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<div>January 22, 2014 - In This Issue:</div>
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<tbody><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;border-bottom:2px dotted #8c8d8d;border-color:#8c8d8d;padding:7px 0px 7px 0px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" valign="top">
<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38289-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27577874&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK17">Resolution, of sorts, in Little Rock</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;border-bottom:2px dotted #8c8d8d;border-color:#8c8d8d;padding:7px 0px 7px 0px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" valign="top">
<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38289-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27577874&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK45">Unhealthy America</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;border-bottom:2px dotted #8c8d8d;border-color:#8c8d8d;padding:7px 0px 7px 0px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" valign="top">
<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38289-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27577874&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK44">School reform nationally, per StudentsFirst</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;border-bottom:2px dotted #8c8d8d;border-color:#8c8d8d;padding:7px 0px 7px 0px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" valign="top">
<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38289-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27577874&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK43">The community-engagement model in action</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;border-bottom:2px dotted #8c8d8d;border-color:#8c8d8d;padding:7px 0px 7px 0px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" valign="top">
<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38289-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27577874&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK42">Cities move on pre-k</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38289-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27577874&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK53">Slow but steady increase in full-day kindergarten</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38289-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27577874&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK55">High school sophomores, 10 years on</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38289-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27577874&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK54">Early College high schools and college-going (update)</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;border-bottom:2px dotted #8c8d8d;border-color:#8c8d8d;padding:7px 0px 7px 0px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" valign="top">
<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38289-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27577874&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK46">BRIEFLY NOTED CALIFORNIA</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38289-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27577874&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK60">BRIEFLY NOTED</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38289-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27577874&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK19">GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES</a></div>
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<div>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b>Resolution, of sorts, in Little Rock</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A federal judge has
given final approval to a legal settlement that allows Arkansas to phase
out payments of millions of dollars to three districts for
desegregation efforts, ending a court battle lasting three decades,
reports Campbell Robertson in The New York Times. The case resonated in a
city where President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent federal troops to
protect nine black students trying to attend Central High School in
September 1957. The case can be traced to that time, though its lineage
is complicated by different lawsuits, expanding groups of plaintiffs and
defendants, and changes in remedies sought. In some form or other,
Little Rock has undergone federal desegregation litigation for nearly 60
years. The major parties involved -- Little Rock, North Little Rock,
and Pulaski County districts; the state; and a group representing black
students and parents in the districts -- had already agreed on the terms
of the settlement, a consensus that's been elusive since the lawsuit
