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Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Friday, September 2, 2011
Anti-Bullying Information
While bullying is a pervasive problem in many schools, Three Rivers Charter School staff are taking specific steps to improve the school climate and encourage positive interactions designed to reduce or prevent bullying. Schools using a social and emotional learning (SEL) framework can foster an overall climate of inclusion, warmth, and respect, and promote the development of core social and emotional skills among both students and staff. Because bullying prevention is entirely congruent with SEL, it can be embedded in a school’s SEL framework. The aims of this brief are to (a) provide a basic description of a school-wide SEL framework, (b) illustrate the relationship between social and emotional factors and bullying, and (c) explain how an SEL framework can be extended to include bullying prevention.
Read the Guide at: http://www.promoteprevent.org/webfm_send/1298
Thursday, August 25, 2011
ED Secretary Duncan announces plan to override NCLB accountability standards by granting states waivers
THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2011
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has announced that he is unilaterally overriding the centerpiece accountability provision of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) that requires students to be 100% proficient in math and reading by 2014, reports the New York Times. Duncan stated that he was revising NCLB requirements because of Congress’s failure to act. He stressed that waivers of NCLB’s proficiency requirements would be for states that have adopted their own testing and accountability programs and are making other strides toward better schools.
Melody Barnes, director of President Obama’s White House Domestic Policy Council, who joined Duncan in the announcement, said that all states would be encouraged to apply for waivers from the law’s accountability provisions, but that only states the administration believed were carrying out ambitious school improvement initiatives would get them. “This is not a pass on accountability,” Ms. Barnes said. “There will be a high bar for states seeking flexibility within the law.”
Currently under NCLB, every school is given the equivalent of a pass-fail report card each year, an evaluation that administration officials say fails to differentiate among chaotic schools in chronic failure, schools that are helping low-scoring students improve, and high-performing suburban schools that nonetheless appear to be neglecting some low-scoring students. Last year, about 38,000 of the nation’s 100,000 public schools fell short of their test-score targets under NCLB, and Mr. Duncan has predicted that number would rise to 80,000 this year.Although critics have dismissed Duncan’s predictions as exaggerated, a huge number of schools are falling short under NCLB’s school rating system. For example, 89% of Florida’s public schools missed federal testing targets, even though 58% of Florida schools earned an A under the state’s own well-regarded grading system.
Rep. John Kline (R-MN), chairman of the House education committee, has questioned Duncan’s legal authority to override NCLB. Citing provisions of NCLB, Duncan argues the law itself gives the education secretary broad waiver powers. In response, Kline said, “I remain concerned that temporary measures instituted by the department, such as conditional waivers, could undermine” efforts by Congress to rewrite the law.
Kline’s committee has yet to produce any bills rewriting the law’s crucial school accountability and teacher effectiveness provisions. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), chairman of the Senate education committee, on the other hand, said he understood why Mr. Duncan was pursuing the waiver plan, since “it is undeniable that this Congress faces real challenges reaching bipartisan, bicameral agreement on anything.”
In their joint announcement, Duncan and Barnes said the U.S. Department of Education (ED) would issue guidelines next month inviting states to apply for the waivers. For a waiver to be approved, they said, states would need to show that they were adopting higher standards under which high school students were “college- and career-ready” at graduation, were working to improve teacher effectiveness and evaluation systems based on student test scores and other measures, were overhauling the lowest-performing schools, and were adopting locally designed school accountability systems to replace No Child’s pass-fail system.
Those requirements match the criteria the administration used last year in picking winning states in its two-stage Race to the Top grant competition. Ms. Barnes said states would not be competing against one another with their waiver applications.
Critics of the plan, however, expressed unhappiness with it. ”It sounds like they’re trying to do a backdoor Round 3 of Race to the Top, and that’s astonishing,” said Frederick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute. He called Mr. Duncan’s plan “a dramatically broad reading of executive authority.”
Meanwhile, the plan appears likely to gain broad support from state education officials. According to Gene Wilhoit, executive director of the Council of Chief State School Officers, more than a dozen states have already asked the department for changes to their No Child school accountability plans, or are about to do so. He also said, “Many states feel that we need major changes in the law, because it’s identifying such an outlandish number of schools that it’s losing credibility.”
