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October 2, 2013
New from ECS
Postsecondary Governance
Recent Changes in Postsecondary Governance
Between 2011 and 2013, five states transformed their postsecondary governance systems: California, Connecticut, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington. California disbanded its coordinating board, while the other four states modified the scope and roles of their coordinating boards. This document provides a brief summary of the governance reforms and links to relevant information sources.
The Effect of Statewide Governing Boards on Political Action
Several states have reformed postsecondary governance by adjusting the powers and duties of state and system boards. This study evaluates the effect of consolidated governing boards on appropriations patterns and trends. The findings support the notion that statewide higher education governance structures buffer political actors from the constant lobbying of higher education institutions and interest groups. However, these boards also appear to increase significantly the influence that legislatures and governors have on state higher education budgeting. (New to the ECS Research Studies Database)
Resegregation by Socioeconomics
Resegregation has been more pronounced along socioeconomic lines than racial lines in recent years, exacerbated by the widening earnings gap between low- and high-income families. This study looks at high school graduation and college enrollment differences between schools of high and low socioeconomic status. Students who attend a high socioeconomic composition (SEC) school have a 68% higher probability of enrolling in a four-year college than students who attend a low SEC school. (New to the ECS Research Database)
Adopting Textbooks
States use one of two methods to select textbooks used in their schools. Twenty-nine states allow local agencies or schools to choose textbooks. Twenty-one states and three territories–known as textbook adoption states–choose at the state level. ECS offers an updated review for each state, territory, and the District of Columbia, listing which entities choose texts and whether texts are free. Some include provisions for minority representation and citizen review.
What States Are Doing
Teachers Getting into Using Data, Sharing Time
Delaware educators gave high marks to their state’s signature Race to the Top initiative, according to a release. That initiative, the Professional Learning Community (PLC), is in its second year and involves data coaches who facilitate shared planning time so educators can collaborate on data analysis, lesson planning, and instructional strategies. Greater shares of teachers agreed that participation in PLCs impacted their use of data to inform instructional practices, a survey found.
Using MOOCs in Higher Ed
The University System of Georgia (USG) continues to explore ways technology–namely massive open online courses (MOOCs)–can be adapted to better serve students. The latest collaboration is with DesiretoLearn (D2L) facilitating MOOC enrollment and credit acquisition that will count toward a degree from a USG institution. Earlier in the year, the USG announced a partnership with Coursera and in May, the Georgia Institute of Technology said they had formed one with Udacity and AT&T to offer the first online Master of Science degree in computer science.
Good Reads
State Education Agencies Use Research for School Improvement
State education agencies (SEAs) in three states were examined to see how they searched for, selected, and used research in their school improvement strategies. Researchers found SEA staff actively sought and were receptive to research and reached out to multiple internal and external research sources. Incorporating research into policy and practice was a social process in which SEA staff worked with each other, practitioners, and external partners to adapt research to their local context. (Consortium for Policy Research in Education)
Bureau of Indian Education Needs Better Management, Accountability
Students in Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools perform below Indian students in public schools and have a lower graduation rate, a study finds. Because of BIE's administrative weaknesses, 21 of 23 BIE schools did not administer state assessments in the 2011-12 school year, against Department of the Interior requirements. Instead the decision was made to use an unapproved alternative assessment, a decision made without a critical level of review at the Interior Department or the Department of Education. Fragmented administrative services also contributed to delays in schools getting materials such as textbooks. Recommendations: that Indian Affairs develop and implement decisionmaking procedures, a communications protocol, a strategic plan that includes goals and measures for BIE, and a revised strategic workforce plan. (U.S. Government Accountability Office)
Benefits of Handwriting
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) include legible manuscript writing in kindergarten and 1st grade, but this piece argues that since handwriting increases brain activity, teaching handwriting should continue throughout the grades and curriculum. Further, handwriting improves a student’s ability to retain, retrieve, and comprehend information. (National Math and Science Initiative)
Rocketeering California and heading for Milwaukee
Rocketship Education is a network of seven public charter elementary schools, which is getting good results with low-income students. Eighty-two percent of its students scored proficient or advanced on California Standards Test for math, compared to an 87% average for the state's highest-income districts. They do it by expanding the reach of their strongest teachers, paying excellent teachers more, and integrating Public Impact’s principles of an Opportunity Culture into Rocketship’s Plans. Now, Rocketship is set to move into Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Memphis, Nashville, Washington D.C., and New Orleans. (Public Impact)
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