June 11, 2015
Delaware News
The News Journal
Delaware’s testing opt-out bill ignites firestorm
The simmering debate over standardized testing in Delaware exploded Wednesday in a charged hearing that saw lawmakers and parent advocates shouting over each other. At issue was a bill to allow parents to pull their children out of the statewide Smarter Balanced Assessment, a tough new test students took for the first time this year.
Survey: School administrators unhappy with state leaders
Nine out of 10 school leaders have little or no confidence in the Delaware Department of Education, according to a survey by the organization that represents them.
Once again, who runs Delaware’s schools?
Editorial
The fight between the Department of Education and it opponents brings us to a crucial question: Who controls the schools? The department? The state board of education? The local boards of education? Forget the personalities. They will go away. The real challenge is who runs the schools and how will they be held accountable?
Business: Get smarter about testing
Letter to the Editor by Ernest J. Dianastasis, Chair, Delaware Business Roundtable Education Committee
We oppose any efforts like HB50 to invalidate the Smarter Balanced Assessment, but we agree it makes sense to take a step back and review all of the assessments being employed and to weed out the ones we don’t need. This is why we strongly support Delaware State Senate Joint Resolution 2, which has the ultimate goal of reducing the testing burden on Delaware students.
Delaware Public Media
Delaware’s all-time high graduation rate based on ‘robust’ data
Board of Education president Teri Quinn Gray says she thinks Delaware’s graduation data is “probably one of the most robust, in terms of how we do track our students.”
Opt-out bill on hold in State Senate
State senators are still mulling whether to release a bill from committee that would allow parents to opt their children out of taking the state’s new Smarter Balanced Assessment. An hour-long hearing on the proposal left supporters and opponents without any answers, as lawmakers adjourned the committee without acting.
NBC Philadelphia
Parents weigh-in on debate over del. standardized testing
The outcry against standardized testing in Delaware has grown and now lawmakers could vote to let some students opt-out.
National News
The Oregonian
Oregon risks losing $140 million for enabling kids to skip Common Core tests, feds warn
Oregon schools stand to lose $140 million a year or more in federal funding if state lawmakers vote to enable parents to opt out of standardized testing more easily, a top U.S. education official is warning.
Education Week
Student insights guiding districts on policy and practice
Tapping students for their input on how to improve education increases engagement and contributes to a healthier school climate, district leaders and researchers say.
What can we learn from the investing in innovation program five years out?
Blog post by Alyson Klein
Back in 2010, the Obama administration poured $650 million into a brand program, investing in Innovation, aimed at finding and funding interesting ideas in education—figuring out what works, what doesn’t, and helping effective programs grow.
Fast Company
Charter schools have an awkward secret: They’re not very good at innovating
When you look around the country at the charter sector, they’ve been pretty absent from the conversation about innovative school design. Charters face challenging economics – for one, they typically pay to rent space – further reinforcing market dynamics that favor scale and standardization. As a result, today’s system is largely dominated by charter school networks
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Pa. Senate panel passes school improvement bill
A state Senate committee on Tuesday approved a bill that would create a state-run system to take over low-performing Pennsylvania schools, sending to the full chamber a measure that Philadelphia’s superintendent said could be devastating to city schools.