Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 7-17 AM Posts #soschat #edreform

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 7-14-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 7-7-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 6-30-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 6-23-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 6-16-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 6-9-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 6-2-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-24-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-23-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2 Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-22-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Schools Matter: Research Does Not Support Claims by Common Core Advocates

Schools Matter: Research Does Not Support Claims by Common Core Advocates:

Research Does Not Support Claims by Common Core Advocates

by Jim Horn

Got tougher standards and higher cut scores, and expecting big jumps in achievement? Keep wishing.

From Ed Week in February:

Will the Common Core State Standards improve student achievement? Not according to a new study out today.

The crux of the argument in the Brookings Institution report is that there is not much of a connection between standards—even rigorous ones—and student achievement. If there was a connection, we would have seen signs of improvement from states' own individual standards—all states have had standards since 2003—but NAEP scores don't bear that out, author Tom Loveless argues.

Loveless also points to a 2009 Brookings study that found no connection between the quality of states' standards and their students' NAEP scores. Loveless examines NAEP scores from 2003 to

Is School Funding Fair? | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

Is School Funding Fair? | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights:

Is School Funding Fair?

by obriena

Not in most states, according to a national report carddedicated to answering that question.
Back in 2010, the first edition of a national report card on school funding and fairness was released. Considering “fair” school funding to be “a state finance system that ensures equal educational opportunity by providing a sufficient level of funding distributed to districts within the state to account for additional needs generated by student poverty,” it concluded that most states do not do a good job of ensuring equality of educational opportunity for all children. Last month, the second edition of this report card (which included funding data through 2009) was released – and once again, many states are falling short.
Just six states performed well on all measures of fairness that the report considered. Iowa, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Vermont maintained their performance from the 2010 report, with Kansas and New Mexico joining them (Connecticut and Wyoming fell out of this group in 2012). Three states received below average rankings on all indicators – Florida, Missouri, and North Carolina.
These indicators reflect a number of core principles, one of which is that “varying levels of funding are required to provide equal educational opportunities to children with different needs.” Another is that the overall level of education funding matters
read more

Jersey Jazzman: Holding Charters Accountable For Equity

Jersey Jazzman: Holding Charters Accountable For Equity:

Holding Charters Accountable For Equity

by Duke

Late yesterday, the NJ education world got the decree from ACTING Lord High Executioner Chris Cerf as towhich charters His Lordship deemed worthy of receiving a seal from his signet ring.

Despite Cerf's absurd contention that charters are "the most democratic schools we have," this round of approvals shows just how autocratic the entire system is. With little transparency and no local control - districts have to pay for Cerf's charters, but have no saying in their approval or oversight - districts like Princeton have had to set aside funds for the last two years while ACTING Lord Cerf unilaterally decided whether he would bestow a charter on a school located in the well-performing district.

To deflect from this absurdity, Cerf, good bureaucrat that he is, points to the new procedures and policies that he

School Tech Connect: Thank You, SB7

School Tech Connect: Thank You, SB7:

Thank You, SB7

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman)

This is how it's done.

Popout

Throughout my time in education, I have always found that the people doing the real work of improving the status of the profession, of fighting for conditions in which learning can occur, of taking the risks that accompany the

Campus Safety Is Essential For A Successful Learning Environment: If You See Something, Say Something! | ED.gov Blog

Campus Safety Is Essential For A Successful Learning Environment: If You See Something, Say Something! | ED.gov Blog:

Campus Safety Is Essential For A Successful Learning Environment: If You See Something, Say Something!

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Martha Kanter

As a community college president for 16 years before being appointed the Under Secretary of Education, I wanted to do everything in my power to prevent violence on campus. Building trust among the campus constituencies with the campus chief of police was essential as a first step.

Photo courtesy of Howard University

According to a new report from the FBI and the U.S. Department of Education, we can do a lot more to keep our campuses safe. To do so, top experts say, requires the combined efforts of students, faculty, administrators and campus security, zero-tolerance for threats and harassment, and immediate reporting of concerns to campus or law enforcement officials who are trained in threat assessment.

The evidence is compelling. The report continues that at least a third of violent attackers telegraphed their intentions to others before they struck. “The message is clear: don’t ignore threats,” says the FBI’s Supervisory Special Agent Andre Simons, who recently briefed our education team at the Department of Education. “If you hear someone say ’they are going to regret this’ or something like that, you need someone skilled to dig a little deeper and find out what that person really means. Don’t assume it is just talk.”

The best approach, according to those who conducted the recent study, is to establish a multidisciplinary Campus Threat Assessment Team that includes campus experts on law enforcement, mental health, human resources, and student affairs along with legal experts who can ensure that students’ rights are properly protected. The FBI maintains 56 field offices that offer direct links to the FBI’s Washington-based Threat Assessment experts, who are ready to offer advice and support around the clock.

