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June 13, 2008
NSBA supports bill to suspend NCLB sanctionsNSBA has worked with Rep. Sam Graves, R-MO to introduce H.R. 6239, which would suspend NCLB sanctions on schools and school districts for a year. Tim Walz, D-MN, is a cosponsor. Given that Congress fails to reauthorize the bill this year, H.R 6239 is a critical bill to make sure schools do not continue to be subject to mislabeling and costly sanctions which have not been proven effective. NCLB’s accountability system needs to be overhauled completely; see NSBA’s recommendations here. Meanwhile Graves' bill provides an interim solution that is needed to stop NCLB sanctions from wrongly ensnaring more schools.
Posted at 4:53 PM | No Child Left Behind | Link to this story | Comments (0)
BoardBuzz podcastMouseover the icon to listen to BuzzCast 27
Posted at 2:58 PM | Podcasts | Link to this story | Comments (0)
Living the DREAMIt’s graduation season, and most high school seniors are planning fun summers with their classmates and getting ready to start college in the Fall. But for valedictorian, Arthur Mkoyan, such celebratory plans may come to a halt ten days after graduation—the day Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has scheduled his and his family’s deportation, according to this article BoardBuzz found via CNN.com.
Mkoyan came to the U.S. with his parents in 1995 and has since achieved a grade-point average above a 4.0 through taking Advanced Placement classes and has been accepted to a California state university to study medicine in the fall. He is one of 65,000 students annually who have been raised in the U.S. and graduated from U.S. high schools, but who because of their undocumented status are denied the same access to higher education as their peers.
The bipartisan Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act is designed to help students like Mkoyan have better access to higher education and become legal permanent residents.
If the DREAM Act were in place, Mkoyan and other undocumented students graduating high school who have been in the U.S. for at least five years and were brought here when they were 15 years old or younger would be eligible for a six year conditional legal residency during which they are expected to complete a 2-year degree, 2 years toward a 4-year degree, or 2 years of military service. If they complete the requirements of the six year conditional period and demonstrate good moral character, they will be granted permanent residency.
NSBA supports the enactment of the DREAM Act to give students like Mkoyan the educational opportunities they deserve. It was first introduced in 2001, and has continued to grow, passing the Senate Judiciary Committee twice and passing the full Senate in 2006 as part of comprehensive immigration legislation, though not passing in 2007. This year, there is minor legislative activity regarding the DREAM Act, but it is unlikely to see further progress until 2009.
Students like Mkoyan currently have little resources available to obtain higher education in the U.S. — they are often ineligible for in-state tuition and for state and federal loans, as well as unable to work legally. In addition to their academic struggles, these students constantly face the possibility of deportation. In an update on Mkoyan’s struggle, CNN.com also reported that Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, has introduced a private bill to allow the family to stay in the U.S. The bill likely will create only a temporary reprieve, however, since such private immigration bills usually do not pass. Unless the DREAM Act is passed, the potential of students like Mkoyan will continue to be significantly restricted by the undocumented status they inherited from their parents.
Posted at 11:02 AM | Advocacy & Legislation | Students | Link to this story | Comments (0)
June 12, 2008
Too busy to readChildren's publisher Scholastic released findings yesterday showing that many students have excuses for not digging into a book to read for fun.
BoardBuzz learned more from this article in USA Today that said many children have difficulty in finding a book they like, or in other cases are too tired out from homework to enjoy reading. Both are excuses we hear often. What we did find interesting was how students connected reading to the Internet; "High- frequency" Internet users were among the kids who are more likely to read books for fun every day.
The survey also finds that children age 9 or older don't see much difference between reading a book and reading online."Kids don't have that vision" of the Internet as detracting from books, Harmeling says. "They see them as supplementing each other."
In fact, nearly two-thirds say they have trawled the Internet for information on a book or author, visited fan websites or written an online book review.
BoardBuzz is very proud of the work that school boards across the country are doing to integrate educational technology into their curriculum to make truly amazing 21st century classrooms, but this survey reminds us not to overlook some of the basics. As technology becomes a core part of curriculum, BoardBuzz still encourages students to make time for books. We're glad that some students have taken the initiative to search for new titles and authors online and hope the trend continues.
Have you found a way for to encourage kids to be excited about reading for fun, while working with the newest technology? Tell us about it.
Posted at 1:05 PM | Curriculum | Education Technology | Students | Link to this story | Comments (0)
Want a reason to celebrate?Well -- we've got one for you. BoardBuzz learned last week that high school students in the U.S. are showing overall improvements in health-related behaviors. The good news comes from the 2007 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), which is conducted every two years among high school students. Results indicate that, in 2007, high school students were less likely to engage in risky health behaviors than students in the early 1990s.
