OCDE Education in the News

Friday, April 26, 2024

OCDE NEWSROOM

OC dominates at National History Day-California with 24 championship projects

Orange County students once again demonstrated keen historical analysis while showcasing their creativity at this year’s National History Day-California competition, clinching two dozen state championships. That was the highest total of any of the 25 counties participating in the event, which drew more than 1,500 young historians from 248 schools. Riverside County had the second-highest total with 10 championships.

https://newsroom.ocde.us/oc-dominates-at-national-history-day-california-with-24-championship-projects/

VOICE OF SAN DIEGO

The Progress Report: How 4 Schools Are Teaching Kids to Read – and Seeing Success

Over the years, schools have embraced different methods to teach kids to read. But one group helping four schools in southeastern San Diego has embraced research backed methods, and it’s paying off.

https://voiceofsandiego.org/2024/04/25/the-progress-report-how-4-schools-are-

USA TODAY

Kids seem to prefer storybooks that explain how and why

It’s no surprise that children are constantly asking the question “why?” Research has now shown that children prefer to read books that explain how and why things happen.

https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/education/2024/04/25/kids-prefer-storybooks-explain-how-why/73413403007/

PRESS-ENTERPRISE

Federal review slams Redlands Unified’s failures to address sexual abuse complaints by students

The district, which has a long history of improper handling of misconduct complaints, entered into a resolution agreement to ensure reforms are followed.

https://www.pressenterprise.com/2024/04/25/federal-review-slams-redlands-unifieds-failures-to-address-sexual-abuse-complaints-by-students/

FRESNO BEE

Superintendent search stalls. Fresno Unified board says it’s not worried about uncertainty

After four months, Fresno Unified is still far away from selecting a new superintendent as the summer break looms, choosing to pause the search as board members discuss “available options.”

https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/education-lab/article287994460.html

MY DESERT

Palm Springs is first district in the Coachella Valley to pay student school board members

Palm Springs Unified School District has become the first district in the Coachella Valley to pay its five student board members a stipend of about $296 per month for attending meetings, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2024.

https://bit.ly/49Us4M7

NPR

A Baltimore-area teacher is accused of using AI to make his boss appear racist

A Maryland high school athletic director is facing criminal charges after police say he used artificial intelligence to duplicate the voice of Pikesville High School Principal Eric Eiswert, leading the community to believe Eiswert said racist and antisemitic things about teachers and students. "We now have conclusive evidence that the recording was not authentic," Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough told reporters during a news conference Thursday. "It's been determined the recording was generated through the use of artificial intelligence technology."

https://www.npr.org/2024/04/26/1247237175/baltimore-ai-generated-racist-audio-crime

OTHER NEWS OUTLETS

LAHS teacher advances to top ten in Reader’s Digest ‘America’s Favorite Teacher’ contest

A Los Al teacher who has learned to make students learn as they laugh has suddenly found himself among the top ten teachers in the nation competing in a contest sponsored by Reader’s Digest for “America’s Top Teacher.” Dave Barker, who teaches math at Los Al High School, is among ten American teachers now in contention for the top spot, according to information released this week by the Los Alamitos Unified School District.

https://event-newsenterprise.com/lahs-teacher-advances-to-top-ten-in-readers-digest-americas-favorite-teacher-contest/

Best High Schools in California

We reviewed nearly 25,000 U.S. public high schools; 1,652 California schools made our rankings. Oxford Academy in the Anaheim Union High School District is #4 in California.

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/california

Study: Lengthy school closures were especially hard on high-achieving students

To gauge the magnitude of global learning loss during the pandemic, a team at the World Bank examined data from the Program for International Student Assessment, which tests 15-year-olds in math, reading and science, from 2018-22. Among the report’s many notable insights is a counterintuitive finding about outcomes: In countries with the longest closures, high-achieving students experienced larger learning losses than their low- and medium-achieving peers.

https://www.laschoolreport.com/study-lengthy-school-closures-were-especially-hard-on-high-achieving-students/

One year later, no answers on inquiry into alleged fraud at Stockton Unified

The DA’s office has shared no details about the investigation’s status following several requests by The Record starting in February, except to say it was ongoing. It's unclear if that's still the case.

https://www.recordnet.com/story/news/crime/2024/04/25/no-update-on-stockton-unified-investigation/73431081007/

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