[Ohiogift] Public Education NewsBlast — January 20, 2015

[Gifted and Talented in Ohio Discussion List]

           ?                January 20, 2015 - In This Issue:
       Arne stands firm
  The pyrrhic process of teaching to the test
  The problem with teacher-prep mandates
  What standards can't do
  Reading in third grade: a state-by-state policy breakdown
  Kindergarten is no place for reading standards
  Gauntlet thrown on NCLB
  A litmus test for choice
  BRIEFLY NOTED CALIFORNIA
  BRIEFLY NOTED
  GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
                                            Arne stands firm
With debates about the appropriate federal role in public education increasingly polarized, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan insists the administration will not back away from annual testing for students or performance evaluations of teachers based in part on test results, reports Motoko Rich for The New York Times. In a speech outlining the administration's priorities for revising NCLB, Duncan said, "parents, teachers, and students have both the right and the absolute need to know how much progress all students are making each year towards college- and career-readiness." President Obama's 2016 budget would request an additional $2.7 billion for the Education Department, including $1 billion for schools with high proportions of students in poverty. Duncan noted that any new education bill should include provisions for public preschool for all families who want it. "We don't have any kids where it's O.K. to throw them away," he said. Nineteen civil rights organizations, including the N.A.A.C.P., the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, echoed Duncan's call to retain annual testing as a way of gauging educational quality and equity, particularly for disadvantaged students. The Council of Chief State School Officers also called for a continued federal mandate of annual tests. More
 The pyrrhic process of teaching to the test
In the wake of dismal results on Virginia's state assessment for 2012-13, 3rd-grade teachers at Carlin Springs Elementary in Arlington, which serves a largely poor and Hispanic population, devised a strategy: six weeks of daily test-prep, computer tracking of student progress, and extra tutoring for students at risk of failing, report Moriah Balingit and T. Rees Shapiro for The Washington Post. It yielded remarkable results: While the rest of the school floundered, third-graders saw double-digit gains, with passage rates between 70 and 79 percent in every subject. Yet even as they celebrated, teachers felt uncertain about the educational value. This included Carlin Springs Principal Corina Coronel: "I don't think [testing] tells the whole story, and I don't think it shows you what kids know or do not know," she said. Like many schools across the country, Carlin Springs struggles with what role standardized testing must play in the classroom. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe made reforming the state's standardized tests a central piece of his education platform, and lawmakers in Virginia have already reduced the number of tests, so this year's third-graders will take half as many as their predecessors. For educators at Carlin Springs, the tests are a frustrating reality of modern teaching, in which year-long classroom efforts are reduced to scores and pass rates. More
The problem with teacher-prep mandates
A new report from the National Education Policy Center finds that proposed federal regulations that place new mandates on teacher-education programs would likely harm, rather than help, efforts to improve educational outcomes. The proposed Teacher Preparation Regulations, issued under Title II of the Higher Education Act, would require states to assess all teacher-preparation programs annually and rate them as "exceptional," "effective," "at-risk," or "low-performing," based in large part on an approach that attributes gains in student test scores to teachers, then attributes teacher "scores" to the teacher-education programs they attended. The regulations also would require states to offer technical assistance to programs rated "low-performing," which would?also risk losing state approval, state funding, and federal financial aid for students. The reviewer finds the draft regulations underestimate implementation costs. They would blame individual teachers -- rather than root systemic causes -- for the gap separating outcomes of affluent and white students from those of disadvantaged and/or minority students. The reviewer finds the regulations rely on narrow definitions of "readiness to teach," and will discourage teachers from working in high-needs schools. They may also limit access to the profession for prospective teachers of color and those from lower-income backgrounds by choking off federal financial aid. More
What standards can't do
As much as supporters emphasize their democratic origins, the Common Core math standards were essentially crafted by three men, writes Sarah Garland for The Hechinger Report. Some argue this has improved them. Backlash against them has annoyed and baffled their authors, who argue CCSS math has little fuzziness. Students must memorize times tables and be able to undertake "meat-and-potatoes" problems by third grade, for example -- requirements many so-called Common Core curricula ignore. One advisor to the CCSS process blames poor reception on bad -- and ubiquitous -- textbooks that publishers are reluctant to change. Regardless, public education still struggles to lift the academic achievement of disadvantaged students and American students in general. The drafters of the math standards now acknowledge better standards aren't enough; curricula must also change. For American public schooling to transform as it should, curricula, textbooks, and teaching must also transform. And that is the crux: As powerful in reshaping American classrooms as the standards could be, they don't include lesson plans, teaching methods, or alternative teaching strategies. Even as opponents cry federal overreach, the standards cannot ensure textbook publishers, test makers, superintendents, principals, and teachers will interpret them in ways that improve American public education. More
Reading in third grade: a state-by-state policy breakdown