The 2007 report includes national data and data from surveys conducted in 39 states and 22 large urban school districts. Some of the positive findings include that, in 2007, 20% of high school students reported currently using cigarettes compared to 27.5% in 1991. But there is still room for improvement: obesity rates, for instance, continue to rise among high school students. Back in 1999, 10.7% self-reported being obese, whereas in 2007, 13% reported being obese. In addition, results indicate that Hispanic students are not showing progress in some key areas.
To access the comprehensive results for the 2007 YRBS, as well as comparisons between state or district and national results, go to www.cdc.gov/yrbs. If you want to learn more about the importance of school health programs in improving the health of students, please visit NSBA’s School Health Programs website at www.nsba.org/schoolhealth.
Posted at 12:08 PM | Health & Wellness | Students | Link to this story | Comments (0)
Five words say it allComing hot on the heels of our recent accomplishments at the SNAP awards, BoardBuzz couldn't help but get a kick out of yesterday's Webby Awards ceremony. (We told you about these awards before, here.)
For those not in the know, it's Webby tradition to give a five word acceptance speech. (Just imagine how short the Oscars would be if speeches were limited to just 5 words!) And this year's speeches were the highlight. Maybe next year you'll see BoardBuzz on the list.
Posted at 10:01 AM | Education Technology | Miscellany | Link to this story | Comments (0)
June 11, 2008
A silver starIn the interest of shameless self promotion, BoardBuzz would like to announce that we've received not one, but two SNAP awards! The blog and our podcasts earned silver EXCEL awards at a ceremony last night.
And we're in pretty good company too. Our friends at ASAE took home the top honors for their blog, Acronym, while the National Association of Manufacturers was honored with the gold for their podcasts.
Bravo!
Posted at 6:13 PM | Announcements | Miscellany | Link to this story | Comments (1)
Young inventorsBoardBuzz is amazed at some projects inventors presented at the National Press Club on Friday, which included a football game for the blind, a tongue spray to change the taste of foods, and a new strategy for making bioplastics, but something else impressed us even more. All these innovative ideas came from groups of students who are all under 18 years-old!
That's right, these young inventors, in grades K-12, met in Washington, D.C. for the 16th annual ExploraVision awards. The competition, run by Toshiba and the National Science Teachers Association, has had students working hard for months to create prototypes and Web sites to showcase their inventions.
BoardBuzz recommends taking a look at this article in USA Today to learn more about the competition.
Congratulations are definitely in order to all the students, who will take home laptops and DVD players for their schools. The first place winners also received a $10,000 savings bond. We are thrilled with their enthusiasm and applaud the teachers and executives who work hard to get students interested in science. Great job!
Posted at 4:39 PM | Announcements | Education Technology | Students | Teachers | Link to this story | Comments (0)
Glue, a few pieces of wood, a rubber band, and a lot of hard workEvery project requires the right tools, materials, and knowledge to create a something that you can be proud to share with others. A friend of BoardBuzz recently told us a story about homemade holiday gifts that resonated. Being a kid at heart, our friend had the responsibility of making the gifts for the kids. And the rubber band powered paddle boats were born. It took hours to cut and sand the pieces of wood, drill the holes for the wooded dowels to keep it all together, glue the pieces together and clamp it so everything dries tight. They turned out beautifully and all of the kids loved them for many years. They were even passed down to younger family members.
So, why, you may wonder, is BoardBuzz blogging about paddle boats? Allow us to explain.
Starting in July, our friends at theNSBA National Affiliate Program and the American School Board Journal will be undertaking a new project that we hope will be useful to school districts across the country, both now and in the near future. The project will examine the school consolidation process in one district over the course of the 2008-2009 school year. In order to understand the process we need to examine all of the pieces, and put them together in a way that will create a useful tool that will help other districts -- much like our friend did with the paddle boats. (Is it starting to become clear?)
The focus of this effort will be the consolidation of four school districts that will become the Twin Rivers Unified School District located near Sacramento, Calif. School district consolidation is not new; it’s been around for some time. But how many times have you been able to look over the district’s shoulder and watch the process unfold?
During the course of the year you will be able to read about the process, hear what the individuals involved in the process think, and meet face-to-face with the people going through the process. We will even be creating a blog so you can voice your thoughts and questions about the process. To learn more about this special project click here.
