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Here are news and opinion stories educators, advocates, policy wonks and makers are talking about today:
News and Analysis:
Some States on Pace to Hit 90 Percent High School Grad. Rate by 2020
A 90 percent high school graduation rate by 2020 was a lofty goal set by the Grad Nation campaign in 2010. But the latest report from the coalition of education organizations shows that, with a 78.2 percent four-year graduation rate in 2010, the pace of improvement is picking up—putting some U.S. states on track to meet that goal if the progress continues. (Education Week – College Bound)
White House Estimates Impact of Across-the-Board Cuts by State
School districts all around the country are bracing for an across-the-board cut in federal funds, set to go into effect on Friday, unless lawmakers and the Obama administration are able to come to some kind of agreement to head them off. The cuts would impact just about every federal program under the sun, from the U.S. Department of Education to the Pentagon and the Justice Department. (Education Week – Politics K-12)
Advanced Placement: Growing, But Good Enough?
There was big news on Advanced Placement last week. The College Board announced thatmore students than ever had taken AP examinations and that more students than ever had scored at the top level–about one test-taker in seven pulled off a 5. (Education Week – Independent Schools, Common Perspectives)
Lessons from pre-k that works: Will Mississippi’s children finally move ahead?
Four months into this school year, veteran teacher Cynthia Gordon made a pleasant discovery: Her first grade students were hungry for books. Nearly half of her students were ahead of the national curve, showing an advanced ability to sound out words. (Hechinger Report)
New York:
Silver Calls for Reversing Cuomo’s Cut in School Aid
In a rebuke to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s plan to withhold $260 million in school aid from New York City because it missed a deadline to finalize a system to evaluate teachers, the Legislature’s top Democrat said on Sunday that he would push to restore the money. (New York Times)
View Point:
Kristen Amundson: The trouble with Starr’s testing moratorium
In an op-ed this month, “Time out on standardized testing,” Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Joshua P. Starr explained why he thinks there should be a moratorium on federally required standardized testing. I disagree. (Washington Post)