Beth’s Briefings (6-10-15)

Here are news and opinion stories educators, advocates, policy wonks and makers are talking about today:

 

The Los Angeles Unified School District board unanimously agreed to ease high school graduation requirements, no longer requiring a C grade or better in college prep classes. (Southern California Public Radio)

 

Last week, two major education companies unveiled a set of resources that they’ve pledged will help all kids—rich or poor—succeed on the SAT. After decades of denying the value of test prep, the College Board, which administers the SAT, is now promoting interactive, high-quality training materials, including drills keyed to students’ abilities and instructional videos. The materials were developed by Khan Academy, the free, online education company used by more than 15 million students globally; all the content was written or approved by the College Board itself. And they are, like Khan Academy, completely free. (The Atlantic)

 

To many, 81 percent is a success story. It’s the nation’s all-time-high rate for high school graduation in 2013, the most recent year of federal data. (NPR)

 

Student poverty is a major barrier to learning, according to teachers polled in a new national survey of educators released Tuesday. (The Washington Post)

 

The bipartisan Elementary and Secondary Education Act overhaul will likely hit the floor of the U.S. Senate for debate late this month or early July, said Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., chairman of the education committee and one of the bill’s co-authors. (Education Week)

 

The Virginia Supreme Court on Tuesday hit the pause button on the closing of 114-year-old Sweet Briar College, after a group of students and supporters rallied to save the women’s liberal arts school. (The Wall Street Journal)

 

Have you been wondering how the U.S. Department of Education would respond if a state passed a law that made opting out of state tests easier, both for parents and schools? (Education Week)

 

Last month,  New York tapped a new state education commissioner, MaryEllen Elia. She is the 2015 Florida Superintendent of the Year who led the public schools in Hillsborough County for a decade before she was fired by the school board this past January with more than two years left on her contract. (The Washington Post)