Filed Under >
In the News on July 7-11, 2008
Economy takes a toll on education funding * Presidential candidates discuss their proposed education policies * LA Governor's plan to spend $20 million on merit and flex pay for public-school teachers turns into a $10 million push to address hard-to-fill jobs in rural districts
State Roundup
- AR Education Department reports that students’
performance on 2008 end-of-course exams in algebra and geometry showed
improvement over last year’s scores. Performance on literacy exams showed no
change from the previous year.
- AZ House Speaker and State Schools Superintendent propose an
interagency agreement to use $5 million of the $9 million the House has in a
contingency fund to continue
school-voucher programs for disabled and foster-care children.
- LA Governor’s plan to
spend $20 million on merit and flex pay for public-school teachers turns into a
$10 million push to address hard-to-fill jobs in rural districts.
- MI lawmakers scheduled to
resume state budget discussions next week. Key issues will include educational
funding and school size.
Other News
- Opinion Piece: Economy takes a toll on education funding
- Presidential candidates discuss their proposed education
policies at an event sponsored by the Association of Educational Publishers in
In the News on June 10, 2008
- CA officials announce state mandate that all 8th
grade students will be tested in algebra.
- GA’s high school students improved this
year on a series of English and science tests, but their scores dropped on math
and social studies exams, according to results released Wednesday.
- ND schools could experience positive effects from changes to
NCLB.
- OK State Schools Superintendent presents
her annual OK “State of ”
address. Superintendent focuses on three main initiatives.
- TX Attorney General rules that school districts, not the
state, will pay the $100 million annual cost of teacher benefits.
In the News on July 10, 2008
School funding/litigation
- NJ legislature approves $2.9 billion in funding for the
state’s poorest districts
- PA Legislature approves $5.2 billion education budget and
certain changes in education laws.
State Roundup
- AL Governor and state Superintendent of Education announced
Tuesday that $1 billion will be used to expand high school distance learning
programs.
- CA Governor urges State Board of Education to require all
eighth-grade students to be tested in Algebra 1.
- GA’s use of vouchers for special education students expected
to expand in the coming year.
- HI legislature overrides Governor’s veto regarding the
creation of an Early Learning Council to develop an early childhood education
system. Governor questions the ability of the state to regulate and fund early
childhood education programs.
- IL Governor expected to put $33.7 billion construction plan
in writing. Plan to include funding for school construction.
- NJ program to rebuild schools in state’s poorest communities
receives almost $4 billion from state.
- OH state-test scores for fifth graders lower than previous
years.
- TX Attorney General rules that school districts will have to pay $100
million in teacher benefits.
- UT Legislature decides to seek to intervene in lawsuit filed
against controversial education omnibus bill
Other News
- Presidential candidates differ on k-12 spending proposals
In the News on July 8, 2008
School Funding/Litigation
- MI Court of Appeals rules school districts should have been
reimbursed for the cost of keeping and reporting more data required under new
education reforms
- ND Commission on Education meets to discuss increased
education funding
- PA suburban school districts will share $82.6 million in new
basic education funding next school year under new state budget
- TX Attorney General sides with
Legislature telling school districts they should pay for teacher benefits
stemming from a salary increase approved two years ago
State Roundup
- MD waiver would give students attending Title I schools the choice of transferring
to a higher-performing school or staying and receiving free tutoring
- AR survey calling for more after-school programs says middle
and high school students would consider participating in after-school
activities if offered
- Editorial – U.S. Secretary of Education says “save D.C.’s
vouchers”
- MD school systems consider performance pay for teachers and
principals
- PA lawmakers settle on a compromise that would make
graduation tests voluntary
Other News
- Technology reshapes ’s classrooms, reducing the
need for textbooks, paper and in some cases the schools themselves
In the News on July 7, 2008
State Roundup
- FL high-school seniors who stumble on the state test are
making a last stab by taking either the ACT or the similar SAT college-entrance
exam
- MI hopes to boost scores on the ACT exam
- The percentage of sophomores who passed all five parts of
the OH graduation test drops for the second year in a row
- OH students in need of free school lunches will get to skip
the paperwork this fall
Federal/NCLB
- IL gains flexibility under NCLB
- NJ schools could face scrutiny next year over the test
scores of their special education students, due to a technical change in the
way NCLB is applied
Published Monday, Jul. 14, 2008