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Texas District to Roll Out iPad Program
29, Feb 2012
Posted by admin
In McAllen, Texas, the school district is moving forward with its plan to provide every student with an iPad or iPod Touch. Spending more than $20 million on 27,000 devices, the program looks to be one of the largest iPad programs in the nation.
McAllen Independent School district, in southern Texas, began distributing the devices earlier this week. Elementary students from pre-kindergarten through second grade will receive an iPod Touch, and older students from third grade on will receive an iPad 2. The hope is that by this time next year, every student will have one.
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New Rules for School Vending Proposed
29, Feb 2012
Posted by admin
As more studies and research is being released concerning the health of children and the role of schools, the Obama Administration is looking to establish new guidelines on food items sold in vending machines. Because students can eat up to 50 percent of their daily food at school, they want to ensure that what children are eating is healthy.
While no details on the new guidelines have been released, many believe that the guidelines will mirror the school lunch guidelines calling for reduced fat, sugars and salts in food. Those rules were implemented to help in the fight against childhood obesity, but were faced with fierce opposition from the food industry.
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A New App Helps Teachers Gauge Student’s Understanding During Class
28, Feb 2012
Posted by admin
One of the biggest challenges for classroom teachers is developing ways of ensuring students understand the material, especially the ones who feel self-conscious about asking questions or participating in class discussions. A new mobile app, GoSoapBox, hopes to become the go-to tool to help educators break down barriers and determine whether students are grasping what’s going on in class.
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More States Utilize Performance Funding for Higher Education
24, Feb 2012
Posted by admin
You get what you pay for, the saying goes. A growing number of states are linking higher education dollars to student success, not just enrollment.
Performance funding is being adopted or strengthened in a majority of U.S. states, says Jamie Merisotis, CEO of Lumina Foundation for Education, which is funding research and grants to states developing new funding models.
The Obama administration is encouraging states to reward colleges and universities for graduating greater numbers of students and preparing them for high-demand jobs.
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Laid-off Teachers Trained in New Areas
23, Feb 2012
Posted by admin
Around the country, more teachers are facing lay offs as districts and states struggle with budget shortages. However, various school districts are forming partnerships with universities and other organizations to get these laid-off teachers credentials in other high-need areas like math, science and special education.
In California, two universities are offering classes to get laid-off teachers credentials in math and science. At California State University in Sacramento, a $300,000 grant from the S.D. Bechtel Jr. Foundation, will allow 40 recently laid-off teachers to perform coursework and classroom time working toward new credentials.
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Obama Proposal May Address Growing Education Gap
22, Feb 2012
Posted by admin
Recently, the New York Times reported on the growing education gap between low-income and affluent students. One study cited found that since the 1960s, the gap in standardized test scores has grown by about 40 percent. Read More
And the gap isn’t limited to primary and secondary education. A separate University of Michigan study, also cited in the article, found that since the late 1980s, the gap in college completion grew by about 50 percent.
Let’s focus on the growing gap in college graduates. (We are, after all, the Student Loan Ranger.) The University of Michigan study focused on two generations of students: those born from 1961 to 1964 and those born from 1979 to 1982. Among the high-income students, by 1989, about one third of the first generation had finished college, and by 2007, more than half of the second generation had finished.
More Schools Debut Tuition Guarantee Programs
22, Feb 2012
Posted by admin
Though it may come as a surprise to some families who are new to the college decision process, annual tuition hikes are the norm at most colleges and universities across the country. Read More
For the 2011-2012 school year, average tuition and fees increased 4.5 percent at private, nonprofit colleges and 8.3 percent for in-state students at public universities, according to College Board’s Trends in College Pricing 2011 report. Though private, nonprofit colleges are posting smaller tuition increases, on average, than in years past, the annual upticks may still make financial forecasting a challenge for collegebound students and their parents.
Newark Plans New ‘Teachers Village’
22, Feb 2012
Posted by admin
Ground was recently broken on a new mixed-use development, dubbed the ‘Teachers Village’ in Newark, N.J. that would provide facilities for three charter schools, a day care facility, housing and ground-level retail space. The project comes at a time when Governor Chris Christie has been paying special attention to education in the state of New Jersey.
The project will aid in the expansion and relocation of three schools—Great Oaks, Discovery Charter School and TEAM Academy—providing 90,000 square feet for the facilities. The hope is that this new project will fuel the local economy and help revitalize the area.
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‘Respect Project’ to Focus on Teachers
16, Feb 2012
Posted by admin
Using the Race to the Top contest as a model, the U.S. Department of Education is using $5 billion in grant money to sponsor a teacher development contest. The contest encourages states to overhaul the teaching profession and improve teacher quality. Among some of the changes the department is pushing are: higher teaching salaries, compensation tied to performance and more selective and improved teaching colleges.
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15, Feb 2012
Posted by admin
Months after President Obama announced that he would issue No Child Left Behind waivers and states began announcing their intentions to apply for them, Obama has announced that 10 of the 11 states that applied for waivers will officially receive NCLB waivers.
“After waiting far too long for Congress to reform No Child Left Behind, my Administration is giving states the opportunity to set higher, more honest standards in exchange for more flexibility,” President Obama said in a statement. “Today, we’re giving 10 states the green light to continue making reforms that are best for them. Because if we’re serious about helping our children reach their potential, the best ideas aren’t going to come from Washington alone. Our job is to harness those ideas, and to hold states and schools accountable for making them work.”
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