was filed in 1982. Under the settlement, the state will continue to pay
$65.8 million annually through 2017-18, in addition to resolving other
issues that bear on racial balance in the schools, such as permission
for formation of a new district and an agreed-upon end to legal
challenges to charter schools. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001_0P6KdtIpZZKJI1xlbY_BoS_YUCdG94SINcQ3FXjD61Zh5Hd2-KlUUFO1uI8QxAI0JKeaZtQkC1YsGRojsRg5zs6rXFXIpwDpwnidnQTqrqXlNYWDlUu0MtKGW_3wWouLvJyCqhdnIBpYgRkFvlU2Xrxr6PPkrzbg8Bthir9uo7PUyD9nTnJi8Cm8du_r21jLfomV601Ehz7nqavmJYe-r_mBWA95sF0RLeRP6nPPtY=" shape="rect">More</a></div>
</span></div>
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<div>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Unhealthy America</div>
</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">A
new report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation examines the complex
issues underlying profound differences in the health of Americans, and
recommends that as a nation, we prioritize investment in America's
youngest children, significantly shifting spending and major initiatives
to ensure families and communities build a strong foundation in the
early years. This includes creating stronger standards for early
childhood programs, linking funding to program quality, and guaranteeing
access for all low-income children under age 5 by 2025. We also must
help parents who struggle to provide healthy, nurturing experiences for
their children, and fundamentally change how we revitalize
neighborhoods, fully integrating health into community development by
supporting and speeding the integration of finance, health, and
community development. We must establish incentives and performance
measures to spur collaborative approaches to building healthy and
resilient communities, and replicate promising, integrated models. And
we must take a more health-focused approach to health-care financing and
delivery, broadening mindset, mission, and incentives for health
professionals and institutions beyond treating illness toward
facilitating healthy lives. We must adopt new "vital signs" to assess
nonmedical indicators for health, and create incentives tied to
reimbursement for health professionals and institutions to address
nonmedical factors affecting health. Finally, we must incorporate
nonmedical health measures into community health-needs assessments. </span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001_0P6KdtIpZap3Y-UytoJSP0LDF7D16S1M6F-oxk2HYAyBNdOkiZVTCopOhxb9o16djxA3HSxH-odC4iIf4fCKy7GmRGid7F75wZBvC9e-jDMMRxU_nHv29EGkYMakAT8CVsQYJ0LrbOUyjzUBdVeOgWvPWgp8EbCVeFDYxO6NExTsRLIaQhQzomLeciEHTu6">More</a></div>
</div>
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<div>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">School reform nationally, per StudentsFirst</div>
</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>A
new report from StudentsFirst finds the nation as a whole and many
states improved education policies this year, but the majority received
poor grades in terms of implementing policies the organization feels
improve academic growth. StudentsFirst used a rubric for 24 policy
objectives and analyzed and scored each state using a 0 to 4 scale, 4
representing the strongest lever for reform. Thirty-eight states
improved in at least one policy objective. Nineteen states improved
overall, though the top five states remained unchanged from last year's
Report Card. Louisiana, Florida, and Indiana continue to lead the
nation, with Rhode Island surpassing the District of Columbia for fourth
place. Mississippi passed the most reforms with 10 policy improvements.
The nationwide GPA increased from 1.24 to 1.40, and the average GPA for
two of three policy pillars --"Elevate the Teaching Profession" and
"Empower Parents"-- increased. Only "Spend Wisely and Govern Well"
declined, primarily because the scoring rubric was tougher with respect
to alternative governance. Among states that had a "C-" or better last
year, Tennessee showed greatest GPA growth (+.35) and Indiana made the
most policy changes (3). Among the bottom 10 states last year, Iowa,
Kentucky, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming
registered no movement.</span> </span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001_0P6KdtIpZbVJk6zVZLl2WdYUOdN-OQHlqX4rMytg_3XAVLwAYha5OzmEzYxFm-0zCPCIliNPD8doUtYqX4Zq2L3CCcv242nW10Msr2JCcDFUk9GNVdRxKgWLKWa2THIJ8cOhgi1OWRH6IsWuhagDduPzKSkVJyilVQWFcNk-NNGi-CJa6Mhpw==">More</a></div>
</div>
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<div>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><b>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The community-engagement model in action</div>
</b></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>In
an article in The Stanford Social Innovation Review, consultants
Charissa Lin and Christopher Keevil describe working with A+ Schools of
