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(04/24/13 4:30am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Monroe County Community School Corporation Information Services team is working to increase the number of iPads at schools, as well as the amount of time students spend engaging with technology. IS officials presented updates and general information about the eCitizen curriculum that will be implemented this coming school year.Schools in the corporation currently have more than 6,500 computers, 4,500 iPads and 150 white boards. Terry Daugherty, coordinator for Instructional Technology, said the corporation is working to help students interpret their roles in a technological world. “We want to make sure they understand their responsibility,” he said. The IS team designated a website, help.mccsc.edu, to help teachers and other administrators with technology in classrooms. Each school building has its own technicians to troubleshoot problems. The Digital Learning Team was created last year to support teachers in the classroom. The team consists of five individuals, two involved with elementary schools, one with middle schools and two with high schools.The team is aiding teachers and students in utilizing instructional tools such as My Big Campus, Google Apps for Education, Google Drive, Splashtop Interactive Whiteboard and AirServer/AppleTV. Jason Taylor, director of IS, said the team is working to provide students the opportunity to bring their own electronic devices to school as well as “MCCSC-on-the-go,” which would enable students and staff to access MCCSC resources from any device.The corporation wants to implement the Digital Citizen Curriculum throughout the school year and work using feedback from schools. “eCitizen is a digital literacy and citizenship curriculum to help educators empower their students and their school communities to be safe, responsible, and savvy as they navigate with 21st century skills in this fast-paced digital world” was stated in the presentation. “It makes sense that we really start putting digital citizenship in place as a norm,” Daugherty said. There are four standards the team wants to achieve: digital citizenship, media literacy, cyber ethics and personal safety. Daugherty said each of these standards can be broken down to be more age-specific. Some of the board members expressed concerns and asked questions.Sue Wanzer expressed the problem that parents might think students are only spending time on computers and iPads. Daugherty said although technology will always be important in today’s world no-one is going to convince science teachers to give up test tubes. Board President Keith Klein asked how the corporation would be able to convince people of the need of technology in classrooms. Taylor said it is necessary to find employment keep employment, for no matter what profession one is in, they will interact with technology. Taylor was congratulated by the board for the progress his team has made during his two and a half years on the job.
(04/23/13 4:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Tara Haelle has five guns in her house. She also has a 2-year-old son, Darrell. A former teacher, guns on campuses scare Haelle. She supports gun use for sport and even self-defense, but she doesn’t see the great gun debate being resolved by placing firearms on campuses. Haelle is a member of Parents Against Gun Violence, a group of University of Texas-Austin graduates who came together on Facebook after the Newtown, Conn., shootings in December 2012. Some members of the group, like Haelle, are gun owners, and some aren’t. Haelle and the rest of the members of Parents Against Gun Violence all agree, however, that guns and school aren’t a pairing they support. “It doesn’t ever bring down the tension,” Haelle said about having guns in the classroom. “Just its existence raises the stakes.” Something needs to be done, Haelle said. Some in the Indiana General Assembly are working toward what they hope will be the end of gun violence on school campuses. Senate Bill 0001, relegated to a summer committee study April 11, mandates that public schools employ armed resource officers to increase safety on school campuses. The initiative would mean the presence of firearms in Indiana schools. According to the bill, a school resource officer “means an individual who has successfully completed the minimum training requirements ... and who has specialized training to work with students at a school site.” A school resource officer can be a teacher, a school administrator, a staff member or a hired security officer. “I think we need to do anything within reason to ensure the safety of schoolchildren,” Rep. Jerry Torr, R-Carmel, the House bill sponsor, said. “I mean, if we can do anything that will help prevent that type of tragedy in a school or even reduce the number of casualties, it’s worth the effort.” Torr clarified the bill was not a response to the Newtown shootings. An owner of more than one gun himself, Torr said Indiana was actually the first state to require safety assessments in its schools. The security assessments review what the schools would do in high-risk situations, he said.Haelle taught for seven years in Texas schools and said, despite her respect for guns, they have no place in schools. The presence of a gun brings up too many “impossible” moral situations. Haelle asked, what if a child gets ahold of the gun? Or what should a teacher do in the case of a shooter if he or she is designated as the resource officer? Do they leave their students alone in the classroom, attempting to find the shooter? Or do they stay with their students, allowing the shooter or intruder to possibly harm others, left unprotected, in the school? This proposed legislation is only a band-aid solution, Haelle said. Arming teachers is not the way to stop potential gun violence.Some within the Indiana educational field agree with Haelle.