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July 4, 2008

Oh say can you see . . .

BoardBuzz will be off celebrating the U.S.'s independence for the Fourth of July. We'll catch you back next week.

Posted at 12:29 AM | Announcements | Link to this story | Comments (0)

July 3, 2008

BoardBuzz podcast

BoardBuzzNSBAMouseover the icon to listen to BuzzCast 28

Did you see what I think I saw?;
Reality vs. Rhetoric: Are high achieving students being left behind?;
Summer vacation?;
Swimming, archery, and cheese fries;
UPDATE: President signs bill with Medicaid moratorium;
Do states and NAEP define proficiency the same way?;
BoardBuzz swats back;
Roll out the red carpet...

Posted at 2:39 PM | Podcasts | Link to this story | Comments (0)

July 2, 2008

We hate to say "I told you so" (actually we kind of enjoy being right, but that's another entry...)

You all know that BoardBuzz has always been a champion for quality public education, and now we have another feather in our pro-public school cap: Six privatized schools in Philadelpha have been returned to district control, and another 20 schools have been given orders to shape up within a year or return to the district's control.

According to the Washington Post, About six years ago,

the Philadelphia School District embarked on what was considered the country's boldest education privatization experiment, putting 38 schools under private management to see if the free market could educate children more efficiently than the government.

If it worked, the plan seemed likely to become a model for other struggling urban school districts, such as Washington's, suffering from a lack of funding, decaying buildings and abysmal student test scores.

This month, the experiment suffered a severe setback, as the state commission overseeing Philadelphia's schools voted to take back control of six of the privatized schools, while warning 20 others that they had a year to show progress or they, too, would revert to district control.

Students at Philadelphia's schools have made improvements overall, the commission said. But the private-run schools are not doing any better than the schools remaining under public control.

It just goes to show what we've known all along, a quality public education is a good thing!

Posted at 11:37 AM | Privatization & Choice | Link to this story | Comments (0)

Children are books best critics

If you're on the look out for a good summer read for kids, CNN.com has provided some great suggestions. The best part is their reviews come from some pretty reliable resources... children!

Children and parents may have different ideas of what makes a good read, so CNN.com turned towards three experts to hear their thoughts on a variety of newly released children's books. Eight-year-old Andrew Oglesby, six-year-old Rosa Williams, and five-year-old Kaya Wheatley have all read a handful of books and are now sharing what they think other kids will like and what maybe wasn't so great.

Selections included "See How They Run", a book by Susan E. Goodman and Elwood H. Smith on the presidential electoral process, "Scaredy Squirrel: At the Beach" by Melanie Watt, a story about a squirrel who overcomes his fear of the ocean, and Geoffrey Hayes' "Benny and Penny: Just Pretend", which is the story of a brother who learns that playing with his little sister can be a lot of fun.

BoardBuzz applauds these children critics for sharing their thoughts and hopefully getting others excited about reading. Check them out and see what you think!

Posted at 10:16 AM | Students | Link to this story | Comments (0)

Uncertainty remains for Arizona and Florida voucher programs

Earlier this year, a state appeals court ruled that a pair of Arizona school voucher programs violated the state constitution. Now, the Arizona Supreme Court has ruled that the programs may continue to operate until it decides the case, which is under appeal. But it turns out that is unlikely because the Arizona Legislature has eliminated the funding for both voucher programs ($2.5 million each). Got all that? Just keep reading BoardBuzz for future updates.

Meantime, in Florida, school groups, including the Florida School Boards Association, have filed a lawsuit to remove two voucher-related constitutional amendments from the November ballot. You can read the back story on how the amendments made it on the ballot in the first place. And check out this St. Pete Times article that easily exposes the deceptive ballot initiatives for what they are: a gimmick to throw the doors wide open to vouchers.

Posted at 8:53 AM | Privatization & Choice | Link to this story | Comments (0)

July 1, 2008

Roll out the red carpet...

It's Magna Award time! Applications are now being accepted for the 2009 Magna Awards, co- sponsored by NSBA, the American School Board Journal, and Sodexho School Services.

School boards nation-wide are encouraged to nominate their district's unique programs that serve as examples of school district leadership. Recipients of the award are honored for their best practices and innovative programs designed to advance student learning and achievement.

All winners will be recognized at NSBA's 2009 Annual Conference in San Diego, and in a special supplement issue of American School Board Journal, dedicated to the winners' creative programs that aim to improve student learning and create effective leadership.

For more information, criteria, and deadlines check out the American School Board Journal's website or apply online now here.

BoardBuzz wishes all applicants good luck... we can't wait to hear what your districts have been up too!

BoardBuzz swats back

Ahhh there they go again. Our friends over at the Fordham Institute weren't very impressed with BoardBuzz's analysis of their high-achieving students study. Actually it wasn't what BoardBuzz said about the study, but our analysis of their rhetoric. As a reminder, BoardBuzz took exception to Fordham’s claim that high achieving students are being left behind. On its blog, Fordham responded by saying:

Yes, if you go back to the early 1990s, the progress of low and high achievers look roughly the same, at least in some subject-grade combinations. But upon closer inspection the story is very different. Basically the 90s were quite good for high achievers (particularly in states without accountability systems); the post-2000 years have been quite good for low achievers (perhaps due to NCLB). The story since 2000, though, is straightforward; anemic gains at the top versus dramatic gains at the bottom….

