Afternoon Announcements: America Holds Most College Degrees, but the Lead is Narrowing

New analysis on charter schools in Boston reveal that students tend to perform better on aptitude tests like the SAT, but the schools have higher than average high school dropout rates. Boston Globe

The Christina School District in Delaware has decided not to participate in the state’s Race to the Top plan. This follows in the wake of several other school districts in Ohio who considered dropping out of the state’s grant because the costs weren’t worth the federal grant money. Politics K-12

Georgia’s graduation rate increased from 67.4 percent for the class of 2011 to 69.7 percent for the class of 2012. The rate is calculated under the new federally mandated formula. Online Athens

Americans overall have more bachelor’s degrees than international rivals, but the gap is narrowing, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Education. The Hechinger Report Read Entire Post

Afternoon Announcements: Federal Government Boosting Spending on High School Education

The President has focused a lot of attention on Pre-K, but a lesser talked about component of his proposed budget is the new $300 million competitive-grant program for high schools. The program is an opportunity to inspire innovation at the high school level. Education Week

The U.S. Department of Education is equipped to hand out another $490 million in Race to the Top grants for districts with impressive education-improvement plans, along with states to improve early-learning opportunities. Politics K-12

Remediation courses before college isn’t altogether uncommon, but in Colorado it is becoming increasingly more common. Almost 40% of Colorado’s high school graduates need remedial instruction before entering college. Denver Post

Would longer school days improve student achievement and outcomes? Analysis of extended day programs in New York City, New Orleans, and Baltimore suggest student performance in mathematics has improved with increased classroom time. Education Week Read Entire Post

Afternoon Announcements: Paying for Lunch with a Fingerprint

The federal government can make changes to the way that money is given to public school to improve equity, some civil rights leaders and education advocates argue. One suggestion is to amend the Race to the Top competition so that it rewards states in a way that would distribute money based on student need. Politics K-12

Blended learning has taken over some classes at San Jose State and other California State Universities. In  one dreaded engineering program, students now listen to lectures at home and work on assignments in class. Student achievement in the class has increased in the last year. Mercury News

Several dozen states are considering dropping the GED because prices for the pencil and paper test are too high. The states are exploring a more cost-effective alternative to the GED. Huffington Post

Students at Carnegie Mellon University can pay for their lunch by scanning their fingertips. The new technology connects the fingerprints with a debit card. PSFK 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

Afternoon announcements: More sleep, later school start times may increase learning

Research shows that starting school later in the morning can boost student achievement. A symposium in D.C. last week further explored the science of sleep, especially on adolescents. Experts continued to push for later school start times. Education Week

A new study shows that home-schoolers get 90 more minutes of sleep per night, on average, than their traditionally schooled peers. Students who get more sleep may be better prepared to learn. USA Today

A group of Rhode Island adults spent part of their Saturday taking the New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) standardized test. A student advocacy group encouraged the adults to take it to see how they fared and what they thought. The adults weren’t fans. The Answer Sheet

Boston’s historic busing system, designed in the 1970s under a federal court desegregation order, is no longer. The city shut down the last remnants of the busing system, arguing that students should be able to attend should closer to home instead of across town. New York Times

The original 12 Race to the Top winners may be granted up to an additional year to complete their projects. 2014 was slated to be the last year of the Race to the Top program, but the Department of Education will consider extensions on a case-by-case basis. Politics K-12 Read Entire Post

Everyone's getting Straight A's: The State of the Union

President Obama focused on a growing economy in his February 12 State of the Union address; one featured way he aims to improve the economy is through improving education for all students. The President outlined several education proposals - including high-quality preschool available to every child, greater access for high school students to take college courses, and a new competition to redesign America's high schools. State of the Union

The sequester is mere days away, and the White House, in an effort to encourage Congress to stop it from happening, released a report with state-by-state funding tables detailing how sequestration will affect federal programs, including educational programs such as Title 1 and special education. The across-the-board cuts would total $85 billion. Sequestration to hit March 1

An extensive analysis by the Alliance for Excellent Education shows that recent progress in holding schools accountable for how many students they graduate from high school—the ultimate goal of K–12 education—may be slowed in some states based on waivers recently granted under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), currently known as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The Alliance’s findings are contained in a new report, The Effect of ESEA Waiver Plans on High School Graduation Rate Accountability, which includes a review of approved waiver plans submitted by thirty-four states and the District of Columbia. Turning back the clock? 

