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March 2009
Teachers Key to Reversing High Failure Rate in Math
Submitted by jim on Tue, 03/31/2009 - 4:17pmTeachers Key to Reversing High Failure Rate in Math
March 31, 2009
By Rick DuFour
We received a query from a high school principal about the failure rate in algebra in his school. At the end of the first quarter, 44 percent of students were receiving grades of D or F. At the end of the first semester, the rate had increased to 55 percent. When the administration met with the teachers to offer support, teachers took the following positions:
1. The problem was caused by the fact that middle school teachers were not giving students the necessary skills.
Teachers Key to Reversing High Failure Rate in Math
Submitted by jim on Tue, 03/31/2009 - 4:17pmTeachers Key to Reversing High Failure Rate in Math
March 31, 2009
By Rick DuFour
We received a query from a high school principal about the failure rate in algebra in his school. At the end of the first quarter, 44 percent of students were receiving grades of D or F. At the end of the first semester, the rate had increased to 55 percent. When the administration met with the teachers to offer support, teachers took the following positions:
1. The problem was caused by the fact that middle school teachers were not giving students the necessary skills.
Get the Latest on the "Hot Topics" at the Spring Law Update
Submitted by Diane McMillan on Fri, 03/27/2009 - 3:05pm
Education Budget Bills Move
Submitted by jim on Fri, 03/27/2009 - 2:54pmDepartment of Education---House Bill 4438: The subcommittee spending proposal for the Department of Education totals $120.6 million, a nearly 27 percent increase over current year spending. However, nearly all the increase—some $22.2 million—reflects the anticipated transfer of the Library of Michigan from the Department of History, Arts and Libraries to the Department of Education. The subcommittee also restored funding for assisting teachers seeking national board certification and the alternative certifications programs at Central Michigan and Wayne State Universities.
Building Usage of On-Line Instruction from MVU Survey
Submitted by Chris on Fri, 03/27/2009 - 9:56amPlease take just a moment and let us know your building usage of on-line instruction that comes from Michigan Virtual University.
Please use the following link to fill out the survey, http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=UY92XYF89E_2bMC6Lh_2b2HPyA_3d_3d.
-Jim
Regulatory Compliance of Education for Homeless Children and Youth Programs
Submitted by Chris on Fri, 03/27/2009 - 9:54amMEMORANDUM, March 26, 2009
TO: Local and Intermediate School District Superintendents, Public School Academy Directors
FROM: Sally Vaughn, Ph.D., Deputy Superintendent/Chief Academic Officer
SUBJECT: Regulatory Compliance of Education for Homeless Children and Youth Programs - School District Self-Assessment Tool
List the name of your school if you use an alternative to a 100% scale to report letter grades (e.g., 4 or 12 points or letters)
Alternative Grading Systems Survey:
I'm looking to identify which school districts in MI use something other than the traditional total points = 100% scale = letter grade cut-points.
Please list your school and whether you use:
(a) a rubric or standards-based 4 point scale,
(b) an 11, 12, or 13 point representation of letter grades, or
(c) just letter grades without any reported numerical value associated with them.
How Long Should School Days Be?
Submitted by jim on Fri, 03/27/2009 - 8:26amLawmakers thought they were doing the right thing when they scrapped the 180-day school year requirement and replaced it with the number of hours schools had to teach.
But after a recent study showed schools may be taking too much advantage of the situation, even Republicans are wondering if they made a mistake by baking the 1,098-hour requirement into the School Aid Fund budget in 2003.
"It didn't worked as we planned," confessed Senate Education Committee Chair Wayne KUIPERS (R-Holland).
The state's top educator echoed this observation today to the House Appropriations Committee. Superintendent Mike FLANAGAN said the system has been abused by some districts that merely tacked on two extra minutes at the end of the day.
Could you please complete a survey on student acheivement?
Hello Everyone,
I am collecting data on best practices on student acheivement and their implementation status in secondary schools. If you are a Middle or High School Principal or Assisstant Principal could you please follow the link below and take a short survey on this subject.
I would really appreciate it.
You can find the survey by clicking on the following link:
http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB228T5XBAZPB
Thank you very much.
If you have any questions or want to contact me about this survey please feel fee to email me at jthero@waw.misd.net.
RIP: MEA Retirement Plan Declared Dead
Submitted by Chris on Thu, 03/26/2009 - 9:10amThe Michigan Education Association (MEA) retirement plan died today, but a union official said Senate Education Committee Chair Wayne KUIPERS (R-Holland) deserves an "A" for effort.
The plan would have increased benefits for retirees in an attempt to weed out high-end salaries, but the Senate Fiscal Agency (SFA) said it could have cost the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System (MPSERS) $1.3 billion over five years.
SB 0255 was on life support last week after Kuipers canceled a committee meeting due to Senate Majority Leader Mike BISHOP's (R-Rochester) ongoing concerns about the bill's cost (See "Senate Leadership Stalls Teacher Retirement Bill," 3/19/09). But Kuipers and MEA officials insisted the plan wasn't dead until today.
