[Ohiogift] PEN Weekly NewsBlast - Dec. 21, 2012

[Art Snyder]

 Public Education Network Weekly NewsBlast
  "Public  Involvement. Public Education. Public Benefit."
  Dec. 21, 2012
  
  FROM THE EDITOR
  This will be the last edition of NewsBlast. The publisher of NewsBlast,  Public Education Network, is closing its doors on Dec. 31, 2012. NewsBlast  was founded in the mid-’90s with the purpose of keeping the education reform  community informed. On a weekly basis, we have reached 250,000 education  reform leaders, professionals, and interested readers with the latest in  education reports and news. We believe we have been a valuable voice in the  education reform world. Thank you for your feedback and contributions over  the years. We wish you Happy Holidays and a productive New Year and beyond,  in which our nation sees true education reform and a focus on the most underserved  students.
  
  Once off-track, much harder to get back on
  A new study from ACT focuses on the extent to which students who are  academically far-off-track for college can catch up within four years.  Researchers examined multiple cohorts of eighth-grade students whose EXPLORE  (a test administered by ACT) scores were more than one standard deviation  below benchmark scores associated with being on-track. Ten percent or fewer  students who were far-off-track in the eighth grade attained ACT College  Readiness Benchmarks by 12th grade. A separate analysis using state test  scores for students in grade four and their EXPLORE scores in grade eight  obtained similar results. For both fourth and eighth grade cohorts, the  overall percentage of students catching up was lower in high-poverty schools.  Even at more successful high-poverty high schools, fewer than 20 percent of  far-off-track eighth graders attained College Readiness Benchmarks by 12th  grade. These results indicate policymakers must emphasize prevention over  remediation. Prevention strategies should be conceived more broadly -- for  example, giving every student access to a content- and vocabulary-rich  curriculum in the early years, or implementing programs and strategies that  improve student attendance and academic behaviors. Efforts to close academic  preparation gaps should begin as early as possible, be more intensive, and  take as long as necessary. Based on the study's results, policymakers should  not assume that rapid catching up is possible if only educators try harder.
  See the report: http://www.act.org/research-policy/policy-publications/
  
  A better gauge
  The National Assessment of Educational Progress is building a comprehensive  new way to gauge socioeconomic status in order to measure how it affects  academic achievement, reports Sarah Sparks in Education Week. For decades,  the proxy for socioeconomic status for most federal education and  child-health programs has been eligibility for subsidized meals under the  National School Lunch Program. Yet food-aid eligibility gives an incomplete  picture of students in poverty, gives no information about students who don't  qualify, and notoriously under-represents students as they get older and more  self-conscious about applying for free or reduced-price lunch. The updated  measure will assess broader resources and learning supports, such as family  income, parental educational attainment, and parental employment. This year's  NAEP included new background questions, including how long a child has lived  in the United States,  how many family members live with a child, and how many adults in the home  have a job. The student survey will still include questions about home  possessions related to student achievement, such as access to the Internet  and number of books in the home. The board is considering measuring other  indicators that could highlight differences between students living at the  same income level in different areas. Indicators of school and neighborhood  supports also may be pulled from administrative data and the Census Bureau,  such as neighborhood degree of concentrated poverty or linguistic isolation,  average educational attainment, and employment levels.
  Read more: http://tinyurl.com/cvmagdr
  
  No metric for intangibles
  New research finds that measuring principal effectiveness using student test  scores is more difficult than anticipated, reports Jackie Zubrzycki in  Education Week. The task of evaluation poses a number of questions. For  instance, should principals be evaluated based on the performance of teachers  they didn't hire? Should they be measured for their immediate impact, or for  growth over time? How can we compare one principal to another working in an  entirely different school or district context? The new research from Stanford  University proposes and examines three broad approaches in using test scores  to evaluate principals, adjusting, in each case, for the background  characteristics of students that might affect academic performance: tying  principal performance directly to school performance ("school  effectiveness"); comparing different principals' performance at the same  school ("relative within-school effectiveness"); or examining  growth in student achievement over a principal's tenure ("school  improvement"). In the end, researchers found none of these methods to be  satisfactory. The study cautions that it's important to think about what  various measures can and cannot reveal about the specific contribution of a  principal, and to recognize that none of these are a clear indicator of  principals' specific contributions to student test-score growth.
  Read more: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/District_Dossier/2012/12/do_students_test_scores_reveal.html
  