Pittsburgh, a local education fund, to strategize inducing greater
change in the city's schools, as well as grassroots organizing to
increase impact. From work elsewhere in the country, Lin and Keevil knew
that effective grassroots groups don't see themselves as separate from
the community they organize -- elevation of community voice is their
sole purpose. A+ Schools faced challenges in blending its existing
watchdog role with that of grassroots organizer in Pittsburgh's poorest,
predominantly African-American neighborhoods. Other organizations
nationally had tackled similar scenarios using a community-engagement
model, which is particularly effective in situations where an
organization seeks to advocate for a group but is not wholly "of" that
group; where change requires engagement and buy-in from diverse
constituencies; and where existing leaders and organizations can help
mobilize efforts. A+ Schools also decided to take stronger stands, and
with backing from multiple constituencies spoke out for racial equity
and pushed for educational quality for Pittsburgh's low-income
neighborhoods. A+ Schools used the community- engagement model to
present its objectives with greater clarity and purpose, build its base
of support across the city, and become a stronger agent of change.</span> </span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001_0P6KdtIpZafpbtTfHwrR00BELXYelVV57D2YUjC_S_v6mNfWLxTZb4muV-IPuMMes9oBYq30fZ5vRB9dtqocZ5crmI3vl7Vb3o5NsNDWMw8Xx2N676f7w4lCc9yOtMPPOAvUxeXDgJQrdQXom6dqsTINXTktP0G9EOxrdubzZqS6WDg8z7Efg==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
</div>
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<div>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Cities move on pre-k</div>
</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>New
York Mayor Bill de Blasio's plan to offer preschool universally to the
city's 4-year-olds is the latest example of mayors and cities taking
early-childhood education into their own hands, writes Christina Samuels
for Education Week. In 2012, San Antonio residents approved a sales tax
to extend preschool to 3,700 4-year-olds, a program that started this
school year. The Seattle City Council voted last year for a preschool
program to serve 3- and 4-year-olds, and has started a feasibility
study. These efforts join older city-run programs in Boston, Denver, and
San Francisco. Not every proposal gains traction, however. Memphis,
Tennessee placed a sales-tax referendum on the ballot last August that
would have paid for 5,000 additional preschool seats, but it failed in
November, 60 percent to 40 percent. In Houston, supporters of expanded
preschool also tried to put a property-tax increase on the ballot in
2013, but a county judge said the effort did not comply with state law, a
ruling upheld by a Texas appeals court. Yet even with setbacks,
municipal leaders find themselves able to more nimbly address pre-K
needs than state and federal officials. In some cases, cities already
have experience with early education since they manage Head Start
programs, giving them the know-how and infrastructure to manage their
own programs.</span> </span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001_0P6KdtIpZaibeWknNTEiOKcK3mSFNipbVQMSv78N8DQt8YDrrR4DO36FyBb5lT4lkafKCOBGgucNB_LRNwCoMjXT8LIa4nIrBsYzTs-p6qR4EfBZLiOXjP9Za1Qq1SBrB2uGT0jLp7BYhNxpE7BLWTfSZR5s2t2K12n2WfEc8TquR1KjstXXvN9aIkygIL6fEkPdxWIaEC7sw9mXojvOMr61zIpOO-6oY4Ag0RQAGFzPCZuCrhYkd1w6zqb1MomMkZnf715lRq2xCMqe7Jf7YSvpZl00pn4">More</a></div>
</div>
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<div>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Slow but steady increase in full-day kindergarten</div>
</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>A
new analysis from the Child Trends Databank finds that since 1977, the
percentage of kindergartners enrolled in full-day rather than half-day
programs has more than doubled, increasing from 28 percent of all
kindergartners in 1977 to 76 percent of all kindergartners in 2012.
Increases were especially steep between 1996 and 1998, and between 2002
and 2006. Black kindergartners are much more likely than other
kindergartners to be enrolled in full-day programs. In 2012, 87 percent
of black kindergartners were in full days, compared with 68 percent of
Asian or Pacific Islander, 74 percent of Hispanic, and 75 percent of
white kindergartners. Eighty-five percent of American Indian
kindergartners were enrolled in full-day programs. Regionally,
kindergartners in the South and Midwest are more likely than those in
the West to be enrolled in a full-day program (83 and 80 percent,
compared with 64 percent, respectively, in 2012). Kindergartners in the
Northeast fell in the middle, at 71 percent in 2012. That said,
differences between regions have been decreasing. And demographically,
in 2012, kindergarteners in low-income families and those in
higher-income families were equally likely to be in full-day programs.
