Tuesday, March 30, 2010

This Week In Education Thompson: The NAEP-NCLB Proficiency Mess

Thompson: The NAEP-NCLB Proficiency Mess

Mark Schneider, of the American Institutes of Research, tells us that the correlation between NCLB test scores and NAEP scores is .20 which is statistically insignificant.

Schneider cites NAEP scores from the TUDA where students in 18 districts were 67% proficient across state assessments but where only 24% were proficient under NAEP. That is consistent with my state's pattern with 8th grade reading scores. While Oklahoma's AYP for black middle school students has increased by 22% over three years, longterm NAEP reading scores have declined by 4 points.Other places are even worse. Schneider describes the 70 point gap between state and NAEP scores in Baltimore and Detroit, and characterizes NCLB testing as a "mess," a product of its generous exclusion rate among

Feds are checking books from Math, Civics charter school | Philadelphia Daily News | 03/30/2010

Feds are checking books from Math, Civics charter school

By KITTY CAPARELLA
Philadelphia Daily News

caparek@phillynews.com 215-854-5880

The financial records of a highly regarded Philadelphia charter school launched in 1999 by a well-known local education activist have been subpoenaed by federal authorities, according to its founder.

A federal grand jury subpoenaed five years of financial records from the Mathematics, Civics and Sciences Charter School in Center City last week, Veronica Joyner said yesterday.

"We have done nothing wrong," said Joyner, a former teacher who founded the school, at Broad and Buttonwood streets.

"We are not accused of anything," she added. "They explained to us that there is no wrongdoing. They just want to look at the records."

Agents are "looking at a number of charter schools, they told our attorneys," said Joyner, also founder of the advocacy group Parents United for Better Schools.

On March 22, a federal agent delivered the subpoena to the school's certified public accountant, Rhonda Sharif, according to a source familiar with the investigation.

The school's attorney, Matthew H. Haverstick, could not be reached for comment.

It was not immediately clear whether and how the federal subpoena is related to reports last year of a wide-ranging federal investigation into both financial irregularities and possible conflicts of interest at as many as five charter schools in Philadelphia.

Last summer, the Daily News reported that federal agents retrieved records from the Community

"A Great Battle Pitting the Interests of the Banks and Financial Institutions Against the Interests of Students" | The White House

"A Great Battle Pitting the Interests of the Banks and Financial Institutions Against the Interests of Students"

Posted by Jesse Lee on March 30, 2010 at 01:23 PM EDT

Today at Northern Virginia Community College, President Obama signed the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, the last step on health reform that provided fixes for some elements and which improved upon the core health reforms by increasing tax credits for the middle class, investing in community health centers, and strengthening efforts to fight waste and fraud.

But the legislation also include another major priority of the President's that was often overshadowed by the health reform debate, as he explained: "But what’s gotten overlooked amid all the hoopla, all the drama of last week, is what happened in education -- when a great battle pitting the interests of the banks and financial institutions against the interests of students finally came to an end." The President was referring to reform of student loans to make higher education more affordable, allowing students to get loans without relying on large banks as unnecessary middlemen, and saving American taxpayers $68 billion in the coming years.

Members of Audience During Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010

Members of the audience applaud as President Barack Obama delivers remarks before signing the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 at Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria, Virginia, March 30, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The President explained that the government will reinvest the savings back into education by upgrading community colleges, increasing Pell Grants, and making it easier for responsible students to pay off their loans. Brian Levine from the Middle Class Task Force explains how the Income Based Repayment program will benefit students and help borrowers avoid unmanageable debt burdens here. The Act will also invest savings in Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions.

Joined by Dr. Jill Biden, who spoke on the boost for community colleges in a video here earlier today, thePresident explained that this law takes another important step to invest in the country's future through education:

For a long time, our student loan system has worked for banks and financial institutions. Today, we’re finally making our student loan system work for students and our families. But we’re also doing something more.
From the moment I was sworn into office, I’ve spoken about the urgent need for us to lay a new foundation for our economy and for our future. And two pillars of that foundation are health care and education, and each has long suffered from problems that we chose to kick down the road.
With the bill I signed last week, we finally undertook meaningful reform of our health care system. With this bill, and other steps we’ve pursued over the last year, we are finally undertaking meaningful reform in our higher education system. So this week, we can rightly say the foundation on which America’s future will be built is stronger than it was one year ago.

