Policy Release

Schools in developing nations adapting faster to 21st century than rich ones, OECD says
Across OECD countries, governments are seeking policies to make education more effective while searching for additional resources to meet the increasing demand for education.

NCES report, Age 2: (NCES 2006-043) shows the wide range of skills and abilities demonstrated by children at an early age. For example, 84 percent of children recognize and understand certain spoken words at about 2 years of age, while 4 percent show beginning counting skills.

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON STUDENT CONDUCT 
2 to 5 APRIL 2007 , Potchefstroom , South Africa 
INVITATION TO PRESENT A PAPER AT AN UPCOMING CONFERENCE
The Research Project on student discipline in schools at the Faculty of Education Sciences of the North-West University (Potchefstroom Campus) takes pleasure in providing academics and Education practitioners an opportunity to meet and exchange ideas on a burning, current national and international issue in education, namely discipline in schools.

Study details how approach is ideally suited for communities focused on economic growth and creating opportunities for incumbent workers, jobseekers, and students

The Think Tank Review Project
TEMPE, Ariz. - A new report from Harvard's Program for Education Policy and Governance (PEPG), "On the Public-Private School Achievement Debate," claims that private schools outperform public schools. According to University of Illinois professors Christopher Lubienski and Sarah Theule Lubienski, the report applied inappropriate models to account for the demographic differences between students.

Fordham University Policy Center
A centerpiece of New York City Department of Education (DOE) efforts to overhaul the public schools, in its initial implementation, at least, appears to have pushed students away from their high schools rather than creating the “safe environments for learning” predicted by City Hall, according to a Fordham University policy center.

Public Education Network
New campaign - Give Kids Good Schools - aims to empower Americans and provide tools and information needed to help improve our nation's public schools
WASHINGTON, DC- In a recent national poll released today, the American public said public education is the number one issue local leaders should address, edging out health care, the economy and fears of terrorism at the local level. The poll was released at the launch of Give Kids Good Schools , a campaign aimed at helping the public improve America's public schools. Give Kids Good Schools is sponsored by Public Education Network, a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to quality public education for all children.

Alexandria, Va. - Anne L. Bryant, executive director of the National School Boards Association, said that the 38th annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward Public Schools released today delivers a strong message about the importance of local communities and local governance.

Three-year Study Clarifies District Role
(San Francisco) - A new WestEd book offers practical advice for districts engaged in continuous school improvement. Building on a three-year study, the authors have created a district action guide with concrete activities designed to help district personnel understand whether they are on track to help -- and not hinder -- their local schools' efforts to raise student achievement.

Coalition of Higher Education Assistance Organizations Continues Perkins Loan Efforts
WASHINGTON, DC - The Senate Appropriations Committee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education sent a mixed message to more than 700,000 students who need Perkins Loans to help pay for college.

By Jim Kohlmoos
National Education Knowledge Industry Association (NEKIA)
It is not too soon to get involved in the next reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). After all, the current authorization ----in the form of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2002--- is set to expire September 30, 2007. While most policy makers predict that NCLB will be extended for at least two more years---until after the Presidential election in 2008, the buzz around Washington these days is all about reauthorization and getting ready for a long, complex and contentious process.

University Professors in New National Report agree:
An educated person needs to know about the Bible.
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY, Waco TX. A new national report, funded by the John Templeton Foundation, entitled Bible Literacy Report II: What University Professors Say Incoming Students Need to Know, revealed that English professors surveyed at leading universities--including Yale, Harvard, Princeton and Stanford--agreed that "regardless of a person's faith, an educated person needs to know about the Bible.

National campaign gets strong response to join the effort to prepare all students for success.
Americans are responding to a national call to action to STAND UP and demand excellent high schools that prepare all students for college, work, and citizenship. Kevin Johnson , former NBA all-star, founder of St. HOPE Public Schools in Sacramento, and a spokesperson for the STAND UP coalition, joined other coalition members last week to launch the effort. 

Russell J. Hammer
President & CEO
Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
Beginning this year, high school seniors are not supposed to receive their diploma unless they have passed the state high school examination. This has been coming on for the last several years and was enacted as a part of overall reforms to focus students on a baseline level of achievement. Students may take the exam multiple times, and they must pass it just once in order to graduate.

Americans Believe High Schools Cannot Improve without Community Partnerships
New York , New York -March 20, 2006. During a year of unprecedented attention to and demands for reform of the nation's urban public high schools, a new poll from Carnegie Corporation of New York suggests a path that commands broad and deep support from Americans.