Education News: December 16, 2005

Following are some of the top headlines from the world of education for the week ending December 16, 2005.

Making AP work for students
(Source: washingtonpost.com, 12/15/05) The school board of Fairfax County, Virginia, is opening its honors and advanced placement classes to anyone who is up to the challenge. With a strong work ethic being the only prerequisite, more students are preparing for and passing the year-end standardized AP exam. Teachers support the initiative to include all students in these classes, which is one of the hallmarks of Fairfax County's equity and excellence program.

Alderman wants young offenders to get choice: prison or school
(Source: suntimes.com, 12/15/05) In Chicago, Alderman Ed Smith wants to give juvenile criminals convicted of non-violent crimes a “second chance at life.” This chance would involve channeling high school dropouts who find themselves on the wrong side of the law back into alternative schools and GED programs. Alderman Smith intends to help these individuals clean up their permanent records and redirect them toward a more positive future.

Superintendent announces extra days for school
(Source: buffalonews.com, 12/15/05) Buffalo school officials will be postponing their vacations this year. A plan to increase the school year by a month this summer is in the works to assist underachieving students. The plan includes 40 elementary schools across the city that collectively show 64.7 percent of their first graders to be below par in English proficiency.

Charter schools open in New Orleans
(Source: CNN.com, 12/15/05) Hurricane Katrina has provided an impetus for change in the long-troubled New Orleans school system. Notorious for being the worst performing schools in the state, some New Orleans schools are being reopened as charter schools. As charter schools they will be eligible for federal funding, and the principals and teachers will have more power in making decisions that directly affect their schools.

Spelling announces flexibility in testing
(Source: baltimoresun.com, 12/15/05) In order to address the needs of special education students, Margaret Spellings is adapting federal laws to better serve this subgroup. Special education departments under the plan revealed this week will be permitted to select a specific 2 percent of a school's population to take a modified exam. The new exam, which could go into effect next year will be implemented with the hope of being able to more completely assess the achievement of each individual student in this specified population.

Say #!%* and pay $$$, Hartford tells high school students
(Source: The New York Times, 12/14/05) Frustrated over the inability to curtail obscenities, Hartford school officials are making students put their money where their mouth is. Fines for cursing in school have reached $103 and have been met with mixed reviews. School officials believe the fines are working and report a decrease in violence and calmer classrooms. While some think the fines are excessive, the majority of school employees believe it is a good idea in terms of making students take responsibility for their behavior.

More children getting school breakfasts
(Source: The Boston Globe, 12/14/05) Breakfast still seems to be the most important meal of the day, especially in school. Last year over 7.5 million students received breakfast in school, which was a 5.3 percent increase from the year before. A movement for all schools to serve breakfast is gaining favor due to the fact that it has been shown to make a difference in student behavior, achievement, and overall personal health.