District Parent Coordinating Council - The DPCC - Buffalo, NY

DPCC Blogmeister retiring, new blogmeister sought

2010-02-02T10:21:00.009-05:00

The last posting on this blog was back in December, 2009. It is time to retire. I could go with the politicians answer; "...to spend more time with my family...".
Might just be winter but my mind has been wandering faraway to places like Bora Bora lately - the pic to the left there. in my opinion this confirms the need to retire...

So, if the DPCC wants to keep the blog going someone will need to step forward and either take over this existing blog or just start one new.
The goal of this blog has been to keep parents informed about all the stuff happening in education that you may feel is important and may have possibilities for our kids here in Buffalo.
I have two children in the Buffalo Public Schools. One graduates this year and the other in two years...and boy am I looking forward to graduating!
The good news is is that in my years as a parent in the Buffalo schools I have seen a marked improvement in how things are going. It was pretty dicey there for a few years and having to take on "the system" to do what is right for your child and your school can be exhausting.
In my opinion though the status quo no longer rules. I believe the Joint Schools Construction Project has been a catalyst for getting more and more parents involved. Once you have a nice, shiny new school building you then want a program with teachers and administrators who see your kids as shiny and new and give them the opportunity to be their best.
The DPCC seems to be coming into its own and it is wonderful to see an ever increasing turnout at the monthly meetings. So keep up the good work parents and if anyone is interested in taking up this blog let the good folks at the DPCC know and we'll get things moving.
Take care.

EDUTOPIA Weekly Online Newsletter

2009-12-16T12:09:00.004-05:00

This Week's Features: Think It Over

Decision Making Becomes the Newest Life Science
Students in two Omaha magnet schools learn to weigh the pros and cons of every problem.

When Teaching the Right Answers Is the Wrong Direction
Students can learn more from wrong answers than we think.

What Is Critical Thinking?
How do we teach it? And how does it fit into great PBL?

EDUTOPIA online newsletter here...

Fast-food standards for meat top those for school lunches

2009-12-09T18:39:00.001-05:00

In the past three years, the government has provided the nation's schools with millions of pounds of beef and chicken that wouldn't meet the quality or safety standards of many fast-food restaurants, from Jack in the Box and other burger places to chicken chains such as KFC, a USA TODAY investigation found.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the meat it buys for the National School Lunch Program "meets or exceeds standards in commercial products."

That isn't always the case. Continue reading here...

2009-12-02T16:03:00.001-05:00

Why it is important to get the parent perspective...

A new survey uncovers an interesting gap between what low-income parents and students want from high school and what high school educators see as their main job.

The survey asked low-income parents and students to rank the main aims of high school, and 42 percent of the parents and 48 percent of the students put college preparation at the top. Only nine percent of teachers did the same.

The study points up a host of other interesting dynamics, some of which are depressingly familiar refrains from other studies. Here is one: seven in 10 students reported strong intentions to attend college, but fewer than three in 10 said they felt prepared to handle the coursework. Only six in 10 teachers expressed confidence that they know what students really need to be prepared for college.

Read survey here...

From North of the Border

2009-12-01T08:43:00.002-05:00

Ontario's government is conducting a sweeping review of curriculum from Grades 1 to 8 to fix what educators charge is an overcrowded jumble of disconnected facts that fail to prepare the province's students for the future.

It is the first overhaul designed to weed out some of the staggering 3,400 "expectations" built into the new curriculum designed 10 years ago when Grade 13 was abolished. Read on here...

Parent-School Ties Should Shift in Teen Years

2009-11-19T12:14:00.003-05:00

By Debra Viadero

Many educators and parents would agree that it’s important for parents to spend time in their children’s classrooms, to closely monitor homework, or to read to children at home.

Try telling that, though, to a 13-year-old, argues Harvard University researcher Nancy E. Hill.

Read on....

The Fresh Air Fund

2009-11-12T10:10:00.002-05:00

One out of four school children in the U.S. has vision problems, and 86% do not get their vision checked before age 12.

Many Fresh Air children do not have access to affordable vision care. Glasses break, are too expensive to replace, or are never prescribed in the first place. And often as a result, children's performance in academics, sports and activities suffers.

Read on here to learn more and how you may help...

Without a Penny More

2009-11-11T18:46:00.003-05:00

Interesting commentary by Ron Steiger, who is the assistant chief budget officer for the Miami-Dade County school system, in Miami.

To create districts that can flexibly streamline during financial crises, we must start with open and honest conversations about where dollars are being spent, and why.
Read full commentary here...

NY State Lawmakers Inaction - $300 million a year to run this train wreck?

2009-11-11T08:37:00.004-05:00

Lawmakers leave Albany without deal to cut deficit

By Tom Precious

News Albany Bureau

Updated: November 11, 2009, 7:32 AM / 3 comments

ALBANY — State lawmakers returned Tuesday to Albany, collected their per diems, ate free lunches, huddled with lobbyists and met with each other in private. But they were unable to accomplish the chief task that brought them back to the Capitol: budget repair. If you want to bother reading on...

How NYS spends our money

Most dysfunctional state in the country?

States Lag in Educational Innovation, Report Says

2009-11-10T13:02:00.003-05:00

A report card issued Monday on state-level innovation in education found what a trio of ideologically varied groups sees as deeply disturbing results, with most states earning C’s, D’s, or even F’s in such key areas as technology, high school quality, and removal of ineffective teachers.

The report, “Leaders and Laggards,” uses state data and existing and original research to assign letter grades to states, based on seven indicators of innovation: school management, finance, hiring and evaluation of teachers, removal of ineffective teachers, data, “pipeline to postsecondary” (or high school quality), and technology.

Though the report does not give states overall grades, the worst marks are in the category of removing ineffective teachers. But most states got C’s and D’s in the other categories. Continue reading here...

Click on map above to go to interactive map

THE ELEPHANT IN THE LIVING ROOM

2009-11-02T14:50:00.002-05:00

By John Jensen, Ph.D.

Today I watched while a large group of senior high school girls and boys argued loudly about why they didn't get along. Girls blamed the boys and boys blamed the girls. Neither was interested in how the other saw the situation, nor in careful listening to the other side, nor in any understanding of problem-solving. No one suggested that their own behavior might contribute to a problem. The single intent evidently shared by everyone was simply "Who is to blame?"

It dawned on me that this argument played out "the elephant in the living room" of US education, the unspoken presence that everyone knows about and no one addresses. It was the presence of irrationality driven by unmanaged emotion. Allowed to have its way, it demonstrates as does nothing else why education produces poor results so often, and also why the customary aims of education fall short. Continue on...

2009-10-29T13:59:00.003-04:00

Visit EDUTOPIA.org video library for lots of short videos on schools, programs, parent involvement, project based learning, lunch programs,....you will find something worth watching HERE

Rediscovering the 'Pygmalion Effect'

2009-10-29T12:56:00.003-04:00

"High expectations" is the mantra of today’s school reformers, who are convinced that the trouble with public education is that students have been allowed to slide by with little effort. Their version of high expectations is requiring college-preparatory courses, advanced subject matter, more-difficult assignments, and a longer school day and year for all students. They believe that research and the records of selected schools show that demanding more of students brings the desired results.

