In this edition of In the News:

• Debating Reforms
• Louisiana News
• National Education Stories
• ACT Scores Rising Slowly
• Miller-McCoy in the Spotlight
• Other Local News

Debating Reforms

The School Reform Deniers
Reuters – August 21, 2011
After years of studying the school reform debate, Steven Brill has published a new book, Class Warfare: Inside the Fight to Fix America’s Schools. In this column, Brill summarizes his findings and takes on the reform deniers, who use the tactic of repeating things that are plainly untrue enough times so they start to seem true, or at least become part of the debate. Brill outlines a set of facts and simple questions with obvious answers that should guide America’s school reform efforts. Continue reading →

In this edition of In the News:

• Politics and Education
• Local News
• Around Louisiana
• Looking at Charter Management Organizations
• National Education Studies

Politics and Education

Louisiana Education Leaders Need to Step Up
The Times-Picayune – August 10, 2011
Louisiana’s movement toward charter schools, test-driven accountability and performance-based teacher evaluations is being challenged by teacher unions, school boards and superintendents. It is also being undermined by a lack of clear leadership on the part of the administration. Continue reading →

Closing the Gap

New Orleans Public School Achievement Gap is Narrowing
The Times-Picayune – August 7, 2011
Black students in New Orleans performed better than black students statewide. New Orleans’ poor students and students with disabilities are also rapidly closing the performance gap compared to state performance. The numbers include all students in any OPSB or RSD school (traditional or charter) who took the state standardized tests this spring. According to The Education Trust, a national organization whose mission is to close achievement gaps, “This is really meaningful progress.”

Editor’s note:  In 2004, of 68 school districts, Orleans Parish ranked 68th – last – in the performance of its black students. To now outperform the state average is a major milestone as public education in New Orleans continues to improve. Continue reading →