August 20, 2015
Delaware News
WMDT
Charter school under formal state review eyes relocation
State education officials are set to make a final decision regarding the proposed relocation of a New Castle County charter school whose two leaders were fired earlier this year for repeatedly using school credit cards for personal use.
WDEL
Dover Police offer back to school tips
Students head back to school Monday in Delaware, and Dover Police have issued some safety tips for students and parents.
Annual doctor visits for kids can be valuable before school starts
State health officials are stressing both the importance of annual health evaluations for children before the school year and making sure students are up to date on their vaccinations.
Smyrna-Clayton Sun Times
School supplies giveaway Friday for students in need in Smyrna School District
The Smyrna School District, with support of donations from local groups and individuals, is giving away school supplies for students in need who are entering kindergarten to 12th grade in Smyrna School District schools.
National News
Reuters
Pencils down: More U.S. colleges drop standardized tests
More than 850 U.S. colleges and universities no longer require applicants to take the SAT or ACT, tests that have been a feature of American student life for decades.
The Olympian
Even big fine is unlikely to uncork logjam on school funding, lawmakers say
Even racking up $100,000 a day in court-ordered fines may not inspire Washington lawmakers to quickly solve a school-funding problem that has plagued the state for three decades.
The Seattle Times
Officials pleased after half of students pass state’s new, tougher tests
About half of Washington state’s students passed the new, tougher Smarter Balanced tests last spring. But the passage rates are much lower than on the state’s old tests and the high number of students who opted out could affect federal funding in the future.
Education Week
Ed. Department aims to accelerate ed-tech evaluations
The Department of Education is asking for bids to design a prototype system to quickly evaluate ed-tech in K-12 schools, in hopes of making it easier for educators to figure out what works in products they purchase with federal funding.
PBS
Does early college for high school students pave a path to graduation?
In a Texas border town where nearly all high school students live in poverty, the school district is trying an experiment to get more kids into college. Instead of waiting until students graduate to enroll them in higher education, the school is pairing with a local college to offer courses for free. Hari Sreenivasan looks at whether this method for closing the college graduation gap is working.