But do they understand the research, or know what successful schools really do?

The original research on teacher expectations tells a far different story from what today’s reformers are calling for. More than 40 years ago, an experiment in a California elementary school that produced what was called, the “Pygmalion Effect”: the amazing transformation of an ordinary person into someone special. READ ON...

Could this happen in Buffalo?

2009-10-22T12:06:00.003-04:00

Teacher Contract Called Potential Model for Nation
A teacher contract approved in New Haven that lays the groundwork for changes to the way teachers in the Connecticut city are paid, supported, and evaluated, has been hailed by union and district leaders alike—as well as federal education officials—as a potential model for the country.
The contract outlines a number of areas that would be settled by two committees of union officials, district representatives, and parents. Read on here...

Study: Kids Feeling School Pressure

2009-10-22T09:50:00.002-04:00

Students feel significant levels of stress about schoolwork as early as elementary school reveals a new survey in Highlights, the children's magazine . When asked, “What is your biggest problem right now?,” 23.4 percent of kids ages five and older responded “schoolwork,” according to Highlights’ “State of the Kid” Survey, which was released September 30.
Continue reading here...

"State of the Kid" interview videos with kids here...

Hawaii teacher furloughs will cut class time, not preparation days

2009-10-20T12:30:00.007-04:00

In scheduling 17 furlough days that will shut down Hawaii's public schools, the Department of Education and the Hawaii State Teachers Association agreed not to use any of the six available waiver and professional development days to offset the loss of instructional time or relieve parents of child-care worries.

Other cash-strapped school districts in the nation that have implemented furloughs are scheduling them to take place on teacher preparation and training days, though most are dealing with far fewer furlough days than Hawaii's public schools.

Read on about how Hawaii & other states are dealing with budget problems here...

How will NY State handle things?

A good idea to propose spending $75,000,000/year more during a budget crisis?

Education in the News

2009-10-15T18:38:00.001-04:00

the Great Schools blog good place to find out the latest education news from all over the place...
Go to the greatschools blog here

A Science, Technology, Engineering & Math Lesson

2009-10-14T09:43:00.003-04:00

In Be The Game, high school students mentor peers and use game design as a tool for teaching science, technology, engineering, and math, and the program's high tech bus travels to locations where tech facilities are not available.

Lunch debts piling up for school districts

2009-10-09T11:22:00.006-04:00

USA TODAY

More children are getting into school lunch lines without being able to pay, creating a financial burden for school districts.
Some schools are toughening their policies — limiting students to two or three unpaid meals, creating payment plans and using collection agencies.
Read on here...

More links to more articles of interest...
Rising costs bite into school lunches - Sept. 2008
3 Ways to Revolutionize Your School Lunch Program
School Lunch Problems
The Problem with School Lunch

Inside the Teenage Brain

2009-10-01T11:49:00.004-04:00

It's the mystery of mysteries -- especially to parents -- the unpredictable and sometimes incomprehensible moods and behaviors of the American teenager. Generations of adults have pondered its cause. Hormones? Rock music? Boredom? Drugs?

In "Inside the Teenage Brain," FRONTLINE chronicles how scientists are exploring the recesses of the brain and finding some new explanations for why adolescents behave the way they do. These discoveries could change the way we parent, teach, or perhaps even understand our teenagers.

Click on image on image on left to go to interactive site

Just 19 minutes - good stuff

2009-09-30T21:39:00.004-04:00

Very entertaining, cute, funny, parents can relate...
Schools are killing creativity.

Involvement Matters: What To Tell Parents

2009-09-30T21:13:00.004-04:00

Building parent involvement is the single most important thing that parent groups do. Often, it's the most difficult, too. And that's too bad because there are many compelling reasons why parents—all parents—should get involved in their children's education. If you're having trouble building involvement, the problem might be that you're not making the right argument. You simply need better ammunition.
A common way to think about getting people involved is to...keep reading here

Project Dropout

2009-09-30T13:16:00.006-04:00

According to a recent study by the Education Trust, the United States is now the only industrialized country where youths are less likely than their parents to earn a high school diploma. What’s being referred to nationally as the “silent epidemic” has ramifications for individuals and communities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts few of us can imagine. From February — April 2009, public broadcasters WGBH and WBUR focused a journalistic lens on the dropout crisis in Massachusetts. They invite you to follow student video diaries on our website....Visit Website here to watch student stories.

Some intersting stuff at EdWeek site

2009-09-29T06:31:00.004-04:00

Management Guru Says 'Student Load' Key to Achievement
Higher scores are linked to lowering the number of students to teach and the number of papers to grade.

The Arts Education Effect
“Put simply, we provide students who are likely to benefit from arts instruction most with the least of everything,” writes Sandra S. Ruppert.

Why School? Rethinking Essentials

2009-09-25T13:29:00.005-04:00

Excerpt from letter to the Bridging Differences blog at EdWeek...

What I want to argue out with you, and our readers, is the nature of the kind of curriculum or subject matter for which schools in a democratic society, funded by public monies, should be held accountable. What can we demonstrate is essential for 100 percent of all voters—18-year-olds—to understand?

1. Reading the newspapers or non-fiction magazines—or their equivalent. Being able to report to others on stories, engage in a discussion about them, and write a letter to the editor and op-ed column on a few with which they disagree. Maybe on two levels—one at around ages 11-12 and the other at 16-18.

2. Sufficient mathematics to make sense of what they find in the media—statistics, probabilities, forms of graphing, percentages, et al to a high degree of sophistication by the time they are 16. Basic arithmetic computation by 13.

Continue Reading Here

Students won’t learn much math or science this year

2009-09-20T08:40:00.002-04:00

Mark C. Schug, Ph. D., is professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukeeand is former director of the UWM Center for Economic Education.

As students across the country get back to school, I got to thinking: Will our young people learn enough math and science to help keep America productive? It seems unlikely.

International comparisons reveal that American 15-year-olds score near the bottom on standardized tests in math and science. Out of the 30 member nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, American students ranked 25th in math and 21st in science.

Why are our students lagging so far behind? One rarely discussed factor is the dysfunctional labor market for hiring teachers. Continue reading here...

A Healthy School Lunch

2009-09-17T08:10:00.006-04:00

The Secret of Success and High Test Scores

2009-09-16T15:53:00.006-04:00

Bridging Differences is a blog to discuss the policies of improving schools and offers insights on what matters most in education.

An excerpt from the blog...
....became aware of the startling extent to which the New York State Education Department has manipulated the state test results. So, while politicians crow about their "success" in raising test scores (as if they had anything to do with students' learning!), it turns out that the tests have been rigged in recent years to produce higher scores. The more I learned, the more I wondered if New York was on its way to becoming a national laughing-stock. Continue reading here...

