Tuesday, March 23, 2010

The Old College Lie � The Quick and the Ed

Over the weekend the Dallas Morning News ran a well-reported but gut-wrenching story about high school graduates unprepared for college-level work:

Nelda Contreras stood at the whiteboard and wrote: I like bananas and apples.
“Does this sentence need a comma?” she asked her students.
No, they said.
Next, she wrote: I like bananas apples and grapes.

The Educated Reporter: College remediation and third-grade testing: yes, it’s related.

College remediation and third-grade testing: yes, it’s related.

I should start by saying I have no problem with the idea of testing students and holding people accountable. Sad that I have to assert this, but when you critique anything about standards and accountability in practice you are presumed by some to prefer the status quo, think all children can’t learn, hate minority children, be a moron or something else. But theory and practice are two different things, so let me start.

When my book Tested came out in 2007, I showed how one high-poverty school—like many others I had visited over the years—had narrowed its teaching to specifically what would be on the state test, and what that meant for children. It was often not pretty, even though this school was held up in the media as a success story as its scores climbed. Many critics came back with some form of “Of course they should teach what’s on the test” or “It must be better than what came before.”

I wish these people had seen what I saw: how poorly that test measured these children’s

Thompson: Good Intentions Vs. Good Results This Week In Education

This Week In Education

Thompson: Good Intentions Vs. Good Results

All historians, not just public school educators, should reflect upon The Death and Life of the Great American School System.

The past could become prologue for the Obama administration if it does not learn from Diane Ravitch’s masterpiece.

"It's as if a bunch of do-gooders sat together at the NewSchools

NCLB: A 72 Percent Funding Increase

Speaking of funding: You and your ilk may all think you hate NCLB but don't forget that it was appealing enough to lawmakers that Congress increased Title I funding by 72 percent over seven

Quote: Sometimes People Mean What They Say

"Sometimes people support or don't support things for the reasons that they say, and not simply for the sake of saying something to a camera."

- Gawker critique of "repulsive," "cynical" coverage of health care reform holdouts by POLITICO.

Health-Care Reform: Implications for Teachers, ESEA - Teacher Beat - Education Week

Health-Care Reform: Implications for Teachers, ESEA

by Stephen Sawchuk

So what, you ask, are the implications of the health-care reform bill for education?
Well, the main one is that as part of the way to lower the bill's overall costs, high-cost health insurance plans, sometimes called "cadillac" or "gold plated" plans, will be subject to an "excise tax." Many unionized employees, including teachers, have over the years traded higher compensation for better benefits, so this provision stands to affect probably a good number of them.
The teachers' unions, along with organized labor on the whole, lobbied hard to get rid of this provision. They didn't manage to accomplish that goal, but they did win a few major changes.
For one, the excise tax won't kick in until 2018, rather than the 2013 date which was in the Senate's version of the health bill. The income thresholds that would qualify a health plan as a "cadillac" plan are higher than under the Senate bill, and will be aligned to inflation over time. And finally, there will be a mechanism that makes adjustments to the thresholds based on the age and the gender of the group insurance pool. Here's a graphicfrom the Washington Post that explains some of the changes.

Education Research Report: lternative Schools and Programs for Public School Students At Risk of Educational Failure: 2007-08

Education Research Report: Alternative Schools and Programs for Public School Students At Risk of Educational Failure: 2007-08

Alternative Schools and Programs for Public School Students At Risk of Educational Failure: 2007-08

by Jonathan Kantrowitz

*
This First Look report presents data from a recent district Fast Response Survey System (FRSS) survey about alternative schools and programs available to students during the 2007-08 school year. Alternative schools and programs are specifically designed to address the educational needs of students at risk of school failure in a setting apart from that of the regular public school. They can be administered by the district or an entity other than the district. The study includes information on the availability and number of alternative schools and programs, the number of students enrolled in alternative schools and program, and district policy on returning students to a regular school. Findings include:

* In the 2007–08 school year, 64 percent of districts reported having at least one alternative school or program for at-risk students that was administered either by the district or by another entity. Forty percent of districts

Designing a Data-Friendly Environment for Teachers - Teacher Beat - Education Week

« Audience Debate Puts Unions in Spotlight | Main | Health-Care Reform: Implications for Teachers, ESEA »

Designing a Data-Friendly Environment for Teachers

By Stephen Sawchuk on March 23, 2010 10:16 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Newark, N.J., is moving ahead to try to get information on student performance into teachers' hands in a nonthreatening way. And it's got a partner in the American Federation of Teachers.

That's according to a release from the district, where schools are creating a data "urgent care" room in each school. In these rooms, the student data will be displayed prominently, and teachers can meet there to review and use them to plan how they'll shape upcoming lessons.

