By Michael on
11/19/2009 12:57 PM
Ask Mastery Charter School in Philadelphia. Mastery has been turning around schools in Philly since 2005 – they’ve taken some of the worst city schools and changed the leadership and the culture, and – working with the same kids as before the turn-around—made huge gains in proficiency on the state student assessment. The largest gain so far has been a 544% increase in the number of students meeting proficiency in 7th grade math since 2006 at their Shoemaker Campus. Here is a quick look at how all of their schools are doing. Their motto says it all- “Excellence. No Excuses.”
Imagine if the 16,000 kids in Delaware’s lowest performing schools had access to this kind of program. The benefits for our state would be colossal!
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By sgrunewald on
11/9/2009 2:37 PM
This morning, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Center for American Progress, and Frederick M. Hess, director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, issued Leaders and Laggards: A State-by-State Report Card on Educational Innovation.
Delaware got:
- two Bs (staff hiring and evaluation, data)
- two Cs (School management and finance)
- three Ds
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By Michael on
10/30/2009 10:59 AM
Earlier this week Rodel co-sponsored “Vision 2015 and Delaware’s Race to the Top”. This sold out event brought together over 500 education leaders from around the state, and around the nation, to talk about two critical issues, improving the quality of our teachers and turning around our lowest performing schools. Speakers included national experts on these subjects as well and Delaware Governor Jack Markell, and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Find all the conference resources and speeches here.
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By sarahg on
10/19/2009 12:58 PM
The Sunday News Journal had four op-ed pieces that key into the education work going on here in Delaware and around the nation. There was a piece by The News Journal laying out the four key reform areas Secretary Duncan and President Obama are pushing through Race to the Top, a piece about the need for more flexibility in our schools to help teachers be successful, a piece connecting the needs of higher education to the public school system, and finally a call to create the political will necessary to ensure all schools can be successful for all kids.
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By Michael on
10/1/2009 11:39 AM
Louisiana is often talked about as a front runner in the Race to the Top grant competition. Here’s why.
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By Michael on
9/25/2009 3:39 PM
With $4+ Billion dollars in federal Race to the Top (RTTT) grants at stake, it’s no wonder that cash-strapped states are looking for ways to set themselves apart to win this race. While each state has its own strengths and weaknesses, some have already been recognized for being out in front.
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By paulh on
9/2/2009 2:25 PM
Last month, I wrote a letter to Secretary Arne Duncan expressing support for the U.S. Department of Education's ambitious education reform agenda. With respect to the $4.35 billion Race to the Top grant fund, I encouraged Secretary Duncan to award funds to only the most aggressive states, as has been the intention since the competition was announced. I also urged him to keep the bar very high in terms of what is expected of states, and not allow political whims to get in the way of what is best for our students. Read the full letter here.
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By sgrunewald on
8/31/2009 12:43 PM
In a recent letter, the National Education Association (NEA) expressed concerns about major components of President Obama’s $4.35 billion Race to the Top (RTTT) grant competition. The union thinks the size of the program will inhibit effectiveness, opposes basing teacher evaluations in part on student performance, opposes expanding alternative teacher certification programs and dislikes RTTT’s emphasis on charter schools.
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By Michael on
8/21/2009 1:04 PM
Amidst all the test scores and data indicators, there is a startling truth: if you’re a Delaware high school student, your school is probably underperforming—and not just for a few students.
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By paulh on
7/20/2009 10:39 AM
When the Delaware General Assemble passed a resolution in support of “Race to the Top” funding from the federal government, it recognized the historic funding opportunity available to states and encouraged our Governor and Secretary of Education to create a competitive application for a share of the $4.35 billion federal fund. US DOE Secretary Duncan has set four broad assurances (in key speeches) that states will have to meet to be considered for funds:
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