Education Trust | Closing the achievement gap

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Getting It Done: A Webinar Series. Register for Feb. 16

Blogs and Commentary

"Blaming the Victims in Their Own Voices" replies to "The voices of young black males," Phi Delta Kappan

Blaming the Victims in Their Own Voices, Amy Wilkins, The Huffington Post

Principals Matter: School Leaders Can Drive Student Learning, Karin Chenoweth, The Huffington Post

Is Your Kid Really 'Slow' or Simply Undereducated?, Rima Brusi, Closing Gaps

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Education Trust Statement on the New York State Teacher Evaluation System

Washington (February 16, 2012) — Today’s agreement on a modernized teacher evaluation system in New York state is a critical step forward for the students, teachers, taxpayers, and employers in the Empire State. The New York State Union of Teachers, the United Federation of Teachers, the State Education Department, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo deserve credit for abandoning an antiquated system that failed students and teachers, and moving on to a system that offers better feedback to teachers, so they can improve their craft, and deliver better outcomes for students.

New Budget Values Education, but is Unlikely to Pass

Higher education got a lot of attention in President Obama’s FY 2013 budget proposal, which was unveiled on Feb. 13. The proposal allots $69.8 billion for the Education Department, an increase of $1.7 billion, or 2.4 percent, over last year’s budget, making it the largest percent increase in non-security discretionary request in the proposed budget. It maintains a small scheduled increase to the maximum Pell Grant, which would hit $5,635 for the 2014-2015 school year, an increase of $85. If enacted, the proposal would keep the Stafford loan interest rates at 3.4 percent for one more year, rather than allowing them to double as scheduled in July. This could save middle-income students who don’t receive Pell Grants a lot of money. And that’s not all.

NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND WAIVERS: A FIRST LOOK

EDITOR’S NOTE: A deeper analysis of each state waiver agreement will be made available in the coming days. For Ed Trust’s official statement on the first round of No Child Left Behind waivers, announced on February 9, 2012, please visit www.edtrust.org/dc/press-room/press-release/ed-trust-statement-on-no-child-left-behind-waiver-announcement.

The Obama administration’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act waiver plan represents an important new phase in the relationship between federal and state policymakers when it comes to raising achievement for all students and closing gaps between groups.

Coalition Counters Kline's Ed Bill

More than 40 organizations have joined in opposing the Student Success Act, introduced Thursday, Feb. 9, by Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.), who chairs the House Education and Workforce Committee. The opponents range from civil rights groups to groups representing business, education reform, and disability rights. Although Kline insists that the bill doesn’t retreat from accountability, the coalition members all agree that the bill abandons accountability and, in doing so, undermines opportunity for millions of students.

Honoring the Impact of School Counselors

On the walls of school offices and halls across the country, fresh posters are heralding “National School Counseling Week” in hot pink letters. The Education Trust salutes the hard-working school counselors of America who, at their best, put our most vulnerable students on a path to success in college and career. As shown in our recent report, “Poised to Lead,” school counselors can play an indispensable role in preparing all students, especially those most often underserved, for a productive future. Take, for instance, the graduates of the school counseling program at DePaul University in Chicago.