Education News: June 4, 2010

Following are some of the top headlines from the world of education for the week ending June 4, 2010.

National Standards Draft Released
(New York Times, June 2nd) On Wednesday, governors and state school chiefs released their final draft of the national English and Math academic standards. The standards are laid out in two documents: the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, and Common Core State Standards for English. The Obama administration has encouraged states to adopt the standards by August 2nd as a way to increase their eligibility for the Race to the Top grants.

Does Performance Pay Work?
(Education Week, June 1st) A recent study tracking schools with performance based incentives over the past two years, showed limited improvements in student test scores. The report, part of the Chicago Teacher Advancement Program, comes amidst a push by the Obama administration to increase teacher accountability. The administration has widely encouraged the use of student scores as part of teachers’ evaluations.

New York City Gender Gap among Gifted Students
(New York Times, May 31st) Despite making up the majority of New York City’s student body, fewer male students graduate high school than females. However it was not until recently that experts observed a similar academic disparity in gifted elementary students. With data showing the number of gifted females exceeding the number of gifted males in kindergarten, experts have begun to investigate the impact of gender in the elementary school experience.

San Francisco Mayor Wants College Savings Accounts for All Kindergarteners
(Education Week, June 1st) Despite San Francisco’s struggling economy, Mayor Gavin Newsom wants to create college savings accounts for all of the city’s kindergarteners. If passed, the program would add small deposits to student accounts throughout their entire K-12 experience. While skeptics point to the city’s $483 million deficit, Newsom argues that the program will boost college attendance rates.

D.C. Teachers to Receive Raise Despite National Cuts
(Washington Post, June 3rd) After a two week voting period, members of the Washington Teachers’ Union approved a new contract that aims to remove poor performing teachers from D.C. schools. The contract includes a 21.6% pay increase for the district’s teachers, a voluntary performance pay program, and expands Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee's ability to remove failing teachers. The pay raise comes despite a national trend of education cuts and teacher layoffs.

California to Raise Kindergarten Age
(Los Angeles Times, June 2nd) On Wednesday, the California Senate passed a measure that could increase the starting kindergarten age by three months. If passed California’s kindergarten student body would be decreased by 100,000, and save the state about $700 million. While part of the money will be used to aid state preschool programs, the rest is intended to help close the state deficit.