Common Core State Standards

I was checking Center Court and Steinhauer's blog for anything that resembled a post on the new Common Core State Standards, and struck out.  Instead, I noticed that Josephine now has ads on her blog. Really, Jo? Not making enough at your day job? Or was this a recommendation made by Pursuing Ketchup?

While Josephine is blogging about charter schools and Timmy is blogging about pizza, pics, and post it notes, nothing has been mentioned about Common Core State Standards.

PA Common Core Standards

The State Board adopted Common Core Standards in July 2010. Since that time, the decision was made to craft a set of PA Common Core Standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics. A group of Pennsylvania educators created a draft set of PA Common Core Standards. These new standards mirror the content and rigor of Common Core, but reflect the organization and design of the PA Academic Standards.

Pine-Richland School District's website has a whole page dedicated to understanding the Transitions to Common Core Standards.

Eleanor Chute mentioned PA Common Core Standards in Monday's
Study: Pennsylvania students with access to full-time librarians do better

As school districts look for ways to save money, supporters of school libraries point to a recent study showing Pennsylvania students do better on state tests in reading and writing if they have access to strong school libraries.

The study found students with access to a better-staffed, funded, equipped, stocked and accessible school library are more likely to score advanced and less likely to score below basic on the state reading and writing tests.

Remember how our illustrious board cut staff in our libraries as listed in the
Cost reductions list totaling approximately $850,000 while twenty administrators received raises?

Ms. Chute continues:

Mary Kay Biagini, director of the school library certification program at the School of Information Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh and an analyst for the study, said that 56 percent of public schools in the state didn't have access to a full-time school librarian in 2011-12.

With the economic conditions and resulting library cuts of the past two years, she said, "Students are getting even less of a chance to have access to library resources and information literacy curriculum."

She believes school libraries will be even more important as schools implement the new Common Core State Standards in English language arts and math that call for the curriculum to go deeper in fewer areas rather than skimming the surface in many.

When will this Board and Administration report on more pressing issues such as the transition to Common Core State Standards, 21st Century Education, replacing our fuzzy math program, and the like, instead of concentrating on sports, turf, fundraising, and charter schools? On the two year anniversary of Lebo Citizens blog, I can't think of one wise decision this Board has made.

We moved up! (Updated)

Pittsburgh Business Times reports this morning that we have moved from the third postition to number two in school rankings!!! 2012 School Guide to Western Pennsylvania Schools  Of course, Number One Upper St. Clair has been voted top school district SEVEN years in a row.

Just when we moved up a notch, the board and administration are discussing closing an elementary school, increasing class sizes, furloughing teachers, and all the other things the "fear mongers" have been predicting.

Finally, an explanation to 21st century learning by Dr. Steinhauer:

 A major challenge for us will be to stay abreast of the rapidly changing technologies that impact education and infusing 21st- century skills into our curriculum. We will need to offer a more blended instructional environment with some online classes offered as well as building-based instruction.

Regarding PSSA scores, "Upper St. Clair School District once again had the highest-scoring students in Pennsylvania on state standardized tests. Upper St. Clair has led this ranking all seven years the Business Times has done statewide rankings."  Mt. Lebanon came in fifth in the state.

I am looking forward to reading the guide after it arrives in my mailbox. I will be going into more detail in the next couple of days.

Should we stop thinking of the high school as a building?

Richard Gideon sent me a link to a PDF file of a McGraw-Hill Research Foundation white paper called,  "A HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE 21ST CENTURY." He is not endorsing everything in it, but we do think it is a huge step in the right direction. Please note page 17, where it states:

1. Stop Thinking of High School as a Building
A high school education need no longer be limited to the physical place. High school is about learning the things one needs to know to succeed in life. It’s not about coming to the same building every day and following the same schedule with the same people. Many businesses are flexible today in offering their employees the opportunity to tele-commute. Why shouldn’t high schools offer “tele-learning?” 

The conclusion reminds me of unmet targets from the Strategic Plan.  Balanced Scorecard
Item 1.4 Problem solving
Item 1.8 - Critical Thinking

I was trying to find the reference from Wikipedia concerning the Remediation percentage, but the text had been removed. I was able to find this:  http://bloglebo.blogspot.com/2009/03/high-school-grads-not-prepared-for.html

Conclusion

Many U.S. students receive an excellent education in high school, go on to college and

eventually find their way to rewarding careers. But they are disproportionately from higher income homes and are no longer the majority.

At the same time, a growing number of U.S. students -- both lower income and middle-class --are falling by the wayside, either dropping out or graduating without being either college- or career-ready.

This is happening -- not because the kids aren’t smart enough or don’t know what’s good for them -- but because high school has become too focused on making students college eligible without making them sufficiently college and career-ready. At the same time, it is not encouraging them to develop the kind of critical thinking and problem-solving skills that will enable them to function in whatever they do after high school, regardless of how technology develops.

Richard, thank you for sending this article.  I think Lebo Citizens readers will enjoy it.

http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/user-media/high-school-for-the-21st-century.pdf 

The silence is deafening.

Yes, I realize this is the Fourth of July weekend. Yes, I realize people go on vacation this time of year. Yes, I realize that the Central Office Administration is off on Fridays during summer hours, but...
There has been no update on Dr. Steinhauer's blog since March 25, 2011.  Josephine Posti's Center Court blog's last post was June 21, 2011.  No interviews with the Post Gazette or Trib.  Nothing on the School District website. Surely, the School Board knew this was coming.  Any thoughts on the State Budget? Is this what you meant by a 21st century education- something within our means which concentrates on academics? Are we going to get that $75 million plan now? Almost 4,000 people would like to know.

Update July 3, 2011 6:15 p.m. Josephine Posti has updated her blog with this post. General Assembly Completes Budget Work, Includes Restrictions on Act 1 Exceptions It is interesting that Ms. Posti brings up the storm water fee (not the sewer fee, as she said) in her post. The Commission has been operating on a tight budget and has been moving money around, in order to have a balanced budget.  Their hands have been tied since the School Board raised taxes 10.5% last year.  They don't run and raise taxes like the School District does, when money gets tight. I would still like to know if the School Board plans to proceed with the current renovation plans.

Blogger sure messed things up!

Blogger promised to restore all threads that were posted after Wednesday, but I don't see that happening.  If you submitted a comment, and it was posted, but now MIA, please resubmit it so I can try to piece everything back together again.  Grrr

Update from Blogger: http://buzz.blogger.com/2011/05/blogger-is-back.html

Note to School Board: A 21st century education isn't necessarily better than a 20th century education!