The Child Trends website also offers an analysis of preschool and
pre-kindergarten, childcare, and school readiness.</span> </span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001_0P6KdtIpZZbL8VO4KHE1ESWNYn5968AS6LxYlgdAm4jhLqWGhvC9i2yWQ-Ivt_-fM-JwUfHaTXbUPKYmdcz__7UhWXwTm-bk2F-syPL9j0s1H2038M4ajQgfFgpN9VHD-nopZqAOYmnDOcdIZgAAqNcOZ_RRKm7nW3-u1KZ8RU=">More</a></div>
</div>
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<div>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">High school sophomores, 10 years on</div>
</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>A
new report from the National Center for Education Statistics and the
U.S. Department of Education offers a descriptive portrait of 10th-grade
participants in a longitudinal study a decade later, when most were 26
years old and had been out of high school for 8 years. In terms of paid
employment and postsecondary education, 19 percent reported both working
and taking postsecondary courses; 63 percent reported working only; 5
percent reported taking postsecondary courses only; and 13 percent were
neither working nor taking post-secondary courses. Levels of education
completed as of 2012 were bachelor's degree or higher (33 percent);
associate's degree (9 percent); undergraduate certificate (10 percent);
postsecondary attendance but no credential (32 percent); high school
diploma or equivalent (13 percent); and less than high school completion
(3 percent). Significantly, of those who began postsecondary education
within 3 months of high school completion, 42 percent had earned a
bachelor's degree and another 11 percent had earned a master's (or
higher) by 2012; among those who began postsecondary education 13 or
more months following high school completion, 6 percent had earned a
bachelor's degree and another 1 percent had earned a master's (or
higher) by 2012.</span> </span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001_0P6KdtIpZYvGeAL_h-3ZHfIk3usTBrBmh-IHc5PP_1l1ejldzaRBm0CYUNpiZt6eMVdXBEBbxvrckislRP9M72vcjH0_MA3gy0BSjHgx-M-eRIozqjMMwcJF271NSAZztJbOcqb6PjgWSPjIXFEJg==">More</a></div>
</div>
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<div>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Early College high schools and college-going (update)</div>
</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>A
new analysis by the American Institutes for Research finds that Early
College high school students are significantly more likely to enroll in
college and earn a degree than their peers. Early Colleges partner with
colleges and universities to offer high school students the chance to
earn an associate's degree, or up to two years of college credits toward
a bachelor's degree, at little or no cost. The data come from a
multi-year study of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Early
College High School Initiative, and indicate that during the study
period, 25 percent of Early College students earned a college degree
(typically an associate's degree), as compared with only 5 percent of
comparison students. Overall, 81 percent of Early College students
enrolled in college, compared with 72 percent of comparison students.
The authors note that students in the study were between two and four
years out of high school, so many would not have had time to complete
bachelor's degrees. Early College students were also more likely than
comparison students to enroll in two-year colleges and were just as
likely to enroll in four-year colleges. Impact generally did not differ
by subgroup, and when it differed, it was generally in favor of
underrepresented groups. Impact also did not differ significantly by
gender, race/ethnicity, family income, first-generation college-going
