Carol’s Summary:

A report by the Education Testing Service shows that the achievement gap between black and white students, and efforts to narrow the gap have been stagnant for 20 years. The Educational Testing Service has examined the achievement gap and efforts to close it since 1910.

Some experts have developed a theory that standardized testing alone cannot account for the results of the study, and that social and environmental factors must also be taken into account. In order to close the achievement gap any further, it may be necessary to break the cycle of poverty first. However, the cycle of poverty is not only a result of the achievement gap, but also one of its main causes.

In order to further narrow the achievement gap, it will be necessary to provide equal opportunities for academic growth. Textbooks in poverty-stricken areas would need to be of the same quantity and quality as books for children in middle-class areas. Standardized testing results will have to take into account more than the scores alone but also the advantages and disadvantages, and individual needs of the schools and students.

Teachers who work in schools in impoverished areas will also need to be trained in such a way that they can identify and connect better with their students and the issues that students face both in and out of the classroom. LifeBound visits with teachers from schools in both middle-class areas and areas where people are disadvantaged, and we coach them with our books and curriculum so they can collaborate and work with all students, regardless of their background. To learn more, visit www.lifebound.com or e-mail contact@lifebound.com

 Article:

Report: When/why progress in closing achievement gap stalled

Progress seen over several decades in narrowing the educational achievement gap between black and white students has remained stalled for 20 years, according to data analyzed in a new report.

Called “The Black-White Achievement Gap: When Progress Stopped,” the report by the Educational Testing Service examines periods of progress and stagnation since 1910 in closing the achievement gap.

To read the full article: www.washingtonpost.com

Carol’s Summary:
Twenty-seven states have adopted a nationwide standardized curriculum that was proposed around two months ago by the Department of Education, partially due to the Race to the Top competition, which will award billions of dollars in funding to states with plans to implement education reform.

Massachusetts, New York, and Colorado are among the states that will adopt the new set of curriculum. The standards contain a detailed description of what students at each grade level will be expected to learn and comprehend, and what academic skills they should have at each level. However, the process of implementing the new national standards is estimated to take years to complete.

Education reform and the implementation of national standards is predicted to save states money in the long run, as states will no longer have to make their own individual curriculum standards. Some educators are also worried that the cost of re-training teachers may be more trouble than it’s worth initially. When LifeBound has coaching sessions, we do so with the goal of showing teachers how to communicate and connect with students effectively and in a way that allows for long-term success. Training teachers is a highly effective way of ensuring future success with students.

As society continues to change, the education system must catch up and be restructured as well. The way that children learned fifty years ago is much different from how they learn now, and it will take possibly years of trial and error to fully restructure the education system as it has been proposed. What’s most important is that education fosters the goals and needs of all children, and of the whole child, not just academically speaking.

Article:
Many States Adopt National Standards for Their Schools
By TAMAR LEWIN
Published: July 21, 2010

Less than two months after the nation’s governors and state school chiefs released their final recommendations for national education standards, 27 states have adopted them and about a dozen more are expected to do so in the next two weeks.

To read the full article: www.nytimes.com

Carol’s Summary:
Over $1 trillion is spent on education every year, by the K-12 school system as well as colleges and universities. Schools are constantly looking for new ways to teach students, whether it is with the use of new technologies, using new books, and changing curriculum.

Most recently, the U.S. Department of Education has created a $650 million education innovation fund; this provides many entrepreneurs in the education industry with new opportunities to share their ideas and products with schools nationwide.

However, it is often a costly and time-consuming process for schools to adopt new strategies and products for educating their students. The funding can connect the entrepreneurs to education researchers, which would provide schools with a smoother transition to implement new curriculum and technologies.

Recently, education reform has been a “hot topic”, with the Race to the Top competition entering its final stages, and the debate over whether our nation’s schools should adopt one standardized curriculum. It has become evident that we are beginning to witness major changes in our education system, particularly with funding from Race to the Top and the education innovation fund.