“There is a high level of reassurance that our children are safe when they are with us,” said John Althardt, the spokesman for Indianapolis Public Schools. The IPS corporation hires its own police force, stationing a school-based police officer at each middle and high school and employing additional officers to patrol campuses and IPS administrative buildings. The proposals from SB0001 worry IPS. Specifically, IPS is concerned about the costs associated with the program and the training that might be required, Althardt said. Jay True, assistant principal at Bloomington South High School, echoed these concerns. “You want a teacher or a security guard with a gun?” True said. True worries that the massive cuts slashing many different areas of public education will leave no one to fund the initiatives SB 0001 proposes. Bloomington South currently employs four security officers. True isn’t sure one more would make that much of a difference. “It’s a school, not a fortress,” he said. A school of 1,700 students entering and leaving through 30 doors a day can only be so protected, he said. If it comes down to one more security guard or a teacher, he said, you have to make a cost-benefit analysis.Another issue arises in training. Training for school-based police officers is significantly different from that of everyday police officers, Althardt said. IPS uses its own strategy to protect students and employees. Althardt said they look at school districts with populations similar to IPS and see what safety tactics they use. IPS reviews communities like Fort Wayne, which holds about 300 more students than IPS’s 30,000 students, he said. Other urban school districts like Nashville, Dayton and Cincinnati are also close comparisons. It’s the small town of Newtown, Conn., however, that has many worried.On Dec. 14, 2012, Adam Lanza, 20, shot and killed 20 schoolchildren and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School.Even though Newtown is not the inspiration for Senate Bill 0001, Torr said it amplified the bill’s presence.Parents Against Gun Violence does not believe the Newtown tragedy will be the end of the violence.“This will not be the last one,” Haelle said. In January of this year, MeLinda Porter, who lives outside Muncie, heard about the group “Moms Demand Gun Sense for America” with its campaign “One Million Moms for Gun Control” and attended her first pro-Second Amendment rally to protest against the group’s pro-gun control stance.“I can tell you that the tragedy at Sandy Hook did affect me,” Porter said. “I had not been careful about carrying a weapon, and after the tragedy I was reminded of the evil in the world. I have not left my home without a weapon since.” Porter, a mother of three and a handgun owner, started her own group, “Indiana Moms Against Gun Control,” earlier this year. “We feel that requiring schools to have armed personnel has become a necessary step in protecting our children and school staff from the violent tragedies that have struck too many American schools,” Porter said. That final decision, however, will be further discussed by a state study committee this summer after the legislature closes its session early next week.
(04/23/13 2:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas was appointed as the newest member of the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. The Commission was formed in 1971 to guide the missions of public colleges and universities. It also works to approve or disapprove the creation of new university programs or extension of colleges and review budget requests. Costas will be returning to the commission following his January 2011 resignation due to his duties as mayor. He was originally appointed to the commission in July 2005 and reappointed again in July 2009, said Jason Bearce, associate commissioner for Strategic Communications and Initiatives. “Mayor Jon Costas is a true public servant who takes great pride in serving the people of Valparaiso,” Gov. Mike Pence said in a news release. “His leadership abilities and integrity are important strengths to have on the Higher Education Commission.”Costas is also an elder law attorney with Burke, Costanza & Carberry LLP. Hannah Rozow, an undergraduate at IU, is a student member of the commission. As a student representative, Rozow acts as the voice for Indiana’s 400,000 college students. Rozow said all the members have a wide variety of backgrounds and are very intelligent. “The rest of the commission, I know, is very excited to have him,” she said. Rozow said because Costas is mayor of Valparaiso as well as an attorney, it will help the commission to better understand the state’s needs within that area. She said a lot of higher education is regionally based. A degree program in Northwest Indiana may not be feasible for Southwest Indiana. She said the community is excited regarding the appointment. “This has received media coverage like I’ve never seen before,” Rozow said. Commission member Michael Smith said the group is excited to have Costas back and described Costas as “imminently qualified.” “Jon is a wonderful guy,” he said. During Costas’ chairmanshi, he drafted the “Reaching Higher, Achieving More” initiative, which aims to encourage more students to enroll in higher education institutions. According to the initiative’s website, “it is not an overstatement to say that Indiana’s future depends on the educational attainment of its citizens.” Smith said Costas brings a wealth of knowledge and understanding of the goals of education for the state. For the future, Smith said the commission is focusing on helping students stay on track to graduate and increasing local awareness of high-quality post-secondary education.
