Today’s education news roundup includes states like California trying to figure out how to explain new (probably lower) Common Core test results to parents and the public, and states setting all sorts of different minimum score requirements for a new teacher evaluation system known as edTPA:
Schools face challenge of explaining Common Core test results to parents EdSource Today: A major selling point of the new Common Core assessments was that because they were taken online, they would be available more quickly to teachers, parents and students, and would help inform instruction in a way that the multiple-choice California Standards Tests did not. But so far it seems that parents and students will get results about the same time as they did in previous years.
States Set Varying Passing Bars on New Teaching Exam TeacherBeat: States have set the bar on the edTPA exam in different places, and some give their teacher-candidates other options to demonstrate teaching skill.
From Harlem to Capitol Hill, a lesson in producing better teachers Washington Post: Eva Moskowitz, the founder of New York City’s largest chain of public charter schools, imported a Harlem classroom to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to demonstrate how she trains and coaches teachers at Success Academy schools.
Policy Group to Congress on ESEA: Don’t Let the Perfect Be Enemy of the Good EdWeek: When the Senate’s ESEA reauthorization bill is called up for debate at the end of this month or early July, messaging will be crucial to garnering support for the bill from both sides of the aisle.
Parent Engagement on Rise as Priority for Schools, Districts Edweek: As districts adopt formal efforts to integrate parents into the fabric of their schools, advocates welcome a shift away from seeing parent-engagement efforts as just an add-on.
New York City Creates Replacement for Student Data Website NYT: A website for the city’s public schools will allow parents to view information on their children like attendance and report card grades. See also WNYC, ChalkbeatNY.
In Baltimore schools, free meals for all Baltimore Sun: Officials pointed out that the district stands to gain financially. Johnson said the organization estimates that the district would have received over $4 million more in federal funding had it implemented the program sooner.
Chicago Board Member Deborah Quazzo to Step Down at End of Term EdWeek:Four board members will resign from the school board of the beleaguered Chicago public schools when their terms expire this summer, including …
In Colorado, Teaching to a Changing Climate Bright: High school teachers move outdoors to introduce students to an altered climate.
North Lawndale high school to help pay out-of-pocket college costs Chicago WBEZ: There are a lot of cities trying different models to lower costs of college to almost nothing. But The Phoenix Pact is different because it steers kids to colleges with a track record of getting students across the stage on graduation day.
Surrounded by violence and instability, Karachi school teaches students to aim high PBS NewsHour: One woman’s efforts to find answers in one of the world’s most distressed school systems.
School Kitchen Manager Fired For Giving Lunches To Students Without Money In Colorado HuffPost: “I had a first-grader in front of me, crying, because she doesn’t have enough money for lunch. Yes, I gave her lunch,” the mother of two told CBS.
