Education News in Alabama

March 19, 2004 (archive)

IT WAS A GOOD WEEK FOR:

Excellence in journalism, as three Alabama journalists were recognized for their commitment to education and education reporting:

Ben Shurett, publisher of the Fort Payne Times-Journal, was presented with a State Board of Education resolution commending his support of public education. Shurett spearheaded an effort to raise more than $100,000 to replace eliminated funding for library enhancements in the Fort Payne and DeKalb County public schools.

Challen Stephens, education reporter for the Huntsville Times, will be honored with a 2003 National Award for Education Reporting from the Education Writers Association (EWA), the national professional association of education reporters and writers, at the EWA conference in April. Stephens won first prize in the "Under 100,000--Series or Group of Articles" category for his series "Separate Again" that examined race divisions in the Huntsville City Schools. His series can be viewed online at http://www.al.com/specialreport/huntsvilletimes/?separate-again.html.

Jeffery Amy, higher education reporter for the Mobile Register, will also receive a 2003 National Award for Education Reporting at the EWA conference in April. Amy will be recognized with a special citation for beat reporting in a small media market.

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION UPDATE

On March 11, the State Board of Education held its monthly business meeting. The board took action on the following actions:

Resolution Removing the Bessemer City School System from state financial intervention -- Cheers and rounds of applause erupted from throngs of Bessemer City board members, parents, and supporters as the State Board of Education unanimously approved the removal of the system from state financial intervention. Those who spoke on behalf of the system thanked the State Department of Education staff for their guidance and pledged to move forward with focused efforts on raising student achievement.

Adopt Emergency Rules Pertaining to Student Assessment Required for Alabama High School Diploma -- The board unanimously approved a proposal from Mabry Whetstone, director of Special Education for the State Department of Education, for an emergency rule that makes it possible for students with disabilities to receive a diploma even if they fail to pass one subject-area test of the Alabama High School Graduation Exam. In such cases, alternative documentation (obtained all required course credits, documented disability(s) in the area where a subject-area test was not passed, participation in remediation, meeting attendance requirements, and holding a cumulative C average) will be used to confer a diploma.

This rule provides flexibility for those students who have exhibited hard work and success in school -- and who will go on to a successful college and/or work career -- but whose disability prohibits them from passing one section of the AHSGE (they must past four of the five sections). The board pledged to carefully review the procedure so as to preserve the rigor of the AHSGE. They will also assess the success of the new rule in June 2005 to ensure that it is indeed meeting the needs of students as intended.

POWERFUL CONVERSATIONS PROJECT CONTINUES TO GROW

On March 16 and 17, the Alabama Best Practices Center (BPC) and Alabama Teacher Quality Enhancement Project trained 25 facilitators for the Powerful Conversations in Professional Development project. This training was conducted in conjunction with the in-service centers at the University of North Alabama, University of Alabama at Huntsville/Alabama A&M, and Athens State University. This group of facilitators will lead powerful conversations in schools in North Alabama. As part of the training, self-assessments were conducted in Brookhaven Middle School and Austinville Elementary School in Decatur.

IN THE NEWS

FEDERAL TEACHER QUALITY REQUIREMENTS ARE RELAXED
(source: PEN Weekly Newsblast)
Rural teachers, science teachers and those who teach multiple subjects will get leeway in showing they are highly qualified under federal law, the Education Department said Monday. The changes are most sweeping for rural teachers, thousands of whom who will get an extra school year -- until spring 2007, three years from now -- to show they are qualified in all topics they teach. Newly hired rural teachers will get three years from their hire date.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/03/15/teacher.quality.ap/index.html
http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2004/03/03152004.html

CONFLICTING ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEMS PROVE DIFFICULT FOR SCHOOLS
Gove Elementary School is one of Florida's "schools on the rise," according to the state accountability system, and John Glenn Middle School of International Studies is one of California's three model schools for grades 6-8. But neither earns a passing mark under new federal accountability rules.

It is highly likely that many schools in Alabama will find themselves in the same situation when the State Department of Education releases the student achievement data in August 2004. This year is the first time schools will be held to the new federal accountability rules. Every school will have to make "Adequate Yearly Progress" (AYP) with each subgroup of students (white, black, special education, free/reduced lunch, etc.) in order to earn a passing grade. Each state sets its own benchmarks for measuring AYP. Schools who do not meet AYP with each subgroup will be classified as "needing improvement." It is anticipated that many schools that have enjoyed "clear" status in the past will be designated as "needing improvement."

The good news is that Alabama can learn from other states that have experienced this quandary. In this article from Education Week, the principals at Florida's Gove Elementary and California's John Glenn Middle School say the bad news on the federal report card gave them reason to pay attention to the children who haven't reached proficiency.

http://www.edweek.org/ew/ewstory.cfm?slug=26Account.h23

STUDY CONFIRMS EFFECTIVENESS OF NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION
There have been no conclusive studies showing the direct correlation between the presence of a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) in a classroom and improved student achievement -- until now. Utilizing a sophisticated value-added model built from 600,000 North Carolina elementary student test scores during a 3-year period, an independent research team has found that NBCTs are far more likely to improve student achievement as measured by the state’s highly touted standardized testing system.

This is good news for Alabama, which ranks 11th on the 2003 list of states with the most teachers certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). Currently, board certified teachers in Alabama receive a $5,000 yearly bonus from the state for the 10-year duration of the certification in recognition of their achievement. Recently, there have been questions raised as to the necessity of this expenditure in light of the financial difficulties that face the state, especially, critics argue, when there has been no qualitative evidence given that a board-certified teacher has greater impact on student learning.

However, this new study, led by labor economist Dan Goldhaber of the University of Washington and the Urban Institute, found "direct evidence that the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) is identifying and certifying teachers who will raise student achievement." The research team concludes that this study "could put to rest some of the controversy in education circles surrounding the national certification." In particular, the study concluded that board-certified teachers are more effective at raising student achievement than teachers who pursue, but fail to obtain, NBPTS certification; are more effective at raising student achievement -- outside of the year in which they apply -- than teachers who do not pursue NBPTS certification; have a greater impact with younger students; and have a greater impact with low-income students.

http://www.teachingquality.org/resources/html/NBPTS_Goldhaber.htm

QUOTE OF THE WEEK
(Borrowed from the PEN Weekly NewsBlast)

"Well, given the pressures on public education, we are facing real and grave threats. Now is the time for us to appreciate what it offers and to share that appreciation with others. Public education is messy, imprecise, and inefficient and falls far short of the dreams we have for it. But it is also the one institution that holds our democracy together and offers dreams to our children."

-Paul Houston (educator/advocate)

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Education News in Alabama is published bi-weekly by the A+ Education Foundation and is distributed to A+ board members, the media, and list serve subscribers. View archived newsletters.

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