status, or pre-high-school achievement.</span> </span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001_0P6KdtIpZZ8KW-VM8Z9aLBXZyBB601GRnhVRpKlvR_ysmsqK2LHwmtsyguavvECe_g8Gx_4VFiJhpokziGugumVrpyBsAZSo8izIXfGIOUAPgUq-zpKkop1MEhUTTdxCFTf0JEhakMGCA-8XfkxD1qtrbJ0UDt_1fT8_pRmw0gqrrbmANkCPN_Jdzv3uqXfcFfRltwUG4E=">More</a></div>
</div>
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<div><b>BRIEFLY NOTED CALIFORNIA</b></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;padding:8px 25px 18px 25px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" valign="top">
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14e23;"><strong>A retreat</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">California's
longstanding commitment to split facilities costs with districts could
be a thing of the past now that Gov. Jerry Brown has reiterated his
preference for reducing the state's role in building and repairing
schools. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 78, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001_0P6KdtIpZadYOfTGc7xzeSstFCN0xrRBkMk02CdaYll5TGO0FoYiW6ntwydNt8yefWX5Gb5MISMX20tcWtkELR2zZajH_8nmpP9Fhma95TcnJYR0a-CDMC45ZlUa11AcGq9xxuD7ch_uVXcTLetSLQGvByGvw6n32h27sM-PGU=">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14e23;"><strong>Up to schools</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Los Angeles Unified
School District will put the extra $188 million it's expected to receive
next year toward the needs of disadvantaged children, but
Superintendent John Deasy said he wants to leave many decisions to
school principals. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001_0P6KdtIpZZx-blgVRw_TJs1cZ4ZTWcszbuAPuDgA-OQgVhCGNNHoNLJJVFHG9Zvrbn9SBn8Qf1ZyzxEtIYe7jmtNtFvmPzgb0nrrl6wOv5SHqAFwv6QtOeExSBQ-hABoWitV2HVg2Cp3VvEGPzqU-je6FsmtGIf-9Y5rOhhXZv2U5OCp4QO-GqfXeM6GqUZphXUFCi6VgtNLSW2iF3VGYG36lBGc9szRupOd0FY5BUTt07uFgMA_Q==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14e23;"><strong>Two birds, one stone</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">California districts in
Redondo Beach and Torrance are temporarily hiring physical-education
teachers for elementary schools to give classroom teachers and school
leaders more time to collaborate and prepare for the implementation of
the Common Core State Standards. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001_0P6KdtIpZaPhT2x6XTTLvBGvPISr7lcCzUhmM2AJRyYFS_7NM5PQoOuWrjMgkKluURMNQoHCYyf8ivY8pERQw4vgeNe_SnkB6ikVWTfq-orQRWpYuCXbvuYdaGfLmFJ_55fIiOmHi5tI3QUYRBEhN5ZkkWTrsKyqCNRjensaDVYg_IfhCjWgPZdtpI5ukCA-hb-3D-WS2dqmZtPnFK1YeAU6cVEGyJZNsf6qm_7uwHKcnVFKt1HTCrISiXUraAwEQ4xNstj9cPhh-WptmxBCA==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14e23;"><strong>Expanded options</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Los Angeles Public
Library is teaming up with a private online learning company to debut a
program for dropouts to earn an accredited high school diploma, believed
to be the first of its kind in the nation. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001_0P6KdtIpZajzNOkFxBGscv3yl1f1LIJz8PwIi0LNODVB0CNz9edIFQQThJVScPXpmT004wvDolZBRAuorqy-XTTi-C8SJcE2HV80X0oJIwtGgMx5G6Qmv4IpYB9VjZIVbb-V9zWl7O6bfmPaBrMNUfrY0eqvKQ85IpKNy1SnTt7XsGkDTCZha7S3RQ632dkonVimHSqVc9QZPDxisnsXg==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14e23;"><strong>Sanity prevails</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">LAUSD officials are
negotiating a lower price for thousands of iPads that are part of a
$1-billion effort to provide tablets to every student, teacher, and
administrator. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001_0P6KdtIpZYSL5P7NoVx5igSTxMFqM2gZn9DDWAd1rlE4qtrxp78kHfLffWBrNOm-jkBIY_PbgHZ41L9gbBhYdE1UoER-zf5Sz0mHGjRmylgI3nqIx5JDfZk8vFDSAQUdyAEYYbA6udps2PHJk2PzKsIAAR2Y8FROhMNtNBkFnNsNgSp5EUW6ndeK8k1FnVcef5ZBFIRb4VQPNvW6rMGyU10p4ikaigST2ul6OCD-qA=">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14e23;"><strong>Equity, or at least a step towards it</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">California education