BoardBuzz has this question to Fordham: How much do students need to improve for the gains to be considered “dramatic” instead of “anemic”? Or for that matter, “good”?

So, yes let’s take a closer look at the gains students were making before and after 2000, specifically 8th grade math. From 2000 to 2007 high-achieving students on average improved 5 points on NAEP. Not as large as the 13 point average gains made by low achieving students, but anemic? BoardBuzz doesn't think so. Consider this: Tom Loveless, the author of the Fordham report, says a good rule of thumb is that 11 points on NAEP is roughly equivalent to a year's worth of learning. Simply, 5 points means high achieving 8th graders in 2007 are learning close to a half a year's worth more math than high achieving students did in 2000. And this is “anemic” or “languid” as the Fordham report calls it?

Between 1990 and 2000, high-achieving 8th graders did make 13 point gains, which is higher than the 5 point gain post-2000, as Fordham observes. But keep in mind that’s 13 points over a 10 year period. When looking over similar period of time, 1990-1996, 8th graders made an 8-point gain in math -- not much higher than the 5 point gain between 2000 and 2007.

Fordham also took issue with BoardBuzz’s contention that schools were not focusing on so-called “bubble kids” – students who score near the proficient cut off line -- at the expense of very low and very high achieving students. They point to their report The Proficiency Illusion, which found that most states define proficiency at the 20th or 30th percentile nationally to claim that bubble kids are actually the very low achievers their study focuses on.

Fortunately, BoardBuzz has read The Center for Public Education's latest report The Proficiency Debate: A guide to NAEP achievement levels and knows that although states do vary in where they set their proficiency levels, most are within NAEP's Basic Achievement Level. The report also shows that of the students who score at the Basic level on NAEP half go on to earn a four-year college degree so it's not exactly a very low level to hit despite its label.

Even so, BoardBuzz applauds Fordham for focusing on the issue of high achieving students in the era of NCLB. NSBA is concerned, as well, that accountability systems such as NCLB do not focus enough attention on high achieving students. School board members across the country may find the Fordham study useful in drawing attention to the high achieving students in their districts. However, they should also take pride in that their schools have made dramatic gains for their lowest performing students while continuing gains for their highest achievers as well. Could their high achievers have made more gains? It is impossible to tell, but studies like this highlight the fact that teachers need more support and resources to be as effective as they can be for all their students.

Posted at 2:01 PM | Advocacy & Legislation | Link to this story | Comments (1)

Pay it forward

BoardBuzz certainly says yes to education and always wants to learn about our students who do too. For the past seventeen years, 69 students in Cambridge, Massachusetts have participated in a program inspiring them to commit to their educational experiences. Now, they get ready to say goodbye as the final original student recently graduated with a doctoral degree in pharmacy.

The Say Yes to Education Program was introduced to the Boston area in 1991, when founder George Weiss offered to pay the college tuition of 69 second-graders. Students were selected for diverse socioeconomic and multicultural backgrounds and then tracked through their high school graduation with the opportunity to have their college tuition taken care of. An Associated Press article found on USA Today ,informed BoardBuzz on the success of the program and let us know what students are feeling:

"I'd venture to say it's my most successful program," Weiss said in a phone interview Thursday.
Of the original 69 students, all but seven got their high school diplomas or GEDs, and more than half are now college graduates, said Anne Larkin, program director and a Lesley University professor.

Although their experiences are unique, BoardBuzz is happy to have this reminder of how important individual attention and resources are to all our public school students. We congratulate these graduates and hope they pay it forward to other students. For more information, check out the article.

Posted at 11:46 AM | Miscellany | Students | Link to this story | Comments (0)

Aten Hut! A call to honor for three school districts of distinction.

NSBA has announced the 2008 Salute Districts: Avoca School District 37 in Ill., Genesee Intermediate School District in southeast Mich., and Minnetonka School District in Minn.

These three school districts are being honored for their focus and commitment to the use of technology in education to improve student achievement. The Salute District honor is a recognition program of NSBA’s Technology Leadership Network that showcases school districts that have effectively executed technology resources to make a positive impact on learning. The three Salute Districts will be honored during NSBA’s 2008 T+L Conference in Seattle, October 28-30, 2008.

Avoca School District in Wilmette, Ill., which enrolls nearly 700 students, was selected for its commitment to continuous improvement and its technology literacy initiative. Their program is designed to develop technology literacy skills for kindergarteners through eighth graders with a particular focus of instruction in each grade. Students develop electronic portfolios to show an overall snapshot of their skills that include evidence of projects to highlight creativity and innovation, digital citizenship, and technology operations.

