Georgia Schools Respond to Release of CCRPI Scores
(Photo: Pexels, Creative Commons) The Georgia Department of Education has released its College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) scores for 2015, showing mostly improvements for schools at risk of a state takeover. The CCRPI is a form of a school report card that grades schools throughout the state based on a number of factors that include […]
Julia Steiny: Without Strong Communities, Schools Will Fail
(Photo: In the Hive, 2012) In the world of school reform, there are two ways of thinking about kids’ families and backgrounds. A 2013 movie called In The Hive shows why we need a third. Approach #1: Focus all possible energy and resources on the kid herself. Working with families can seem like a black […]
Report Finds School Choice Benefits Public Schools, Too
(Image: Gage Skidmore, Creative Commons) The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization dedicated to researching and promoting school choice for children, has released a new report touting the benefits of school choice programs on the development of public schools. Titled “Pursuing Innovation: How Can Educational Choice Transform K-12 Education in the […]
Commission Calls on Colorado Schools to Drop Native American Mascots
(Photo: Creative Commons) Colorado state authorities and tribal leaders are urging public schools to get rid of their Native American mascots, nicknames, and logos, saying that they promote derogatory symbols in high schools and sports. Governor Hickenlooper appointed a commission to review the issue in 2015 after the Colorado state legislature failed to pass a […]
Kahoot Knowledge Game App Gaining Popularity in US Schools
(Photo: Kahoot!) An online quiz system from Norway, similar in fashion to a television show combined with a video game, has gained popularity in schools across the United States. Kahoot makes use of a number of popular topics in education trends, including engagement, which touts that activities should interests students and offers the motivation necessary to learn, […]
Arizona, Texas Schools Top US News 2016 Rankings
(Photo: Pixabay, Creative Commons) Southwest high schools are dominating the 2016 US News and World Report rankings of best high schools in the nation, with the top 10 spots occupied by six Southwest high schools included, based on the rankings released this week. The Washington Post’s T. Rees Shapiro reports that Texas and Arizona high schools […]
Chicago Public Schools, Union, Clash Ahead of Friday Strike
(Photo: Brad Perkins, Creative Commons) Already picketing at schools before classes begin, the Chicago Teachers Union is planning an entire day of rallies and teach-ins in the city that will comprise a one-day strike on Friday that promises to close schools. The union encouraged its members to be a part of the walkout by publishing a […]
‘State of Our Schools’ Facilities Report Highlights Infrastructure Needs
(Photo: Flickr, Creative Commons) Published as a joint effort by the 21st Century School Fund, Inc., the U.S. Green Building Council, Inc., and the National Council on School Facilities, the 2016 State of Our Schools report attempts to answer the question of where our country stands in terms of offering a high-quality education to all students in […]
Report Shows Charter Schools Suspend Disabled, Minority Students More
(Photo: Creative Commons) According to a recent analysis of federal education data, charter schools are more likely to suspend black students and students with disabilities than their white and non-disabled peers. Performed by the Center for Civil Rights Remedies at the University of California, Los Angeles, a nonprofit organization for civil rights research and policy, […]
Michigan House Approves $48mil Emergency Funding for Detroit Schools
(Photo: 401(K) 2012, Creative Commons) The Michigan House of Representatives has approved $ 48.7 million of emergency funding to be used for keeping Detroit Public Schools open through June. A vote will also be needed to pass a bill that will change the system’s administration, and the Senate must approve the funding measure as well. The […]