April 19, 2016

Delaware

Delaware State News
Math students find strength in numbers
The Delmar “Mathletics” started the eight-grade Math League Invitational competition at the Modern Maturity Center by counting on their multiples of two and three, a set of twins and a set of triplets. The Koval triplets — 14-year-old David, Isabel and Daniel — and the Shoemaker twins Ashlyn and Halyn, 13, were the sum of Delmar’s team. In the final calculations, however, they were not equal to the region five team from H.B. du Pont Middle School in Hockessin. The loss didn’t reduce David Koval’s love of math. “It comes naturally,” he said.

Milford Live
Chorman, Parsley nominated for Teacher of the Year
Recently, the six schools in Milford School District announced their nominees for Teacher of the Year. The six nominees will compete for the title of District Teacher of the Year which will be announced on May 6, 2016. Milford High School’s nominee, Molly Chorman, and Milford Central Academy’s nominee, Jesse Parsley, say that they are proud to be chosen as someone who exemplifies excellence in education. “I have proudly served Milford School District for 12 years,” Ms. Chorman said.

Office of the Governor
Giving all Delawareans affordable opportunities to gain the right skills for today’s economy
More than ever, access to good jobs and a rewarding career requires education and training beyond a high school diploma. We have no higher priority than to ensure that we give all Delawareans affordable opportunities to gain the right skills for today’s economy. When we give that chance to our hardworking and determined workforce the impact is clear,” Governor Markell said. “By building on these efforts, we’ll continue to remove unnecessary obstacles to success and create opportunity for all Delawareans to reach their potential, while building a stronger workforce to grow our economy.

U.S. News & World Report
New guidance shows states how to reduce rests
The Department of Education released a series of case studies Friday with examples of work that states and districts are doing to ensure fewer, better and fairer tests for students.  The case studies outline testing policy changes underway in Delaware, Illinois, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Tennessee that reduce the number of assessments given by states and local school districts, as well as the amount of time students spend preparing for and taking those tests.

National

NPR
Why America’s schools have a money problem
Let’s begin with a choice. Say there’s a check in the mail. It’s meant to help you run your household. You can use it to keep the lights on, the water running and food on the table. Would you rather that check be for $9,794 or $28,639? It’s not a trick question. It’s the story of America’s schools in two numbers. That $9,794 is how much money the Chicago Ridge School District in Illinois spent per child in 2013 (the number has been adjusted by Education Week to account for regional cost differences). It’s well below that year’s national average of $11,841.

Tampa Bay Times
‘School choice’ becomes Florida law; Gov. Rick Scott also signs 19 other bills
Florida’s public school students, starting in 2017-18, will be able to attend any school in the state that has space available, under a massive education bill that Gov. Rick Scott signed into law Thursday. Starting July 1, the measure also will let high school athletes have immediate eligibility when transferring schools, and it will subject charter schools to more accountability and a new formula for receiving capital dollars. Scott also signed 19 other bills, including the session’s main transportation package and new laws affecting health care policy and Citizens Property Insurance Committee.

The Tennessean
Tennessee phases out Common Core
State education officials approved new English and math standards Friday, marking the symbolic end of controversial Common Core standards in Tennessee. Tennessee is the latest state to phase out Common Core, joining Indiana, Oklahoma and South Carolina.  Like its predecessors, Tennessee’s English and math standards have a new name, but still have roots in Common Core. Common Core standards ignited a political brawl last year when state lawmakers, who saw the standards as federal overreach, pushed to scrap them. In response to cries for state-specific standards, Gov. Bill Haslam authorized a review of the state’s English and math standards.

The New York Times
New York to expand gifted offerings as disparities remain
The number of students who scored high enough to qualify for New York City’s gifted and talented programs rose this year, the Education Department said on Thursday. But the neighborhoods in which those children live continued along a familiar pattern: In wealthy districts, more children take the tests, and score well on them, than in districts where families are poor. In an effort to make the programs available to more students, the department also announced that new gifted and talented programs would open next school year in four districts that do not currently have them, beginning at the third-grade level.

Kahoot app brings urgency of a quiz show to the classroom
Kahoot, an online quiz system from Norway that is fast gaining market share in schools across the United States, plays out like a television game show spliced with a video game. Cast in the role of game host, teachers introduce a multiple-choice quiz — on, say, plant life or English grammar. Using the Kahoot platform, they project one quiz question at a time onto a whiteboard or screen at the front of their classrooms. Players typically have 30 seconds to click an answer on their laptops, tablets or smartphones.