Posts Tagged ‘Higher Education’

Pushing the Needle on Teacher Prep

Posted by Matthew Korobkin

Back in January, Governor Markell delivered his State of the State and called the legislature to action on strengthening the preparation of teachers in Delaware.  The bill moved through the State Senate and the House, with endorsing testimony from the Delaware State Education Association (DSEA).  Last week, the Governor signed this bill into law, profoundly strengthening the way teachers will be trained in the First State. 

Let’s face it, Delaware is a small state.  With only four teacher preparation programs, it has the potential to be a national leader.  The problem is, as I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, we’re not.  Today, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) released its first annual Teacher Prep Review, a review of 1,200 elementary secondary preparation programs throughout the US.  The ratings that NCTQ gave Delaware’s teacher preparation programs weren’t much to brag about (the state’s highest ranking program received a 2.5 out of 4 stars).  Frankly, this didn’t come as a surprise. 

NCTQ’s Teacher Prep Review pushes for an environment of transparency, collaboration, and some tough discussions about how to move the needle forward in teacher prep.  And it provides all of us (parents, teachers, prospective teachers as consumers, students, policy makers, district HR directors) an opportunity to assess and compare our state’s teacher preparation programs to its national counterparts.  (It’s important to note that information like this, on a national level, has never been so readily available and current.  The US Department of Education has the Title II report; however, it’s self-reported and has a two year lag.)  In Delaware, the Governor’s teacher prep legislation, coupled with the Teacher Prep Review, will hopefully serve as a wellspring for open dialogue centered on the promise of having a great teacher in every Delaware classroom.  By requiring that all teacher prep programs in the state annually collect data on its students, as it is now mandated in SB51, these conversations should happen in a way that involves all stakeholders in the teacher preparation pipeline.  And because Delaware’s four teacher prep programs only train 60% of our state’s educators, we’ll have to work with other states to raise the bar for those prepared elsewhere.

I’d like to end on this note:  As the field of medicine has become more complex, so too have the entrance and exit standards for medical school.  As the professional standards for structural engineering have become more stringent, it has become harder to enter programs to prepare for the profession and become certified upon program completion.  Teaching, as a profession, should be no different.  SB51 and the Teacher Prep Review are making the case for this.

Meet our Summer Fellow – Jenna Bucsak

Posted by rodel

My name is Jenna Bucsak, and I am one of the new interns here at the Rodel Foundation. I will be interning for about 12 weeks this summer, before returning to the University of Delaware to finish my Masters in Public Administration in the fall.

I began my undergraduate career at the University of Delaware as an International Relations major, but found myself seeking a way to make a difference closer to home. I added a second major in Public Policy, and during my time in this program, I have worked with some truly incredible people who have inspired me to pursue a career in public service. In 2012, I had the opportunity to work as a Legislative Fellow in the Delaware General Assembly. In this position I worked as a part-time non-partisan researcher for the House Majority Caucus and staffed the House Education Committee, in addition to the Labor and Telecommunications committees. Although I was interested in education policy prior to this assignment, the education committee allowed me to see the passion of others around a variety of issues and made me realize that I would like to continue to pursue education policy. As a Public Administration Fellow at UD, I have had the opportunity to work on a variety of different policy areas including education, broadband technology, Delaware libraries, among many others. 

During my time at UD, I also have been very involved in community service. I have volunteered with a variety of organizations in Delaware, had the opportunity to mentor at a local elementary school, and was one of ten students who helped begin the University’s Alternative Spring Break Program. As part of this program, two other leaders and I led two disaster-relief focused trips during spring break which brought forty students to New Orleans, LA in 2011 and an additional forty to Bayboro, NC in 2012. We are extremely proud of what this program has become and hope that it will continue well into the future. In just three years the program has allowed 374 students to complete nearly 15,000 service hours in areas such as disaster relief, education for urban youth, food scarcity, and trail-building. 

I’m excited to be here at the Rodel Foundation this summer, as education reform continues to be at the forefront of the state and national agendas. Through my previous experiences in education policy, education equality has become one of my main interests, as every student deserves a high-quality education and the opportunity to be the best they can be. I hope this internship experience will give me the opportunity to work on some projects that I have not been exposed to in the past, while helping me to better understand how to bring all stakeholders together to do what is best for children. I am truly excited for this experience!

Daily Education News – 6/12/13

Posted by rodel

Here are several stories in today’s news about Delaware education and from across the nation:

Local News

The Washington Post
The tea party is wrong on the Common Core curriculum
An opinion by Governor Jack Markell
Over the past three years, 45 states have adopted the Common Core State Standards. These objectives were developed to ensure that America’s students acquire the academic skills they need to reach their full potential. Yet the Common Core standards are under serious assault by the tea party movement, which argues that they were developed by the federal government [“A new battle for tea party,” front page, May 31]. This assertion lacks any basis in fact.

The News Journal
Law ignored, critics say
A group tasked with finding improvements to the state’s charter school system may have violated open meetings laws, according to a report from the Attorney General’s Office. That has drawn the ire of open government advocates and legislators who say a handful of power-players are crafting major education policy behind closed doors. But state officials in charge of the working group said the public had time for input and opponents were focusing on meetings held five months ago where no action was taken, rather than the legislative process under way.

Delaware Department of Education
State announces free and reduced price meals policy for 2013-14
The Delaware Department of Education today announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture policy for free and reduced price meals for children unable to pay the full price for meals served under the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, and After School Snack Program.

Delaware State News
Moving plans coincide with Delmarva Christian, Sussex Academy facilities swap
The property swap is officially complete and now Delmarva Christian High School and Sussex Academy are moving forward — literally — with plans to meet their needs and fulfill missions at existing but new facility venues in Georgetown. Tuesday, as staff and volunteers from both institutions embarked on the monumental move, leaders from both schools formally exchanged facilities in ceremonies at the Dover Public Library. “If there was ever anything that was a win-win situation for Sussex County, the state of Delaware and for education in general, this it is,” said Joe Schell, Sussex Academy’s campaign chairman.

National News

United States Department of Education
Redesigning America’s high schools
President Obama’s High School Redesign initiative will encourage America’s school districts and their partners to use existing federal, state and local resources to transform the high school experience for America’s youth through a whole school redesign effort. This effort will challenge high schools and their partners to rethink teaching and learning and put in place learning models that are rigorous, relevant, and better focused on real-world experiences.

Education Week
Year-end tests bring urgency to Common-Core push
All year long, Ms. McNair-Lee, an English/language arts teacher at Stuart-Hobson Middle School here, has been doing what millions of teachers across the country are doing: trying to help her students master the common standards, which all but four states have adopted. The District of Columbia school system has chosen an aggressive and comprehensive approach to implementing the standards, making major investments in resources and professional development. But like most districts, it faces many challenges as it tries to turn its vision into changed practice in the classroom.

The Denver Post
New Denver Public Schools remedial classes aimed at college success
Denver Public Schools will offer free remedial math and English classes this summer in response to a higher education department’s report, which shows that more than 60% of graduates need college remediation. A student who gets a C or higher would not have to take the course in college under an agreement with Colorado universities. The classes will be offered during the school year in 2013-14.

The Oregonian
Nearly 40% of Oregon high school grads don’t go to college
Oregon adopted a goal of getting 80% of its young people to earn a college credential—40% for a four-year degree and 40% for an associate’s degree or industry certificate. But among the high school class of 2011, just 61% enrolled in a college or community college anywhere in the country by fall 2012. And only one district sends enough graduates on to college to reaching the 80% target any time soon.

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