Saturday, October 02, 2010

Quick Hits

Alternative school offers unique curriculum, project-based learning: A new private, for-profit school in Lakeview, Ill., is aiming to reach students who are struggling in traditional schools by implementing a curriculum that is based on "doing things that matter in the real world." The alternative Global Citizenship Experience School combines many core subjects -- while still intending to meet state standards -- and uses a project-based approach that incorporates cultural awareness, sustainability and other themes. (Chicago Tribune)

More schools use Singapore method for teaching mathematics: More U.S. school districts are using Singapore's national method for teaching math. The approach features a slower pace and devotes more instructional time to fewer subjects -- a technique that has been found to address students' different learning needs and increase students' understanding of concepts. Visual aids and hands-on learning are also key components of Singapore math, which is seen by some as striking a balance between traditional and reform approaches. (The New York Times)

Grade shock: Regular NY Schools Top Charters: City charters fell harder. Traditional public schools bested the city's charter schools on annual report-card grades -- scoring 10 points higher on average on a 100-point scale, new data shows. The city's more than 1,000 public elementary and middle schools averaged a B on their so-called "progress reports," which assign letter grades to schools based largely on how much students improve on state math and reading tests in a given year. By comparison, the city's 60 charter schools that received letter grades this year averaged a C+. (NY POST)

Teachers unions hold sway in state political contests: Teachers unions are providing endorsements and financial support in a number of state-level political contests. Many are supporting Democratic candidates, though the unions have made their concerns known about the Obama Administration's policies on teacher merit pay and the expansion of charter schools. In California, both major unions are supporting Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown, while a Republican candidate for governor in Nebraska has backing from the state teachers union. (Education Week)

Supreme Court to consider education-related cases in new session: The U.S. Supreme Court -- including the newest justice, Elena Kagan -- will hear cases with implications for schools when its session begins Monday. Among the cases to be considered: challenges to a tax-credit program in Arizona that provides scholarships for students to attend religious schools and a California case that would restrict the sale of video games that are considered violent. (Education Week)

What students need to know about Google: Students must be taught how Google's search engine works if they are to effectively improve their research skills, according to experts who say students who use the search engine are surprisingly unaware of how searches are produced. "Student overuse of simple search leads to problems of having too much information or not enough information ... both stemming from a lack of sufficient conceptual understanding of how information is organized," said Andrew Asher, the lead research anthropologist at the Ethnographic Research in Illinois Academic Libraries Project. (InsideHigherEd)

Obama calls for longer school year, but is it affordable?: President Barack Obama is again calling on school districts nationwide to adopt a longer school year as a way to help improve student achievement, but such a proposition could cost school districts and states billions of dollars. "If you extend the school year for, say, five days, you're paying for another week of salaries, another week of utilities and another week of fuel for, in South Carolina, 5,700 school buses," said a spokesman for the South Carolina Department of Education. (The Associated Press)

Tentative contract includes merit pay for Baltimore teachers: Baltimore teachers have a tentative contract that links their pay, in part, to student performance and eliminates traditional "step" increases based on degrees and seniority. Under the plan, the most effective teachers could be rewarded more quickly and earn as much as $100,000 a year. The contract includes some of the most significant changes in teacher pay being made nationwide and more autonomy for teachers over the working environment at their schools. (The Sun) and (The Sun)

Fund launches 10-year campaign to expand charter schools: The Charter School Growth Fund announced a fundraising effort to amass $160 million that could establish as many as 335,000 seats at charter schools for students over the next 10 years. The Colorado-based group also announced $20 million in gifts to existing charter schools in Denver, Los Angeles, Atlanta, New York City and San Jose, Calif. (The Associated Press)

Bush initiative to recruit principals from outside the profession: The George W. Bush Institute announced an initiative this week to recruit more school principals from other fields and outside of the teaching corps. About 200 principals are expected to participate in the program's first year, with the goal of training 50,000 principals by 2020. (The Dallas Morning News) (Education Week)

