Afternoon announcements: October 31, 2012

Sandy has wreaked her havoc, the federal government is back up and running, and we’re back with our daily roundup of #ednews. How’d you fare during Sandy? Share your stories with us in the comments.

Blended learning gets a push from last week’s Virtual School Symposium. The subject took precedent during the symposium, as the topic of many keynote speeches, presentations and more. Ed Week

The US Department of Education has officially extended the Race to the Top – District application deadline due to Hurricane Sandy. A new submission deadline is to be announced. US Department of Education

Students in the district are headed back to school today after two days off. Their parents were, understandably, ready and excited. Washington Post

The number of homeless students in Tennessee has risen by 74 percent from 2007-2010. The national average is 38 percent. Ed Week

One opinion writer advocates for extending the use of online teaching in college campuses. He argues it will lower student and college costs while still providing quality education. Wall Street Journal

A superintendent responds to Thomas Friedman’s recent New York Times opinion column, in which Friedman expressed support for Race to the Top. The responder disagrees, arguing that “Race to the Top is hardly innovative…” Washington Post

Happy Halloween! 

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ACT Report Reveals Troubling Labor Outcomes from Achievement Trends

Despite having once been the global leader in education, the performance of American students in K–12 schools has lagged behind their international peers for well over a decade. Further, the nation’s education system is being challenged by a technology-driven global economy that requires a skilled and highly literate workforce.

This new global economy requires that students acquire deeper leaning skills, including the ability to think critically and solve complex problems; communicate effectively; be self-directed and able to appropriately incorporate feedback; and know and master core academic content. Providing all students with deeper leaning skills that prepare them for college and a career is critical for these students’ futures and our nation’s economy, and yet too many students are currently underserved and, consequently, dropping out of high school or college. A recent ACT report titled Implications of Educational Trends for Labor Market Outcomes makes a compelling contribution to the case for substantially increasing efforts to reach students at risk of dropping out.

ACT’s report reveals an unfortunate finding: significant gaps continue to exist in the rates of educational attainment among students of different ethnicities. For example, within a cohort of 2009 high school graduates examined for the study, 82 percent of white students received a high school diploma while fewer black (64 percent) and Hispanic (66 percent) students walked across the stage during commencement. Even more stark was the finding that only 52 percent of white students in this same cohort went on to earn either an associate’s or bachelor’s degree; for the black and Hispanic students, these figures were just 21 and 16 percent, respectively. The data is clear: most students of color are not receiving a twenty-first-century education and of those who are, only a handful matriculate into postsecondary education. Read Entire Post

Morning announcements: October 26, 2012

TGIF! Here in the mid-Atlantic, we’re all bracing ourselves for Hurricane Sandy, otherwise known as Frankenstorm. This weekend went from an expected 70 degrees and sunny to unpredictable storms. We’re hoping for the best so we can get out and enjoy this Halloween, fall weekend. What are your plans for the weekend?

Around 6,000 middle- and high-school students are participating in PelPal News, an exchange program that allows the students to connect with each other to discuss election-related issues with their peers around the country. Edutopia

A new report finds that since 1950, public school enrollment is up 96 percent. Teacher employment has increased 252 percent. And incredibly, non-teaching staff employment has gone up 702 percent. Ed Choice

Teachers may have a bigger stake in the outcome of the upcoming presidential election than you might think. Teachers have traditionally backed Democrats, and this election season isn’t different: both the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers have endorsed Obama. But there may be more to the story. Washington Post

Are NCLB waivers a band-aid, instead of a real fix? One opinion writer believes that closing the achievement gap is going to require more than quick fixes; the federal education policy system needs a complete overhaul. Huffington Post

In Idaho, schools and teachers are reacting to the $180 million laptop contract the state has signed with Hewlett-Packard in an effort to provide every student with a computer. Some teachers may believe it’s not necessary – saying students already bring their own mobile devices. Huffington Post
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Morning announcements: October 25, 2012

DC school enrollment has long been on the decline, but that trend is finally changing. This fall, the number of students enrolled in public and public charter schools rose more than five percent. The majority of the gain is in charter schools. Washington Post

Several states are looking to provide public school students with computers to increase learning. Both Idaho and Hawaii are currently trying to secure funding. Ventura County Star & Idaho Statesman

With the election quickly approaching, there’s not much more time to convince undecided voters of why to vote and for whom to vote. The federal government has an increasing amount of influence in education policy. Here’s where the candidates stand on education and why the topic matters in this election. Huffington Post

If Obama wins a second term, what will his administration look like on education policy in the next four years? Yesterday, his campaign announced next steps for education, including cutting college tuition, strengthening public schools, expanding No Child Left Behind (NCLB) waivers and more. Politics K-12

Do you often ask Siri for directions or to schedule meetings and social commitments for you? Have you integrated the iPhone’s feature into your daily life? Siri’s benefits may extend beyond personal use… into the classroom! One teacher shares the benefits of utilizing Siri in the classroom. Power Learning Practice Network

One way to increase students’ writing skills would be to encourage one-on-one teacher-student editing sessions. It would be time consuming, but the rewards may be worth it. Washington Post
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Federal student financial aid: Success requires more than just access

In the coming weeks, you’ll notice more activity from the Alliance around the need to examine the way the federal government designs and delivers federal student financial aid. Why? Because the Alliance is deeply committed to ensuring success for all students, in high school and beyond.

