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NJ Spotlight--Compromise Plan to Boost Oversight of Public-Worker Health Benefits
Appointment of independent monitor would allow for ongoing, regular auditing of billions that state pays annually for claims — Sen. Sarlo
New Jersey would hire an auditor to conduct regular and ongoing reviews of all medical claims generated by public workers under a bill lawmakers approved last week, which supporters said could lead to significant taxpayer savings.
Lilo H. Stainton | March 18, 2019
Star Ledger--The top 50 high schools in N.J.’s new rating system
It’s might not be perfect, and it’s not exactly popular, but it’s the closest thing New Jersey has to an official list of its top schools.
The state this week released its new public school grades, scores from 0-100 based on standardized test scores, graduation rates and other academic data (see a full breakdown below). And the results are generally what you would expect: Academies with selective enrollment and schools in wealthier suburbs earned the highest scores.
https://www.nj.com/education/2019/03/the-top-50-high-schools-in-njs-new-rating-system.html
Adam Clark | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com and Carla Astudillo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Star Ledger--Lakewood to get another $15M in school aid from special fund just for Lakewood
First, Lakewood School District received an extra $15 million in school funding through some special treatment in the governor’s proposed education budget.
Now, the state says the district should get millions more thanks to a new category of state aid called “provisional stabilization aid.” As it turns out, though, Lakewood is the only school district in the state eligible to receive “provisional stabilization aid” aid this year.
Adam Clark | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com| Updated Mar 15, 2019; Posted Mar 15, 2019
New York Times--Is the College Cheating Scandal the ‘Final Straw’ for Standardized Tests?
The federal indictments in the college admissions scheme come as standardized tests are under the microscope nationwide.
For parents desperate to boost their children’s SAT or ACT scores, the test preparation company Student-Tutor offered an enticing solution: claim a learning disability and qualify for extra time.
“This time advantage can help raise their scores significantly!” the website blared. “Some students have even reported raising their score by as much as 350+ points!”
This week’s college admissions scandal provided an instruction manual for gaming the SAT: bribe the proctor, hire a stand-in, see the right psychologist to get a signoff for more time.
Eliza Shapiro and Dana Goldstein| March 14, 2019
NPR--Building Teens Into Strong Readers — By Letting Them Teach
Two afternoons a week, Mikala Tardy walks six blocks from Eastern High School to Payne Elementary School, not far from Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
She signs in at the front desk just after 3:30 p.m. and makes her way to a classroom, where she'll be tutoring second- and third-graders who are full of energy after the school day.
Today, Mikala and three students work through an exercise about communities and the building blocks that create them. They learn how to spell people and playground — two essential components of any community, they decide.
Mikala, a senior at Eastern High, began this work back in the ninth grade.
https://www.npr.org/2019/03/15/700345380/building-teens-into-strong-readers-by-letting-them-teach
Clare Lombardo| March 15, 20197:00 AM ET
