[Ohiogift] Public Education NewsBlast — Nov. 13, 2013

[Art Snyder]

                November 13, 2013 - In This Issue:
       NAEP results inch upward
  Unprecedented changes to special ed in St. Paul
  That charters and special ed report
  Exacerbating the charter debate in Texas
  Educate the whole child
  The data on homeless students, 2011-12
  They'll transfer, but will they raise student outcomes?
  Are states ready for career readiness?
  BRIEFLY NOTED CALIFORNIA
  BRIEFLY NOTED
  GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
                                            
NAEP results inch upward

Results from the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress show that 8th graders' average score rose 1 point in math and 3 points in reading on the test's 500-point scale, reports Catherine Gewertz in Education Week. Fourth graders gained 1 point in math, and had no gain in reading. Larger shares of students reached "proficient" in 2013, but numbers overall are still mediocre: In grade 4, only 42 percent of students are proficient in math and 35 percent proficient in reading. In grade 8, 36 percent are proficient in reading and math. Proficiency rates varied widely by race, ethnicity, gender, and income level. Fifty-one percent of Asian and 46 percent of white students reached proficiency in 4th grade reading, compared with 20 percent of Hispanic and 18 percent of black students. Forty-two percent of 8th grade girls read at or above proficient, versus 31 percent of boys. Only one quarter of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals reached proficiency in 4th grade math, compared with 59 percent of higher-income peers. In math, Hispanics improved 2 points at both grade levels but black achievement was flat. Asian math scores rose only in 8th grade, by 4 points. In reading, minority achievement was flat in the 4th grade, but in 8th, Asian students gained 5 points, Hispanic students gained 3 points, and black students gained 2 points. The rates at which some states exclude special education students and English language learners from NAEP testing continues to be an issue. More


 
Unprecedented changes to special ed in St. Paul

St. Paul Public Schools in Minnesota has closed most of its learning resource centers and placed students with emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD) in mainstream classes, reports Mila Koumpilova for the Twin Cities Pioneer Press. According to district leaders, special-needs learning centers had become increasingly isolated within host schools, classrooms where mostly black youth fell behind academically. Last year, an unusually high number (270) of students were in Level 3 behavioral and emotional disability programs (Level 4 being most restricted). Now, 20 percent of former learning-center students district-wide spend the entire day in mainstream classrooms, another 20 percent are primarily in resource rooms, and the remainder fall somewhere in between. But the teachers union and advocacy groups for children with special needs say some educators and families are struggling with the changes, and question if the district fully explained changes to stakeholders. Many educators lack the training and experience to meet specialized needs. Sue Abderholden of the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Minnesota said her organization recommends easing in students gradually, with the understanding that some kids do better in smaller, more supportive settings. Starting all EBD students in mainstream classrooms and revising their individualized plans accordingly strikes her as a "gross violation" of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. More



That charters and special ed report

A review by the National Education Policy Center of a report published jointly by the Manhattan Institute and the Center on Reinventing Public Education about special-education enrollment in charter schools finds flaws in that report's data, analysis, reasoning, and broader applicability to the charter-school sector. The report does confirm disparities in special-education enrollment in New York City between charter and traditional schools. The report also raises interesting issues about application and transfer patterns among families who opt for charters versus those who don't, and offers evidence that more research is needed to fully understand the scope and details of that gap. However, the reviewer finds the report neglects a review of related literature, and ignores alternate explanations for the statistical patterns found. Relying as it does on a restricted and non-representative set of data, the report has limited findings that can be generalized or conclusions that can be drawn. Significantly, it offers no evidence that the "counseling out" of families of special-needs children is minimal, nor does it answer why disparities persist -- a promise inherent in the report's title but not delivered. For these reasons, the reviewer finds the report fails to provide results that can inform policymakers. More