(04/19/13 3:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>President Barack Obama’s recently announced his proposed budget for the 2014 fiscal year would invest $71 billion in discretionary funding for the U.S. Department of Education. This money will especially be directed toward helping young children enrich their education. Obama’s Preschool for All proposal would allocate $75 billion during the next 10 years to ensure all students begin their kindergarten careers prepared. “Preschool is one of the smartest and most critical investments we can make,” Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a news release. “By getting our children off to a strong start, we not only increase their individual chances for lifelong success, but also ensure our entire nation is on the path to a strong future.”Tim Dunnuck, director of Early Childhood Education Services at IU, said there is much research showing the positive effects of educating children from an early age.“The earlier you can get kids into programs that can stimulate their learning, the better,” he said. He referenced studies that show a substantial amount of money can be saved by investing in education. For every dollar spent on early childhood education, he said, $7 is saved later due to prevention of crimes, teenage pregnancy, high school dropouts, etc. Dunnuck said the main problem is the class system involved in early education. Many people cannot afford to send their children to quality programs. IU’s preschool program costs families $247 per week for infant full-time care and $178 per week for children up to age 5. He said this is equivalent to what an IU undergraduate might pay for a school year. Dunnuck said this is particularly unfortunate because these programs are especially beneficial to underprivileged children.He said he is supportive of the president’s initiatives, but hopes any new programs are modeled after high-quality preschools.— Sydney Murray
(04/17/13 2:31am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Indianapolis Public Schools may eliminate 59 positions in conjunction with the district’s $30 million budget deficit, according to a press release issued by IPS. Interim Superintendent Peggy Hinckley recommended cuts after reviewing the positions. Hinckley is filling in for former superintendent Eugene White, who announced his resignation in January. Through the eliminations of these positions, the district would save about $2.9 million. John Althardt, director of school and community relations, said these cuts will affect all areas throughout the district. There will also be further job eliminations in May and June.Althardt said the district will work hard to keep these cuts from affecting students and make sure all schools have strong principals and support staff. “Our goal is to make sure any cuts we make have little or no impact on our students,” he said. The district will also consolidate some programs in an effort to conserve money. — Sydney Murray
(04/12/13 4:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On Wednesday, Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz announced the creation of a new social media outreach strategy to help keep Indiana parents and educators informed about education news, policy and the rule-making process.Through this new strategy, the Indiana Department of Education will be creating two new Facebook and Twitter pages in an effort to create more transparency. The Facebook page will function like a fan page, where the IDOE will post updates and educational opportunities, as well as local, state and national news about education. The Twitter page will operate similarly to the Facebook page, but will also feature live-tweeting of some meetings and events.“Social Media is a powerful tool, and my team will use both Facebook and Twitter to transmit important information, in real-time, to Hoosiers,” Ritz said in an IDOE press release. “Teachers, parents, administrators, and Hoosier taxpayers can follow the IDOE’s activities and the development of education legislation by simply ‘liking’ and ‘following’ these four IDOE managed social media sites.”The second Twitter and Facebook pages will be used solely to post updates about education policy, both state and federal. To “like” the IDOE on Facebook, visit www.facebook.com/educatein or www.facebook.com/IDOEPolicy for their policy page. The department can also be reached on Twitter at @EducateIN or @IDOEPolicy. — Sydney Murray
(04/05/13 3:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>April has been celebrated as Autism Awareness Month, a time to help society learn more about a condition that, for more than 40 years, has affected 1 in every 88 American children. “The United States recognizes April as a special opportunity for everyone to educate the public about autism and issues within the autism community,” according to the Autism Society’s website. Marci Wheeler is a social work specialist at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community. The IU-based institute works with schools throughout the state to help them gain the resources they need for students with autism, as well as other disabilities. The Institute provides team training for schools in which educators come to Bloomington for a six-day training course to learn how to work with children on the autism spectrum. They learn how to help these children with their social and communication skills as well as solve problems that may arise. Wheeler said staff members visit schools on a regular basis to help solve any recurring issues. All schools that have been involved with the intensive training are also on an email listserv in order to facilitate further communication so that other schools may share various ideas and programs.Wheeler said Creekside Middle School in Indianapolis has become a model for other schools in Indiana. The school allows other special education teachers to visit and learn how their school functions. “They’ve become known as a model-type program for folks,” Wheeler said. — Sydney Murray
