- STEM teaching will get a boost in the Delta, thanks to a $1,118,063 National Science Foundation grant to Hendrix College. Students majoring in science, technology, engineering or mathematics will receive $15,000 if they commit to teach in a high-need Delta School.
- Stuttgart and Vilonia school districts both won millage elections to fund exciting improvements.
- More Arkansas kids -- 22,857 of them -- took Advanced Placement tests last year and, what's more, the number of tests with the desired scores of 3, 4 and 5 increased by 11.8 percent.
- The U.S. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith is holding a History Day Workshop for sixth- through 12th-grade students and teachers on Saturday.
Welcome to Our Message ... chockfull of news, tips and fun things to know.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Good things happening
It's been longer than normal since we last posted, but there's lots of good public school news to share since then. Here are just a few of things that make us smile:
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Algebra good for legislators, too
The Joint Education Committee heard testimony this week from Richard Wilson of the Bureau of Legislative Research about public school transportation costs. Adequacy study after adequacy study has seen the state trying to derive an equitable formula for funding school districts' ability to get students to school.
It's not easy. Some districts are compact; rural ones have students living miles apart. But, this year, the Bureau proposed a new formula it says is the most accurate prediction of school district needs thus far:
Transporation Costs = Miles Traveled + Number of Riders + Average Daily Membership
This was about the point when Sen. Johnny Key (R-Mountain Home) thanked Wilson for his use of algebra in light of recent news items questioning algebra requirements. As Wilson showed, to be able to responsibly legislate issues such as transportation, people need to understand algebraic equations.
To Mr. Key's point, we say a resounding, "Exactly!"
A recent editorial in the New York Times, reprinted in our own Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, questioned the need for algebra for all students. The author, Andrew Hacker, is not alone in his criticism of algebra for the masses.
But that doesn't make him right.
In his article, he sites algebra as the cause for the drop-out rate of ninth-graders.
Not that he doesn't make some decent points, but there's ample evidence to show that he's wrong when he says that our students can't learn and don't need algebra.
Just look at statewide end-of-course scores for algebra over the last 10 years. During that decade, Arkansas has put in a number of concerted, systemic efforts to improve education for all students. What the data shows is that it's not the students who were not performing up to par -- it was the system. In 2003, 40 percent of Arkansas's algebra students scored proficient or advanced on the Algebra I End-of-Course exam. Ten years later, 80 percent did.
(Now, anticipating that some will say disparagingly that's because our schools are teaching to the test, please consider this. The tests are based solely on Arkansas's student learning expectation, those concepts and skills we as a state have said our students need to master in each course. Good test scores show that teachers are teaching those lessons well, and our students are mastering them. Nothing wrong with that!)
As for ninth-graders dropping out of school, that indeed is a pivotal year. Look at enrollment numbers and you'll see that indeed it is when a lot of students do disappear from the public schools. But to lay the blame at the feet of the algebra requirement? We have to say, hold on a minute, buster.
As we've seen, more students are mastering the course. Maybe that's why only 23 of the dropouts in 2011-2012 cited failing grades as the reason for leaving school. Meanwhile, 697 cited lack of interest ins school and another 324 were suspended or expelled.
Many school districts are successfully addressing the ninth-grade drop-out problem with strategies to help ninth graders have an easier transition to high school, none of which involve the exclusion of the algebra requirement.
These include ninth-grade academies, credit recovery programs, alternative learning education programs and, as a very specific example, Project Pride in Manila.
Several years ago, concerned about the loss of students in that important ninth-grade year, Manila Public Schools instituted a program to pair older students with ninth graders to serve as mentors. Since the inception of this program, Manila has witnessed a dramatic increase in its graduation rates.
And they still require Algebra, Geometry and Algebra II.
As the Education Trust-West said in response to California's efforts to dilute math requirements, “Indeed, research now tells us that young people need even higher-level courses to succeed; geometry is the benchmark for success in blue collar jobs, and Algebra II for success in college and the white collar workforce.”
So who needs algebra? Few, very few, people don't.
And, as Sen. Key pointed out, if you think you want to be a legislator, algebra would be a good thing to know for that, too.
