Education News: April 3, 2009

Following are some of the top headlines from the world of education for the week ending April 3, 2009.

Texas State Board of Education Upholds Teaching of Evolution
(USA Today, March 30, 2009)  State education leaders in Texas have reached a compromise on how to teach evolution.  On Friday, the State Board of Education voted 13-2 to adopt a new science curriculum that no longer requires educators to teach the “strengths and weaknesses” of all scientific theories.  Instead, the new plan only encourages students to scrutinize "all sides" of scientific theories.  This decision affects the make up of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, and will be in place for the next decade dictating what information teachers are required to present and textbook content.  This case will have an immense impact on the rest of the country, as Texas is one of the largest textbook purchasers in the nation and therefore has significant influence over the content of books marketed across the country.  Proponents of evolution fear that the new curriculum uses confusing language, which will allow creationists to insert attacks on scientific doctrine.  Supporters of the new curriculum believe clearer language has been used to ensure that evidence will be used to explain all sides of scientific explanations.  Additionally, they believe the curriculum will encourage critical thinking in science classrooms.

First Wave of Stimulus Dollars Released Wednesday
(USA Today, April 1, 2009)  On Wednesday, the first round of dollars from the economic stimulus law went out to states.  The administration made available half of the funds for federal programs that fund kindergarten through 12th grade and special education.  Duncan also made available applications for states to get money from a special fund to stabilize state and local education budgets.  While President Obama’s stated intention for the stimulus funds is to save teachers’ jobs, loopholes inserted by congress could allow states and school districts to spend the money on new construction or playground equipment.  Problems have already arisen in South Carolina, where Governor Mark Sanford has said he may decline more than $700 million because the White House won't let him spend the money to pay down his state's debt.

Duncan Wants Information on Performance Data in Exchange for Stimulus Funds
(New York Times, April 1, 2009)  On Wednesday, Arne Duncan sent a letter informing each of the fifty states’ governors that in exchange for the federal aid money he wants new information about the performance of public schools.  The data will potentially be very embarrassing as it is expected to reveal that many states’ tests have been dumbed down so that students score higher.  It will also likely show that 99% of teachers are given excellent ratings and diploma requirements are often a formality.  The required data includes student math and reading scores on local tests and the National Assessment of Education Progress, the numbers of schools declared failing under federal law that have demonstrated student achievement gains within the last three years and the numbers of students, by high school, who graduate and go on to complete at least a year’s worth of college credit.

Virginia Educators Release Dropout Figures
(Washington Post, April 1, 2009)  On Tuesday, state officials announced that 9% of Virginia public school students in the Class of 2008 dropped out during their high school years, with many showing warning signs such as missing class frequently and repeating grades.  Hispanic students were among the most likely to fail to graduate, with nearly 20% dropping out.  Virginia is one of the few states that have begun to track students by issuing each an id number to track their progress throughout high school and, hopefully, help those that are at risk of dropping out.  The new system comes in response to a nationwide fear that dropout rates are getting out of hand.  The Virginia figures are actually rather impressive when compared to Massachusetts’ dropout rate of 9.9% and Mississippi’s rate of 16%.

Student Response Systems Gain Popularity in K-12 Classrooms
(Boston Globe, April 2, 2009)  Student response systems have long been used in university lecture halls as a way for a professor to better connect with students.  Recently, their popularity has increased among K-12 teachers as a way to involve students and spur debate in their classrooms.  Student response systems look similar to television remotes with lettered buttons and allow teachers to pose questions to their students and receive immediate feedback via radio or infrared frequencies.  In Massachusetts, teachers in at least 50 districts have begun using the devices.  Some educators and researchers worry that the response systems will become gimmicks if they are overused for simplistic quizzes and games.  Some attribute the recent popularity to NCLB, as the systems record data on each student, allowing a teacher to monitor individual progress. A set of classroom clickers costs between $895 and $3,000 depending on the company and type, and generally includes thirty-two remotes.

Education’s “Odd Couple” Convenes Conference of Education Equality Project
(New York Times, April 2, 2009)  New York Schools Chancellor Joel Klein and the Reverend Al Sharpton have united in a bipartisan alliance in the name of school reform, dubbing themselves “the odd couple.”  The duo most recently co-sponsored a conference of the Education Equality Project, with attendance ranging from Republican former House speaker Newt Gingrich to left-leaning mayor of Los Angeles Antonio R. Villaraigosa.  The coalition, which includes several black and Hispanic elected Democratic officials at all levels, advocates increasing the number of charter schools, providing performance pay for teachers and expanding the use of data.  Many of the details remain up for debate, however, as was evident when Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s speech advocating mayoral control over education in the largest cities was met with boos from the audience.

Ohio Governor Promises No Districts will Get Short Changed on Stimulus Dollars
(Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 3, 2009)  Recently, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland’s proposed budget sparked fear amongst Ohio lawmakers and several districts that a statewide school spending plan would take money away from some of the poorest school systems.   Governor Ted Strickland and his top education and budget officials responded this week by reassuring everyone that everyone who needed funds would get them.  The fears arose after the accounting in Strickland’s budget made it appear as though he planned to redistribute funds from Title 1 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act based on his own education spending plan, when those funds are supposed to be distributed based on the number of qualifying students in a district.  Strickland and his aids say it was just a matter of clarification and that each district would get what it was due.