July 21, 2014
Local News
Delaware State News
DCAS: Indian River School District students surpass state average in nearly every content area
Delaware Comprehensive Assessment System (DCAS) scores for 2014 released by the Delaware Department of Education on July 16 revealed that the percentage of Indian River School District students who were proficient in reading, math, science and social studies was higher than the overall state average at most grade levels. The percentage of IRSD students in grades 3-10 who met or exceeded the performance standards surpassed the state average in all but two assessment areas. In some areas, IRSD topped the state average by double-digit percentage points.
Smyrna-Clayton Sun-Times
Smyrna schools continue to excel at DCAS state testing
With the last DCAS test administered this spring, students in the Smyrna School District continue to show growth as schools across the state will be changing to the Smarter Balanced testing system next year. Smyrna School District Curriculum Director Dr. Sandy Shalk said the 2013-2014 school year was another good year testing wise for students in the district.
The News Journal
Teaching Shakespeare with a nod to Dr. Seuss
Actors in the Delaware Shakespeare Festival have been meeting with kids at various summer camps and programs as part of “The Bridge” program, which exposes at-risk youth to Shakespeare.
National News
Education Week
Major revisions underway for school leaders’ standards
The latest Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium, or ISLLC, standards—last updated in 2008—are expected to be released in October. In the months that follow, the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Policy Board for Educational Administration, the groups leading the revision efforts, will also release revised National Educational Leadership Preparation, or NELP, standards, and new model standards for principal supervisors, who coach, evaluate, and provide other support to principals.
Wisconsin Gov. Walker calls for repeal of Common Core in 2015
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has called for his state legislature to approve a bill repealing the Common Core State Standards next year. In a July 17 press release, Walker, a Republican who is widely considered to be a contender for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016, provided no further details beyond his call for a repeal of the standards and to “replace it [the common core] with standards set by people in Wisconsin” during the 2015 legislative session.
TNTP presses for performance-pay system for teachers
To bolster teacher quality, schools systems desperately need to institute variable pay structures that reward educators based on performance and challenging assignments, according to a report released this week by TNTP, a prominent nonprofit teacher-recruitment and policy organization.
New York Times
Obama to report widening of initiative for black and latino boys
President Obama will announce that 60 of the nation’s largest school districts are joining his initiative to improve the educational futures of young African-American and Hispanic boys, beginning in preschool and extending through high school graduation. The new efforts, which will also seek support from the nonprofit and private sectors, are being coordinated by the Council of the Great City Schools, which represents large urban school districts.
Washington Post
Most with college STEM degrees go to work in other fields, survey finds
People with bachelor’s degrees in science, technology, engineering and math are more likely than other college graduates to have a job, but most of them don’t work in STEM occupations, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report.