I want to take this opportunity to convey a heartfelt THANKS to all those who read and comment on my blog here or on other social media platforms. You inspire me and motivate me to keep blogging!
Author: Ogo Okoye-johnson
STEM Education gets $28 Million from Obama Administration
In an effort to increase the number of teachers of technology, science and math across the US classrooms, President Obama announced on Thursday November 20, 2014 during a White House ceremony to present the highest national science, technology and innovation awards for 2014 that a $28 million investment will be made by the federal government in partnership with some organizations. The increased funding will provide one million new students with science courses over the next two years and also continue the Educate to Innovate initiative started in 2009 to increase the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills of high school students in the United States.
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Chicago Public School Parents Oppose New Test
The Illinois State Board of Education, ISBE, plans to administer a very unpopular 10-hour standardized test, Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, PARCC, next spring in the midst of strong dissent from both parents and educators. On Friday November 21, 2014, 3700 signed petitions against PARCC were delivered by a parent group to the ISBE urging for at least a year’s delay of the test. The parents asked the Board of Education to request a waiver from the US Department of Education, but ISBE intends to administer the test partially out of fear of losing funding from the federal government according to state superintendent Christopher Koch. Joining the call for a year’s delay is Barbara Byrd-Bennett, the Chicago Public Schools CEO who requested the year’s delay for the PARCC implementation because the district is not ready to administer the exam.
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Every Teacher in the U.S. Should Post This Statement in His or Her Classroom
This is the executive summary of the statement of the American Statistical Association on the use of value-added assessment to evaluate teachers. Please share it with other teachers, with principals, and school board members. Please share it with your legislators and other elected officials. Send it to your local news outlets. The words are clear: Teachers account for between 1 and 14% of the variation in test scores. And this is very important to remember: “Ranking teachers by their VAM scores can have unintended consequences that reduce quality.”
ASA Statement onUsing Value-Added Models for Educational Assessment
April 8, 2014
Executive Summary
Many states and school districts have adopted Value-Added Models (VAMs) as part of educational accountability systems. The goal of these models, which are also referred to as Value-Added Assessment (VAA) Models, is to estimate effects of individual teachers or schools on student achievement while accounting for differences…
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Closing Educational Attainment Gaps Equals Economic Growth
The Center for American Progress in a recent study, The Economic Benefits of Closing Educational Achievement Gaps: Promoting Growth and Strengthening the Nation by Improving the Educational Outcomes of Children of Color, conducted by Robert G. Lynch and Patrick Oakford indicates that closing the income, wealth and educational attainment gaps will significantly increase the gross domestic product. As a result, funds spent on closing these gaps will be recouped from future tax revenues and economic growth. An investment in closing the educational attainment gaps is an investment in the nation’s economy.
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Chicago Principal’s Principled Courage
In an interview with EduShyster, Troy LaRaviere, a Chicago Public School’s principal at Blaine Elementary School and a leader of the Administrators Alliance for Proven Policy and Legislation in Education, AAPPLE, discussed his aversion to the current climate of education reform in Chicago and in the United States. He indicated that most school administrators choose not to publicly share their truths about the impact of mandated education reform because of fear of consequences. Principal LaRaviere who needs to be commended for his courageous stance said the following to EduShyster:
“I was at an event recently and someone asked *why are principals afraid to speak out?* One of my colleagues responded that *It’s not that we’re afraid; we’re just being strategic about how we move forward.* I’d never really thought about it this way before, and it hit me that the difference between being fearful and being *strategic* is meaningless because, if you’re scared, you avoid telling the truth because you’re afraid of the consequences. But if you’re being strategic, you fail to tell the truth because you’re trying to avoid the consequences. However you define it, fear or strategy, you’re not speaking your truth because you know there will be consequences from the governmental bureaucracy in charge of the public schools. There is no place for such a fear of government in a constitutional democracy. That is part of why I tell my truth; the primary reason is to stand up for students, but a secondary reason is to test our democracy—to be an example of an ordinary citizen that believes that the First Amendment is both powerful and real. It is a meaningful expression of my own patriotism.”
In order to encourage other school administrators to use their voices, Principal LaRaviere told EduShyster:
“Tell your truth. If you don’t want to say what you know is right for fear that you’ll be fired by your government, which is who we work for, then go to your eighth grade social studies classrooms where they’re studying the Constitution and tell them that it’s all a lie. Tell your students that the First Amendment is an ideal, but we don’t have it. If you’re not willing to say that to your eighth grade students, than tell your truth. It’s as simple as that. Just tell your truth.”
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Racial Disparities in Access to Educational Opportunities To Be Rectified in One New Jersey School District
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Free CyberSafety Tools for Schools
Discovery Education and Intel Security in consultation with the National Cyber Security Alliance have developed a free three-part online course for third through eighth grade students called “Think Before You Link“. This course designed to teach students, their families and teachers about cybersafety, online bullying, and Internet ethics will give all its users the necessary tools that will help them surf the internet safely.
The surge in the access to the computer and the use of social media and the internet by teenagers necessitated the development of this course. According to a survey conducted in 2013 by Pew Research Internet Project, ownership of smartphones by teens increased from 23 percent in 2011 to about 37 percent in 2013; and nine out of ten teens have access to computers in their homes.
Lori McFarling of Discovery Education said, “This was a long-identified need which provides educational software to schools and professional development for teachers. We’ve heard from our district partners that what they really needed was help to introduce the concept of online safety to our youngest students. These are tools meant to be used in school and out of school. It’s aimed at helping kids to become confident, safe, digital citizens. We really wanted to target and make sure we spoke to the youngest of learners because we know how early young people are getting online.”
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NAEP’s Data Show A Steady Growth in Math for Hispanic Students
A report released on November 10, 2014 by Child Trends Hispanic Institute based on the analysis of National Assessment of Educational Progress, NAEP’s, data covering the past ten years show a significant and steady growth in federal Math tests by Hispanic students. Major cities such as Houston, Charlotte, Boston and the District showed the most gains.
The nonpartisan, nonprofit research center, Child Trends Hispanic Institute indicated that the growth is about one grade level with fourth grade students’ scores going up nine points and eighth grade students’ scores going up thirteen points. NAEP’s report is also known as the Nation’s Report Card and represents the “most consistent measure of K-12 progress” in the United States.
Natalia Pane, the vice president of research operations at Child Trends who authored the report expressed surprise at her findings and said, “It’s really interesting what’s going on in the large cities. Our large cities were able to keep pace when they’ve got such higher proportions of students coming from low-income families.”
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Colorado High School Seniors Boycott State Tests in Unexpected Show of Solidarity and Numbers
In a strong show of solidarity, thousands of Colorado high school seniors from various schools and districts refused to take the state mandated tests in science and social studies administered on Thursday November 13, 2014. The high school seniors’ stance against taking the state mandated tests bolsters the rising anti-test movement not only in Colorado where both liberals and conservatives are united against over-testing, but also across the the United States.
Ogo Okoye-Johnson 