Notes from the news, Mar. 23 | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Notes from the news, Mar. 23

by Erika Owens

West changed my life The Notebook blog
A guest blog post from West junior Dante Boyd. West finds out Friday if it is a Renaissance School.
Rendell's budget set for House approval The Inquirer
The budget includes a $335 million increase in basic education funding.
More on School Advisory Councils The Notebook blog
The District released the names of all of the School Advisory Councils' members. The Notebook created a new place to chat about the whole process - our Renaissance Schools forum.
Imani School wins national award Daily News
Imani Education Circle Charter School won the award for boosting its students' achievement.
For the love of kids and science Temple University Communications
A look at the man behind the George Washington Carver Science Fair.
edcamp Philly 2010 Philly Teacher blog
Barcamp-style event is coming to the Philly ed world May 22.
Alternative Admissions and Magnet Schools A Very Public Education blog
Fattah Applauds Landmark Advances for Education PR Newswire
Please email us if we missed anything today or if you have any suggestions of publications, email lists, or other places for us to check for news.
Click here to get Notes from the news in your inbox every day.
Notes from the news
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“Learning English Through Science” | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

Welcome!

Thanks for dropping pastmy Blog!

I'm Larry Ferlazzo and here you will catch me talking about websites that will help you teach ELL, ESL and EFL!

Larry Ferlazzo

“Learning English Through Science”

Posted at 6:43 am under science, teacher resources

I’m a big fan of using science as a way for students to learn English. You can see some pictures of my students doing just that here, and read about a few examples in my upcoming book, English Language Learners: Teaching Strategies That Work.

A Look Back…
Filed under a look back
Each month, I publish a feature where I “look back” at posts I’ve made one, two and three years ago (at about this time). I share ones that I think people might still find useful.

“How The Average American Spends Their Day”
Filed under social studies
How The Average American Spends Their Day is a series of infographics showing how the average man, woman, and teenager spends their days.
It’s a simplifed version of the infographic that I named as the best of

From the Vault: September 12, 1997 | Intercepts

From the Vault: September 12, 1997

The following is the EIA Communiqué for September 12, 1997:

+ The staff unions for both the Lousiana Association of Educators (LAE) and the Ohio Education Association (OEA) have been on strike since Labor Day against their teacher union bosses. Picketers marched in front of the OEA building in Columbus carrying signs that read “A Labor Union on Strike Against a Labor Union on Labor Day.” The gyrations of these stories are hard to follow, so bear with me.The Columbus Education Association is involved in a bitter contract negotiation with the Columbus School District. So OEA UniServ consultant Rick Logan has agreed to continue to assist the Columbus EA. But by doing so, he is “scabbing” the Ohio Professional Staff Union to which he belongs (probably with its consent). Meanwhile, secretaries at the Columbus EA have joined the picket line, prompting the Columbus EA to ask members for “your patience as we utilize temporary help.”

Apparently OEA presented a contract with 40 “take backs” to the staff union. The staff union also alleges that OEA “walked away from the table” after presenting this offer. OEA President Mike Billirakis has reportedly been quoted as saying he is willing to lose 30,000 members, if necessary, before he gives in. In OEA’s defense, the averag

This Week In Education

USDE: Duncan Kept VIP List For Magnet Admissions

Talk about tight and loose. While Arne Duncan's successor tries to sort out Chicago's highly compromised, clout-riddled magnet schools admissions process and come up with a system that is sturdier and more transparent, the Tribune now reveals that the Duncan team kept a 40-page list of VIPs including Desiree Rogers and 25 city councilmen who attempted to intercede to get children who had been rejected or hadn't even applied into popular schools. The calls and letters didn't always work, everyone is careful to note, and Duncan's Peter Cunningham describes the list as an effort to centralize

News: Appropriators Push Back Against Funding Proposals

Congressional Pushback on Race to the Top, Competitive Grants Alyson KleinPK12: Last week, lawmakers began to turn up the pushback on the department's budget proposal, including an extension for the $4 billion Race to the Top program for another year. Duncan’s whirlwind tour of DenverNancy Mitchell Ed News CO: The education secretary comes to hear tales of collaboration from Douglas County, Denver and the Eastern Plains - and raises hopes for R2T. Miss. officials defend canceling prom after same-sex date request AP: School officials who canceled a prom after a lesbian student asked to bring her girlfriend told a federal judge yesterday that there were issues with the event even before that. NH teacher in nude pics case waives arraignment AP: A New Hampshire high school English teacher charged with e-mailing nude photos of herself to a 15-year-old male student has decided to waive her arraignment.

Update: Latest News, Links, & Tidbits

Tidbits and links often show up on Twitter before they make it to the blogosphere. So you should take a peek at my Twitter updates here if you want to know what's going on behind the scenes. Or ignore this and keep reading.

