwide movement for parents to choose for their children to opt out of bogus standardized tests. You can find out more at www.unitedoptout.com and ...more »

So many students are hurting; listen and learn from their views | Thoughts on Public Education

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 6 hours ago

So many students are hurting; listen and learn from their views | Thoughts on Public Education:So many students are hurting; listen and learn from their views - by Miriam Hernandezby Miriam HernandezAs I wake each morning, I tell myself, “Thank you, God, for another day; may I encounter smiles on people’s faces.” I walk to school and I run into a lot of my fellow students. Sadly, I can tell some are hurting inside. I wonder about their stories and ... more »

Gee, no eight. « Fred Klonsky

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

Gee, no eight. « Fred Klonsky:Gee, no eight.by Fred KlonskyObama says he is moving the G8 meeting out of Chicago to Camp David, Maryland.He says the reason is to facilitate the free flow of discussion.Obama must have been watching the latest discussion over school closings and decided Chicago under Rahm is not a a good place for free flowing discussion.There’s an old Chicago joke about how the first Mayor Daley and three Alderman were on a boat out on Lake ...more »

Has Florida Republican Senator David Simmons Been Making the Case Against Parent Trigger? | Scathing Purple Musings

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

Has Florida Republican Senator David Simmons Been Making the Case Against Parent Trigger? | Scathing Purple Musings:Has Florida Republican Senator David Simmons Been Making the Case Against Parent Trigger?by Bob SikesAltamonte Springs republican senator David Simmons is an independent sort and shown that he doesn’t always talk the party line on education. Simmons was so concerned about public school funding levels last summer that he publicly called on Rick Scott to bring a special session to restore funding. Last fall, ... more »

Has Florida Republican Senator David Simmons Been Making the Case Against Parent Trigger? | Scathing Purple Musings

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

Has Florida Republican Senator David Simmons Been Making the Case Against Parent Trigger? | Scathing Purple Musings:Has Florida Republican Senator David Simmons Been Making the Case Against Parent Trigger?by Bob SikesAltamonte Springs republican senator David Simmons is an independent sort and shown that he doesn’t always talk the party line on education. Simmons was so concerned about public school funding levels last summer that he publicly called on Rick Scott to bring a special session to restore funding. Last fall, ... more »

Aljazeera: THE DISMANTLING OF CALIFORNIA’S SCHOOLS - The most populous US state spends more than five times as much on prisoners than students.

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 17 hours ago

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Aljazeera: THE DISMANTLING OF CALIFORNIA’S SCHOOLS - The most populous US state spends more than five times as much on its prisoners than on its students.:Aljazeera: THE DISMANTLING OF CALIFORNIA’S SCHOOLS - The most populous US state spends more than five times as much on its prisoners than on its students. BY ROSE AGUILAR | OPINION - AL JAZEERA ENGLISH HTTP://AJE.ME/ZDT6AZLast fall, University of California students struck in solidarity with the ... more »

Directory Scholarships, Internships, Programs for Latino Students - Hispanically Speaking News

Directory Scholarships, Internships, Programs for Latino Students - Hispanically Speaking News:

Check Out: Directory of Scholarships, Internships and Programs for Latino Students

March 6, 2012 | by HS News Staff

Photo Credits: CHCI Scholarships Resource

Check Out “Directory of Scholarships, Internships and Programs for Latino Students”. This directory was prepared by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute with the support of State Farm.

There is a lot of useful information and resources for Latino students here.

Click here to access.

DCPS budget: RHEEFORM IMPACT’s impact - D.C. Schools Insider - The Washington Post

DCPS budget: IMPACT’s impact - D.C. Schools Insider - The Washington Post:

DCPS budget: IMPACT’s impact

by Bill Turque

There’s plenty for DCPS stakeholders to dislike in the newly released school-based budget allocations proposed for 2012-13. While they reflect a two-percent increase in the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula, they will still mean larger class sizes--as in, fewer teachers--at the middle and high school levels, along with cuts in positions such as special education coordinator.

