Archive for April, 2009

April 30, 2009

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

Top Stories and Commentary for Thursday, April 30, 2009
Survey finds California school funding dilemma
Those polled say they want education spared from state budget cuts, but an increasing number of people are less willing to pay more taxes to make up for the shortfall. By Mitchell Landsberg/Los Angeles Times
Californians want […]

April 29, 2009

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

Top Stories and Commentary for Wednesday, April 29, 2009
‘No Child’ law is not closing a racial gap
By Sam Dillon/New York Times The achievement gap between white and minority students has not narrowed in recent years, despite the focus of the No Child Left Behind law on improving the scores […]

April 28, 2009

Tuesday, April 28th, 2009

Top Stories and Commentary for Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Kids make gains in reading and math
By Libby Quaid/Associated Press
Kids in the U.S. are improving in reading and math, with low-achieving students making the biggest gains. The 2008 scores come from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a federal test considered the benchmark […]

April 27, 2009

Monday, April 27th, 2009

Top Stories and Commentary for Monday, April 27, 2009
Scholars probe diverse effects of exit exams
State graduation tests found to hit certain groups harder. By Debra Viadero/Ed Week
A study released last week suggesting that California’s high school exit exams are affecting some student demographic groups more than others is the latest in […]

April 24, 2009

Friday, April 24th, 2009

Top Stories and Commentary for Friday, April 24, 2009
High School exit exam reviewed
Minority students negatively impacted. By Cynthia Griffin/Our Weekly
A new report released this week by a Stanford University research team, based on a study of four school districts in the state, found that the graduation rates of the lowest achieving African […]

April 23, 2009

Thursday, April 23rd, 2009

Top Stories and Commentary for Thursday, April 23, 2009
Youths’ civic engagement seen to rise
By Debra Viadero/Education Week
The good news, according to researchers presenting findings here last week, is that after waning for years, civic participation among young people appears to be on the rise. The bad news is that students who […]

April 22, 2009

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009

Top Stories and Commentary for Monday, April 22, 2009
High school exit exam hinders female and non-white students, study says
The mandatory test is keeping at least 22,500 California students a year from graduating who would otherwise fulfill all their requirements, researchers say. State education officials defend the exam. By Mitchell Landsberg/Los Angeles Times […]

April 21, 2009

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009

Top Stories and Commentary for Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Middle-school math classes are key to closing racial academic achievement gap
Science Daily
More challenging middle-school math classes and increased access to advanced courses in predominantly black urban high schools may be the key to closing the racial academic achievement gap, according to a University of […]

April 20, 2009

Monday, April 20th, 2009

Top Stories and Commentary for Monday, April 20, 2009
Court to weigh state’s duty to English learners
By Joan Lowy/San Francisco Chronicle
The Supreme Court on Monday takes up an Arizona case that could limit a federal court’s power to tell states to spend more money to educate students who aren’t proficient in English. Arizona […]

April 17, 2009

Friday, April 17th, 2009

Top Stories and Commentary for Friday, April 17, 2009

LAUSD approves cuts
Local middle and high schools could be hard hit.
By Cynthia Griffin/Our Weekly
The Los Angeles Unified School District […]