We know that for many Americans, completing some form of postsecondary program or technical training is critical to achieving the American Dream. That’s why the Alliance works hard to transform high schools and make it possible for every child to graduate prepared for success in college. 

We also recognize that even for those high school graduates who are well-prepared for college, barriers still exist that could keep them from fully realizing their dream - the greatest of which is cost.

The good news is that the federal student aid system is designed to provide various forms of assistance to college-goers and their families.

The bad news is that the system is large and extremely complicated. It includes various grants, loans, campus-based programs, and tax benefits. The system has also grown to focus exclusively on student access, while doing little to ensure that students actually complete their programs. While we believe access is a necessary goal, it does not sufficiently serve individual students, their communities, or the country.

Focusing exclusively on access often results in once-hopeful college-goers leaving without a degree and being saddled with debt. It doesn’t have to be this way.

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Morning announcements: October 24, 2012

A new report, scheduled to be released today, finds that women graduates earn less than their male peers just one year out of college. The research looked at the graduating class of 2007-8. Women earned an average of 82 percent of what the men made. The average woman earned $35,296 compared to the average man making $42,918. Washington Post

There’s good news this morning out of Virginia, where on-time high school graduation rates have risen to 88 percent. IT’s an increase of more than one percentage point from the previous year’s class. It has risen more than 7 percent since Virginia first reported graduation rates in 2008. Ed Week

I love good news, so I’ll keep it coming! Miami-Dade’s school district won the Broad Prize for Urban Education for its huge leaps in closing achievement gaps for black and Hispanic students, along with raising academic standards. The award will give “more than a half-million dollars in scholarships to Miami-Dade students graduating in 2013 who demonstrate need and show academic improvement.” Miami-Herald

D.C. is utilizing a digital learning program called, “Teach to One,” to increase learning in lowest-performing middle schools. The program utilizes a computer algorithm that assists students in knowing what they need to learn and do every day. “If it works like we think it will, it’ll be a game-changer,” said D.C. schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson. Washington Post

Online education is for more than adults seeking a college education; virtual instruction for K-12 is on the rise. During the last school year – 2011-2012, nearly 620,000 enrolled in online courses. There are also an increasing number of states and school districts requiring students to take online courses to graduate high school. US News & World Report  Read Entire Post

Afternoon announcements: October 23, 2012

In the last debate, Obama raised education during a question on gun control. He brought it up in this debate, focused on foreign policy, in a conversation on how America can remain competitive in the global market. The jump doesn’t seem as wide as with gun control. Obama attacked Romney on teaching hiring. Huffington Post

It seems as though Obama does still have the teachers’ vote. A few teachers sound off on their thoughts on the president and what they like and dislike about his policies. Education Week

A new law in Ohio – the “Third Grade Reading Guarantee” – could hold as many as 10,000 students back. The state is reviewing this law in an attempt to raise their reading standards. Some lawmakers and teachers believe it’s a good idea. What do you think? Huffington Post

In Michigan, the new, tougher Merit curriculum standards may be lowering their high school graduation rate. Some students are unable to meet the more rigorous demands. Education Week

Thomas Friedman, of the New York Time’s opinion page, wonders why Obama isn’t utilizing two of what he sees as his most innovative programs in this campaign – Race to the Top and ‘Race to the Top’ in gas mileage. New York Times

Neither Obama nor Romney have released papers or position statements with specifics for their early education plans. How will they both handle education if they’re elected? Huffington Post
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Afternoon announcements: October 22, 2012

Wendy Kopp writes a convincing opinion piece on why education should be a topic in tonight's foreign policy presidential debate. She tells the story of Malala Yousafza, the 14 year old Pakistani girl attacked by the Taliban in her pursuit of education. Time  

Fairfax County’s population of homeless students is on the rise. They’re expected to rise above 2,500 by the end of this school year, school official’s have said. If that happens, it will mark a new record. Fairfax County is one of most affluent districts in the US. Reports say that the increase is likely due to the effects of the economic recession. Washington Post

US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recently gave remarks at the TIME higher education summit. You can read the full transcript at the Department of Education website. Education Department

Remember last week, we highlighted an opinion piece in The Atlantic on Advanced Placement? The author claims it’s a scam. Today, Jay Matthews, self-proclaimed as obsessed with AP, offers a rebuttal in the Washington Post. “He [John Tierney] seems unaware that AP classes and exams are designed by college professors to mimic their introductory courses, and that more than 5,000 college faculty have checked AP syllabi or graded AP exams to ensure it. Almost all colleges give credit or access to higher courses for good scores on AP exams.” Washington Post

A former Marine and current STEM teacher passionately sounds off on the current state of the teaching profession, saying, “I am a teacher. Let me teach.” Diane Ravitch’s blog

A 17-year old high school senior writes intelligently on the need for more project-based learning in the classroom. “Can creativity be taught?” She asks. “Absolutely. The real question is: ‘How do we teach it?’” MindShift

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