[Ohiogift] Public Education NewsBlast - May 21, 2013

Tue May 21 13:31:31 EDT 2013

                May 21, 2013 - In This Issue:
       Higher-achievement gaps
  [Blue] Engine for growth
  College counsel
  Off-track before they're even on
  Early grades: Assess with caution
  Can a test measure teacher preparedness?
  Winnowing charter enrollment
  Dire projections for NYC
  BRIEFLY NOTED
  GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Higher-achievement gaps
A new report from the Education Trust highlights progress and "sticking points" in moving low-income students and students of color to the highest levels of achievement. Reading and math trends on the NAEP indicate that the percentage of students nationally scoring at the "below-basic" level of performance has declined significantly, but though the number of white and higher-income students scoring at the "advanced" level has increased, less progress has been seen with students of color and low-income students; in other words, gaps at the advanced level have widened. Some schools are closing gaps at the high end by: examining their data and setting goals to move all students up a proficiency level; examining incorrect answers on prior-year exams to identify students' academic strengths and weaknesses, then devising an individualized plan for every student; disaggregating data by teacher on an ongoing basis, allowing teachers to see whether students in particular classrooms are grasping subject-specific content better than others; and then having teachers collaborate with colleagues to share instructional practices that work. Though these practices are an enormous undertaking, pursued together they are a comprehensive approach to addressing equity and excellence in our nation's classrooms. More

[Blue] Engine for growth
In a profile of the Blue Engine Program in The New York Times, David Bornstein writes that the program -- which recruits and places recent college graduates as full-time teaching assistants in high schools, helps teachers shift to a small-group classroom model with a ratio of one instructor for roughly every six students, uses data tracking to generate rapid feedback, and provides weekly instruction in "social cognition" classes -- has "seized the attention of educators and attracted notice from President Obama." Last year in participating schools, the number of students who met the "college-ready" standard -- scoring above 80 on their Regents exams in algebra, geometry, or English language arts -- nearly tripled, from 49 to 140. Katherine Callaghan, principal of the Bronx Leadership Academy II, says, "Blue Engine has moved a huge number of our students in a way that nothing else that we've ever tried has been able to do." Bornstein finds a "refreshing humility baked into" the Blue Engine model -- particularly in the core idea that teachers need more support to do what they are expected to do. Blue Engine's model is still in its early stages: While its overall trend is upward, considerable variation among classes remains. One thing limiting expansion and improved outcomes, according to Blue Engine founder Nick Ehrmann, is our current classroom model. "That model will be radically transformed over time," says Ehrmann. "It's going to become a combination of strong teachers at the center, new forms of human capital, and the right technologies. I don't think anyone knows what environments will be best for kids. We're in the process of inventing it right now." More

College counsel
A new report from the National Association of College Admission Counseling analyzes data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 to determine how high schools are helping students transition to post-secondary education. In 2009, 50 percent of all high schools had student-to-counselor ratios of more than 250 to one, with a larger median caseload for counselors at public schools than at private. Forty-eight percent of counselors asserted that helping students "prepare for post-secondary schooling" was their primary goal, though 13 percent agreed, "counselors in this school have given up on some students." Eighty percent of high schools required student career and/or education plans, with public schools more likely to require these; schools with higher four-year college-going rates were more likely to insist such plans had a parent's signature. Only 18 percent of ninth-grade students reported speaking with a counselor about college -- fewer than had spoken with a teacher, friends, mother, or father. This percentage did not differ by type of school or four-year college-going rate. Nevertheless, ninth-graders attending schools with a student body more than 50 percent black were more likely to have spoken with a counselor about college. The report recommends counselors devote more time to college readiness, selection, and applications, since doing so affects ninth-grader perceptions of college affordability. Counselors should also initiate discussions with ninth graders about college, since students who reported having them had greater odds of planning to take the SAT or ACT and enrolling in a bachelor's degree program. Finally, counselors must initiate discussions with parents about college. More

Off-track before they're even on
A new report from the National Center for Learning Disabilities finds that of the 2.2 million American students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD), only 68 percent graduate with a regular high school diploma. In Louisiana, Nevada, and South Carolina, more students with learning disabilities drop out than graduate. An examination of national policies finds that many schools make decisions as early as elementary school that take students off-track. States that offer multiple diplomas in particular can result in fewer students with SLD graduating. The Four-Year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) -- now required by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to be used by all states and reported for all student groups -- is a critical accountability tool for ensuring students with disabilities are on track to graduate. The report makes key recommendations at the federal and state level that include maintaining and improving current requirements for use of the ACGR, which should be analyzed by disability type for additional information; Congress and ED incorporating use of the ACGR into all monitoring and compliance activities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; states requiring evidence-based early-warning systems in all high schools with significant graduation-rate gaps between general education students and those with disabilities; states closely examining the impact of multiple diploma options, graduation requirements, and exit-exam policies; and finally, states eliminating policy decisions that early on put students on an alternate route to exiting high school. More

