Education Week’s Most Popular Posts This Year Had ESSA, Donald Trump, and … Betsy DeVos

Education Week’s Most Popular Posts This Year Had ESSA, Donald Trump, and … Betsy DeVos

This year featured a new president, a new education secretary, and the first year schools began shifting to the Every Student Succeeds Act. It’s been a busy year for us, and to cap it off, we’re highlighting the 10 blog posts we wrote that got the most readership in 2017. Here we go, from the post with the 10th-most views to the post with the most views:

President Donald Trump repeatedly said on the campaign trail in 2016 that he wanted to end the Common Core State Standards. So when U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said this to a TV news anchor in April, she was channeling Trump’s stated desire. But DeVos’ statement wasn’t accurate, since more than three dozen states still use the content standards. The Every Student Succeeds Act also prohibits DeVos from getting involved in states’ decisions about standards.

Along with promoting school choice, one of DeVos’ big goals this year has been to restrain the federal government’s role in education when it comes to regulations, as well as the size and scope of the U.S. Department of Education. It doesn’t look like her push to significantly slash the department’s budget has the support of Congress, but DeVos has been trying to trim the department’s staffing levels recently.

Remember when Trump won the presidential election? In the wake of his upset win, we highlighted Trump’s potential action on the budget, DeVos’ confirmation hearing, and more…

Read the full article here: May require an Education Week subscription.

Source: Education Week Politics K-12

HAWAII: HCFCU 2018 Scholarship Program to Award 8 Scholarships

HAWAII: HCFCU 2018 Scholarship Program to Award 8 Scholarships

Hawaii Community Federal Credit Union (HCFCU) is excited to announce its 2018 Scholarship Program will be accepting applications starting January 2, 2018.

Eight deserving Hawaii Islanders will each receive $2,500, totaling $20,000 given in scholarships, to help support their transition to higher education.  HCFCU has provided scholarships to Hawaii Island students for more than 32 years.

Each scholarship is named after an HCFCU volunteer or manager who made important contributions to the organization.

Five of the scholarships — Peter Hirata Scholarship, Albert Akana Scholarship, Katsumasa Tomita Scholarship, Frank Ishii Scholarship, and Mitsugi Inaba scholarship — are awarded to students based on need, academic achievement, career goals, and extracurricular activities.

The John Y. Iwane scholarship will be awarded to a high school senior that meets all the criteria mentioned above with plans to enter an agriculture-related field of study.

The Michael Asam Scholarship will be awarded to a senior who actively participates in an HCFCU sponsored Student Credit Union as a teller or as a Student Credit Union Board member.

The Yasunori Deguchi Scholarship will be awarded to a post-graduate on Hawaii Island, currently attending college or going back to college.

Eligibility Requirements

HCFCU’s Scholarships are open to our Hawaii Island communities. You do not have to be a member of Hawaii Community Federal Credit Union. You must meet at least one of the following requirements to be eligible to apply.

  • Graduating senior from any Island of Hawaii high school and planning to attend a post-secondary college or four-year college during next school year as a full-time student(post-secondary college, vocational, technical – with a minimum two-year curriculum); or
  • A posthigh school graduate on Hawaii Island who is either currently attending, or going back to, a post-secondary college or four-year college as a full-time student (post-secondary college, vocational, technical – with a minimum two-year curriculum).

Submission Requirements

The following is required in order to complete your application.

  • Academic Record
  • Non-Academic/Extra-Curricular Activities
  • Career Goals & Educational Plans
  • Financial Need -Verified EFC signed off by counselor. FAFSA will need to be completed. (not required for post-graduates returning to college)

Interested applicants may fill out an application online at HCFCU’s website, www.hicommfcu.com. The online application streamlines the process and allows the applicants to save their work and complete it at a later date.

Applications and all required information must be received by April 2, 2018 to be considered.

Hawaii Community Federal Credit Union is a not-for-profit, federally insured financial institution owned by its 40,000 members. HCFCU’s branches are located in Honokaa, Kailua-Kona, Kaloko, Kealakekua and Kohala, along with Student Credit Unions in Kealakehe, Kohala and Konawaena High Schools. In 2018, HCFCU will open its first-ever branch in East Hawaii in Hilo. In addition to complete checking and savings services,

HCFCU provides service-minded financial professionals to help facilitate mortgage, land, construction, small business, educational, personal and auto loans; drive up tellers; credit and debit cards with rewards; online and mobile banking; investment services and youth programs. HCFCU also supports numerous Hawaii Island non-profit organizations and community events. Membership in Hawaii Community Federal Credit Union is open to all Hawaii Island residents.