Read full article >>

Estimados padres de las escuelas públicas de NYC….. | United Opt Out National

Estimados padres de las escuelas públicas de NYC….. | United Opt Out National:

Estimados padres de las escuelas públicas de NYC…..

by admin

Estimados padres de las escuelas públicas de NYC:

Somos los padres de dos niños que asisten a dos escuelas elementales en Manhattan. Hasta el presente, hemos estado muy satisfechos con la educación que nuestros hijos han recibido en las escuelas públicas de NY. Sus directores y maestros, sin excepción, han demostrado ser profesionales inteligentes con un conocimiento amplio sobre la formación y el futuro de nuestros hijos.

Sin embargo, hasta el momento, nuestra experiencia con nuestros hijos en el tercer grado nos ha convencido que las pruebas estandarizadas que han llegado a dominar nuestras escuelas, perjudican severamente el trabajo diario de los maestros.

Los maestros se han visto forzados a rebajar mucho su nivel de enseñanza para preparar esas pruebas, sacrificando el valioso tiempo de las actividades escolares, para acomodar un sin fin de exámenes.

Incluso antes de que se hicieran públicas la evaluaciones de los maestros, lo cual ha supuesto el éxodo de buenos maestros, nosotros llegamos a la conclusión de que el énfasis exagerado en estas pruebas subestima seriamente la calidad de la educación pública.

Consecuentemente, vamos a boicotear las pruebas estandarizadas estatales de nuestros niños indefinidamente, con la meta de restaurar el control de la educación a quienes realmente comprenden cómo los niños aprenden: los padres y los maestros.

Si les interesa unirse a nuestro grupo o simplemente compartir sus impresiones, por favor comuníquense con nosotros por medio del correo electrónico al final de esta carta, o si prefieren, pueden encontrar más información y recursos en:changethestakes.org.

Aquí presentamos cinco razones básicas para apoyar nuestra decisión:

1. Los exámenes “atontan” las escuelas: Dedicando demasiado tiempo a las pruebas estandarizadas, dejamos de enseñar otras materias, como estudios sociales, arte, ciencia, y educación física, además de limitar las maneras de enseñar las materias básicas de lectura y matemáticas. (Si quiere más información sobre esta opinión visite esta página web:http://www.nytimes.com/schoolbook/2012/01/20/dear-governor-lobby-to-save-a-love-of-reading).

2. Los exámenes causan una ansiedad innecesaria en los niños: La preparación para las pruebas estandarizadas incluye muchas sesiones fuera del horario escolar, al igual que varias sesiones en los fines de semana, e innumerables pruebas programadas a través del año, como la prueba oficial en sí (seis días de pruebas en el tercer grado, y más días en grados más altos). Todo ello es extremadamente estresante para un estudiante joven que se ve obligado a soportar tal presión. Es especialmente arduo para los estudiantes de educación especial, el arreglo “perverso” de “acomodar” a estos estudiantes, dándoles más tiempo para completar las pruebas.

Y para agregar sal a la herida, este año el tiempo de las pruebas se ha extendido para que nuestros hijos sean sujetos a preguntas experimentales (llamadas type questions) que serán usadas en exámenes futuros, como si fuesen conejillos de Indias.

3. Las calificaciones de las pruebas las usan para evaluar a los maestros: El resultado del uso de las pruebas estandarizadas como criterio para evaluar la efectividad de los maestros se presta para que muchos maestros no quieran enseñar en escuelas en las que los estudiantes necesiten más ayuda o no hablan el idioma. Los maestros muchas veces no pueden mejorar las calificaciones de los estudiantes porque están luchando contra factores fuera de su control, y por eso no es justo que sean castigados usando los resultados de las pruebas como un reflejo determinante de su trabajo.

