Afternoon announcements: Massachusetts eight-graders shine globally

Despite programs to help low-income students afford prestigious universities, few are applying. Why? Inside Higher Ed

In today’s biggest education news, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan picked 16 Race to the Top-District winners. The 16 winners include three charter school organizations and will share the $400 million prize. Politics K-12

Yesterday, we saw news that the US lags behind several East Asian and European countries in math and science test scores. New information today shows that Massachusetts 8^th-graders represented the US well in the scores – scoring among the smartest in the world. Education Week

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal scolded teacher unions that oppose vouchers for private schools, calling it “shameful.” Times-Picayune

Joshua Starr, Montgomery County Schools Superintendent, is pushing the envelope in Maryland by requesting a budget… increase. He plans to request more than the $10 million minimum spending requirement in the next fiscal year. Washington Post

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Afternoon announcements; Alliance report links economic success to academic achievement

A new Alliance report finds that there is a strong correlation between economic prosperity and growth and equity in education. Minority and low-income students make up increasing percentages of the total number of students. As future consumers and workforce members, it’s essential for these students, and all students, to receive a quality education for America to remain competitive in the future. Education Week

The US Department of Education made waves with several big announcements this week. The Department has named 61 finalists in its Race to the Top-District Competition. The competition will allocate $400 million among the districts chosen for the strongest school reform plans. Washington Post

The second big-ticket news item from the Department of Education this week involves graduation rates data. For the first time, the Department has released information on four-year high school graduation rates for the 2010-11 school year. This release is the first in which all states used a common method of calculation. The data highlights achievement gaps. Politics K-12 and Huffington Post

Practice makes perfect, for educators, too. One opinion writer takes on the feeling of helplessness some teachers feel when their students underachieve. She suggests preparation and practice outside the classroom can transform results inside the classroom. New York Times
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Afternoon announcements: Hundreds of Districts want to Race to the Top

Alliance president and former governor of West Virginia, Bob Wise, visited Mountainview Elementary School in West Virginia early this week to honor them for inspiring what has become an international movement – Digital Learning Day. "I'm eager to share with Mountainview students and educators how their original thinking sparked an effort that reached around the globe. It's important that students understand in this digital world there are no limits to how far a good idea can go," Wise said. Charleston Gazette

It’s well-known that the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) will raise the academic bar in all 46 states and the District of Columbia that have adopted them. But how exactly? In literacy, students will be expected to read at higher levels and read more informational texts and less fiction. The Alliance’s Bob Rothman said the standards aren’t meant to be rigid and that teachers will still choose the literature they teach. Kansas City Star

This election cycle, students were encouraged to get involved and voice their opinions through the #myparty12project. The project spanned “several weeks” and involved more than 15 schools across the nation. Students engaged in a debate on Google Hangout, during which the Alliance president, Bob Wise, asked questions on education. Huffington Post

The University of Minnesota recently released a report that reveals percentages of students who repeat grades, broken down by state. “Between three and four percent of public school first grade students were held back after the 2008-2009 academic year – an average of about one per classroom in the U.S.” The report is published in Educational Researcher. University of Minnesota News

Another university report – this time from Michigan State University – details the role principals play in why teachers quit. The report finds something you may have guessed – that principals who serve as strong, supportive leaders in their schools see higher retention rates among their teachers. Michigan State University News

The Race to the Top-District Competition (RTT-D) received 371 applications, despite the delays and problems caused by Superstorm Sandy. The Department expects there to be between 15-25 winners and will award the money by the end of the calendar year. Politics K-12
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Everyone's getting Straight A's!

The question on everyone’s mind: the election is over… what next? For the Obama Administration, the answer might be “stay the course” when it comes to education. Obama plans to continue his education reform initiatives – Race to the Top and No Child Left Behind (NCLB) waivers. The President has committed to keeping education as a top priority in his second term.

The man at the forefront of Obama’s education initiatives, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, defended NCLB waivers in his first post-election speech . “Contrary to what you may have read, these waivers will push states to dramatically accelerate achievement and attainment for disadvantaged students and students of color.” He also importantly noted that education is not “just an expense on a budget linet hat can be sacrificed” – it’s an “investment for all our children.”

