Florida Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability Education-Related Reports: April 15, 2011

The Florida Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability published the following education-related reports on April 15, 2011:

U.S. Department of Education
America’s High School Graduates: Results of the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) High School Transcript Study
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/studies/2011462.pdf

This report presents information about the types of courses 2009 high school graduates took during high school, how many credits they earned, and the grades they received. In 2009, graduates earned over three credits more, or about 420 additional hours of instruction during their high school career, than high school graduates in 1990. A greater percentage of 2009 graduates completed more challenging curriculum levels than 1990 or 2005 graduates. Male graduates generally had higher mathematics and science scores than female graduates completing the same curriculum. In 2009, graduates from all four racial/ethnic groups (Asian/Pacific Islander, black, Hispanic, and white students) earned more credits and higher grade point averages. More graduates from all racial groups completed a rigorous curriculum than did in 1990.

The Aspen Institute
The Price of Persistence: How Nonprofit – Community College Partnerships Manage and Blend Diverse Funding Streams
http://aspenwsi.org/Publications/11-005.pdf

For low-income, adult learners to succeed in education and employment, support outside of tuition assistance is often needed. This report highlights the strategies community college – nonprofit partnerships use to fund student supportive services. It describes how these partnerships blend multiple funding streams to provide tailored supportive services to their participants and discusses the opportunities and challenges inherent in these financing strategies. The report tracks the source of each support type, discusses how the partnerships managed these resources, and discusses the different funding and policy environments that partnerships experienced while leveraging these different funding streams. The publication also highlights the organizational capacities needed to manage and implement these complex funding structures.

Center on Education Policy
State Test Score Trends Through 2008-09, Part 3: Student Achievement at 8th Grade
http://www.cep-dc.org/cfcontent_file.cfm?Attachment=Chudowsky%5FFullReport%5F8thGrade%5F040511%2Epdf

More states showed gains in student achievement at grade 8 than showed gains at grades 4 and high school. The percentages of 8th grade students reaching the basic, proficient, and advanced levels of achievement are on par with the other grades analyzed. However, at the advanced achievement level, gaps have widened in a majority of states between African American and white students, Latino and white students, and Native American and white students, as well as between low-income and non-low-income students. In reading, gaps have also widened at the advanced level between male and female students, with female students performing at higher levels. In most cases, these racial, ethnic, and gender gaps have widened even though achievement has increased for both groups, but it has increased more slowly for the lower-performing group.

The Christian Science Monitor
Schools Facing Rise in Homeless Students
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Education/2011/0412/Schools-facing-rise-in-homeless-students

The national trend in increased youth homelessness, defined as not having a stable, long-term place to stay, raises the question of how schools can accommodate students affected by homelessness, especially at a time when districts are facing steep budget cuts. In some districts, teachers, curriculum, and support staff, such as counselors and teaching assistants, are funded by the school system, while some of the school’s funding comes from other sources. The law requires that schools waive typical requirements, such as proof of residency, giving students the option to attend either their school of origin or the one nearest to where they are temporarily residing. It also waives requirements mandating that parents provide medical, immunization, and academic records, and requires schools to offer transportation options.