  Politically expedient, fiscally untenable
  A new report on state teacher-pension policy by the National Council on  Teacher Quality finds the structure of teacher pensions in the United States  untenable: These systems are not only costly to states, districts, and  taxpayers, but retirement benefits are being squeezed and distributed  unfairly. The report assesses teacher-pension systems in 50 states and the District of Columbia,  detailing the pension-policy landscape, and finds pension systems to be  underfunded by $390 billion. Most retirement eligibility rules are  burdensome, unfair, and allow teachers to retire relatively young with full  benefits. The report recommends that every state offer teachers a flexible  and portable defined-contribution pension plan. Formulas for determining  benefits should preserve incentives for teachers to continue working until  conventional retirement ages. States should ensure that teachers vest no  later than the third year of employment; have the option of a lump-sum  rollover to a personal retirement account upon termination of employment that  includes teacher contributions and accrued interest at a fair rate; have  options for withdrawal from either defined-benefit or defined-contribution  plans that include funds contributed by the employer; and purchase time for previous  teaching experience and leaves of absence.
  See the report: http://www.nctq.org/p/publications/reports.jsp
  
  Needed: transparency in choice
  A new research brief from the National Education Policy Center looks at  issues surrounding public funding of alternatives to conventional public  schools, and calls for a new level of scrutiny regarding the structure,  level, and conditions of these subsidies. School choice in the United States  takes various forms: charter schools, conventional vouchers, neovouchers,  magnet schools, open enrollment, and across-district choice. Private  schooling and home schooling claim public support through tax benefits and  partial enrollments. The report recommends all schools receiving public  funding -- regardless of type -- should operate using a uniform chart of  accounts, spending, and revenue definitions. Finances must be subject to  regular and public audit, and since each type of school choice -- cyber  schools, home schools, elementary, pre-schools, high schools, etc. -- has  cost-profile differences, each requires separate finance projections, with  comparable costs established using comparable schools. Regional cost factors  may be indicated, particularly in states with large cost-of-living  differences, and facility, transportation, and administrative costs must be  separately analyzed. Rules and laws must guard against malfeasance and place  appropriate limits on profits and salaries of those running schools and  management corporations. All sources of revenue -- public and private --  should be considered in calculations to determine a fair level of public  funding. Finally, the interactions of various policies must also be analyzed  for unintended consequences.
  See the report: http://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/options
  
  What price charters?
  A new report from the National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education  examines the fiscal impacts of charter schools on district budgets by looking  at their effects in two New    York State  districts. In Albany, 20 percent of public  school students attend charters; in Buffalo,  17 percent. Over the past two decades, the school-age population in Albany has remained stagnant, and has declined in Buffalo. New York State requires that districts pay  charters a per-pupil amount equal to that spent by traditional schools. Using  fiscal data from the 2009-10 school year, the authors categorize all district  expenses as fixed or variable. The net burden that charter enrollments impose  is the sum of per-pupil amounts paid to charters minus district costs  classified as transferable and minus state aid for each charter student  residing in the district. Albany's charters  impose a burden of between $883 and $1,070 for each student enrolled, and Buffalo's charters cost  between $633 and $744 per pupil. Since New York  gives districts transitional aid for each student who transfers to a charter,  negative impacts are reduced between 65 and 88 percent in Albany  and 19 and 22 percent in Buffalo.  This suggests that unless districts find a way to reduce fixed costs, they  must reduce service levels or increase taxes as a result of charter  enrollments. The authors conclude with policy recommendations that could  reduce costs duplicated across sectors and thereby ease the financial burden  on districts.
  See the report: http://www.ncspe.org/list-papers.php?utm_source=op+213&utm_campaign=OP+213&utm_medium=email
  
  Into the Digital Age
  A new report from the National Association of State Boards of Education  addresses how states can ensure schools are ready for the impacts of rapid  technological change on the processes of teaching and learning. The study  also examines how educational technologies intersect with other reforms like  the Common Core, newer data systems, next-generation assessments, and virtual  courses and schools. The report recommends that boards examine the  opportunities, incentives, or barriers in place that enhance or inhibit  districts' ability to partner and share resources, and determine which  policies allow or inhibit online, virtual, and blended learning  opportunities. States must also reexamine the school calendar to create  flexibility for students to learn through alternative means. State boards, in  collaboration with licensing boards and program accreditation committees,  should ensure teacher candidates have fundamental skills and content  knowledge to teach students in a 21st-century environment and can use student  data to personalize instruction. Teacher candidates need robust clinical  experiences that incorporate technology and online learning, and professional  development must sustain this. States must also ensure every student has  adequate access to a computing device and the Internet at school and home,  with sufficient human capital in schools to support effective use. Finally,  states and districts must assess the interoperability of devices, software,  and data.
  See the report: http://nasbe.org/study-group/technology-study-group-2012/
  Related: http://www.edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2012/12/24-ed-tech-terms-you-should-know
  
  Towards Digital Literacy
  Common Sense Media has released Digital Passport, a free, web-based tool to  help educators prepare students from grades 3 to 5 to use online and mobile  technologies. Based on lessons from Common Sense Media's K-12 Digital  Literacy and Citizenship Curriculum, the tool addresses issues kids face  online -- safety and security, cyberbullying, privacy, responsible cell phone  use, and respecting creative work -- and leverages a blended-learning model  of classroom instruction with online videos and games extensively tested in  implementation sites in seven regions across the country. Additionally,  Digital Passport's modules align to the ISTE NETS standards and Common Core  State Standards for English Language Arts. Public schools in Chicago,  Denver, New York  City, and Omaha, as well as schools in Maine and California,  have committed to using Digital Passport this academic year.
  Read more: http://tinyurl.com/blwqmyz
  