A new report from the Education Commission of the States focuses on third-grade reading proficiency, highlighting policies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. State policymakers are very aware of the importance of reading at grade level by third grade, and in many states have advocated for policies aimed at three levers: identifying reading deficiencies through state or local assessments; interventions for struggling readers in grades K-3; and retaining outgoing third-graders who don't meet grade-level expectations. The report documents current statutory provisions specifically for these levers. Thirty-five states plus the District of Columbia require a reading assessment in at least one grade preK-3, with the primary purpose of identifying reading deficiencies via a mix of state-mandated and locally determined approaches. Thirty-one states plus D.C. require or recommend that districts offer some type of intervention or remediation for struggling readers for a preK-3 grade. Some states dictate specific interventions, while others let districts choose from a suggested list. Fourteen states plus D.C. require the retention of third grade students who do not meet grade-level expectations in reading, and three additional states allow student retention based on a recommendation from a teacher, parent, or superintendent. More
     Kindergarten is no place for reading standards
A new report from Defending Early Years finds that Common Core reading requirements for kindergarten are inappropriate and poorly grounded in research. Under the CCSS, students are expected to read before they enter first grade. The?report finds the pressure of implementing this standard leads many kindergarten teachers to inappropriately drill on specific skills and excessively test. Teacher-led instruction in kindergarten has almost entirely replaced the active, play-based experiential learning that children need based on decades of research in cognitive and developmental psychology and neuroscience. The report therefore calls for the withdrawal of kindergarten standards from the Common Core. High-quality, long-term research must be undertaken to identify which approaches in preschool and kindergarten best help children become fluent readers by fourth grade, particularly those living in poverty. A task force of early childhood educators should recommend developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive guidelines for supporting optimal learning from birth to age 8, and the use of high-stakes testing up to third grade must end, along with use of test scores for teacher evaluation and closing schools. Assessments should be based on observations of children, their development and learning. The report also calls for a high level of professionalism for all early childhood educators, and experienced teachers in low-income communities, accompanied by high-quality teacher preparation and ongoing professional development. More
Gauntlet thrown on NCLB
While stakeholder reaction to the NCLB discussion draft recently unveiled by Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., has been tempered, two important Democrats voiced early concerns, reports Lauren Camera in Education Week. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., ranking member of the Senate education committee and Alexander's potential sparring partner, said she was disappointed by the elimination of School Improvement Grants; inclusion of the possibility that states test in certain grades only; and the absence of language increasing access to early-childhood education. Murray, a Democrat, is in the minority in the new Senate, but will play a crucial role in reauthorization. The other key Democrat is President Barack Obama, who can veto legislation. To the extent that U.S. Secretary of?Education Arne Duncan speaks for the president, Alexander's draft gives him pause.?"I appreciate that Sen. Alexander plans to discuss his draft with colleagues and to solicit public feedback, but I also am concerned that his proposal makes optional far too much of what the law needs to ensure the promise of its title," Duncan said. "There is much we can debate in reauthorizing this law -- and areas for productive compromise -- but Congress must not abdicate its responsibility to help all children succeed, must protect our most vulnerable children, and must build on what we've learned about supporting bold state and local innovation." More
A litmus test for choice
A new report from the Education Research Alliance for New Orleans examines how parent school choice has changed in the 10 years during which the city has rebuilt following Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans presents an excellent case study for choice, since 86 percent of students attend a school other than that closest to them, and, since 2012, families have chosen schools by completing a universal application, the OneApp. The report finds low-income parents in particular demonstrate a strong preference for location and extracurriculars over academics. Parents of younger children also prefer extended hours and after-school programs. These patterns suggest choice by itself doesn't increase equity, since all New Orleans families had greater access to schools with higher test scores, but the lowest-income families were more constrained by circumstances in their ability to choose the highest-performing schools, which could explain why the competitive effects of market-based school reforms on student test scores have been mixed. The report also highlights the role of information in school choice, since the demand for easily measured school characteristics is highest in transition grades when families have less private information. Public policies also influence information available to all parents, which in turn may influence demand. More
          BRIEFLY NOTED CALIFORNIA
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Another reform on the?horizon
Gov. Jerry Brown's budget commits $10 million for improving the way California accredits teacher-preparation programs. More
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Punt
Gov. Jerry Brown has unveiled a far less substantial schools-facilities program than he had earlier signaled, pushing the larger policy debate off for another time.?More
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Seismic shift
A shift in policy around suspensions in LAUSD has led to an 89-percent decrease.?More
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New gig
John Deasy, former Los Angeles Unified School District superintendent, is joining the Broad Foundation.?More

