Posts tagged Common Core
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Morning bell: Has the Gray administration made real progress on education?
Mayor Gray’s record on education questioned: Vincent Gray touts a rise in scores, but critics point to problems: the state of middle schools and special education, and the persistent gap in achievement between wealthier and lower-income students. (Post) Not to mention OSSE: The Office of the State Superintendent, which oversees standardized testing and special education… Keep reading…
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Morning bell: Questions about the Common Core, including DC’s test choice
Some raise questions about DC’s choice of Common Core test: Two different testing consortiums offer assessments that are based on the new curriculum standards, and critics are asking whether DC has chosen the wrong one to begin implementing next year. (Post) Surveys show that teachers are warming up to the Common Core: Two reports show that a majority of teachers think… Keep reading…
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Morning bell: Some DCPS students have a long trek to school, others vote with their feet
Very few DCPS students attend their assigned schools: Only about a quarter of DC students go to the school where they’re assigned, according to data released in connection with the ongoing review of school boundaries and feeder patterns. And students living east of the river travel farther than students elsewhere. (Post) Details on middle school exodus: The Washington… Keep reading…
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Morning bell: More students take AP classes, with varying levels of success
The number who pass AP exams varies across the region: The number of students who take AP classes has almost doubled nationwide in the past 10 years, and the number of low-income students has almost quadrupled. Maryland led the country in the percentage of seniors who earned passing scores last year, with 30%, and Virginia was close behind at 28%. In DC, an entirely urban district, the… Keep reading…
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Do new standards promote big words instead of big ideas?
The new Common Core State Standards, which DC and most states have adopted, call for giving students reading assignments that are more complex. But is the Common Core directing educators to push students to read big words rather than to generate big ideas? The Common Core’s definition of “complex text” hinges on a number of factors, including sentence length… Keep reading…
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Morning bell: Funding woes and hopes for DC schools
Government shutdown threatens school funding: Both charter schools and DCPS may suffer if the impasse in Congress isn’t resolved soon. Charter schools won’t get the quarterly payments scheduled to go out today, which they rely on for operating expenses. And at DCPS, teachers may not get their salaries at the end of the month. (Washington Informer, DCist)… Keep reading…
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Allegations on test scores miss the whole story
DC Council Education Committee Chair David Catania has alleged that testing officials inflated the percentage of students reported as “proficient” on standardized tests given earlier this year. Officials say they were just trying to ensure this year’s scores could be compared with those from previous years. But according to multiple sources, the real… Keep reading…
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Do DC’s standardized writing scores mean anything?
There’s been a lot of talk about the most recent DC CAS reading and math scores and what they mean. But another set of test scores, assessing students’ writing skills, hasn’t gotten much attention. What do they mean, if anything? The DC CAS has included a composition section since 2011, but the 2012-13 school year is the first time the scores have been factored… Keep reading…
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DC CAS results show progress
The DC CAS results have been delivered with as much fanfare as the royal baby. The news is indeed good, but there’s still a long way to go. Tweets have been flying and school officials crowing: this year’s DC CAS results show undeniable progress. DCPS students have reached their highest proficiency levels since testing began in 2007. And DC charter schools made their… Keep reading…
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Maryland test scores drop. Is the Common Core responsible?
Test scores in Maryland have dropped, apparently because instruction is now based on the new Common Core standards while the tests are still tied to the old curriculum. But would the results have been any better if the tests had been aligned to the new standards? Standardized test scores for elementary and middle-school students in almost every Maryland county dropped this past… Keep reading…