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The Record--N.J. lawmakers demand end to school takeovers
State takeovers of financially troubled public school districts need to end, a lawmaker said Tuesday, citing what he described as 25 years of pent-up frustration and poor results since the State Education Department took over the Paterson School District.
Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly said state run school districts have created “a breeding ground for fraud and mismanagement of public funds,” in districts that have failed predominantly low-income African-American and Latino students. He introduced a bill earlier this month to end those takeovers.
“At best, these state intrusions are bad policy. At worse, they create constitutional violations,” Wimberly, D-Paterson, said at a news conference in the State House where he was joined by other lawmakers whose districts include schools that have undergone state takeovers.
Governor Christie vowed to veto the bill if it passed the Legislature.
http://www.northjersey.com/news/n-j-lawmakers-demand-end-to-school-takeovers-1.1553021
By JOHN C. ENSSLIN| state house bureau | The Record| April 27, 2016
NY Times-- Test Scores Show a Decline in Math Among High School Seniors
The average performance of the nation’s high school seniors dropped in math from 2013 to 2015, but held steady in reading, according to results of a biennial test released Wednesday.
The results, from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also showed a drop in the percentage of students in private and public schools who are considered prepared for college-level work in reading and math. In 2013, the last time the test was given, 39 percent of students were estimated to be ready in math and 38 percent in reading; in 2015, 37 percent were judged prepared in each subject.
In a survey attached to the test, 42 percent of students said they had been accepted to a four-year college, suggesting that the need for remedial courses in college will remain stubborn.
KATE ZERNIKE| APRIL 27, 2016
Education Week--Alternative Tests Aligned With Common Core Find Niche in Special Ed.
Assessments manage to avoid common-core maelstrom
While intense political pressure has prompted several states to move away from shared tests aligned to the Common Core State Standards, a set of aligned assessments for students with severe cognitive disabilities has managed to maintain support.
For the current school year, 2015-16, 27 states and the District of Columbia plan to administer alternate assessments that were developed by Dynamic Learning Maps or by the National Center and State Collaborative, two federally funded consortia. An additional state, Alaska, had planned to offer a consortium-designed alternate assessment this spring, but dropped out because of technical problems.
In contrast, only 21 states plan this school year to use tests that were developed by either the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) or Smarter Balanced, the two prominent separate consortia that spearheaded development of common-core tests for general use.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2016/04/27/alternative-tests-aligned-with-common-core-find.html
Christina A. Samuels| April 27, 2016
