New York City Schools: High Opt-Outs For Standardized Tests

Rigorous High School Gives Underprivileged Students Hope for Future

College is the future dream for many high school students, but that dream is more likely to become a reality for some students than others. Now, high school students in Newark have an option that can help them beat the odds and make that college dream a reality. Bard College has brought its proven track record of success to a Newark high school, offering students the chance to experience the rigors of college academics firsthand within the secure confines of a high school environment.

Bard High School Early College Newark

Bard High School Early College Newark (BHSEC Newark) is the latest in a series of college-based high schools created through Bard College. According to the BHSEC website, this school opened in 2011 as a partnership between the college and Newark Public Schools. BHSEC Newark offers a rigorous, college-level curriculum and traditional high school academics that prepare students for life after high school.

What makes the Newark school unique is its commitment to enrolling students from a diverse range of backgrounds, giving students the chance to excel academically who might not have the opportunity otherwise. Students come from all Newark neighborhoods, including disadvantaged areas like Newark’s West Ward, where drugs and shootings are almost a way of life for the young residents of the community. The New York Times reports that BHSEC Newark is positioned across the street from a tire shop

A new GED examination is coming to states nationwide, promising to better prepare students for the rigors of higher education or the 21st-century workforce. The update marks the largest change to the exam in its 70-year history, and not everyone is on board with the new product – or its higher price tag. Is the new GED a necessity to maintain a competitive workforce in America, or will it price some students right out of high school completion?

Need for Revamping

The Washington Post reports that the new GED examination is scheduled to be introduced on a national level in January 2014. The exam is currently in a pilot phase in select locations and has received positive reviews from many who have taken the new test. The test is designed to assess skills and knowledge that are more relevant to the 21^st century, including critical thinking skills, a deeper knowledge of mathematics, and basic computer literacy.

“The content has been aligned with the Common Core State Standards,” Tiffany Cowie, public information officer for the Florida Department of Education, stated in a report from the Gainesville Sun. “The new test will reflect the knowledge and skills required for current graduates.”

The current GED exam is available in English, French, and Spanish. It covers five test areas: writing, reading, mathematics, science, and social studies. According to the website for GED Testing Service, the new exam will cover four test areas: literacy, mathematics, social studies,

Bullying is, sadly, not an uncommon occurrence in middle schools across the country. However, the decision by a judge in Florida, in response to an extreme incident of bullying, is anything but ordinary. While some applaud the judge’s decision to take strict action against a bullying student, others wonder whether the judge went too far in his ruling. Was the judge fair in this case?

Bullying to the Extreme

The incident in question took place in Duval County, one of the largest school districts in Florida, and in the U.S. A student at Oceanway Middle School, Aria Jewett, was lured away from school grounds by a group of classmates. One of the students, Paris Cannon, allegedly dragged Jewett by the hair and slammed her head into a stone wall. She also slapped and kicked Jewett while Jewett was curled up on the ground in a fetal position.

According to First Coast News, Jewett was taken to the hospital by ambulance after the attack, where she was treated for life-threatening injuries, including a skull fracture and a severe concussion. Jewett also suffered contusions and abrasions to the scalp from the attack. She spent the night in the hospital before she was released to go home and recover.

Friends of Cannon were with the girls at the time of the attack, and one filmed the incident. The video showed Cannon's beating, as well as two other girls in the background, laughing and cheering Cannon on as it

School bus safety has been a concern for Alabama educators since the incident in Dale County left a bus driver dead and a young child held hostage for several days. Montgomery County, one of the largest school districts in the country, is taking steps to make school buses safer by installing special security equipment in their vehicles. A new pilot program allows the county to test the equipment in a few of its buses for free before investing in the security equipment for more of its fleet.

Four Buses Serve as Test Models

AL.com reports that four Montgomery County school buses have been equipped with advanced security equipment as a part of a new pilot program. Bus Guard, a company based in Texas, has installed video equipment into the vehicles that allow it to track events inside the bus and outside traffic. The primary purpose of the surveillance equipment is to identify motorists who illegally pass the bus so that citations may be issued.

Michael Cox, director of transportation for Montgomery Public Schools says loading and unloading pose the greatest danger to students riding the school bus. Cox explained, “We can’t predict what the drivers of cars stopped near buses will do. Students have lost their lives around the state and the nation because a driver of another vehicle was in a hurry and disobeyed the law, passed a bus, and hit and killed a student.”

This video from bus manufacturer Bluebird