In this edition of In the News:
- New Orleans in the News
- Despite High School Diploma, Many Students Fail Military Exam
- National Studies of Note: Literacy, Bullying, Teacher Effectiveness
- Turnaround Success, and Failure
- Creative Solution to the Rising Cost of Benefits
- New School Lunch Bill
- From the Louisiana Department Of Education
New Orleans in the News
Katrina’s Children: Childhood, Still Interrupted
Huffington Post – December 22, 2010
Five and a half years after Katrina, thousands of New Orleans children are seriously behind in school, acting out and suffering from extraordinarily high rates of health and mental health problems.
KIPP: An Educational Camelot
New Orleans Magazine – January 2011
KIPP (The Knowledge is Power Program) now has seven open-admissions charter schools that deliver excellent results with low-income, mostly minority students in New Orleans.
Despite High School Diploma, Many Students Fail Military Exam
Nearly One-Fourth of U.S. Students Fail Military Exam
Education Week – December 21, 2010
Nearly one-fourth of high school graduates who try to join the military fail the entrance exam, unable to answer basic questions, such as “If 2 plus x equals 4, what is the value of x?”
National Studies of Note: Literacy, Bullying, Teacher Effectiveness
Pre K-Grade 3: Which Reading and Literacy Practices Matter Most?
Education Commission of the States – December 2010
ECS has produced a very succinct summary of four different studies focused on literacy from pre-K to grade 3. The studies look the effectiveness of practices currently implemented in schools, as well as external factors, such as family context, socioeconomic status and English proficiency.
Psst! Anti-Bullying Program Quiets Playground Gossip, Study Finds
Education Week – January 5, 2010
A recent study shows Steps to Respect, an anti-bullying program, decreases “malicious gossip” in elementary schools by 72%.
Initial Findings from the Measures of Effective Teachers Project
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – December 2010
The Gates Foundation is uncovering the best indicators of teacher effectiveness. One recommendation is to ask the students. Apparently, they know effective teaching when they see it.
Turnaround Success, and Failure
Turnarounds Provide a Lesson in Education Reform
The Boston Herald – December 19, 2010
Boston has implemented an aggressive new turnaround plan in twelve of its lowest performing schools. Strategies for improvement include teachers and school leaders using constant assessments to get students and family members “addicted to progress,” principals handpicking their own teachers, and foundations providing additional funds.
Study Finds Bad Schools Rarely Get Better-or Shut Down
Education Week – December 14, 2010
A new national study by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute of over 2000 chronically failing schools – both traditional and charter – shows that in the last 5 years very few either saw significant improvement or were shut down.
Creative Solution to the Rising Cost of Benefits
The Promise of Cafeteria-Style Benefits for Districts and Teachers
Center on Reinventing Public Education – December 9, 2010
The escalating costs and unpredictability of benefit plans pose enormous problems for school districts nationwide. With cafeteria-style benefits, a district caps the total amount spent on an employee (salary plus benefits) and then provides the employee with a “menu” of benefits (including salary) that can be tailored to their needs. For example, an employee could exchange a lower health insurance deductible for a higher salary.
New School Lunch Bill
Obama Signs Long-Awaited School Lunch Bill
Education Week – December 13, 2010
President Obama signed a long-awaited bill that provides more money to districts for school lunches and improves nutritional standards for food provided in schools.
From the Louisiana Department Of Education
Education Reform: Eight School Chiefs to Watch in 2011
The Christian Science Monitor – December 31, 2010
Superintendent Pastorek is among the Christian Science Monitor’s state education leaders to watch in 2011.
RSD Seeks Public Input on School Building Assignments
Recovery School District – December 25, 2010
The Recovery School District (RSD) will hold five public meetings in January, one in each New Orleans City Council district, to seek public input on long-term building assignments for RSD direct-run and charter school programs. NOTE: The location for the District C meeting on January 18 has been changed to Joseph A. Craig School.
View the corrected meeting schedule.
View the most recent draft of recommended RSD building assignments.
View the RSD’s Facility Assignment Matrix.
Department Launches Special Education Hotline
Louisiana Department of Education – December 20, 2010
The Louisiana Dept. of Education announces a new special education hotline to help parents of special needs children understand and access available resources.