July 13, 2016

Delaware News

Department of Education
Governor announces USA Funds Grant to reduce remedial education need
Press Release
Delaware has launched an innovative effort to ensure more high schoolers graduate ready for college-level English Language Arts (ELA) coursework and not in need of remedial classes that cost money without earning them credits toward a degree.

Delaware Public Media
Delaware receives $250,000 grant to steer students away from remedial college courses
A national charity gave Delaware a $250,000 grant Tuesday to increase English language literacy among high school students. The grant from USA Funds will help educators around the state identify students who are falling behind in high school English classes and help them avoid the need for remedial college courses.

The Newark Post
Back-to-School tips when you’re on a budget
In 2015, families planned to spend $630 on back-to-school items, according to the National Retail Federation, and this year’s numbers are also expected to be pricey. With a little planning, your family can get the most out of your school shopping budget — by taking advantage of sales, comparison shopping, buying in bulk and simply by making sure you don’t buy things you already own.

The Rodel Foundation
Tech experts join forces at ISTE conference
Blog post by Lisa Mims, fourth grade teacher at Pleasantville Elementary School and Rodel Teacher Council member
One of the main streams that ran throughout ISTE is how tech could be used to enhance instruction, empower collaboration, create new projects, and share with the world. Tech has broken down the barriers that kept our students from becoming critical thinkers and global learners.

National News

The Atlantic
How marginalized families are pushed out of PTAs
When Rolling Terrace Elementary School in Takoma Park, Maryland, told parents in the fall of 2014 that it would allow students to use Chromebooks as a way to bridge the digital divide between low-income families and affluent families, there were mixed reactions.

Chalkbeat
Colorado isn’t producing nearly enough teachers, new report finds
Lending support to the notion that Colorado’s teacher shortage might get worse before it gets better, a new report shows that the state isn’t producing enough teaching graduates to keep up with demand. The study also notes the demand for teachers in Colorado is growing faster than the national average.

Chicago Sun Times
Illinois high schools replacing PARCC with SAT
Illinois is tossing the controversial PARCC standardized test this year for its high schoolers, relying instead on a redesigned SAT, the Illinois State Board of Education announced Monday.

Education Week
One key to reducing school suspension: a little respect
In schools working to reduce suspension rates, teachers could take a cue from Aretha Franklin: Considering how young people view respect can greatly improve classroom management, new studies show. A one-time intervention to help teachers and students empathize with each other halved the number of suspensions at five diverse California middle schools, and helped students who had previously been suspended feel more connected at school.

The Hechinger Report
What do we invest in the country’s youngest? Little to nothing
On every level — local, state and federal — this country invests little to nothing in the first five years of a child’s life, putting us decades and dollars behind the rest of the developed world. In 2012, the U.S, ranked 35th among developed economies in pre-primary or primary school enrollment for 3- to 5-year-olds, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), an international economic association.