New core standards focus on 21st-century skills: Librarians have a role in teaching 21st-century skills required to comply with new core academic standards -- primarily through teaching students' research and information skills, according to Christopher Harris, coordinator of a New York school-library system. Harris recommends assessing whether the websites and materials being used are relevant and taking other steps to ensure that curricula are in line with the new core academic standards. (School Library Journal)

How can teachers prevent student boredom?: It is impossible to prevent all students from being bored in the classroom, and teachers do not have to avoid lectures to keep students' attention, according to social studies teacher and blogger Coach Brown. The secret, he writes, is to be "on" at all times. "My old principal once made a comment that good teaching was like good theater; you got into character and at the end of the production, you should be damn tired because you were 'on' the whole time," Brown writes. (The Washington Post/Class Struggle blog)

How educators turned a large, struggling high school into a success: A teacher-led push to include reading and writing lessons across all subjects is credited with turning around a Massachusetts high school that enrolls 4,100 students. Educators say the school, which has been recognized for its success, disproves the widely regarded theory that students at smaller schools perform better. "What matters is uniting people behind a common purpose, setting high expectations, and sticking with it," said a former state education commissioner. (The New York Times)

Court - Teachers working toward certification are not "highly qualified": Teachers working toward alternative certification no longer can be considered "highly qualified" under No Child Left Behind, a federal appeals court ruled Monday. The case stems from a complaint in California that claimed many students in low-income schools were being taught by inexperienced "interns." The ruling will require California to alter its teacher-placement policies to ensure that the most inexperienced teachers are not disproportionately placed in the worst schools. (San Francisco Chronicle) (School Law blog)

Mr. Rogers, marketing guru: Children's entertainer Fred Rogers was a masterful marketer, writes digital strategist Sam Ford, and many companies could stand to take a closer look at the beloved TV personality's career. Mr. Rogers offered his viewers a real, meaningful relationship; never overpromised or underdelivered; and carefully adjusted his brand to shifting cultural norms without ever seeming insincere or inconsistent. "As I consider how many marketers likely grew up with the words of Fred Rogers guiding their way as kids, I can't help but think that we've all too often strayed away from some of those first lessons we heard as children," Ford writes. (FastCompany)

Why are more students seeking academic tutoring?: Academic tutoring has long been used to help students with learning disabilities or students who are struggling to pass required tests, but it is becoming more common among students who are supplementing their regular courses, according to this roundup of opinion pieces. Some educators say the tutoring is needed to make up for deficiencies in school instruction, while others say it is in response to policies that require students to master a curriculum that has become more rigorous. (NYTimes.com/Room for Debate blog)

NYC mayor plans changes to tenure, seeks revamp of seniority laws: New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Monday he plans to change the city's policies for granting teacher tenure and request the repeal of "last-in, first-out" seniority laws. Bloomberg's plan will deny tenure to teachers -- offered after three years with the school system -- who receive "ineffective" or "developing" ratings under a new value-added evaluation system. Bloomberg will also seek to remove state seniority protections ahead of more layoffs that could be caused by a projected $700 million budget shortfall next year. Union officials are opposed to changes in seniority policy. (GothamSchools) (The Wall Street Journal) (New York Post)

Despite layoffs, Chicago schools hire Teach for America graduates: Chicago's United Neighborhood Organization charter schools hired 25 Teach for America graduates this year through a partnership between the groups. The hires mean 155 Teach for America teachers started this year in Chicago Public Schools, where as many as 600 laid-off teachers are still out of work. "My question is, how do you lay off people and then hire people at the same time?" the Chicago Teachers Union president asked. (Chicago Tribune)

Have you got the leadership gene?: Biologists are looking to win a spot in America's business schools by studying the genetics and biochemistry of management. Researchers have already found that genetic variations can explain a leader's successes and failures, and that variations in sex hormones play a role in sales. "Management science looks set for a thorough, biology-inspired overhaul," according to The Economist. "Expect plenty more lab coats in business-school corridors." (The Economist)

