July, 2008

NEWS STATEMENT

CONTACT: Sandy Boyd (202) 419-1542, sboyd@achieve.org

New Report Shows States Taking Lead on Developing Rigorous, Common Core Standards

Emerging Common Core in State English and Mathematics Standards Reflects Universal Demands of College and Workplace

South Haven High School has 19 copies of C++ for You++ for sale. This is an AP course.

1998 copyright. GREAT PRICE! GREAT CONDITION!

Anyone interested should contact South Haven Public School at 269-637-0501

Jim visits with John Petitto, Director of HR, Avondale Schools and talks about the Graduation Dropout Process (GAD).  Listen In. 

We are a school of 875 students and we are looking into starting an advisory/homeroom for about 15minutes a day.

The 2006-2007 graduation rates will be calculated by tracking individual students who first enrolled in ninth grade in fall 2003, and graduated four years later with a regular diploma. Continuing students who were not reported as diploma recipients were recorded for accountability purposes as “off-track.”

Community Forum for Public Feeback on New Educational Requirements

Please Join State Representative Robert Dean and Other Speacial Guests

July 22, 2008

7pm - 8:30pm

Save the pdf below for more details!

(July 17,08 - Gongwer News) On a 31-4 vote the Senate approved the 2008-09 K-12 School Aid budget, despite some bipartisan hesitation on a change in the bill to the definition of Detroit's status as a first-class school district.
The budget provides for per-pupil funding increases of between $56 to $112 per pupil with the state's poorer districts getting the larger increases.
And the measure includes $15 million to help finance the start of Governor Jennifer Granholm's proposal to tackle dropout rates by creating smaller high schools.

Schools feel pressure to end mandatory service
Posted by Kym Reinstadler | The Grand Rapids Press July 14, 2008 06:31AM
Three years later, Quizena, 19, still volunteers there three hours a week. But now, she does it because she wants to.
"If West Ottawa didn't require it, I wouldn't have found the motivation to volunteer," said Quizena, now a sophomore at Grand Rapids Community College. "I would not have learned how much hospitals, libraries and other organizations depend on volunteers to function."

With a conference committee meeting scheduled for Thursday, Michigan schools will come a step closer to finding out what their per pupil allotments will be for the 2008-09 fiscal year. Indications are schools can expect increases in the range of $56 to $112 for each student, and there will be some funding set aside for Governor Jennifer Granholm's proposal to combat school dropouts by building smaller high schools.

Michigan AYP makes changes, progress counts
By FRANK KONKEL
Sentinel-Standard writer
Published: Wednesday, July 9, 2008 1:09 AM CDT
E-mail this story | Print this page
IONIA - In the past, test scores were the primary factor determining whether Michigan students met federally-defined Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).
Not anymore.

FROM ALLIANCE FOR EXCELLENT EDUCATION--Diane Mc

Groups raise concerns about timelines, interim rate, and accountability

By Stephen Sawchuk

Court: Mich. schools forced to bear reporting costs
BY DAWSON BELL • FREE PRESS LANSING BUREAU • JULY 7, 2008
LANSING – Michigan state government has been shortchanging local school districts millions of dollars a year by failing to reimburse the cost of enhanced reporting requirements under education reforms enacted in the last decade, the state Court of Appeals ruled today.

Some good news about AYP!--Diane Mc

News Release
Contact: Martin Ackley, Director of Communications, (517) 241-4395

July 7, 2008
LANSING – Michigan is one of 10 states approved to participate in a national pilot program that will take into consideration a student’s yearly academic growth to help determine Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).

Our friends at Achieve have recently published some very helpful documents regarding linking the call for higher math skills and the modern workplace.

Here are some sites to go: achieve.org/buildingblocksofsuccess

And - achieve.org/mathatwork

Building Blocks give the rationale for the higher math expectations.

Math at Work are six different publications that show how math is critical in different work groups.

As the building administrator you're going to be a point person. You will find these materials very helpful.

Change is slow in coming to teachers' health-care reform
Posted by anixon July 06, 2008 00:01AM
This was to be the year that Michigan school officials mounted an aggressive attack on health-care costs.
As it turns out -- not so much.
Last fall, state lawmakers approved reforms designed to make it easier for school districts to shop for health insurance, one of their fastest-growing expenses.

The continuing debate between Governor Granholm and legislative leaders over her plan to create smaller high schools to address rising drop-out rates proved to be the stumbling block keeping the Legislature from completing its work on the School Aid budget. During almost constant deliberations during the Legislature’s final session day, Ms.

Diane McMillan--Moderator

This page is devoted to all topics related to high school and middle school reform and redesign. Please feel free to add your own comments, and documents that relate to this topic to this page. Please bookmark this page to receive frequent updates.

Attached is the July installment of the NASSP Advocacy Update. This quarterly update includes information on legislative activities in the following areas:

No Child Left Behind
Striving Readers Act
Success in the Middle Act
FY 2009 Education Funding
Higher Education Act Reauthorization
School Construction
School Safety
News from the U.S. Department of Education
NASSP Board Position Statements
NASSP Federal Grassroots Network

Amanda N. Karhuse
Director of Government and Public Relations
National Association of Secondary School Principals
1904 Association Drive

Roughly half of the state's 782 traditional and charter schools could receive as much as $110 more per pupil in Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 under the proposal House and Senate leadership is currently working on for the School Aid Fund.

Warning that the situation could change, House K-12 Appropriations Committee Chair Matt GILLARD (D-Alpena) said the current plan with the Senate is to continue using the "2x-x" funding formula of last year, in which school districts that receive the minimum state grant of $7,204 per student will receive $110 more per student.

Shaved heads for sports teams: Do they promote unity or are they hazing?; Debate continues in Goodrich, Michigan
by RoNeisha Mullen | The Flint Journal

Tuesday July 01, 2008, 6:30 AM

GOODRICH, Michigan -- What started as a simple complaint about an unauthorized haircut at football camp has turned into a raging debate that's put one mom against dozens of area residents and coaches.

But one national expert says the mom is right: Football-camp haircuts are a kind of hazing.

Don't give up on plan for higher grades
Legislators should give new tougher standards a chance to work

June 29, 2008
Detroit Free Press Editorial

There's just no point in jettisoning a life preserver before you know whether it'll float.
Advertisement

Yet the very policy that promises, long term, to lift up generations of Michigan high school students is in jeopardy of being picked apart before it's had a chance to pay off.

The standards are just now going into full effect.