Final Thoughts: Smarter Data Systems Series � The Quick and the Ed

Final Thoughts: Smarter Data Systems Series

A few concluding thoughts on the excellent posts from the Smarter Data Systems series guest bloggers:

Laurence Holt is spot-on in his call for a clear theory of action for data systems and the use of data. We need to get serious about drawing the through line for how all that data actually impacts teaching and learning. Posts fromVincent Cho and Norton Gusky can inform theories about classroom teacher use.
New York City was prominently featured in posts by both Heather Weiss and Arthur VanderVeen. But among the thousands of school districts, few have the resources to create and implement sophisticated, ARIS-like systems. Lori Fey’s description of the Texas Student Data System provides a glimpse of the emerging state role in extending flexible data platforms to local districts.
Ben Boer is right: Our country is about to invest $350 million to improve assessments–we better make sure to structure our data systems and conception of data use to visualize and support actionable information from the torrent of new

CSU’s new tack to cut remediation The Educated Guess

The Educated Guess

CSU’s new tack to cut remediation

Posted in UC and CSU

After a decade of notable work – but little success – in lowering the numbers of students who arrive on campus not ready for college work, the California State University system is turning up the pressure on students, its own campuses and indirectly on high schools to do better.
Starting in 2012, academically unprepared freshmen must take remediation courses in math or English before they arrive on campus. That could take the form of an online course, an intensive summer bridge session at a CSU campus or a CSU-designed English writing course during students’ senior year in high school. CSU trustees voted last week to let the 23 campuses create their own “Early Start” strategies.
(Read more and comment on this post)

By John Fensterwald on March 23rd, 2010

Deputy Supt. Rick Miller departs

Posted in Race to the Top

Rick Miller, deputy superintendent for the Department of Education and an architect of the state’s Race to the Top application, is leaving his post at the end of the week. His departure creates a void, as the state is regrouping in anticipation of applying for the second round of President Obama’s $4.3 billion reform competition.
Miller will join two consultancy firms, as a senior partner with California Education Partners and as a partner with Sacramento-based Capitol Impact LLC. One of the principals is Christopher Cabaldon, mayor of West Sacramento and former CEO of EdVoice.
(Read more and comment on this post)

By John Fensterwald on March 23rd, 2010

Intense talks on furloughs, give-backs

Tags: furloughs, San Jose Unified, Stephen McMahon
Posted in State Budget, pay

The fate of the 23,000-plus teachers statewide who got pink slips by March 15 will be determined not only in Sacramento but also behind closed doors in each local school district office.
Pay cuts, give-backs and furlough days are quietly being negotiated between teachers and administrators in nearly district. California Watch reported that nearly half of the state’s 30 largest school districts are considering shortening the school year, including Los Angeles Unified. Superintendent Ramon Cortines is pushing teachers to accept a five-day furlough.
The Education Coalition – the state school boards association, the California Teachers Assn. and the state school administrators association – isn’t saying much about that at this point. After absorbing $16 billion in education cuts over the past two years, the coalition wants to keep pressure on the Legislature to restore some of the $2 billion in additional budget cuts that Gov. Schwarzenegger has proposed for next year.
(Read more and comment on this post)

Education - Everything you need to know about the world of education.

Education- Everything you need to know about the world of education.

Rhee grilled on Hardy M.S. decisions

D.C. Council demands answers on why Rhee is moving long-time principal

MORE ON EDUCATION

D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee (Photo by Benjamin J. Myers).

VALERIE STRAUSS

The Answer Sheet

A School Survival Guide for Parents (And Everyone Else)

Posted at 6:30 AM ET, 03/23/2010

Ravitch's NCLB book an unexpected best seller

Education policy books aren't usually best sellers, but Diane Ravitch's new "The Death and Life of the Great American School System," has become so popular that many bookstores are sold out.

Continue reading this post »

JAY MATHEWS

Class Struggle

What's Right and Wrong With Our Schools

Posted at 5:30 AM ET, 03/23/2010

Could schools cure our uncivil discourse?

"What has happened to the teaching of critical skills, decision-making based on weighing alternative policies or courses of action, and respect for those who hold differing opinions on local and national issues?"

Continue reading this post »

Katherine Bradley funding Dunn deal

The private funds that DCPS officials said would be used to hire former Obama White House communications director Anita Dunn will come from philanthropist Katherine Bradley, Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee told the D.C. Council Monday. Bradley is donating $100,000 through the D.C. Public Education Fund, the non-profit set up by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty to handle private contributions to school reform.

The Post reported Friday that Rhee had reached out to Dunn, one of the Washington's most accomplished Democratic media consultants, to help tell the school reform story more effectively. Rhee said that she and Dunn first spoke about a year ago, and that after she left her White House post in November, she and her firm, Squier Knapp Dunn, began advising DCPS on a pro bono basis.

"We've had a lot of challenges as it relates to our communications," Rhee said, adding that positive developments in the school system don't receive the attention they deserve. "We can't always rely on the media

Ed Buzz: The Region

McDonnell signs college lab school legislation (Richmond Times Dispatch)
Schools reduce police presence (The Examiner)
Montgomery College, schools brace for cuts (The Gazette)
P.G. County PTA reinstated (The Gazette)
Md. GOP: Don't raise dropout age (The Gazette)
Birth-control center finds home at T.C. Williams (Alexandria Gazette Packet)
Fairfax teacher quits over embezzlement charges (Examiner)
MoCo teachers say they are overwhelmed (Gazette)
Alex. considers new school boundaries(Examiner)
PG parents fear impact of school cuts(WJLA)
Md. lawmakers favor ed cuts (Baltimore Sun)

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