April 17, 2014

Local News

WDEL
Early education commission sets lofty goals
(Including a video)
Two dozen business leaders from up and down the state in the public and non-profit sectors make up the Commission on Early Education and the Economy. Nick Marsini, President of PNC Bank Delaware and co-chair of the commission explains why this isn’t happening more already. “I don’t think a lot of the families that we’re talking about have the resources or the wherewithal to get into the qualified programs,” said Marsini.

Coastal Point
Elementary schools to host open houses for Spanish immersion
The Indian River School District is teaching Spanish to kindergarteners at John M. Clayton and East Millsboro elementary schools. Parents can learn about Spanish immersion at several open houses on April 14 and April 16. “We’re hoping that they’re going to be able to see exactly what happens in the Spanish portion of the day, as well as the English portion,” said East Millsboro Principal Kelly Dorman.

National News

New Orleans Times-Picayune
Bobby Jindal says he will get Louisiana out of Common Core test group, if Legislature won’t
Gov. Bobby Jindal has said he wants to withdraw Louisiana from a consortium of states developing the assessment associated with the Common Core academic standards if the Louisiana Legislature doesn’t choose to do so on its own.

Catalyst Chicago
Across all races, teacher education losing students
Fewer college students are enrolling in traditional undergraduate teaching programs in Illinois, with whites accounting for the biggest drop. After years of holding steady, enrollment fell significantly in 2011 and 2012—by 23 percent overall. White student enrollment fell at an even higher rate of 25 percent.

New York Times
Revised SAT won’t include obscure vocabulary words
The College Board on Wednesday will release many details of its revised SAT, including sample questions and explanations of the research, goals and specifications behind them. “We are committed to a clear and open SAT, and today is the first step in that commitment,” said Cyndie Schmeiser, the College Board’s chief of assessment, in a conference call on Monday, previewing the changes to be introduced in the spring of 2016.

Bloomberg News
Small U.S. colleges struggling with enrollment drops
Dozens of small colleges in the United States have seen drops of more than 10 percent in enrollment, according to a new report. As faculty and staff have been cut and programs closed, some students have faced a choice between transferring or finishing degrees that may have diminished value.

The Associated Press
Colleges seek to improve remedial programs
Only about a quarter of students nationally who take developmental — or remedial — classes ever graduate. Several schools around the country are looking to improve the odds for these students.

The Kansas City Star
Kansas bill renews debate about how easy it should be to fire teachers
A bill awaiting the signature of Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback would essentially make teachers in the state at-will employees of their school districts, and teachers would be able to challenge termination only if they allege the firing violates their constitutional rights.