Textbook adoptions, ADHD, Preschool, Japan's testing, Teach for America, 21st Century learning and Testing the Common Core

The HML Post

Greetings!

Welcome to the November 25th, edition of the HML POST
More about the Horace Mann League of the USA at HML website.

Recent research and editorials about America's public schools. Click on the title to access the full article.

Check out HML's Cornerstone on "FLIPBOARD." Comments? Click here. (The public schools are the "Cornerstone" of our democracy.)

Evolution debate again engulfs Texas board by Will Weissert in The Associated Press

Long-simmering ideological objections to teaching evolution in Texas boiled over at a late-night meeting, as the Board of Education extended preliminary approval of new science textbooks but held up one biology tome because of alleged factual errors.

More Children Are Being Medicated For ADHD Than Before by by Allison Aubrey in NPR.

The number of children being diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is on the rise, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

And families increasingly are opting for medications to treat kids. Two-thirds of children with a current diagnosis are being medicated - a jump of 28 percent from 2007 to 2011.

Can We Be Hard-Headed About Preschool? A Look at Universal and Targeted Pre-K by Grover J. "Russ" Whitehurst on the Brown Center Chalkboard.

This relatively recent explosion of public pre-K programs has been underpinned by research findings from two iconic preschool interventions from 30 to 40 years ago whose participants have been followed into adulthood, the Perry Preschool Project and the Abecedarian Project. These programs are estimated to have generated positive returns on investment.

Japan's Cutthroat School System: A Cautionary Tale for the U.S. by Noah Berlatsky in the Atlantic.

Again, in many ways, the Japanese experience seems to echo the dream of education reformers and policy-makers in the United States: strong parental involvement, rigorous testing, discipline, and study in school leading to disciplined workers competing successfully in the global economy. Obviously, every detail isn't as appealing as every other.

Six Questions for Teach for America by Yinzercation on the Yinzercation blog.

1. Will TFA help our students? Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig at the University of Texas Austin and his colleagues "have taken a look at every peer-reviewed research study that examines TFA and student achievement." Their conclusion? "TFA is NOT a slam dunk." Previously they found that "students of novice TFA teachers perform significantly less well in reading and mathematics than those of credentialed beginning teachers."

9 Characteristics Of 21st Century Learning by Terry Heick in Teacher Thought

Some educators seek out the ideal of a 21st century learning environment constantly, while others prefer that we lose the phrase altogether, insisting that learning hasn't changed, and good learning looks the same whether it's the 12th or 21st century.

Standardized Testing and the Common Core Standards: You Get What You Pay For? By: Matthew M. Chingos in Brookings Post

Eighty-five percent of American students attend school in a state that has adopted the Common Core State Standards. As these states transition from adoption to implementation of the new standards, many are grappling with how best to assess whether students are learning the material contained in the Common Core.

Reprinted with permission.

About Us

The Horace Mann League of the USA is an honorary society that promotes the ideals of Horace Mann by advocating for public education as the cornerstone of our democracy.

Officers:

President: Joe Hairston, President, Vision Unlimited, Reisterstown, MD

President-elect: Gary Marx, President, Center for Public Outreach, VA

Vice President: Charles Fowler, Executive Director, Suburban School Superintendents

1st Past President: Mark Edwards, Supt., Mooresville Graded Schools, NC

2nd Past President: Julie Underwood, Dean, Sch. of Ed. U. of WI, Madison, WI

3rd Past President: George Garcia, (ret.) Supt., Boulder Valley Schools, CO

4th Past President: Steve Rasmussen, Supt., Issaquah School District, WA

Directors:

Martha Bruckner, Supt., Council Bluffs Community Schools, IA

Evelyn Blose-Holman, (ret.) Superintendent, Bay Shore Schools, NY

Carol Choye, Instructor, Bank Street College, NY

Brent Clark, Exec. Dir., Illinois Assoc. of School Admin. IL

Linda Darling Hammond, Professor of Education, Stanford U. CA

Charles Fowler, Exec. Dir., Suburban School Superintendents, NH

James Harvey, Exec. Dir., Superintendents Roundtable, WA

William Hite, Supt., Philadelphia City Public Schools, PA

Christine Johns, Superintendent, Sterling Heights, Michigan

Eric King, Superintendent, (Ret.) Muncie Public Schools, IN

Steven Ladd, Superintendent, Elk Grove Unified School District, Elk Grove, CA

Barry Lynn, Exec. Dir., Americans United, Washington, DC

Stan Olson, Superintendent, (Ret.) Boise Public Schools, ID

Executive Director:

Jack McKay, Professor Emeritus, University of Nebraska at Omaha,

560 Rainier Lane, Port Ludlow, WA 98365 (360) 821 9877

To become a member of the HML, click here to download an application.