August 2, 2012
Local News
Delaware State News
Expert discusses education’s future at Dover luncheon
Nationally-recognized lecturer Dr. Matthew Ladner spoke at the Caesar Rodney Institute’s Excellence in Education Luncheon, a Senior Advisor for Excellence in Education pointed to the state of Florida’s successful educational reform actions begun in the late 1990s that increased elementary age literacy and reaped the societal benefits that continue to this day.
WHYY
Delaware kindergartners set to begin bilingual journey
Some Delaware students will be learning a second language earlier than usual when the “World Language Immersion” program kicks off this fall. Approximately 285 students have already expressed interest in the Caesar Rodney School District, however, there are only 100 available spaces. “Our students and parents have embraced this opportunity because they know how important it is for our children to learn a world language and to start doing so as early as possible,” Caesar Rodney Superintendent Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald said.
National News
Chronicle of Higher Education
Better gauges of college readiness may be key to improving graduation rates
College placement tests are receiving new scrutiny these days as community colleges come under increasing pressure to graduate more students. A new Jobs for the Future report explores how institutions and states are grappling with this issue and the decisions they are making to ensure that their students graduate.
Education Week
Kindergarten class of 2011: A snapshot
In the 2010-11 school year, 3.5 million children were first-time kindergartners, according to a Department of Education report. Fifty-three percent were white, 24% were Hispanic, 13% were African-American, 4% were Asian, and 1% were American Indian or Alaska Native. Twenty-five percent came from households below the federal poverty level. Eighty-four percent lived in homes where English is the primary language.
Washington Post
98 D.C. teachers fired for poor performance
D.C. school officials said Wednesday that 98 teachers were fired this week for poor performance, a large-scale dismissal that has become almost routine in the city but remains rare among school systems nationwide. Those who were dismissed — about half the number let go last year — account for less than 3 percent of the school system’s approximately 4,100 teachers.
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