Exacerbating the charter debate in Texas 

The Basis and Great Heart schools opening in San Antonio signal a new kind of charter in Texas, reports Morgan Smith for The New York Times and The Texas Tribune. The schools offer focused academics in a collegiate atmosphere, and acknowledge they don't serve all students. Both are what Julian Vasquez Heilig of the University of Texas at Austin calls "à la carte schools": While tuition-free, they charge for uniforms, field trips, extracurricular activities, and athletics. Parents are encouraged to assist the schools financially through donations, and neither provides transportation. At the campuses that Great Hearts operates in Phoenix, 69 percent of its 7,000 students are white, and only two campuses participate in the federal free and reduced-price meals program. Of the 5,000 Basis students in Phoenix, Tucson, and Scottsdale, 12 percent are Hispanic and 2 percent black. Nashville, Tennessee denied Great Heart's charter application last year because of "serious and persistent questions about their definitions of excellence, and reliance on selectivity and mission-fit for success." In Texas, charters can exclude students based on disciplinary history, but cannot consider socioeconomics, race, or past academic performance. Yet this happens in practice when charters draw only the highest-achieving or most dedicated students from traditional public schools, or have prohibitive fees. Lack of remedial support and a rigorous curriculum also leads weaker students to not return. More


Educate the whole child

The latest Kids Count report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation uses a new analysis of the Early Childhood Longitudinal study, which tracked 13,000 children in kindergarten in 1998-99, to show that by third grade, only 36 percent were on-track in cognitive knowledge and skills, 56 percent in physical well-being, 70 percent in social and emotional growth, and 74 percent in school engagement. Only 19 percent of third-graders in families with income below 200 percent of the poverty level and 50 percent from families with income above it had age-appropriate cognitive skills, particularly if children of color: Just 14 percent of black children and 19 percent of Hispanic children were on track in cognitive development. For children to succeed, classroom learning must be integrated with other aspects of child development. To prepare all children for success, the report offers three broad policy recommendations: support parents so they can effectively care and provide for their children; increase access to high-quality birth-through-age-8 programs, beginning with investments that target low-income children; and develop comprehensive, integrated programs and data systems to address all aspects of children's development and to support their transition to elementary school.  More


     
The data on homeless students, 2011-12

The federal Department of Education has released new data for its Education for Homeless Children and Youths (EHCY) Program, which is designed to ensure that all homeless children and youth have equal access to public education by requiring states and districts to review and revise policies and regulations and remove barriers to enrollment, attendance, and academic achievement. Twenty-two percent of districts in the U.S. received a McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance subgrant in 2011-12, a 16 percent increase over a three-year period. In 2011-12, districts with and without subgrants reported 1,168,354 homeless students enrolled in school, a 10 percent increase from 2010-11 (1,065,794) and a 24 percent increase over the three-year period 2009-10 (939,903) to 2011-12. The number of students living in doubled-up and hotel/motel situations increased between 2010-11 and 2011-12, and the number of students whose primary nighttime residence was categorized as sheltered or unsheltered decreased. Of all homeless students in grades 3-8 in districts taking a state reading test, 51 percent (194,503) met or exceeded proficiency standards in reading in 2011-12. Of all homeless students grades 3-8 in districts taking a state mathematics test, 48 percent (185,851) met or exceeded proficiency standards in mathematics. And of all homeless students grades 3-8 in districts taking a state science test, 48 percent (71,703) met or exceeded proficiency standards in science in 2011-12. More



They'll transfer, but will they raise student outcomes?

A new report from the Institute of Education Sciences looks at a randomized experiment that tested whether selective transfer incentives -- incentives that move high-performing teachers to low-performing schools -- improve student test scores. The Talent Transfer Initiative was implemented in 10 districts in seven states. The highest-performing teachers in each district were identified and offered $20,000 in installments over a two-year period to transfer into and remain in designated schools with low average test scores. Eighty-eight percent of targeted vacancies were filled by high-performing teachers identified as candidates for transfer intervention. The report finds the initiative positively impacted test scores at the elementary level in reading and math each of two years after transfers, between 0.10 and 0.25 standard deviations relative to each student's state norms, the equivalent of 4 to 10 percentile points relative to all students in their state. There was no impact on student achievement at the middle school level. Retention rates for high-performing teachers who transferred were significantly greater during the payout period -- 93 versus 70 percent -- but after payments stopped, the difference between cumulative retention of high-performing teachers who transferred and their counterparts was not statistically significant. More


Are states ready for career readiness?

