Department of Justice reviewing concerns in the Madison Metropolitan School District

The U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations Service that mediates racial tension in communities is becoming involved in concerns over the achievement of racial minorities in the Madison Metropolitan School District. DOJ officials will participate in a meeting called by the Urban League to discuss minority achievement, graduation rates and expulsion rates in the district.

When it comes to 2010 statistics, 57.7% of black students in the Madison district scored proficient or better in reading tests compared with 91.7% of white students. In math, 45.3% of black students scored proficient or better compared to 88.9% of white students. When it comes to high school graduation numbers, 48.3% of black students graduated after four years of high school, compared to 87.2% of white students.

Idaho's proposed rule requiring students to take classes online

Idaho's State Board of Education will take a vote on a new proposed rule to require high school students to take courses online. It would require students starting with the class of 2016 to take at least two credits online to graduate. One of the two required online classes would be taught remotely, without a teacher present in the classroom. The rule was revised from an overall ban on the teacher being present in the classroom with the students during course time.

Mandatory Schools of Choice bill coming up for consideration in MI state legislature

An article published in the Detroit Free Press today takes a look at the Mandatory Schools of Choice bill that could be introduced into the Michigan legislature as early as this week. The bill may include "universal choice K-12 up to capacity".

Students charged to ride school bus in Texas district

A recent article in the Washington Post details how students in one north Texas school district will have to pay $185/semester to ride the bus. Students who are on the free and reduced lunch plan would have to pay $100/semester. School officials expect to save $2 million a year for the district with this plan.

Twitter in the classroom

CNN posted an interesting article today about the use of Twitter in the classroom. Instead of banning the use of cell phones in his classroom, teacher Enrique Legaspi encourages students to use technology to interact with him while in the classroom. Using cell phones, iPads and laptops, students are allowed to make class comments using Twitter. The teacher said that it seems that the shyest students in the class are benefiting the most as they are more comfortable making their thoughts known in the virtual space rather than the physical.

While Mr. Legaspi does concede that his students sometimes make inappropriate remarks on Twiter, he still remains excited that students can provide him with feedback right on the spot and that each student can see what others have shared.

What are your thoughts on this? Are tools like Twitter the future of education or do you think they are only a distraction to classroom learning?

Aurora schools begin to provide dinner to low-income students

WGN covered a story that tells how Aurora schools have begun to provide dinner to some low-income students. Dubbed a 'super snack', about 50 students receive a nutritionally balanced meal to students who will then engage in tutoring and after school work. Children who receive the meals say that it helps them focus on their work as they are able to focus on their school work instead of their hunger.

You can learn more by watching this clip from WGN.

Friday Roundup

Here is a listing of of articles of interest published within the last 7-10 days:

Health
1. Obesity traced to early eating habits, UPI.com, October 29, 2010
Brief Intro: Canadian researchers have found that food behaviors developed in early childhood may contribute to obesity. The study, published in the International Journal of Pediatric Obesity, suggests parents may be rewarding children for certain types of behavior. The research team recruited 1,730 4 and 5-year old Canadian children for the study.

2. Foodmakers pledge to fight obesity with clear package labels, Bloomberg.com, October 28, 2010
Brief Intro: The Food Marketing Institute and the Grocery Manufacturers Association announced a new voluntary labeling system. By developing a clear and easy to read label, it is hoped that it will help customer understanding and help parents and other shoppers identify and select products that contribute to a healthy diet, according to Ms. DeLancey, an FDA spokeswoman.

Education
1. In sharp rise, 47 city schools may close over performance, NYTimes.com, October 28, 2010
Brief Intro: The New York City Department of Education said that up to 47 schools may be closed for poor performance. The schools face a potential "phase-out", which means that the schools will stop accepting students and loses one grade per year until it ceases to exist.

2. School Diversity: The problems with economic integration, Yahoo News (Time.com), October 28, 2010
Brief Intro: In an article by Andrew Rotherham, he discusses the challenges of economic integration in education. In his opinion, he says that the U.S. has spent decades bringing low-income children to good schools. He believes that it may be best to realize the limitations and practical constraints of these approaches.

Friday Roundup

Here is a listing of of articles of interest published within the last 7-10 days:

Health
1. New vaccine a game changer for polio, BBC, October 26, 2010
Brief Intro: Dr. Bruce Aylward, the Director of World Health Organization's Polio Eradication Initiative, tells the BBC World News Service that a new vaccine is changing the fight against polio.

2. Health insurance companies drop NM policies for individuals, small groups, The New Mexico Independent, October 26, 2010
Brief Intro: Four health insurance companies (National Health, Aetna, John Alden, and Principal), have notified the New Mexico Division of Insurance that they will no longer write individual of small group plans in New Mexico. Some companies discontinuing coverage may or may not renew their customers' existing policies.

