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Association & Related News
CCSSO Releases New 50-State Report on Policies for PK-12 Education
Advocacy in Action
U.S. Department of Education Proposes $41 Million Increase in Administration Funding Cap for Title I, Part A and IDEA
Education Newsbriefs
"State Education Chief Outlines New Vision for Schools" (CT)
"Markell Signs Education Reforms Bills Into Law" (DE)
"Defense Department Grant Will Help Craven Students With Reading" (DoDEA)
"New State Education Commissioner Embraces Web, Launches Blog" (KY)
"Nearly All of N.J. Public School Teachers Are 'Highly Qualified'" (NJ)
"Active School Grant Recipients Announced for 2009-2010 School Year" (PA)
Association & Related News
CCSSO Releases New 50-State Report on Policies for PK-12 Education
By Lauren Stillman
CCSSO announces the release of Key State Education Policies on PK-12 Education. The report informs policymakers and educators about the current status and trends in policies across the 50 states that define teaching and learning in elementary and secondary schools.
The CCSSO report, produced biennially, covers key areas of state policy defined both by state initiatives and state actions to meet requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The areas reported are: time and attendance policies, high school graduation, curriculum and standards for learning, teacher preparation and licensure, and student assessment. Following these areas are summary data across 50 states on key areas of policy graduation requirements and student assessments.
The report covers a number of other policy areas for the states. Summary tables are a convenient resource of information, including: policies regarding length of school year and school year start date, year-round schooling, advanced diploma requirements, alignment of textbooks with state content standards, alignment of professional development with state content standards, and standards for teacher licensure renewal/recertification.
The Council began tracking and reporting key state education policies and statistical indicators for all states in the 1980s, and trends for key policy indicators by state have been analyzed for over two decades. The state policy information in this report was collected, updated, and reviewed during late 2008 and early 2009 through the excellent support and cooperation of the chiefs and their state education agency staff. The primary goal of providing these education indicators is to assist national, state, and local policymakers and leaders in making informed decisions.
For more information about Key State Education Policies on PK-12 Education, please contact Lauren Stillman at lstillman@ccsso.org. To view the full report on CCSSO’s website, click here.
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Advocacy in Action
U.S. Department of Education Proposes $41 Million Increase in Administration Funding Cap for Title I, Part A and IDEA
On August 17, the U.S. Department of Education published a notice in the Federal Register proposing a $41 million expansion of the funds states are allowed to use for administering Title I, Part A and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This notice is in response to the significant influx of state responsibility and obligation that came along with the $21 billion increase in funding for these programs through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Currently, the amount of funds that states can spend on administration of Title I, Part A and IDEA is capped and does not take into account the additional burden states are undertaking to administer and monitor the ARRA funds. Public comments on this notice are due by September 16, 2009. To view the Federal Register notice, click here.
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Education Newsbriefs
State Education Chief Outlines New Vision for Schools
Hartford Courant (CT) (08/19/09) Merritt, Grace E.
At the annual back-to-school address for Connecticut school superintendents, State Education Commissioner Mark K. McQuillan outlined his plan to use $200 million in stimulus money to reform the high school curriculum, enhance preschool instruction, and restructure school districts as part of an urban initiative. The plan aims to improve student achievement and close the achievement gap. Half of the funds would be applied to a partnership initiative among four to six urban school districts, while the remainder would be provided to school districts participating in reform efforts and early childhood instruction. Reform possibilities include a senior project and math and language arts labs. Moreover, grants would be provided to broaden preschool instruction to build literacy and socialization skills. McQuillan says improvements should help English-language learners, improve literacy, and incorporate technology into the classroom.
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Markell Signs Education Reforms Bills Into Law
Sussex Countian (08/13/2009)
Delaware Education Secretary Lillian Lowery supports the three education reform bills recently signed into law by Gov. Jack Markell. Senate Bill 68 replaces the Delaware Student Testing Program with one that measures student achievement over a school year, and Senate Bill 151 will provide federal economic stimulus funds to high-performing schools as an incentive for closing achievement gaps. Meanwhile, House Bill 119 gives local schools and districts more flexibility with regard to financial and other decisions in exchange for enhanced accountability. Among other things, school districts will have until Sept. 1 to post their check registers, and they will be required to provide quarterly updates. According to Lowery, "These three bills will collectively provide the gateway to improved efficiencies and operational management in our districts and schools. The flexibility and incentives made possible through this legislation will have a beneficial impact on our educational system."
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Defense Department Grant Will Help Craven Students With Reading
ENCToday.com (08/13/09) Book, Sue
A $1.5 million grant from the Department of Defense will enable the Craven County Schools District in North Carolina to offer an innovative pilot reading program to 14 schools serving students whose parents are in the military and are stationed at Cherry Point, Camp Lejeune, and New River Air Station. The school district is using Scientific Learning's Fast Forward program to help students develop cognitive skills that lay the foundation for reading success throughout their years in public school. According to Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) director Dr. Shirley Miles, "This is the first year DoDEA has been able to execute our grant program. It's very gratifying to be able to offer assistance to the schools that are educating our military's children. We are looking forward to seeing how the districts implement the programs they've developed." For more information on the Fast Forward reading program, click here.
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New State Education Commissioner Embraces Web, Launches Blog
Lexington Herald-Leader (KY) (08/17/09) Warren, Jim
Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday has rolled out "Doc H's Blog," where he will provide "insight, information [and] thoughts and concerns" about education issues statewide. He plans to post as often as possible, hopefully at least once a week, according to state Department of Education spokeswoman Lisa Gross. When named state education commissioner in July, Holliday said he would keep in touch with state residents through social networking sites, and he also maintains Twitter and Facebook accounts. To read Doc H's blog, click here.
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Nearly All of N.J. Public School Teachers Are 'Highly Qualified'
Newark Star-Ledger (NJ) (08/19/09) Rundquist, Jeanette
A survey of close to 88,000 teachers in 10 content areas by the New Jersey Department of Education reveals that 99.7 percent are qualified in the subjects they teach and that 99.1 percent of classes in high-poverty schools are taught by highly qualified teachers. According to State Education Commissioner Lucille Davy, "It tells us the vast majority of our teachers hold the credentials we expect them to hold. Today we can proudly say we are mere fractions of one percentage point away from an across-the-board HQT rate of 100 percent. That being said, there are other things that go into the determination of teacher effectiveness and quality. That, I think, becomes the next level."
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Active School Grant Recipients Announced for 2009-2010 School Year
PRNewswire (08/20/09)
In Pennsylvania, 40 middle schools will receive Active Schools grants for the 2009-10 school year to help implement evidence-based physical activity programs in an effort to curtail childhood obesity rates. These programs would meet federal guidelines for moderate to vigorous daily physical activity, which state that children between the ages of 6 and 17 should be physically active for at least one hour per day. The state Department of Health will give each school a $5,000 grant through the federal Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant, and another $10,000 will be given to each school from a local organization, such as Highmark, Capitol Blue Cross, Independence Blue Cross, Blue Cross of Northeast Pennsylvania, and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Health Plan. According to State Education Secretary Gerald Zahorchak, "Schools are ideal settings to increase physical activity. New studies document the strong relationship of physical fitness to school attendance and academic performance. The research also suggests that dedicating more time for physical activity does not hinder academic performance, and may actually improve cognitive function and attention in the classroom." To view a list of schools receiving grant money, click here.
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