Jan 27 - American Legislative Exchange Council Releases 17th Report Card on American EducationCF Staff Report Jan 27, 2012 – The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) released its 17th Report Card on American Education: Ranking State K-12 Performance, Progress, and Reform this week. ALEC is a non-profit, nonpartisan association of over 2,000 state legislators that works to promote principles of free markets, limited government and federalism throughout the states.The comprehensive report grades all 50 states and the District of Columbia according to data from national test scores, state education policy, charter school regulation, and other benchmarks of quality. The report also discusses what resources are being wasted, what students are being left behind, and what administrators, parents, and teachers can do make a difference in education. This year, Massachusetts beat out all other states while West Virginia placed last. States were rank states based on two factors. The first is student performance and their progress on National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exams. Georgia was not ranked because it did not have 95% of enrolled students take the test. Top Five Bottom Five 1. Massachusetts 47. Missouri 2. Vermont 48. Mississippi 3. New Jersey 49. Louisiana 4. Colorado 50. South Carolina 5. Pennsylvania 51. West Virginia Georgia violated the NAEP reading exam compliance requirements that 95% of students enrolled in public schools take the exam. The NAEP included new inclusion standards for special education and English Language Learner students, and Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas “violated those standards for the 2011 NAEP reading exam,” according to ALEC. The second metric ranked states from A to F based on education reform policies including academic standards, school choice programs, charter schools, online learning, and that state's ability to hire good teachers and fire bad ones. In this category, “Missouri is the clear leader,” according to the group. ALEC gives Georgia a “B” grade, as one of the top states embracing reform including embracing charter schools: Highest Scoring Reform States Lowest Scoring Reform States "A-" Missouri "D+" Alabama "B" Colorado "D+" Nebraska "B" Indiana "D+" North Dakota "B" Ohio "D+" Vermont "B" District of Columbia "D+" West Virginia "B" Georgia "B" California "B" New Mexico "B" Arizona "B" Utah "B" Oklahoma But Georgia ranks very low in the U.S. on the training of teachers, and performance management of its teaching staff. "ALEC's Report Card on American Education is one of the premier publications on state education policy," according to ALEC National Chairman Dave Frizzell (R-IN). ALEC's report card uses empirical data to establish the case for more school choice, empowering parents to have a greater impact on their children's education, and holding teachers accountable. To view the Report Card on American Education and a full list of ALEC's reports, visit www.alec.org/reportcard.
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Jan 4 – They Did It! St. Vincent’s Academy Awarded $25,000 Grant for Science DepartmentCF Staff Report Jan 4, 2012 – St. Vincent’s Academy has receive a $25,000 grant from Pepsi Refresh to make upgrades in its Science Department the result of a campaign during the month of November when the Savannah community was called to action to vote online and via text on behalf of St. Vincent’s Academy. Over two hundred organizations nation-wide competed for the grant. The top 15 ranking organizations were granted funding. St. Vincent’s ended up 9th overall. Funds will be disbursed in mid-January to upgrade the Science Department. “St. Vincent’s was given incredible support from the Savannah community and beyond and we are so grateful!,” according to Christina Winters, Marketing Director for the school. St. Vincent’s Academy will hold an official announcement of the grant results and to thank the community on Monday, January 9, 2012 at 2:45pm in the school courtyard. The courtyard is located within the school building. Attendees can enter through the gate on Lincoln Street, near the intersection at Liberty. “It has been overwhelming and amazing for us to see the media and the entire community support St. Vincent’s in this way. The students, parents, faculty, and staff have been so excited to work towards these upgrades to benefit all of our students. The students will benefit from a mass communication lab to webcast from, upgraded lab equipment and new computers. We are a school with a strong college preparatory curriculum and this grant will help us to reach new levels of academic success and we are looking forward to sharing that with our students,” said Winters
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