Everyone's Getting Straight A's: House Spending Plan Would Cut Education

It's time for another edition of Straight A's, the Alliance for Excellent Education's bi-weekly e-newsletter. You can read the entire issue online, pick from the article snippets below, or receive Straight A's in your inbox by emailing JAmos@all4ed.org. Here are the articles featured in this issue:

A spending plan being circulated by U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee Chairman Harold Rogers (R-KY) would cut funding for the Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education appropriations bill by about $35 billion, or 22 percent less than the current level, in favor of protecting spending for the military and homeland security. Working within an overall spending limit of $967 billion, Rogers chose to allocate a total of $625 billion for the Defense, Military Construction-Veterans Affairs, and Homeland Security appropriations bills, a cut of $4 billion or less than 1 percent from the current level. Getting Defensive

In a May 9 speech at Manor New Technology High School in Austin, Texas, President Obama called on Americans to rally around what he called the “single-greatest challenge” facing the nation—reigniting the “true engine of economic growth”—a rising, thriving middle class. He listed three things necessary to create more jobs and opportunity for the middle class: (1) making America a magnet for good jobs; (2) ensuring that hard-working people can achieve a decent living; and (3) helping people earn the education and develop the skills they need to succeed in good jobs. Obama Sees Deeper Learning in Action  

Originally signed into law more than a decade ago by President George W. Bush on January 8, 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) technically expired in 2007. On several occasions over the last few years, various attempts have been made by both political parties in Congress to rewrite the law, but they ultimately fell short. Since 2012, President Obama has granted waivers to thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia from some of NCLB’s requirements, including the one requiring that 100 percent of students be proficient in reading and math by 2014. Although Republicans and Democrats alike have expressed concerns about the waivers, they have been unable to pass legislation to replace them. ESEA in Play?

State education agencies (SEAs) must play a pivotal role in the implementation and performance of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS)—adopted by forty-six states and the District of Columbia—if states are to see gains in teacher effectiveness and student learning outcomes, a new policy report from the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the Aspen Institute finds. The report, Teaching to the Core: Integrating Implementation of Common Core and Teacher Effectiveness Policies, offers ten organization and functional recommendations to help state departments succeed in carrying out the new responsibilities necessary to see long-term improvements in teacher and student outcomes. Teaching to the Core

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Afternoon Announcements: State Education Spending Per-Pupil Lowest in Three Decades

When Arne Duncan testified this week before the House Education and the Workforce Committee on the President’s 2014 fiscal year budget, he received numerous questions on student loan interest rates that are set to rise this summer, No Child Left Behind Waivers, and the Common Core State Standards. Politics K-12

New census report data shows how much states are spending per pupil on education. New York spends the most per-student, and Utah spends the lease. Overall, states are spending less per-pupil than they were in previous years. Stateline

The Wall Street Journal covers the new census bureau data on per-pupil spending, as well, today. They note that spending on public-education fell in 2011 for the first time in more than three decades. Wall Street Journal

Why is the GOP opposing the Common Core State standards? One opinion writer claims that the state-level rebuke of the standards is unfounded and challenges leaders to rethink their views. Washington Post Read Entire Post

Afternoon Announcements: Alaska, Hawaii, West Virginia Granted NCLB Waivers

Virginia students will take end of the year standardized tests on a computer this year. The state is abandoning paper-and-pencil tests. It’s one of few states to make the switch, primarily because of cost concerns to upgrade computers and internet access. Washington Post

A new assessment from the Education Testing Service (ETS) seeks to measure non-academic variables that may determine college readiness. These include social behaviors such as class attendance, engaging with professors and content, and making eye contact. Inside Higher Ed

Stephen Colbert’s commencement address at the University of Virginia has been circulating the web this week for good reason: it’s funny and inspirational. Colbert begins by joking he would have given the speech for free, but by the middle, he offers solid advice. YouTube

The U.S. Department of Education has offered three more states waivers from federal accountability standards under the No Child Left Behind Act. Alaska, Hawaii, and West Virginia are the latest additions, and bring the total number of states with approved waivers to 37. Politics K-12 Read Entire Post

Afternoon Announcements: Steve Job's Widow Focuses Philanthropy on Education, Conservation

Steve Job’s widow has stepped into the philanthropic spotlight after helping a student become the first person in her family to graduate from college. Laurene Powell Jobs has long supported causes in private, but since the death of her husband, she has gone public with donations to causes that include education. New York Times

President Obama’s commencement speech at Morehouse College inspired more than a few tears as he implored graduates to “keep setting an example.” He reminded the students the importance of being responsible family men and helping those less privileged. New York Times

Digital video has transformed classroom instruction in a way that no other technology has. It has inspired the “flipped classroom” movement and increased the breadth and depth of knowledge for teachers and students. Education Week

A California school district utilizes digital curriculum to English-language learners in their pursuit of mastery. They have found, however, that there is a lack of curriculum in this area. Education Week Read Entire Post

Afternoon Announcements: Microsoft Donates $1 Million to Expand Blended Learning in DC

For the Common Core to succeed, it must overcome seven challenges, one noted education writer posits. No matter what, he says, states should move toward better instruction and more learning. Eduwonk

Microsoft has donated $1 million to help DC schools integrate and expand blended learning programs. Blended learning refers to the combination of online learning and traditional classroom instruction. The donation will expand the Education Innovation Fellowship, a DC-based program that “exposes teachers to the latest thinking in the field and then encourages them to adapt those ideas into their own classrooms.” Washington Post