officials have pushed forward sweeping changes to public school funding,
approving rules to give more money to needy students -- an average of
$7,643 per student, plus 20 percent extra per disadvantaged student and
additional for students whose schools are at least 55 percent low-income
or English-learning, or with at least 55 percent of students in foster
care. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001_0P6KdtIpZb4174JSzq3dWja7z2Q_AGm1Qq6kPDwXYOBwHL5DDdCq03Vlg9HmxAOsltwIBE_vEsE1AYytqchze6JgWmVoF8HEZIp0r3FhFzktPnVRmxYYngaRi74q8Tf-NtstgioXqfN9SbJEbbBCnwXcFXHd_mWxiLRUHstWoIVKH9TIxmnovkFMrK3WRk09Mla9zmEVb-TnWG9dpkzJy_uLQiWgRSa">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14e23;"><strong>Ambitious?</strong></div>
<span>The union that represents Los Angeles teachers is seeking a 17.6 percent salary increase. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001_0P6KdtIpZaIaWJh1RH8aIpStS2rXqf1Uw6lLdA-qptgB9MHJqs2LH-4-2j4rBWx6_RNtYz0qLbeI94kVC-STlWSzkQehRzKzNKGmCU499xkCe4selRIX7rHoH8Kbgv9smMwHc0l1SLXyk2FwtOliBLNNGG5We5X4QFiw1Ly-ewKpm6j4D8T3oiGJ4TPTJ7YZiwGP54LFV3Nlqunm-bG6MHv57TiNQ9Z8-WvN9dTqvCx6-a2VZdw-Q==">More</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
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<div><b>BRIEFLY NOTED </b></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;padding:8px 25px 18px 25px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" valign="top">
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14e23;"><strong>Win some, lose some</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Federal funding for most
schools will be largely restored under a giant spending bill unveiled
by Republican and Democratic leaders in Congress, and Head Start will
see a $1 billion boost, but a Race to the Top for higher education and
$750 million to improve state preschool programs won't receive funding
in the fiscal year ending September 30. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001_0P6KdtIpZarYgvpl4yska1xaBA5mRZvE9H0NxxCRTIjlJaK-blp03ridfp8UvGHVyfHwEHFNpLOgVIkmmTV_wlZk2Nda03EP-udW92BfyamieBUuATw0IJfCQGnli7YZUt31UqBZV4-eJ6aLHKvUGc3H_h26mPe1FdsnnvrIwZSC_KQaXio4cXnwK0zgrLLSOxu_VsgyJ3Asjxo4BWXDg==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14e23;"><strong>Strengthening pathways</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">As part of a White House
College Opportunity Summit, the Obama administration has issued a
report outlining promising models to improve chances that students from
disadvantaged backgrounds will enroll in and complete college. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001_0P6KdtIpZarYgvpl4yska1xaBA5mRZvE9H0NxxCRTIjlJaK-blp03ridfp8UvGHVyfHwEHFNpLOgVIkmmTV_wlZk2Nda03EP-udW92BfyamieBUuATw0IJfCQGnli7YZUt31UqBZV4-eJ6aLHKvUGc3H_h26mPe1FdsnnvrIwZSC_KQaXio4cXnwK0zgrLLSOxu_VsgyJ3Asjxo4BWXDg==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14e23;"><strong>By any other name</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Hoping to incorporate
public input and assuage criticism, Florida education officials have
released 98 proposed changes to the Common Core State Standards and
christened them the Florida Standards. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001_0P6KdtIpZarYgvpl4yska1xaBA5mRZvE9H0NxxCRTIjlJaK-blp03ridfp8UvGHVyfHwEHFNpLOgVIkmmTV_wlZk2Nda03EP-udW92BfyamieBUuATw0IJfCQGnli7YZUt31UqBZV4-eJ6aLHKvUGc3H_h26mPe1FdsnnvrIwZSC_KQaXio4cXnwK0zgrLLSOxu_VsgyJ3Asjxo4BWXDg==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14e23;"><strong>Getting muscular</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Minnesota is preparing
to step up oversight of the nonprofits, districts, and colleges that
