August 12, 2015
Delaware News
The News Journal
Delaware moves to protect student data
Delaware and other states are working to make sure the information they keep about students is kept safe and private as computers become more prominent in classrooms – and educators lean more on scores and data in teaching.
More Delaware schools requiring uniforms
Students at several Delaware schools will be wearing uniforms for the first time when classes start later this month.
Newsworks
Delaware Governor signs the “Joseph R. ‘Beau’ Biden III Child Protection Act”
Gov. Jack Markell signed Senate Bill 144, expanding background check requirements for childcare facilities. While background screenings are required for public school teachers and full-time childcare professionals; this new legislation requires mandatory background checks for part-time child care providers who may work in summer and volunteer programs.
Delaware First Media
Christina School Board OKs budget cuts, begins search for acting superintendent
The Christina School District will begin its new school year dealing with the fall-out from budget cuts and a change in leadership.
WDEL
Christina School District unveils trimmed down FY16 budget
Students in the Christina School District will feel the effects of a tight budget year after the school district was forced to cut about $9 million from its Fiscal Year 2016 budget.
Dover Post
Special needs students learn job skills in summer
Malik Taylor, with 16 other teenagers, graduated from the state Customer Service and Career Enhancement program Aug. 6. It was aimed at training special needs students in the art of customer service. It was sponsored by the Delaware Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and designed by Anton Associates, a job training consulting firm.
Newark Post
Christina searches for interim superintendent
Deputy Superintendent Fara Zimmerman is unable to stand in Williams’ place during the interim because she is slated to retire at the end of the summer, thus forcing the board to hire a temporary replacement until Williams decides if he is fit to return.
National News
Deseret News
State School Board to begin new turnaround program for underperforming schools
Utah’s lowest-performing schools will begin a new process for improving their students’ academic performance thanks to a law that presents new requirements and incentives for low-performing schools.
The Hechinger Report
Should high school students have to ‘defend’ their diploma like a Ph.D?
California’s new way of ranking school performance could open the door to portfolio assessments
Associated Press
2016 ballot proposal would allow more charter schools
Massachusetts charter school supporters have filed a proposed ballot question for 2016 to expand the number of charter schools allowed by the state. The proposal is reigniting a familiar debate pitting supporters of traditional public schools and backers of charters schools, which also are public schools but operate independently from local school districts.
The Washington Post
For second year in a row, test scores soar at low-income Arlington school
As Virginia’s English-language learners fell further behind in state test scores this year, one poor, largely Hispanic school in Arlington County again recorded big gains in scores after ramping up test preparation for the second year in a row.
Education Dive
For 1:1 success, administrators must plan beyond the device
Encourage teachers to envision how they’d like tech to transform their teaching, make sure teachers are constantly progressing towards that end goal, and communicate early, often, and throughout the process.