Queue Offers Free Previews

Queue, Inc. is offering public schools free previews of Queue’s best-selling test prep and curriculum-based workbooks. Queue publishes test prep workbooks in reading comprehension and math for grades 2-8 based on the DSTP standards as well as a a wide variety of workbooks in language arts, reading comprehension, math and science ideal for test prep.

Go to http://www.qworkbooks.com/DE/DE.html descriptions.

Order previews online, or call Queue at 800.232.2224.

Science and Social Studies Scores

In fourth grade science, 91.6% of the students tested scored at Level 3 or higher, a 1.3 percentage point decrease from last year’s scores. In grade six, 77.6% scored at Level 3 or higher, a 2.5 percentage point decrease from last year’s assessment. The science test measures students’ knowledge and understanding in four areas: Inquiry, Life Science, Earth Science and Physical Science.

In fourth grade social studies, 69.8% of students scored at level 3 or higher, a 1.4 percentage point increase over last year’s results. In grade six, 65.4% of students scored at level 3 or higher, compared to 65.6% last year. The social studies test measures students’ knowledge and understanding in four areas: Civics, Economics, Geography and History.

Since 2000, the number of students meeting or exceeding the standards in both grades and subjects has increased. Grade 4 science has seen a near 10% increase in scores; grade six has seen nearly 16% gains. In social studies, improvement is right at 20% while at grade six, the rise in scores is near 14%.

Delaware Students Taking at Least One AP Course Outpaces Nation

Nearly twenty-seven percent of Delaware’s public high school class of 2008 took at least one AP exam during high school compared to 25 percent for rest of the country.

Percentage wise, Delaware students also took more AP exams than the rest of the nation in Math (Calculus, Computer Science and Statistics) and Social Science (Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, European History, Government and Politics, U.S. History, Geography, Psychology and World History). Participation in Art, English and Science was close to the same percentage as compared to the rest of the country.

In the area of AP “Equity and Excellence” which shows the percentage of the entire graduating class who scored a “3” or higher on at least one AP exam, 13.8 percent of Delaware’s graduating class earned a “3” or higher on one or more AP exams, compared to 15.2 percent for the rest of the nation. A score of ‘3’ or higher can be applied towards college credit at many colleges and universities across the country, thereby reducing family and student costs.

In comparing this year’s participation and performance results with 2007 and with 2003, the numbers continue to show progress. In 2008, 26.8% of Delaware students participated in AP with 13.8% earning a “3” or higher. Last year, 26.1% participated in AP with 13.8% earning a “3” or higher. Five years ago, the percentage of students participating in AP was 17.6% with 10.1% obtaining a “3” or higher.

In a five year period, from 2003-2008, the number of Delaware students who received a grade of “3 or higher on AP exams increased slightly. In 2008, 1,000 students received a “3” compared to 979 one year ago. In 2003, the number of students receiving a “3” was 690.

The Accountability Illusion

The Thomas B. Fordham Institute and the Kingsbury Center at Northwest Evaluation Association have released a new study, The Accountability Illusion. It examines the No Child Left Behind Act as implemented and reveals an enormously uneven and misleading system of school accountability.

Analysts took 36 real schools (18 elementary, 18 middle) and “moved” them from state to state (28 states in all) to see how many would make “adequate yearly progress” under each state's NCLB rules. The alarming results? In some states, nearly all of the elementary schools would make AYP while in others practically none of them would. These are the exact same schools. This tells us that the present system isn’t working.

A school’s AYP status depends at least as much on what state it's in as on the performance of its students.

Here is the report on how Delaware's AYP process stacks up to other states:

http://edexcellence.net/accountability_illusion/Delaware.pdf

Delaware's Top Two Youth Volunteers Selected in 14th Annual National Awards Program

Wilmington and Milford students earn $1,000 awards, engraved medallions and trip to nation’s capital

Honors also bestowed on other youth volunteers from Dover and Wilmington

Amy Liu, 17, of Wilmington and Madison Dodge, 13, of Milford were named Delaware's top two youth volunteers for 2009 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. The awards program, now in its 14th year, is conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

Amy was nominated by Brandywine High School in Wilmington, and Madison was nominated by Milford Middle School in Milford. As State Honorees, each will receive $1,000, an engraved silver medallion, and an all-expense-paid trip in early May to Washington, D.C., where they will join the top two honorees – one middle level and one high school youth – from each of the other states and the District of Columbia for several days of national recognition events. Ten of them will be named America’s top youth volunteers for 2009 at that time.

Amy, a senior at Brandywine High School, established the Sichuan Earthquake Relief Fund and raised more than $43,000 to aid victims of the disaster that struck south-central China last May. “On the news, day-by-day death tolls and human suffering struck a powerful chord, inspiring an overwhelming desire to help,” Amy said, especially among Chinese-Americans in Delaware, many of whom have ties to Sichuan Province. Amy wanted to provide a way for them to contribute to relief efforts, so she decided to launch a fund-raising drive.

After enlisting the support of the Delaware Chinese American Association, Amy gathered pictures and information on the earthquake and made posters and fliers to promote the campaign. Then she recruited friends and fellow students to staff collection tables at her Chinese school for three consecutive weeks. The project soon expanded into the larger Delaware community, with local companies matching their employees’ contributions. All donations were sent to the Chinese Red Cross for use in search and rescue operations, aid for orphans and the homeless, and the reconstruction of damaged structures. “A powerful, united message was sent to the earthquake victims that we care about them and they are not alone,” said Amy.

Madison, an eighth-grader at Milford Middle School, has raised more than $40,000 for diabetes research and treatment over the past eight years, and worked tirelessly to educate others about the importance of finding a cure. After Madison was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 5, “I made it my personal mission to do all that I could to help raise money for a cure, and to help people affected with diabetes in any way that I can,” she said.

Within two weeks of her diagnosis, she formed a team named “Madison’s Prayer” to participate in the American Diabetes Association’s annual Walk for Diabetes. Every year since, she has raised money not only by gathering pledges for her team, but also by organizing fund-raisers such as pancake breakfasts, raffles, and skating parties, and by selling handmade journals and ADA beanie bears. In addition, Madison has met with congressmen to lobby for research funding, set up information booths at public events, formed partnerships with local organizations, and written letters to the editors of local newspapers to spread the word about diabetes. She also volunteers at numerous ADA events, and meets with newly diagnosed children and their families, helping them to realize that “diabetes does not need to be a life sentence, only a life-long challenge,” she said.

In addition, the program judges recognized two other Delaware students as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion:

Joshua Guessford, 17, of Dover, a junior at Dover High School, created and leads a chapter of Best Buddies International, a school-based organization dedicated to promoting lasting friendships between student volunteers and students with disabilities. After researching Best Buddies programs on the Internet, Joshua recruited faculty advisors and 40 student volunteers, matched volunteers and disabled students, and then organized meetings, parties, and service activities for the participants.

Ashley McNeill, 17, of Wilmington, a junior at the Cab Calloway School of the Arts, has been promoting literacy among disadvantaged students and adults since 2002 by serving as a volunteer for “Success Won’t Wait,” an ongoing book donation drive and distribution program. Ashley helps coordinate book drives in Delaware and New Jersey; sorts, cleans, labels, and repairs donated books; packs boxes and loads delivery vehicles; and assists in the construction of on-site libraries at senior centers, elementary and middle schools, and hospitals.