6 Ways to Change a District

2009-09-16T15:38:00.006-04:00

Moving Beyond the Conventional Wisdom of Whole-District Reform

Faced with dismal international comparisons and federal 'Race to the Top' Fund pressures, school districts must take on two difficult tasks at once: raising the outcomes of top-performing students, while accelerating the learning of students who are behind. And they must find ways to do this in every school, not just in a few exemplars. Read on here...

What the Public Thinks of Public Schools

2009-09-14T08:14:00.003-04:00

Interesting perceptions to read thru here...

Texting-Motorist Video Draws Controversy

2009-09-04T15:20:00.006-04:00

The British tend to create very graphic Public Service Announcements. This PSA on the dangers of texting while driving is disturbing and rightfully so. And it might be good for adults to take heed as well. It is not just teens texting but adults as well, or trying to, and for those folks who don't realize that trying to dial or read through their phone menu while driving is also "texting" then you to need to watch this PSA.

TIME.com: A graphic British public service announcement about the dangers of sending text messages while driving has become an Internet hit and sparked debate around the world.
The film shows a bubbly teenager named Cassie — "a nice girl from a nice Gwent Valleys family" — who triggers a pileup that kills four people when she tries to send a text message while driving. The graphic, slow-motion depiction of the crash shows heads going through windshields, bloodied bodies and the lifeless eyes of a baby.
British PSA found here...

College video tours

2009-08-29T07:47:00.003-04:00

Click on graphic on left to go to a map of the U.S. then pick a state and view video list of colleges to choose from.

How to Deal with Teenage Learning Fatigue

2009-08-27T07:40:00.004-04:00

The single most important thing a teacher must do is manage the learning state of his or her students. Twenty minutes is probably the maximum time that most people can stay in a positive learning state without a change of stimulus. Most students may even be aware that they have moved down the spectrum from a positive learning state to a feeling of the brain being out to lunch!

An effective teacher is aware of the looks on the faces of students, the squirming, and general disinterest. These teachers are always scanning the class for signs of learning fatigue and know what to do to ameliorate the problem. Read on...

Vision Problems Linked to Poor Grades

2009-08-27T06:26:00.002-04:00

If Junior is coming home with poor grades, it might be worth checking how well he can see.

With nearly one in four children having vision problems, experts say many children with academic issues actually could be having trouble because they can't see up close to read or can't see far enough to make out what's on the board. Read on here...

The problem with problems

2009-08-18T14:45:00.004-04:00

By Daniel Pink
A quick thought about the disconnect between how we prepare kids for work and how work actually operates:

In school, problems almost always are clearly defined, confined to a single discipline, and have one right answer.

But in the workplace, they’re practically the opposite. Problems are usually poorly defined, multi-disciplinary, and have several possible answers, none of them perfect.

Are timed, standardized tests the way to ready youngsters for real-world problem-solving?

Business leaders seem to think otherwise. Look at the chart below, drawn from research done by the AASA and Americans for the Arts, about how employers and school superintendents (who might have the hardest jobs in America –Ed.) define “creativity.” There’s a fair bit of alignment — but employers seem more concerned with how employees can frame problems and whether they’re comfortable with the absence of a “right” answer.

Visit Author Daniel Pink's site here...

A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future charts the rise of right-brain thinking in modern economies and describes the six abilities individuals and organizations must master in an outsourced, automated age.

September EDUTOPIA

2009-08-18T12:43:00.003-04:00

Visit www.edutopia.org

Arthur Benjamin's formula for changing math education

2009-08-18T12:22:00.002-04:00

A persuasive 3 minute talk...

Sage Advice: The Wisdom of Crowds

2009-08-09T20:04:00.004-04:00

Topics posed and answered by many such as...
Fresh Start for the Fall
Educating Educators
Students Teach Tech
Parent Involvement
Beyond Report Cards
Staying Connected with Parents
And many more here...

Oh, Oh!

2009-07-29T09:26:00.006-04:00

If there was any doubt that the Obama administration was going to be aggressive on the teacher-quality front, it was put to rest by the Race to the Top application guidelines released today. The new federal push is clearly on ways to measure teachers' effectiveness and create systems to help them improve, all as defined by their performance with students.

States like New York, California, and Wisconsin, may be ineligible because of their "data firewalls"
Read blog here

...two criteria would be absolute requirements: States must have been approved by the Education Department for stabilization funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (most already have been), and states must not have any laws in place barring the use of student-achievement data for evaluating teachers and principals. Read on...

More info on where things stand amongst states and "Race to the Top" funding...

"Race to the Top" and how it works

2009-07-29T06:45:00.005-04:00

How "Race to the Top" funds could work at EdWeek.

Sporcle.com: Mentally Stimulating Diversions

2009-07-28T13:32:00.004-04:00

If you want to dazzle your children with the vastness of their parent's trivial knowledge go here...it gets addictive.

Report Urges Halt to Extra Pay for Master's Degrees

2009-07-23T06:09:00.004-04:00

A new report has found little correlation between increased teacher pay for earning advanced degrees and improved student achievement. The report suggests that the $8 billion states spend annually rewarding teachers for advanced degrees could be spent more effectively on other academic-improvement efforts.

Between federal, state, and local funding sources, states devote 1 percent to 2 percent of their current annual education expenditures to those added costs, according to the report. Read on...

And this...Masters degree in education: A better way?

The Story of Success

2009-07-14T06:56:00.006-04:00

This is an interesting, quick read. It will make you wonder, if not already, if there are aspects of our society (and educational system) that are working more against our kids then for our kids. Here's a review form Publishers Weekly about the book....

Outliers begins with a provocative look at why certain five-year-old boys enjoy an advantage in ice hockey, and how these advantages accumulate over time.
We learn what Bill Gates, the Beatles and Mozart had in common: along with talent and ambition, each enjoyed an unusual opportunity to intensively cultivate a skill that allowed them to rise above their peers.
A detailed investigation of the unique culture and skills of Eastern European Jewish immigrants persuasively explains their rise in 20th-century New York, first in the garment trade and then in the legal profession.
Through case studies ranging from Canadian junior hockey champions to the robber barons of the Gilded Age, from Asian math whizzes to software entrepreneurs to the rise of his own family in Jamaica, Gladwell tears down the myth of individual merit to explore how culture, circumstance, timing, birth and luck account for success—and how historical legacies can hold others back despite ample individual gifts.

Parent views about Student Achievement

2009-07-01T10:59:00.001-04:00

When I talk about student achievement in the academic community, the first thing that usually comes to mind is test scores: How well does this school perform relative to others? Are students on track for college? How prepared are they for the SAT?

Surprisingly, the discussion shifts when I talk to parents. Certainly, parents want to know about important things, like test scores and grades. But once parents are confident that a particular school meets their academic criteria, they usually have a lot more questions. At the end of the day, what parents really want to know is this: "Will your school help my kids become successful, happy, and good people?"

Continue reading Bob Lenz's blog and comments here...

