Education News in Alabama

June 17 , 2008 (archive)

By Sallie Owen

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1. Insider's look at hard work of transforming schools
2. New budget: as good as it gets
3. Research finding: State's projected graduation rate improves
• Coming soon - A more accurate graduation rate
4. 100 Prospective teachers win scholarships
5. Leadership development opportunity for superintendents
6. Alabama School Readiness Alliance launches new website
7. RSA: 60 percent of jobs require more than HS diploma
8. State Board of Education Update
9. Examples of Excellence
   • Best in the nation
   • Ready for the global marketplace
   • Best in Alabama
10. Alabama Reading Initiative's secret ingredient?
11. Fast help for struggling students benefits children, school budgets
12. What's up @ A+
    • Christian shifts to Yes We Can!
    • A+ job openings
    • Montgomery seeks lead AP teachers
    • Join A+ on Facebook
    • AP teachers go back to school
    • A+ in the news
    • ABPC featured at state conference

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1. INSIDER'S LOOK AT HARD WORK OF TRANSFORMING SCHOOLS

Just as it's important to celebrate success stories in Alabama schools, it is also important to appreciate the challenges. Dr. Betsy Rogers, the 2003 National Teacher of the Year who works in Jefferson County schools, wrote a provocative blog entry that gives a voice to teachers working hard to make changes. It also gives a voice to many of Alabama's forgotten children.

"We Cannot Be Silent About Things That Matter"
http://tln.typepad.com/tln_betsyrogers/

2. NEW BUDGET: AS GOOD AS IT GETS

Given the declining growth in revenues, legislators passed a good budget for K-12 school children. Despite the cash crunch, next year's budget does provide increases for four key things that are improving teaching and learning in Alabama (ACCESS distance learning, pre-kindergarten, Alabama Reading Initiative and Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative). Another positive note is the way the K-12 education community worked together to find the best possible ways to protect instruction from budget cuts.

By the numbers:

• $10 million - increase for ACCESS distance learning ($30.3 million total)
• $6.4 million - increase for state-funded, voluntary pre-kindergarten ($17.4 million total)
• $5 million - increase for the Alabama Reading Initiative ($69.4 million total)
• $5 million - increase for the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative ($40.8 million total)
• $4.4 billion - K-12 share of total education budget
• $6.4 billion - grand total, Education Trust Fund budget *Oct. 1, 2008  start date of new budget year

3. RESEARCH FINDING:
STATE'S PROJECTED GRADUATION RATE IMPROVES

According to Diplomas Count, Alabama is making progress toward the national graduation rate. Alabama's projected graduation rate improved 2.3 percentage points from a year ago, coming in at 61.3 percent. Over the same period, the national graduation rate improved 0.7 points.

"We're making steady progress toward increasing Alabama's graduation rate," said Dr. Joe Morton, State Superintendent of Education. "Making such significant gains when compared to the nation's gains is encouraging. However, no matter what method that's used to calculate graduates, we must do better to help our students prepare for the challenges of a global work place."

GET THE REPORT
"Diplomas Count" from Education Week
http://www.edweek.org/go/dc08

COMING SOON - A MORE ACCURATE GRADUATION RATE

Alabama is on track to know real graduation rates. I say "real" because they will be based on following individual children through school, rather than using a complex formula to project or estimate.

The first graduation rates measured the new way will be released in 2010.

4. 100 PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS WIN SCHOLARSHIPS

The Alabama Teacher Recruitment Incentive Program has awarded its first round of scholarships to 100 high school graduates who are planning to become teachers. The four-year scholarships are worth $20,000 each at colleges and universities around the state.

The awards were based on students' financial need and academic achievement, and students must pursue a license in one of four high-need areas: math, science, English and special education.

The scholarship program is a partnership of the Alabama State Department of Education, Future Teachers of Alabama and the Alabama Commission on Higher Education.

The Governor's Commission on Quality Teaching recommended creating a scholarship program as one strategy to recruit teachers to Alabama classrooms.

Find more info at http://snipurl.com/atrip08

5. LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY FOR SUPERINTENDENTS

The Alabama Best Practices Center and School Superintendents of Alabama are accepting applications for the new Superintendents' Leaders Network, a year-long leadership development program. The network is supported by a grant from The Malone Family Foundation. Deadline to apply is Friday. Application is available at www.bestpracticescenter.org.

6. ALABAMA SCHOOL READINESS ALLIANCE LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE

The Alabama School Readiness Alliance's new website is www.alabamaschoolreadiness.org. Supporters now have access to the latest research, reports and resources on high-quality, voluntary pre-k. Please be sure to bookmark our site for quick reference! ASRA is also launching a new online Action Center, in partnership with VOICES for Alabama's Children. The Action Center makes it easy for advocates throughout the state to register for action alerts, participate in advocacy campaigns and make online donations.

The Alabama School Readiness Alliance was jointly founded by A+, VOICES, Alabama Giving and the Alabama Partnership for Children.