It's not easy. Some districts are compact; rural ones have students living miles apart. But, this year, the Bureau proposed a new formula it says is the most accurate prediction of school district needs thus far:
Transporation Costs = Miles Traveled + Number of Riders + Average Daily Membership
This was about the point when Sen. Johnny Key (R-Mountain Home) thanked Wilson for his use of algebra in light of recent news items questioning algebra requirements. As Wilson showed, to be able to responsibly legislate issues such as transportation, people need to understand algebraic equations.
To Mr. Key's point, we say a resounding, "Exactly!"
A recent editorial in the New York Times, reprinted in our own Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, questioned the need for algebra for all students. The author, Andrew Hacker, is not alone in his criticism of algebra for the masses.
But that doesn't make him right.
In his article, he sites algebra as the cause for the drop-out rate of ninth-graders.
Not that he doesn't make some decent points, but there's ample evidence to show that he's wrong when he says that our students can't learn and don't need algebra.
Just look at statewide end-of-course scores for algebra over the last 10 years. During that decade, Arkansas has put in a number of concerted, systemic efforts to improve education for all students. What the data shows is that it's not the students who were not performing up to par -- it was the system. In 2003, 40 percent of Arkansas's algebra students scored proficient or advanced on the Algebra I End-of-Course exam. Ten years later, 80 percent did.
(Now, anticipating that some will say disparagingly that's because our schools are teaching to the test, please consider this. The tests are based solely on Arkansas's student learning expectation, those concepts and skills we as a state have said our students need to master in each course. Good test scores show that teachers are teaching those lessons well, and our students are mastering them. Nothing wrong with that!)
As for ninth-graders dropping out of school, that indeed is a pivotal year. Look at enrollment numbers and you'll see that indeed it is when a lot of students do disappear from the public schools. But to lay the blame at the feet of the algebra requirement? We have to say, hold on a minute, buster.
As we've seen, more students are mastering the course. Maybe that's why only 23 of the dropouts in 2011-2012 cited failing grades as the reason for leaving school. Meanwhile, 697 cited lack of interest ins school and another 324 were suspended or expelled.
Many school districts are successfully addressing the ninth-grade drop-out problem with strategies to help ninth graders have an easier transition to high school, none of which involve the exclusion of the algebra requirement.
These include ninth-grade academies, credit recovery programs, alternative learning education programs and, as a very specific example, Project Pride in Manila.
Several years ago, concerned about the loss of students in that important ninth-grade year, Manila Public Schools instituted a program to pair older students with ninth graders to serve as mentors. Since the inception of this program, Manila has witnessed a dramatic increase in its graduation rates.
And they still require Algebra, Geometry and Algebra II.
As the Education Trust-West said in response to California's efforts to dilute math requirements, “Indeed, research now tells us that young people need even higher-level courses to succeed; geometry is the benchmark for success in blue collar jobs, and Algebra II for success in college and the white collar workforce.”
So who needs algebra? Few, very few, people don't.
- Carpenters, electricians, and plumbers, to name a few, use it to calculate costs, materials needed and the actual how-to of projects.
- Obviously, engineers, physicist, nurses, doctors and others in the STEM fields.
- We know a photographer who would have lost money on the sale of her photos at a gallery show if she hadn't known the algebraic equation to calculate what she needed to charge to get her price plus the gallery's 40 percent. (Hint: Simply adding 40 percent to the original price as some of her colleagues did would have left her short-changed.)
Monday, September 10, 2012
New rules allow high school students a jump start on college
High school students will have more opportunities to obtain credit for college courses and to get remedial courses out of the way before freshman year. The changes come with new rules on concurrent education passed by the State Board of Education at its meeting today.
The only questions from the State Board came from Dr. Jay Barth, a college professor. He expressed concerns that the concurrent education courses would be truly voluntary for the student, and that he or she would receive adequate counseling to make the best choice.
Bearden School District Superintendent Denny Rozenberg instituted the pilot program that is the basis for the new rules. He explained that the idea for it came from the Governor's focus on education and economic development partnerships in each county. The need for it was reinforced by the academic requirements of the Arkansas Challenge Scholarship.
Rozenberg said he wanted "to give our kids a jump start on college education."
The new rules passed with no opposition.