Interesting website about standardized testing here

Half-way there is not a "Major Victory"

2009-06-30T09:33:00.011-04:00

"Hoyt Secures Major Victory For Buffalo Public Schools" raved this headline on BuffaloRising back on June 24th. Lot's of praise for Mr. Hoyt in what appears to be a press release...however it is not a done deal as implied.
5 paragraphs down...

"This legislation must still pass the State Senate before it can be sent to the Governor to be signed into law."

Maybe we need to look at this like a Regents exam...partial credit for the attempt...full credit with the correct outcome.

UPDATE: Phase 5 funds were approved about 3-1/2 weeks after "Major Victory" was declared.

$90,000+ a year plus perks - what did you expect?

2009-06-17T06:35:00.004-04:00

Phase 5 of the Joint Schools Construction Project hangs in the balance as lawmakers are told by judge to grow up and learn to play properly.

Want to bet this crew decides to take their summer recess right on time while New York state continues to flounder and sink.

And in addition to their $90k+ per year they get over $150/day to be in Albany while they sort things out.

Previously...

And other state legislature comparisons here...

Dropouts: A Blame Game?

2009-06-10T08:12:00.004-04:00

Plenty of finger-pointing and low expectations in a new report on teachers' and principals' views of the dropout crisis.

When asked who is chiefly responsible for students dropping out, three-quarters of teachers and principals named the students themselves, and nearly that many named parents. Fewer than 30 percent said that they or their school system, society, or elected officials bore most or all of the responsibility for students' leaving school.

Six in 10 teachers and nearly half of principals said that lack of support at home was a key reason that kids drop out; they cited that reason far more than absenteeism, hanging out with kids who aren't interested in school, being unprepared for high school, or boredom.

In fact, this report carries their very-decisive response to the voices of the dropouts themselves, captured in a widely cited 2006 study by the same organization, Civic Enterprises.

Read on at this blog...

Classes may have a few more kids, cost less money

2009-06-09T12:39:00.007-04:00

Are there greater benefits from smaller class sizes (which can add to budget costs) or from increasing class size by 1-3 students and how could the savings be re-directed?
How can technology come into play to help out?

January 9, 2009 - Atlanta Journal Constitution

Georgia public schools can increase the number of students in most elementary and middle school classes by two children next school year under a cost-saving plan.

Bumping up maximum class sizes —- just for the 2009-10 school year —- will save about $200 million on the cost of hiring new teachers.

How it saves

School districts must add another class and teacher if the number of students in a class exceeds a set number. By increasing the maximum number, schools won’t have to hire as many new teachers to replace those who retire and move.

An elementary school with 181 third-graders would need nine teachers if the maximum class size is 21 students. The school would need eight teachers if the cap was 23 students.

Henry County (40,000 enrollment) school leaders figure the relaxed limit will save from $4-6 million. Read on here...

Smaller Class Size: Pros and Cons...read here

What are your child's special gifts?

2009-06-07T14:32:00.005-04:00

Quick, fun and interesting survey on Multiple Intelligences to see how your kid scores in 8 categories. Good to try out if you have a young one and want to look into their possible future, even more fun if you have a high-schooler so you can be reflective.
Go here to take the survey...

What Parents Think About Student Achievement

2009-06-07T13:30:00.004-04:00

By Bob Lenz

Read on here...

2009-06-07T13:15:00.007-04:00

Click on Edutopia logo to go to main page

June issue of Edutopia here...

Visit Digital Youth Network here, it is amazing!

Portraits of digital kids here...
Watch short video portraits of how students are using their digital abilities to excel, such as Jalen below.

Dropout Prevention Can Start Early

2009-06-04T06:41:00.003-04:00

NEW YORK (AP) — It's graduation time, but not for everyone. One out of every four students fails to graduate from high school in four years, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Risk factors for dropping out include low academic achievement, mental health problems, truancy, poverty and teen pregnancy.

But here's a shocker from Lynne Strathman, director of Lydia Urban Academy in Rockford, Ill., a small faith-based alternative program for dropouts.

Strathman says the one thing that she consistently finds is that "the last time these students felt successful was the fourth grade."

That's right: Fourth grade. Which means parents and teachers may be ignoring years of red flags.

Demand more! Expect less...

2009-06-02T16:23:00.008-04:00

Good news...Math scores rise...so raise the bar!....Bad news, NY State can't balance the books...so what teachers will be there to hold the bar?

State Education Commissioner, Richard Mills pointed out those children in earlier grades are scoring at higher levels than their older siblings, which he said is a positive indicator as long as it stays that way. "As we prepare to develop the next set of tests for 2010, it's probably time to raise the bar again," he said.

MEANWHILE...

Governor David Paterson says he's preparing for the state budget deficit a year from now to more than double from the official projection made last month, rounding next year's deficit up to a record-high $6 billion because the recession has made him a pessimist.

The current $132 billion budget had a nearly $18 billion deficit covered mostly with federal stimulus money that runs out in two years.

The governor said a special legislative session might be called to figure out how to tackle the ballooning budget crisis.

Inspiration for Education?

2009-06-01T10:12:00.006-04:00

Great Quotes from Great Leaders

click on picture...

The Future of Work

2009-05-27T12:29:00.002-04:00

Ten years ago, Facebook didn't exist. Ten years before that, we didn't have the Web. So who knows what jobs will be born a decade from now? Though unemployment is at a 25‑year high, work will eventually return. But it won't look the same. No one is going to pay you just to show up. We will see a more flexible, more freelance, more collaborative and far less secure work world. It will be run by a generation with new values — and women will increasingly be at the controls. Here are 10 ways your job will change. In fact, it already has.

Time magazine report here...

Is our educational system keeping pace?

Teaching Secrets: The Last Day of School

2009-05-27T09:17:00.005-04:00

By Larry Ferlazzo - Teacher Magazine
It's that time of year again—the last few weeks of school. Many of us work hard at plans to keep students engaged during this time but, at least in my experience, far fewer have a well-considered plan for the last day of school.
This final day together can be an important time for both the students and the teacher. It's a time to reflect, to celebrate, to say goodbye, and to give our students a nudge into the future.
I put out a call on my blog for teachers to share what they do on this special day. I also surveyed some of my colleagues and reflected on what I have done in the past. The results seem to fall into three categories.
Read on here...

8th Graders’ Exam Is Delayed

2009-05-20T20:21:00.002-04:00

For the love of money...read on here

The College Board said Thursday that it was putting off the unveiling of a new standardized test intended to help eighth graders prepare for rigorous high school courses and college. It cited school districts’ tight finances as the cause of the delay.

The exam had drawn sharp criticism from organizations like FairTest, a nonprofit that seeks to diminish the role of standardized tests like the SAT.

The College Board, which also oversees the SAT, announced last fall that it would begin offering the test, known as ReadiStep, this fall. It had described it as being for assessment and instructional purposes only, and not for any college admissions purpose.