4. Pruebas de esta magnitud obligan a maestros a adoptar malas prácticas de enseñanza: Las consecuencias desastrosas para maestros que no siguen las guías de estas pruebas no les permiten hacer el trabajo para el cual se formaron: educar a nuestros hijos basándose en su mayor juicio profesional. Los maestros que tienen que mejorar constantemente los resultados (las notas o grados) de estas pruebas, a cualquier costo, no tienen ni el tiempo ni la libertad intelectual para cumplir con su trabajo apropiadamente, y por ende, la educación de nuestros hijos sufre.

5. Las pruebas estandarizadas son un gasto de dinero público:Estamos en un momento en que debemos ser astutos con nuestros recursos, un momento cuando la economía del país no está bien, cuando no hay trabajos, cuando las cosas cuestan más, no tiene sentido que nuestro sistema de educación pública gaste estos recursos, que deberían ser usados para agregarle valor a la experiencia educativa del estudiante, en pruebas innecesarias. Muchas de las escuelas privadas y escuelas de élite donde nuestros políticos envían a sus hijos no usan estas pruebas. Debemos de dejar de mantener el negocio de los exámenes y en vez de ello usar nuestros recursos para contratar y mantener maestros, crear, reformar y reparar las escuelas y ofrecer programas de ciencias naturales, estudios sociales, arte y música en todas las escuelas públicas de la Ciudad.

No podemos permitir que nuestros hijos sean utilizados como herramientas en la aplicación de leyes injustas y políticas que son destructivas. Ellos serán educados en escuelas públicas y NO tomarán las pruebas estandarizadas del estado.

No fue fácil tomar esta decisión. Hemos considerado el argumento central para estas pruebas, de que son herramientas esenciales para evaluar el desempeño de los estudiantes y los maestros, y las rechazamos.

Si estas pruebas son necesarias, entonces ¿por qué en países avanzados en la educación, como en Finlandia, los estudiantes no toman exámenes? Allí destacan más la colaboración en vez de la competencia. Lo cierto es que la enseñanza es una actividad muy compleja para ser evaluada por los modelos numéricos, y es por eso que los costosos sistemas de evaluación basados en resultados de las pruebas siguen fallando. Los maestros saben cómo evaluar el progreso de los niños, y los directores, maestros compañeros y padres de familia saben cómo evaluar a los maestros, mediante la observación directa de su trabajo.

Nos han advertido que si no dejamos que nuestros hijos tomen las pruebas, habrá consecuencias muy graves, como por ejemplo que a nuestros hijos no se les permitirá avanzar al siguiente grado, o peor aún, sus escuelas y los maestros serán sancionados por la ausencia del estudiante pues esto se refleja en las evaluaciones de los maestros y el grado de la escuela. Se nos ha dicho que con nuestro acto de “desobediencia social” el Estado podría causar daño a otros. Es por este peligro real y verdadero que muchos padres, quienes también están en contra de las pruebas, han tomado la decisión de solicitar, por medios legales, el derecho de optar por no tomar las pruebas, en vez de boicotearlas. (Si desea más información sobre esta opción visite la página web:changethestakes.org). Sin embargo, nos negamos a ser intimidados por las amenazas que provienen del Departamento de Educación para someter a nuestros hijos a estas prácticas que consideramos poco éticas y perjudiciales para nuestros hijos, y retaremos cualquier acción de parte del Departamento de Educación de castigar a nuestros hijos o a sus maravillosos maestros por causa de nuestra decisión.

Gracias por leer esta carta y, por favor, comuníquese con nosotros para compartir sus ideas acerca de cómo los padres pueden desempeñar un papel destacado en la restauración de la educación pública en nuestra ciudad.

Sinceramente,

Jeff Nichols y Anne Stone

jnichols.and.astone@gmail.com

School Tech Connect: Arne Duncan's Genie, Part 2

School Tech Connect: Arne Duncan's Genie, Part 2:

Arne Duncan's Genie, Part 2

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim)

I'm sure this all sounds very appealing to people who don't understand test scores.