7. RSA: 60 PERCENT OF JOBS REQUIRE MORE THAN HS DIPLOMA

The latest issue of the Retirement Systems of Alabama newsletter spotlights this column about high school graduation rates in the United States. It's called "Clueless in America," and RSA added an editor's note stating that today 60 percent of jobs need more than a high school education. By 2020, the rate is projected to rise to 70 percent.

http://snipurl.com/cluelessgradrates

8. STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION UPDATE

The State Board of Education met June 12. All but the governor were present. The state superintendent announced the retirement of Dr. Anita Buckley Commander, director of classroom improvement. The board tapped Cynthia Brown to succeed her. The board also adopted a resolution thanking the governor and legislature for passing a budget quickly during the recent special session. The board also approved teacher education programs at Alabama State and Judson College, and it authorized the review of programs at Alabama and North Alabama. In addition, the board honored some recent award winners. (see Examples of Excellence)

9. EXAMPLES OF EXCELLENCE

• BEST IN THE NATION - Melissa Hughey from Bob Jones High School in Madison won the 2008 Gold Apple Teacher Award, which goes to one teacher in the country who presents the most outstanding group of artwork or writing by students. Twelve of her art students also won national awards. Learn more about her teaching strategies at http://snipurl.com/hughey08.
• READY FOR THE GLOBAL MARKETPLACE - Hunter Bledsoe compiled all his own research on his way to winning 2nd place in the National Geographic Bee. Hunter goes to Hewitt-Trussville Middle School.
• BEST IN ALABAMA - Alabama's 2008 Presidential Scholars are Jacinth Greywoode of Montgomery's Loveless Academic Magnet Program High and Bianca Williams of Jefferson County International Baccalaureate High. Students at these schools will begin benefiting from A+ College Ready this fall. Diedre Graham of Mobile's Murphy HS is Alabama's 2008 Prudential Spirit of Community Award winner, making her one of the top youth volunteers in the country. Diedre produced and starred in a dance benefit.

10. ALABAMA READING INITIATIVE'S SECRET INGREDIENT?

Coaches who advise teachers how to teach reading have made a big impact in the Alabama Reading Initiative, and the approach is gaining popularity. Edutopia (The George Lucas Educational Foundation) featured reading coaches - and Alabama's results - in a recent article.

"The New Drill: Teaching Educators How to Improve Reading Levels: On-site coaches focus on teachers, not students, in the battle to boost literacy"
http://www.edutopia.org/new-drill

11. FAST HELP FOR STRUGGLING STUDENTS BENEFITS CHILDREN, SCHOOL BUDGETS

Many children in special education don't have learning disabilities - they just haven't had effective instruction. Some Alabama school systems are using an approach called Response to Intervention to respond quickly and strategically as soon as students start to struggle.

"Schools turn to intervention: Program aims to prevent kids from being rushed into special education"
http://snipurl.com/fasthelp

12. WHAT'S UP @ A+

• CHRISTIAN SHIFTS TO YES WE CAN! - For the last year, Virginia Christian has done great work for the Alabama Best Practices Center (a division of A+), coordinating the 200 schools in the center's Powerful Conversations Network. She has transitioned to coordinating community conversations in Dothan, one of the communities active in Yes We Can! Alabama. Yes We Can! Alabama is a partnership of A+, Leadership Alabama, the Mobile Area Education Foundation and the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama.
• A+ JOB OPENINGS - The Alabama Best Practices Center seeks a program/project coordinator to support and manage projects and programs administered by the ABPC. A+ College Ready (a division of A+) seeks a director of counseling services for this Advanced Placement** training and incentive program. More info at www.aplusala.org.
• MONTGOMERY SEEKS LEAD AP TEACHERS - The Montgomery County school system seeks lead teachers for an effort to expand Advanced Placement programs. Four Montgomery high schools were selected for the A+ College Ready training and incentive grant, which will boost AP programs in math, science and English. Details on these openings are available from http://www.alsde.edu/TeachInAlabama/.
• JOIN A+ ON FACEBOOK - Do you believe that all children deserve an excellent education, regardless of where they live? Are you part of the Facebook community? You can join the A+ Education Partnership cause, communicate with others and even make donations through Facebook.
• AP TEACHERS GO BACK TO SCHOOL - A+ College Ready is paying for 54 teachers to enroll in Advanced Placement Summer Institutes, which begin next week at Auburn University and the University of Alabama. These teachers represent A+ College Ready's 12 program high schools. And the professional development doesn't stop there - state funding is underwriting the cost of institutes for administrators and counselors at program schools.
• A+ IN THE NEWS - The Huntsville Times quotes Cathy Gassenheimer in an article about a myth-busting, high-achieving elementary school slated for consolidation. She said Lincoln Elementary's extraordinary success is due not only to high levels of support from the community, but also to hard-working teachers who are doing whatever it takes for their children to succeed "Dismantling role model 'would be a travesty,'" http://snipurl.com/lincolnes - The latest issue of Business Alabama magazine quotes Caroline Novak in a piece from the Alabama 2018 Trends Conference. Novak said our K-12 education system plays a key role in making sure businesses have the qualified workforce they need.
• ABPC FEATURED AT STATE CONFERENCE - Cathy Gassenheimer and Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach are presenting two sessions called "21st Century Learning: An Alabama Case Study" at the Alabama Educational Technology Conference in Birmingham this week.

**Advanced Placement Programs is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.

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The A+ Education Partnership, 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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