November 27, 2012
Local News
The News Journal
Finalists named for top honor
For helping students to excel, five Delaware educators from public and private schools were named finalists for the 2012 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science.
The Middletown Transcript
Drastic cuts expected if Appoquinimink referendum doesn’t pass
The first part of the referendum is a necessity, said Superintendent Matthew Burrows. If it doesn’t pass, there will be significant staffing cuts on all levels, larger class sizes, and less programs and opportunities for students.
National News
U.S. Department of Education
U.S. Department of Education announces 61 applications as finalists for $400 million Race to the Top – District competition
Today, the U.S. Department of Education announced that 61 applications have been selected as finalists for the Race to the Top-District (RTTT-D) competition. The 2012 RTTT-D program will provide close to $400 million to support locally developed plans to personalize and deepen student learning, directly improve student achievement and educator effectiveness, close achievement gaps, and prepare every student for success in college and careers.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
U.S. officials tell state to use same standards to grade charter schools
Federal education officials have denied Pennsylvania’s request to evaluate charter school achievement using more lenient criteria, saying they must be assessed by the same standard as traditional schools. The rejection means Pennsylvania cannot substitute a less stringent method for measuring adequate yearly progress under No Child Left Behind.
Education Week
New graduation rate data show large achievement gaps
The U.S. Department of Education today released four-year high school graduation rates for the 2010-11 school year that, for the first time, reflect a common method of calculation for all states.
How to encourage school board accountability
School boards have many responsibilities, but chief among them is student learning, writes Traci Elizabeth Teasley.
Columbus Dispatch
Graduation test to be snubbed out
Ohio will drop its high-school graduation test and replace it with a tougher college-readiness exam and a series of end-of-course tests, state officials announced. The new assessments will gauge whether students are prepared for college or ready for careers, benchmarks that the Ohio Graduation Test doesn’t measure
Related Topics: ED, Graduation Rate, School Boards