Daily News Roundup, March 11, 2010

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Some of the News Fit to Print

CRUNCH TIME FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGES
Community college advocates are encouraging their constituents to put aside their minor disagreements about the structure of the American Graduation Initiative for the moment and lobby collectively for its quick passage, now that it may be considered alongside healthcare reform via the contentious budget reconciliation process. While community college officials have strongly backed the legislation from the beginning, they also have had various ideas for improving it and have spent time – until now – arguing for various changes both publicly and in their behind-the-scenes communications with Congressional members and staff. Wednesday, at the opening session of the annual legislative summit sponsored by the Association of Community College Trustees and the American Association of Community Colleges, the major point of discussion was the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA), which has been on the legislative back burner while Congress has been debating health care reform. The article is in Inside Higher Ed.

RISE IN UNDERGRADS PREDICTED FOR CALIFORNIA CAMPUSES
California's public colleges and universities must prepare to serve 387,000 more undergraduates by 2019 than in 2008 -- a 16% increase -- and will need an additional $1.5 billion in enrollment funding for the task, according to a report released Wednesday by the California Postsecondary Education Commission. By 2019, demand for slots at California's community colleges is expected to rise by 313,253 students, according to the report. At the California State University and the University of California, demand will peak several years earlier, according to the projections, making the need for funding solutions more immediate. Called "Ready or Not, Here They Come," the forecast was presented at a commission meeting in Sacramento. It is designed to provide short- and long-term guidance to the governor and Legislature as they assess funding needs for higher education. The commission is responsible for statewide education planning and coordination. The article is in the L.A. Times.

GOOD TEACHING IS ABOUT HARD WORK
Doug Lemov, a teacher himself, believes passionately that champion teachers are made, not born. He studied successful teachers, and describes specific classroom management techniques that could help all teachers be more effective educators. Neal Conan interviews him on NPR’s Talk of the Nation.

CORE STANDARDS AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT
The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) today released the first official public draft of the K-12 standards as part of the Common Core State Standards Initiative, a process being led by governors and chief state school officers in 51 states, territories, and the District of Columbia.  These draft standards, developed together with teachers, school administrators and experts, seek to provide a clear and consistent framework to prepare our children for college and the workforce. 

The NGA Center and CCSSO have received feedback from national organizations representing, but not limited to teachers, postsecondary education (including community colleges), civil rights groups, English language learners, and students with disabilities  The NGA Center and CCSSO encourage those interested in the standards to provide further feedback by Friday, April 2, 2010, at www.corestandards.org. The information is at EdNews.org.