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Registration is Now Open for the 2008 ECS National Forum on Education Policy
Transforming Education for the 21st Century
Come join ECS and hundreds of your peers at the
premier 50-state education policy event of 2008.
Why you should attend:
- A stellar lineup of influential speakers who will enlighten, equip and engage
- More than 30 knowledge-packed sessions, roundtables and workshops
- Daily keynoters plus four powerhouse plenary sessions
- Lively networking events and four group-specific networking meals.
Register now!
We will be looking for you in Austin!
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ECS Receives Grant from GE Foundation
Today, the Education Commission of the States (ECS) announced receipt of a grant from the GE Foundation, the philanthropic organization of General Electric Company — more than doubling the amount of last year’s award. The $100,000 grant allows ECS to fine-tune and expand the Progress of Education Reform, a publication state policymakers rate among the most useful resources in education. Read the full press release.
See all new items recently added to the ECS Web site.
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"More State Funding Helps Fuel Preschool Growth"
USA TODAY
The most recent statistics show that more than 1 million children were enrolled in public preschool programs in 2005, up 63% from 1995. What's behind the increase? A bigger share of working mothers and a shift in thinking: States increasingly finance preschool programs, citing research that says kids are ready for school at an earlier age. And new RAND report suggest there are economic benefits to providing pre-kindergarten.
See all of today's e-Clips stories.
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The School Climate Challenge: Narrowing the Gap Between School Climate Research and School
Climate Policy, Practice Guidelines and Teacher Education Policy
This paper targets school leaders regarding the gap between findings from school climate research and school climate policy and practice, including teacher education and community support and engagement.
On A Razor’s Edge:
The National Economy and School Budgets
Bad economic news is coming in waves these days — falling home prices, increasing loan defaults, sinking consumer confidence and rising unemployment rates have all made headlines. While news about the state of our nation's economy can be disheartening, it is important to remember that a national economic slowdown does not usually translate into immediate budget cuts for school districts.
The Progress of Education Reform: Developmental Education (March 2008)
This issue of The Progress of Education Reform will address the following three questions: 1. What are the challenges that developmental education programs face that affect their success? 2. Are developmental education programs an effective strategy for increasing college attainment rates? 3. How can state policy improve the success of developmental education programs?
See previous issues of The Progress of Education Reform
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See all StateNotes |
School Prayer, Moment of Silence, Other Policies Concerning Religion (March 2008)
State Education Governance Models (March 2008)
Issues in Funding Early & Middle College High Schools (March 2008)
Cost Per-Day for Extended School Year (Feb. 2008)
State Collective Bargaining Policies for Teachers (Jan. 2008)
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Dat’s Story: Things Have Got
To Change
Kathy Christie,
V.P. for Knowledge Management and the ECS Clearinghouse
(reprinted with permission from Phi Delta Kappan, May 2008 issue)
WHEN MY son was in elementary
school, he gained a new friend, a
youngster from Vietnam who had
just arrived in this country. Dat
and a younger brother came not
with their parents, who remained
in Vietnam, but in the care of their
two teenage brothers. I remember
reading the small card Dat carried that designated
him — an 8- or 9-year-old — as the family member
best able to answer questions in English. The thought
of this little boy presenting that card as he confronted
a strange and scary new world simply took my breath
away.
Read the full column. |
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The Projected Impact of Preschool Spending
For every dollar spent on preschool, states are projected to recoup 50 to 85 cents in reduced crime costs and 36 to 77 cents in school savings.
Source: Charles E.M. Kolb, President, Committee for Economic Development. Taken from testimony before the Committee on Education and Labor, U.S. House of Representatives, January 23, 2008
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