(04/05/13 3:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Franklin Community High School teacher Don Wettrick doesn’t normally wear glasses, but that’s about to change.Wettrick and his innovations class of juniors and seniors have been selected to receive Google Glass, a tiny voice-activated computer that is worn like a pair of glasses.There are 8,000 recipients who were chosen to beta-test the new technology after applicants were required to submit a 50-word testimony as to how they would implement the new device’s features into their respective lifestyles.“I’m more excited for my students,” Wettrick said. “This is a game changer. Just like the iPhone turned out to be more than just a gadget. Just how Twitter turned out to be more than just a way for Kim Kardashian to tweet about how she looks. It’s going to be like that for Google Glass.”Wettrick’s innovations class applied for Google Glass on the last possible day, he said. With a 15-second video and 140 characters, the class explained why they deserve the Glass.“#ifihadglass I would let my students discover all the uses of glass & collaborate w/ other schools worldwide,” Wettrick’s tweet read.Last Friday, ProjectGlass tweeted back, inviting Wettrick to the #glassexplorers program.“I got really excited. I just basically screamed and jumped up and down,” said Briceson Hill, a junior and self-described “tech-head” in the innovations class.He said the class is already his favorite part of the school day. But, the chance to test out the Glass makes the class even better.“It’s pretty crazy,” Hill said. “Google, in my opinion, is one of the best companies out there. Getting to work with them, then testing out the Glass, is just insane.” Wettrick said the class is already based on a method similar to Google’s “20 percent time,” where employes are allotted 20 percent of their time to pursue their own projects. Each student in his class has autonomy to concentrate on projects they are passionate about, Wettrick explained. These projects have ranged from increasing adoptions at a local animal shelter to working with an advertisement developer in Beijing. Likewise, Wettrick said he will allow the students to choose how they want to use the Google Glass — as long as they use it to the best of their abilities and don’t post videos of cats, he said with a laugh. “I think it will give us an even bigger platform to talk about what we do,“ he said. “I think with using Google Glass, since we are going to be among the first in the world, all eyes are going to be on us. We need to deliver.”Hill said he thinks the class has prepared him to experiment with the Glass.“It’s a bit overwhelming, but I think we can handle it,” he said. “Our class is purely based on results.” The class, he said, will try connecting the Glass with their android devices, as well as try Google conferencing with other classrooms.Grant Carlile, a technology teacher at Penn High School in Mishawaka, Ind., and an IU-Bloomington alumnus with a master’s in human computer interaction and design, was also chosen as a recipient of Google Glass. He said he plans to use the technology as an educator. “When you combine the two of us — my knowledge of the lesson plan and the technology of the Glass — it’s a great matchup,” he said.The idea of a wearable computer, he said, is not a new concept. Google augmented reality in the ’80s to see the different computers people have strapped to their heads, he said.But Google Glass marks the beginning of a wearable technology available to everyone, he said.“I think it’s a step in the history books,” he said. “We’ve finally made it to an augmented reality available to the masses.” However, Wettrick and his class will be able to experience Google Glass before it hits the commercial market either later this year or early 2014. The official launch date has yet to be confirmed.For now, Wettrick is waiting to find out when he can pick up the glasses from one of three Google locations — San Francisco, Los Angeles or New York. The eyewear doesn’t come cheap, either. Wetrrick has to shell out $1500 for the Google Glass, but he said he is glad to pay the amount to get the technology in his students’ hands.“When you are given a tool that you don’t know all the capabilities of, and it’s in your hands, that’s exciting,” he said. “That’s powerful education.”
(04/03/13 3:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Center for Evaluation and Education Policy at IU recently released a report showing that eighth-graders in Indiana outscore much of the world in math and science. These students are also mostly above the national average. The study evaluated test scores as recorded in the 2011 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study. Indiana chose to participate in the study separate from the United States. They also did so in 1999 and 2003, but did not test students in 2007. There are only six educational systems throughout the world that performed better than Indiana eighth-grade students in math, and only five systems scored better in science. David Rutkowski, assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, is one of the authors of the study. His research focuses on large-scale educational assessment and evaluation.He said the study shows Indiana schoolchildren have the potential to be competitive in a global economy where jobs are increasingly technical. “We thought it was rather exciting that Indiana’s education system is competitive in the world,” he said. People shouldn’t be surprised at these results because Indiana’s school systems are notable, he said. A lot of conversation is focused around struggling schools and doesn’t acknowledge enough of the well-performing schools, he said. He noted the gender disparity the study found, with boys scoring better than girls by eight points in math. It is important to help all students, regardless of the student’s sex, to achieve higher levels of learning, he said. Leslie Rutkowski, assistant professor of inquiry methodology, is another author of the study. She has been performing research with international assessments for a few years. Leslie also said she agrees Indiana education is often seen in a negative light. “This is some pretty good evidence that public schooling is doing a pretty good job,” she said. She said Indiana performed better in math than Finland, which she said is often seen as an educational miracle. Educators look to Finland to learn why its students perform so well and then emulate its practices.“To me, this is kind of a big deal,” she said. “For Indiana to have done so well is really remarkable.”
