January 20, 2015
Delaware News
WDDE
Progress slow for distance learning initiatives in First State schools
In the fall of 2011, students at Alexis I. du Pont High School began taking courses taught by faculty at the Conrad Schools of Science, and vice versa. Construction of distance learning labs at both schools, each equipped with huge television monitors, an array of video cameras, whiteboards, computers and other high-tech equipment, made it all possible.
Proposed task force to examine state efforts for visually impaired students
State officials and lawmakers will be looking at the needs of visually impaired students over the next six months.
The News Journal
Denn: Use $36 million on housing, police, schools
Attorney General Matt Denn wants to use $36 million in financial settlement money to provide millions in temporary funding for substance abuse treatment, after school programs, community policing patrols, teachers in high-poverty schools and new efforts to fund affordable housing and economic development in low-income areas of the state.
Dover Post
Delaware Dept. of Ed. letter tests Capital’s opt-out support
Capital School District Board of Education received a letter from the DOE to send to parents who opt-out of standardized test.
Delaware State News
Frear Elementary Lego Leagues provide building blocks to learning
In First Lego League, students are tasked to build robots and code it to complete missions, like shooting the soccer ball. And along the way, they learn to strategize and work together.
PR Newswire
Delaware charter school supporters to celebrate National School Choice Week with art contest
The Wilmington community has planned a student art show on Friday, January 30, 2015, to celebrate National School Choice Week.
National News
The Washington Post
Majority of U.S. public school students are in poverty
For the first time in at least 50 years, a majority of U.S. public school students come from low-income families, according to a new analysis of 2013 federal data, a statistic that has profound implications for the nation.
The New York Times
The least economically diverse top college, seeking to change
Higher education leaders have long claimed they want to admit large numbers of top low-income students. But most haven’t made good on those claims. More are now starting to. Washington University in St. Louis and The University of Chicago have announced a big expansion of financial aid. The College Board and Michael Bloomberg’s foundation have both named economic diversity as top priorities. The state of Delaware is likewise making a push, as is the Obama administration.
Investors put $186 Million into Lynda.com, an online tutorial service
Investor confidence in the education technology sector suddenly looks a lot more serious — at least for digital learning companies with proven business models.
Education Week
How will education play in the State of the Union address?
The White House has been slowly rolling out its State of the Union initiatives over the past week or so. And so far, it looks as if higher education and early-childhood programs will get the lion’s share of the edu-love in the speech.
Sen. Alexander’s draft NCLB bill: Cheat sheet
Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., the chairman of the Senate education committee, put out his opening bid for reauthorizing the No Child Left Behind Act. And so far, all the interesting discussion has been about testing, testing, and more testing. But there’s a lot more to the draft.
The Wall Street Journal
Test finds college graduates lack skills for white-collar jobs
Four in 10 U.S. college students graduate without the complex reasoning skills to manage white-collar work, according to the results of a test of nearly 32,000 students.
Arizona Republic
Arizona 1st to pass law requiring high-school civics test
Arizona will become the first state to require students to pass a civics test to graduate from high school, following swift moves Thursday by state legislators and Gov. Doug Ducey.