Education News: August 11, 2006

Following are some of the top headlines from the world of education for the week ending August 11, 2006.

Fewer High School Students Are Having Sex, CDC Reports
(Source: The Houston Chronicle, 08/11/06) In a report released by the Center for Disease Control, the percentage of students engaging in intercourse was down almost ten percent since the survey was administered in 1991. Students who do engage in sex are also more likely to use a condom now than they were fifteen years ago. This report was issued for the 16th International Aids Conference which will take place this upcoming week.

State’s Teacher Incentive Plan Ready to Reward
(Source: The Dallas Morning News, 08/09/06) 15 percent of the schools in Texas are now being offered the chance to participate in a new incentive rewards program. This program offers additional salary to teachers whose students perform highly on the Texas state standardized exam. Additional salary increments ranging from three to ten thousand dollars are now available to teachers with highly-performing students in low income school districts. The school that would benefit the most from the program is set to receive $230,000. The state is introducing the program on a smaller scale before deciding to institute it state-wide. Performance ratings will be based on statistics available from 2005. The program will eventually grow to a $260 million endeavor.

Proposal Adds Options for Students to Specify Races
(Source: The New York Times, 08/09/06) The Education Department is discussing allowing students to circle multiple options when it comes to race/ethnicity on survey forms. Should the changes be approved, students will be allowed to circle multiple races. They will be asked whether they are Hispanic or not, and after this they will be asked to circle as many as apply: Native America/Alaska native, black, Asian, white, and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. Students who characterize themselves as Hispanic will be labeled Hispanic over the other affiliations. While this change will allow students to express their identity more clearly, it will also have a side effect of muddying the waters for those who study race issues in education.

Bill Expanding Gay Rights in Public School Curriculum Watered Down
(Source:The San Francisco Chronicle, 08/08/06) SB1437, a bill that mandates teaching about gay, transgender and bisexual notable contributors to society, has been diluted on its way through the California state legislature. Governor Schwarzenegger has stated his hesitation to mandate something that he believes resides in the jurisdiction of the state department of education. Conservative groups have voiced a loud objection to the passage of such a bill, while the sponsor of the bill states that she is seeking to ensure equal rights for everyone.

Schools Try Elementary Approach to Teaching Foreign Languages
(Source: The Washington Post, 08/08/06) Applying the concept that language training is more effective and simpler when people are younger, school districts across the county are instituting foreign language instruction in early grades. Pilot programs in various counties include languages such as Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, and Italian. Using the immersion method, teachers teach an apportioned part of the day in the foreign language. At the beginning of the school year, many students look puzzled and confused. The hope is that by the end of the school year students will no longer be confused and will be attaining greater proficiency each day of instruction. While some schools offer foreign language instruction during the regulation school day, other schools offer language classes for a fee in the morning before regular school days. Teaching students in multiple languages is gaining in popularity.

Penmanship: A Lost Pursuit for Students
(Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer, 08/08/06) As technology and computers increasingly take the place of writing by hand, some educators are taking time to reflect on the importance of handwriting. “Handwriting Without Tears” is one method of teaching handwriting, where instructors personally work with students to improve the quality of their handwriting. Struggles with handwriting are not only affecting students, they are also affecting professionals these days. Some people are making efforts to improve their handwriting, while others have decided to replace their troubles with technology.

The New Face of Summer School
(Source: The Washington Post, 08/07/06) With admission to selective colleges becomes increasingly difficult each year, students are devising creative ways to distinguish themselves from their peers. One of the new methods of doing so involves going to summer school. The term “summer school” usually evokes unhappy students fulfilling requirements that they did not pass during the regular term. Now, summer school classes are brimming with honors students determined to get mandatory classes out of the way so that they can take AP and IB classes instead. Some students even take summer classes just to get a feel for a subject before taking it again in the fall. Introducing top-tier students to the summer school classroom has been making students and educators more aware of the intensifying divide between AP students and those who have failed requirements.