monitor the state's charter schools. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001_0P6KdtIpZaiHbLUGojk-8d_V3ksnEdJaeb4VX9BoofdgcMszNo3PDAFNEBMOvYRYh7S0v0wrfOefZAVZ0f0cMvkBMtsRMgApGXKV_5SvajToqiXmOUOzSjXecsM4GBcxsgNlDsNrmlNX4tTV963brdmhaThbvFZjOw4-4M77v05uQzUPw6qmDv_bod8a7MRXSvcVJcOPo1Fv5t_auYgEp398qP_AcaXbLvbdZrjR-U=" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14e23;"><strong>Another one bites the dust (or withdraws, at any rate)</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Alaska has announced its
plan to pull out of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium and hire
a new group, the Assessment & Achievement Institute, to create its
English Language Arts and Mathematics assessments. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001_0P6KdtIpZZHpg_PfEGen9Ew43c5WkCxuivA6w_vPegzIdi_PxMri0Z_QlKbMLyHX3Vm7-VhYuywF1-aJCHtb42YfpuTFbOAdtfQjgsvRluJqTgiVLdDub10D1_MehFe6PeLVzeoC-1Ku_UasRoeFF6DztjRP1kQnGkPLaL6__OaFAdxyRjcVxf4OqJYxIz2WfGqT1Pa35-vZKMsF86KCADS-IA7GT3IIIuTFbPZ_FhJ70jvcaOA1I-T7C5hab8OXpZrMF_oBsM=" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14e23;"><strong>Bravo</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">New York State has one
of the nation's highest increases in funding for prekindergarten
programs in its 2013-2014 fiscal year, according to an analysis by the
Education Commission of the States. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001_0P6KdtIpZZu1d5RK_AJ1vftR66M0xK0-dTIMDcqQbtHEuZx47ktoEVoJzLMs6QaNEVZnpTYQzsjMP1zNwQfli_V6U3Kj-O6T8qKSGYgDyrX62fcc19kfF66xPBQeRPr6c9K835N0_zFuAD5cRNGCqDfmMykAo_2JXv7o5QD5FvEJlAL8c37TEFM98479xoK5nm-9UdheBJ7D48N-Qzyq8VaX-Ix3nHw" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14e23;"><strong>The secret's safe with us</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">More than 28,000 Omaha
Public School students in kindergarten through sixth grade are using a
new math program, Go Math!, aligned to the Common Core State Standards,
even though Nebraska is one of five states that have not adopted those
standards. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001_0P6KdtIpZZu1d5RK_AJ1vftR66M0xK0-dTIMDcqQbtHEuZx47ktoEVoJzLMs6QaNEVZnpTYQzsjMP1zNwQfli_V6U3Kj-O6T8qKSGYgDyrX62fcc19kfF66xPBQeRPr6c9K835N0_zFuAD5cRNGCqDfmMykAo_2JXv7o5QD5FvEJlAL8c37TEFM98479xoK5nm-9UdheBJ7D48N-Qzyq8VaX-Ix3nHw" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14e23;"><strong>Kindergarten: no time to slack off</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">New research looks at
the effects of focusing on more advanced reading and mathematics content
in kindergarten and finds that student performance improves when
teachers focus on the more difficult material. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001_0P6KdtIpZZu1d5RK_AJ1vftR66M0xK0-dTIMDcqQbtHEuZx47ktoEVoJzLMs6QaNEVZnpTYQzsjMP1zNwQfli_V6U3Kj-O6T8qKSGYgDyrX62fcc19kfF66xPBQeRPr6c9K835N0_zFuAD5cRNGCqDfmMykAo_2JXv7o5QD5FvEJlAL8c37TEFM98479xoK5nm-9UdheBJ7D48N-Qzyq8VaX-Ix3nHw" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14e23;"><strong>Always the bridesmaid</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">For two years in a row,
Baltimore-based school-turnaround organization Success for All has
earned the top score in the scale-up category of the federal Investing
in Innovation contest, only to be passed over, U.S. Department of
Education records confirm. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001_0P6KdtIpZZu1d5RK_AJ1vftR66M0xK0-dTIMDcqQbtHEuZx47ktoEVoJzLMs6QaNEVZnpTYQzsjMP1zNwQfli_V6U3Kj-O6T8qKSGYgDyrX62fcc19kfF66xPBQeRPr6c9K835N0_zFuAD5cRNGCqDfmMykAo_2JXv7o5QD5FvEJlAL8c37TEFM98479xoK5nm-9UdheBJ7D48N-Qzyq8VaX-Ix3nHw" shape="rect">More</a></div>
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<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><b>GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES</b></div>
<br>
</div>