Jackson Schools Can Start Clearing Accreditation Standards in the New Year

Jackson Schools Can Start Clearing Accreditation Standards in the New Year

JACKSON FREE PRESS — Jackson Public Schools can start clearing accreditation standard violations as early as January. William Merritt, the executive director of school improvement, told the school board at its last December meeting that the board needs to get the new JPS corrective action plan to the Commission on School Accreditation by Jan. 16, 2018.

The next JPS board meeting is scheduled for Jan. 9, and the JPS Board of Trustees is expected to pass the district’s new corrective action plan at that meeting. On Dec. 19, the board had a work session where district administrators answered board members’ questions about the CAP. The Mississippi Department of Education found JPS to be out of compliance with 24 accreditation standards in the fall.

“We are of course still working with a sense of urgency in making sure that we correct all deficiencies that exist,” Merritt told the board on Dec. 19. “We are excited as we prepare to clear some standards and we will begin that process in January.”

Previously, JPS administrators believed they could not clear accreditation standards until after the Mississippi Board of Education had approved the district’s new CAP in February, but now JPS will be able to call MDE staff out to the district at the start of the year to begin clearing standards. 
Merritt said the district is prepared to clear several standards including the annual financial audit, dropout prevention plans, ensuring enough instructional time for students, professional development, child nutrition and safety.

“There’s continuous work that goes into that, and again we feel confident that we’re moving in the right direction with those standards and will be able to address those in short order when we return,” Interim Superintendent Freddrick Murray told the board on Dec. 19.

Other standards will be tougher to tackle, Merritt told the board, including having enough licensed teaching staff, repairing aging infrastructure and having an instructional management system.

After the Commission on School Accreditation and the Mississippi Board of Education approve the new JPS CAP, the district will have until July 31, 2018, to clear remaining accreditation violations.

Email state education reporter Arielle Dreher at arielle@jacksonfreepress.com.

Students from after-school  enrichment project present Christmas program at school board gathering

Students from after-school enrichment project present Christmas program at school board gathering

 

GREENE COUNTY DEMOCRAT — Prior to the opening of its regular meeting on December 18, 2017, the Greene County Board of Education, along with a community gathering, was entertained with a special Christmas presentation by students enrolled in the after school programs of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers. Students from Eutaw Primary School and Robert Brown Middle School presented dance ensembles, poetry and Christmas Caroling. The event culminated with the lighting of the Christmas tree and the appearance of a jolly “Santa.” The students were presented gifts and refreshments.

In his monthly report, Superintendent James Carter emphasized the system’s continuing goal to improving academic performance for all students. “School principals and teachers must be held accountable for closing the achievement gap. Our focus must shift now on recruiting and retaining talented principals and teacher, a task that is very challenging,” he stated.
Dr. Carter explained that if we are to improve academic performance for all students, there must be a shift in how we teach our students. “School classrooms must be re-designed to meet the needs of students in the 21st Century. We can’t continue to place students in classrooms where all they see is the back of another student’s head. Each school must create a team of leaders to manage instructional programs,” he said.
In his update on the system’s school property, Carter announced that, to date, he has received five offers on the purchase of the former Carver School and two offers on the former Paramount School.

In other business, the board approved the following personnel items recommended by the superintendent.

  • Resignation of Rebecca Coleman from the 21st Century Community Learning Center.
  • Employment of Dorothy Powell, Jacqueline and Latasha Harris as Bus Aides.
  • Employment of Latoya Consentine as substitute bus driver.
  • Additional service contract at Robert Brown Middle School for 2017-18 academic year (separate contracts): Janice Jeames as Assistant Girls Basketball Coach.
  • Additional service contract at Greene County High for academic year 2017-18 (separate contract) Jason Booth as Assistance Baseball Coach; Fentress Means as assistance Basketball Coach.

Administrative services approved by the board include the following.

  • Worthless Check Policy;
  • Uncollectible Meal Charge Policy.
  • Field Trip requests: Greene County High to Dollywood, TN, April 20, 2018; Robert Brown Middle to National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis, TN; Robber Brown Middle to Education Day at Six Flags Over Georgia, April 27, 2018.

The following instructional items were approved by the board.