If high school students began going through college and career counseling in the 9th grade, would it make a difference in college enrollment rates? A new report from the National Association for College Admission Counseling shows it would make a big difference in students’ likelihood of enrolling in college. Education Week

Digital learning has been touted as a means of improving equity in education for all students. One group in particular that may benefit from it is students with learning disabilities. One program in California is seeing an increased number of these students participate in college courses through the use of digital technology. Homeroom Read Entire Post

Afternoon Announcements: Students in Rural Alaska Fight to Keep School Open

Tom Vander Ark gives his take on why we need the Common Core State Standards and better tests in our nation’s schools. He calls both “a big step forward.”  Huffington Post

Four rural Alaskan schools were shut down this year, and a fifth was scheduled to follow suit. The students at the school rallied together, determined not to let another shutdown happen. They’ve pledged to contribute $18,000 to keep the school open, using funds primarily from ice cream sales at the student store. It doesn’t get more inspiring than this. Alaska Dispatch

Is Google Glass the future of education? Is it possible to imagine a future where students and teachers where the new Google glasses technology, using it to advance teaching and learning? The Kansas City Star

According to new state-by-state analysis of recent data on graduation rates for students with learning disabilities, states are struggling to reach the national graduation rate average of 68 percent for students in that category. Education Week Read Entire Post

Afternoon Announcements: STEM Education Could Get $100 in Additional Funds

Ninety-two percent of elementary, middle, and high school students surveyed in a recent study believe that digital technology is the direction education is moving and believe increased access to it would make learning more enjoyable. The Student Mobile Device Survey was conducted for learning company Pearson by Harris Interactive. Information Week

Sequestration cuts will impact how many students take national tests in social studies for 2014. The National Assessment Governing Board voted to postpone the 4th and 12th grade tests in civics, history, and geography, but the assessments will continue for 8th graders. Politics K-12

According to research by the Pew Hispanic Center, 7 in 10 Latino high school graduates in the class of 2012 went to college. That’s a record college enrollment rate for Latinos. The group surpassed white and black students but still lagged behind Asian-Americans. NPR

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to put additional resources toward science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (STEM) education. It could mean an additional $100 million annually for STEM. Politics K-12 Read Entire Post

Afternoon Announcements: AFTPresident Randi Weingarten Says Teachers Need Time with Common Core

“Although the two of us have disagreed about several school-reform issues, we strongly believe that the Common Core State Standards, voluntarily adopted by 45 states, is one of the most promising education initiatives of the past half century.” A powerful opinion piece from two scholars. Wall Street Journal

American Federal of Teachers President Randi Weingarten explains how she would teach the Common Core. First, she reiterated that teachers are supportive of the new standards but they need time and practice to get it right before they should be evaluated on teaching them. State Impact

The Buena Vista School District in Michigan succumbed to budgetary restraints and closed their schools for the year, even though the academic year shouldn’t end until the middle of June. Students will attend “skills camp.” Huffington Post

More than half of college graduates surveyed in a recent study said they would choose a different major or “do things differently if they had to do it all over again.” The study, conducted by the consulting firm McKinsey & Co. in conjunction with online student hub Chegg, involved more than 4,900 graduates. CNBC Read Entire Post

Afternoon Announcements: Common Core Standards Create a Level Playing Field

Education Secretary Arne Duncan sent a letter to Department of Education Staff with good news: there will be no furloughs due to sequestration cuts. He fears that furloughs would put delays on getting grants to school districts, states, and universities. Politics K-12

Student loan debt hurts more than the borrowers – it hurts the national economy. Students burdened with debt are spending less and delaying big purchases like homes and cars, slowing down growth, according to economists. New York Times

Claremont Middle School in Oakland, California has seen a significant reduction in suspensions – from 25 percent of students suspended to just 7 percent – in the last year. The success has been attributed to twin brothers who took over as co-principals last year. CBS News

Some Republicans have vocally opposed the Common Core State Standards as an intrusion on states rights. One scholar argues against this claim, saying the Standards create  a level playing field: “It is more important than ever that we create a level playing field to give students from all states equal opportunity to thrive in our technology-driven world in which formulas and equations play a crucial role.” Wall Street Journal Read Entire Post

President Obama Sees Deeper Learning in Action

On Thursday, May 9, President Obama went to Austin, Texas, to talk about jobs, skills, and opportunity. His first stop was a school: Manor New Tech High School. That was no accident. As the President put it, “Every day, this school is proving that every child has the potential to learn the real-world skills they need to succeed in college and beyond.”

He was right. Manor (pronounced May-nor) New Tech is part of the New Tech Network, a group of 115 schools in eighteen states that are designed to foster students’ abilities to understand core content and use their knowledge to think critically and solve problems, and to communicate effectively—the deeper learning competencies that are essential for their future. The school, like the others in the network, accomplishes this goal by integrating technology into every classroom and engaging students in a project-based approach that enables them to apply their learning to authentic situations.

President Obama mentioned some of these projects in his address: “A history teacher might get together with a science teacher to develop a project on the impact of castles in world history and the engineering behind building castles. Or a group of students might be in charge of putting together a multi-media presentation about moral dilemmas in literature as applied in World War II.” In addition, as the President noted, students take part in internships, which give them hands-on experiences in real work settings, and give as many as 200 speeches during their school career, which develops their communications skills. “I can relate,” Mr. Obama quipped. Read Entire Post