Posted at 3:42 PM | Link to this story | Comments (0)
A man's best friend is a student's new reading partnerYes, you read that right; BoardBuzz came across a story on washingtonpost.com that elementary and middle school students' new favorite reading partners are loveable canines.
Organizations, like Canine Assistants, are helping students gain confidence and strengthen their reading skills by providing service dogs to classrooms.
Sixth-grade students at the John T. Baker Middle School in Maryland spend about 45 minutes in a traditional reading lesson and then another 45 minutes reading aloud to a black Labrador named Amelia. As the children read aloud, Amelia is trained to sit obediently and enjoy.
Scientific research to determine the effectiveness of reading with Amelia hasn't yet been conducted, but teacher Ann Pluchino's said, "That every student has moved up a reading level since last fall and they are now reading faster and with more fluency."
Administrators have called the program a success and check out what one student had to say:
"It is awesome," said Juan Pablo, a sixth-grader. "She doesn't care if you accidentally read a word wrong. Sometimes you read a word wrong and [people] just start laughing at you. She doesn't laugh at you. She stares at you, waiting for you to start reading again."
That pretty much sums it up for BoardBuzz... we love to see students excited about learning AND getting over their fears to read aloud. It seems this sixth-grade class is on to something, with special thanks to Amelia, of course!
Posted at 11:41 AM | Curriculum | Miscellany | Students | Link to this story | Comments (0)
How many students aren't graduating?Last week Education Week released their annual special issue Diplomas Count 2008. You may have come across headlines decrying that 30 percent of high schoolers dropout or 1.23 million students fail to earn a diploma. These headlines cite the graduation rates reported by Education Week. However, BoardBuzz knows better than to believe such exaggerated claims. That’s because we've read the Center for Public Education's Straight Story on High School Graduation Rates which cautions against making such claims from the data.
The Center's guide informs readers that graduation rates are not the inverse of dropout rates. Meaning, just because a student isn't included in the graduation rate doesn't necessarily mean the student never received a diploma. Which further means that the 30 percent dropout rate you've heard so much fuss about is probably not that high. Included in that 30 percent are students who took longer than four years to graduate, students who went on to receive a GED, and students who received a Certificate of Completion instead of a standard diploma. Although not traditional graduates, BoardBuzz certainly wouldn't consider these students dropouts (and neither would they!).
Unfortunately, we don't know exactly how many of these students there are, who they are, and what happens to them after high school. But our friends at the Center for Public Education are on the case. In particular, the Center will be looking into how many students are taking longer than the typical four years to graduate and who these students tend to be. The Center will also look to see how these students' lives differ after high school than traditional graduates and dropouts. This is of particular interest to BoardBuzz because there has been a lot of talk of making high schools more accountable for their graduation rates in next version of NCLB (if that day ever comes). But if these graduation rates are based on only those students who graduate in four years, won't that punish schools for taking the time to teach those students who come in behind instead of just giving them a piece of paper after four years? Schools should be encouraged to take the time necessary to graduate all their students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in this global economy, not penalized. Hopefully NCLB 2.0 will do so.
For more findings from Education Week's Diplomas Count 2008 check out the Center's summary here.
Posted at 11:34 AM | Advocacy & Legislation | No Child Left Behind | Students | Link to this story | Comments (0)
June 10, 2008
21st century civics lessonsIt's hard to imagine a former Supreme Court justice advocating the importance of playing computer games, but that is exactly what Sandra Day O'Conner is doing.
Pairing up with Georgetown University Law Center and Arizona State University , Justice O'Conner is in the works of creating a new interactive Web site to teach students about civics. (During her address to school board members and conference attendees at NSBA's Annual Conference this spring, O'Connor discussed the importance of a strong civics education for students.)
Thanks to The New York Times, BoardBuzz was able to learn more about this work in progress. The Web site, www.ourcourts.org, is designed to give 7th, 8th, and 9th graders a better knowledge about our government.
"We can’t forget that the primary purpose of public schools in America has always been to help produce citizens who have the knowledge and the skills and the values to sustain our republic as a nation, our democratic form of government," said Justice O'Conner
BoardBuzz can't wait to check out the Web site when it becomes available this fall. Justice O'Conner admitted to not playing computer games, but it's clear she recognizes their importance to promote learning. On the Web site, students will "learn by doing" and have the ability to argue legal issues against computers and each other.
We're curious to see how students will respond to one of the first exercises that will take up First Amendment issues concerning a public school's ability to censor their students' speech in their school papers or on clothing.
For more information on Justice O'Conner's plan, take a look at post on the Games for Change blog.