          BRIEFLY NOTED?
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Majority poverty
For the first time in 50 years, a majority of U.S. public school students come from low-income families, according to a new analysis of 2013 federal data. More
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Not a moment too soon
Thirteen states and the District of Columbia began offering students dinner as part of a pilot program after the 2010 passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.?More
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AFT weighs in
The American Federation of Teachers wants Congress to keep annual testing -- but only for informational purposes, not to determine how teachers and schools are performing.?More
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Low for a high
After promising to boost education spending to a record high, Gov. Rick Scott has released a plan to spend $7,176 per student in 2015-16.?More
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Everybody freeze
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey announced a statewide hiring freeze and a proposal to get more money into classrooms in his state of the state.?More
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Thank god they cleared that up
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has given the OK for cupcakes to be given out at schools, saying the state has "abolished all rules and guidelines that would stop a parent from bringing cupcakes to school."?More
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Great expectations
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is promising an 85-percent graduation rate by 2019 if he's elected to a second term.?More
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Moment of truth
The West Virginia Board of Education is slated to reconsider changes made to its Next Generation Science Standards that made climate science more palatable to the coal industry.?More
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Impasse
Despite agreeing that Colorado tests its students too much, a state task force was unable to find places to cut tests other than in high school, a reflection of both stringent federal requirements and divergent views over the value of assessments.?More
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Minor change
Students who arrive in the U.S. during high school and are still learning English could now find it slightly easier to earn a diploma, thanks to a new change to New York State graduation requirements.?More
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Pricey
Florida Gov. Rick Scott is seeking $100 million for construction and maintenance of Florida's charter schools next year, a $25 million increase certain to spark another round of clashes in the legislature over education.?More
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Quick: Name the three branches of government
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has signed a bill making a high school diploma in the state contingent upon students passing the same test given to candidates for U.S. citizenship; the class of 2017 will be the first to have the new requirement.?More

          
GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES


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Fund for Teachers
Fund for Teachers enriches the personal and professional growth of teachers by recognizing and supporting them as they identify and pursue opportunities around the globe that will have the greatest impact on their practice, the academic lives of their students and on their school communities. Maximum award: $10,000 for teams; $5,000 for individuals. Eligibility: teachers preK-12 with at least three years' experience and who intend to return to the classroom the following year. Deadline: January 29, 2015. More
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Humane Society of the United States: National KIND Teacher Award
National Association for Humane and Environmental Education KIND Teacher Award recognizes an outstanding teacher who consistently incorporates humane and environmental education into his or her curriculum. Maximum award: recognition and?a packet of?grade-appropriate humane education materials. Eligibility: teachers K-6. Deadline: February 15, 2015.?More
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NABT: Outstanding New Biology Teacher Achievement Award

The National Association of Biology Teachers Outstanding New Biology Teacher Achievement Award recognizes outstanding by a "new" biology/life science instructor within his/her first three years of teaching (when nominated) who has developed an original and outstanding program or technique and made a contribution to the profession at the start of his/her career. Maximum award: a travel fellowship, microscope, recognition plaque to be presented at the NABT Professional Development Conference, and one year of complimentary membership to NABT. Eligibility: teachers grades 7-12. Deadline: March 15, 2015.?More
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NABT: The Ron Mardigian?Biotechnology Teaching Award
The?National Association of Biology Teachers Ron Mardigian?Biotechnology Teaching Award recognizes a teacher who demonstrates outstanding and creative teaching of biotechnology in the classroom. The award may be given for either a short-term series of activities or a long-term integration of biotechnology into the curriculum. The lessons must include active laboratory work and encompass major principles as well as processes of biotechnology. Criteria for selection include creativity, scientific accuracy and currency, quality of laboratory practice and safety, ease of replication, benefit to students and potential significance beyond the classroom. Maximum award: a recognition plaque to be presented at the NABT Professional Development Conference, one year of complimentary membership to NABT, and $1500 (up to $500 toward travel to the NABT Professional Development Conference and $1,000 in Bio-Rad materials). Eligibility: secondary school teachers Deadline: March 15, 2015.?More
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Quote of the Week:
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"Right now in Missouri and Massachusetts and Manhattan, men and women of every race are taking to the streets to demand justice. They are following the lessons of Dr. King, combating violence with nonviolence, brutality with spirituality." -- Senator Edward J. Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat. More


 

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