September 5, 2014
Local News
WHYY Newsworks
New resources allocated to low-performing schools in Wilmington
Some of Wilmington’s most needy schools will share nearly $6 million in federal and state money to improve academic performance among students. The schools include Bancroft Elementary, Bayard Middle and Stubbs Elementary schools in the Christina School District as well as Warner Elementary, Shortlidge Academy and Highlands Elementary in the Red Clay Consolidated School District.
The News Journal
6 Wilmington schools to get help
Wilmington leaders hope the plans are a step towards giving city schools the resources they need, saying poor education performance is a major cause of the city’s ongoing economic and crime problems. “We have made tremendous progress in improving our education system in recent years,” Gov. Jack Markell said while announcing the new program. “But it’s clear that, despite our shared commitment to providing all our children with a great education, we have made the least progress in improving a group of schools that serve our highest needs kids.”
Schools need leadership to improve
An editorial
Delaware should watch closely over the next few years to see what happens to six Wilmington schools. The challenge is to help the students reach grade proficiency in reading and math. Secretary Murphy put it this way: “In some of the schools, only 29 percent of children are reading and performing math at grade levels.”
WDDE
State unveils new attempt to turnaround struggling schools
The state has made other attempts to turnaround its struggling schools, most recently the Partnership Zone program that was part in Delaware’s Race to the Top plan. That program, which included Bayard Middle School received mixed grades in the latest federal review of state’s race to the Top progress in March. Education Secretary Mark Murphy says lessons learned from the Partnership Zone and other programs around the country will help in developing this effort.
Wesley College receives grant for STEM education
Wesley College has been awarded a $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. The award will support the Dover institution’s scholarships in science, technology engineering and math (STEM) programs. It is the college’s largest direct grant for its STEM program and will come to the school over the next five years.
WDEL
Markell commits $5M to improve six schools
“The goal is the aspirations of our young people. I think everyone that’s in attendance here, we all have the same goal. We want excellence and opportunity for every student, and not for that to be a selective journey,” said Christina School District Superintendent Freeman Williams.
Delaware State News
Markell tour puts focus on college access Governor visits Caesar Rodney, Dover high schools
For seniors in high school it’s an especially stressful time of year. As they head back to school, they also start to look ahead. Counselors start to talk about college and students are left with less than a year to make a plan. Gov. Jack Markell visited Dover and Caesar Rodney high schools Wednesday morning as part of a statewide tour to ensure students have the help they need to continue their education past high school.
Dover Post
Markell encourages Dover, CR students to further education past high school
Gov. Jack Markell on Wednesday urged high school seniors to start early in their efforts to secure additional educational opportunities once they graduate. Markell went over a number of available programs to help seniors learn about various colleges and funding opportunities. Key among those is the delawaregoestocollege.org website, which, in addition to a large printed compendium of information available from school counselors, can provide almost all the information students need, he said.
National News
Hechinger Report
In Illinois, preschool access worst for Latinos
High-quality preschool helps children from poor families prepare for kindergarten and beyond. Yet as the child poverty rate is climbing, those are the kids least likely to attend such programs.
Pew Research Center
School days: How the U.S. compares with other countries
People may wonder if children in the U.S. spend less time in the classroom than kids in other countries. The answer: Not really, though it’s hard to say for sure.
Washington Post
Policymakers hail STEM education as a strong foundation, pushing innovation
Although a recent study found that almost 75 percent of those who have science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) bachelor’s degrees have jobs in other fields, policymakers, advocates and executives continue to push STEM education as a way to close achievement gaps and produce U.S. innovation.
Education Week
Calif. teachers’ union sets sights on charters
Teachers’ unions haven’t made much headway with charter schools, but in California and a handful of other states, they are gaining ground.
New Jersey’s Newark schools open but some boycott
Organizers of a boycott of Newark schools on the first day of classes Thursday claimed success, but the school superintendent said it didn’t appear many parents kept their children home in protest of her new enrollment system that is the target of a federal civil rights complaint.
New York City kicks off school year with massive prekindergarten expansion
More than 50,000 4-year-olds started prekindergarten in New York City Sept. 4—more than double the 20,000 who attended pre-K last year—as part of an historic expansion of early-childhood programming that is being considered one of the defining moments of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s first year in office. The preschoolers in the free, universal program joined 1.1 million students in New York City who returned to school the same day.