(04/01/13 2:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The U.S. Department of Education announced Indiana will receive $9.2 million to help its lowest-performing schools. The money is awarded through the Department’s School Improvement Grant program. Seven schools in Indiana received grants through this program for the 2010-11 school year, totaling $2,191,767. These seven schools include one in Indianapolis, one in South Bend, one in Evansville and one in Hammond, Ind. Indianapolis Metropolitan High School received the most with $735,737.Indiana has received more than $9 million each year since 2009. The grants are given to state educational agencies that then distribute them to local education agencies. The money can be used towards four ends: restart, transformation, turnaround or school closure. In order for states to receive funding, they must go through an application process and list all eligible schools. In 2012, Bloomington’s Templeton and Fairview were listed as possible recipients. According to the Department’s Office of School Turnaround, 2,000 high schools, about 15 percent, produce half of the nation’s 1.2 million high school dropouts.— Sydney Murray
(03/27/13 6:49pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Indiana’s grade for transparency of government spending is average.The state dropped from an from an “A-” to a “C+,” according to the annual U.S. PIRG Education Fund report. The report is released each year to outline how well each state site provides online access to government spending data.Indiana’s lower grade reflects the rising grading standards, which the state of Indiana failed to keep up with, according to a press release.The state’s website contains checkbook level information contracts, non-contract spending and grants but lacks such information on economic development tax credits.“State governments across the country have become more transparent about where public money goes, providing citizens with the information they need to hold elected officials and businesses that receive public funds accountable,” Alec Sprague, INPIRG federal field organizer, said in the release. “Following the Money 2013” assigns each state a grade ranging from “A” to “F” based on the content and ease of use of states’ transparency websites. Indiana’s falling score doesn’t mean that spending has become less transparent, but that most states are improving faster, Sprague said in the release.Since the time of last year’s report, there have been noticeable progress across the country with states providing online access to government spending information as well as several states introducing new tools to allow for wider access to the data. Three years ago, 32 states offered checkbook level information regarding state spending online. Twenty-nine states provide that information in searchable form. This year’s report disclosed that all 50 states now provide checkbook level information online, while 48 states have also made this information searchable. “Open information about the public purse is crucial for democratic and effective government,” Sprague said in the release. “It is not possible to ensure that government spending decisions are fair and efficient unless information is publicly accessible.”The best state transparency tools are “highly searchable, engage citizens and include detailed information — allowing all the information to be put to good use.”“We’d like to see Indiana again become a leader in transparency by improving the breadth and ease of access of online government spending information,” Sprague said in the news release. “Given our state budget problems, Hoosiers need to be able to follow the money.”— Anu Kumar
(03/27/13 4:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Monroe County Community School Corporation Board of Trustees voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a resolution opposing House Bill 1003, which would expand the current voucher program. MCCSC Superintendent Judy DeMuth said the money that is flowing to private schools could be used to fully fund preschools and full-day kindergartens. The board plans to send the resolution to the legislature. The vote was subsequent of the Indiana Supreme Court’s 5-0 decision Tuesday to uphold the state voucher program.The Supreme Court ruled the voucher program did not violate Article 8, Section 1; article 1, section 4; or article 1, section 6 of the Indiana constitution. Article 1, Section 6 states “no money shall be drawn from the treasury for the benefit of any religious or theological institution.”“The voucher program expenditures do not directly benefit religious schools, but rather directly benefit lower-income families with schoolchildren by providing an opportunity for such children to attend non-public schools if desired. Second, the prohibition against government expenditures to benefit religious or theological institutions does not apply to institutions and programs providing primary and secondary education,” the ruling reads. Some private schools in Bloomington, including St. Charles Catholic School, Lighthouse Christian Academy and Clear Creek Christian School, are participating in the voucher program. Alec Mayer, principal of St. Charles, said this is the school’s first year accepting vouchers and has 14 students participating in the program. He said the school doesn’t necessarily benefit with the addition of these students, but the 14 students do. “We are one of the best schools in Indiana when it comes to ISTEP scores,” he said. Mayer said this program creates competition which forces all schools in Indiana to strive to become stronger. “If this is what it takes to make us better, I think this is the way we need to go,” he said. He said people usually live in the cycle they grow up in and vouchers allow parents to make choices to break that cycle. “It’s giving the parents the choice and opportunity to choose their child’s school.” Edward Eiler, visiting clinical assistant professor in the Department of Educational Studies at Purdue University, was one of the plaintiffs in the case opposing the program. He is concerned about the way the program divides people between race, values and socioeconomic standing.He said the program either becomes an additional expense to the state or takes away money from public schools and that the program has strayed away from its original intent to help poor students have more choices.“This is not enabling these families,” he said.Instead, Eiler said private schools are mainly composed of Caucasian families not living in poverty, and it gives schools more of a choice whom to admit instead of giving parents a choice of where to send their children to school. He said the program can have long-term negative effects, as it drains resources from public school children.The voucher program was created in 2011 by former state superintendent Tony Bennett and currently serves 289 schools and more than 9,000 students.
