July 26, 2016
Delaware News
Cape Gazette
State school test scores trending upward
Overall test results for the second year of Smarter Balanced show slight improvement in test scores, although only about half of Delaware students are proficient in English and fewer in math. Department of Education officials released state test results July 21, celebrating 3 percent to 4 percent gains overall and highlighting districts that posted significant gains.
Delaware 105.9
Meet the candidates today at MOT Charter School in Middletown
The Delaware Arts Alliance’s Arts Rendezvous program in New Castle County will today (Tuesday), bring together candidates in the electoral races for Delaware Lieutenant Governor and Congress to engage with arts advocates and voters. The discussion topic, starting at 5 p.m. at MOT Charter School in Middletown, will be the impact of the arts on Delaware’s economy and the value of arts education.
The Rodel Foundation
6 big takeaways from Smarter Balanced Scores
Blog post by Liz Hoyt, research associate, and Shyanne Miller, policy fellow at the Rodel Foundation of Delaware
Last week, Delaware officially released preliminary statewide results for public school students on the Smarter Assessment and the SAT. We took a look at the data, and pulled out six big takeaways from this year’s results.
WMDT
Ag. education faces deficit in teachers
A deficit of teachers appears to be one of the biggest challenges facing agriculture education, according to one local Future Farmers of America “FFA” chapter. Jay Davis, advisor for the Smryna High School FFA, says there was a nationwide shortage of about 400 agriculture teachers between the 2014 and 2015 school year. Those numbers are from the National Association of Agriculture Educators (“NAAE”).
Southern Delaware School of the Arts has 8th grade openings
The Southern Delaware School of the Arts, in Selbyville, has announced they have several openings for students for the 2016-2017 school year in the 8th grade class. School officials say that parents interested in enrolling their children must submit a Delaware Standard Application for Educational Options, an IRSD Student Supplemental Information Form, and a “Good Cause” form.
National News
The Albuquerque Journal
New Mexico putting $3.5M more in early pre-k program
Gov. Susana Martinez on Friday announced an additional $3.5 million investment in New Mexico’s early pre-K pilot program, bringing the total investment to more than $10.5 million over the past two years. Secretary Monique Jacobson of the Children, Youth, and Families Department said the state has more than doubled the number of 3-year-olds who have access to the program in New Mexico.
Chalkbeat
Colorado’s charter schools: more diverse, more segregated
A state report released this month showed that for the first time, Colorado’s charter schools educated a larger proportion of racial and ethnic minorities than district-run schools. The report found that 47 percent of students enrolled at a Colorado charter identify as a racial or ethnic minority. That’s two percentage points higher than at district-run schools.
Education Week
Summer programs help first-gen. college-goers brave the leap
Top high school students have long ventured onto campuses across the country in the summer to get a taste of college life and real college coursework. While those trips have been a staple of affluent families’ college-prep agendas, many high schools and colleges are trying harder to include students who might need a bit of extra help in planning for college and adjusting to campus life: those like Betty, with little or no history of college-going in their families.
Market Brief
New focus on ed. finance, data on the horizon
How districts allocate their funds, how companies can help schools with financial decision making, and the impact of the new federal education law on schools’ budgeting were central themes at the recent Future of Education Finance Summit held in Baltimore.
The Washington Post
What it’s like to be a D.C. high school student interning at a big federal agency
Kai and his classmates are part of a newly expanded D.C. Public Schools program that places 500 students in six-week “career-ready internships” with the Washington Nationals, the White House and Accenture Consulting, among others. The school system partnered for the first time with the Mayor Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program, which allows the interns to earn minimum wage through the city-funded jobs program.