Author: Patsy Crawford | Posted: 18. May 2012 01:34
Most U.S. public schools measure students’ average daily attendance for purposes of school report cards and federal accountability. However, according to a May 2012 John Hopkins University Report, schools’ failure to measure chronic absenteeism “can wreak havoc” that “may have already undermined school reform efforts of the past quarter century and negated the positive impact of future efforts.” [More]
Author: Patsy Crawford | Posted: 18. May 2012 01:27
A May 2012 report by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) concludes that, despite challenges, states, school districts, and schools are making progress in identifying and addressing the educational needs and tracking the academic achievement of English learner (EL) students. Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), [More]
Author: Patsy Crawford | Posted: 10. May 2012 23:09
The spring 2012 issue of the Future of Children Journal, Children with Disabilities, explores the prevalence, nature, treatment, and consequences of childhood disability. The Journal, released on May 6th, consists of a series of nine articles addressing various aspects, trends, and the long-term financial impact of childhood disability. The Journal reveals that the most prevalent conditions in children with disabilities are mental health disorders, as opposed to physical conditions such as [More]
Author: Patsy Crawford | Posted: 3. May 2012 01:07
In a supplement to its April 25, 2012 edition, Education Week provided a special report on the status of the implementation of the Common Core State Standards. The standards were initiated in June 2009 and finalized a year later. They were developed in collaboration with teachers, school administrators, and experts across the country to provide a clear and consistent framework to prepare students for college and the workforce. [More]
Author: Patsy Crawford | Posted: 27. April 2012 02:07
On April 26, 2012, Education Week reported online that Illinois law enforcement officials called on State legislators to increase spending for preschools. The Cook County Sheriff, a State prosecutor, and three police chiefs warned that if Illinois does not “beef up spending [More]
Author: Patsy Crawford | Posted: 27. April 2012 02:02
An April 24, 2012 Associated Press article reported that some states, spurred by education reform incentives for more effective teacher evaluation systems, are encountering challenges in establishing criteria for the evaluation of special education teachers. Some [More]
Author: Patsy Crawford | Posted: 27. April 2012 01:59
An April 2012 report, Review of Special Education in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, revealed that low-income students are considerably more likely than other students to be determined eligible for special education. The report also revealed that low-income students with disabilities and Hispanic and African American students with disabilities are considerably less likely to be included in general education classrooms. [More]
Author: Patsy Crawford | Posted: 20. April 2012 01:38
In an April 19, 2012 statement, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced the release of the President Obama Administration’s blueprint for the reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (CTE). The CTE, signed by former President George W. Bush, provided federal support to increase focus on the academic achievement of secondary and postsecondary career and technical education students, strengthen the connections [More]
Author: Patsy Crawford | Posted: 20. April 2012 01:34
An April 17, 2012 Education Week article reported that the 12 winners of the $4 billion Race to the Top (RTT) competition had spent only about 14 percent of the awards by the end of March; most of what had been spent outside of individual education departments went toward obtaining consultants. The article cited RTT proposal implementation challenges as one reason for the slow spending, but added that Department of Education (ED) officials are seeing increasing momentum [More]
Author: Patsy Crawford | Posted: 12. April 2012 23:50
In an April 9, 2012 press release, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the availability of $133 million for another state-level Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) competition. In 2011, 35 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico submitted RTT-ELC applications; [More]