August 3, 2015

Delaware News

The News Journal
Summer school aims to prevent learning loss
Serviam Academy, a tuition-free private school outside of Wilmington, often dealt with this problem of summer learning loss. The school’s solution? A mandatory four-week summer program in July each year.

Must be a better way to govern Delaware
Opinion by Harry Themal, columnist
This fall Rep. Melanie George Smith, cochair of the Joint Finance Committee, expects the committee to order a study of the role and staffing of the State Department of Education with its $22 million payroll. With most of Delaware’s school costs coming out of state funds, unlike many other states, education is certainly an area to review.

5 things to know: back-to-school health checklist
We checked in with Dr. Kate Cronan, an emergency room physician with Nemours/A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children and the Delaware Department of Education to share what health information is needed.

WDEL
First-time STEM teachers get crash course at summer trainings
Kids in Delaware have been trying things like computer coding at STEM education camps this summer. But they’re not the only ones honing in on science, technology, engineering and math during the break. Teachers are also getting ready for first-run STEM classes next year.

Dover Post
Lake Forest hires new superintendent
After a few days of interviewing candidates the Lake Forest School District Board of Education voted 4-1 for Brenda Wynder. Wynder, who already worked for the district as curriculum instructor, will be replacing former superintendent Jason Conway.

National News

Education Week
Red flags on the road to ESEA rewrite
Lopsided votes in the U.S. Senate and House obscure stark differences in their bills to overhaul the outdated Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

As McGraw-Hill Education leaves state testing, market thrives for classroom assessments
McGraw-Hill Education/CTB announced this summer that it is selling off its assets in summative testing—tests that typically carry high stakes, and are given at the end of a course or year—to focus instead on developing classroom resources and tools for teachers and students

NPR
Measuring the power of a prison education
The Obama administration Friday is taking a small step toward expanding adult prisoners’ access to federal Pell grants. The money would help pay for college-level classes behind bars.

The New York Times
Visualizing the Common Core curriculum
Photojournalist Rian Duncan went back to high school for nine months last year to create a visual narrative for the Common Core, the educational initiative that has generated as much controversy as it has expectations

Learning Lab
Boston Public Library puts teacher training on the map
In a statewide survey of licensed teachers conducted by TELL Massachusetts, a professional development group, only 58 percent say they have “sufficient resources” for professional development, while 69.9 percent believe that it “enhances teachers’ abilities to improve student learning.”