Cell Phones in Class? Many Schools are Saying Yes

Chicago Public Schools is planning to close as many as 100 of its schools, citing poor attendance, as well as poor academic performance, as the reason for the closures. However, in the midst of massive closures, the city is also advertising the opening of new schools – different types of schools that promise to meet the need of Chicago’s youth and improve academic performance in the Windy City. Does Chicago need new schools or are there more schools than students right now? The answer to that question may depend on who you ask.

Concern over Low Capacities

According to the Chicago Business Journal, Chicago Public Schools has plans to close the schools that do not have enough students to warrant keeping them open. Schools slated for closure are currently operating at enrollment limits of less than 50 percent, according to district officials. At the current rate, the district is paying more on utilities and resources than they are receiving in tax revenues, based on their current student count. District officials tell WBEZ that money saved by consolidation could be better spent on upgrading current school buildings.

However, in the midst of school closures, the district also has plans to open as many as 60 charter schools over the next five years. In fact, 11 of those new contract and charter schools would open as early as the beginning of the 2013 school year. The addition of the proposed new schools, in addition to

Dismal test scores have been released for Detroit public schools. The numbers show that not only are a few Detroit students considered proficient in math and reading, but the improvement has also been nearly non-existent over the past decade in the city. While the schools continue to struggle in Detroit, and throughout the state of Michigan, many proposals have been placed on the table in an effort to bring some of that long-awaited improvement. Unfortunately, few of those proposals come without controversy, and while educators and lawmakers continue to set battle lines, the students continue to suffer.

Proficiency Ratings Dismal in Detroit and Statewide

CNS News reports that according to the U.S. Department of Education, only seven percent of the eighth-graders in Detroit are considered proficient in reading. This figure comes from recent scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress test from 2011. To make matters worse, math scores for Detroit were even lower, with just four percent of Detroit eighth-graders scoring proficient on the national math examinations.

While statewide scores are considerably higher than Detroit’s, they still fail to wow any Michigan educators or parents. On a statewide level, only 32 percent of eighth-graders in public schools tested proficient in reading. Thirty-one percent scored proficient in math. This means that more than two-thirds of all public school students in the state are reading and performing math below grade level.

Another concerning fact for educators, lawmakers, and residents of Michigan is that little

At a time when schools are examining standardized test scores for math, reading, and writing, schools in the District of Columbia are assessing their students’ aptitude in another subject – health. Last year, students in D.C. completed the first-ever standardized test on subjects like health, nutrition, and sex education. While some are touting the decision by D.C. to include this assessment, others are wondering why the focus has shifted to health when math and reading scores are still lagging in this school district.

What Was Tested?

The new standardized test was comprised of 50 questions developed by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education. The test was created in response to a provision in the Healthy Schools Act of 2010, which lawmakers want to use to raise awareness of health-related subjects among D.C. youth. According to DCist, subjects varied somewhat based on the grade level, but included:

• Health and Wellness
• Disease Prevention
• Physical Education
• Safety Skills
• Healthy Decision Making
• Sexuality and Contraception
• Drugs

Parents were allowed to opt-out of allowing their students to answer the questions on sex, contraception, and drugs if they chose. Around five percent of fifth-graders opted out of sex-related questions, while approximately two percent of eighth-graders and high school students did so. The rest of the questions were administered in a similar fashion to any other standardized examination on reading, mathematics, writing, or science. Questions might include subjects like what physical activities are best for improving heart health or how to put out

The city of Philadelphia has appeared to have a type of love-hate relationship with education in recent decades. Burdened by financial woes and hounded by parents, educators, and lawmakers who want to see a higher quality education offered to Philadelphia youth, public schools have seen more than their share of ups and downs. However, problems seem to be coming to a head in the City of Brotherly Love, with a proposal to close nearly 40 schools on the negotiating table. While parents and students protest this proposed move, school officials assert that a budget crisis leaves them with little choice but to downsize.

School Closing Decision Raises Controversy

My Fox Philly reports that the School District of Philadelphia has announced plans to close 36 schools throughout the city. According to the district, the closures and subsequent moves will put schools “on the road to a higher-performing school system that improves academic outcomes for all students and is financially sustainable.” The recommendations for school closures took a number of factors into consideration, including the academic performance of all students, reducing excess capacity, and limiting capital expenses to a more practical level. However, some opponents of the proposal have suggested the decision to close so many schools is all about the bottom line for the district.

“In its bottom line-focused rush to close neighborhood schools, the SRC [School Reform Commission] is turning its back on the parents, students, and communities that will be affected by these closures,” Jerry