  • Voluntary Religious Expression Policy
  • 21st Century Community Learning Centers Staff Handbook
  • 21st Century Community Learning Centers Parent Handbook

On the recommendation of the superintendent, the board approved the following waiver:

  • The Greene County Board of Education hereby waives any potential conflicts that Henry Sanders, Attorney at Law, may have in representing the Greene County Board of Education and the Greene County Commission in matters in general and specifically relating to Resource Officers for schools and/or the sale of Carver School.
MICHIGAN: Consider Donating to the Fostering Futures Scholarship Trust Fund

MICHIGAN: Consider Donating to the Fostering Futures Scholarship Trust Fund

Contact: Danelle Gittus (gittusd@michigan.gov), Ron Leix (leixr@michigan.gov) or call 517-335-2167
Agency: Treasury
Dec. 26, 2017

With the 2017 tax year coming to a close, the Michigan Department of Treasury is asking Michiganders to consider making a tax-deductible contribution to the Fostering Futures Scholarship Trust Fund.

Donations made to the Fostering Futures Scholarship Trust Fund provide scholarships to young adults who have experienced foster care and are enrolled at a Michigan degree-granting college or university. Awards are paid to the students’ college or university to assist with tuition, fees, room, board, books and supplies.

“Approximately 13,000 children are in the Michigan foster care system at any given time,” said Robin Lott, executive director of the Michigan Education Trust (MET). “A growing number of our youth are reaching adult age while in foster care and have no resources to attend college when they age out of the system. This scholarship provides some help with college expenses when no other assistance may be available.”

Since 2012, fundraising efforts have totaled more than $1.1 million. This was done through individual donations, group donations, sponsorships, ticket sales, auctions and many volunteer-based fundraising events.

All of the money raised during the calendar year is distributed annually to scholarship recipients.

To make a charitable donation, complete and submit a MET Charitable Tuition Program Contribution form along with a check for any dollar amount made payable to the State of Michigan Fostering Futures Scholarship Trust Fund. Contributions can also be made online by credit or debit card through the Fostering Futures Scholarship Donation Paysite.

Charitable contribution forms postmarked or made online by Dec. 31 are eligible for a tax deduction in the year they are made.

For more information about the Fostering Futures Scholarship, go to www.fosteringfutures-mi.com.

Keynote Speakers Revealed For 46th Annual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration

Keynote Speakers Revealed For 46th Annual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration

CHARLESTON CHRONICLE — Charleston’s ten-day Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, the largest and longest running event of its kind in South Carolina, will be headlined in January by Joan Robinson-Berry, vice president and general manager of Boeing South Carolina and Boeing Commercial Airplanes, and Michael Boulware Moore, president and CEO of the International African American Museum.

Michael Moore

The annual tribute’s theme will be “One Man, One Dream… Together We Achieve.”

The MLK Ecumenical Service will be held on Sunday, January 14 at 4:00 p.m. at Morris Street Baptist Church, where Moore will deliver the keynote address to more than 1,000 expected attendees. The service is free and open to the public.

Moore was inspired to take the helm of the International African American Museum, slated to open in 2019, by the story of his own great-great-grandfather, who escaped slavery during the Civil War on a stolen Confederate ship, returned to fight for the North, and later rose to serve in the South Carolina legislature during America’s Reconstruction era. “He overcame obstacles to live a life of consequence,” Moore told Garden & Gun magazine in an interview.

The MLK Business and Professional Breakfast will cap the ten-day tribute. Held at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 16, at the Charleston Gaillard Center, the event will feature Joan Robinson-Berry as keynote speaker and City of Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg as honorary chairman.

Joan Robinson-Berry

Robinson-Berry has been honored for her work in diversity, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics by a variety of global organizations, including the National Society of Black Engineers and members of the United States Congress. In 2017 Women’s Enterprise magazine ranked her among its Top 100 Leaders in Corporate Supplier Diversity, and the Long Beach chapter of the NAACP named her Woman of the Year. She has also been named one of the Most Powerful Women in Business by Black Enterprise magazine, honored with the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Women in Aerospace organization, received the Woman of Distinction & Accomplishment award at the Washington State African American Achievement Awards, and was featured by Charleston Business magazine as one of the 50 Most Influential People in Charleston.

The MLK Breakfast is again expected to be attended by hundreds of Charleston’s business, civic, and clergy leaders; at the 2017 event, more than 600 attendees packed a large ballroom at the Charleston Gaillard Center, joining hands at the close of the event in a show of unity.

This year’s theme emphasizes the need for everyone to participate in fulfilling Dr. King’s dream. “With this theme we’re celebrating Dr. King’s legacy and dream of equality,” said LaVanda Brown, executive director of YWCA Greater Charleston. “Saying ‘together we achieve’ emphasizes that we all have to invest in seeing his dream become real. We recognize that we’ve made some progress as a country and as a community, but there’s still a lot of work to be done. The positive is that together, we can accomplish that dream. We can bring it to fruition.”

