Education News: October 30, 2009

Following are some of the top headlines from the world of education for the week ending October 30, 2009.

Are Turnaround Efforts Failing?
(New York Times, October 28) A recent study has shown little improvement among students affected by school turnaround efforts in Chicago. Most students transferred during school closures were re-enrolled in schools that were “academically weak.” Researches say that these factors combined with the disruption that closing a school may cause, are part of the reason for the disappointing results. As the former chief executive of Chicago public schools, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan headed Chicago turnaround efforts until his promotion. He now seeks similar turnaround efforts as a priority of the national education reform agenda.

States Lowering Their Standards
(New York TImes, October 29) In what is being called a reaction to No Child Left Behind, many states have lowered their academic standards. The statistics come from a federal study pointing to academic changes in fifteen states. The study found that some states lowered the scores required to qualify students as proficient. The drop in academic standards has prompted accusations from Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, accusing states of “lying” to the nation’s children. The issue has brought forth talk of nation wide standards in an effort to easily compare state progress.

Gates Foundation Pushes Reform
(USA Today, October 30) The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has partnered with the Obama administration in an attempt to mend America’s education system. The Gates Foundation is offering $250,000 to help states apply for federal funds. The money is available only to states who share the foundation’s educational goals, which are very similar to the goals of the Obama administration. Critics of the partnership say that as a private organization, the Gates Foundation is not liable to reveal the details of its spending. Other concerns explain that the partnership is like a concession, for it limits the foundation’s ability to be critical of the government.

Parents Accounted For
(Los Angeles Times, October 28) On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Unified School District revealed a new plan that will allow parents to instigate reform at lower performing schools. Superintendent Ramon C. Cortines has firmly stated that the rights of parents need to be accounted for, and that under the new plan strong parent involvement could trigger positive change. Critics of the plan claim that reform is a slow process and that by the time change is initiated many students will no longer be subject to the new policies. It is for this reason that many politicians are pushing to expand the plan to allow elementary school parents to become involved in high school affairs.

A Spike in Community College Enrollment
(San Francisco Gate, October 30) A recent study shows that college enrollment has reached record highs. Experts say that while college enrollment continues to rise steadily, a recent jump in community college enrollment may be attributed to the country’s economic woes. The average two year public college costs about $2,372 per year, versus the $7,020 average of a public four year college.

Swine Flu Causes Rising Absence Rates
(Washington Post, October 30) A wave of swine flu has spread throughout the Washington area nearly doubling its school’s average absence rate. In spite of lower school attendance, most of the schools affected by the virus continue to remain open. In Prince William County, Osbourn Park High School’s principal Timothy Healy found about 18% of his student body absent due to flu-like symptoms this week.