During a February 7 hearing on “Early Lessons from State Flexibility Waivers” under No Child Left Behind (NCLB), both Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Ranking Member Lamar Alexander (R-TN), said Congress should go back to work on a rewrite of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), currently known as NCLB.

In his opening statement, Harkin said that in October 2011 the HELP Committee passed a bipartisan reauthorization of ESEA with “robust participation” from Alexander and other committee members. Harkin noted that the bill did not move beyond the committee, but he said in the new Congress, “we are redoubling our efforts to reauthorize ESEA.” Help on NCLB

You can read the full articles, and all of our bi-weekly newsletter, "Straight A's," online here. If you would like to receive Straight A's in your inbox, please email jasmos@all4ed.org. 

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Afternoon Announcements: Obama Announces High School Competition in SOTU; Alliance Issues Report on ESEA Waivers

The big news this morning is the high school competition President Obama announced during last night’s State of the Union address. The president said the competition will “redesign America’s high schools so they better equip graduates for the demands of a high-tech economy.” Obama didn’t offer many details, but Alliance President Bob Wise thinks the competition has “great potential.”

In a statement, Wise said, “If the nation is serious about the high school dropout crisis, more must be done to engage students and make learning relevant. The president’s proposal appears to do both.” Read the complete statement.

Education Week’s Politics K-12 blog has more details on the president’s other education proposals, including expanded access to preschool and tying federal college financial aid in part to student outcomes—something the Alliance advocated for in these two recent reports: Repairing a Broken System: Fixing Federal Student Aid and A System in Need of Repair: An Examination of Federal Student Aid for Postsecondary Education.

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Afternoon announcements: Minnesota superintendent champions ELL reforms

Digital Learning Day is a mere two days away. In anticipation, here are three websites that high school teachers should try in 2013. High School Notes

The U.S. Department of Education recently issued a progress report on the Race to the Top competition. The majority of winners seem to be struggling to implement teacher – and principal- evaluation systems, and building and upgrading digital infrastructure. Politics K-12

Higher education has long been an incentive for joining active military duty, but what is that experience like? New York Times

Opponents of the Common Core State Standards, now adopted in 46 states, are targeting their lobbying and media campaigns in Colorado, Idaho, and Indiana. All three states have adopted the standards. Education Week

A Minnesota Superintendent is focusing her efforts on reforming programs for English Language Learners. A Chilean native, the matter is close to her heart. Education Week

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Afternoon announcements: Maryland could lose $40 million in Race to Top grant funds

Maryland is struggling, like many states, to implement the specific teacher-evaluation systems outlined in the Race to the Top grant money it has received. The state could lose up to $40 million of its $250 million grant if it fails to meet the conditions outlined to it by the U.S. Department of Education. Politics K-12

In better news for Maryland, the state ranks number one in Education Week’s study examining state education policies and student achievement. This is Maryland’s fifth-year at the top of the rankings. Washington Post

The recession affected individuals without college degrees worse than it did those who completed college, a new Pew Charitable Trusts study finds. It shows that postsecondary education positively impacts labor market outcomes. New York Times

Education Week releases its 17th annual edition of Education Week’s Quality Counts, a study that tracks key education indicators and grades states “on their policy efforts and outcomes.” Education Week

Another break-down of what English classes will and should look like under the new Common Core State Standards. Washington Post Read Entire Post

Afternoon announcements: Arne Duncan gives a statement to teachers, principals and school administrators after Sandy Hook

The 16 winners of the first Race to the Top-District competition have a little over three months to outline how they will achieve the goals of their plans. The Department of Education will work with each winner to set up a timeline, deliverables and a budget. Politics K-12

The students of Sandy Hook Elementary School will return to class after winter break in the neighboring town of Chalk Hill. The location hasn’t been used as a school since 2011. Huffington Post

Read Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s statement to teachers, principals and school administrators in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings. Education Department

The Obama Administration has excited many new graduates with their income-based repayment plan for federal student loans, but is it the smartest economic decision? The American

There are two views of public education in America: utilizing private sector mechanisms and ideas, such as in charter schools, and traditional public schools. Which decision we make carries high stakes. Huffington Post

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