Early grades: Assess with caution
A report from the New America Foundation looks at the complex task of measuring student growth in pre-kindergarten through second grade. At this stage of life, children's developmental growth directly links to academic growth, so measures of student learning should account for how young children actually learn in order to obtain an accurate picture of teacher impact. Most states are using one or more of three approaches for early-grade evaluation: student-learning objectives, shared assessments, and shared attribution. The report recommends that in drafting PreK-3 evaluations, states account for specific attributes of teachers and reject "shared-attribution" measures from later grades as the sole measure of student growth. States must also pilot assessments and provide technical assistance to discover what measures are appropriate for young children, what skills should be measured, and how to measure them in accordance with developmentally appropriate guidelines. Beyond numeracy and literacy in PreK-3, evaluations must also gauge whether students are developing crucial skills in the other domains of learning. Since research is limited on the three common assessment approaches, states should proceed cautiously in designing or selecting assessments. The report also recommends aligning early-grade assessments with the Common Core State Standards. More

Can a test measure teacher preparedness?
In The Hechinger Report, Jackie Mader looks at the Performance Assessment for California Teachers (PACT), a teacher-preparation exit exam that was the model for a national exam, the edTPA, which at least 25 states are introducing. The multi-part PACT, which often takes a semester to complete and requires dozens of pages of essay reflections, tries to assess whether teacher-candidates can teach multiple learners in real classrooms. Supporters say it presents a complex picture of a candidate's strengths, weaknesses, and classroom readiness, but many stop short of saying the assessments are creating better teachers, or that passing the test signals teaching effectiveness. One study by Stanford University, which helped design the PACT, found that for each additional point an English Language Arts teacher scored on the exam, students averaged a gain of one percentile point per year on California standardized tests -- but the study only looked at 14 teachers and 259 students. Opponents say that preparation programs, and the state, are missing the point by relying on a test to determine if teachers are ready for the classroom. Ann Schulte of California State University, Chico says that preparation programs should focus on working with and assessing teacher candidates in the field so they receive frequent observations and feedback during their student-teaching experiences from those who know their classrooms and students. More

Winnowing charter enrollment
A new article from Kevin Welner of the National Education Policy Center examines ways that charter schools influence enrollment by discouraging students with a disfavored set of characteristics, such as those with special needs, low test scores, who are English learners, or poor. Originally published in The Teacher College Record, the article identifies 12 practices that generate differences in traditional public and charter school enrollment. The patterns are particularly stark considering that most at-risk charter students are disproportionately enrolled in a small subset of "mission-oriented" charters dedicated to serving that type of at-risk student. Welner's article builds on an earlier article by Stephanie Simon of Reuters, and lists the practices: 1) cultivating a niche identity; 2) being sited in an affluent neighborhood; 3) advertising to a particular population; 4) lengthy and complicated application processes; 5) requirements for documentation that may or may not be legal; 6) conditions placed on enrollment, such as a specific G.P.A., or parent contracts; 7) steering away unwanted students; 8) failing to offer specialized services; 9) counseling out struggling students; 10) threatening grade retention; 11) stringent discipline policies; and finally, 12) inaccessibility to populations with high mobility (i.e., impoverished students). More

Dire projections for NYC
Warning that the fate of New York City schools was "hanging in the balance," Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott suggested in a recent speech before 1,100 principals that the system could fall into disarray in the hands of a new mayor, writes Javier Hernández in The New York Times. In his latest salvo against Democrats running for mayor, Walcott said that chipping away at Mayor Michael Bloomberg's 11-year reform effort would be misguided. The Democratic candidates have vowed to reverse such signature Bloomberg policies as closing low-performing schools and providing space to charters. The Department of Education's chief academic officer, Shael Polakow-Suransky, also waded into the fray, urging principals to support efforts to overhaul the school system. Polakow-Suransky said he was so upset by the campaigning attacks that he called D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson for advice. According to Polakow-Suransky, Henderson offered a variation on an African proverb: "The elephants are going to be fighting, but don't forget to tend the grass." Though Walcott's remarks were a rallying cry before a friendly crowd, response was muted, Hernández reports. As for candidates, John Liu, currently city comptroller, said he was puzzled by Walcott's accusations of pandering to the teachers' union. "Candidates respond to complaints and concerns about the status quo," Liu said. More

