By Melody Gutierrez
California students and teachers are set to receive a one-year reprieve from standardized testing requirements that have become a routine part of school culture each spring.
A plan introduced Wednesday in the state Legislature would end the use of STAR tests in math and English for the school year already under way – a year earlier than planned.
by Gene Demby
Here’s the latest dispatch from our country’s changing classrooms: Overall, there were half a million fewer students nationwide enrolled in colleges between 2011 and 2012, but the number of Latinos enrolled in college over the same period jumped by 447,000. The numbers come from a recent U.S. Census Bureau report.
via College Enrollment Drops Overall, But Spikes Among Latinos : Code Switch : NPR.
New science standards designed to prepare students to thrive in a changing economy were approved today by the State Board of Education, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced.
“The adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards in California mark a crucial step in making sure our students are prepared to succeed after they leave our classrooms,” Torlakson said. “Scientific information and technology have changed remarkably since the last time California updated its science standards, and how and what we teach have to change with them.”
By Glen Faison
Motivational speaker Wil Cason will share key skills for success in school during a special presentation next week in Fairfield.
The presentation is titled “Motivate! Inspire! Succeed!” It’s geared toward teens.
Cason will address students from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Fairfield Cordelia Library, 5050 Business Center Drive.
via Solano libraries offer educational programs for teens Daily Republic.
Administrators recently visited the Vacaville Genentech campus and enjoyed a tour of the facility given by Christopher Flask. Pictured (left to right): Kris Corey, Superintendent; Sheila McCabe, Secondary Director; Chris Harrison, Principal – Grange Middle School; Christopher Flask; Marie Williams, Principal – Rodriguez High School; Tim Halloran, Principal – Fairfield High School; Malcolm Butler, Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services.
America’s K-12 students are not achieving the academic results we want them or need them to, and the evidence has piled up for a good number of years.
America’s ranking on international assessment tests lags behind a good dozen or more nations in math, science and reading.
We’ve gone from No. 1 in high school graduation to 22nd among industrialized nations. Fewer than half of our students complete college, meaning we now rank 14th among industrialized nations. Last month, the ACT company reported that one-third of students who took the 2013 test are not prepared for college-level writing, biology, algebra or social science classes.
By Mike Corpos
When the Vacaville School Board convenes for its regular meeting Thursday, it will continue discussion of the appointment of a new board member.
Larry Mazzuca resigned last month when he moved out of town.
via Vacaville school board to discuss process for appointing new board member Daily Republic.
By Lillian Mongeau
Gov. Jerry Brown has been lauded for major reforms that are restoring K-12 schools to fiscal health, but advocates say he hasn’t made anywhere near the same kind of commitment to funding education for children before they enter kindergarten.
As state revenues continue to grow, many early education advocates have begun to ask: When will it be our turn?
via Early education advocates seek more support from governor | EdSource Today.
Guest post by Alyssa Morones
Despite the tragedies of the last school year in Newtown, Conn., and Moore, Okla., more than half of states are lacking when it comes to their policies and plans for school emergency preparedness, according to Save the Children’s 2013 National Report Card on Protecting Children in Disasters.
The report judged states’ school preparedness based on four minimum standards:
• A plan for evacuating children in child care;
• A plan for reuniting families after a disaster;
• A plan for children with disabilities and those with access and functional needs;
• And a plan for multiple types of hazards for K-12 schools.
By Holly Korbey
Just a couple of short years ago, the presence of tablets in schools was an exceptional phenomenon. This year, as students across the country go back to school, the presence of tablets is far more common in classrooms. Though it’s definitely not the norm yet, many more schools and districts are investing in the devices for a variety of reasons.
A recent study conducted by Harris Interactive for publisher Pearson showed that, while 44 percent of kids are using some kind of tablet for learning, 92 percent of kids surveyed believe that using a tablet in school will change how they learn in the future. And 90 percent of students said using a tablet makes learning more fun.
via Beyond the iPad: Schools’ Choices In Tablets Grow | MindShift.
New amendments to pending legislation call for allowing far more students to participate in field testing of new computer-based assessments aligned to the Common Core State Standards this school year and suspending the use of most STAR tests, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, State Board of Education President Michael Kirst, and Assemblymember Susan Bonilla jointly announced today.
Schools opened for the year receiving $622 million in new state funding to support the shift to the Common Core academic standards, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced Tuesday.
School districts can decide for themselves how to use their share of the funds to train teachers, buy new materials, and purchase technology to help schools adapt to the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS), which are designed to provide all students with the deeper learning, critical thinking, and other skills they need to prepare for college and a career.
via Schools receive funding for Common Core… – The Dixon Tribune | Facebook.
By Thomas Elias
As California teachers and students open the new school year, they’re feeling proud of a recent trend toward decreased dropouts and increased graduation rates.
But several of the state’s largest urban districts are about to embark on new course requirements that risk major reductions in those rates.
via Risks apparent with new school requirements Daily Republic.
State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Directs $622 Million in State Funding to Help School Districts Bring Common Core Standards to Life
Schools opened for the year receiving $622 million in new state funding to support the shift to the Common Core academic standards, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today.
School districts can decide for themselves how to use their share of the funds to train teachers, buy new materials, and purchase technology to help schools adapt to the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS), which are designed to provide all students with the deeper learning, critical thinking, and other skills they need to prepare for college and a career.
via CCSS Funding and Implementation Guide – Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education).
Dr. Robert A. Martinez, FSUSD Director of Human Resources, has been published in the Association of California School Administrator’s (ACSA’s) September/October 2013 Leadership Magazine, vol 43. no. 1. His article, titled Healthy Schools: The Power of Resiliency, describes the importance of creating schools where students can flourish as they build capacity for dealing with adversity and focus on learning. He writes, “each of our public schools can improve at providing educational environments where students are respected, able to thrive, and are developing and growing resiliency traits.” His article begins on page 12 of the magazine. http://content.yudu.com/Library/A2dra5/SeptemberOctober2013/resources/index.htm
via Dr. Robert A. Martinez, FSUSD Director… – Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District | Facebook.
Brianna Boyd Editor
State test scores are “disappointing” and “discouraging” for Dixon Unified Dixon Montessori has highest score in local schools
The state delivered a somber message to Dixon Unified Thursday with the release of test scores that measure student achievement and growth. No ifs, ands or buts about it, Dixon Unified Superintendent Brian Dolan said, his school district’s results are disappointing and discouraging. Just about every school saw a drop on the Academic Performance Index (API), a numeric state index that measures student achievement from a low of 200 to a high of 1,000. And with the exception of Maine Prairie High School, all schools in Dixon Unified failed to meet all the components of the Adequate Yearly Progress, which includes English language arts, mathematics, API and graduation rate.
via State test scores are “disappointing”… – The Dixon Tribune | Facebook.
It’s a good year to be in education, especially if you’re affiliated in some way with the Fairfield-Suisun School District.
Our schools did not suffer deep cuts for another consecutive budget year, thanks to passage of Proposition 30 in November. No pink slips were given to teachers in the spring. No schools were shuttered during the summer.