September 28, 2012
National News
Education Week
Romney: No federal support for Common Core
During an interview on NBC’s Education Nation, Mitt Romney said that he doesn’t think the federal government should provide support—financial or otherwise—for common core standards. Instead, he thinks states alone should pony up the money for their implementation. Romney also discussed his stance on other education issues. Here is a transcript of President Obama’s interview for the program.
U.S. ED unveils $290 million in performance-pay grants
The U.S. Department of Education unveiled its fourth batch of Teacher Incentive Fund grants, a program that supports differentiated compensation systems. First, the program has expanded to include career ladders, whereby teachers get additional professional responsibilities, not just higher pay, as part of the programs. Second, grantees had to secure more support from teachers’ unions and others up front, rather than during a planning year.
Studies find payoff in ‘personalizing’ algebra
While “personalization” has become a buzzword in education, it can be hard to determine what really makes a subject relevant to individual children in the classroom. An ongoing series of studies at Southern Methodist University suggests learning students’ interests upfront and incorporating them into lessons can get struggling students to try harder and substantially improve their performance in algebra.
Los Angeles Times
California limits role of student tests in API scores
California’s key measure of public school quality will be redefined to lessen the impact of standardized test scores under a bill signed into law Wednesday by Gov. Jerry Brown. The law, by Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), will broaden how the Academic Performance Index is calculated by limiting test scores to 60% for high schools and including graduation rates and other factors.
Related Topics: Common Core, personalization, Teacher Compensation, Teacher Effectiveness, Teacher Evaluation