from the Education
Commission of the States
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May 14, 2012
Dyslexia
Two Mississippi bills enacted earlier this month will help identify and provide appropriate services to elementary students with dyslexia. Among other requirements, H.B. 1031 directs school districts to ensure all students are screened for dyslexia in the spring of kindergarten and fall of 1st grade. H.B. 1032 establishes the Mississippi Dyslexia Education Scholarship Program to encourage qualified students to complete master’s degree dyslexia therapy programs at public and private postsecondary institutions in the state.
Early Literacy
Last month, New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez kicked off the “New Mexico Reads to Lead” initiative, which will implement several early childhood reading interventions to assist teachers and parents in identifying where kindergartners to 3rd graders are struggling in their literacy learning, so that they can receive immediate and effective help.
Postsecondary Bridge Programs
Nebraska legislation signed last month authorizes and provides funding for the creation of “bridge programs” to help adult learners earn postsecondary credentials in an expedited manner to work in high-demand industries in the state.
STEM
Iowa Governor Terry Branstad has announced the selection of six regional network hubs that will promote science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and economic development across Iowa. This is the first major initiative of the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council, a public-private partnership whose overarching goal is creating greater student achievement in STEM subjects and a stronger STEM workforce.
Busy Time for State Legislatures
Check out the last 30 days of legislative activity from the ECS State Policy Database.
P-3 Alignment
The National League of Cities has put together a report outlining the efforts of five leading cities in creating a seamless educational pipeline for children ages 0-8. Drawing on the experiences and lessons learned from each city profiled in the case studies, the report identifies 10 common elements of a well-aligned educational system.
Supplemental Educational Services
A new report from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) examines the potential achievement benefits of academic support services offered outside the regular school day by state-approved Supplemental Educational Services (SES) providers. The researchers found no statistically significant impacts on math or reading test scores for students being offered SES.
Retirement Systems
This publication from the U.S. Census Bureau presents data on state- and locally-administered public pension systems based on information collected from a 2010 survey. The report is part of a continuing series designed to provide information on the structure, function, employment, and finances of the United States’ nearly 90,000 state and local governments.
Upcoming Meetings and Webinars
2012 ECS National Forum – New Speaker Just Announced: Bill Gates!
Don’t miss Microsoft Chairman and philanthropist Bill Gates as well as former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, at the 2012 ECS National Forum. This year's Forum—Innovation and Opportunity: Moving the Needle on Student Success— will take place in Atlanta, Georgia from July 9-11. Register today! For more information, visit the Forum website or download the brochure.
English Language Learners
“Between 1989 and 2009, the percentage of public school students who were White decreased from 68 to 55 percent, and the percentage of those who were Hispanic doubled from 11 to 22 percent.” “In 2009, some 21 percent of children ages 5–17 (or 11.2 million) spoke a language other than English at home, and 5 percent (or 2.7 million) spoke English with difficulty.”
Source: S. Aud, W. Hussar, G. Kena, K. Bianco, L. Frohlich, J. Kemp, K. Tahan (2011). The Condition of Education 2011 (NCES 2011-033). U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, (accessed February 28, 2012).
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