State Roundup

• AR Education Department reports that students’ performance on 2008 end-of-course exams in algebra and geometry showed improvement over last year’s scores. Performance on literacy exams showed no change from the previous year.
  http://www.swtimes.com/articles/2008/07/11/news/news01.txt
• AZ House Speaker and State Schools Superintendent propose an interagency agreement to use $5 million of the $9 million the House has in a contingency fund to continue
  school-voucher programs for disabled and foster-care children.
  http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2008/07/11/20080711vouchers0711.html
• LA Governor’s plan to spend $20 million on merit and flex pay for public-school teachers turns into a $10 million push to address hard-to-fill jobs in rural districts.
  http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/politics/24436129.html
• MI lawmakers scheduled to resume state budget discussions next week. Key issues will include educational funding and school size.
  http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080711/POLITICS/807110378/1409/METRO

Other News

• Opinion Piece: Economy takes a toll on education funding
  http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92430761
• Presidential candidates discuss their proposed education policies at an event sponsored by the Association of Educational Publishers in
  http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2008/06/on-education-mc.html

• CA officials announce state mandate that all 8^th grade students will be tested in algebra.
  http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9836586
• GA’s high school students improved this year on a series of English and science tests, but their scores dropped on math and social studies exams, according to results released Wednesday.
  http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2008/07/09/high_school_scores.html?COXnetJSessionIDbuild102_prod=ZnChL2KRXTLcHpr0hfpK2xypzvp1DWGKW7h72JlykXRjS0vcpyTn!-980948750&UrAuth=%60N^NUObNTUbTTUWUXUaUZT[UUUWU_U]UZU%60U]UcTYWYWZV&urcm=y
• ND schools could experience positive effects from changes to NCLB.
  http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2008/07/09/news/local/159673.txt
• OK State Schools Superintendent presents her annual OK “State of ” address. Superintendent focuses on three main initiatives.
  http://newsok.com/state-school-leader-says-schools-should-set-higher-goals/article/3267429/?tm=1215556617
• TX Attorney General rules that school districts, not the state, will pay the $100 million annual cost of teacher benefits.
  http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5880216.html

School funding/litigation

• NJ legislature approves $2.9 billion in funding for the state’s poorest districts
  http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080708/NEWS01/80708023/0/ENT
• PA Legislature approves $5.2 billion education budget and certain changes in education laws.
  http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08191/895664-298.stm

State Roundup

• AL Governor and state Superintendent of Education announced Tuesday that $1 billion will be used to expand high school distance learning programs.
  http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080709/NEWS01/807090347
• CA Governor urges State Board of Education to require all eighth-grade students to be tested in Algebra 1.
  http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/1069361.html
• GA’s use of vouchers for special education students expected to expand in the coming year.
  http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2008/07/08/voucher_program_success.html
• HI legislature overrides Governor’s veto regarding the creation of an Early Learning Council to develop an early childhood education system. Governor questions the ability of the state to regulate and fund early childhood education programs.
  http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080709/NEWS01/807090407&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL
• IL Governor expected to put $33.7 billion construction plan in writing. Plan to include funding for school construction.
  http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2008/07/governor-ready.html
• NJ program to rebuild schools in state’s poorest communities receives almost $4 billion from state.
  http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/topstories/index.ssf/2008/07/school_building_program_gets_4.html
• OH state-test scores for fifth graders lower than previous years.
  http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/07/08/newresults.ART_ART_07-08-08_A1_QCAMGC7.html?sid=101
• TX Attorney General rules that school districts will have to pay $100 million in teacher benefits.
  http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/07/09/0709teacherbenefits.html
• UT Legislature decides to seek to intervene in lawsuit filed against controversial education omnibus bill
  http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700241626,00.html

Other News

• Presidential candidates differ on k-12 spending proposals
  http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/07/16/43electspend_web.html?levelId=2300&

School Funding/Litigation

• MI Court of Appeals rules school districts should have been reimbursed for the cost of keeping and reporting more data required under new education reforms
  http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080708/NEWS06/807080355
• ND Commission on Education meets to discuss increased education funding
  http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=207479&section=News&freebie_check&CFID=54605744&CFTOKEN=82660928&jsessionid=88304674c5872e1f1222
• PA suburban school districts will share $82.6 million in new basic education funding next school year under new state budget
  http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20080708_Pa__support_for_schools_jumps.html
• TX Attorney General sides with Legislature telling school districts they should pay for teacher benefits stemming from a salary increase approved two years ago
  http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/070808dnmetteacherpay.331eed5b.html

State Roundup

• MD waiver would give students attending Title I schools the choice of transferring to a higher-performing school or staying and receiving free tutoring
  http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080708/NEWS02/807080332/1009
• AR survey calling for more after-school programs says middle and high school students would consider participating in after-school activities if offered
  http://www.nwarktimes.com/adg/News/230740/
• Editorial – U.S. Secretary of Education says “save D.C.’s vouchers”
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/07/AR2008070702216.html?nav=rss_opinion/columns
• MD school systems consider performance pay for teachers and principals
  http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/jul/08/maryland-schools-consider-merit-pay-for-teachers/
• PA lawmakers settle on a compromise that would make graduation tests  voluntary
  http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/state/s_576471.html

Other News

• Technology reshapes ’s classrooms, reducing the need for textbooks, paper and in some cases the schools themselves
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/07/AR2008070700824.html?nav=rss_education

State Roundup

• FL high-school seniors who stumble on the state test are making a last stab by taking either the ACT or the similar SAT college-entrance exam
  http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-othertests0608jul06,0,7907188.story
• MI hopes to boost scores on the ACT exam
  http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080707/NEWS/807070332/1001/newsfrnt
•  The percentage of sophomores who passed all five parts of the OH graduation test drops for the second year in a row
  http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1215246612129940.xml&coll=2
• OH students in need of free school lunches will get to skip the paperwork this fall
  http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/07/07/freelunch.ART_ART_07-07-08_B1_H0ALLQG.html?sid=101

Federal/NCLB

• IL gains flexibility under NCLB
  http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=214532&src=109

• NJ schools could face scrutiny next year over the test scores of their special education students, due to a technical change in the way NCLB is applied
  http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-10/121514613543700.xml&coll=1

Published Monday, Jul. 14, 2008