January 9, 2009: Bush Promotes NCLB In Final Policy Speech

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January 9, 2009: Bush Promotes NCLB In Final Policy Speech

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Customized Briefing for THERESA CAVANAUGHJanuary 9, 2009

Leading the News

In the Classroom

Law & Policy

Safety & Security

School Finance

Also in the News

NEA in the News

Leading the News

President Promotes NCLB In Final Policy Speech.

The Washington Post (1/9, A2, Eggen, Glod) reports that on Thursday,

President Bush " devoted his final public policy address to " education,

" traveling to [General Philip Kearny Elementary School] in Philadelphia...to

claim success in education reform and to warn President-elect Barack Obama

against major changes to the landmark federal testing program. " Bush said

that Obama " should tread carefully before following through on promises of

reform. 'There is a growing consensus across the country that now is not the

time to water down standards or to roll back accountability,' Bush said. "

According to the Post, " The Bush administration says " that improvements in

education since the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) went into effect in 2002

" have been widespread, including narrowed achievement gaps between black and

white students; record high math scores among African American and Hispanic

students; and significant increases in reading and math proficiency among

many students. "

NCLB " remains one of Bush's top domestic achievements, and he

considers it vital to his legacy, " the AP (1/9, Quaid) reports. But " Critics

say the law's annual reading and math tests have forced other subjects like

music and art from the classroom and that schools were promised billions of

dollars that never showed up. "

According to Education Week (1/9, Klein), Bush on Thursday

" acknowledged that critics have charged that the NCLB law focuses too

heavily on standardized tests and sets unrealistic goals, but he called on

lawmakers to reject those claims and continue to hold schools accountable

for students' progress. " Also During his visit to Kearny Elementary, " Mr.

Bush, first lady Bush, " and Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings

" toured the school, which is in a socioeconomically and racially diverse

neighborhood near Philadelphia's center city, " and " has met the goals of the

No Child Left Behind law every year since 2003. " Mr. Bush " and Ms. Spellings

also participated in a roundtable discussion on education. "

In the Classroom

Police Officer Introduces Students At Elementary School In Florida To Law In

A Positive Way.

The St. sburg Times (1/9, Wiginton) reports that an officer from the

Pasco County Sheriff's office visited Lake Myrtle Elementary School on

Thursday, " visiting all of the school's kindergarten, first- and

second-grade classes. " The purpose of Lt. Prescott's visit was to

" introduce kindergartners and first graders to law enforcement " in a

positive way. He read to the students and " talked to the [them] about how

important it is for them to read. " He also spoke with the students " about

being good and dealing with kids who are bad. " Then Prescott showed the

students some of his weapons and " opened the floor for questions. The

children had plenty. "

Foundation Grant Funds Biotechnology Equipment For High School In

Massachusetts.

The Foxboro (MA) Reporter (1/8) reported that last month, students and

teachers at Foxboro High School " conducted interactive experiments using the

school's new biotechnology equipment, purchased with a grant from the

Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation's BioTeach program. " The

grant helps biology teachers at the school to introduce " students to the

field of biotechnology...one of the fastest growing sectors of the state's

economy. " Throughout the school year, Foxboro will be " visited by the

BioTeach mobile lab, a partnership with Boston University's CityLab

MobileLab bus. " According to Foxboro biology teacher Charpentier, the

program may " expand next year. "

Minority Third-Graders In Florida Less Likely Than White Peers To Be Granted

Exemption After Failing FCAT, Study Shows.

The St. sburg Times (1/9) reports, According to " a new research study, "

black and Hispanic third-graders in Florida are more likely than their white

peers to be held back after failing to pass the Florida Comprehensive

Assessment Test (FCAT). Under Florida's policy, " third-graders who score at

the lowest level on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test in reading "

must be " held back for another year -- unless they can show through one of

six 'good cause exemptions' that they deserve to go on to fourth grade. "

According to " researchers Jay Greene and Marcus Winters...black and Hispanic

third-graders are less likely to be promoted through those exemptions than

white peers with similarly low scores. The reasons are unclear. "

Specifically, " black students were four percent more likely to be held

back, " and " Hispanic students were nine percent more likely. " However,

Greene and Winters also found that two years later, retained students scored

" about 6 percentile points higher " on the FCAT " than those who were promoted

through exemptions. "

Louisiana Governor Announces High School Dropout Prevention Program.

Education Week /AP (1/8) reported that Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal ®

" announced a new dropout prevention pilot program Thursday that will begin

in the spring, aiming to get skills training to teenagers to keep them in

school. " Through the $2.6 million initiative, students who do not " finish

traditional high school programs " will receive " high school equivalency

training and work certificates. " And even though Jindal called on business

and industry leaders to help the state " prevent children from dropping out, "

the dropout program " will be funded with existing dollars in the state

education department and federal dollars, " he said.

Early Literacy Report Contains Some Surprises For Educators.

The Christian Science Monitor (1/9, Khadaroo) reports that " some of the

findings " of a National Early Literacy Panel report released yesterday

" reinforce the value of common practices, such as teaching young children

the alphabet. But 'some of the patterns are different from what people

predicted, and that's going to change practice,' says Shanahan,

chairman of the National Early Literacy Panel. " According to the Monitor,

Shanahan says, " Having kids memorize lists of words is 'creeping into a lot

of preschools,' " but " it turns out that it's much better to also know word

meanings and exhibit skills such as listening comprehension. " The Monitor

adds that the National Institute for Literacy " funded the panel's work,

which examined patterns from about 500 research articles on the skills and

teaching approaches that predict later success in reading, writing, and

spelling. "

Law & Policy

Utah Rule Would Prohibit School Bus Drivers From Using Mobile Phones While

Driving.