Obama wants teachers, students held to higher standards: President Barack Obama focused on education during a 30-minute interview on NBC on Monday, saying that students and teachers must meet higher standards. Obama also said he supports firing ineffective teachers after they have been given an opportunity to improve. During the interview, Obama said he supports working with teachers unions on education reform. Also on Monday, Obama announced plans to recruit 10,000 science, technology, engineering and math teachers during the next two years. (The Associated Press) (The Wall Street Journal)

Program helps elementary schools implement habits for success: Two Arizona elementary schools are implementing a program to help motivate students. The Leader in Me program is based on the popular book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People." The program has teachers and students working toward a common vision for their school, using the same principles that author Stephen Covey has promoted to corporate executives in his book. (The Arizona Republic)

Colo. district's pilot program would increase salaries, offer merit pay: A pilot program to be launched next school year in 20 schools in Colorado's Jefferson County could result in some teachers' salaries increasing to more than $100,000 per year. The program is being funded by a federal grant from the Teacher Incentive Fund and includes a base-pay increase for all teachers, as much as $10,000 in performance-based bonuses and a designation for "master teachers." (The Denver Post)

California charters stay nimble during the recession: Charter schools in California are expanding and thriving despite the recession, which has hurt the state's traditional public schools. Charter schools have been more nimble because they are not subject to the same regulations as traditional public schools, and their teachers tend to be younger and not unionized -- which means they are paid less. Nearly 90 new charters are expected to open across the state this school year because of funding from the federal government and philanthropies.(CaliforniaWatch)

Texas board urges curb on Islamic references in textbooks: The Texas school board voted, 7-5, to adopt a resolution aimed at curbing references to Islam in the state's world-history curriculum. Officials in favor of the resolution say it is in response to a growing Islamic influence in textbook publishing, while critics say it is an attempt by socially conservative board members to politicize education in the state. The resolution is not binding on future boards. (The Associated Press)

Education Department awards Teacher Incentive Fund grants: The Education Department has announced the winners of $442 million in grants to provide bonuses for high-performing teachers and principals at low-income schools. The grants are the first of about $1.2 billion in merit-pay funding through the Teacher Incentive Fund over five years, and they come as the value of merit pay is being questioned by a recent study. Wake County, N.C., Texas, Indiana, Tennessee, Ohio and Louisiana were among the 62 recipients. "The incentive is one that rewards everybody and motivates everyone to help kids to believe in themselves and develop a good work ethic," one official said. (The Dallas Morning News) (The Associated Press) (The Boston Globe) (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) (The News & Observer)

ACLU Sues State of California for Charging Student Fees: Alleging that “there is no system of free public education in California, the Southern California American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a class action lawsuit on September 10, 2010 against the State of California and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for “allowing school districts throughout the state to charge fees for books and other essential educational supplies.” (ACCESS)

Florida Education Adequacy Case Withstands Motion to Dismiss: Whether the state of Florida is currently denying students their constitutional right to “obtain a high quality education” may now be tested in the courts, according to the Circuit Court for the Second Judicial district, which has dismissed the state’s motion to dismiss the complaint in Citizens for Strong Schools, Inc. v Florida Board of Education. (ACCESS)

Polls Indicate that Americans Support More Spending on Education: Thirty-six percent of respondents in the 42nd annual Phi Delta Kappa and Gallup national poll said the crisis in school funding is the number one problem facing schools in their community. (ACCESS)

4 comments:

Sam Ford said...

Hi Richard,

I hope all is going well. Your blog came up in one of my alerts, and I was very glad to see that my post was of interest to you. I don't know if you caught this from the Fast Company piece you linked to, but I am a Kentuckian myself and live down here in Bowling Green. I'm a product of the Kentucky school system and a WKU graduate before moving to the East Coast for a few years. Just got settled back down in The Bluegrass State. Enjoyed looking at your site a bit. My wife and I both have large numbers of teachers in our families--in Ohio County, Grayson County, Butler County, etc.

Richard Day said...

Hi Neighbor.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood and I'm glad you stopped by.

Sam Ford said...

Indeed it is, Richard, if not a little too cold in Kentucky this week...

Richard Day said...

True, but check out the forecast. It looks like one more great weekend on the lake for me. : )