OCDE Education in the News

Friday, August 18, 2017

USA TODAY

If later school start times are better, why aren't they more popular?

As California considers a first-of-its kind bill to outlaw a school day starting before 8:30 a.m., school districts across 19 states have later start times this school year than last, according to the nonprofit advocacy group Schools Start Later.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/08/17/later-school-start-times/577039001/

PRESS-ENTERPRISE

Hemet’s change to valedictorian policy stirs debate among teachers, parents

Plans by the Hemet school district to change the way it chooses valedictorians and salutatorians have been greeted with some resistance. The district currently utilizes a formula that combines grade-point average and Scholastic Aptitude Test scores to recognize the top two graduating seniors at each school, but after four of the six valedictorians had a lower GPA than the salutatorian in the class of 2017, there was a call for a change.

http://www.pe.com/2017/08/17/hemets-change-to-valedictorian-policy-stirs-debate-among-teachers-parents/

EDSOURCE

Understanding transitional kindergarten: a quick guide

Transitional kindergarten is an option for younger children, who are not old enough for kindergarten, to gain social and academic experience. The program, like kindergarten, isn’t mandatory but children must have their 5th birthday by a certain month to even qualify.

https://edsource.org/2017/understanding-transitional-kindergarten-a-quick-guide/585073

California's public universities struggle with rising college eligibility

California in many ways is a victim of its own success in preparing ever larger numbers of students for college.

https://edsource.org/2017/californias-public-universities-struggle-with-rising-college-eligibility/585841

KPCC

More community college classes offered at high schools, with some hiccups

Administrators at Torrance schools like the new partnership with El Camino Community College so much that they’ve added new college classes – including engineering design and digital electronics – at their high schools during the school day.

https://www.scpr.org/news/2017/08/18/74794/more-community-college-classes-offered-at-high-sch/

LAGUNA BEACH INDEPENDENT

Musical Discord in the District

The surprising resignation of jazz band teacher Matt Witek, just weeks before the start of the new school year, has some parents wondering whether district administrators truly value the music program.

http://www.lagunabeachindy.com/musical-discord-district/

NPR

Do Laptops Help Learning? A Look At The Only Statewide School Laptop Program

It was the year 2000 and Maine's governor at the time, Angus King, was excited about the Internet. The World Wide Web was still relatively young but King wanted every student in the state to have access to it. "Go into history class and the teacher says, 'Open your computer. We're going to go to rome.com and we're going to watch an archaeologist explore the Catacombs this morning in real time.' What a learning tool that is!"

http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/08/18/536875865/15-years-later-how-did-it-go-with-maines-school-laptop-program

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