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12-10-12 Education Issues in the News
NJSpotlight…Cyber-Charter Challenge: How Does State Watch Over What It Can't See?...Legislature grapples with basic issues concerning online charters, starting with working definitions… “There is a place for online learning, there is a place for it,” Wagner said. “Especially for the students 17-to-19 years old, there is a tremendous need for it. There is definitely a place.”One of the legislature’s chief critics of online charters, state Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan (D-Middlesex), said this weekend that he, too, has softened his stance concerning some facets of online learning.”

Star Ledger - Too soon to tell on Newark graduation rates: Editorial

Press of Atlantic City - Schools incorporate portable devices in learning process

Star Ledger - Christie announces initiative to address shortage of math, science teachers in N.J.

NJSpotlight…Cyber-Charter Challenge: How Does State Watch Over What It Can't See?...Legislature grapples with basic issues concerning online charters, starting with working definitions… ““There is a place for online learning, there is a place for it,” Wagner said. “Especially for the students 17-to-19 years old, there is a tremendous need for it. There is definitely a place.”One of the legislature’s chief critics of online charters, state Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan (D-Middlesex), said this weekend that he, too, has softened his stance concerning some facets of online learning.”

By John Mooney, December 10, 2012 in Education|Post a Comment

As New Jersey’s Legislature grapples with how, or if, it will step up the state’s oversight of charter schools, a vexing issue remains as to what will happen with schools relying on online instruction.

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The Joint Committee on the Public Schools last week held the third of four hearings on online schooling, both strictly virtual and blended models, which use a combination of online and in-class instruction.

The plan is to develop legislation to address the state’s oversight.

But frustrating question remain about where draw the line between schools that rely on online instruction and where it is only a piece of an overall program. And regardless of the model, is cyber-education more appropriate for some ages than for others?

The chairman of the committee and impetus for the hearings, state Assemblywoman Connie Wagner (D-Bergen), said during a break that her understanding of the issues had grown far more nuanced as the hearings have proceeded, including one committee visit to a blended school in Newark.

“The needs of one community are not the same as another," said Wagner, a public school guidance counselor. "If online learning is already here [and] we are not even controlling it, we don’t know what we have.”

Wagner said she wants the state to “slow it up” with any new charter schools. Two virtual charter have been preliminarily approved, but are yet to open. Two others based on a blended model opened this year.

“Let’s get regulations in place,” she said.

Still, after being skeptical about the approach, Wagner said that her mind has changed a little, especially for older students who may have floundered in more traditional settings. One of the two pending schools would serve students who otherwise had dropped out of high school.

“There is a place for online learning, there is a place for it,” Wagner said. “Especially for the students 17-to-19 years old, there is a tremendous need for it. There is definitely a place.”

One of the legislature’s chief critics of online charters, state Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan (D-Middlesex), said this weekend that he, too, has softened his stance concerning some facets of online learning.

The chairman of the Assembly education committee said he is working on a charter school law that would include language for online schools, but he said the specifics as to what the oversight will look like are still being debated.

“It will be in there, it’s the future,” he said of online learning. “But we can’t just give carte blanche authorization without knowing where we’re at.”

Still, Diegnan had initially proposed a 12-month moratorium on the new schools, a bill that passed the Assembly last spring but never was posted in the Senate.

“Politically, it didn’t have a lot of support,” he said of the moratorium bill. “It’s not really something I’m pushing any more.”

Star Ledger - Too soon to tell on Newark graduation rates: Editorial

By Star-Ledger Editorial BoardThe Star-Ledgeron December 10, 2012 at 5:59 AM

 

The big jump in Newark’s graduation rate — from 61 percent to 69 percent — stood out in the state’s newly released statistics. It’s certainly cause for optimism.

But don’t break out those party hats yet. Because while there’s some evidence of improvement in certain low-performing city schools, this data was influenced by the district’s new, more accurate analysis methods. It’s still way too early to judge the performance of Newark’s turnaround schools.

A few things to understand about the numbers: The state has started using a new, federally mandated formula to calculate the percentage of students who graduate from public high schools. It better accounts for students who switch districts or move out of the country. And districts like Newark have become more adept at keeping track of those students, who shouldn’t be counted as drop-outs if they’re going to school elsewhere.

