March 17, 2016

Delaware

Cape Gazette
Cape students win state FCCLA awards
The Family Career and Community Leaders of America state competition was held at Dover Downs March 8-9. Several Cape High students walked away with top honors. Jessica Melson and Jennifer Ptak won top gold honors for their Event Planning project. The team created a soup-to-nuts event plan for a bridal shower. The two seniors earned an all-expense-paid trip to San Diego, Calif. to represent Delaware in the National Conference.

Newark Post
Voters decide on Christina referendum Wednesday
Christina School District residents will head to the polls on Wednesday to vote on a proposed tax increase that would bring in more than $16 million for the district. The referendum, which would raise taxes 30 cents per $100 of assessed property value or an average of $192 a year, represents the district’s third try at a tax increase in the last year.

Newsworks
Delaware’s progress on graduation, dropout rates stalls
After big improvements last year, Delaware’s graduation rate and dropout rate have plateaued. That’s according to data reported Monday by the Delaware Department of Education. The First State’s four-year, cohort graduation rate for the 2014-15 school year was 84.3 percent, down 0.1 percent from the year prior. Delaware’s 2014-15 dropout rate was 2.2 percent, up 0.1 percent from 2013-14.

Wilmington redistricting plan clears major hurdle
A plan to redraw district lines in Wilmington for the first time in over 30 years will head back to the state board after a pivotal Monday vote. The 23-member Wilmington Education Improvement Committee (WEIC) overwhelmingly approved a reworked version of its redistricting proposal. That proposal now heads to the Delaware State Board of Education, which must either approve or reject it before the end of the month.

Rodel Blog
The future of teacher prep
Blog post by Robyn Howton, English Teacher at Mount Pleasant High School, member of the Rodel Teacher Council, and a Hope Street Group National Teacher Fellow
Back in 1991, I was the student teacher assigned to work with Mrs. Sargent at Triad High School in Troy, Illinois. I had spent less than 15 hours observing a classroom prior to my first day with Mrs. Sargent. Under her guidance, I put into practice the combination of content knowledge and teaching methods I had learned at Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville. The next year, I was off to my own classroom.

Building blocks of personalized learning
Blog post by Paul Herdman, President and CEO of the Rodel Foundation of Delaware
Personalizing learning can take many forms. And not every form has to involve a tablet or screen. Technology is transforming classroom practice rapidly, but maybe not in the way you think. In many classrooms, technology allows for personalized learning to blossom through richer discussions, closer relationships between students and teachers, and access to real-world experiences. To truly bring personalized learning to scale, technology is basically a requirement.

Sussex County Post
Indian River district launches new podcast ‘ IRSD Spotlight’
The Indian River School District is producing a new podcast that can be accessed through iTunes or the district website at www.irsd.net. Titled IRSD Spotlight, the podcast allows parents, students and community members to learn more about the inner workings of the Indian River School District.

The Milford Beacon
Delaware Chamber recognizes Postlethwait’s outdoor classroom
Nick Jones doesn’t need to leave school to study a real life praying mantis. The 13-year-old only needs to step outside. “When you’re in the classroom they’re teaching you about nature, but you don’t really get that effect,” he said. “But when you’re outside in nature, you kind of understand and get things a bit more.” For six years, students at Postlethwait Middle School have been using an outdoor classroom.

The News Journal
Intense debate over latest Christina referendum
A week before voters go to the polls on a contentious referendum in the Christina School District, administrators gathered in a middle school cafeteria to explain to about 40 concerned property owners how they’d use the money.

Delaware State cutes more than a quarter of its majors
Delaware State University has cut 23 low-enrollment academic programs – more than a quarter of its offerings – to invest in higher-growth areas that are expected to bring in more students and revenue. The university board voted quietly in January to “deactivate” the majors starting this fall against the recommendations of a faculty and staff committee that spent more than two years studying the issue.

Redistricting plan OK’d, headed for State Board
The deal brokered by Gov. Jack Markell to save a redistricting plan from dying before it even gets to the state Legislature has survived its first step. The Wilmington Education Improvement Commission, which developed the plan to move students who live in Wilmington from the Christina School District to the much-closer Red Clay Consolidated School District, adopted the governor’s suggested changes and voted on Monday to move the plan along to the State Board of Education.

WBOC
Del. Senate considers post-labor day start for school districts
The Delaware Senate is considering a new bill that would mean a later start for schools in the First State. SB 161, which was released from the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday afternoon, would mandate that all school districts start after Labor Day weekend.  Sen. Gerald Hocker, who represents the Ocean View area, is the bill’s sponsor and said that the benefits are two-fold. He said the change would both allow high school students to take on more seasonal work, and would also give resort areas in Sussex County an economic boost.

Del. Lawmakers look to reduce bullying
Delaware lawmakers are looking into whether or not a school needs to report an incidence of bullying to the police that does not result in a serious injury. Attorney General Matt Denn co-authored legislation with lawmakers that aims to reduce bullying and keep students out of the criminal justice system. Denn said the legislation would eliminate the obligation that schools currently have to report to police all fights between students that result in a non-serious injury.

National

CBS
Indiana legislature passes bill that will help get minority teachers into classrooms
The Indiana legislature passed a bill on Thursday that will help get more minority teachers into classrooms. House Bill 1179 will provide financial assistance for minority students who wish to pursue education as a career. The bill is now headed to the governor’s desk for consideration. Stand for Children Indiana’s Executive Director Justin Ohlemiller released the following statement on today’s final passage of House Bill 1179.

Education Week
Boston’s revamp of teacher hiring sparks gains, costs
The Boston district’s move to begin its hiring process earlier and to allow principals more say over who they bring on board has resulted in a stronger and more diverse pool of teacher candidates, a new analysis concludes. But the shift has also bumped up against some of the same challenges that have complicated similar efforts elsewhere—notably a costly pool of teachers without permanent positions.

NPR
In Alabama, teachers school lawmakers
Alabama lawmakers face a legislative calendar this year with about 50 — yes 50 — education-related bills. And many of the people drafting those laws haven’t been inside a classroom since they were students themselves. “People tend to think that they’re experts in education because they were educated,” says Kira Aaron, an English teacher at Vestavia Hills High School, just outside Birmingham.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
U.S. education secretary talks college completion at Georgia State
Newly confirmed U.S. education secretary John King visited Georgia State University on Wednesday to get a firsthand look at the school’s methods for getting students graduated. The Georgia State visit was the first stop on the federal education department’s “College Opportunity Across America” tour.

The Hechinger Report
Spreading an idea in education: What happens when you start being polite and start getting real?
It’s a problem that has vexed educators: What’s the best way to share a good idea? The idea of “do more of what works” sounds splendid. Who can disagree with that statement? And it seems like it should be easy enough to accomplish. But it’s proven to be woefully difficult to replicate successes in education. What works in one school isn’t always a sure-fire bet in another location.