“With the unforeseen challenge of the current economic situation, many states, districts and schools simply don’t have the resources to spend on new programs,” a College Board spokeswoman, Sheila Jamison, said in an e-mail message.

“When a large enough group of states, districts and schools have the resources that will enable them to launch ReadiStep, we will launch it.”

Robert Schaeffer, the public education director of FairTest, said the College Board’s decision reflected “the overwhelmingly negative reaction to this unnecessary new testing product among college admissions officers and high school guidance counselors.”

“They know that an additional exam would only push already rampant college admission testing hysteria down into middle school,” Mr. Schaeffer added, “with no benefit to anyone other than the College Board.”

Interesting education articles this week

2009-05-20T20:13:00.001-04:00

From Scholastic click here...

The Right Way to Ask Questions in the Classroom

2009-05-12T11:04:00.003-04:00

By Ben Johnson

Have you ever thought about how silly we teachers can be? When we get in front of students, we present ourselves to be the ones with all the answers, and then after we talk to the students, we start asking questions as if we don't know anything we just talked about. No wonder students get confused!

On a more serious note, we need to come to grips with the fact that we really do not know everything, and there is no reason to assume that the students know nothing. But perhaps the most important question to ask is, "What does a teacher asking questions of a class expect the class to learn from the questioning process?"

There are a number of things to consider in this scenario. Some teachers might answer that the reason to ask questions is to check for understanding, which benefits the teacher more than the student. Ostensibly, after we have taught a principle or concept, we could ask, "Does everybody understand?" Even though we all realize that students not answering -- or even answering in the affirmative -- may not really understand, we still ask it. Are we aware of how many times we ask this useless question during a day of teaching?

What we really end up telling the students when we ask this sort of question is, "Ok, here is your last chance. If you don't ask any questions, then you understand completely, and I am free to go on to the next subject. Because I asked this fair question, and gave you a fair chance to answer, I am absolved from any lack of understanding on your part."

The fallacy with this thinking is that sometimes the students do not understand that they do not understand, and if they do not know what they do not know, there is no way that they can ask a question about it.

Read on...

Albany bill likely to shift elections for city School Board to November

2009-05-12T10:55:00.002-04:00

Following this week’s dismal 5 percent turnout for the election of Buffalo Board of Education members, state lawmakers say they are confident legislation will soon pass moving the school vote to the same day as the November general elections.

A bill to change the date as a way to involve more city residents in the elections has been stalled in Albany since 1995. But with other big cities in New York already setting their school elections in November, advocates say there will be little to stop the change for Buffalo’s school elections before the State Legislature ends its session next month.

Article here...

Still waiting on final At-Large BOE results from last week. Apparently it takes about 2 weeks to count the 800 absentee ballots.

BPS Students: What They Need

2009-05-08T06:13:00.002-04:00

At yesterday's City of Buffalo Dropout Prevention Leadership Summit, a panel of 6 students came up to the stage and took seats, while their mentor, Tracy McGee of Erie 1 BOCES, took the podium to ask questions.

The students had the bright and shiny look of overachievers. They looked like a stacked deck of kids who'd never seen a bad day in their lives. It was easy to sit and listen, arms folded, until they started to tell their backstories; that's when the notebook came out. And for privacy purposes, all of the children have been assigned fictitious names here.

Read on...

Buffalo's 1st Dropout Prevention Leadership Summit

2009-05-07T06:06:00.003-04:00

1st of two articles to be posted on Buffalo Rising here...

In answer to the nationwide formula for raising the graduation rate workshop sessions became a jumping off point for forming tasks forces in the near future that will find solutions to the following needs:

Caring Adults
Safe Places
A Healthy Start
Effective Education
Opportunities to Help Others

Part 2 of this post, coming up tomorrow, will be a highlight of what the students feel they need to succeed.

City of Buffalo's 1st Dropout Prevention Leadership Summit

2009-05-05T20:28:00.005-04:00

Ask academia or ask the community, same answer??? Open to the public but left off BPS website, not promoted to the community, whose number 1?

Stumbled across this today.

The Committee for Dropout Prevention in conjunction with The Academic Talent Search Program at Canisius College, and the City of Buffalo will host its First Annual High School Dropout Prevention Summit on May 6, 2009 at 8:00AM to 4:30PM at the Montante Cultural Center, located at Main and Eastwood Streets on the Canisius College campus.

Andrew Moore of the National League of Cities will be the Keynote Speaker.

The summit, concentrating on issues central to Buffalo, seeks local answers to the national epidemic of high school dropouts. Buffalo is very much in line with the national data that states that nearly 1 in 3 high school students drop out before graduating. Across the nation, approximately 1.2 million students drop out of school annually, which would amount to about 7,000 every school day, or one every 26 seconds.

Read on...

Sponsors include the Buffalo Public School System, Kaleida Health, the Urban League, the Western New York Law Center, Buffalo Teachers Federation and Senator Antoine Thompson. The summit is free to participants. Registration is open to the public on the Committee for Dropout Prevention web site.

3 out of 4 New Yorkers think Albany's a dysfunctional mess

2009-04-22T19:21:00.002-04:00

Nearly three of four New Yorkers see their state government as dysfunctional, a new poll shows.

The Quinnipiac University poll said 71% says it doesn't work, while just 23% think it functions well.

Nearly 80% of Republicans, 62% of Democrats and 77% of independents labeled this state government dysfunctional.

Read on...

Better Communication? Some Examples...

2009-04-18T19:34:00.018-04:00

Click on a logo to visit these sites

INFORMATION = KNOWLEDGE
Consider how information is shared in Buffalo when choosing a BOE candidate on May 5th.
Check out these various school district websites.

They all seem to share information more easily and in a user friendly manner.

This includes BOE pod/webcasts off their sites, committee meetings, budget numbers and even the TV schedule for their local public access education channel, to name a few highlights.

If our BOE truly wants to get parents involved and knowledgeable then maybe they need to consider better and alternative ways of communicating.

For those good folks who can't make twice monthly meetings at 5:30 in the afternoon.

EDUTOPIA.ORG

2009-04-07T07:25:00.003-04:00

Latest EDUTOPIA is out. Click on cover to go to EDUTOPIA.org

Special Report: The Multiple Intelligences Redefine "Smart"
Edutopia reports on the resurgent relevance of Howard Gardner's ground-breaking theory, which changed the game for students and teachers.

NY State lacks "initiative". Go figure...

2009-04-04T08:09:00.005-04:00

On-line learning an opportunity - but not in NY State

The New York city is working to clear the way for students to be able to earn credits toward high-school graduation online.

Department of Education officials said they're working with the state on getting a waiver of the requirement that students spend a certain amount of hours per year in a classroom - known as "seat time" - to get credits for a course.

That requirement has taken the online-course option off the table in New York high schools, even as nearly half of all school districts nationally offer their students some form of virtual education.

Susan Patrick, president of the North American Council for Online Learning, said New York trails the rest of the country in virtual education largely because of a lack of initiative.
Read article here...