The only questions from the State Board came from Dr. Jay Barth, a college professor. He expressed concerns that the concurrent education courses would be truly voluntary for the student, and that he or she would receive adequate counseling to make the best choice.
Bearden School District Superintendent Denny Rozenberg instituted the pilot program that is the basis for the new rules. He explained that the idea for it came from the Governor's focus on education and economic development partnerships in each county. The need for it was reinforced by the academic requirements of the Arkansas Challenge Scholarship.
Rozenberg said he wanted "to give our kids a jump start on college education."
The new rules passed with no opposition.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Concurrent credit rules up for State Board vote
When the Arkansas State Board of Education meets Monday, it will vote on new concurrent credit rules that will enable high school students to earn both high school and college credits.
The program allows students in grades nine-12 to complete a three-hour college course for high school and college credit. Students may also enroll in remedial education course while still in high school. Three hours would be the equivalent of one Carnegie unit, which is generally a year-long course in high school.
The new rules were tested in a pilot over the last two year. The Arkansas Department of Education say the results showed the program to be successful.
Some of the concerns expressed during the public comment period came from public school personnel and included:
Link here to see the full rule and all of the comments. You'll need to drop down to "State Board" meetings and then link on the Sept. 10 agenda.
The program allows students in grades nine-12 to complete a three-hour college course for high school and college credit. Students may also enroll in remedial education course while still in high school. Three hours would be the equivalent of one Carnegie unit, which is generally a year-long course in high school.
The new rules were tested in a pilot over the last two year. The Arkansas Department of Education say the results showed the program to be successful.
Some of the concerns expressed during the public comment period came from public school personnel and included:
- College freshman courses could be less rigorous than upper level high school courses.
- College courses do not follow the same common curriculum that high school courses do.
- Colleges do not have attendance policies.
- Many freshman courses are led by graduate assistants.
Link here to see the full rule and all of the comments. You'll need to drop down to "State Board" meetings and then link on the Sept. 10 agenda.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
El Dorado celebrates AP with the Gov
Governor Beebe will be in El Dorado today to help the school district celebrate successes with its Advanced Placement (AP) courses. The school was one of only seven in the state to meet its AP goals set through its involvement in the Arkansas Advanced Initiative for Math and Science (Arkansas AIMS) program.
El Dorado High School administered 573 AP exams in the 2011-2012 school year – up 68% from just six years ago. In addition, the school has added two new AP courses -- Computer Science and Technology -- to bring the total number of AP offerings for students to 20.
El Dorado High School administered 573 AP exams in the 2011-2012 school year – up 68% from just six years ago. In addition, the school has added two new AP courses -- Computer Science and Technology -- to bring the total number of AP offerings for students to 20.
Friday, August 31, 2012
2 School Systems, 2 Approaches to Distance Learning
Distance learning has its benefits. Two of the ones named in this week's “E-Learning in the Age of Choice” webinar aired by Education Week were:
Representatives from the Davis School District in Utah and the Memphis School District discussed the benefits and challenges of online learning in their systems. In Utah, distance learning options for students were mandated by state law. In Memphis, administrators saw distance learning as a valuable tool to address inequalities among the district's schools.
Under Utah's law, students are able to choose any two credits from any provider or program in the state. The state's education dollars follow students to those online providers. The Davis district, which was already providing online courses to its students, now works in a consortium to provide a wide array of courses for students. This allows them to use curricula the state already knows matches state standards and to keep state dollars in public schools.
In Memphis, administrators were concerned with providing the same quality of courses and course delivery throughout the school district. For instance, some high schools had too few students signing up for AP calculus to make it feasible to teach. Distance learning allowed them to provide all students access to the course, with the same level of teaching delivered to all.
In addition, the Memphis school system now requires all students to successfully complete one online course before they graduate The reasoning? Whether a student is going to career or college after school, they are likely to face online work training or online college courses as they pursue their futures.
Another surprising benefit -- both said that the student-teacher connection often is stronger in online courses because emails, chat rooms and Skyping often provide for or even demand more one-to-one interactions between the two.
To view the entire webinare, link here: http://www.edweek.org/go/webinar/ELearningChoice
- Providing a consistent education for students no matter which school building they attend
- Providing flexibility for such things as credit recovery and summer courses
Representatives from the Davis School District in Utah and the Memphis School District discussed the benefits and challenges of online learning in their systems. In Utah, distance learning options for students were mandated by state law. In Memphis, administrators saw distance learning as a valuable tool to address inequalities among the district's schools.