The Salt Lake Tribune (1/9, Schencker) reports, " A rule prohibiting drivers

from talking on cell phones while driving gained preliminary approval from

the Utah State Board of Education on Thursday. " Under the proposed new rule,

school bus drivers would not be authorized to use " cell phones, wireless

electronic devices, headsets, ear pieces, earphones, or any other equipment

that 'might distract a driver from his responsibilities' while a bus is in

motion. " They would, however, " be able to use cell phones and other devices

for emergencies and other school-related issues when buses are parked. They

would be able to use cell phones for personal reasons when buses are parked,

off the road and emptied of passengers. " Board members are expected to " vote

on the rule at their meeting next month. "

Safety & Security

Peaceful Playgrounds Aims To Eliminate Bullying By Keeping Students

Occupied.

KOLD-TV Tucson, AZ (1/9, Grijalva) reports that during recess Twin Peaks

School in Marana, students " are in training, learning to play new games, and

getting valuable lessons including simple problem solving ideas. " The

school's Peaceful Playgrounds program was created " to eliminate...bullies. "

All students participate in activities during recess to help them stay

active, occupied, and out of trouble. Peaceful Playgrounds " includes game

areas painted on the concrete, and plenty of play equipment. " Activities

include hopscotch, jump rope, and beanbag toss. According to KOLD, " Peaceful

Playgrounds is in about 7,000 schools across the country. " Twin Peaks

Elementary School is relying on around $5,000 in federal aid and in aid

raised by parents and students for the program.

School Finance

In Cost-Cutting Move, Florida District Eliminates Junior Varsity Sports.

The West Volusia (FL) Beacon (1/9, Everson) reports that due to " a statewide

shortage of dollars for public schools, " the Volusia County School District

has decided to eliminate " Junior Varsity spring sports and cheerleading "

from the district's budget. Superintendent Margaret said that the

district " has suffered the loss of more than $42 million in revenues in less

than two years as the overall economy has slumped, " and " warned [that] local

schools are facing another $13.7 million hit. " projected that " if the

cash shortage becomes more acute...schools may have to adopt a four-day

school week, eliminate varsity sports and cheerleading, delete many elective

courses, and end advanced academic programs like the International

Baccalaureate program at DeLand High School. "

The Orlando Sentinel (1/8, Weber) also reported, " Facing huge

revenue losses from the state, the Volusia school system Wednesday began

taking a broad ax to its budget, with officials saying employee layoffs may

come before the chopping is over. " In addition to this year's immediate

cuts, school officials warned of " the possibility of more layoffs, school

closings, cuts in acceleration programs...and even a four-day school week "

next year. According to the Sentinel, " Volusia...is paid less for each

student than other Central Florida counties, under a controversial state

funding system that says the cost of living in Volusia is less. "

Virginia Charity Has Raised Nearly $21 Million For Schools.

The Washington Post (1/8, PW12, Chandler) reported, " More than two decades

ago, a group of business leaders decided that Fairfax County (VA) needed a

school that would prepare students for jobs in high-tech industries. That

vision...became embodied in the Jefferson High School for Science and

Technology. " According to the Post, " A quarter-century later, the Fairfax

Education Foundation has raised and contributed nearly $21 million in cash

and high-tech equipment for more than 30 projects in the Fairfax public

school system. Grants have gone toward scholarships and mentoring programs

for minority students entering college, assistive technologies for students

with disabilities, laptops and computer training for low-income families,

and competitions to promote math and science instruction. "

Also in the News

Thirty-Two Million American Adults Have Low Literacy Skills, Study Finds.

USA Today (1/9, Toppo) reports, " A long-awaited federal study finds that an

estimated 32 million adults in the USA -- about one in seven -- are saddled

with such low literacy skills that it would be tough for them to read

anything more challenging than a children's picture book or to understand a

medication's side effects listed on a pill bottle. " The National Assessment

of Adult Literacy surveyed " more than 19,000 Americans ages 16 and older "

and " found that between 1992 and 2003, " the USA added about 23 million

adults to its population; in that period, an estimated 3.6 million more

joined the ranks of adults with low literacy skills. " The survey included a

state-by-state literacy analysis as well. USA Today notes that while some

states such as Mississippi " made sizable gains, " other states like

" California, New York, [and] Florida " did not.

According to the AP (1/9), " The study was produced by combining data

from the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy...with 'predictor

variables' like education and income from the 2000 Census. " That

" combination enabled the center to establish a model by which it estimated

literacy rates in each county and state. " The Riverside (CA) Press

Enterprise (1/9, Parsavand), the Connecticut Post (1/9, Chamoff), the

Greenville (SC) News (1/8, Barnett), the Baton Rouge (LA) Advocate /AP (1/9)

covered the national survey results for their respective states.

NEA in the News

land Elections Board Seeks Advice On Elected Officials' Campaign Fund

Transfers.

land's The Gazette (1/9, , ) reports that land's " State

Board of Elections this week asked the state Attorney General's Office for

advice on whether elected officials can transfer funds from their campaign

accounts to individuals running for union leadership. " According to the

Gazette, " The request for clarification comes after Montgomery County

teachers union President Bonnie Cullison asked several state lawmakers to

contribute to her bid for an at-large seat on the National Education

Association's (NEA) Executive Committee. " Cullison said that money

contributed to her campaign " would be used for airfare to attend the NEA's

regional conferences and to distribute literature to the 9,000 union

delegates, who will vote in July on committee members. "

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