March
2009
Copyright
© 2009 Queue, Inc.
IN
THIS ISSUE:
AP Report: Georgia is 15th in Nation
Atlanta School Leader Beverly Hall Named 2009
National Superintendent of the Year
Georgia's Top Two Youth Volunteers Selected In 14th
Annual National Awards Program
Georgia Education Report Back Issues (http://www.queuenews.com/GAnews.html)
Education Research Report Back Issues (http://www.queuenews.com/EduResearchRpt.html)
Queue, Inc. is offering public schools free previews of QueueÕs 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 CRCT 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/GA/GA.html descriptions.
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 ÒmovedÓ them from state to state (28
states in all) to see how many would make Òadequate yearly progressÓ 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
isnÕt working.
A schoolÕs 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 Georgia's AYP process stacks up to other states:
http://edexcellence.net/accountability_illusion/Georgia.pdf
Georgia
is 15th in the nation when it comes to students who have success in Advanced
Placement (AP) courses, according to a national study released today.
The College Board's AP Report to the
Nation shows that, in 2008, Georgia had the 15th highest percentage of high
school seniors score a 3 or higher on at least one AP exam. The report also
showed that the percentage of Georgia students taking AP classes is higher than
the nation.
ÒGeorgia
is a national leader in AP participation and success," said State
Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox. "More Georgia students than ever are
challenging themselves with AP's rigorous coursework and are successfully
mastering the material and passing the exams."
Advanced
Placement classes and exams are administered by the College Board, which also
administers the SAT. AP classes offer rigorous college-level learning options
to students in high school. Students who receive a 3, 4 or 5 on AP exams may
receive college credit.
The
AP Report to the Nation looks at data for 2008 High School seniors. Among
Georgia's public high school seniors in 2008:
- 16.3 percent scored a 3 or higher on at least one AP exam during high school.
That is higher than the national average of 15.2 percent.
- The percentage of students scoring a 3 or higher on at least one AP exam grew
by 1.2 percentage points, tied for 9th highest in the nation.
- Just over 30 percent took at least one AP exam during high school, higher
than the national average of 25 percent.
AP
Growth Among All Students
Just over 50,000 Georgia students in all grades took at least one AP exam in
2007-2008, an increase of more than 16 percent from the previous year.
Georgia's AP population continues to get more diverse as well, with more
African-American and Hispanic students taking the rigorous classes.
"Our schools and school systems recognize that one of the best ways to
close the achievement gap is to challenge all students with rigorous work and
high expectations," Superintendent Cox said. "The AP Report to the
Nation makes it clear that our schools are doing just that. We have work left
to be done, but we are making tremendous progress."
During the 2007-2008 school year, more than 10,200 African-American public
school students (all grades) took an AP exam. That's an increase of more than
18 percent from the previous year and represents more than 10 percent of all
public school African-American test-takers nationwide. There were 2,651
Hispanic students (all grades) that took at least one AP exam in 2007-2008, an
increase of more than 35 percent from the previous year.
According to the AP Report to the Nation, among Georgia's high school seniors:
- More than 22 percent of students who took an AP exam in 2007-2008 were
African-American, an increase of more than two percentage points from the
previous year.
-
10.5
percent of Georgia's African-American high school seniors scored 3 or higher on
at least one AP exam. That is third in the nation, and seven points higher than
the national average.
-
- About 5.5 percent of Georgia's AP test takers were Hispanic, an increase of
more than one percentage point from the previous year and higher than Georgia's
overall Hispanic student population (4.9 percent).
State
Efforts to Increase AP Participation
The State of Georgia has undertaken many successful efforts to increase
participation in AP programs and success on AP exams. Among the initiatives:
- At the request of Governor Perdue and Superintendent Cox, the Legislature has
approved money to pay for students to take one AP exam per year.
Economically-disadvantaged students can have all of their AP exams paid for
each year.
-
The
Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) has organized the distribution of AP
Teacher Quality Training Grants. In the past three years, nearly 400 AP
teachers have been trained through state grants.
- The Georgia Virtual School continues to add AP classes, increasing access to
students throughout the state, including those that might not otherwise be able
to take an AP class. In 2007-2008, 679 students enrolled in 19 different AP
courses through Georgia Virtual School.
- The GaDOE has sponsored regional workshops for teachers of AP in the fall for
the past two years. These workshops are led by master teachers of AP in Georgia
high schools. To date, 1,067 AP teachers have participated in these
content-specific workshops.
Beverly
Hall, superintendent
of Atlanta, Ga., Public Schools has been named the 2009 National Superintendent
of the Year. Hall was honored today at the American Association of School
AdministratorsÕ National Conference on Education in San Francisco. T
Hall
has been superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools, serving 50,000 students, for
10 years, making her one of the longest-serving superintendents of an urban
school district. She previously served as state district superintendent of
Newark, N.J., Public Schools.
Hall
is credited with transforming the 102-school system in Atlanta through a
comprehensive reform agenda. Every elementary school in Atlanta made adequate
yearly progress in 2008, and graduation rates at several high schools have
risen sharply.
Hall
worked most of her early career in New York City, where she was a teacher,
principal and superintendent of a community school district. She also spent a
year as deputy chancellor for instruction in the New York City Public Schools
before her appointment to run the Newark, N.J., schools, whose operation was
taken over by the state.
She
received her bachelorÕs and masterÕs degrees and an advanced certificate from
Brooklyn College, and her doctoral degree from Fordham University. She won the
Richard R. Green award for urban education leadership from the Council of the
Great City Schools in 2006.
As
the 2009 National Superintendent of the Year honoree, Hall is entitled to
present a $10,000 college scholarship to a student at the all-girls high school
in Jamaica from which she graduated before emigrating with her family to New
York City.