Check out the article title:

Focusing On Neighborhood Assets — One Of My Favorite Lessons! | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

Focusing On Neighborhood Assets — One Of My Favorite Lessons! | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…:

Focusing On Neighborhood Assets — One Of My Favorite Lessons!

by Larry Ferlazzo

We’re in the middle of one of my favorite units — where we focus on our neighborhood’s assets instead of its deficits.

I explain it more in detail at A Lesson Highlighting Community Assets — Not Deficits, and have a complete lesson plan, including hand-outs, in my book on Helping Students Motivate Themselves. In short, students compare our lower-income school neighborhood with the Fabulous Forties, commonly considered the most wealthy area of Sacramento, and they decide which neighborhood is the better one. Typically, about 95% of my students choose our neighborhood (though this year the percentage was a little lower — about 80$ choose the school neighborhood.

Today, students completed a response to the question “Which neighborhood was better?” using the “ABC”

California Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program - School Nutrition (CA Dept of Education)

California Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program - School Nutrition (CA Dept of Education):

California Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, administered by the California Dept of Education, provides schools with funding to offer students a free fresh fruit or vegetable snack during the school day.

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Program Description

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) administers the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) at the federal level. At the state level, the FFVP is administered by the California Department of Education (CDE), Nutrition Services Division (NSD). The purpose of this federal assistance program is to provide an additional free fresh fruit or vegetable snack to students during the school day as a supplement to (and not part of) the school breakfast and lunch programs, and to teach students about good nutrition. The FFVP also encourages grantees to develop partnerships at the state and local level for support in implementing and operating the program. The FFVP is a reimbursement grant program and selected schools receive a year-long grant (June–July) to implement the program. California first participated in the FFVP in July 2008 with 24 pilot schools and the program continues to grow each year.

Program Goals

The goal of the FFVP is to create healthier school environments by providing healthier food choices, and to:

• Expand the fruits and vegetables children experience
• Increase children’s fruit and vegetable consumption
• Make a difference in children’s diets to impact their present and future health

The program is seen as an important catalyst for change in efforts to combat childhood obesity and by helping children learn more healthful eating habits.

Program History

The FFVP began as the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Pilot Program, authorized by Congress under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Public Law 107–171) in a limited number of states and schools. The purpose of the pilot was to identify best practices for increasing fresh fruit and vegetable consumption among students and to determine the feasibility and students’ interest.

In 2008, the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Farm Bill) amended the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act by adding section 19, the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. Section 19 authorized the program nationwide to 50 states (as well as the District of Columbia and the territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands) and provided significant funding increases, beginning with $40 million in federal fiscal year 2009 and growing to $150 million by 2012. After fiscal year 2012, annual changes will be made in accordance with the Consumer Price Index.

How Does It Work?

A School Food Authority (SFA) must submit an application to the CDE by the deadline each year to be considered for a grant. The following are considered to be SFAs and are eligible to apply for a FFVP grant:

• School districts and county offices of education are eligible to apply on behalf of their school sites.
• Direct funded charter schools are eligible to apply directly.
• Private elementary schools are eligible to apply if they participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and 50 percent or more of their students are eligible for free/reduced price meals.
• Residential child care institutions may also apply if they operate an elementary school during the day and participate in the NSLP.

The State Agency (SA) is required to select elementary schools to participate that have the highest free and reduced price enrollment. Elementary schools who receive a grant are awarded $50.00–$75.00 per student for the school year. The SA identifies the per‐student funding based on total funds allocated to the state and the enrollment of applicant schools.

With these funds, schools purchase additional fresh fruits and vegetables to serve free to students as a snack during the school day. Participating school sites must serve the snack outside the normal time frames for the NSLP and School Breakfast Program (SBP). The SFA determines the best method to obtain and serve the additional fresh produce within the program requirements.

The SFAs participating in the FFVP submit monthly reimbursement claim forms, which are reviewed and approved by the SA. The SA reimburses the SFA for the cost of the fresh fruits and vegetables and limited non‐food costs.

The USDA provides funds to the SA to administer the program according to federal requirements.

