October 7, 2015
Delaware News
WDEL
Reading intervention pilot program launches in Colonial School District
A pilot program for students with reading deficiencies launched in New Castle County’s Colonial School District with the hopes of providing a service otherwise inaccessible to students who most need it. Students struggling to read will be matched with AmeriCorps tutors for one-on-one coaching sessions during the school day.
The New Journal
Tower to rise at UD’s STAR Campus next spring
A 10-story tower that will host a mix of high-tech and residential tenants will begin rising next spring at the University of Delaware’s Science, Technology & Advanced Research Campus, its developer said Tuesday. The first three phases of STAR Campus construction are reflecting what UD officials have envisioned all along: a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship between complementary elements that include a variety of research entities and facilities and residences, a hotel and a conference center, among other possibilities.
Delaware First Media
Voters in Milford School District OK tax referendum
The third time was the charm for Milford School District in finding support for a tax referendum. After rejecting plans to increase taxes in each of the last two school years, voters said “yes” Tuesday to the district’s latest proposal to bolster its operating budget.
Delaware State News
Del. lawmakers angry over continued Race to the Top funding
State lawmakers are unhappy about the Department of Education’s decision to continue funding eight high-paying positions after the Legislature cut the revenue source. Ten positions funded through Race to the Top money were set to expire July 1, and the Legislature’s budget-writing committee opted to halve the sum of $7.5 million recommended by Gov. Jack Markell for Race to the Top. The $3.75 million the Joint Finance Committee allocated was expressly prohibited from being used to fund the positions.
Milford Chronicle
Milford referendum passes – 1,621 to 1,282
On Tuesday, Oct. 6, Milford School District leaders were relieved when department of election officials presented the preliminary results of its operating funds referendum – 1,621 for with 1,282 against.
Dover Post
Charter school hearing Oct. 12: New charter school planning to move into Dover
Residents have a chance to discuss a proposed new charter school near Dover, Oct. 12. The former Mapleton Charter School was scheduled to open in the developing Town of Whitehall, but plans changed due to slow progress at the New Castle County development, according to the state Board of Education. The planned site for Discovery Charter School is a building on Route 13 in Cheswold, near Crossroads Christian Church and across from Walmart. It would hold a maximum 450 students from kindergarten to fifth grade.
National News
The New York Times
Test scores under Common Core show that ‘proficient’ varies by state
It all came down to the different labels each state used to describe the exact same scores on the same tests. That kind of inconsistency in educational standards is what the Common Core — academic guidelines for kindergarten through high school reading and math that were adopted by more than 40 states — was intended to redress.
The Hechinger Report
What’s the best way to prepare a teacher?
We believe that the people practicing in schools of education – the presidents, deans and professors – along with leaders and educators in alternative teacher preparation programs, must have access to information about changes in the field and be engaged in the discussion about reforms, innovations and research about best practices. We’ll seek to provide that information and a forum for that discussion here, and we welcome suggestions, questions, and your opinions along the way.
California’s Aspire charter network gets a blended-learning boost from Silicon Schools Fund
A California-based charter school network has been an early but careful pioneer in blended learning, and now its leaders say they are ready to take it to the next level. Aspire Public Schools announced last week that the network will expand its blended learning program to 15 of its 38 schools, with the help of an investment from the Silicon Schools Fund.
The Dallas Morning News
Dallas ISD sees ‘meteoric lift’ in pre-K students’ preparedness
ust a few years ago, only about one in three Dallas kindergartners started school on grade level. Most were up to a year behind their peers, which experts say is difficult to make up. So starting in 2013, Dallas began overhauling prekindergarten to build a stronger curriculum, enroll more students and provide teachers with more focused training and support so that the district would have a high-quality program. The needle only ticked up a few points last year as these initiatives were starting to roll out. But when school started this year, Dallas officials were shocked to see a 10-point gain that meant that now 51 percent of all kindergartners are on grade level.
Education Week
Superintendents tell education business leaders what they really want
District leaders count on education companies to help them accomplish their educational missions, and it’s sometimes a challenging partnership. In a candid panel here at EdNet 2015 about the view of vendors from the superintendent’s office, four district leaders shared their advice about how the marketplace can do a better job serving K-12 schools.