OCDE Education in the News

Thursday, September 28, 2017

OCDE NEWSROOM

Centralia School District expanding its Saturday School – kids make up for absences, district gets more funding

After a successful trial run last school year, the Centralia School District in 2017-18 is offering six Saturday School sessions to students who missed days of class during the week. Students can earn back absences by attending, and the district can recoup about $50 per student in average daily attendance (ADA) funding, said Scott Martin, assistant superintendent of business and administrative services.

http://www.ocregister.com/2017/09/27/centralia-school-district-expanding-its-saturday-school-kids-make-up-for-absences-district-gets-more-funding/

Newport-Mesa stronger than ever says deputy superintendent during State of Schools breakfast

The state of public schools in Costa Mesa and Newport Beach are stable fiscally and academically, the deputy superintendent of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District proclaimed Wednesday, Sept. 27. In his State of the Schools speech inside a packed Costa Mesa High School gym, Russell Lee-Sung told district employees and community members the district is making great strides in educating the roughly 22,000 students it serves.

http://www.ocregister.com/2017/09/27/newport-mesa-stronger-than-ever-says-deputy-superintendent-during-state-of-schools-breakfast/

LOS ANGELES TIMES

California's students stagnate on standardized tests — but the lowest scorers are improving

When California rolled out new standardized tests, experts said scores would improve when students got used to them. But three tests in, rather than showing strides from familiarity, their scores have stagnated in English and math.

http://www.latimes.com/local/education/la-me-california-lowest-test-scores-20170927-story.html

EDSOURCE

Taking college classes in high school can lead to more college success

New evidence says taking college classes while in high school can improve a student’s chances of earning a college degree. The findings indicate that these “dual enrollment” classes may be another tool as California grapples with a looming shortage of college-educated workers.

https://edsource.org/2017/taking-college-classes-in-high-school-can-lead-to-more-college-success/588026

KQED

San Francisco Schools Aim for a Zero Carbon Footprint by 2040

The San Francisco Board of Education voted unanimously Tuesday night in favor of a plan to achieve carbon neutrality — the phasing out of fossil fuel use entirely — by 2040. Board officials say the San Francisco Unified School District now has in place the nation’s most aggressive carbon reduction goal of its kind.

https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2017/09/27/san-francisco-schools-aim-for-a-zero-carbon-footprint-by-2040/

SI&A CABINET REPORT

Governor signs legislation backing student board rights

The formal status of students serving in advisory roles on local district boards will be enhanced under legislation signed by Gov. Jerry Brown this week. SB 468 by state Sen. Connie Leyva, D-Chino, requires that meeting documents and briefings that district staff may offer to the rest of the governing board must be equally extended to student members.

https://www.cabinetreport.com/politics-education/governor-signs-legislation-backing-student-board-rights

KPCC

In a year of flat test scores, a middle school in LA's Boyle Heights continues its rise

In recent years, Hollenbeck math teachers have reduced the amount of time they spend lecturing and drastically increased the amount of time students spend working together in small groups. Instead of relying on teachers for step-by-step directions for solving each math problem, students rely more on their textbooks — and on each other — to learn concepts.

https://www.scpr.org/news/2017/09/27/76051/in-a-year-of-flat-test-scores-a-middle-school-in-l/

California math, language arts test scores level off — and achievement gaps persist

California schools made little, if any progress at all in closing the achievement gap between privileged and underprivileged students in 2017, according to results released Wednesday from last spring's round of the state's benchmark standardized tests in math and English. Overall, results on the tests — taken by high school juniors and third through eighth graders in the state's public schools — were largely unchanged from 2016.

https://www.scpr.org/news/2017/09/27/76062/california-math-language-arts-test-scores-level-of/

NPR

More California Students Taking Advanced Placement Exams

More California high school students appear to be preparing for college. The number of students taking college-level Advanced Placement, or AP, tests went from about 300,000 in 2013 to nearly 370,000 this year. AP exams are taken each May by high school students who've attended classes that are roughly equivalent to undergraduate college courses. Robert Oakes with the state Department of Education says participation in AP tests increased among nearly all segments of California's diverse student body.

http://www.capradio.org/103039

DISCLAIMER: This Internet site contains hypertext links to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links are provided for your convenience. The Orange County Department of Education does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness or completeness of this outside information. Further, the inclusion of links to particular items in hypertext are not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed or products or services offered on these outside sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites.