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Headlines
Education Newsbriefs
"State Education Plan Tells Students 'to Create the Future'" (AK)
"Education Department Says Many Efforts Attempt to Cut Drop Out Rate" (IA)
"Pilot Literacy Programs Work in Avoyelles, Other Districts" (LA)
"Pa.: New Stats Better Gauge Student Achievement" (PA)
"Vote Set on R.I. Education Commissioner" (RI)
"Tracking 'Cohorts'" (VA)
Education Newsbriefs
State Education Plan Tells Students 'to Create the Future'
Bristol Bay Times (AK) (04/02/2009) Nevala, Matt
The Alaska Education Plan has been approved by the State Board of Education and Early Child Development, incorporating public comments made during the Statewide Education Summit held five months ago. The plan features three categories: "World-Class Schools," "Community, Culture, and Family," and "Student Health and Safety." Among other things, the plan calls for proficiency in a foreign language, accountability with regard to ethical technology use, and more diversity among teachers. State Education Commissioner Larry LeDoux says, "The (plan) provides the basic accountability to the public, it's our roadmap. The plan began with nearly 450 Alaskans who met in November at a statewide education summit to provide a vision for education in Alaska. They took into account the thoughts of several thousand Alaskans who responded to surveys." View the complete Alaska Education Plan click here.
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Education Department Says Many Efforts Attempt to Cut Drop Out Rate
Radio Iowa (03/30/09) Danielson, Darwin
Iowa Education Director Judy Jeffrey says the state has rolled out a number of initiatives to address the rising dropout rate, and these programs underscore learning and positive behavior. The State Department of Education also collaborates with districts to lower dropout rates with a focus on high school structure and learning environments. Districts have the ability to use state funds toward dropout prevention programs, provided these programs are approved by the State Department of Education. While programs tend to focus on information and resources, Jeffrey says, "It really comes down to that personal effort at that local building and within those communities that really matter." She says inconsistent messages create a problem, pointing out that the state's legal dropout age is 16 at a time when school accountability for higher graduation rates has been pushed to the forefront. Jeffrey adds that the State Department of Education has launched a new system giving students tracking numbers that are linked to community colleges to monitor the number of dropouts who eventually obtain their diplomas or a GED.
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Pilot Literacy Programs Work in Avoyelles, Other Districts
Alexandria Town Talk (04/06/09) Donica, Karina
According to a recent Picard Center for Child Development and Lifelong Learning report, Louisiana's K-12 Literacy Pilot program and Reading First program--which began in 2006--have helped boost students' standardized test scores. Reading scores for iLEAP rose to 55.7 percent from 50.4 percent, with fourth grade students' iLEAP scores rising from 56 percent to 63 percent and eighth grade students' iLEAP scores increasing to 51 percent from 49 percent. Louisiana Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek says, "We know that literacy is a fundamental component in successful student outcomes and in preventing students from dropping out, so we welcome conclusive evidence that shows we are not only improving student achievement but also spending our money wisely on these programs." The state hopes to reach a 95 percent goal for all third graders in the Reading First programs by 2019.
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Pa.: New Stats Better Gauge Student Achievement
Philadelphia Inquirer (04/06/09) Hardy, Dan
Pennsylvania is among the handful of states implementing systems to determine the number of schools meeting federal No Child Left Behind proficiency standards with statistical projections to gauge improvement in future years. Each student is given an identification number that allows them to be tracked from year to year, which experts says is a better way to measure school performance. Using the Pennsylvania Value-Added Assessment System, approximately 28 percent of schools that did not meet standards last year will achieve proficiency this year. According to State Education Secretary Gerald Zahorchak, "We now have a scientific method of projecting whether or not a school . . . will bring a grade or a group to proficiency. It's the power of a new way to look at data--to look at whether schools have really made and will be making progress with their students."
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Vote Set on R.I. Education Commissioner
Providence Business News (RI) (04/01/09) Baird, Susan A.
The Rhode Island Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education will vote to appoint Deborah A. Gist as the next state education commissioner, replacing current State Education Commissioner Peter McWalters. Gist formally was the District of Columbia's superintendent of education, whom U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan calls a strong and innovative leader. In Washington, D.C., Gist oversaw the merger of the State Education Office with multiple city agencies to become the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, founded the Hillsborough Reads literacy program in Florida, and taught for eight years in public elementary schools. Gist also served as a senior policy analyst in the U.S. Department of Education. Rhode Island Board of Regents Chair Robert G. Flanders Jr. says, "I have been greatly impressed by Ms. Gist’s energy and passion for reforming and improving education. Her commitment to raising the bar for all students and her diligence show me that she is an extremely hard-working person who will be a tireless reformer. I look forward to working with her as we continue on the journey of bringing all students to the high level of achievement that they will need to succeed in life." Gist is slated to assume the position on July 1.
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Tracking 'Cohorts'
Madison Messenger (04/02/09)
Tracking students from ninth grade to graduation can be tricky, especially if students transfer between high schools, districts, or states. However, the Virginia Department of Education plans to track students based upon their cohort status. When students enter the ninth grade, all of those students become a cohort for tracking purposes. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia I. Wright says, "Virginia educators and data administrators have spent countless hours tracking down former students and documenting their current status. This has been a particular challenge in divisions with highly mobile populations, including students who divide their time between Virginia and other countries and sometimes leave the state without notifying school officials of their plans." Under the new system--which tracked cohorts of students entering high school in 2004 through 2008, when they were expected to graduate--the numbers reveal a statewide matriculation rate of 82.1 percent.
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