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Headlines
Association & Related News
State Accountability System Profiles Now Available from CCSSO
Advocacy in Action
Chiefs Meet Secretary Duncan, Vice President Biden at the White House
Update on Recent Federal Financial Events
Advocacy Resources
Education Newsbriefs
"Resources to Link Students and Workers to Jobs, Careers, and Beyond Unveiled" (CA)
"Voluntary Pre-K Prepares More Students for Success in Key Learning Areas" (FL)
"Pastorek Says La. Ahead of Curve on E-Learning" (LA)
"Garrett Looks Forward to Education Reform" (OK)
"Grant Funds to Give Low-Income Students Access to AP Programs" (WI)
"Turning Lemons Into Entrepreneurial Lemonade" (WV)
"NASA Gives Boost to Virtual Learning Magnet Project"
Association & Related News
State Accountability System Profiles Now Available from CCSSO
By Nina de las Alas
CCSSO's Profiles of State Accountability Systems password-protected website can now be viewed online. Editing access is available to each of the 50 state accountability contacts, and read-only access is available to state education agency (SEA) leaders and staff, and interested professionals in the education community. This resource tracks state accountability systems across the 50 states as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The site has a focus on accountability under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and provides annual statewide information on a number of issues including:
- accountability outcomes
- adequate yearly progress (AYP) definitions, determinations, and inclusion practices
- statewide assessment programs
- content standards
- goals
- reporting and measurement systems
The updated CCSSO website provides information for the past six school years (2002–2003 to 2007–2008). All of the information in the state profiles was provided by SEAs through the NCLB Accountability Workbook, state websites, and/or staff additions and edits. While most states have updated their information, there are still a few states that may be checking the information provided in their respective profiles, so please note that some information is subject to change.
CCSSO thanks all the state accountability contacts for their assistance and support of this project over the last four years. For more information about this website or to obtain a password, please contact Nina de las Alas at ninaa@ccsso.org or 202-312-6863 or Rolf Blank at rolfb@ccsso.org.
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Advocacy in Action
Chiefs Meet Secretary Duncan, Vice President Biden at the White House
Last Wednesday, more than forty chief state school officers participated in a White House meeting with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, U.S. Second Lady Jill Biden, and senior U.S. Department of Education (ED) advisors. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was the primary topic of conversation. ED has four guiding principles for the ARRA: (1) delivering funds quickly; (2) saving and creating jobs; (3) ensuring transparency and accountability; and (4) advancing reforms. This week ED will be releasing information on how much funding will be made available over the next 30–45 days as well as initial guidance on the implementation of the funds. Additionally, Secretary Duncan asserted that the states are central partners and that we will work closely together on how to best invest the ARRA resources for lasting impact on student achievement. The conversation will be continued at the CCSSO 2009 Legislative Conference, where chief state school officers will visit Washington, DC March 8–10.
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Update on Recent Federal Financial Events
On Tuesday, March 3, the Senate will weigh in on the $410 billion omnibus appropriations bill that was approved by the House last Wednesday. This bill marks an eight percent increase in overall spending compared to FY08 and includes nearly $56 billion for discretionary education programs. While the $787 billion ARRA allocated nearly $115 billion to education programs, the omnibus bill covers government accounts that require initial funding from the omnibus in order even begin to follow through on the ARRA provisions.
In other federal financial matters, last Thursday, February 26, President Obama unveiled a $3.6 trillion proposed budget outline for FY10. Within this budget is $46.7 billion dollars allocated to the U.S. Department of Education (ED), focused on four broad priorities: Comprehensive Early Childhood Education; Innovation and Proven Solutions; Teacher and Principal Effectiveness; and College Access and Completion. Congress will be reviewing the proposed FY10 budget in the coming days. To learn more about President Obama’s proposed budget click here.
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Advocacy Resources
To gain additional information about legislation discussed in this issue, please visit http://thomas.loc.gov/ and enter the name or bill number of the legislation.
For more advocacy information and support, please contact advocacy@ccsso.org.
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Education Newsbriefs
Resources to Link Students and Workers to Jobs, Careers, and Beyond Unveiled
Imperial Valley News (03/01/09)
In an effort to help students and workers in California locate employment, look at career and continuing education options, and see what resources are available to eliminate obstacles that prevent them from achieving workplace success, the California Department of Education has launched the "California Direct Connect--Links to Your Future" pages on its Web site. California Direct Connect features a "Finding a Job" section with resume and interview tips and links to help workers apply for unemployment or find a new job. The "Exploring Career Opportunities" section provides links for residents looking to go to a college or university in the state, learn how to read, or apply for educational grants and scholarships. Finally, the "Overcoming Barriers to Work" section offers information about child care, transportation, citizenship, disability assistance, foreclosure assistance, and other social services. According to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, "In these dire economic times, many Californians need help locating job opportunities as well as finding solutions to issues that prevent them from becoming fully employed. My staff has been inundated with desperate calls from unemployed and underemployed people who want to know how to increase their education to improve their chances of obtaining better jobs or careers, and to provide a more stable life for their families. California Direct Connect is a new Web resource designed to help all Californians, regardless of their education, their employability status, or other issues preventing them from taking control of their lives."
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Voluntary Pre-K Prepares More Students for Success in Key Learning Areas
WJHG TV (FL) (02/26/09)
According to the 2007-08 Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) program results in Florida, more than 140,000 students are better prepared for classroom success than those not attending VPK programs. VPK Readiness Rates are used to measure providers on a scale of zero to 300 to demonstrate how well they prepare students for kindergarten. The rates are based upon student performance in alphabet recognition, sound recognition, and classroom readiness. Florida Education Commissioner Eric Smith says, "Children are born with an incredible capacity and desire to learn. The VPK results announced today show us that by tapping into this potential at the earliest of ages we are ensuring that our students are getting the head start they need to succeed in both school and life." The program is administered by the State Department of Education, the Agency for Workforce Innovation, and the Department of Children and Families and aims to prepare every four-year-old student for kindergarten by creating a foundation for success. For more information about the program, go here.
