Afternoon Announcements: Arne Duncan Says Criticism Against Standardized Testing is "Merited"

Coursera, an online education platform, plans to offer massive open online courses (MOOCs) for teachers. The courses would aim to help teaches improve their technique and would have offerings from teaching experts and premier museums and universities. Washington Post

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said that there are serious flaws in standardized testing at a meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). He said that criticism about the tests is “merited.” Huffington Post

Arizona has implemented a national college-readiness program called Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) that teaches students strategies for taking notes, applying for scholarships, and how to study for college-entrance exams. The goal of the program is to narrow the college-readiness gap in the state. AZ Central

High school graduates in North Carolina will soon receive a seal on their diploma denoting whether they are ready for work or college as part of a new criteria the State Board of Education adopted this week. The three paths students can take to earn a seal are career, community college, and four-year university. Charlotte Observer Read Entire Post

Afternoon announcements: Will Nebraska adopt the Common Core?

El Verano Elementary School in California’s Sonoma Valley has partnered with the Exploratorium, a science museum in San Francisco, to help English Language Learners with their science and language skills. The students keep science journals that help them learn English, as well. Education Week

Each of the 16 Race to the Top winners are pursuing more “personalized learning” approaches in different ways. Many of the districts are using technology to create more student-centered learning approaches, while others are emphasizing teacher professional development. Education Week

Arizona voted on Tuesday to eliminate standardized tests from high school graduation requirements. The vote was split, and the bill now goes to Governor Jan Brewer. East Valley Tribune

Nebraska is one of the only states that have not adopted the Common Core State Standards. This op-ed explores why many Nebraskans would like to adopt the standards and what the hold-up is. Lincoln Journal Star Read Entire Post

Arizona State Senator Rich Crandall: Celebrating Digital Learning Day at the Arizona Senate

The following blog post comes from Arizona State Senator Rich Crandall (R), who represents the city of Mesa, Arizona.

Arizona joined in celebrating Digital Learning Day at the State Capitol on February 1st, 2012. Governor Jan Brewer honored the day with an official proclamation that I proudly read on the Senate floor.

Digital Learning Day was a perfect time for Arizona to highlight the transformation and developments of the schools in our state.

 

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Creating a Culture of Innovation: The Benefits of Making Your Practice Public

The following post comes from Sunshine Darby, the Technology Training Supervisor for the Dysart Unified School District in Surprise, Arizona. Sunshine has eight years of experience teaching middle school science and seven years of educational technology experience. In addition, she has taught technology integration courses to pre-service teachers at Arizona State University.

Dysart just experienced a phenomenal year as we were awarded the Model District Award from the North Central Association (NCA) Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement and also hosted the National School Board Association (NSBA) Technology Site Visit. What makes us different? As I reflect on the past year some interesting points begin to surface and these are the jewels I am pleased to share with you.

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Afternoon Announcements: January 24, 2012

We're back to the afternoon which means we're back to business compiling vital educational news for you. Take in some of the latest.

The Alliance in previous announcements have enlightened you on the increase in homeless and impoverished students in public schools and the struggle to stay afloat; attempting to receive an education in the midst of constant moves. The New York Times introduces you to Samantha Garvey who was named a semifinalist in the Intel Science Talent Search for her work with mussels all while dealing with economic hardship and homelessness.

What does your handwriting say about you? More importantly, how will a child’s handwriting determine his or her ability for future success? A fascinating story comes to us from MSNBC that shows a new study linking the handwriting skills of pre-kindergarten students with future math grades.

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Afternoon Announcements: November 17, 2011

Today's announcements are brought to you by Alliance Policy Intern Bill DeBaun:

Wednesday afternoon is here, and so are your afternoon announcements! As the days shorten and the weather gets colder, isn’t it encouraging to know that you can warm up with a little education news?

Education Daily discusses a study from Civic Enterprises that praises early-warning systems. The article notes that Dr. Robert Balfanz of Johns Hopkins University’s Everyone Graduates Center said at a recent Alliance for Excellent Education event, “In essence, these systems come down to a seemingly simple action: making a list of the students who are predicted to need support, and acting on the list.” In 2010, the Alliance had a part in establishing the Grad Nation campaign to address America’s dropout crisis. The Civic Enterprises report notes that the Grad Nation Civic Marshall Plan was an early adopter of early-warning systems.

Bill Tucker of Education Sector’s "The Quick and the Ed" blog brings us this handy post about recent digital learning reports. After checking out some of these reports, be sure to stop by the Digital Learning Day website to find out even more about this cutting-edge and very important topic!

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Morning Announcements: August 25, 2010

Read all about state reaction to yesterday’s Race to the Top announcement below (winners are noted in bold and the other states listed were finalists):

• Arizona
• California
• Colorado
• District of Columbia
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Illinois
• Kentucky
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• New Jersey
• New York
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina

In Texas a new online tool called Texas Education iTunes U will allow teachers to upload and students to download educational podcasts, videos, and other multimedia lessons.

Support for President Obama’s education agenda is slipping among Americans, according to a Phi Delta Kappa International and Gallup Organization Poll on public attitude toward public schooling.

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Morning Announcements: July 28, 2010

A flurry of stories today on state’s reactions to the announcement of the Race to the Top finalists. The Christian Science Monitor points out that, “Perhaps the biggest surprise on that list is Arizona, which, in Round 1 of the competition, finished 40th out of 41 applicants.” 

After Michigan failed to make the cut, teacher union leaders wonder if the state should repeal some of the education reforms that were a part of the Race to the Top application.

The New York Times take a look at a new study, presented at an academic conference in Massachusetts, that follows the long term impact of quality teachers and class size on student learning and success.

The Miami Herald reports that Florida is the latest state to adopt common standards. According to our count, a total of 29 states plus the District of Columbia have now adopted or provisionally adopted the common core state standards.

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