Organizations can sign up to sponsor the MLK Celebration now at ywca-charlestonsc.org or by calling (843) 722-1644. Individual breakfast tickets will be available for $45 per person in early January.

 

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA — SBOE #DCGradReqs Task Force Takes Strategic Pause

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA — SBOE #DCGradReqs Task Force Takes Strategic Pause

Friday, December 22, 2017
Members Will Reconvene in February 2018

Washington, DC – The DC State Board of Education (SBOE) announces that its High School Graduation Requirements Task Force will be taking a strategic pause during the month of January 2018 to take advantage of upcoming information that will influence the task force’s work. Stepping back for a month will allow staff and task force members to reflect on constituent feedback received thus far, as well as consider information from the ongoing investigation of the implementation of high school graduation requirements at Ballou High School and other schools across the city. The results of the citywide investigation being led by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education are expected at the end of January. Members will reconvene in February to continue their work.

“Too often, policymakers race forward with changes without pausing to consider how changing contexts may influence the direction of their work. We are taking the month of January to reflect on the work done so far by the task force, the input we have received to-date and to ensure we consider the outcomes of the ongoing investigation before moving forward,” said Laura Wilson Phelan, Ward 1 representative and task force co-chair.

“Recent developments make the work and forthcoming recommendations of this task force even more critical for our students and families”, said Markus Batchelor, Ward 8 representative and task force co-chair. “The promise of our work together with the broad representation that exists from across the city will be essential in the creation of groundbreaking new opportunities for our students. We want to seize this moment by ensuring our work incorporates new information as it becomes available.”

This task force marks an historic citywide effort to review, analyze and, as necessary, make thoughtful, implementable recommendations to adjust DC’s high school graduation requirements for all DCPS and public charter school students. Under the leadership of Ward 1 representative Laura Wilson Phelan and Ward 8 representative Markus Batchelor, the 26 members of the task force mirror our school-aged population, with half of the task force members living or working East of the Anacostia River. After the pause, the task force will resume its regular meetings with the goal of presenting recommendations to the State Board in the spring.

All task force meetings are open to the public. However, individuals and representatives of organizations are not permitted to speak or participate during task force sessions. District residents may stay involved and provide input throughout this process in a variety of ways. Individuals and representatives of organizations may submit written testimony or information for consideration by the task force by emailing sboe@dc.gov or by filling out this online form. Members of the public can also request to join our discussion group here to share input regarding the work of the task force.

The DC State Board of Education is an independent agency within the executive branch of the Government of the District of Columbia which works to advise the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), which is the District’s state education agency. The Board is comprised of nine elected representatives, each representing their respective wards, with one member representing DC at large, in addition to two student representatives. While OSSE oversees education within the District and manages federal education funding, the Board approves education policies, sets academic standards, and determines teacher qualifications. The State Board views its role in the achievement of this mission as one of shared responsibility, whereby it engages families, students, educators, community members, elected officials and business leaders to play a vital role in preparing every child for college and/or career success.

For the latest updates on the work of the task force, please visit sboe.dc.gov/gradreqs.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Step Up helps teen girls make their way to college

MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Step Up helps teen girls make their way to college

WAVE NEWSPAPERS — It was several years ago that Lubna Hindi realized the impact she and Step Up — a nonprofit that empowers young girls in under-resourced communities –– were having on the kids they served.

Hindi was a ninth grade instructor for the organization at the time, and the first class she ever taught was now wearing their caps and gowns, excitedly awaiting to discover what the future might hold for them.

The salutatorian got up, walked to the stage and in his speech to family, friends, peers and instructors, he talked about the memories he created at his school, and he talked about Step Up. He said that his female peers in the program taught him about feminism and what it means to be a man. When he was done and the valedictorian, who was going to Columbia University, stepped up to the stage, she opened up about what Step Up meant to her.

“It was one of those moments that made me realize that Step Up actually works and that the curriculum is making an impact,” said Hindi, the nonprofit’s manager of external relations and individual giving.

Founded in 1998, Step Up came into fruition after Kaye Kramer found out her mother was suffering from breast cancer. Kramer started looking for a support system and in that search, she invited 30 of her female friends and colleagues to her home. And it was there, in her living room, that Kramer found the sense of community she was seeking that would come to be known as Step Up.

“We create brave and safe spaces for girls to thrive in,” Hindi said of the after-school programs in the nonprofit’s partnering high schools. The curriculum, she said, focuses on not only the social and emotional growth of girls from ninth to 12th grade in underrepresented communities, but also on empowering them to be confident and college-bound.