  Waivers and ELLs
  A new guide from the American Institutes of Research is designed for state  and district leaders, who play a key role in ensuring that ELLs graduate from  high school well-prepared for college and careers. The guide summarizes the  ELL-relevant information in 34 approved state applications for ESEA waivers,  and focuses on implementation of reforms related to ELLs across three  principles in waiver requirements: 1) college- and career-ready expectations  for all students; 2) differentiated recognition, accountability, and support  systems; and 3) effective instruction and leadership. The guide includes  requirements for each principle related to ELLs in the flexibility waivers;  descriptions of how the plans addressed ELLs; considerations for  research-based enhancements to current policy and practice; and examples of  state and district innovations for ELLs related to waiver provisions. The  gaps in achievement between ELLs and their English-proficient peers continue  to be a problem. As growth of the ELL population continues to outpace the  growth of the PK–12 population, and ELLs continue to score poorly across  content areas, it will be important for states to fully consider ELLs when  implementing reform plans.
  See the guide: http://www.air.org/reports-products/index.cfm?fa=viewContent&content_id=2181
  
  BRIEFLY NOTED
  
  Least gun-friendly cabinet member, according to the NRA
  U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has been tapped -- along with other  cabinet officials -- to serve on a White House task force that will examine  gun violence, mental health services, and other policies related to the  massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut last week.
  http://tinyurl.com/bwsbdpb
  
  It all adds up
  Missing even a few days of school seems to make a difference in whether 8th  graders perform at the top of their game, according to a new analysis of  results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
  http://tinyurl.com/abrlrxt
  
  Pleasant surprise
  Implementing the new Common Core State Standards in reading and math will  cost Kansas school districts significantly less over the next five years than  expected, according to a state legislative audit.
  http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2012/dec/13/audit-finds-minimal-costs-waiver-and-common-core-s/
  
  Getting in on the act
  The American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association  are working to develop tools to help implement the Common Core State  Standards, underwritten by a grant of $11 million from the Leona M. and Harry  B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.
  http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2012/12/nea_aft_to_build_common-core_w.html
  
  Narrowing the field
  The U.S. Department of Education is revamping its Investing in Innovation  (i3) grant program by having all applicants work to address one of 10 new  priorities.
  http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2012/12/us_education_department_propos.html
  
  Probably not for long
  Investors in the gun industry include one group that now stands out  conspicuously: public school teachers, via their pension funds.
  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/17/gun-company-investors-teachers-_n_2319064.html
  
  GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
  
  Independent Sector: The John W. Gardner Leadership Award
  The John W. Gardner Leadership Award honors visionaries who have empowered  constituencies, strengthened participation, and inspired movements. Award  recipients are builders -- people who, apart from personal achievements, have  raised the capacity of others to advance the common good. Their leadership  has either had national or international impact or, if at the regional level,  has attracted wide recognition and imitation. Maximum award: $10,000.  Eligibility: Gardner  Award recipients may be of any age, may be the creators of needed  institutions or may concentrate on education and advocacy that changes public  opinion. Deadline: January 31, 2013.
  http://www.independentsector.org/about/gardneraward.htm
  
  National Council of Teachers of English: Edwyna Wheadon  Postgraduate Training Scholarship
  Edwyna Wheadon Postgraduate Training Scholarship provides funding for  professional development experiences for English/Language Arts teachers in  public educational institutions, to enhance teaching skills and/or career  development in teaching. Maximum award: $500. Eligibility: teachers of  English/Language Arts in a publicly funded institution. Deadline: January 31,  2013.
  http://www.ncte.org/second/awards/wheadon
  
  American Academy of Dermatology: Shade Structure Program
  The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Shade Structure Program gives  grants for the purchase of permanent shade structures designed to provide  shade and ultraviolet (UV) ray protection for outdoor areas. AAD also  provides a permanent sign to be displayed near the shade structure that  promotes the importance of sun safety. Maximum award: $8,000. Eligibility:  nonprofit organization or public schools that primarily serve children and  teens 18 and younger; demonstrate an ongoing commitment to sun safety and  skin cancer awareness by having a sun safety/skin cancer awareness program in  place for at least one year prior to application; and are sponsored by an AAD  member dermatologist. Deadline: February 1, 2013.
  http://www.aad.org/public/sun/grants.html
  
  QUOTE OF THE WEEK
  
  "We're going to take a look at what happened [in Newtown] and what can  be done to help avoid it in the future, but gun control is not going to be  something that I would support." -- Representative Robert W. Goodlatte,  Republican from Virginia and incoming chairman of the House Judiciary  Committee.
  http://tinyurl.com/ce7g7xb


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