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: Why Don't More Students Finish College?

Virginia’s largest full-time statewide virtual school is likely to close, affecting more than 350 students in the next school year. The decision comes as the Carroll County School Board plans to end its partnership with the contractor that operates the virtual school. Washington Post

A Georgetown sociology class on hip-hop got a surprise when Jay-Z called in from Europe. The class was studying the artist’s life and work and his role in black culture. “He’se a friend of mine, so teaching this class on him was an exercise in both the critical engagement with a towering icon and an attempt to understand the nature of his craft and his appeal in the world,” class professor Michael Eric Dyson said. Washingtonian

Some students in Indiana, Oklahoma, and Minnesota have extra time to study for end of year high-stakes tests because of computer glitches that occurred the first, and regularly scheduled, time they were administered. The students have been kicked offline when they attempt to take the assessments. New York Times

Too many students who enter college do not complete their program. A new infographic looks at the statistics. Civitas Learning Read Entire Post

Afternoon Announcements: Student Loan Rates Set to Increase July 1

Elementary school children in Richmond, Virginia will be incentivized to read, as part of a program to ensure that all students are reading at or above grade level by the end of third grade. The program is called “Earning to Learn.” Education Week

The Common Core State Standards, set to be implemented in 45 states next year, expect students to be competent typists by fourth grade. Keyboarding replaces cursive in many areas, and some states are opting to include a cursive writing requirement. The Star-Herald

A Kenyan Maasai warrior studying at Clemson University talked with students at the University of Georgia as part of a cultural exchange program. He had to run nine miles each way to receive an education. He hopes to return to Kenya with the skills and knowledge to make education more accessible to children in his village and community. The Red and Black

Student loan interest rates will rise from the current 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent on July 1 if Congress does not half the increase. Student advocacy groups released an issue brief calling for the federal government not to profit from student loans. New York Times Read Entire Post

Afternoon announcements: Seattle teachers boycott over standardized test

In an effort to ensure students are ready for college and a career, Fairfax County is offering a program to educate eighth graders in money management. The Junior Achievement financial literacy exercise is offered at Finance Park. Washington Post

Teachers in Seattle are boycotting over Washington state’s mandated standardized tests. The protest is spreading and gaining support across the country, including from unions. Washington Post

The wording in a new Department of Education guidance on disability rights has some confused and questioning the intent. Did the Education Department really invent a right to wheelchair basketball? Politics K-12

One of the top Senators who handles K-12 education spending and policy is retiring. Senator Tom Harkin, a Democrat from Iowa, won’t seek re-election in 2014. Politics K-12

What if professors could know exactly what students comprehend and don’t? How would it change education? A new feature looks into the science. Inside Higher Education Read Entire Post

Afternoon announcements: Utah graduation rate increases by two percent

Utah’s high school graduation rates climbed two percent in 2012, up to 78 percent. Data is from the State Office of Education. Salt Lake Tribune

College graduates with business and finance degrees may not be headed straight to Wall Street. Instead, you may find them in the ranks of Teach for America’s teachers. New York Times

Dual enrollment – earning college credit while in high school, may become par for the course for Virginia community colleges. Local educators are proposing a plan that would allow students to obtain an associate’s degree alongside their high school diploma.  Virginian-Pilot

The New York Education Commission laid out a series of recommendations to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo that includes a lengthened school day, providing expansive pre-kindergarten funding for poor families, and requiring teachers to pass an exam. New York Times Read Entire Post

Afternoon announcements: schools, parents worried about safety

Schools nationwide are ramping up security amidst worries as they re-open their doors today after Friday’s mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. Educational leaders are working to restore a sense of safety and security. New York Times

Increasing academic standards is leaving some students struggling, as one Virginia high school is learning. At Falls Church High School in Fairfax County, a school with a high percentage of low-income students, scores on the state math test plummeted – with the passing rate going from 92 percent last year to 75 percent this year, after implementing harder test standards. Washington Post

The Department of Education is narrowing the focus of the Investing in Innovation grant program, or i3 program. Instead of allowing competing schools and districts to propose innovation in any number of up to 10 areas, the Department will encourage schools to design programs focused on one area, such as improving low-performing schools. Politics K-12

If the government goes off the “fiscal cliff,” and automatic cuts are implemented, school districts will be negatively affected. Beyond that, some high schools will be forced to close due to the budget cuts. US News & World Report

 

Read Entire Post

Morning Announcements: May 1, 2012

Good Morning, here are your latest headlines in educational news. Enjoy!

According to the New York Times, a report by charter school advocates found that teacher and principal attrition is a significant hurdle for the sector, which is young but growing quickly. There currently exists a rate turnover rate for principals in American charter schools.

Read Entire Post

Morning Announcements: November 12, 2010

The Washington Post editorial board discusses the lack of diversity at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Virginia. Meanwhile, CBS News focuses on how young black males face difficulties in obtaining an adequate education. The story highlights a group of black males at the California Academy of Mathematics and Science in South Los Angeles that call themselves the "Nerd Herd" and are determined to earn a college degree. Check out the video below:

 

Read Entire Post

Morning Announcements: November 8, 2010

A story in Education Daily explains how although a bipartisan compromise on an ESEA reauthorization bill next year will be difficult, it could provide political benefits for both parties. Bob Wise, president of the Alliance, is quoted as saying, “I'm somewhat bullish that education can be an issue in which both parties can come together. Unlike 1994, when Republicans did not know how to be in the majority, and Democrats didn't know how to be in the minority, folks have learned how to switch. Both sides have had training. Presumptive House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and the House Republican leadership team are much more ready to hit the ground running. 2011 can be in education what welfare reform was in 1994.”

In an op-ed in the Washington Post, Jim Simons, a mathematician and retired founder of Renaissance Technologies, writes, “Whatever is happening during high school, the result is that too few of our kids who go on to college are prepared or inspired to major in math, science or engineering, the bedrock of the new economy.”

The New York Times reports on the rising number of college applications that selective schools receive and asks when is enough enough?

Read Entire Post

Morning Announcements: October 1, 2010

The Baltimore Sun reports, “An innovative new contract would enable Baltimore teachers who are effective and ambitious to move quickly through the ranks and earn up to $100,000 a year, as well as give teachers more input on working conditions in their schools.”

According to data released yesterday by the Virginia Department of Education, 85.5 percent of the 98,027 students who entered the ninth grade during the 2006-07 school year graduated within four years. That's an increase of 2.2 percentage points from last year.

The Oklahoman editorial board writes, “It will take time, perhaps many generations, but if Oklahoma is to narrow the historical divide between the "haves" and the "have nots" and begin seeing improvement in its woeful national standings in so many public health categories, the message must remain constant: Stay in school, the longer the better.”

Read Entire Post