Education News: July 16, 2009

Following are some of the top headlines from the world of education for the week ending July 16, 2009.

Recent Study on Achievement Gap Suggests Regional Shifts
(New York Times, July 14, 2009)  A recent study of the black-white achievement gap released by the Department of Education suggests that black students have made important gains in several Southern states over the past two decades.  The report also shows, however, that in some Northern states, black achievement has improved more slowly than white achievement, and in some cases, has even declined.  Instead of the largest gaps being in Southern states like Alabama or Mississippi, they now are in Northern and Midwestern states like Connecticut, Illinois, Nebraska and Wisconsin.  Experts claim that it is impossible to tell whether any impact has been made by No Child Left Behind, on of its main goals being to reduce the gap.  The study plotted average scores of black and white students on federal tests known as the National Assessment of Educational Progress, which were administered every two to four years from 1992 to 2007 in both math and reading.  In 1992, the average math score for white fourth graders was 227 out of 500, compared to an average of 192 for black fourth graders.  In 2007, the most recent year included in the new study, the average math scores for white fourth graders had risen to 248 and the average scores for black students had risen to 222.  This means that over the fifteen year period, the gap narrowed from thirty-five points to twenty-six.  The current gap, however, still represents about two and a half years of schooling.  As of 2007, Wisconsin, where white students scored an average of 250 and black students only 212, had the largest gap between black and white achievement in math.

D.C. Students Improve in Reading and Math Though Fail to Meet Progress Goals
(Washington Post, July 14, 2009)  Preliminary test results suggest that D.C. public school students continue to improve their reading and math skills as well as narrow the achievement gap between black and white students.  The biggest gains in the D.C. Comprehensive Assessment System exams were in the elementary grades, while gains at the middle and high school levels were more modest.  The annual exams provide a much-awaited snapshot of Chancellor Michelle Rhee's effort to transform the District's school system, widely regarded as one of the country's weakest school systems.  The results are also used by federal officials to assess whether schools have met the “adequate yearly progress” benchmarks, laid out by No Child Left Behind.  Consistent failure to reach those targets could trigger provisions that would require Rhee to make drastic changes in a school's staff or academic programs.  This year, 27% of public schools (34 of 128) made sufficient AYP, compared to 31% (45 of 143) in 2008.  In addition to test performance, yearly progress also takes into account attendance, graduation rates and student turnout for the tests.  In announcing the system wide scores yesterday, Rhee and Mayor Adrian M. Fenty focused on the rising numbers.  This is the second round of test scores on Rhee's watch, but most experts say it takes at least three rounds of testing to determine the effect a school district's leadership. The District’s Charter schools saw similar results.

President Lays Out $12 Billion Plan for Community College Reform
(USA Today, July 14, 2009) On Tuesday, President Obama unveiled a $12 billion plan to reform the nation's community colleges in hopes to help retrain unemployed workers and prepare the U.S. workforce for an increasingly competitive global economy.  The goal of the effort is to help see million additional Americans earn degrees and certificates by 2020.  Typically, community colleges receive less funding and serve less academically prepared students than their four-year counterparts.  Andy Van Kleunen, executive director of The Workforce Alliance, a Washington-based coalition of employers, unions, education and training providers and workforce leaders, pointed out that, “With near double-digit unemployment and a lull in business activity, now is the time to get workers re-skilled so they are ready to hit the ground running once the recovery is underway.”

New Support in the House for Obama’s Federal Student Loan Plan
(New York Times, July 10, 2009)  Despite a last-ditch plea by the private student loan industry, the chairman of the House Education Committee has decided to support President Obama’s plan to end the role of private banks in the federal education lending systems.  The plan remains very contentious in Congress, however, and faces extreme opposition from private banks, who have profited greatly from handling federal student loans.  Representative George Miller, chairman of the Education Committee, plans to introduce legislation next week that would rely on direct government lending.  Administration officials who have reviewed drafts of the legislation say that it is very similar to President Obama’s proposal.  The administration’s view is that the private lenders should no longer be paid by taxpayers to operate a virtually risk-free business.  Additionally, the president’s proposal would save the government roughly $87 billion over ten years according to the Congressional Budget Office. The industry’s proposed alternative was rejected after it appeared to be based on accounting tricks and lead to $15 billion pouring into the banks’ coffers.  A number of private-loan industry officials and private nonprofit lenders, however, warn that President Obama’s plan would eliminate competition and create chaos for colleges and students that currently use private lenders. 

New Report Claims Chicago Schools Performance was “Abysmal” Under Duncan
(USA Today, July 12, 2009) The Civic Committee of The Commercial Club of Chicago issued a report that takes aim at the city’s public high school performance, going so far as referring to it as “abysmal.”  The report also puts a new spin on the academic gains made during current Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s seven years in charge of the city’s school system.  In stark contrast to President Obama’s claims when he nominated Duncan to the position, the report claims that little progress has been made in Chicago’s schools since 2003.  One discrepancy is Obama’s claim that Duncan boosted elementary school test scores “from 38% of students meeting the standards to 67%.”  The report, however found that by adjusting for changes in tests and procedures, students' pass rates grew only about 8%.  Additionally, an analysis of students entering the Chicago City Colleges in fall 2006 showed that 69% were not prepared for college-level reading, 79% were not prepared for writing, and 95% were not prepared for math.  A spokesperson for Duncan countered the claims by claiming that “While we still have a long way to go, it is absolutely misleading and irresponsible to suggest that there has not been progress.”

Massachusetts Governor Proposes to Lift State Limit on Charter School Seats
(Boston Globe, July 16, 2009)  On Thursday, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick unveiled a proposal which would nearly double the number of charter school seats allowed in the state’s worst-performing districts.  The proposal, which will require legislative approval, would create an estimated 27,000 new charter school seats spread between about thirty districts across the state.  This demonstrates a dramatic shift for the governor, as he had originally resisted calls to lift the state-imposed limit on new charter school seats.  The push coincides with President Obama’s threats to withhold stimulus dollars from states that hinder charter school growth.  Leaders of many of the state’s leading education groups, however, fear that the new plan will be extremely costly and prove devastating for school districts.  This is due to the $9,000-$15,000 students take with them when they leave a public school district to attend a charter school.  Therefore, while some legislators support charter schools, they may not support the expansion until the way they are funded is overhauled.

Union Opposition Causes Delays in Bids for Future L.A. Unified Schools
(Los Angeles Times, July 15, 2009)  Union opposition has forced the Los Angeles Board of Education to put a proposal on hold which would allow charter operators and other outside groups to bid for control of fifty new schools scheduled to open over the next four years.  Under the proposal, the district would compete with independently run charter schools, the mayor's office and other institutions and nonprofit groups for control to run the campuses.  Some also perceive the motion as a first step in allowing the takeover of "failing" schools.  The unions vehemently oppose the bill as most charter schools are nonunion.