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NJ Spotlight--Will NJ Schools Be Affected by U.S. Top Court Ruling on Special Ed?
State already answers to higher legal standard, but federal ruling should re-emphasize that minimum progress is not enough for special-needs students
When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 8-0 last week in favor of raising standards for special education nationwide, the decision was widely applauded by parent and children advocates.
But when it comes to how much the ruling will directly impact New Jersey, the answer is a bit more complicated.
In a decisive victory for special-needs children, the court ruled in a case that originated in Colorado that schools are compelled to teach students with disabilities at a level comparable to other students and above the standard of minimum progress.
John Mooney | March 27, 2017
Star Ledger--PARCC testing is back Monday and the stakes are higher in N.J.
During the first two years of New Jersey's new standardized tests, state education officials said they knew they had a problem: Students who didn't care about the exams could blow them off without repercussions.
But, on Monday, state math and English tests begin again. And this time there are real stakes.
The PARCC exams, already used to evaluate teachers and schools, will carry new graduation consequences for some middle and high school students -- a change that could signal the beginning of the end of the testing opt-out movement in New Jersey.
However, the new state rules still face both legal and political challenges and may be dropped by the next governor, leaving families who oppose the testing with a decision to make.
Should students follow the existing rules and participate in PARCC or take the chance that the exams will no longer be a graduation requirement by the time they finish high school?
Adam Clark | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com | March 27, 2017 at 8:23 AM, updated March 27, 2017 at 10:20 AM
NY Times--College Is the Goal. The Problem? Getting There.
TOPEKA, Kan. — She was a blur of motion — leading the school step-dance team, working long hours after school at a beauty products store, mentoring younger students and caring for her siblings. So TaTy’Terria Gary, a senior at Topeka High School, had little time last fall to study for the ACT college admission test.
She was crushed when she scored below the threshold for admission to some local universities. She saw her dreams of being the first in her family to go to college and becoming a gynecologist turning to dust.
“I was angry at myself,” she said. “I had underestimated the test.”
College is the great leveler of American life, and the great divider, too. College graduates typically earn more money, are more satisfied with their jobs and are less likely to be on public assistance than people with only high school degrees. Students understand this; the aspiration to go to college is now almost universal.
Getting there, though, is another matter.
By ANEMONA HARTOCOLLISMARCH 24, 2017
Education Week--With Hacking in Headlines, K-12 Cybersecurity Ed. Gets More Attention
Amid a steady drumbeat of reports on cyber-espionage and election-related hackings, lawmakers are wrestling with questions of how to best protect the country from digital threats and address a severe shortage of skilled cybersecurity workers.
That means new attention for nascent efforts to support cybersecurity education, including in K-12 schools. The National Governors Association, eight different federal agencies, and a national commission established by President Barack Obama are among those supporting a wide assortment of cybersecurity-related education and workforce-development initiatives.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2017/03/22/with-hacking-in-headlines-k-12-cybersecurity-ed.html
By Benjamin Herold: March 21, 2017
