Education News: December 2, 2005

Following are some of the top headlines from the world of education for the week ending December 2, 2005.

City schools show gains in math, less progress in reading
(Source: CNN.com, 12/01/05) In a recent nation-wide assessment, urban school districts across the country demonstrated that they are improving more rapidly than most rural districts, especially in mathematics. Eleven urban school districts volunteered to participate in the arduous National Assessment of Educational Progress. Urban schools that are encountering a great number of economic and language barriers have been gaining ground in math but are still lacking in reading skills across the board. NCLB laws require increased proficiency in both subjects on an annual basis.

Parents get a bigger say in education
(Source: washingtonpost.com, 12/01/05) Maryland Superintendent of Schools, Nancy Grasmick is getting serious about parental involvement. In a movement deemed “Parent Power” Grasmick is assigning two full-time employees specifically to family issues. She is also reorganizing committees, renaming councils, and restructuring the website all to address the importance of parental involvement in student achievement.

The mystery of teaching science…. solved!
(Source: csmonitor.com, 12/01/05) The phrase of the day for science education is “inquiry-based learning.” With the need for scientists and science educators becoming a growing concern in the United States, schools are using their brains in rethinking their instructional approach. Memorization and lecture are being replaced with hands-on, thought-provoking activities with an abundance of questions designed to help students, in turn, learn to use their brains.

Closing the gap between city and suburban students
(Source: The New York Times, 11/23/05) St. George Independent has been serving affluent students in the suburbs of Memphis for that last forty years. An effort to expand its effectiveness to a middle and high school campus was met with a 6 million dollar challenge from a group of area donors concerned about the city's racial divide. The challenge is being called St. George Memphis. The school will emulate the suburban model in the city and will attempt to close the racial gap that is so glaring. Rick Ferguson, St. George's president, believes that success with this school in a city like Memphis could set a tone of cultural diversity that could resonate throughout the country.

New U.S. textbook aims to teach Bible
(Source: CNN.com, 12/01/05) Schools across America are considering teaching the Bible as historical literature. A new text titled, The Bible and its Influence is in the process of being reviewed so that it can possibly be added to current curriculum. In 1963 the Supreme Court ruled to exclude religious context from public schools, but Chuck Stetson, a New York investment banker and author of the book, believes that the Bible is much more than a religious document. Stetson believes, “ It is not about belief. It’s about crucial knowledge and knowledge belongs in our schools.”

First New Orleans public school opens since Katrina
(Source: CNN.com, 11/28/05) Benjamin Franklin Elementary became the first public school to open its doors to students this week following Hurricane Katrina. Welcome signs and camera crews were there to greet students for their first day back. Initial enrollment is expected to reach around 200 students serving grades K-6. Board members and parents alike were delighted to get students back were they belong—in the classroom.