<div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001_0P6KdtIpZbXL6p5vQkrTLllBVbDv6V-UV4jtpEf0QyMh9rGlx9rZDTJzxEFANu0UCtTuDpo4srxJEMYSLx7QltVk6Kxu_K6_wBQ-wyEzPMVVY0IySMLRU_J4-Z0zPWvlNw7z43X2OujhXKmJ1tSjWgTR24rW951BKt8T6P05iUhI11yFlQjVxE1oC5Ge4v0">NABT: Biology Educator Leadership Scholarship (BELS) </a><br>
The National Association of Biology Teachers Biology Educator
Leadership Scholarship (BELS) program was established to encourage and
support teachers who want to further their education in the life
sciences or life science education. Maximum award: $5000 tuition
assistance award, a plaque to be presented at the NABT Professional
Development Conference, and one year of complimentary membership to
NABT. Eligibility: practicing educators who are also enrolled (or
anticipate enrolling) in a graduate program at Masters or Doctoral
level, and are NABT members with less than or equal to ten years of
teaching experience. Deadline: March 15, 2014.</div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001_0P6KdtIpZbXL6p5vQkrTLllBVbDv6V-UV4jtpEf0QyMh9rGlx9rZDTJzxEFANu0UCtTuDpo4srxJEMYSLx7QltVk6Kxu_K6_wBQ-wyEzPMVVY0IySMLRU_J4-Z0zPWvlNw7z43X2OujhXKmJ1tSjWgTR24rW951BKt8T6P05iUhI11yFlQjVxE1oC5Ge4v0">NABT: BioClub Student Award </a><br>
The National Association of Biology Teachers BioClub Student Award
recognizes outstanding student members of a NABT BioClub. The award is a
great way to recognize that exceptional student who inspires you to be
an even better biology teacher. Maximum award: a textbook scholarship
from Carolina Biological Supply Company and an award plaque.
Eligibility: any graduating senior who is a member of an NABT BioClub
chapter and has been accepted to a two- or four-year college/university.
Deadline: March 31, 2014.</div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001_0P6KdtIpZbXL6p5vQkrTLllBVbDv6V-UV4jtpEf0QyMh9rGlx9rZDTJzxEFANu0UCtTuDpo4srxJEMYSLx7QltVk6Kxu_K6_wBQ-wyEzPMVVY0IySMLRU_J4-Z0zPWvlNw7z43X2OujhXKmJ1tSjWgTR24rW951BKt8T6P05iUhI11yFlQjVxE1oC5Ge4v0">McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation: Academic Enrichment Grants</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The McCarthey Dressman
Education Foundation offers Academic Enrichment Grants designed to
develop in-class and extra-curricular programs that improve student
learning. The foundation considers proposals that foster understanding,
deepen students' knowledge, and provide opportunities to expand
awareness of the world around them. Maximum award: $10,000 per year for
three years. Eligibility: educators employed by schools or non-profit
organizations with the background and experience to complete the project
successfully who have direct and regular contact with students in
grades pre-k to 12 from low-income households.<br>
Deadline: April 15, 2014.</div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14e23;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>QUOTE OF THE WEEK:</strong></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">"We are resurrecting
issues with racism and disabilities that we never resolved. For a
progressive state like New York to revert to practices that were
embedded by the old South is horrifying." -- <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001_0P6KdtIpZbXL6p5vQkrTLllBVbDv6V-UV4jtpEf0QyMh9rGlx9rZDTJzxEFANu0UCtTuDpo4srxJEMYSLx7QltVk6Kxu_K6_wBQ-wyEzPMVVY0IySMLRU_J4-Z0zPWvlNw7z43X2OujhXKmJ1tSjWgTR24rW951BKt8T6P05iUhI11yFlQjVxE1oC5Ge4v0">Dianne Piche</a>,
who oversees education initiatives at the Leadership Conference on
Civil and Human Rights, regarding a proposal to allow 2 percent of New
York State students with "severe disabilities ineligible for the
alternate assessment" to be tested at their instructional ability -- not
their chronological grade year -- up to two full grade levels below a
student's current grade level.</div>
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