Being well-acquainted with new books, technologies and curriculum enables schools to provide their students with the tools they need to succeed. At LifeBound, we aim to provide teachers and students with books and curriculum that they can apply to the classroom as well as to life outside of the classroom, in order to ensure that students are well-rounded. Critical and Creative Thinking for Teenagers is a book that helps to inspire teens to think outside of the box, and to be open to all sorts of possibilities. To be innovative is to foster success for the future.

Article:
Educational innovation gets boost under new programs
July 30, 2010

A movement is under way to make it easier for entrepreneurs to navigate the lucrative and sometimes-tricky education market and introduce new technologies and products into classrooms.

An educator at the University of Pennsylvania wants to create one of the nation’s only business incubators dedicated to education entrepreneurs. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) is also getting into the act with a $650 million fund to boost education innovation.

To read the full article: www.ecampusnews.com

Carol’s Summary:
A survey of K-12 students nationwide shows that many students feel that their use of technology, both at school and home, contributes positively to their overall learning experience. The survey, called “Speak Up 2009: Creating Our Future: Students Speak Up about their Vision for 21st Century Schools,” collected data about technology in relation to education, to assess the way that students utilize technology both in and out of the classroom.

Technology is becoming an increasingly important aspect of learning, and each year more classrooms are adding technological activities to their curriculum and school activities. Findings from the survey revealed that more students are turning to social networking websites to discover new information, as well as conducting their own research on various topics, without the instruction of a teacher or within the structure of a classroom.

The emergence of the digital age in our nation becomes more evident every day, and its presence in education is undeniable. As students have more access to the internet, they become more informed about a wide range of topics that may or may not be discussed at school. The second edition of our book, Making the Most of High School, has a chapter about how to use technology in a way that is safe and beneficial to one’s education and career goals, as well as technology tips in each chapter.

As students become more aware of the world around them, their classrooms and curriculum must be adjusted to fit their needs. Also, teachers will have to be flexible to incorporate learning with these new tools, so that their understanding of the tools equals that of students. It is vital that digital applications are applied to academics in order to ensure that students are prepared for a future where technology is becoming an essential aspect of everyday life.

Article:
Digital access, collaboration a must for students
By Laura Devaney
In a national survey that reveals K-12 students’ use of technology at home and at school, students overwhelmingly agreed that access to digital media tools and the ability to collaborate with peers both inside and outside of school can greatly enhance education.

To read the full article: www.ecampusnews.com

Carol’s Summary:
On Tuesday, a proposal was released that would take funding from Race to the Top in order to fund jobs in education; however, the U.S. Department of Education opposes the proposal, because it would cause budget cuts to other education reform programs, including an estimated $500 million would be cut from Race to the Top, and another $200 million would be cut from the Teacher Initiative Fund.

Race to the Top provides funding to states that are on track towards implementing more charter schools and improving low-income and low-performing schools. The Teacher Initiative Fund provides pay-for-performance programs. Pay-for-performance programs provide increased pay for schools and teachers that actively improve their students’ academic performance.

Although the U.S. Dept. of Education does not want other programs to be cut in order to provide money for keeping existing teachers’ jobs, the recent and widespread teacher layoffs nationwide have caused some representatives and organizations to feel that the proposed funding is important to education reform overall.

Education reform, including Race to the Top funding, is a fundamental part of our nation’s future. It will have a major impact on our economy and the overall quality of life for our nation’s citizens. While the debate persists about how education reform funding should be spent, it is vital that schools continue to provide the best education for children before, during, and after changes in our education system take place.

LifeBound provides schools nationwide with books and curriculum that focus on connecting academics to real-life situations, so that teachers can educate students in a way that is relevant to their lives both in and outside of the classroom. To learn more about LifeBound’s materials, visit www.lifebound.com or e-mail contact@lifebound.com.

Article:
Ed. Dept. Opposes Cutting Race to Top to Fund Edujobs
By Alyson Klein
The U.S. Department of Education is pushing back against a congressional plan to trim key priorities of the Obama administration—including the Race to the Top Fund and money for pay-for-performance programs and charter schools—to help cover the cost of a $10 billion effort to save education jobs.
The proposal, unveiled late Tuesday by Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, would skim $500 million from Race to the Top, the administration’s $4.35 billion signature education reform initiative, which was created last year under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

To read the full article: www.edweek.org