3. 1 in 3 Americans could have Diabetes by 2050, RTT News, October 26, 2010
Brief Intro: A new report from the CDC suggests that the national diabetes rate could skyrocket by the year 2050 if the obesity rate continues to rise.

Education
1. Making things hard to read 'can boost learning', BBC, October 22, 2010
Brief Intro: According to an article published in the international journal Cognition, researchers at Princeton University recruited 28 volunteers for a study to determine if difficult to read font can improve learning and information retention. Researchers found that those given a more difficult to read font actually recalled 14% more of what they had read.

The research team then decided to tested their results on 222 Chesterland, Ohio students that were between 15-18 years old. They found that students given the harder-to-read materials actually scored higher on classroom assignments than their control group counterparts.

2. Year-round school gains ground around U.S., MSNBC, October 27, 2010
Brief Intro: The Indianapolis School Board are soon scheduled to make a decision about whether or not they should adopt year-round classes. If the measure is approved, pupils would go to school in cycles of eight to ten weeks, with three to five weeks off after each, throughout the year. According to Indianapolis Superintendent Eugene White, the new plan would add 20 class days to the school year and provide more frequent, shorter breaks that would allow the students to come back refreshed but retain more of what they have been taught.

A call for providing e-readers to students

A short article on PBS' Need to Know blog discuses how Rep. Anthony Weiner of New York is calling for the provision of e-readers to public students. By Weiner's estimation, the use of digital textbooks could save public schools thousands of dollars by eliminating the purchase of print books that cost about $137/pupil in Weiner's home city of New York.

The switch to e-readers would of course be a big boon to manufacturers who are trying to reach a textbook market worth almost $10 billion.

Weekly Roundup

Here is a roundup of articles of interest published within the last 7-10 days:

Health

San Francisco proposal would limit toys in kids meals, USA Today, August 13, 2010
Brief Intro: "In San Francisco, newly proposed legislation would ban toys from most kids meals sold at McDonald's, Burger King and other chains unless the meals meet more stringent calorie and sodium limits. The legislation also would require fruit or veggies in each meal."

US Typhoid cases linked to tropical fruit, San Francisco Chronicle, August 14, 2010
Brief Intro: "A San Francisco woman stricken with typhoid fever may be part of a rare outbreak of the disease linked to a frozen tropical fruit product used to make milkshakes and smoothies, San Francisco public health officials said Friday."

Eat an Apple (Doctor's orders), New York Times, August 12, 2010
Brief Intro: "Doctors at three health centers in Massachusetts have begun advising patients to eat “prescription produce” from local farmers’ markets, in an effort to fight obesity in children of low-income families. Now they will give coupons amounting to $1 a day for each member of a patient’s family to promote healthy meals."
Education

Schools are given grade on how students do, New York Times, August 9, 2010Brief Intro: "In most school systems, what happens to students like Ms. Croslen after they obtain their diplomas is of little concern. But the New York City Department of Education acknowledges that despite rising graduation rates, many graduates lack basic skills, and it is trying to do something about it.

This year, for the first time, it has sent detailed reports to all of its high schools, telling them just how many of their students who arrived at the city’s public colleges needed remedial courses, as well as how many stayed enrolled after their first semester. The reports go beyond the basic measure of a school’s success — the percentage of students who earn a diploma — to let educators know whether they have been preparing those students for college or simply churning them out."

House OKs emergency bill to halt teacher layoffs, USNWR, August 10, 2010

Brief Intro: "Summoned back from summer break, the House on Tuesday pushed through an emergency $26 billion jobs bill to protect 300,000 teachers, police and others from election-year layoffs. President Barack Obama was to sign the measure by day's end"

Research shows a good kindergarten education makes dollars and sense, USNWR, August 12, 2010

Brief Intro: "Harvard University economist John Friedman says he and a group of colleagues found that students who progress during their kindergarten year from attaining an average score on the Stanford Achievement Test to attaining a score in the 60th percentile can expect to make about $1,000 more a year at age 27 than students whose scores remain average."

Race and Society

Dr Laura Schlessinger apologizes for use of N word, Seattle Post Intelligencer, August 13, 2010

Brief Intro: "On Tuesday, Schlessinger received a call from a black woman asking how to handle racist comments from her white husband's friends. The caller also asked if the N-word is offensive.

Schlessinger said "black guys use it all the time," and repeated the word a few times, but she never directed it at the caller. When the caller objected, Schlessinger said, "Oh, then I guess you don't watch HBO or listen to any black comedians."