I saw the importance of being vigilant and identifying potential threats in my own experience. In January 2001, local police notified me that they had charged a young man with planning an attack with the intent of causing several casualties at De Anza College in Cupertino, California, where I served as president. It was one of the most chilling experiences of my professional life. Fortunately, a good samaritan had tipped off authorities, who promptly and effectively intervened. We’ll never know if the carefully planned attack would have been carried out. But the weapons prepared by this troubled young man were all too real and the danger clear and present. I’m forever indebted to the concerned citizen who took it upon herself to report her concerns to law enforcement personnel. She may have saved dozens of lives.

The experience was a lesson for me – and it’s one that’s confirmed in this new report: if and when threats are reported, be ready, and know how to respond. Whether you are a professor, an administrator or a college president, get yourself educated before – not after. And make sure your Campus Safety Team meets and updates you on a regular basis.

Martha Kanter is the Under Secretary of Education

For additional resources please see:

Threat Assessment in Schools: A Guide to Managing Threatening Situations and to Creating Safe School Climates

Implementing Behavioral Threat Assessment on Campus

The Interactive CD “A Safe School and Threat Assessment Experience: Scenarios Exploring the Findings of the Safe School Initiative” can be ordered for free onlinehere.

FairTest: Testing Overkill Earns Florida an “F” | Scathing Purple Musings

FairTest: Testing Overkill Earns Florida an “F” | Scathing Purple Musings:

FairTest: Testing Overkill Earns Florida an “F”

by Bob Sikes

On a day when the big education policy news was a big speech by Jeb Bush, the Orlando Sentinel published a Q & A with FairTest director Bob Schaeffer. Editorial page editor Darryl Owens conducted the interview via email.

Q: The Florida School Boards Association (FSBA) recently approved a resolution opposing the current use of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Surprised?
A: This grass-roots “revolt” reflects widespread concern that public schools spend too much time testing and not enough teaching. Independent experts, including a panel of the National Academy of Sciences National Research Council, agree that an over-emphasis on high-stakes testing has not helped improve school quality.
Q: Is FSBA on to something?
A: Florida may well be the worst test-score misuser of any state in the country. The head of FSBA

Want suggestions on how to curb violence in the neighborhoods? Did you think of asking Margot Pritzker? « Fred Klonsky

Want suggestions on how to curb violence in the neighborhoods? Did you think of asking Margot Pritzker? « Fred Klonsky:

Want suggestions on how to curb violence in the neighborhoods? Did you think of asking Margot Pritzker?

by Fred Klonsky

Hyatt heiress Margot Pritzker. “She has an idea,” says the Sun-Times.
Reading the Sun-Times this morning brought back memories of the classic SNL Gilda Radner character, Emily Litella.
On Weekend Update Litella editorialized about violins on television.
“Teamwork,” suggests heiress Margot Pritzker of the union-busting Hyatt Hotel Pritzker family.
Teamwork?
Yes. Teamwork.
“It kept the NATO Summit a safe

Momentum Builds for MA Third Grade Reading Bill «

Momentum Builds for MA Third Grade Reading Bill «:

Momentum Builds for MA Third Grade Reading Bill

July 17, 2012 by Irene Sege

As I reported last week, we are thrilled that the Massachusetts House of Representatives unanimously approved An Act Relative to Third Grade Reading Proficiency and urge the state Senate to follow suit before the current legislative session ends on July 31. (Massachusetts readers, click here to ask your senator to pass An Act Relative to Third Grade Reading Proficiency.)

Over the past few months, momentum for the bill has also been building on the editorial and news pages of newspapers across the commonwealth:

Legislation aims to improve early education
MetroWest Daily News, July 11, 2012

Lawmakers should stick to their EBT guns
Lowell Sun, July 11, 2012
(See end of editorial)

Bill aims to boost third grade readingLowell Sun, July 10, 2012

Just read
Telegram & Gazette, June 24, 2012

Statewide effort to help young readers
The Berkshire Eagle, June 12, 2012

Early literacy needs to start before kindergarten
The Boston Globe, May 7 2012

Support early ed
Cape Cod Times, April 24, 2012

Are there simple answers to education challenges?
The Standard-Times, April 5, 2012

How to Break Free of Our 19th-Century Factory-Model Education System (Joel Rose) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

How to Break Free of Our 19th-Century Factory-Model Education System (Joel Rose) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice:

How to Break Free of Our 19th-Century Factory-Model Education System (Joel Rose)

by larrycuban

Joel Rose is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of New Classrooms Innovation Partners. This appeared May 9, 2012 in The Atlantic Online.
More than 150 years ago, Massachusetts became the first state to provide all of its citizens access to a free public education. Over the next 66 years, every other state made the same guarantee. The result was a publicly-funded system where, in every American classroom, groups of about 28 students of roughly the same age are taught by one teacher, usually in an 800 square-foot room. This model has been the dominant archetype ever since.