This rate increase is not all about better bookkeeping, according to the state Department of Education. There was also evidence of improved graduation rates at certain struggling schools in Newark, such as Central High School. And that’s encouraging.

But we’ve also got to remember that graduation rates don’t tell the full story. We need assurance that a high school degree truly means a student is ready for college. Last year, only 30 percent of the students who started the ninth grade ended up graduating, having passed a high school proficiency test. The numbers may not be much higher this year.

So sure, Newark’s improved graduation rate is a positive sign. But we’ll need more of them before we celebrate.

 

Press of Atlantic City - Schools incorporate portable devices in learning process

Posted: Monday, December 10, 2012 2:15 am | Updated: 9:02 am, Mon Dec 10, 2012.

By DIANE D’AMICO Education WriterpressofAtlanticCity.com

The three primary motives for early European exploration were God, gold and glory, teacher Mark Walter told his freshmen Honors World History class at Egg Harbor Township High School on Thursday.

“What do you think was the main reason?” Walter asked.

Not one student raised a hand to answer, but almost all quickly tapped out an answer on their smartphones. As they finished, the results popped up as a bar graph on the electronic white board at the front of the room.

Long banned as distracting, a few local schools are instead embracing student-owned smartphones and tablets as tools that can enhance education without tapping school districts’ budgets. School officials said the “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” philosophy has resulted in fewer disciplinary actions since students don’t want to lose the privilege of being able to use their phones during lunch or between classes.

“If you had asked me a few years ago, I would have said we’d be crazy to do this,” said Thomas Normile, principal of Pinelands Regional High School in Little Egg Harbor Township, which instituted a “bring your own device” — or BYOD — policy this year. “Now that we have it, I don’t know why we weren’t doing it before. Once we explained the parameters and the responsibility that came with the right to use their phone in school, discipline problems actually went way down.”

Mainland Regional High School in Linwood was the first in the area to begin a BYOD policy last year. The Emma C. Attales School in Absecon is in its second year of a pilot project and is developing a BYOD policy for seventh- and eighth-graders.

“The concern is always discipline and kids misusing them,” said Attales Principal Andrew Weber. “But the students don’t want to lose the privilege, so we’ve really had no problems.”

Recent surveys have found that students are actually ahead of their teachers in their use of handheld technology to do schoolwork.

A November survey by the Verizon Foundation found that while a third of middle school students are using mobile devices to complete homework, two-thirds cannot use a tablet in the classroom, and 88 percent are not allowed to use their smartphones in class.

Attales eighth-grade English teacher Barbara Horner, who piloted the school’s project, said she added smartphones last year for special projects, but this year she is using them for almost everything. She posts class assignments and notes online for students to download either on their phone or at home on a computer.

“They have more of the responsibility to get the material, but I’m saving a lot of time that used to be spent making copies and handing out paper,” Horner said. “And this is their life. This is how they do things. I do think eventually we won’t need books.”

Horner’s students started a recent class using their phones to find and then discuss a current event. The lesson for the day was on the book “Tuesdays with Morrie,” which a few students have in e-book form. Students scanned a QR code to get the assignment: “Identify a theme in the book, and find an abstract object or image that demonstrates the theme. Then write a poem on that theme.”

“It has to relate to the book,” Horner warned them as they began Googling “greed,” “love” and “forgiveness.” “Do not take the easy way out.”

After class, she said she is concerned that students rely too much on technology, so she stresses it is a tool, not a replacement for their own thinking.

“They are so used to just getting answers on Google,” she said. “I don’t want to enable them. I want them to think first.”

Principals said they are moving slowly toward integrating BYOD into the classroom, letting teachers take the lead. Schools also must have the wireless capability to handle the usage.

“Teachers are assessing their comfort levels,” said Egg Harbor Township High School Principal Terry Charlton. “No one is pressured to use it in class. And this is also teaching students how to use technology responsibly. If they abuse the privilege, they lose it.”

Using phones to cheat on a test or take potentially embarrassing photos are among the concerns of having hundreds of students roaming a school armed with with smartphones. The 2012 McAfee Teen Internet Behavior Study found 16 percent of teens surveyed admitted cheating on a test by looking up answers on their phones.