Posted at 11:08 AM | Education Technology | Link to this story | Comments (0)
Students all over the worldSummer is almost here and BoardBuzz checked in with the KidsPost to see how students are finishing up the academic year.
We were excited to see it had a recommendation for summer reading, and their suggestion got BoardBuzz's stamp of approval. Make sure to check it out... we think it's something parents and kids will like!
The book, A School Like Mine, takes readers to 30 different countries over the globe to see the daily life of students. Young readers can gain an awareness of different cultures' day-to-day activities and find out how others their age learn, socialize, play, and spend time with family.
For a sneak peek, check out the article here. We found the children's stories interesting and captivating. For instance, Fanny, a nine year-old from Germany, talks about life at modern school that uses solar panels for heating classrooms and Sibusiso, an 11 year-old from South Africa, who walks 5 miles to school every day from his family's home on a strawberry farm.
Besides it's enriching stories, there is an extra incentive to purchase the book. If you decide to to grab a copy, its publisher will make a donation to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). BoardBuzz loves reading (and shopping) for a good cause.
BoardBuzz is excited that children have the opportunity to learn about unique school days across the world from individual student's experiences. If you check it out, leave a comment and let us know what you think.
Posted at 10:30 AM | Students | Link to this story | Comments (0)
June 9, 2008
The Tale of Two CitiesTwo articles in today's Washington Post caught BoardBuzz's attention on charter schools. We have discussed the matter here before, but today's articles by Jay Matthews center themselves around two urban districts, New Orleans and Washington, DC. Neither district is unique in the struggle on charter schools, since many urban districts are facing the issue, but both have unconventional governance structures due to years of below-average performance.
In New Orleans, after Hurricane Katrina hit, Paul Vallas took over the district (Recovery School District) as superintendent and new teachers came from varying backgrounds all over the country to help re-build the district. Today's Post points out that this has led to ruthless tactics at times to keep good teachers but parents seem indifferent on the issue, not really picking a side. Are charter schools the solution for New Orleans? According to Matthews they seem to be helping, but the "regular" schools are still struggling, despite being encouraged to innovate as they get more autonomy from the superintendent.
The charter schools in DC have a different story to tell. In the Post's Metro section, Matthews discusses the charter school that is set to close due to low achievement. DC has had charter schools for 12 years with mixed results. Some charters have done well, others have not, some have closed due to poor academic scores, others have not. The 'regular' schools are in the same situation, if you're keeping score. DC is unique because Mayor Fenty appointed Michelle Rhee as the chancellor last year and although there is a charter school board in DC, Ms. Rhee has the authority to act as the policy maker in the district as well as the superintendent.
Matthews points out that many studies have concluded, well, inconclusive data. "Nationally, research shows little difference between average test scores for charters and for regular public schools. Experts say the quality of charter schools varies as much as the quality of regular schools."
So there you have it. Charters will solve all the problems in large, urban districts. We apologize for the sarcasm, but these articles are indicative of the debate at large. Charters don't play by the same rules as the "regular" schools and are allowed to be more selective in their staff and the students they serve, yet they are often compared as if they are equals in the statistics and the media. Let's imagine a system where everyone was trained to be innovative, thoughtful, and focused on the students and their successes and get away from the labels so we can work together on solutions--then we have a chance at helping our schools. After all, our future is depending on it.
Posted at 12:30 PM | Link to this story | Comments (0)
Phew! Schools dodge lawsuit bulletThe Associated Press reports that the U.S. Supreme Court has issued a favorable ruling in a case in which NSBA had weighed in. In Engquist v. Oregon Department of Agriculture, the court rejected the idea that an individual public employee can sue his or her employer for violating the Equal Protection Clause for discrimination against a "class of one."
The Equal Protection Clause protects "suspect classes" like race, gender, etc., but the courts more recently have recognized this "class of one" theory for certain plaintiff who say they were treated differently from other similar individuals—even if no "suspect class" was involved. The issue in this case was whether the "class of one" theory applies in lawsuits brought by public employmees. Most lower courts had said yes, but the high court ruled 6-3 otherwise.
The details on the case, including NSBA's brief to court, are available courtesy of NSBA's Legal Clips, starting here with an excerpt from coverage of the oral arguments by Education Week's Mark Walsh. NSBA's brief, written pro bono by Elizabeth Eynon-Kokrda and Kenneth W. Hartman of Baird Holm, LLP, in Omaha, Nebraska, warned the court against turning routine employment disputes into constitutional crises. The court got it. Check out NSBA's appreciative press release.
Posted at 11:11 AM | School Law | Link to this story | Comments (0)
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