Will Betsy DeVos Set a High Bar for Approving ESSA Plans? Watch Michigan
Want to know how high U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and her team will set the bar in approving Every Student Succeeds Act plans? How DeVos handles her home state may provide the answer.
read more10 Back to School tips for parents
As summer comes to an end and back-to-school season begins, it can be hard to get back into a regular schedule — both for kids and adults. To make the best of the summer-to-school transition, the Defender has compiled some tips on how parents can avoid being overwhelmed in the coming weeks.
read moreTEXAS: Will the state take over HISD?
The Houston Independent School District could find itself with new managers – the State of Texas – if it doesn’t improve some of its failing schools.
read moreVIDEO: Utah Reports on the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act
Utah Reports on the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act
read moreOKLAHOMA: VIDEO: Senator Lankford Discusses the Every Student Succeeds Act
Senator James Lankford (R-OK) discusses the Every Student Succeeds Act, a bill that repeals provisions of No Child Left Behind and expands the state’s role in education (December 8, 2015).
read moreTrump Ed. Dept. Critiques ESSA Plans From Arizona, North Dakota, and Vermont
Arizona, North Dakota, and Vermont will have to make changes to their plans for the Every Student Succeeds Act when it comes to accountability, low-performing schools, and more, according to feedback letters released Thursday.
read moreBetsy DeVos Approves ESSA Plans for Nevada, New Jersey, and New Mexico
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos Wednesday gave Nevada, New Jersey, and New Mexico the green light on their plans to implement the Every Student Succeeds Act. The three states join just one other, Delaware, whose plan was approved earlier this month.
read moreWISCONSIN: Innovations in Equity: Improving Our Practice
Every student deserves an education that prepares them for lifelong learning and success, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, language, disability, family background, or income level.
read moreWISCONSIN: Feedback Requested on Academic Standards
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction will start a review of academic standards in Environmental Education, Social Studies, and the Essential Elements Science. The process begins with the Academic Standards Review Council soliciting public input on each set of standards to determine the need for revisions.
read moreTrump Ed. Dept. to Michigan: Your ESSA Plan is Missing Major Details
A key section of Michigan’s plan to implement the Every Student Succeeds Act is so sparse that the U.S. Department of Education isn’t sure it’s ready for formal review, according to a letter the agency published Tuesday.
read moreESSA Point Man Jason Botel to Leave Education Dept. Post, Sources Say
Acting Assistant Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education Jason Botel may not hold that title much longer, sources say. Botel, who was named to his post in April, may take on another role within the administration or leave altogether.
read moreOPINION: Education Reform Turns Ruin to Revival
It is 50 years since the Detroit riot, which followed a police raid on an unlicensed bar in 1967. The intensity of that event was surpassed previously only by the 1863 New York City draft riots during the Civil War, and subsequently by the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
read moreCharter-District Collaboration: Where is it Thriving and What Can Minnesota Learn?
Our blog post last week introduced the topic of “charter-district collaboration”, and reported on the status of Minneapolis’ District-Charter Collaboration Compact, as well as the Minneapolis Public Schools and Hiawatha Academies Collaboration Agreement.
read moreWest Virginia Students Show Improvement in Math on Statewide Assessment
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia students showed improvement in math in six of the seven grade levels assessed on the 2017 statewide summative assessments, and half of the students in grade 11 were proficient in English language arts (ELA), according to results released today at the West Virginia State Board of Education meeting.
read moreDemocrats Blast Betsy DeVos for Her Department’s ‘Hostility’ to Civil Rights
Fifty Democrats in Congress have urged Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to nominate a “qualified individual” to run the U.S. Department of Education’s office for civil rights, and are continuing to criticize her approach to issues ranging from sexual assault to transgender student rights protections.
read moreWhat Happened to ESSA’s Innovative Testing Pilot?
Remember the Every Student Succeeds Act’s brand new program aimed at helping states try out new forms of testing?
read moreVIDEO: The Every Student Succeeds Act Implications for Kentucky and Your Community 5-12-16
The Every Student Succeeds Act Implications for Kentucky and Your Community 5-12-16
read morePENNSYLVANIA: Pre-K access, teacher race, and more: Five notable facts about PA public schools
Last week, the Pennsylvania Department of Education released a draft of its plan to comply with the new federal education law, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
read moreSeven Things to Communicate to Students Before Testing
We can all agree that students are a key stakeholder in their own education. When they are involved in the assessment process and in their own learning, the result is an improvement in achievement.
read moreILLINOIS: FAQ: Amendatory Veto of Senate Bill 1
Last week, Governor Rauner issued an amendatory veto of Senate Bill 1 (SB1) that significantly changed the provisions of the bill to the point where the Illinois PTA cannot support the amended version of the bill. As a result, Illinois PTA is calling for members to contact their legislators to override the governor’s veto. Here’s what you need to know about the governor’s veto.
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