Genesee School District in Flint, Mich., is honored for its technology network “GenNET” which transmits voice, video, and data to more than 234 buildings in the district and its leadership initiatives to ensure that district educators have the professional development opportunities they need to maximize the infrastructure investment. The district is a Regional Educational Service Agency that serves 21 public school districts and 10 public school academies in Genesee County. It is a leader for its online learning, two-way interactive technology, and Interactive Television program used to maximize learning and teaching for students and teachers.

Minnetonka Public Schools in Minn., which serves 7,800 students, is recognized for its successful integration of technology throughout its curriculum and its commitment to professional development. All kindergarten through eighth-grade classrooms and seventy-five percent of high school classrooms are enhanced with SMART boards, among other resources, to increase time spent on tasks by students and encourage direct engagement between students and teachers, enabling teachers to easily assess the level of a student’s understanding. Teachers commit to 30 hours of professional development during year one with a SMART Board and ongoing training in subsequent years.

“While the Salute Districts were recognized for their overall accomplishments with technology, each highlights an essential element critical to their successes,” said Ann Flynn, NSBA’s director of education technology. “Visionary leadership with a commitment to continuous improvement, a robust and reliable infrastructure, and technology professional development embedded in content areas are key components that should be replicated if other districts want to create environments that support 21st century learning.”

These districts demonstrate the fruit of hard work, vision, leadership and commitment to excellence. As a nation constantly striving to increase their national and international standing these districts are proof of the positive strides, results, and standards that the U.S. public education system has and will continue to produce as well as their commitment to American children. NSBA is proud to recognize these exemplary districts and showcase the wonderful efforts across the country through the Salute program!

June 30, 2008

Poll finds conflicting opinion on test scores, student achievement

The latest Associated Press poll contains some interesting information on what the American public thinks about their public schools.

One set of data stands out: over half of the respondents (54 percent) said standardized tests measure the quality of education offered by their local schools very well or somewhat well; 60 percent of parents said the same. However, when asked what the best way is to measure student achievement, an overwhelming 70 percent said by classroom work and homework, vs. the 28 percent who said by test scores. Among parents, 69 percent said by classroom work and homework, vs. 30 percent by test scores.

These are interesting findings because most people believed standardized test scores should be used to measure the quality of a school, but not necessarily for individual student achievement. But isn’t student achievement a key indicator of school quality? What does the survey results say about people’s general perception of test scores and how they should be used? About the relationship between test scores and student achievement?
What do you think? For more information on what all this means, visit the Center for Public Education.

Posted at 3:42 PM | Miscellany | Link to this story | Comments (0)

UPDATE: President signs bill with Medicaid moratorium

Thanks to NSBA's grassroots efforts and lobbying, the President signed the War Supplemental Appropriations Bill this morning delaying the Medicaid rule which would eliminate certain transportation and administration reimbursements to schools for services provided to low-income students with disabilities. The Senate's June 26th vote on the measure, which included the same language as the bill the House passed on June 20, was an overwhelming 92-6. The new law means that federal Medicaid reimbursements to schools for the administrative and transportation services that they provide to eligible students will continue until at least April 1, 2009.

Posted at 11:59 AM | Advocacy & Legislation | Link to this story | Comments (0)

Do states and NAEP define proficiency the same way?

According to our very own Center for Public Education the answer is no. Their latest report The Proficiency Debate: A Guide to NAEP Achievement Levels delves into the question of whether scoring proficient on state assessments means the same as scoring proficient on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The report particularly examines whether NAEP's proficient level is too high or whether state levels are too low.

You may be asking yourself why does it matter if states and NAEP define proficiency differently? Well, just like most educational issues in recent years, it comes down to NCLB. And since NCLB left it up to each state to define what is proficient, many critics -- and even supporters -- of NCLB have decried the fact that more students reach proficiency on state tests than on NAEP. Some have even called for NAEP to replace state assessments so that all students are judged on the same yardstick.

These claims are made without really knowing how NAEP and states define proficiency and why. The two tests are designed for different purposes that much be acknowledged. What BoardBuzz found most interesting was:

NAEP and No Child Left Behind define “proficient” differently. According to NAEP, “proficient does not refer to ‘at grade’ performance.” Rather, proficient is “the overall achievement goal for American students” but that “the average performance score on NAEP in most subjects falls within the Basic achievement level” (Loomis & Bourques, 2001). The U.S. Department of Education, on the other hand, is very explicit in stating that for NCLB purposes, "the Proficient achievement level [for state assessments] represents attainment of grade-level expectations for that academic content area” (Education 2007). Simply put, NAEP's standard for proficiency is set at a level we want every student to reach, while states set their standard for proficiency at a level we expect every student to reach.

So before Congress jumps onto the NAEP bandwagon to decry the low-levels of state proficiency, they should take a look at The Center's report. Then they'd know that NAEP's proficient level is where we want all students to achieve, while state proficient levels are set at levels we expect all students to achieve. Now, when you hear that more students in your state scored proficient on your state test than on NAEP, you will know part of the reason. However, The Center also notes that if your state has a larger gap in proficiency rate than most other states it may be an indication you state's standard for proficiency may be too low.

So check out the The Proficiency Debate: A Guide to NAEP Achievement Levels at the Center for Public Education. Also, see for yourself how you would do on NAEP by answering questions here.