In 2012, a record 33 percent of the nation’s twenty-five- to twenty-nine-year-olds completed at least a bachelor’s degree, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of newly available data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Overall, 31 percent of the U.S. population over age twenty-five holds a bachelor’s degree or more , according to the report, Record Shares of Young Adults Have Finished Both High School and College.

At the end of each school year, students with perfect attendance often receive recognition, and maybe even an award. There’s a strong emphasis placed on ensuring students’ presence in the classroom. But what about teachers? A new report from the Center for American Progress analyzes data on teacher absences that shows a disconcerting trend: schools that serve high percentages of African American and Latino students are more likely to have higher teacher absences. Findings show that teacher absences slow student learning.

See other articles and read the full Straight A’s newsletter here - http://www.all4ed.org/publication_material/straight_as/11122012 . If you’d like to join our e-newsletter mailing list and receive Straight A’s in your inbox, email jamos@all4ed.org.

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Decision 2012: How Will the Elections Affect Federal and State Education Policy?

After months of intense campaigning, the 2012 elections have come to a close, begging the question from education advocates: How will the results of the 2012 elections affect federal and state education policy?

This post will answer that question, focusing on what is likely to change--and what will not--at the federal and state levels. It will also look at some new faces who will play a role in education policy in the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, and in governors' mansions and state legislatures around the country.

 

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Afteernoon announcements: November 8, 2012

It’s not every day a university mathematics professor uses his sabbatical to teach math in a public high school. But one professor did just that – not for research but for his own personal gain, and now our gain. He wanted to learn what it’s like in the classroom, the challenges teachers face and because, simply put, he’s concerned about the direction of mathematics education at the high school level. This is a captivating, albeit long, read. American Mathematical Society

With the Obama administration headed for four more years, Arne Duncan will have more time to confront a slew of education issues, including waivers, Race to the Top, NCLB reauthorization, fiscal issues and common core. How will he handle it? Politics K-12

What happened in individual state ballot measures? Here’s a roundup of how all your major education-related issues panned out across the states. Washington Post

Texas is balking the federal government’s authority to mandate accountability systems for public schools. Ninety Texas school districts are asking state education officials to disregard the call for Adequate Yearly Progress ratings. Washington Post

Education turned out to be a key issue in this year’s presidential election. Some results find that voters were torn over the issue. Wall Street Journal

Proposition 30, a California ballot measure to raise income taxes on the state’s wealthiest and temporarily increase the state sales tax to fund K-12 schools, community colleges and state universities, passed. It’s expected to raise more than $6 billion in revenue. Huffington Post

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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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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: Friday, August 31

Before you hit the road for that last weekend at the beach, we invite you to enjoy today's afternoon announcements. Besides, wouldn't you rather read the latest education news instead of spending hours sitting in a traffic jam?

Our first three articles for today focus on the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida. The Tampa Bay Times reports on former Florida Governor Jeb Bush's speech at the convention yesterday, when he called the need for better schools "the great moral and economic issue of our time." The Huffington Post has the complete text of Bush's speech.

Also reporting from Tampa, Alyson Klein of Education Week says that the Common Core State Standards are "dividing" the Republican party. "On the one hand," she writes, "there's Jeb Bush, a key Romney surrogate and the former GOP governor of Florida. He points out that a majority of GOP governors have embraced the standards." On the other hand is Gayle Ruzeicka, president of the Utah Eagle Forum, and a delegate to the Republican National Convention," who calls the standards "Obama Core."

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Afternoon Announcements: August 16, 2012

It’s Thursday, better known as Friday Eve here at the Alliance. The weather here in Washington is beautiful, perfect for getting a beach chair, applying suntan lotion,  and…sitting on the sidewalk on Connecticut Avenue reading the following education policy announcements.

Education Week’s Michele McNeil asks “Will Small Districts Even Bother Competing in New Race to Top?” and answers her own question with “Odds are, probably not.” The new district-level Race to the Top competition opened up on Sunday. In the 76 days before applications for the $400 million in funds are due, how many districts will find the time and energy to complete the 116 page application? McNeil analyzes what might keep small districts from getting into the Race.

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