Quality Public Education for All New Jersey Students

 

9-26-16 Education in the News

Philadelphia Inquirer—Refugee students sue for their place in public education

The Lancaster schools lost round one last month, when a district judge ruled the students could attend the city's main high school, 3,900-student J.P. McCaskey.

From flashpoints around the world - wars in Africa and the Middle East, terrorism in Asia, gang violence in Central America - tens of millions of migrants have run for their lives in just the past few years, creating crises of epic scale for many destination nations.

A small fraction, about 85,000 annually, find a haven in the United States as refugees. Last year, 2,645 were resettled in Pennsylvania, including 510 in Philadelphia. New Jersey became home to 314, 91 of whom moved to the Camden area.

Overall, 40 percent of recent refugees are minors. Many have limited schooling, if any. Many speak little English, if any. And so they can find themselves in another, increasingly troubled place: the intersection of immigration and public education.

Experts say school is invaluable for integrating children into American life. The same experts concede the difficulties, particularly with older youth.

http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20160926_Refugee_students_sue_for_their_place_in_public_education.html

by Michael Matza, Staff Writer| Updated: September 26, 2016 — 1:08 AM EDT

 

The Press of Atlantic City-- Goodbye to homework for some elementary schools and classes

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — Guess what, kids? No homework. Really. All year.

A small but growing number of elementary schools and individual teachers are doing away with the after-school chore to allow kids more time to play, participate in activities, spend time with families, read and sleep.

There's been pushback against homework from parents in recent years who say their children's time is monopolized by other activities, said Steven Geis, president of the National Elementary School Principals' Association.

At North Trail Elementary School, in Farmington, Minnesota, where he is principal, students do what he says is engaging homework.

Some schools and individual teachers are revising their homework policies to ensure that they are effective, he said.

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/goodbye-to-homework-for-some-elementary-schools-and-classes/article_7bce72ce-69e3-5bc1-82c4-8ffc2d8ce301.html

By LISA RATHKE Associated Press|September 26, 2016

 

Education Week-- ESSA: Ed. Dept. Releases English-Language-Learner Guidance

States and school districts that get federal funding to support students who are English-language learners can use that money to support long-term ELLs and ELLs in special education, as well as to help figure out how those students are progressing, according to new Every Student Succeeds Act guidance released by the U.S. Department of Education Friday.

The guidance also makes it clear that districts and states can use their English Language Acquisition grants—provided through a $737 million programalso known as Title III of ESSA—for many of the same purposes as they did under No Child Left Behind. That's true even though schools' accountability for ensuring ELLs progress in their English-proficiency has moved to Title I of the law, along with accountability for all other groups of kids. 

That means that states are allowed to use their Title III funds to help identify ELLs who are struggling, make sure their English-language proficiency tests match up with English-language proficiency standards, and align state content standards with English-language proficiency standards. And districts can use Title III funds to help notify parents that their child is an English-learner.

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2016/09/essa_ed_dept_releases_english_.html?_ga=1.106209159.503518935.1451996967

By Alyson Klein on September 23, 2016 7:14 AM