Our MissionA+ Education Foundation advances policies, programs and initiatives in Alabama's K-12 education system that result in high achievement by every child. Track education issues with our free online newsletter. Sign up today! Enter email address:
Confirm email address:
Contact A+P.O. Box 4433 (334) 279-1886 |
Education News in Alabama
By Sallie Owen
1. MORE STUDENTS WILL PURSUE TOUGHEST DIPLOMA Starting with the ninth-graders in fall 2009, all high school students in Alabama will start out pursuing the advanced academic diploma, under changes approved unanimously by the State Board of Education last week. That diploma requires them to pass two years of foreign language plus algebra II with trigonometry. Students can switch to a less rigorous path with permission from their parents. A+ hailed the move. “This is an important step that communicates to students and their parents what children will need to be successful in today’s workplace or in college. The challenge now is for educators and communities to ensure that more students succeed in high school and are well-prepared for the future,” said Caroline Novak, president of the A+ Education Foundation. The decision makes Alabama the 19th state to take this move to ensure that more students are prepared for college and the workplace. State Superintendent Joe Morton outlined all five elements of First Choice for state newspapers. http://snipurl.com/morton0504 Find documents and resources related to this change (including a 71-item FAQ) at http://www.alsde.edu/html/al_high_school_diploma_proposal.asp 2. ALABAMA MOVES AHEAD AT A STRONG PACE ON SCHOOL LEADERSHIP, SREB SAYS The Southern Regional Education Board tracks progress by its 16 member states on six indicators related to improving school leadership. Since 2002, Alabama has advanced on five of the six indicators, largely due to the work of the Governor's Congress on School Leadership. That puts Alabama ahead of 14 states in the region. SREB picked Alabama as a pacesetter on two indicators:
WHY LEADERSHIP MATTERS According to the SREB, after two decades of depending mostly on state standards and statewide tests to help raise student achievement, many now realize that schools are unlikely to show substantial improvement without good principals. Leadership is second only to classroom instruction among all school-related factors that contribute to what students learn at school. There are virtually no documented instances of troubled schools being turned around without an effective leader. "States Need Good Leaders Now: State Progress in Creating a Learning-Centered School Leadership System" http://snipurl.com/leadersnow [www_sreb_org] 3. EDUCATION IS 2ND CAREER FOR NEW TEACHER OF THE YEAR Roy Hudson of Shades Valley High School, Alabama's new Teacher of the Year, is the first arts teacher to win this honor. Hudson directs the school's theater academy and advises theater programs throughout the Jefferson County system. Arts education is linked to higher academic achievement, and Thomas Friedman called the arts the "rivers of inspiration." Hudson, also a playwright, started teaching high school at age 42 after running a theater production company and teaching at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. As a teacher, he has built a reputation for entrepreneurship. Regina Everett of Saraland Elementary (Mobile County Schools) was named Elementary Teacher of the Year. 4. RESEARCH FINDING: Teach for America teachers may be new to the profession, but they are generally more effective than their experienced colleagues, finds a new Urban Institute analysis. On average, high school students taught by TFA corps members performed significantly better on state-required end-of-course exams, especially in math and science, than peers taught by far more experienced instructors. The TFA teachers' effect on student achievement in core classroom subjects was nearly three times the effect of teachers with three or more years of experience. Teach for America recruits and selects high-achieving college graduates, many of whom have no prior experience or coursework in education, and places them in needy schools after short but intensive training. "Making a Difference? The Effects of Teach for America in High School" FYI: NO TFA IN ALABAMA Teach for America ( http://www.teachforamerica.org ) does not place teachers in Alabama, though it does send teachers to all four of Alabama's adjoining states. The organization's mission is eliminating educational inequities in high-poverty areas, both rural and urban. 5. MORE FROM ALABAMA TEACHING & LEARNING CONDITIONS SURVEY Researcher Eric Hirsch recently presented additional findings from Take 20, the Alabama Teaching and Learning Conditions Survey, to the Governor's Commission on Quality Teaching. Hirsch said the data can be used to improve schools if everyone works together. Highlights:
Take 20 is jointly sponsored by Gov. Bob Riley's Office, the Alabama Education Association, the Alabama Department of Education, the Alabama Best Practices Center, Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools, Alabama Association of School Boards, School Superintendents of Alabama, the A+ Education Foundation, and the Alabama Supercomputer Authority. Download the presentation 6. NETWORK DIGS IN TO 'PASSION-BASED LEARNING' More than 250 educators from the Alabama Best Practices Center's Powerful Conversations Network gathered in Birmingham May 1. Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach keynoted the day with a presentation titled "Schooling for the 21st Century: Unleashing Student Passion." Find her presentation and more at http://abpc.wikispaces.com/Quarterly+Meeting Educators heard from students about what gets them excited about learning, and educators got tools to help them facilitate a student roundtable discussion back home. Plus, schools in the ABPC's 21st Century Learners Initiative set up displays to show what they had accomplished this school year. Many school teams had taken what they had learned and shared it with other schools in their systems. For example, Wrights Mill Road Elementary in Auburn organized a "Tech-Know Expo," where older students taught younger students about technology. "Expo showcases students' 'Tech-Know'" 7. STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION UPDATE The State Board of Education voted unanimously May 8 to adopt the First Choice graduation plan (See item 1 above) and set the plan for implementation. All members except the governor were present. The board commended the new teachers of the year (See item 3 above) and honored Ogletree Elementary in Auburn, which is one of 13 schools nationally to earn Stars recognition from the National Association for Sport and Physical Education. In other business, the board approved teacher education programs at Oakwood University. 8. WHAT'S UP @ A+
(*Advanced Placement is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.) What is SNIPURL? We Need You Spread the word Want to subscribe? 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. Past editions can be found at www.aplusala.org/ednews/index.asp Feedback is welcome. Send messages to comments@aplusala.org |
May 13 , 2008 (A+ Education Foundation
P.O. Box 4433
Montgomery, AL 36103
(334) 279-1886
(800) 253-8865
(334) 279-1543 FAX
comments@aplusala.org