Under Utah's law, students are able to choose any two credits from any provider or program in the state. The state's education dollars follow students to those online providers. The Davis district, which was already providing online courses to its students, now works in a consortium to provide a wide array of courses for students. This allows them to use curricula the state already knows matches state standards and to keep state dollars in public schools.
In Memphis, administrators were concerned with providing the same quality of courses and course delivery throughout the school district. For instance, some high schools had too few students signing up for AP calculus to make it feasible to teach. Distance learning allowed them to provide all students access to the course, with the same level of teaching delivered to all.
In addition, the Memphis school system now requires all students to successfully complete one online course before they graduate The reasoning? Whether a student is going to career or college after school, they are likely to face online work training or online college courses as they pursue their futures.
Another surprising benefit -- both said that the student-teacher connection often is stronger in online courses because emails, chat rooms and Skyping often provide for or even demand more one-to-one interactions between the two.
To view the entire webinare, link here: http://www.edweek.org/go/webinar/ELearningChoice
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Distance learning webinar today
Last week we wrote about businesses -- including First Class Communication -- moving into the digital world, a world that lets your office be wherever you are.
That same move is inevitable for education systems. And many are looking at ways to pursue it -- the University of Arkansas recently announced that it will offer distance learning especially for non-traditional students who would rather live with their families than on or near campus. And we have a friend at Arkansas Tech who is teaching one marketing class half-and-half: half in the classroom and half online. Another of his courses is totally through emails and online chats.
Still, most K-12 and higher education systems are operating largely with the same organization and calendars as they have for many, many years. The school calendar, after all, remains great for kids to be able to help out on the family farm each summer ... or let's just say that for the majority of us, it's pretty darn outdated.
So, at noon today, we will be tuning into “E-Learning in the Age of Choice,” an Education Week webinar that will offer examples of how educators have stepped, if ever so gingerly, into the 21st century.
"Now that many students have the opportunity to take online courses, schools and districts are starting to offer more choices when it comes to providers and accessing virtual education," the webinar blurb says. "Some districts are adapting online courses so they can be accessed by smartphones. States are also making sure students have choices in how they use virtual education. Several states—including Florida, New Mexico, and Utah—have passed recent legislation requiring that districts allow students to choose their own online learning providers, whether that means state-run online schools, virtual charters, or private providers. This webinar will provide useful tips for school administrators and K-12 policymakers on how to navigate this choice-filled world of virtual options."
If you would like to join in, you can sign up for the hour long session at www.edweek.org/go/webinar.
Also, we'll try to take good notes and write more about this later this week.
That same move is inevitable for education systems. And many are looking at ways to pursue it -- the University of Arkansas recently announced that it will offer distance learning especially for non-traditional students who would rather live with their families than on or near campus. And we have a friend at Arkansas Tech who is teaching one marketing class half-and-half: half in the classroom and half online. Another of his courses is totally through emails and online chats.
Still, most K-12 and higher education systems are operating largely with the same organization and calendars as they have for many, many years. The school calendar, after all, remains great for kids to be able to help out on the family farm each summer ... or let's just say that for the majority of us, it's pretty darn outdated.
So, at noon today, we will be tuning into “E-Learning in the Age of Choice,” an Education Week webinar that will offer examples of how educators have stepped, if ever so gingerly, into the 21st century.
"Now that many students have the opportunity to take online courses, schools and districts are starting to offer more choices when it comes to providers and accessing virtual education," the webinar blurb says. "Some districts are adapting online courses so they can be accessed by smartphones. States are also making sure students have choices in how they use virtual education. Several states—including Florida, New Mexico, and Utah—have passed recent legislation requiring that districts allow students to choose their own online learning providers, whether that means state-run online schools, virtual charters, or private providers. This webinar will provide useful tips for school administrators and K-12 policymakers on how to navigate this choice-filled world of virtual options."
If you would like to join in, you can sign up for the hour long session at www.edweek.org/go/webinar.
Also, we'll try to take good notes and write more about this later this week.
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