Remember this bit about NY State "considering" a 4 day week...no initiative there as well

How long before NY decides on this "idea"?

2009-04-01T08:10:00.003-04:00

Local Officials Crying Foul As Governors Grab for Aid
Desperate for cash to fill growing budget deficits, state governments are starting to tangle with federal and local officials over a $39.8 billion pot of economic-stimulus money that was designed to prop up the budgets of local school districts, but is increasingly being eyed as a patch for states’ own financial woes. Read on...

High School Diploma Info by State

2009-03-25T08:16:00.001-04:00

State by state breakdown of what is required to graduate.

Rules Allowing Extended Time on Graduation
Federal regulations have opened a door that allows schools to get credit under the No Child Left Behind Act for students who take longer than four years to earn a high school diploma. But that option worries some education advocates, who fear it could relieve valuable pressure on high schools to graduate students on time. Continue reading at EdWeek.org

The Dark Side of Parent Involvement

2009-03-25T07:34:00.002-04:00

In education, encouraging parents to be involved in their children's schooling is like motherhood and apple pie. Everyone likes it, and who would argue against it?

But a study published last month in the American Journal of Education suggests that parent involvement can have a downside, too.

Read summary here...

Breaking Away From Tradition

2009-03-25T07:31:00.002-04:00

E-learning Opens New Doors to Raise Achievement

As the world of online education continues to evolve, brick-and-mortar schools are incorporating digital curricula and virtual teachers into their classrooms in ways that have surprised even the advocates of the online education movement.

Once mostly catering to advanced students who educators believed had the motivation to pursue education online, virtual courses are growing in popularity for struggling students, too. And school districts and teachers that once felt threatened by the surge of online education are embracing the technology, often in a hybrid model that blends face-to-face learning with digital teaching and curricula.

Read on at EDUCATION WEEK... and this...Research Shows Evolving Picture of E-Education

STATE TECH GRADES 2009 - USE OF TECHNOLOGY GRADES FOR U.S. STATES - NY=D+

Time to consider college?

2009-03-22T07:24:00.006-04:00

Click on either cover and go to that article to read more.

And this...Looking beyond grades and scores - Students' stories move admissions panels

The Myth About Homework

2009-03-14T19:55:00.001-04:00

Sachem was the last straw. Or was it Kiva? My 12-year-old daughter and I had been drilling social-studies key words for more than an hour. It was 11 p.m. Our entire evening had, as usual, consisted of homework and conversations (a.k.a. nagging) about homework. She was tired and fed up. I was tired and fed up. The words wouldn't stick. They meant nothing to her. They didn't mean much to me either. After all, when have I ever used sachem in a sentence--until just now?
Continue reading...

Go to: The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing - Alfie Kohn

National Center for Education Stats

2009-03-12T18:53:00.003-04:00

If you love statistics, and who doesn't. Then this is the site for you...
National Center for Education Statistics

Dropouts Give Reasons

2009-03-12T06:39:00.003-04:00

Why do students leave high school without a diploma?

If you ask someone who has dropped out of high school why they did so, they will tell you.

Read results...

5 Year High Schools?

2009-03-11T06:43:00.003-04:00

If college students can take more than four years to graduate why not high school students?

State educators are considering a proposal to raise the number of years before graduation for some Michigan high school students.

Under today's regulations, students count as "dropouts" in state records if they don't finish high school in four years -- even if they receive their diplomas within the next year.

But that could soon change.

It's not only in the interest of the students themselves, but of the state and their communities to have as many high school graduates in Michigan as possible.

Students take five years to graduate for a variety of reasons. Some must compensate for habitually skipping class. Others come back after dropping out entirely. Still others missed school because of a chronic illness or long-term suspension.

The state Board of Education is mulling a plan that would allow these students five years to graduate rather than the traditional four. Students would have to seek approval for the one-year extension on a case-by-case basis.

The students may not notice the difference if the proposal passes. Right now, five-year students still earn valid degrees, even though they're listed as "dropouts" in state records.

But changing the way the state maintains its graduation statistics matters a lot to districts trying to keep up with state and federal standards, educators say.

The way the state counts graduates now artificially lowers schools' graduation rates, interfering with efforts to make adequate yearly progress.

Missing adequate yearly progress, the standard by which the government measures how well schools work under No Child Left Behind regulations can mean sanctions for schools and districts.

Giving districts with alternative schools credit for all the students they graduate could encourage more districts to start alternative education centers. Such a trend could mean more high school graduates in Michigan.

Beyond the Bubble: Technology and the Future of Student Assessment

2009-03-08T14:42:00.002-04:00

Students today are growing up in a world overflowing with a variety of high-tech tools, from computers and video games to increasingly sophisticated mobile devices. And unlike adults, these students don't have to adjust to the information age—it will be all they've ever known. Their schools are gradually following suit, integrating a range of technologies both in and outside of the classroom for instructional use. But there's one day a year when laptops power down and students' mobile computing devices fall silent, a day when most schools across the country revert to an era when whiteboards were blackboards, and iPhones were just a twinkle in some techie's eye—testing day.

Since the IBM Type 805 Test Scoring Machine first hit the market in 1938, fill-in-the-bubble test score sheets and scanners have remained the dominant technologies used in local, state, and national assessments. And underlying these pre-World War II technologies are approaches to testing from the same era. They rely heavily on multiple-choice question types and measure only a portion of the skills and knowledge outlined in state educational standards. They do not align well with what we know about how students learn. Nor do they tell us very much about how to help students do better. As a result, at a time when students are tested more than ever—and test results are used to make critical judgments about the performance of schools, teachers, and students—our testing methods don't serve our educational system nearly as well as they should.

Read on...

REVIEW: Title I as a Tool for Parent Involvement

2009-03-05T20:55:00.005-05:00

How does the law require that parents be involved?
Under Title I schools are required to provide assistance to parents to help them understand the National Education Goals and the standards and assessments which will be used to determine children's progress. Schools are also required to help parents understand the Title I law and how to help their children. Each school district (except the smallest ones) is required to spend at least 1% of its Title I funds on training/education program for parents. Parents must be involved in decisions about how that money is to be spent. In fact, parents must jointly develop and approve the district and school's parent involvement policies which should spell out how this money is spent.

Read on at Center for Law and Education

10 Questions (and Answers) about Graduates, Dropouts, and NCLB Accountability

2009-03-02T14:50:00.004-05:00

The public attention devoted to tested achievement has largely eclipsed the role that graduation rates play in NCLB accountability. As a result, we are only now beginning to appreciate the complexities of several key issues. Those issues include the origins of the law's concern about graduation rates; the status of graduates and dropouts for NCLB accountability; the consequences of using different ways to define and measure graduation rates; and state strategies for incorporating graduation rates into their federal accountability plans. Drawing on recent research at the Urban Institute, this brief attempts to clarify these issues and offer a foundation of knowledge upon which to ground ongoing discussions and analyses of the law.
Click on Urban Institute logo above for the 10 Q & A

MEASURING GRAD RATES NOT EASY...one of the last major acts of outgoing U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings was to issue rules that will require every state to use a uniform method of calculating graduation rates by several years from now. READ ON HERE...