Melody Barnes, director of President Obama’s White House Domestic Policy Council, who joined Duncan in the announcement, said that all states would be encouraged to apply for waivers from the law’s accountability provisions, but that only states the administration believed were carrying out ambitious school improvement initiatives would get them. “This is not a pass on accountability,” Ms. Barnes said. “There will be a high bar for states seeking flexibility within the law.”
Currently under NCLB, every school is given the equivalent of a pass-fail report card each year, an evaluation that administration officials say fails to differentiate among chaotic schools in chronic failure, schools that are helping low-scoring students improve, and high-performing suburban schools that nonetheless appear to be neglecting some low-scoring students. Last year, about 38,000 of the nation’s 100,000 public schools fell short of their test-score targets under NCLB, and Mr. Duncan has predicted that number would rise to 80,000 this year.Although critics have dismissed Duncan’s predictions as exaggerated, a huge number of schools are falling short under NCLB’s school rating system. For example, 89% of Florida’s public schools missed federal testing targets, even though 58% of Florida schools earned an A under the state’s own well-regarded grading system.
Rep. John Kline (R-MN), chairman of the House education committee, has questioned Duncan’s legal authority to override NCLB. Citing provisions of NCLB, Duncan argues the law itself gives the education secretary broad waiver powers. In response, Kline said, “I remain concerned that temporary measures instituted by the department, such as conditional waivers, could undermine” efforts by Congress to rewrite the law.
Kline’s committee has yet to produce any bills rewriting the law’s crucial school accountability and teacher effectiveness provisions. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), chairman of the Senate education committee, on the other hand, said he understood why Mr. Duncan was pursuing the waiver plan, since “it is undeniable that this Congress faces real challenges reaching bipartisan, bicameral agreement on anything.”
In their joint announcement, Duncan and Barnes said the U.S. Department of Education (ED) would issue guidelines next month inviting states to apply for the waivers. For a waiver to be approved, they said, states would need to show that they were adopting higher standards under which high school students were “college- and career-ready” at graduation, were working to improve teacher effectiveness and evaluation systems based on student test scores and other measures, were overhauling the lowest-performing schools, and were adopting locally designed school accountability systems to replace No Child’s pass-fail system.
Those requirements match the criteria the administration used last year in picking winning states in its two-stage Race to the Top grant competition. Ms. Barnes said states would not be competing against one another with their waiver applications.
Critics of the plan, however, expressed unhappiness with it. ”It sounds like they’re trying to do a backdoor Round 3 of Race to the Top, and that’s astonishing,” said Frederick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute. He called Mr. Duncan’s plan “a dramatically broad reading of executive authority.”
Meanwhile, the plan appears likely to gain broad support from state education officials. According to Gene Wilhoit, executive director of the Council of Chief State School Officers, more than a dozen states have already asked the department for changes to their No Child school accountability plans, or are about to do so. He also said, “Many states feel that we need major changes in the law, because it’s identifying such an outlandish number of schools that it’s losing credibility.”
Source: New York Times, 8/8/11, By Sam Dillon
Student Immunization Q&A
Question: Do charter school students need to be immunized against pertussis
(whooping cough)?
(whooping cough)?
Answer: Yes. Beginning in the 2011-12 school year, students are required to be
immunized against pertussis, or Tdap. For the 2011-12 school year only, all
students entering 7th through 12th grades will need proof of a Tdap booster shot
before starting school. Three Rivers Charter School DOES provides a Parent opt-out
authorization, which is authorized by the State of California.
immunized against pertussis, or Tdap. For the 2011-12 school year only, all
students entering 7th through 12th grades will need proof of a Tdap booster shot
before starting school. Three Rivers Charter School DOES provides a Parent opt-out
authorization, which is authorized by the State of California.
