Education News in Alabama

July 3 , 2007 (archive)

By Sallie Owen

WEAK COURSES MEAN MANY GOOD STUDENTS AREN'T READY FOR COLLEGE-LEVEL WORK
National issue: U.S. high school core courses too often lack the rigor they need to adequately prepare students for college-level work, according to a new report from ACT, Inc. Even students who make A's and B's find themselves ill prepared. 

Alabama impact: The ACT is the most popular college entrance exam in Alabama, and only three in 20 of Alabama's students are on track to be ready for college courses in the four major subjects. Nationally, four in 20 are on track.

Demanding classes, especially in advanced math and science, can make the difference in college readiness, ACT says.

Work ready = college ready. ACT has additional evidence that all students need the same preparation for success in life. Researchers found that the expectations for entry-level college courses were similar to workforce training programs for jobs that can support a family and offer chances to move up.

An executive summary of "Rigor at Risk" is available from http://snipr.com/actrigor.

WORTH REPEATING
"You get it all worked out with this superintendent and this board, and then there's turnover…. It's a state law, and we're going to hold whoever's in that position responsible."

-- State Superintendent of Education Joe Morton on school systems maintaining reserves equal to one-month's operating expenses. (See STATE BOARD UPDATE to learn more)

RESEARCH FINDINGS:
STUDENTS LEARNING MORE SINCE NCLB
Children in the state and the nation score better in reading and math since No Child Left Behind was enacted in 2002. That is according to the Center on Education Policy's analysis of test scores, which are the best measure available of what students have learned.

Alabama data

• In reading, student performance increased at all grade levels studied, except high school.
• In math, student performance increased at all grade levels.
• At all grade levels, achievement gaps in math narrowed between black and white children and between children eligible/ineligible for federal meal subsidies.

What's being done: Part of the Alabama Reading Initiative's budget increase for next year will pay for efforts to find the best way to apply ARI strategies for teenage students. Additionally, U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Mobile, wants to expand federal funding for teenage reading support.

The report, "Answering the Question that Matters Most: Has Student Achievement Increased since No Child Left Behind?," is available at http://www.cep-dc.org.

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION UPDATE:
FISCAL ACCOUNTABILITY & ONLINE COURSES
The Alabama State Board of Education met in a K-12 work session on June 28. All members were present except for Ella Bell, David Byers and the governor.

Craig Pouncey, the State Department of Education's finance chief, said that 103 school systems now have reserves equal to a month's operating expenses. The one-month reserve became law a year ago in the School Board Fiscal Accountability Act.

Pouncey and his staff are working closely with the 28 systems that do not have adequate reserves. Each system has a plan to build up their reserves, and state staff members are monitoring progress monthly.

State Superintendent of Education Joe Morton said it will be "monumental" for all of Alabama's school systems reach this new higher standard of financial management.

ACCESS is Alabama's distance learning program for high school students. ACCESS officials presented proposed updates to rules governing ACCESS. They also said that they will soon pilot an online class for students living at Department of Youth Services facilities. There will be numerous safeguards in place including live monitoring, and DYS students will have no communication with non-DYS students.

In other business, the board was also briefed on: curriculum guides that help teachers bridge learning gaps for special ed students in regular classrooms (state staff said teachers are also using them to help other students too), proposed changes to qualifications for certified bus mechanics, and changes to funding formulas that will put about 140 new teachers in grades seven and eight.

Curriculum guides in science, social studies, math and reading can be found here http://snipr.com/sestds.

EXAMPLES OF EXCELLENCE

• International prize – A team based at WEST BLOCTON ELEMENTARY in Bibb County won top honors in the ThinkQuest International 2007 Competition. The young scholars researched and developed an educational web site on water quality monitoring. The site is called CSI: Cahaba Student Investigators, and you can find it at http://snipr.com/wbcsi . Learn more about these amazing kids and their project at http://www.bibbed.org/wbes/wbesnews.html.
• Strengthening leadership – CLAS, the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools, organized a meaty conference to strengthen principals and other school leaders. Keynotes focused on critical issues of changing school culture, leading to increase student learning and using technology to engage students in deep learning experiences. Research shows that leadership is a key ingredient in successful schools.
• High standards -- Two Alabama middle schools have earned the prestigious 2007 Pacesetter Award from the Southern Regional Education Board. Montgomery's Floyd Middle Magnet School and Athens Middle School were selected for teaching a rigorous curriculum and attaining high standards of student achievement.
• Character counts – OPELIKA HIGH SCHOOL students had higher grades and fewer discipline referrals in the first year of school-wide character education. The 15-minute lessons focused on responsibility and self-image. http://snipr.com/ophscharacter
• National teaching award – BARBARA ROMEY, from CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL in Phenix City is The History Channel's Outstanding History Educator for 2007. Romey said she loves teaching high school students because "they're able to attack it in depth." http://snipr.com/romeyaward
• Academics and leadership – Eleven of the 1,000 new Gates Millennium Scholars are graduates of public high schools in Alabama. Students, all minorities from low-income families, will get financial help to attend any college or university of their choice, and graduate school funding is available in certain fields. To read about Alabama School of Math and Science grad Whitney Woodruff from Weaver, visit http://snipr.com/gatesasms. Find more info and a list of students selected at http://snipr.com/gates2007.

WHAT'S UP @ A+
A+ is delighted to welcome two policy interns this summer. Montgomery native Jenna Webb, a senior majoring in sociology/psychology at Birmingham-Southern College, is a fellow of BSC's Hess Center for Leadership and Service.

Shara Allen, a graduate student in elementary education at the University of North Alabama, joins us courtesy of the Southern Education Foundation's Leadership Initiative. She is a Muscle Shoals native who holds a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Mississippi State.

Congrats to Athens Middle School and West Blocton Elementary for their achievements! Both schools are active in the Alabama Best Practices Center's Powerful Conversations Network.

WE NEED YOU
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation. You can give online at http://www.aplusala.org or mail your check to P.O. Box 4433, Montgomery, AL 36103.

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The A+ Education Foundation, based in Montgomery, publishes Education News in Alabama twice a month. A+ is a nonprofit organization that advances policies, programs and initiatives in Alabama's K-12 education system that result in high achievement by every child.

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