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February 26, 2013
New from ECS
Moving the Needle on Degree Completion: The Legislative Role
The ECS College Completion Agenda hinted at how legislators could initiate effective reform. This document, produced with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, provides a roadmap that state leaders can use to reach their goals and presents action-oriented policymaking models that could sustain reform. All ECS Commissioners will receive a copy of the brief in the mail.
To Immerse, or Not to Immerse: Recent Addition to the ECS Research Studies Database
Estimating the Impact of the Massachusetts English Immersion Law on Limited English Proficient Students' Reading Achievement – Whether English immersion or bilingual education is best for limited English proficiency (LEP) students has been the subject of much controversy. The authors looked at reading tests of LEP 3rd graders before and after Massachusetts’ sheltered English immersion law was passed and concluded the law had no statistically significant, negative effect.
What States Are Doing
Transfer Madness
A statewide online fair for Kentucky college students who want to transfer credits or transfer an associate degree to a four-year university will be from 10am-10pm on March 6. Called Transfer Madness, the fair features transfer help with scholarship searchers, downloadable materials and advisors who can chat with students. Gov. Jerry Abramson said the idea is to promote awareness of a seamless transition from high school to community and technical colleges to four-year institutions. “The best way to improve the quality of Kentucky’s workforce and give our companies strong employees is through a top-notch education system that aggressively promotes a college-going culture that has no barriers in credit transfer,” Abramson said.
Financial Literacy Funded by High-Interest Loans
In an effort to promote financial and economic literacy for the citizens of Delaware, Gov. Jack Markell announced a third round of grants totaling $350,000. Non-profits and schools are eligible. The state is interested in funding proactive, preventive, and forward-thinking programs for Delawareans of all ages with an emphasis on reaching out to military, senior, and minority communities. License fees charged to businesses that make high-cost payday loans and car title loans provide the funding.
Waivers and Accountability
Many states granted Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) waivers by the U.S. Department of Education are implementing policies that depart from the 2008 regulations on reporting high school graduation rates and graduation rates of student subgroups that are traditionally underserved, according to a report from the Alliance for Excellent Education. This results in a possible loss of accountability, the authors argue. A state-by-state chart of highlights and recommendations follows.
Portability or Security
How would prospective teachers feel about 401K-type pensions, which could save states and districts money, as opposed to traditional pensions? The authors of When Teachers Choose Pension Plans : The Florida Story looked at Florida because new teachers there have 401K-style pensions as options, but get traditional pensions if they don't choose the 401K model. A quarter to a third of new Florida teachers opted for the 401K-style pensions. Teachers with more career options—those with advanced degrees or STEM specialties—also were apt to choose 401K-type pensions, as were charter teachers. The attrition rate was much higher for those choosing 401Ks.
Education Fact
Math and Only Math
“Recent nonexperimental scholarship by (Greg) Duncan and colleagues suggests that, as important as social and emotional development may be for other aspects of children’s development, early math skills may be the key to later academic achievement and economic success. They show that math is the only one of a range of skills and behaviors during the preschool period that predicts higher levels of achievement in both math and reading in later elementary school and children who maintain math skills are more likely to graduate from high school and attend college. Unfortunately, research suggests that preschool teachers place the lowest priority on teaching early math skills to children.”
Source: Delivering on the Promise of Preschool: Investing in Social and Emotional Development and Early Math Skills. (New York: MDRC, 2013). Retrieved February 21, 2013 from: http://www.mdrc.org/sites/default/files/Preschool_020113.pdf.
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