BRIEFLY NOTED CALIFORNIA
Much needed
Gov. Jerry Brown has proposed a revised budget that would send an extra $2.9 billion to California schools as part of his education funding overhaul, including $1 billion in one-time funding to help districts implement more rigorous academic standards. More

Straight outta Compton
Parents and students have filed a federal lawsuit against the Compton school district alleging a pattern of abuse and racial profiling of Latinos by school police. More

Surgical strike
A group of parents appear ready to use the parent-trigger law to force the LAUSD to remove all administrators at a school, in particular the principal, while retaining its teachers. More

Whose race?
As election day looms for the remaining undecided seat for LAUSD's board, outside groups continue to pour money into the race on behalf of political newcomer Antonio Sanchez. More

 BRIEFLY NOTED

Counter attack
The Chicago Teachers' Union has filed two complaints in federal court to stop the city from closing 53 elementary schools, arguing the closures disproportionately affect African-American students and cause great harm to special education students. More

Blended dollars
Microsoft has donated $1 million to help D.C. teachers redesign their classrooms using a "blended learning" approach that combines online learning with face-to-face instruction. More

Access is power
A recent change in the federal law governing access to student test scores is giving more information to tribal nations, which should boost efforts to improve the educational opportunities for their children, who often live in rural areas. More

Throwing out the MAP
Teachers protesting the Measures of Academic Progress tests in Seattle won a big victory when Superintendent José Banda announced that high schools don't have to give the tests after this spring. More

Problems at their Core
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has signed an executive order that places restrictions on the Common Core State Standards, which have faced growing opposition in recent months by Tea Party and conservative groups. More

Estimable action
Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval is proposing to allocate $60.5 million in increased tax revenue to public education priorities, upping the total added spending to K-12 in the new budget to $484 million. More

Exposed
An experiment by Massachusetts education officials to better manage student records and software teaching tools has privacy advocates concerned it could expose the private information of thousands of schoolchildren to hackers and identity thieves. More

Fair bet
The ACT college admissions exam is going digital in 2015, and its creators fully expect bumps along the way. More

Help wanted
Schools chiefs or interim superintendents will be leaving this year or next in at least 17 well-known districts, including Baltimore; Boston; Clark County, Nev.; Indianapolis; and Wake County, N.C. More

GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

State Farm/YSA: Good Neighbor Grants
State Farm and Youth Service America are offering grants for programs enhancing student achievement through service learning. Maximum award: $1,500. Eligibility: K-12 public schools in all 50 US states, the District of Columbia, and in the Canadian provinces of Ontario, New Brunswick, and Alberta. Deadline: June 23, 2013.

NCLF: Toyota Family Learning Initiative
Through the Toyota Family Learning initiative, the National Center for Family Literacy will award three-year grants to implement services that engage families in learning together, mentoring other families in learning together, and family service learning projects. Priority will be given to projects that adapt existing family engagement in education programs to include the implementation of family mentoring and service learning components, including interactive literacy activities between parents and children, training for parents to be the primary teacher for their children and full partners in the education of their children, families mentoring other families to learn together and participate, and family service learning through projects and the sharing of those projects, activities, and experiences on the Toyota Family Learning community website. Maximum award: $175,000, as well as a wide range of NCFL training and communications support. Eligibility: schools (traditional public and charter), community-based organizations, libraries, and other organizations that provide family-focused educational services for parents, grandparents, and/or legal guardians and their children ranging in age from 4 to 18 and serve a high percentage of minority populations and/or low-income families in two or three separate sites. Deadline: June 24, 2013.

ASIS&T/ Thomson Reuters: Outstanding Information Science Teacher Award
The Thomson Reuters Outstanding Information Science Teacher Award recognizes the unique teaching contribution of an individual as a teacher of information science. Maximum award: $1,000; $500 towards travel or other expenses to the grant recipient, contingent upon the recipient's attending the ASIS&T annual meeting. Eligibility: individuals directly engaged in teaching some aspect of information science on a continuing basis, in an academic or a non-academic setting; nominees need not be associated with an educational institution; however, teaching information science must represent a significant work responsibility although it need not occur within the traditional classroom. Deadline: July 1, 2013.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Some people have suddenly discovered that they might need a few people with at least faint Republican credentials besides [former Florida Gov.] Jeb Bush to say that the Common Core is a good thing." -- Chester E. Finn Jr., president of the pro-Common-Core Thomas B. Fordham Institute. 

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