EPLC Education Notebook

Friday, July 25, 2008

    Content in this edition:
    Pennsylvania Bulletin
    Pennsylvania Department of Education
    U.S. Department of Education
    Research and Reports
    Announcements
    Datebook

    The EPLC Education Notebook (current and past editions) also is available by visiting the EPLC website at www.eplc.org/ednotebook.html.

     

    PENNSYLVANIA BULLETIN

    The Independent Regulatory Review Commission has issued comments on proposed Department of Education auditing standards for approved private schools.  Click here to read IRRC’s comments published in the July 19 edition of the Pennsylvania Bulletin.

     

    PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

    PDE has announced 2008-09 grant recipients for Science It’s Elementary funding and Dual Enrollment funding.  The grants will support innovations in science teaching in 143 elementary schools, and will provide high school students in 370 school districts and 16 career and technical schools with opportunities to pursue credit-bearing college courses.

     

    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

  • The U.S. Department of Education has released documents listing Title I allocations by school district for the 2008 fiscal year.  Click here for a breakdown of Title I funding in Pennsylvania.  Click here for more information about Title I funding nationally and information about parameters in federal law that require a portion of these funds to be spent on transportation for school choice programs and supplemental education services for students.


  • A consortium of Pennsylvania institutions has been awarded a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to improve science education in middle schools.  The new 21st Century Center for Cognition and Science Instruction will conduct research to better understand how the mind receives, processes, stores and retrieves information and apply this research to improve science curriculum and learning outcomes.  The Consortium leading the initiative includes the University of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh, Temple University, 21st Century Partnership for STEM Education, Pennsylvania Department of Education, two non-profit organizations and almost 200 Pennsylvania middle schools.

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    RESEARCH AND REPORTS

    Orders are now being accepted for “Education in the 50 States: A Deskbook of the History of State Constitutions and Laws About Education”.  Click here for details on how to purchase this new book from the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia and the Institute for Educational Equity and Opportunity.

     

    ANNOUNCEMENTS

    State Board of Education Chairman Karl Girton has resigned from the Board, effective August 1.  Girton chose to leave the Board following a request by Gov. Ed Rendell to step down from his leadership post.  Rendell said he feels the time is right for him to appoint a new Chairman, given recent turnover in Board membership.

    Girton, who joined the Board in 1992, was appointed Chair by Gov. Mark Schweiker in 2002.  He previously served on the school board in the Millville Area School District and also as president of the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit.  In addition to his expertise in the education field, Girton is a business leader in Columbia County.

    During his tenure, Girton led State Board initiatives to update the state’s academic standards, adopt new standards for early childhood education, and oversee the recent education costing-out study commissioned by the General Assembly.  In 2006, EPLC honored Girton with the Edward Donley Education Policy Leadership Award, which recognizes exemplary models of dedicated service to children, commitment to stronger educational opportunities for all, and hard work to improve the effectiveness of local, state, and national education policy.

     

    DATEBOOK

    Next week…

  • The 15th Annual Education Law Conference takes place July 28-31 in Portland, ME.

    • For information on these and other upcoming events, see www.eplc.org/calendar.html.



        EPLC Education Notebook is published by The Education Policy and Leadership Center (EPLC). Permission to reprint or electronically redistribute the Notebook in whole or in part is granted provided attribution to EPLC is provided.

        The Education Policy and Leadership Center is an independent, non-partisan and not-for-profit organization. The Mission of EPLC is to encourage and support the enactment and implementation of effective state-level education policies in order to improve student learning in grades P-12, increase the effective operation of schools, and enhance educational opportunities for citizens of all ages.

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