(03/26/13 1:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Higher education institutions in Indiana may be receiving an additional $42 million if the new two-year state budget is approved by the Senate. The Senate Appropriations Committee is discussing the proposed budget, which would return some of the $150 million these institutions lost under former Gov. Mitch Daniels, according to a press release from IU. The funds appropriated to higher education institutions rose steadily between the 2003-04 and 2008-09 school years, then varied from year to year. The projected funds for institutions throughout the state for fiscal year 2014 is $1.786 billion, $84 million more than in the 2012-13 school year. At the 2013-15 hearings before the State Budget Committee, representatives from various Indiana universities, including Purdue University, Vincennes University and Ball State University, gave presentations on their goals and needs. Ball State outlined cuts they had received over more than the past few years: $15.3 million in 2009-11, $11.8 million in 2011-13 and a proposed $11.4 million in 2013-15. According to their presentation, they may not benefit from this additional money. The amount the university receives in fiscal year 2014-15 could be less than what it received in 1999-00. Vincennes University is also currently working below their 2008 financial levels. IU is requesting $452,341,278 for fiscal year 2015. IU has also faced the challenges of student debt and less federal research funding. Since 2006, however, IU has achieved gains in a 12.7-percent increase in enrollment from 97,959 in fall 2006 to 110,393 in fall 2012. The number of degrees awarded has also increased since 2008. The Commission for Higher Education also organized a presentation and noted ways these universities have kept tuition low for students. According to IU’s presentation, the University has been attempting to keep college affordable despite cuts. IU has implemented a 25-percent discount for summer tuition, on-time graduation incentive awards and a rising amount of student financial aid. $74.8 million in financial aid was awarded in 2011-12. — Sydney Murray
(03/22/13 2:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Purdue University announced earlier this week it will now aim to reduce the amount of money it uses to lobby in Washington, D.C. This announcement came right after President Mitch Daniels’ announcement that merit pay raises would be eliminated through 2015 for senior administrators, deans and administrative and professional staff earning more than $50,000. The initiative is expected to save approximately $5 million over the next biennium, according to a press release from the university.These cuts will offset the $40 million financial impact of a two-year tuition freeze that Daniels recently announced, according to a Purdue press release. Daniels hopes to make college more affordable through this tuition freeze, according to the press release. “At Purdue, we will make our first goal affordability, accommodating our spending to students’ budgets and not the other way around,” Daniels said in a letter to employees, according to the press release. This tuition freeze was announced March 1. It was the first time Purdue announced it would not increase tuition since 1976.— Bridget Ameche
(03/20/13 4:19am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Chants of “yes to public schools, no to vouchers” rang out in the South Atrium of the Indiana Statehouse as parents, educators and legislators from throughout the state gathered to rally against House Bill 1003, which would expand the state’s school voucher system. Signs throughout the room read “No to Voucher Expansion” and “We need our $300 million back.”Marilyn Shank, a board member of the Indiana Coalition for Public Education, presented each speaker, all of whom opposed the current system.“There are people who would have you believe that public schools in Indiana are failing,” she said. Danny Tanoos, superintendent of Vigo County Schools, said private schools are free to turn students away, but public schools accept all students.“We don’t care what they look like or who they are,” he said. He said the voucher program is more than just a partisan issue.“This is not about the Republicans and Democrats,” he said. “This is about right and wrong.”Rep. Randy Truitt, R-West Lafayette, said the state has been seeing higher Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress Plus scores, Advanced Placement scores and graduation rates and the implementation of full-day kindergarten has made students more prepared. He said it is important for students to have the skills and resources they need from their first day of school to graduation. Fort Wayne Community Schools Board Member Julie Hollingsworth shared the new resolution the school district passed Monday opposing HB 1003. In 2011, the school district received an “A” grade for having fine arts programs in all of their elementary schools and a public high school with an international baccalaureate program. She said vouchers run the risk of ending these programs. Cathy Fuentes-Rohwer spoke as a Bloomington ICPE representative. The organization was formed more than a year ago in response to these changes. She said businesses and politicians need to be kept out of decisions involving education. Children need to be treated as students, not statistics, she said. “This is not a business franchise we are talking about,” she said. Joel Hand, from the ICPE, said HB 1003 would allow students already in private schools to receive vouchers. It would also extend the possibility of receiving a voucher to siblings of students who already receive vouchers, children of veterans and children in foster care, whether or not they have ever attended a public school. Vic Smith of ICPE said the one million students in public schools have to deal with larger class sizes and less resources due to vouchers. The state budget allocates an additional $132 million, almost half of what was cut in 2011, to public schools. $21 million of this money would automatically go to private schools through vouchers. Carole Craig of ICPE mentioned the 9,000 voucher students at religious schools that are receiving public dollars. “I believe in separation of church and state,” she said. Craig said out of the 289 voucher schools in Indiana, 278 are Catholic, Lutheran or Christian, three are Muslim, two are Jewish and six are non-sectarian. Susan Lantzer and her daughter came to the rally because they oppose public money going to religious schools. Susan and her family are secular humanists. “We feel strongly about supporting the public schools,” she said. Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary, said supporters of the voucher program are hard-headed and mainly concerned about money. “Follow the dollar” was repeated often in his speech. He told those in attendance not to surrender hope. “The battle is not over until we quit,” he said. “People do to us what we give them permission to do.”