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Pastorek Says La. Ahead of Curve on E-Learning
Alexandria Town Talk (02/24/09) Donica, Karina
Louisiana Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek says a recent survey by the Center for Digital Education indicates that the state is "ahead of the curve" when it comes to online learning. The Louisiana Department of Education's Louisiana Virtual School lets high school students complete courses in a number of non-credit subjects via email, Internet, and other forms of technology. In the nine years since the virtual school's inception, participating school districts rose from just nine to 62. Over 5,000 students have enrolled in the virtual school, which offers more than 60 courses. Despite the state's achievements in online learning, Pastorek notes, "As we progress further into the 21st century, we must aggressively pursue the potential of LVS (Louisiana Virtual School) so that we connect our students to world-class educational opportunities." For more information on the Louisiana Virtual School, click here.
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Garrett Looks Forward to Education Reform
Tulsa World (OK) (02/25/09) Myers, Jim
After meeting with other education officials and Obama Administration officials about the economic stimulus package's provisions for education, Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Sandy Garrett announced the funds given to the state would be used to institute "real reform," including an expansion of school days for at-risk urban districts, longer school years, and an expansion of early childhood education programs. The state will use $287 million of the $578 million allocated to Oklahoma by the stimulus package to fund pre-kindergarten and secondary education programs. "It is the first time our state has had this kind of resources, has had enough to really make a difference in some of our schools, our low-performing schools in particular. This is additional money that our schools have never had forever, and this is the largest amount of Title 1 that they will ever have," says Garrett. Other initiatives that could receive funding include online testing and a data system to illustrate what works in the school system. Garrett notes the stimulus money could reach the state over the next 45 days, and school leaders will be expected to meet transparency and accountability standards as outlined by the Obama Administration. "So we are going to put up Web pages of our own on our own Web site showing where every dollar is going in every district that receives this additional money," she explains.
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Grant Funds to Give Low-Income Students Access to AP Programs
WKOW 27 (Maidson, Wisc.) (02/23/09)
The U.S. Department of Education recently awarded the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction a three-year, $2.2 million Advanced Placement Incentive Program grant to boost student participation in the Advanced Placement program. The grant will focus on 19 high schools and 27 middle schools with poverty rates between 40 percent and 83 percent. The money will be used to expand professional development opportunities for staff, provide students with study skill courses, encourage vertical and horizontal teacher teams, and offer tests to determine which students could succeed in Advance Placement courses. The targeted low-income schools will see expanded access to Advance Placement coursework through face-to-face instruction, online instruction, Interactive Television, or a mixture of these approaches, and the funding also will create a statewide Advanced Placement course in Mandarin Chinese. "We want to increase our support for students so they are ready for the academic challenges of Advanced Placement coursework. Staff development and business, community, and family partnerships are major components of our effort. Middle school students need encouragement to push themselves academically," Burmaster notes. "Training teachers, enhancing the curriculum, and providing students and their parents support for accelerated and advanced coursework will put more young people in the 'pipeline' for Advanced Placement classes in high school and postsecondary study after high school. As an added motivator for students, this grant will provide scholarships for those who earn scores of three, four, or five on end-of-course Advanced Placement exams. We are offering a variety of supports and incentives through this grant to help more students, especially economically disadvantaged students, reach their academic potential. The ambitious goals of this grant will certainly position Wisconsin students to take their place in our global, interconnected world," she adds. The Advanced Placement Report to the Nation reveals that 24.2 percent of 2008 high school graduates in Wisconsin took at least one Advanced Placement exam, and only 6.3 percent qualified for fee waivers.
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Turning Lemons Into Entrepreneurial Lemonade
WOWK-TV 13 (WV) (02/24/09)
As part of National Entrepreneur Week, West Virginia students met at the state capitol in Charleston on Feb. 27 to sell lemonade to legislators, state workers, and Capitol visitors. The idea behind the West Virginia Department of Education and Advantage Valley Entrepreneurship Development System Collaborative's Lemonade Stand Project is to teach students business basics. Not only must they use math, reading, composition, social studies, and advanced thinking skills to try different recipes, determine costs, and set prices, they also must create a marketing plan and a name for their business, buy ingredients, designate tasks, and write a report about the lessons learned from the project. Whatever profits were made from the lemonade sales are kept by the schools. According to State Superintendent Steve Paine, "Educating our young people about entrepreneurship and reinforcing the value that innovation brings to our economy is critical to America's prosperity in the global society of the 21st century. This is just one more way we are helping West Virginia kids to compete in a fiercely competitive global world."
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NASA Gives Boost to Virtual Learning Magnet Project
T.H.E. Journal (02/09) Schaffhauser, Dian
The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), in conjunction with NASA, is working to create a virtual learning magnet (VLM) for space science and mathematics. The first phase of the VLM initiative will run through May 2009 and engage students, teachers, and subject matter experts in introductory physics, space science, and aeronautics research. Through an interdisciplinary study, which will expose students to actual NASA missions, students will learn physics concepts through aviation, rockets, and space science projects. Students participating in the VLM project will receive one high school elective credit upon successful completion of the course. After the initial phase, CCSSO hopes to expand the program to allow students to earn more than one credit toward a high school diploma. For more information about the project, click here.
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