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K-12 Education Reform

Gen Y Talks Ed

A couple of weeks ago, I discovered an ed blog that has become a bit of a fascination for me. Written by an as yet anonymous 21 year-old member of Generation Y (or the Millennials, pick your poison), Urban Angle takes cold, hard look at education reform from the standpoint of an individual just a few years out of the system. Well-informed and eloquent, the author seeks to situate the effects of current ed policy in terms of what has and what hasn’t worked in urban schools.

 

On the importance of leadership in schools:


The New Battle at Kruger—School Funding?

 

Reading through the online comments for Sunday’s Seattle P-I editorial on the Basic Education Finance Joint Task Force, I couldn’t help but recall a certain viral internet video I had seen months earlier called, The Battle at Kruger.


Higher standards in math can help fill jobs here

The News Tribune

It’s 13 not 37.

trix rabbitThis just annoyed me. The headline for this article in the Wenatchee World reads: WASL stops 37 Wenatchee seniors from graduating. But read a little further and the article goes on to say that of those 37 seniors, 24 wouldn’t have graduated anyway due to lack of credits. That leaves only 13. Well, two can play at this game.


Diplomas Count leaves me empty.

diplomas count As Maureen says, there’s been a lot of "buzz in the blogosphere" about Diplomas Count 2008: School to College: Can State P-16 Councils Ease the Transition?, a new report that “examines states' efforts to forge stronger connections between precollegiate and postsecondary education.” Or does it?


It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

marathon girlAs OSPI sprints to the communications finish line regarding the Class of 2008 (I hope many of you watched it this morning on TVW!) the State Board keeps good pace in the marathon of upcoming initiatives regarding Washington’s diploma and accountability system.

In my inbox this morning was an enewsletter from the SBE encouraging people to share their views on these two key topics in this online survey.


Terry to talk WASL

Since the reading and writing WASL scores were released to schools and districts last week, there have been a number of articles on the subject. Tomorrow, State Sup. Terry Bergeson will provide the state’s perspective on those numbers.


And so it begins…

pass goYesterday, schools and districts received their WASL scores – a database, if you will, of students as of May 23 who have passed or not passed the WASL or state-approved alternative. This year, students must meet the reading and writing requirement in order to graduate.


I see the light!

light bulbHow many researchers does it take to screw in the ed reform light bulb? Quite a few, it seems.

A new study of Philadelphia high schools finds that their high school freshmen are more likely to be taught by inexperienced, uncredentialed teachers than their upper-grade peers. And students taking at least two classes taught by these teachers miss an average of two more school days a year than peers with more-qualified teachers.


Go on, beat the cynic out of me!

achievement gap

I heard that a statewide strategic plan to close the African American achievement gap was being developed and it looks like the rumors are true. On Monday, the advisory committee of HB 2722 (passed unanimously last session), was created.


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