Program Minimum Requirements

Schools have the flexibility to develop their own implementation plan, choose the type of produce, number of days a week (at least three days per week), and times during the day (outside of NSLP and SBP operation) to provide the free fresh fruit or vegetable snacks to their students. Schools must agree to widely publicize the availability of the program. Schools must follow all food safety requirements and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point guidance. Schools are encouraged to develop partnerships to help implement the program, such as with local universities, extension services, farmer’s markets, and local growers and grocers.

At a minimum, for a school to receive a FFVP grant they must:

• Be an elementary school
• Operate the National School Lunch Program
• Have 50 percent or greater of enrolled students eligible for free and reduced price meals; priority given to those with the highest percentage
• Have documented support of the food service, principal, and district superintendent
• Submit a FFVP application to the NSD by the posted deadline—FFVP applications are available each spring (March) on the CDE Web site and are due four weeks after posting (April)
• Implement the FFVP in accordance to the most recent guidelines issued by the USDA in their FFVP Handbook for Schools (PDF; Outside Source)

Program Reimbursement

The FFVP is a reimbursement grant. Therefore, grantees must expend their own funds and then submit a claim form (monthly) to the SA for reimbursement.

Payment Timeline: Upon receipt of a claim form, the NSD and the State Controller’s Office (SCO) will process the claim within 45 calendar days. Please note: once the SCO has mailed a reimbursement check, the time frame for a school to receive the payment will vary due to the practices within a specific county.

USDA Program Resources

FFVP Resources

• Toolkit (Outside Source)
• Program Policy (Outside Source)

Nutrition Education Resources

• Team Nutrition [http (Outside Source)
• Choose MyPlate (Outside Source)
• Harvest of the Month (Outside Source)

Program Guidelines

• FFVP Handbook for Schools (PDF; Outside Source)
• Frequently Asked FFVP Questions (PDF; Outside Source)

Program Contacts

For program questions, please contact Elizabeth Moreno, Nutrition Education Consultant, or David Hazeleaf, Program Specialist, by e-mail at FFVP@cde.ca.gov or by phone at 800-952-5609.

Federal Suspension and Expulsion Report - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

Federal Suspension and Expulsion Report - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education):

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Responds to Federal
Report on Student Suspension and Expulsion Rates

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today applauded efforts by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights (OCR) to shed light on the problem of excessive use of suspension and expulsion of students as a disciplinary tool in the nation's schools.

"Collecting this data helps us start crucial conversations at the local school level to ensure disciplinary practices are carried out fairly and equitably," said Torlakson. "I encourage all local educational agencies to continue to collect and analyze their suspension and expulsion data to determine whether their current practices are meeting the needs of their students, keeping in mind that the objective is to keep as many students as possible in a learning environment. We encourage all districts and sites to continue to seek behavioral interventions and options other than suspension and expulsion as a means of addressing student behavior."

Under state law, suspending or expelling students is the responsibility of the local school district. California is in the process of collecting more detailed student level data when reporting suspension and expulsion reports, as part of the state's conversion to the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System.

County and school district superintendents are required by state law every three years to develop Countywide Plans for Expelled Students and submit them to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. These plans outline educational alternatives for expelled students, identify gaps in educational services to them, and develop strategies for filling those service gaps. The plan also identifies alternative placements for expelled pupils in community day school programs, but who fail to meet the terms and conditions of their rehabilitation plan, or who pose a danger to other students. The goals of the plan are to:

1. Ensure that expelled students have appropriate options;
2. Decrease the dropout rate;
3. Increase the graduation rate; and
4. Close the achievement gap.

To view the OCR suspension and expulsion report, please visit New Data from U.S. Department of Education Highlights Educational Inequities Around Teacher Experience, Discipline and High School Rigor | U.S. Department of Education (Outside Source). For California's suspension and expulsion report, please visit DataQuest. For California's Countywide Plans for Expelled Students, please visit Countywide Plans for Expelled Students - Educational Options.

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Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction

Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100