And from Milwaukee... MPS graduation rates rise, but not test scores.

Students Stand When Called Upon, and When Not

2009-02-28T10:18:00.004-05:00

MARINE ON ST. CROIX, Minn. — From the hallway, Abby Brown’s sixth-grade classroom in a little school here about an hour northeast of Minneapolis has the look of the usual one, with an American flag up front and children’s colorful artwork decorating the walls.

But inside, an experiment is going on that makes it among the more unorthodox public school classrooms in the country, and pupils are being studied as much as they are studying. Unlike children almost everywhere, those in Ms. Brown’s class do not have to sit and be still. Quite the contrary, they may stand and fidget all class long if they want.

And they do. Read entire article at NY Times

School Calendar - The Yearly Event

2009-02-28T08:21:00.004-05:00

Like the Swallows to Capistrano or the Monarch Butterflies back to Mexico, each year the Buffalo Public School calendar returns.
A ritual that each year families and children across Buffalo wait in anticipation as to when the school year will begin anew....

From this blog last May, deja vu reading here...again

Mass. School districts to study regionalization

2009-02-27T13:07:00.004-05:00

As NY State teeters on the financial edge....how proactive will it become?
Financially strapped communities from Cape Cod to the Berkshires will receive state grants to study the possibility of regionalizing their school districts, which state education leaders say could lead to greater cost efficiencies.

Merging the state's smallest school districts into larger entities is one of the many initiatives Governor Deval Patrick laid out in his sweeping state education overhaul effort known as the Readiness Project. The proposal calls for "dramatically reducing the number of school districts in the state" so less money is spent on administrative services and more can be spent in classrooms. All but 41 of the state's nearly 400 school districts serve fewer than 5,000 students.

Districts do not need to fully consolidate with a neighbor to yield savings. Districts could maintain independence while forming partnerships to run school buses, lunch programs, or special education services. The districts could even share superintendents and other central administrators, while keeping their districts as separate entities.

"In light of the current fiscal climate, this type of a collaborative effort is a key step towards finding a more manageable way of funding our public education system, and achieving the goal of providing all students quality education in the classroom," said state Senator Benjamin Downing.

5 Myths About Education Reform

2009-02-25T19:20:00.003-05:00

Sunday, February 22, 2009

1. We know how to fix public schools; we just lack the political will to finish the job.

2. Teachers know best how to teach kids; policymakers should leave them alone.

3. The federal government meddles too much in the affairs of local schools.

4. Teacher unions are the enemy.

5. There's no place in education for politics.

And the thought provoking conclusions? Go here...

Spring 2009 National College Fair

2009-02-24T18:14:00.006-05:00

When:
Tuesday - March 17th - 9am-1pm...6pm-830pm
Wednesday - March 18th - 9am-12noon

Where:
Convention Center, Downtown Buffalo

Click on logo to get to their site

High School Exit Exams: Issues to Consider

2009-02-24T09:28:00.002-05:00

Twenty-six states either currently have a high school exit exam or have plans to put one in place. Given the number of high school students in these 26 states, it means that exit exams affect more than two-thirds of the nation's public high school students. These exams vary from state to state in terms of content and opportunities for students who do not pass to retake the test and/or demonstrate competency.

Article helps demystify a few issues about exit exams. Click on "greatschools" logo above to go to article.

Students Against Testing

2009-02-24T06:28:00.004-05:00

A different SAT
Click on either logo for some interesting perspective
Some interesting information on this site

Create a PTO website (or a blog) that works

2009-02-17T21:34:00.003-05:00

If communication is the key to parent involvement, then consider a website to be a virtual door that opens onto your PTO. Even if your group publishes a monthly newsletter, sends home notices, and submits items to the local newspaper, there's still room in your media mix for a website.

An online presence will not get misplaced, nor will it end up crumpled in a ball at the bottom of a child's backpack. What it will do is give parents instant access to the information they need, when they need it. Keep reading...

November 18, 2008 - Just 3 months ago...

2009-02-17T21:12:00.004-05:00

NY State government at work...minus the elected lawmakers...really gets rolling at about 4-5 minutes...less we forget...

Citizens for a Better NY

Will "Dysfunctional" NY State government be able to do the math?

2009-02-17T20:41:00.005-05:00

NEW YORK STATE (AP) — It may sound like a nice problem for states — figuring out how to spend the billions in infrastructure funding they'll receive as part of President Barack Obama's economic stimulus plan.

But the task is more complicated than it seems, as state officials try to set priorities while managing competing pressures from communities, watchdog groups and federal regulators over how the money is allocated.
Good reading...

And we wonder why?
Paterson's Pay Raises are Mind - boggling

Time to abolish NY State Regents Exams?

2009-02-17T20:24:00.003-05:00

What makes anyone think that anything will change on how this state works? 20 Years ago...
AUGUST 1989 ARTICLE - NY TIMES
AS students prepare to sharpen their pencils, cover their books and hone their minds for the start of the new school year, they should resolve to work with parents, teachers, administrators and policymakers throughout the state to demand the abolition of the Regents exams. It is time. It is long overdue. It was time back in the 1960's, when I as a student sweated and fretted, combatted nausea and diarrhea, and crammed day and night to achieve a respectable score on this most sacrosanct imprimatur of the State of New York. It was then believed to be more important than anything that had transpired during the entire school year; even if you received 90's all year, a failing grade on the Regents doomed you to ignominy. A decent grade freed you of the inconvenience of summer school, as well as the humiliation of a red mark posted next to your name on the bulletin board.
READ ON...

State Senate Reform Committee Declares Syracuse Western New York

2009-02-09T18:34:00.003-05:00

On Friday, the newly organized state senate committee on reform and rule changes held their "Western New York" public hearing. You mean to say that you didn't hear about it, or attend to speak about the importance of reforming our "most dysfunctional" state legislature? I can't imagine why not, when it was held right downtown at City Hall...in, um, Syracuse...continue reading this disturbingly unfunny scenario at buffalorising...

How to make great teachers

2009-02-07T17:22:00.004-05:00

We never forget our best teachers—those who imbued us with a deeper understanding or an enduring passion, the ones we come back to visit years after graduating, the educators who opened doors and altered the course of our lives.

Click here for rest of article...

Want better schools? Hire better teachers

2009-02-07T17:13:00.004-05:00

Want to read lively debate, feedback and comments click on logo to left

OP-ED - November 7, 2008

President Elect Barack Obama has declared that "now is the time to finally meet our moral obligation - to provide every child a world-class education.

But how? Mindless increases in school spending will be an expensive fiasco that will generate more disillusionment than human capital.

The clearest result from decades of education research is the importance of teacher quality. My colleague Tom Kane finds that students who are lucky enough to get a teacher in the top quarter of the teacher-quality distribution jump 10 percentile points in the student achievement distribution relative to children who end up with less able teachers. Improving teacher quality has about twice the impact on student outcomes as radically reducing class size.