Since its first office opened in Los Angeles, Step Up has become a nationally recognized organization with offices in New York, Chicago, Dallas and more, and its programs are found in dozens of high schools throughout the country.

Once or twice a week, trained Step Up instructors provide two-hour after-school sessions to high school girls in dozens of schools all over the country.

The sessions follow the organization’s youth development and grade-specific curriculums. The ninth and 10th grade confidence curriculums, for example, focus on identity, relationships, voice, visions, action and expression. 

The 11th graders center more on college readiness and career exploration with the Pathways to Professions program. Those in it get the chance to participate in the Bay Area College Tour, which, as Hindi said, is about giving college-bound girls the opportunity to see themselves in university spaces so they understand that they deserve to be there.

As for high school seniors, also known as the Young Luminaries, their curriculum includes monthly Saturday group mentoring where they get help with college applications, career preparation and are set up with summer internships.

Step Up currently has about 700 girls enrolled in its L.A. chapter in schools from Huntington Park to South L.A., and Hindi hopes to see the numbers grow locally and nationally.

“In five years, we hope to see [Step Up] in more cities and in every major market,” she said. “In 10 years, we want to be a nationally recognized organization … where people see Step Up’s value and understand the work we do.”

INFORMATION BOX

CEO/president: Jenni Luke

Years in operation: 20

Number of employees: 14 in L.A.; 50 nationally

Annual budget: $1 million in L.A.; $4 million nationally

L.A. Location: 510 S. Hewitt St., No. 111

Los Angeles, 90013

The post MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Step Up helps teen girls make their way to college appeared first on Wave Newspapers.

Transparency in Education Improves  Parental Engagement, Experts Say

Transparency in Education Improves Parental Engagement, Experts Say

By Stacy M. Brown (NNPA Newswire Contributor)

The public reporting requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) offer greater transparency about school quality, according to experts and education advocates who also predict that the new law will empower parents and make them more informed partners in the education process of their children.

President Barack Obama signed ESSA into law on December 10, 2015.

“Public reporting is going to be very important, because state systems, like what goes into [calculating] letter grades for schools, are incredibly complex,” said Phillip Lovell, the vice president of policy development and government relations for the Alliance for Excellent Education, a Washington, D.C.-based national advocacy organization that’s dedicated to ensuring all students graduate from high school, ready for success in college and in the workplace. “States are aware of and working on how to communicate information on school performance clearly.”

Brenna McMahon Parton, the director of policy and advocacy for Data Quality Campaign, one of the nation’s leading voices on education data policy and use, said that everyone deserves information, which is why ESSA requires that report cards are easy to understand.

“To date, states haven’t focused on parent needs and, as a result, report cards are difficult to find and use,” said Parton. “As states develop new report cards, they should be sure that parents will have a one-stop-shop that provides information they need about how students and schools in their community are performing.”
ESSA reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the historic civil rights law passed in 1965 and effectively replaced the Bush-era No Child Left Behind Act.
Transparency and parental engagement are integral parts of the new law.

Under ESSA, all schools receiving Title I funds must inform parents of their right to request information about the professional qualifications of their children’s teachers; parents are also encouraged to support their children’s educational experiences by communicating regularly with teachers.

In a post on “The 74,” a nonprofit news site dedicated to education, Rashidah Morgan of the Sweden-based Education First, said that, “Greater transparency about school quality, will ultimately empower parents to make more knowledgeable choices about schools.”

Also, transparency on spending and academic results help the public understand how schools are performing in their communities, said Chad Aldeman, a principal at Bellwether Education Partners, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit focused on changing the outcomes and education life for the underserved.

“Accountability systems only work, if people understand what they’re being held accountable for and have enough information to know how to respond,” Aldeman said, adding that parents need good information to make informed choices about where to send their children. “To make that a reality, parents need information about both their own child’s performance, as well as how similar students are performing in other schools.”

Finally, clear, transparent school and district report cards help families make critical decisions and equip community members and the public to push for needed improvement in schools, said Dr. Lillian Lowery, the vice president of PreK-12 Policy, Research and Practice at The Education Trust, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. that promotes high academic achievement for students at all levels, particularly students of color and those of low-income.

“ESSA requires states to report a lot of important information on how schools are doing at preparing all groups of students, including students from low-income families, students of color, English learners and students with disabilities, for post-high school success,” said Lowery. “To maximize the usefulness of this information, state leaders should work with families and education advocates to ensure that report cards are easy to access and understand.”