A new report from the Center on Education Policy offers a broad overview of state policies for defining career readiness and assessing technical skills since adoption of the Common Core. While 45 states report that they or their districts assess students for career readiness, just 14 states have established a definition of what it means to be career- or work-ready: Colorado, Delaware, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Dakota, and Virginia. Another 20 states are in the process of developing a definition. Survey respondents in just 11 states reported career-readiness assessments have been or are being aligned with the Common Core. Twenty states said it was too soon to know whether or how their career and technical assessments might change in response to the standards. Thirty-eight of responding states reported using these assessment results to meet federal accountability requirements for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act; 21 survey states use them for school accountability, and 19 use them for student accountability. Only four states permit students to substitute scores on career and technical assessments for scores on high school exit exams required for a diploma.  More


BRIEFLY NOTED CALIFORNIA
Still lousy
California students performed about the same in reading and math on this year's NAEP, ranking among the 10 lowest-performing states in the country. More
 
Lousier still
California ranks as the sixth least-affordable state for infant and toddler childcare and the 16th least-affordable for 4-year-old care. More
 
Meanwhile, in Sacramento
As schools compete for students and face pressure from parents to raise the academic bar, many large districts in the Sacramento region have added or pursued International Baccalaureate programs. More
 
Transparency looms, for better or worse
The LAUSD has lost a key round in a legal battle to keep the performance ratings of individual teachers confidential. More
 
And counting
With the addition of 104 schools and 49,174 students this fall, California's charter schools grew 10 percent to serve 519,000 students, or 8.4 percent of the state's 6.2 million K-12 students. More
 
Can't hurt
Mall developer Rick Caruso has pledged $5 million to expand an "ecosystem" of social and educational programs in Watts in South Los Angeles. More
BRIEFLY NOTED 
Bummer
Colorado voters emphatically rejected a $950 million tax increase and the school-funding revamp that came with it, handing Amendment 66 a resounding defeat. More
 
(Little) Rock bottom
Only 137 of Arkansas 1,055 schools met achievement goals this year. More
 
No holding back
The D.C. Council has given tentative approval to a bill intended to end social promotion in the District's public schools. More
 
Better late than never
In Michigan, several hundred community college dropouts were surprised to learn they had enough credits to qualify for an associate degree, as were ex-students who apparently didn't know they were just a few credits shy. More
 
Preparing our next generation of princesses and astronauts
Denver Public Schools is launching a new system that would begin monitoring students' preparation for college and career as early as kindergarten. More

GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES


NSTA/PASCO: STEM Educator Awards
The National Science Teachers Association PASCO STEM Educator awards recognize excellence and innovation in the field of STEM education at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels. Maximum award: $1,500 to cover travel expenses to attend the NSTA national conference and be part of a STEM share-a-thon workshop; a $1,000 monetary gift; a $2,000 certificate for PASCO scientific products; and recognition during the Awards Banquet at the NSTA national conference. Eligibility: K-12 STEM educators with a minimum of 3 years teaching experience in the STEM fields, who implement innovative inquiry-based, technology-infused STEM programs. Deadline: November 30, 2013.
 
NSTA: Ron Mardigian Memorial Biotechnology Explorer Award
The National Science Teachers Association Ron Mardigian Memorial Biotechnology Explorer Award recognizes an outstanding high school teacher who has made biotechnology learning accessible to the classroom. Maximum award: $1,000 towards expenses to attend the NSTA National Conference; $700 in Bio-Rad products; and recognition at the National Conference Awards Banquet. Eligibility: high school teachers. Deadline: November 30, 2013.
 
NEA: The Big Read
The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts to restore reading to the center of American culture by providing citizens with the opportunity to read and discuss a single book within their communities. The initiative includes innovative reading programs in selected cities and towns, comprehensive resources for discussing classic literature, and an extensive website providing comprehensive information on authors and their works. Maximum award: varies. Eligibility: literary organizations, libraries, and community organizations across the country. Deadline: January 28, 2014.
 
QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
"The students were preyed upon. They were absolutely targeted. It took us by surprise, but now we know." -- Angee Shaker, spokesperson for Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District in Ohio, where less than a week after iPads were handed out, more than a dozen students were mugged on the way home from school.

 
   
 
    
  

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