February 26, 2014
Local News
The News Journal
DuPont partners with leadership project
DuPont has partnered with The Resolution Project to support the next generation of socially responsible leaders as they launch innovative solutions for some of the world’s most pressing problems. The partnership will focus on developing solutions to feed the world, improving energy systems and supply, protecting people and the environment and promoting STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education.
Delaware Department of Education
ESEA Flexibility amendment proposal available for review
A press release
The Delaware Department of Education has posted the ESEA Flexibility Amendment Proposal to the website here. Comments may be directed to Susan Haberstroh at susan.haberstroh@doe.k12.de.us.
Grants support higher education partnerships to provide professional development for science, math teachers
A press release
The Delaware Department of Education has awarded two grants totaling more than $1.3 million over two years to fund partnerships with Delaware universities that will provide professional development to K-12 science and math educators. Funded with federal Title II Part B money under the U.S. Department of Education’s Math and Science Partnership Program, the grants aim to increase the subject matter knowledge and teaching skills of K-12 mathematics and/or science teachers by bringing together teachers with higher education mathematicians, scientists, and/or engineers.
Dover Post
Capital’s SEARCH program aims to help students with special needs become career ready
Bayhealth, the Capital School District and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation have formed a partnership designed to help students with cognitive disabilities gain job training and work experience through internships. This new program, Project SEARCH, will kick off at the beginning of the next school year.
National News
Education Week
U.S. Education Dept. issues guidance on student data privacy
Seeking to help schools and districts better protect students’ privacy, the Education Department released new guidance on the proper use, storage and security of the massive amounts of data being generated by new, online educational resources. Hoping to encourage better understanding and implementation of “best practices,” the guidelines contain seven recommendations. Dozens of privacy-related bills are making their way through statehouses this year.
Inside Higher Ed
Indiana is first state approved for distance ed. reciprocity
With approval of its application, Indiana has become the first state to join the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements, or SARA, which is aimed at making it easier for distance education programs to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals when they enroll college students across state lines. To join, states must meet certain minimum standards in how they authorize programs and provides consumer protections for students.
State Impact Ohio
Ohio’s Kasich unveils big plans for education in State of the State
Ohio Gov. John Kasich devoted nearly 20 minutes to education in his annual State of the State speech. Kasich raised a number of education initiatives his administration wants to work on in the future, including: high school dropouts, student mentoring, career pathways, career and technical education for middle schoolers, early childhood education funding, higher education performance-based funding and college credit for veterans.
Florida Times-Union
Florida releases controversial scores on teacher effectiveness
After a protracted legal battle, the Florida education department released data showing how well most teachers scored on the value-added model, or VAM, which state officials say can quantify how teachers affect their students’ academic growth. The scores amount to up to half of a teacher’s annual evaluation. Several states use value-added calculations, but only a few districts, in New York and Los Angeles, have made teachers’ names and scores public.
Bloomberg
What not to learn from Shanghai schools
An op-ed by Adam Minter
On Monday, Elizabeth Truss, the British Minister of Education landed in Shanghai with one question on her mind: why are Chinese kids so good at math? Her voyage was inspired by panic and the PISA — the Programme for International Students Assessment. The 2012 edition placed particular emphasis on math, and U.K. students suffered for it, ranking 26th out of 65 countries and economies. In contrast, Shanghai, China’s wealthy financial center, topped the rankings.
New York Times
Regulators weigh in on online educational services
As school districts around the country increasingly turn to online educational services that can collect and analyze details about how individual students learn, some parents and legislators have been raising questions about whether the personal information collected by such programs is federally protected from being shared or sold by technology vendors.