District Administration - October 2008 - (Page 26)

InsidetheLaw New Plans to Flex Muscle of NCLB Briefings by Zach Miners dent’s desire to stay in his or As criticisms AGAiNst her own neighborhood, and No child Left Behind continue a lack of available options all to be voiced in spite of, or perhaps contribute to reduced particidue to, a new administration, the pation in the program, DOE Department of Education has officials say. announced pilot programs to give Both pilot programs states more flexibility in accessing offer states some of the same supplemental educational services flexibilities. Georgia’s state (sEs) and meeting accountability superintendent of schools, requirements. Kathy cox, says the state’s The first pilot program, newly granted flexibility announced in July, focuses on will give more students the differentiated accountability and opportunity to receive federaims to help the states of Flor- Education secretary Margaret Spellings helps a student with a math ally funded tutoring. “This ida, Georgia, illinois, indiana, problem at Sabal Palm Elementary School in Tallahassee, Fla., one also gives us the opportunity maryland and Ohio differenti- of 13 states approved for a new pilot program. ate between underperforming schools in option. Ordinarily, the law offers trans- to stop treating all schools the same under need of dramatic interventions and those fer options to schools after two years of NcLB—a change that is much needed in that are closer to meeting the law’s goals. failing to make progress in all student the law,” cox said in a statement. The DOE is inviting all states to The second program, announced the subgroups and offers sEs services such as submit additional proposals for diffollowing month, is a flexibility agree- tutoring only after three years. ment that will allow districts in Alabama, in Virginia, officials have long argued ferentiated accountability and growth Alaska, Arkansas, North carolina, ten- that it makes more sense to offer the extra model programs this fall. Through the nessee, Utah and Virginia to offer tutor- help first, because not all students who programs, the department hopes to gain ing in year one of school improvement qualify to transfer exercise the option. The valuable information that can be shared status as well as the school choice transfer timing of notification to parents, a stu- between states and districts. Pinching Pennies for Kids Homeschooling Victory A rEcENt rEpOrt FrOm First FOcUs, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization, says that only one penny out of every new nondefense dollar spent by the federal government over the past five years goes to children. According to the report, Children’s Budget 2008, spending on U.s. children has increased by about 1.4 percent over the past five years but was easily outpaced by spending on entitlement programs such as social security, medicare and medicaid. since 2004, spending on education, child welfare and youth training has declined by 9.9 percent, 11.5 percent and 14.9 percent, respectively, says the report. “Absent major adjustments to our current way of doing business, we are rapidly approaching the day when there will be no federal dollars left for any program outside the three major entitlements, plus defense, international affairs and interest on the debt,” reads another study on the same topic from the Urban institute. 26 October 2008 A rEcENt rULiNG By A cALiFOrNiA court will allow parents in the state to legally homeschool their children even if they lack a teaching credential—a decision that reverses an earlier position of the court. stemming from allegations of a couple’s mistreatment of their children, in February the 2nd District court of Appeal ruled in a hearing that parents must have a teaching credential for homeschooling. Families and educators are celebrating the new ruling, but the problem remains that california’s laws, unlike those of at least 30 other states, do not specifically address homeschooling. The court says that requirements for homeschoolers in other states, such as standardized testing or home visits, should by considered by the california legislature. District Administration

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - October 2008

District Administration - October 2008
Contents
Editor’s Letter
Letters
News Update
Technology
Facilities & Construction
Inside the Law
District Profile: Englewood (N.J.) School District
Choose to Stay
A Cure for Monolingualism
Virtual Worlds for Educators
DA Web Seminar Leadership Series
School Libraries Renewed
How Well Does This Web Site Work?
New Products
Curriculum Books
Professional Opinion
Calendar of Events
Understanding the Times

District Administration - October 2008