(03/05/13 4:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As Disability Awareness Month rolls around, schools are focusing on getting students the resources they need.In 2011, 6,243 of the 9,675 students in state special education programs graduated high school, according to the Indiana Department of Education. According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities, about 2.4 million school children, or between 4 and 6 percent of students, have been diagnosed with a learning disability. The organization defines learning disabilities as “more than a ‘difference’ or ‘difficulty’ with learning — it’s a neurological disorder that affects the brain’s ability to receive, process, store and respond to information.” Disorders include dyslexia and ADHD. Anya Steele, social studies and special education teacher at Bloomington High School South, said her department meets once a week to discuss ways to improve the education of students in an Individualized Education Program track, which encompasses more than 200 students. “We’re always talking about best practices,” she said. Some students receive more time to take tests, some have the option of taking them in a smaller group, and others receive one-on-one aid. Unlike general education students, if a student with an IEP gets in trouble — even expelled — they are assigned a homebound teacher, who meets with them about six hours a week to work on two or three subjects to help them complete their classes.Outside of academics, students can participate in an adapted gym class and all extracurricular activities. Some have peer tutors who spend time with them, and the school is also involved with the Best Buddies program, in which a general education student is paired with an IEP student to help them with social interactions. Some students are also involved in athletics such as football and wrestling. “We’re full-inclusion,” Steele said. “All the populations are involved in all aspects of the school.” Greg Chaffin, counselor at Bloomington High School North, said many services are offered, such as books with enlarged typeface for those with vision impairments or a “scribe” for those who have trouble processing information. He said for a student to be eligible for an IEP, they must be identified by a doctor or psychologist as having a learning disability. For students who may not qualify for an IEP, there is the 504 plan, that dictates doctors, administration and parents decide which course of action is best for the child. Chaffin said BHSN is also concerned about student inclusion, with some classes including special education students and general education students taught by a special education teacher and “regular” teacher. The school also helps seniors apply for SAT testing with extended time. He said although the school doesn’t have enough people to meet the needs of its special education population, it is working to train teachers to identify struggling students. “I think in our current century I am excited to see that the public school system is trying admirably to identify students with special needs,” Chaffin said.
(03/01/13 5:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After Senate Bill 416 was withdrawn this week, administrators and policymakers are struggling to decide how to evaluate schools. The new system would have rated schools based on student performance and achievement compared to standard criteria and not the performance of their peers. SB 416 had the support of Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz, according to the Indiana Department of Education. Of the 20 schools graded in the Monroe County Community School Corporation in 2012, 13 schools received A’s, according to the IDOE. Two elementary schools, Fairview and Templeton, received F’s. Throughout the entire state, 40.9 percent of schools graded received A’s and 7.1 percent received F’s. The criteria which IDOE bases these grades vary by level of education. High schools are evaluated based on student performance in language arts and mathematics, as well as their student improvement rate, graduation rate and college and career readiness. Elementary and middle schools are also evaluated on student performance and improvement, as well as student growth and the number of students tested at their school. “Giving schools letter grades for their performance — just as we do for our students — ensures parents, students, educators and communities understand how their schools are performing,” according to an IDOE overview of the system. Jeannine Butler with the Monroe County Community School Corporation said the A-F system helped parents to better understand how their school fared, compared to a system that uses words such as “exceptional,” but said the criteria focuses too much on test scores and attendance.“There’s a whole lot more that goes on in schools than testing,” she said. Sen. Jim Banks, R-Columbia City, supported SB 416, although he doesn’t oppose the A-F grading system as it gives schools and parents an idea of whether the school is improving. However, he said the method behind the rankings should be changed because it is too complex. “We need to come up with something that is fair and simple,” he said. Banks said members of both parties agree the method is flawed and doesn’t fairly evaluate schools, but there is disagreement about how to make changes. Within his district, there are schools that were ranked as A’s and B’s, but the district as a whole received a C. SB 416 eliminated the A-F system, but didn’t give a replacement. Although he still agrees with the A-F grading, he voted for the bill in committee. He said he believes the issue will reappear later on. “I’m for replacing what we have currently,” he said. Banks said a bill similar to SB 416 was brought up in the House but was later defeated. It kept the A-F grading but changed the method to calculate the grade. Sen. Jean Leising, R-Oldenburg, also supported the bill and said she was disappointed when it was withdrawn, but also believes the issue is still alive. Leising said the method should be changed but said she wants to keep the A-F system. She echoed Banks’ sentiments that the system is too complicated and schools receive grades they do not deserve. “Most of us agree the current system needs to be replaced with something better,” Banks said.