Students at Egg Harbor Township High School said some teachers are strict about not wanting to even see phones in class and others are more lenient. Jena Lasewicz, 14, said she’s used hers to look up a word using a dictionary app or as a calculator for math, but most of her teachers are not integrating them into lessons.

Walter said quick online quizzes give him instant analysis and feedback on what students are missing and what he should review. He used the results of his survey to introduce a PowerPoint project on the screen, which would also be available for students to download on their phones.

“If a student is absent or just wants to review, they can access it themselves at home,” he said.

Honors U.S. History teacher Stephen Schweizer let his sophomore class use their phones to comment on court decisions during their study of the Bill of Rights. Using Poll Everywhere, students texted their views, which appeared on a screen in front of the room. Those texts spurred additional class discussion, and students said they loved doing it.

“We can all say our opinion without having to wait and take turns,” student Anna Nammor,cq 15, said of the texts.

“It’s anonymous, so you can say what you really feel,” added Katelyn Garthaus, 15.

“And sometimes you want to say something, but you are not confident enough to say it out loud,” added Towsif Nasor, 15.

While allowing students to use their own devices can save a district money, accommodations have to be made for those students who don’t have smartphones or tablets. Teachers and students said they will share with a friend or use a classroom computer, and so far it has not been a problem.

“I can still get the work on a computer at home, or here,” said Egg Harbor Township student Andrew Katapodis, 15.

And for those who wonder how students can work on that tiny screen, some admit they prefer a larger one for school assignments. Absecon eighth-grader Dawson Kuhn, 14, has both a phone and a tablet, which he uses to take notes and write.

“I like the bigger screen,” he said.

Contact Diane D’Amico: 609-272-7241 DDamico@pressofac.com

 

 

Star Ledger - Christie announces initiative to address shortage of math, science teachers in N.J.

By Star-Ledger StaffThe Star-Ledger
on December 07, 2012 at 8:00 PM, updated December 08, 2012 at 1:05 AM

By Jenna Portnoy and Jessica Calefati / The Star-Ledger

TRENTON — New Jersey will partner with a Princeton-based foundation to recruit top collegiate science and math students to become high school teachers in the state’s neediest districts, Gov. Chris Christie said today.

The Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship Foundation will recruit 240 teachers to fill vacancies in Newark, Passaic, Paterson, Camden, Orange and seven other municipalities. The teachers will receive $30,000 stipends and, in exchange, promise to teach in "high need urban or rural schools" in New Jersey for three years.

Christie said the program will give underserved students a chance to learn from some of the brightest scientists and mathematicians in the state. The effort, he said, will also boost the state’s economy once these new teachers join the workforce.

"We’re recognizing what research has shown us for years, that great teachers matter and so their effectiveness matters for our kids," Christie said. "I believe our work demonstrates unequivocally that we’re going to expect nothing less for any of New Jersey’s children no matter what their zip code."

A consortium of foundations and private donors including the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the PSEG Foundation contributed $9 million to the program, which also operates in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. The model mirrors an organization with a similar mission called Teach for America.

In recent years, New Jersey and other states have been grappling with a shortage of science, math and technology teachers, and students from poor communities have suffered the most.

Some students in districts like Newark, Camden and Trenton do not have access to working science labs. Others are forced to share math text books and take classes taught by permanent substitutes.

When the program starts in two year, state education officials expect those disparities to diminish.

"This state has thousands of open jobs in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields, for which there are not people prepared to fill them. We hope this will address some of that. Performance in the STEM subjects in the state isn’t as high as it needs to be. We hope this program will address that," fellowship President Arthur Levine said.

"We hope this will be a Rhodes scholarship for teachers," Levine said. "Most fundamentally, what we want to do is transform teacher education in New Jersey and the nation and create models to guide the 21st Century."

Five state universities — The College of New Jersey, Montclair State University, William Paterson University, Rowan University and Rutgers-Camden — will partner with the foundation to run the program and help train the fellows in teaching’s best practices.

Fellows will spend the first year of the program shadowing master teachers in the districts where they will teach. Those who complete the program will earn master’s degrees in education from the partner universities.

Star-Ledger staff writer Salvador Rizzo contributed to this report.