January 5, 2016
Delaware
Cape Gazette
Cape High receives Blue Ribbon Award
Cape Henlopen High School received a National Blue Ribbon award for outstanding achievement and the district celebrated with a luncheon Dec. 23. Only 62 high schools of the 33,000 high schools in the United States received this prestigious award. The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes public and private schools based on overall academic achievement and their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.
The News Journal
Test critics gear up to override Markell’s opt-out veto
Some lawmakers and parent advocates are gearing up for an attempt to override Gov. Jack Markell’s veto of a bill to protect parents who choose to “opt out” their children from the state standardized test. The Delaware Parent Teacher Association has planned a rally at Legislative Hall on Jan. 14, two days after the first day of the new session of the General Assembly. State Rep. John Kowalko, D-Newark South, the bill’s sponsor, has said he will seek an override vote later that day.
WBOC
Del. Graduation rate jumps the most of any states
The First State is first in the nation on improving graduation rates for high school students. Delaware’s graduation rate was 87 percent last year. That’s up from 80 percent in 2013. Education leaders are pointing to things like credit recovery programs, ninth grade academies and targeted interventions as the reason.
DSU gets $5M from NASA, $1M from Gates Foundation
The optics are good here for Delaware State University. Its optics program is getting a lot of money from NASA. The space agency is giving a $5 million grant to the school in Dover. It is money DSU says will make a mark on Earth and on Mars. DSU also announced Monday it’s getting a $1 million grant from the Gates Foundation to improve retention and graduation rates at the school.
National
Education Week
U.S. ed-tech plan calls attention to ‘Digital-Use Divide’
The U.S. Department of Education’s most recent blueprint for how technology should be used in schools calls for improving teacher training and drawing attention to what it describes as a “digital-use divide” between active and passive uses of digital and online content and tools.
Chalkbeat Colorado
ACT may get one more year as Colorado’s mandatory 11th grade test
Colorado 11th graders may all be taking the ACT college placement exam this spring after all. Right before Christmas, the state Department of Education announced that Colorado would be switching its mandatory test for high school juniors from the ACT to a new version of the SAT, a product of the College Board.
NPR
Q&A: ‘A bit of a Montessori 2.0’: Kahn Academy opens a lab school
In 2015, Khan Academy, which pioneered free, online video tutorials and lectures that have reached millions of students around the world, sought new ways of reaching new people. But where does the new $23,000 a year ($25,000 for grades 6-12) brick-and-mortar Khan Lab School in Silicon Valley fit into that mission? I interviewed Khan Academy founder and CEO Salman Khan on Here & Now, the live midday news show from NPR and WBUR, about the value of coding, ed tech and why education videos aren’t enough.
The Philadelphia Tribune
Strong education advocate among new faces on council
There were plenty of new faces on the stage as the new Philadelphia City Council was sworn in Monday in Center City. Five new members, or nearly a third of the 17 council members, were taking the oath for the first time. Newcomers included Allan Domb, Derek Green, Helen Gym, Charlee Parker and Al Taubenberger. Gym, who has pushed for better public education and fought on behalf of the city’s most vulnerable students, hugged, shook hands and posed for photos with new constituents Monday.
The Washington Post
Amid growing anti-Muslim sentiment Education Department urges schools to prevent discrimination
The U.S. Education Department is urging the nation’s colleges and K-12 schools to guard against harassment and discrimination based on race, religion or national origin, a response to anti-Muslim and anti-refugee sentiments that appear to be on the rise. The guidance to schools comes after terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, Calif. fueled a backlash against Muslims and a vigorous public debate about whether to welcome refugees fleeing violence in Syria.