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SUBSCRIPTIONS TO THE EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT While you can still read full-text versions of our back issues from April 2006–January 2007 for free (http://www.queuenews.com/EduResearchRpt.html), you must now subscribe for access to new full-text versions, including the articles in this month's issue. An annual subscription is available for $145. And as an added bonus, you'll continue to automatically receive your state's e-newsletter, a $48 value, for free!! These newsletters will be published by AICE, Inc. an affiliate of Queue, Inc. Call 800-232-2224 to place your order with a credit card. Details can be found here: http://www.queuenews.com/subsstate.html CRCT Results Show New Curriculum is Working The results of the 2007 Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) show that Georgia’s new curriculum is making a difference. In the classes where the new Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) have been taught for two years, the percent passing the CRCT has gone up in practically every area. Among the highlights:
Superintendent Cox said the GPS covers fewer concepts each year than the old curriculum, but allows students time to master those concepts and then move on. Implementation of the GPS began during the 2005-2006 school year in Reading and English (all grades), Science (grades 6, 7 and 9-12) and Mathematics (grade 6). This most recent school year, GPS implementation continued in Mathematics (grade K-2 and 7) and Science (grades 3-5). As the GPS is implemented, new tests are built around the more rigorous curriculum, and then new cut scores are set. OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
- PowerPoint (GPS comparison) More Than 1.2 Million Students Will Not Graduate in 2007 Detailed Graduation Data Available for Every U.S. District and State In-depth Labor-Force Analysis Finds Strong Relationship Between Today’s high school graduates enter a world in which they’ll need at least some college to gain access to decent-paying careers, according to a report released by Education Week. And those without even a high school diploma will face increasingly bleak labor-market prospects. The report, Diplomas Count: Ready for What? Preparing for College, Careers, and Life After High School, draws on two national databases to examine the distribution of jobs nationally and within each state, and the relationship between education and pay levels. The report also includes the latest analysis by the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center of graduation rates nationwide, finding that an estimated 1.23 million students, or about 30 percent of the class of 2007, will fail to graduate with their peers. Native American, Hispanic, and African-American students are among the groups with the lowest graduation rates. A Road Map to State Graduation Policies To provide context for high school graduation rates, Diplomas Count examines state policies in three key areas: definitions of college and workforce readiness, high school completion credentials offered, and exit exams. To see Georgia Report: http://www.edweek.org/media/ew/dc/2007/ga_SGB07.pdf Southern States Lead the Nation in Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Programs Participation in Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs is growing in Southern (SREB) states. SREB's Challenge to Lead Goals for Education recognize AP courses and the IB curriculum as specific ways that states can engage high school students in more advanced course work. This report addresses the continued momentum of SREB states in access to and achievement in these programs, especially for traditionally underserved student groups. It also offers suggestions for states interested in strengthening their programs. To see the full report: http://www.sreb.org/main/Goals/Publications/07E05_Adv_placement.pdf Standards-Based Accountability Under No Child Left Behind Experiences of Teachers and Administrators in California, Georgia, and Pennsylvania Since 2001-2002, standards-based accountability (SBA) provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) have shaped the work of public school teachers and administrators in the United States. NCLB requires each state to develop content and achievement standards in several subjects, administer tests to measure students’ progress toward these standards, develop targets for performance on these tests, and impose a series of interventions on schools and districts that do not meet the targets. Many states had such systems in place before NCLB took effect, but, since 2001-2002, every state in the United States has had to develop and implement an SBA system that met the requirements of the law, and its provisions have affected every public school and district in the nation. This book sheds light on how accountability policies have influenced attitudes and been translated into actions at the district, school, and classroom levels in California, Georgia, and Pennsylvania, with a focus on mathematics and science. SBA is leading to an increased emphasis on student achievement, and many educators laud this focus, but a single-minded emphasis on student proficiency on tests has some potentially negative consequences such as narrowing curriculum and declining staff morale. To see full report:http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2007/RAND_MG589.pdf How Are Southern (SREB) States Doing? Virginia was the only SREB state with an average score in 2006 that topped the national average for its dominant test. Six ACT states — Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and West Virginia, and four SAT states — Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia—kept pace or gained ground on the national average for their dominant test. Two ACT states — Alabama and Mississippi—and one SAT state — Florida—increased the percentage of high school seniors tested by at least 10 percentage points. When compared with national average ACT and SAT scores, the improvement in SREB states also is significant. In 1997, none of the SREB states surpassed the national average score for its dominant test. In 2006, one SREB state, Virginia, surpassed the national average, and eight other SREB states — Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia — narrowed their gaps with the nation. In all but three SREB states, the percentages of graduating seniors taking the dominant test increased. Most remarkably, scores improved at the same time that the percentages of students taking the tests increased in eight SREB states — Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. To see full report, with state by state figures: http://www.sreb.org/main/Goals/Publications/07E02_ACT_and_SAT_Test_Scores.pdf Intel Honors Six Schools with 2007 Intel Schools of Distinction Award Elementary, Middle and High Schools Awarded for Math and Science Excellence Intel Corporation has honored six U.S. schools with a 2007 Intel® Schools of Distinction Award. The annual awards recognize schools for implementing innovative math and science programs. The Intel Foundation and sponsoring companies distribute $1 million in grants and awards to winning schools. One elementary, one middle and one high school are chosen as winners in each of the two categories from hundreds of applicants across the country. The winning schools in each category are as follows: Mathematics Excellence: Elementary Middle School High School Science Excellence: Elementary Middle School High School To honor their extraordinary commitment to educational excellence and innovation, each of the six winning schools receive a $10,000 cash grant from the Intel Foundation and an award package including curriculum materials, professional development resources, hardware and software valued at more than $160,000 per school. |
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