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Chiefline 8.27.13

This week in Chiefline: Virginia students' reading scores fell by double digits after a new, tougher test was introduced this year

 

Chiefline 8.27.13

This week in Chiefline: Reading scores for the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) exam fell by double digits after a new, tougher test was introduced this year, said the Virginia Department of Education. Virginia's new on-line standardized tests, which align with revised academic standards, represent a shift from emphasizing minimum grade-level skills to higher-order thinking skills and knowledge. "We are asking students to meet higher expectations so that when they graduate, they will be ready for college and the workforce," said Patricia I. Wright, superintendent of public instruction. "Raising standards is difficult, but well worth the effort."

 

State Test Scores Indicate Improvement in Math

Minnesota Commissioner of Education Brenda Cassellius said that the state plans to keep its tests and academic standards steady for the next decade or longer.

 

Mississippi Increases Graduation Rate, Scores Improve

The Mississippi Department of Education announced recently that the four-year graduation rate reached a six-year high in 2013 at just over 75 percent, marking a three-point decrease since last year in the number of dropouts.

 

Ritz in City Touting Education Outreach

Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz visited Fort Wayne on Aug. 21 and met with Allen County education leaders to drum up support for the Department of Education's new outreach division for school improvement.

 

State Releases School Ratings Under New Accountability System

The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development recently released the first results of the state's new accountability and support system for public schools.

 

Virginia Reading Scores Drop by Double Digits on New SOL Test

Reading scores for the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) exam fell by double digits after a new, tougher test was introduced this year, said the Virginia Department of Education. Virginia's new on-line standardized tests, which align with revised academic standards, represent a shift from emphasizing minimum grade-level skills to higher-order thinking skills and knowledge. "We are asking students to meet higher expectations so that when they graduate, they will be ready for college and the workforce," said Patricia I. Wright, superintendent of public instruction. "Raising standards is difficult, but well worth the effort."

 

Ky. Schools Look to Singapore to Raise Math Scores

Kentucky was the first state to adopt the Common Core State Standards in reading and math, and the state is expected to adopt the Next Generation Science standards as well, despite push back from critics who warn the standards represent a federal take over of education.

 

Louisiana's Education Head Says Common Core Empowers Teachers

Louisiana has been preparing for the full implementation of the Common Core State Standards since 2010, and State Superintendent of Education John White thinks the standards will upgrade public education and level the playing field. White says implementation is being done in phases, with students taking the online tests in 2015 and the tests increasing in rigor this year.

 

State Schools Superintendent to Teachers: 'Purge' What State Has Told You for Past 25 Years

Speaking before teachers and employees of Etowah County Schools, Alabama Superintendent of Education Dr. Tommy Bice urged them to "purge all that the state department has told you over the last 25 years."