Signing the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010

President Barack Obama signs the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 at Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria, Virginia, March 30, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

This Week In Education Events: Yale Conference Takeaways It already seems like it happened months ago but here are some takeaways from the Yale edu

This Week In Education

Events: Yale Conference Takeaways

It already seems like it happened months ago but here are some takeaways from the Yale education conference that I and many others used to distract ourselves through a cold Friday in New Haven: Great to see Charlie Barone there and to hear Brad Jupp talk. Two good, experienced, guys who speak candidly and know what they're talking about - both should be on more panels. Surprising enthusiasm and excitement re RTTT. It was in part a pep rally for (as well as a job recruiting fair for young smartypants who looked like George Clooney's sidekick in Up In The Air. As if D. Ravitch and Blueprint struggles didn't exist. Wow Schnur name drops / talks about himself a lot (said something about writing a book, too?). Two hashtags for one conference? Fail. Hashtags should be

With AB 2492, Ammiano Closes A $3.5 Billion Commercial Property Tax Loophole | California Progress Report

With AB 2492, Ammiano Closes A $3.5 Billion Commercial Property Tax Loophole

Posted on 29 March 2010

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By Dan Aiello
California Progress Report

The idea of a revision to the state’s property tax law - established with passage of Proposition 13 - is not new to Sacramento. It was born, say revision proponents, with the post-Prop 13 realization that what defines a commercial property sale would not be the same as what defines a residential property sale. This legal definition created a corporate tax loophole unintended by the overwhelming number of California voters who supported the initiative.

The idea has been championed by former Senators Quentin Kopp (I-SF) and Martha Escutia (D-LA) over the course of a decade, and more recently sponsored by the California Teacher’s Association desperate to turn around the state’s lagging national ranking in per-student spending ratios. In 2010, Assembly member Tom Ammiano (D-SF) is the new standard bearer for revising the state’s property tax code – which would require voter approval – as he introduces AB 2492, a ‘homeowner-exempt’ split roll revision intended to “close the loophole” created for commercial property owners with the passage of Prop 13.

“We used to have a parity,” between residential and commercial property taxes, Assembly member Ammiano told California Progress Report. “But now, I think we need this reform.”

Ammiano contends that, while he understands that California voters still overwhelmingly supports Prop 13, he believes most voters do not realize that the legal definitions of what constitutes a property sale following passage of the initiative

Education Week American Education News Site of Record

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Local Buy-In Helps Two States Win Race to Top

District and teachers’ union support, and strong data systems, were keys to victory for Delaware and Tennessee in the contest’s first round.

• State EdWatch: How Key Were Race to Top's Live Performances?

• Complete coverage: Schools and the Stimulus

(March 29, 2010) | Comments (2)

Study: High School Choices Elude Phila. Students

A new report shows that many middle school students do not end up attending their top-choice high schools. (March 30, 2010)

Stimulus Aid Yanks States' Spending Leash

Badly needed federal cash requires states to maintain education funding at levels that may be tough to meet. (March 29, 2010) | Comments (1)

Making Higher Education More Affordable | The White House

The White House Blog

Making Higher Education More Affordable

Posted by Kalpen Modi on March 30, 2010 at 12:00 PM EDT

The President believes that for America to compete in the 21st century, we’ll need a highly educated workforce that is second to none. But one of the things holding us back from this achievement is soaring tuition costs at colleges and universities around the country. Too many students and families struggle to make ends meet just to fulfill the dream of a college education. And when students are unable to afford access to higher education or graduate with a degree, our economy suffers.

That’s why President Obama signed today a historic piece of legislation that delivers real reforms and critical investments to our higher education system. By strengthening the Pell Grant program, investing in community colleges, extending support for Historically Black Colleges and other Minority Serving Institutions, and helping student borrowers manage their student loan debt, we will make college more affordable and enable more Americans to earn a college degree.

Lifelong educators like Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, know how important these reforms will be to our higher education system.

This legislation means $40 billion more dollars in the Pell Grant program to ensure that eligible students receive an award, and that awards increase to keep pace with rising tuition. And a $2 billion investment over four years for community colleges to develop, improve, and provide education and career training programs. Students will be able to choose to limit their student loan payments to 10% of their income, with any remaining balance forgiven after 20 years. And public service workers can have their loans forgiven after 10 years.

Because special interests have been benefiting from taxpayer subsidies for too long, we’re cutting out the middlemen by ending government subsidies currently given to banks and other financial institutions that make guaranteed federal student loans. According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, ending these wasteful subsidies will free up nearly $68 billion for college affordability and deficit reduction over the next 11 years. So these investments are not only paid for, but they’ll reduce the deficit in the long run.

Because of the legislation enacted today, we’re finally undertaking meaningful reform to our education system and making college more affordable and accessible.

For more information on these federal student aid programs, please go to www.studentaid.ed.gov, or call 1-800-4FED-AID.”

Kalpen Modi is an Associate Director for the Office of Public Engagement