(02/22/13 2:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Educators from around the country met last week in San Diego to focus on treatment of LGBT youth in schools. The National Educator Conference, which ran Feb. 15-17, was organized by the Center for Excellence in School Counseling and Leadership and provided education leaders and LGBT experts opportunities to collaborate, said Michael Yudin, acting assistant secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services for the U.S. Department of Education, who was the keynote speaker at the conference. “Additionally, the conference focused on providing educators with the tools and resources to prevent and respond to bullying of LGBT youth, as well as empowering them to make the changes in their schools to make sure all kids are safe and thriving,” he said in a personal blog post. “I met with so many amazing educators. It truly was empowering.”Yudin said students who are bullied are more likely to succumb to poor performance in school work as well as depression. LGBT youth make up about 15 percent of occupants in juvenile centers. He urged teachers to help create optimistic environments in schools and let students know of safe places they can go if they feel threatened, such as a guidance counselor’s office. “We need to ensure that educators have the tools and resources to not only protect LGBT students from harassment and discrimination, but to ensure that they thrive in schools, not drop out,” Yudin said in the blog.— Sydney Murray
(02/15/13 3:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Students in Sarah Murray’s kindergarten class at Childs Elementary School exchanged books as a part of International Book Giving Day Thursday. Each student brought a book and were instructed to pass them in a circle as Murray read “Splat the Cat.” Despite some confusion as to which way to pass the books and some students’ reluctance to give theirs up, each student ended up with a new story to take home. Murray said she found out about the day when the school’s librarian, Judy Williams, encouraged teachers to participate. Williams has been working at Childs for 18 years, after she was a fifth and sixth-grade teacher for 13 years.“She just, really in a positive way, said try to do something in your classroom,” she said. Murray said the students love to read, despite the fact that many of them start school at different reading levels. Murray uses “the Daily Five” to help students learn. The categories consist of reading to yourself, working on writing, reading to someone, listening to reading and word work. The class reads a lot of poetry and about five to six books each day as a group. Murray said this day helps students to learn that books are a treasure and to share these treasures with others. “I though it was a success,” she said. Amber Rabold’s third-grade class brought in used books to donate to Middle Way House. She said the kids were excited and able to collect about 40 books. Rabold said the class made cards for people at Middle Way House because she wanted to teach them to help others.Williams said she is also encouraging her students to participate in World Read Aloud Day March 6. “I love the idea of sharing books with others,” Williams said. “We need to be a community of people.”Reading creates a bond, she said.It is important for her, she said, to find the right books to put in the kids’ hands.“Right now, that’s my passion,” Williams said. Williams said she loves when students tell her they loved a book. Reading can help them learn more about themselves and others, she added. “It’s important because reading is critical to kids because reading enables them to see the world through a different lens,” she said.
(02/12/13 3:28am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Panel members at the Monroe County Community School Corporation school safety communication conversation stressed the importance of communication about possible emergency situations. Superintendent Judy DeMuth said this conversation was the third of a series, the previous two focusing on digital learning and bullying. “I think it’s part of being transparent as a school corporation,” said Beverly Smith, director of school and community services. DeMuth and the other four panelists, Chief Mike Diekhoff of the Bloomington Police Department, Russ Skiba, professor of Counseling and Educational Psychology at IU, David Pillar, principal of Jackson Creek Middle School, and John Carter, director of planning for MCCSC, answered questions posed by moderator and Herald-Times editor Bob Zaltsberg and the audience. Tom Bunger, chair of the Foundation of the Monroe County Community Schools, said safety has always been at the forefront of the corporation’s mission. “This is not a timely topic because of what happened in Connecticut,” he said. DeMuth said tragedies are on the news every day, which makes school officials work more to be prepared and stress communication. “If you hear something, if you see something, you need to talk to an adult,” DeMuth said. Carter said the corporation is in the process of revising emergency preparedness plans. He said they were able to train more than 200 staff members in emergency preparedness, including teacher aids and custodians. “It’s truly a school-wide discussion,” Pillar said. DeMuth said these teams are also trained in AED and CPR. Pillar said all schools in the MCCSC now have a buzz-in system, where the visitor has to state the purpose for their visit. Carter said they must also sign a form and wear a nametag. “If kids don’t feel safe, they can’t learn,” Pillar said. In September 2011, Jackson Creek had a shooting threat written on a bathroom wall. “We did the total opposite of keeping it hushed,” he said, noting the importance of telling people what is going on. Within 20 minutes, police officers had showed up. He said about 170 students did not come to school the day the supposed shooting was to happen. He said it was probably one of their safest days, though, because of the increased police presence. “The climate is so vital to their feeling of safety and their ability to learn,” he said.Sikba said many school shooting situations have resulted from bullying and said it is important for students to learn how to resolve conflicts between themselves. She said GPS systems might eventually be put on buses so their positions can be tracked, along with a sound mechanism so officials can hear what is happening.“When you work in a school environment, you want to be proactive,” she said.