Due to concerns from schools having difficulty implementing the pertussis
immunization requirement, the Governor recently signed SB 614 (Kehoe), which
provides a 30 day extension after school begins for a local education agency to
verify a student's pertussis immunization, under certain conditions, for the 2011-12
school year only. Beginning July 1, 2012, and beyond, all students entering the
7th grade will need proof of a Tdap booster shot before starting school.
immunization requirement, the Governor recently signed SB 614 (Kehoe), which
provides a 30 day extension after school begins for a local education agency to
verify a student's pertussis immunization, under certain conditions, for the 2011-12
school year only. Beginning July 1, 2012, and beyond, all students entering the
7th grade will need proof of a Tdap booster shot before starting school.
Get more information from the California Department of Education:
www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/hn/pertussis.asp.
www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/hn/pertussis.asp.
Monday, August 22, 2011
The Fair Education Act and Charter Schools
August 10, 2011:
Question: How will the passage of the Fair Education Act impact charter schools?
Answer: The Fair Education Act, or Senate Bill 48, adds "lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans, persons with disabilities, and others to the list of groups of people whose role and contributions shall be accurately portrayed in the instructional materials and included in social science instruction, and adds sexual orientation and religion to the list of characteristics that shall not be reflected adversely in adopted instructional materials."
The legislation carves out a major exception for "alternative and charter" schools.
SB 48 does not require charter teachers to actively supplement curriculum with new examples of citizens or historical figures who consider themselves lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.
The Act states "the intent of the Legislature that alternative and charter schools take notice of the provisions of this bill in light of provisions of existing law that prohibit discrimination in any aspect of their operation" Until further clarification by the legislature or the courts, this means that charter school curriculum must not discriminate against these classes of citizens.
The Fair Education Act does not require charter schools to purchase new curriculum. Charter schools are "advised" to take notice of the State's existing non-discrimination legislation and to avoid any negative representations of protected classes.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
California High School Exit Exam (CaHSEE)
In California, all high school students must pass a test to earn a high school diploma. The test is called the CAHSEE. Some students with disabilities do not have to pass this test. California created the test to improve student achievement in high schools. The test helps to ensure that students graduate from high school with grade level skills in reading, writing, and math. Students first take this test in grade ten. If they do not pass the test in grade ten, they have more chances to take the test. In grade eleven, they can take the test two times. In grade twelve, they have up to five times to take the test. to help them achieve these skills during their high school years. All California public school students must satisfy the CAHSEE requirement, as well as all other state and local requirements, in order to receive a high school diploma. The CAHSEE requirement can be satisfied by passing the exam or, for students with disabilities, receiving a local waiver pursuant to Education Code Section 60851(c), or receiving an exemption pursuant to Education Code sections 60852.3 or 60852.4.The CAHSEE has two parts: English-language arts (ELA) and Mathematics. The ELA part addresses state content standards through grade Ten. In reading, this includes vocabulary, decoding, comprehension, and analysis of information and literary texts. In writing, this covers writing strategies, applications, and the conventions of English (e.g. grammar, spelling, and punctuation). The Mathematics part of the CAHSEE addresses state standards in grades Six and Seven and Algebra I. The exam includes statistics, data analysis and probability, number sense, measurement and geometry, mathematical reasoning, and algebra. Students are also asked to demonstrate a strong foundation in computation and arithmetic, including working with decimals, fractions, and percents. Students are required to take the CAHSEE for the first time in the tenth grade. Students who do not pass the CAHSEE as tenth graders are given additional opportunities during high school to pass the exam. Eleventh graders who have not passed may take the CAHSEE two times, and seniors who have not yet passed will have up to three more opportunities to take the exam during their senior year. The California Department of Education has provided every tenth grader with CAHSEE study guides and has released more than 300 questions from past CAHSEE administrations for teachers, students, and parents to review. More information at: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/hs/ Sample Test Questions and Study Guides: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/hs/resources.asp |
6 surefire ways to Student Success
Here are six surefire ways to keep the school year successful and keep motivation high:
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, school-age kids need 10 to 11 hours of sleep a day.
The stress and strain of helping the kids with homework, perusing mounds of paperwork and preparing clothes and lunches can be overwhelming but is well worth the time and energy. We all know that learning is not confined to the four walls of a classroom.
Be kind and congratulatory to your kids and yourself. As parents we want to model competence and hard work, but we also want to acknowledge that hard work leads to sweet rewards.
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