Urban Academy: Where Testing is Anything But Standard

2009-02-05T19:16:00.010-05:00

Urban Academy is a NYC public school that does not use NY State's traditional assessment tests or Regents. Instead it assesses students in a manner more in line with this century not the last. It is one of several dozen "Consortium Schools" across NY employing a new was of assessing achievement.

Recess Recession

2009-02-05T05:46:00.006-05:00

According to a new study published in the February 2009 Pediatrics journal, there is a strong connection between recess time and elementary students’ good classroom behavior, the Washington Post reports. Many students aren’t getting recess time due in part to No Child Left Behind consuming more classroom hours.

This, says Romina M. Barros, who published the study, needs to change. “When we restructure our education system, we have to think that recess should be a part of the education system…if they could have 15 minutes indoors. Unstructured time, that’s all they need.”

Students with more recess time behaved better in the classroom.

According to Jane Ripperger-Suhler, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral science and pediatrics at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, students build social skills during recess time. “Conflict resolution is solved on the playground, not in the classroom”

Students from disadvantaged communities often have less recess time. Barros’ study found that the “30 percent of children who had no or only minimal breaks were more likely to be black, from households with lower incomes and lower education levels, to be living in the Northeast or South, and to be attending urban public school.”

What's the point of high school exit exams?

2009-02-03T09:08:00.008-05:00

A report from the Washington-based Center on Education Policy questions the purpose of those dreaded high school exit exams that students around the country must pass to graduate.

Sixty-five percent of students in the nation's public high schools must now pass exit exams to get a diploma. But of 23 states that responded to the center's questions, only six said the purpose of the tests is to measure the knowledge and skills students need to go to college. Nine said the goal was to measure students' readiness for the work world. The most common response: 18 states said the exams, generally at around a 10th-grade level of difficulty, are meant to determine if students are learning the state curriculum.

"States have poured valuable resources into exit exams without seemingly having a clear purpose for their use," Jack Jennings, the center's president and CEO, said in a statement. "And regardless of the aim of the tests, they are having a major impact on classroom teaching and learning, which leads to serious questions about the rigor of state standards and tests."

The Center on Education Policy story is available here.

Why Graduation Tests/Exit Exams Fail to Add Value to High School Diplomas

2009-02-03T09:04:00.007-05:00

Full report click on FairTest logo at left

May 2, 2008

Graduation tests do not promote the knowledge, skills and habits needed for success in college or skilled work. According to college professors and employers, high school graduates must be able to analyze conflicting explanations, support arguments with evidence, solve complex problems that have no obvious answer, reach conclusions, conduct research, and engage in the give-and-take of ideas. Also needed are attributes such as good study skills, time management, awareness of one’s performance and persistence. Since exit exams do not measure most of these important attributes, test scores have little value for colleges or employers.
Graduation tests do not make high school diplomas more valuable to employers. There is no evidence that exit exams make diplomas more meaningful in the labor market. In fact, recent research found no positive impact on employment status or wages in states with high school exit exams. There was also no impact on numbers of high school graduates going to college....

......Better assessment methods are needed if high schools are to develop higher level skills students need for college and work. Unlike standardized exit exams, the use of high-quality assessment methods, such as performances, exhibitions and portfolios, has been shown to promote the development of skills, knowledge and disposition actually valued in college and employment. Employers have said they are more interested in examples of student work and problem-solving, such as portfolios, than they are in test results.

20th Century Teaching for the 21st Century Learner?

Interesting Stuff - State of Education: Making the Grade in Massachusetts

2009-02-02T20:33:00.005-05:00

NECN (NewEngland Cable News) and the Boston Foundation are proud to team up for a year-long examination of the Massachusetts education system. "State of Education: Making the Grade in Massachusetts" will explore the myriad issues and challenges facing the state's education system from kindergarten to college, and seek out the success stories that serve as possible building blocks for an improved system.

The 2008-2009 series kicked off October 28 - and will continue monthly throughout the year.

Click on banner above to get to site, all the series are posted working backwards chronologically.

January 8: Pilot, Charter or Traditional?
December 17: The education pipeline
November 20: A focus on higher education
October 28: Where are we now?

Albany is New York's Capital of Dysfunction

2009-02-01T11:29:00.004-05:00

What are the odds that our state legislators will do anything to "remedy" the way charter schools are funded? According to the superintendent's public meeting on January 27th there is an $11 million dollar savings to the BOE if this issue is "fixed" which could go to alleviating the projected $52 million budget gap for the Buffalo Public Schools.

At the public meeting on January 27th the superintendent commented that he thought our WNY state delegation members deserved more money for the wonderful job they do.

They receive base salaries of $79,500 per year + $9,200 in per diem/year. Get a chairman seat and add another $25-30k. And all this for on average just 63 days of work per year? Do they? Really?

Read this article in Sunday's Buffalo News Just a sampling of the article below...

....In the three weeks since the State Senate has been in session, not a single bill has been approved, in part, because the takeover by Democrats gutted the power of veteran GOP staffers who know how to run the place. A year ago during the same period, the Senate had passed 42 bills.

The inaction, though, hasn’t saved any money; lawmakers and their staffs still come to Albany and collect per diems ($154/day) and travel costs.

3 wind turbines installed at Perkins High School

2009-01-31T08:00:00.015-05:00

Sandusky Ohio Register - Saturday, January 24, 2009
After months of ironing out the wrinkles in the permit and grant application process, three 20-kilowatt wind turbines were installed today. The 60-foot-tall turbines are part of the board's project to cut utility costs at the high school -- potentially saving more than $3.3 million in 15 years. The district received a $150,000 state grant in October to cover half the cost of the turbines. Board president Brian Printy said the school's use of turbines brings several advantages, including reduced energy costs and demonstrating the district's commitment to alternative energy. When school officials applied for a zoning variance in June to install the turbines just south of the high school, they hoped to receive approval within a month. In December, treasurer Lisa Crescimano informed the board that the zoning was finally approved. It's been a long haul, but all systems should be a go by Feb. 2."

More info: The turbines will provide more than 10% of the electricity for the middle and high schools. The overall program is expected to reduce expenses by more than $190,000 each year. The district used the Honeywell Renewable Energy Scorecard, a first-of-its-kind selection tool that helps pinpoint the technology with the most significant environmental and economic drivers, to identify the right green solution for their needs. The high school has an enrollment of 800 students and the middle school has 600 students to give you an idea of the size the buildings must be.

It appears Buffalo schools could be receiving $35 million in federal stimulus to be targeted towards construction. It is unclear if this if will/can be for the JSCP or if it could be used for other infrastructure investments such as alternative energy. Hopefully we’ll find out. The answer may be blowing in the wind.

Wind turbines come in all shapes & sizes and range from a few thousand $$$ to hundreds of thousands depending on size/energy output. Though multiple smaller units together can add up.