It’s a factory-model classroom. Inspired in part by the approach Horace Mann saw in Prussia in 1843, it seemed to adequately prepare American youth for the 20th century industrialized economy. But in 1983, the federal government declared in A Nation At Risk that our system was starting to slide.
The year 1983 was also seminal for the technology industry. Microsoft released MS Word and Apple introduced

Collective bargaining works. If both sides want it to. Let the Mayor know we want it to work. « Fred Klonsky

Collective bargaining works. If both sides want it to. Let the Mayor know we want it to work. « Fred Klonsky:

Collective bargaining works. If both sides want it to. Let the Mayor know we want it to work.

by Fred Klonsky

The process of bargaining a contract has mutually agreed upon rules. The process is also is governed by labor laws.
From my experience over twenty years of engaging in the process, I can say that it works.
If both sides want it to.
Everyone expects that both sides will

Is This Any Way to Improve the Teaching Profession? « Diane Ravitch's blog

Is This Any Way to Improve the Teaching Profession? « Diane Ravitch's blog:

Is This Any Way to Improve the Teaching Profession?

by dianerav

This is President Obama’s vision for reshaping the teaching profession. I certainly agree with the idea that entry into teacher education programs should be selective and rigorous, but almost everything else about the program is odious.
The administration proposes a competitive grant program that would do the following [my comments are in brackets]:
The proposed grant program calls for states and districts to undertake a comprehensive set of five reforms including:

Reforming colleges of education and making these schools more selective [good idea, but today the

Schools Matter: Wake County Votes to Restore School Diversity Plan

Schools Matter: Wake County Votes to Restore School Diversity Plan:

Wake County Votes to Restore School Diversity Plan

by Jim Horn

BY THOMAS GOLDSMITH AND T. KEUNG HUI, TGOLDSMITH@NEWSOBSERVER.COM

CARY - In a partisan battle that raged into the early hours of Wednesday morning, members of the Wake County school board’s Democratic majority passed a motion calling for a return to a diversity-based student assignment plan for the 2013-14 school year.The vote, which came shortly before 1 a.m., directs staff to come up with a revised student assignment plan that goes back to tying each address to a specific school. The motion says that the new plan should promote student achievement, proximity and stability, including saying targets should be set for academics and socioeconomics at schools.

“We’re going to have a plan going forward that’s good for Wake County,” said school board member Jim Martin, one of

Point to PS 241/STEM Institute as evidence that charter schools are gobbling up public schools' space - NY Daily News

Point to PS 241/STEM Institute as evidence that charter schools are gobbling up public schools' space - NY Daily News:

Point to PS 241/STEM Institute as evidence that charter schools are gobbling up public schools' space

Parents, teachers teaming with community organizers to amplify complaints

Comments (5)

BY CASEY QUINLAN / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

CASEY QUINLAN FOR NEW YORK DAILY

Parents and educators protest in June to express their disapproval for the colocation of P.S. 241 and a charter school, Harlem Success Academy 4. The parents say the allocation of resources between the public and charter schools is grossly inequitable and unfair, illustrating the overall problems inherent to colocation.

Walk through Public School 241 and you’ll find contrasting spaces; one bathroom is gray and dingy, with urinals that overflow. The other is newly renovated and modern; adorned with bright blue tiles.

Differences such as these illustrate the inequities of public and charter school resources, say outraged teachers and parents, particularly when the two share space in the same building.

The anger over this forced marriage of charter and public schools — called co-location — stems from what they say is a decided disparity of space.

At PS 241/STEM Institute on W. 113th St., a classroom built to hold 10 students holds 20, while the charter school co-located in the building, Harlem Success Academy 4, has freshly-painted rooms and dedicated spaces for extracurricular activities.

The outcry over past co-locations has encouraged parents and

educarenow | Educare- Latin, "To draw out that which lies within." Now- the only time we have.

educarenow | Educare- Latin, "To draw out that which lies within." Now- the only time we have.:

Be Human in This Most Inhuman of Ages

Posted on July 16, 2012 | 1 Comment

All schools have an explicit curriculum, one that is intentionally taught and measured in some way. They also have a “hidden curriculum,” the curriculum through which students learn about things like the power structure of the school, who matters and who doesn’t, values, etc. Sometimes this hidden curriculum is addressed explicitly and consciously by schools and teachers, usually it is not. As schools move towards more standardization, more testing and more measuring, students are learning, via the hidden curriculum, that the power to make decisions lies with others; that is, choices about what is studied, how this is

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