A
national blue-ribbon panel selected Hall from four finalists. The other
national finalists were: Suzanne Freeman, superintendent of the Trussville,
Ala., City Schools; Stu Silberman, superintendent of the Fayette County, Ky.,
Public Schools; and Gene White, superintendent of the Indianapolis, Ind.,
Public Schools.
Dalton
and Milton students earn $1,000 awards, engraved medallions and trip to
nationÕs capital
Honors
also bestowed on youth volunteers from Acworth, Alpharetta, Blue Ridge,
Cordele, Holly Springs and Marietta
Alizeh
Ahmad, 16, of Dalton and Zachary Eller, 14, of Milton were named Georgia'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).
Alizeh
was nominated by Girls Preparatory School in Chattanooga, Tenn., and Zachary
was nominated by Northwestern Middle School in Milton. 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 Ð
one middle level and one high school youth Ð from each of the other states and
the District of Columbia for several days of national recognition events. Ten
of them will be named AmericaÕs top youth volunteers for 2009 at that time.
Alizeh, a junior at Girls
Preparatory School, helped persuade her school to raise money to build girlsÕ
schools in Pakistan, and has become a vocal advocate for the rights and
education of Pakistani women. ÒBecause my family is originally from Pakistan, I
have always felt a significant bond and love for the country,Ó said Alizeh.
After reading ÒThree Cups of TeaÓ by Greg Mortenson, an American who builds
girlsÕ schools in Pakistan, Alizeh felt she had to join that effort.
She
encouraged others to read the book, and soon it became a popular topic of
conversation in her school and community. A fund-raising committee at the
school picked up on the excitement and decided to devote its annual festival to
raising money for MortensenÕs organization. Alizeh brought her perspective as a
Pakastani-American to the planning of the festival, and ensured that Pakastani
culture was represented, recruiting Pakastani women to donate ethnic food and
offer henna tattoos. The festival ended up collecting $62,000, enough to build
a school and supply it with furniture, textbooks, and five yearsÕ worth of
supplies. Afterward, Alizeh asked her classmates to write letters to schoolgirls
in Pakistan, and then traveled with her family to see firsthand the schools
Mortenson has built. While there, she purchased more school supplies for
students there, and made a movie to present to audiences back home.
Zachary, an eighth-grader at Northwestern
Middle School, has earned close to $8,000 for a local pet rescue organization
by baking and selling dog biscuits. ÒI have always loved animals,Ó said Zack.
ÒMy first word was ÔdogÕ.Ó When he was 6, Zack began asking for pet food in
lieu of birthday presents. His younger brother followed suit, and over the
years they have donated more than 1,000 pounds to local animal shelters.
But
Zack wanted to do more, so he began volunteering at a pet rescue operation,
where he socialized abandoned dogs awaiting adoption. ÒI decided to make
biscuits for the dogs I saw there,Ó he explained. ÒEverybody loved them, so I
made more and began selling them at functions in my community.Ó Zachary, with
help from his brother, now bakes his doggy treats on the weekends and in his
free time during the week. He also sells biscuits through a website at www.woofemdowndogbiscuits.com. ÒThere is a huge
homeless pet problem in America,Ó said Zack. ÒIt is good to know that I have
helped save many homeless animals.Ó
In
addition, the program judges recognized six other Georgia students as
Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community service activities. Each
will receive an engraved bronze medallion:
Kathryn
Buford, 17, of Cordele, a member of the Crisp County 4-H and a senior at Crisp
Academy, raised more than $6,000 to provide more than 100 foster children with
new pajamas, stuffed ponies, and overnight bags to ease the trauma of being
removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect. With grants, private
donations, and support from many volunteers, Kathryn also painted and furnished
a room at a foster childrenÕs visitation center to make it a more inviting
place.
Ryan
Ernstes, 16, of Holly Springs, a junior at The Walker School in Marietta,
organizes an annual 5K charity race to raise money for ÒSmile Train,Ó a
nonprofit organization that funds surgeries to repair cleft lip and palate
impairments for disadvantaged children worldwide. As race director, Ryan
advertises the race, recruits sponsors and volunteers, orders supplies, manages
a computer database for participants, maintains a website (www.hotlipshustle5k.com), and assigns setup
and cleanup responsibilities on race day.
Daniel
Mirolli, 18, of Acworth, a senior at East Paulding High School in Dallas,
co-founded ÒDry Tears,Ó a nonprofit organization that has raised $50,000 to dig
wells in Africa and increased public awareness of water crises in many parts of
that continent. Daniel and four partners sell bracelets, T-shirts, and water
bottles; maintain a website at www.drytears.org; and have spoken at more
than 30 public events. So far, their fund-raising has resulted in six wells, a
bore-hole, and an irrigation system in Burkino Faso, Kenya, and Swaziland.
Sara
Walton, 17, of Blue Ridge, a senior at Fannin County High School, raised more
than $25,000 over the past nine years to purchase an MRI machine for the
operating room at Scottish Rite Hospital. Sara, who was treated for a brain
tumor at the hospital in 1999, collected the funds by participating in craft
shows and soliciting donations from friends, family members, and the public.
Yi
Yin, 16, of Alpharetta, a junior at Northview High School in Johns Creek, is
the director of ÒTake A Swing,Ó a community service organization dedicated to
teaching disadvantaged children to play tennis. The organization has trained
approximately 40 teen coaches and served more than 150 children, providing them
not only with tennis skills, but also positive role models.
Ge Zhang, 17, of Marietta, a senior at George Walton Comprehensive High School, initiated a school computer science club, a summer academic program for middle level students, and a global youth-to-youth educational initiative. He also raised more than $12,000 for school extracurricular academics by organizing computer coding tournaments.