September 17, 2014
Local News
The News Journal
New Moyer leader: ‘Give us a chance’
When Maurice J. Moyer Academy’s board named Kennan Dorsey the school’s leader this summer, they were giving him a steep challenge. The school, which serves almost entirely students who are black and from inner-city, low-income families, had churned through three principals during the previous year, and its test scores plunged. Last year, only 23 percent of students scored “proficient” in reading on the state exam. Only 10 percent were proficient in math.
‘We the people’ is Delaware’s glory, challenge
An editorial by Governor Jack Markell
While the preamble to our national constitution sets out the mission for our federal government, its vision cannot be realized without the leadership of states. At a time when the country faces increasing competition from abroad and the quality of one’s education and training is more important than ever, our state can help secure the blessings of liberty for America’s posterity. The hard work of our educators – from preschool through high school and beyond – has given us that chance, if we are willing to make the long-term commitment to the innovations we have begun.
National News
Education Week
States far from uniform in commitment in kindergarten
While high-quality preschool tops the agenda for many federal, state, and local officials, kindergarten—widely considered the first year of formal schooling—has received far less attention. Despite kindergarten’s pivotal role in preparing children for reading and other academics, state laws on what districts must provide still vary widely, resulting in a patchwork of mandatory and voluntary half-day and full-day offerings. Those disparities can leave children less than prepared for the demands of 1st grade, some educators say.
Ed-tech leader gender gaps identified in new study
Female technology leaders working for U.S. school districts appear to earn less money than their male counterparts and face more limited access to the top positions in their field—despite tending to be more experienced and equally, if not better, credentialed. Those findings come from original research conducted by Education Week and the Consortium for School Networking, or CoSN, a Washington-based professional association for school technology officials.
U.S. adults support longer, more rigorous teacher prep, poll finds
Americans generally think teacher preparation should be more rigorous and include more time for candidates to practice under the tutelage of experienced teachers, according to the results of a new Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup poll. The wide-ranging survey includes adults’ perspectives on testing, curriculum, and school health, as well as on the teaching profession. It’s based on a representative sample of some 1,000 adults and has a margin of error is +/- 4.6 percentage points.
Common-Core discontent reflected in N.Y. primary
While New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo easily captured the Democratic nomination for governor last week, a relatively strong showing by his progressive challenger in the primary could sustain a long-term effort to combat the state’s implementation of the Common Core State Standards and the way it uses tests for K-12 accountability.
New York Times
Grading teachers, with data from class
Panorama is trying to assess how well teachers are doing by conducting scientifically valid student questionnaires that collect data about a variety of factors that might affect a teacher’s performance, from how well she conveys the material and whether she encourages interest in a subject to whether a school fosters a sense of belonging for students.
Boston Magazine
How tests are failing our schools
A year ago, Madeloni was an unknown former psychotherapist and high school English teacher with a radical message: At a time when standardized test scores have more and more become the lifeblood of public education—determining students’ futures, teachers’ salaries, and schools’ funding—Madeloni is calling for a three-year moratorium on all testing and teacher evaluations.