Miss. education board agrees to allow schools to keep higher grades

Faced with resetting Mississippi’s school grading system, the state Board of Education settled for a compromise that would allow more A districts and fewer F districts under the new reset. The catch? The deal to good for 2016-17 performance grades only. Read more>>

Local Indiana superintendents say they disagree with a recent study that says if schools with less than 2,000 students consolidate, then student performance will improve on SAT test scores, Advanced Placement pass rates, eighth-grade ISTEP scores, and algebra and biology end-of-course assessments. Read more>>

Superintendent Richard Carranza said the Texas district and the school board are “laser-focused” in righting the ship, and ensuring the 10 school campuses identified by Texas Education Agency officials as needing improvement won’t be taken over or closed down. Read more>>

Several Oklahoma City School Board members said they favor renaming four schools named after Confederate officers, but raised concerns about the costs associated with doing so. Superintendent Aurora Lora acknowledged that some facilities named after "historical" figures do not "reflect our values in 2017." Read more>>

As California considers a first-of-its kind bill to outlaw a school day starting before 8:30 a.m., school districts across 19 states have later start times this school year than last, according to the nonprofit advocacy group Schools Start Later. Read more>>

Elk Grove USD is joining districts across the region and nation that are changing rules so that children who come up short for lunch money aren’t embarrassed with a different meal than what their peers receive—or not fed at all, as has been the case elsewhere. Read more>>

Disruptive Classroom Technologies: A Framework for Innovation in Education lays out a framework for the T3 system. Read more>>

Ultimately, the fate of Chicago's schools rests in the mayor's office as he picks the school board. He's accountable to voters if schools falter. He has also had six years in office to get Chicago Public Schools on a stable financial course. Instead, the district inspires talk of bankruptcy. Read more>>

Experts say it's important to do a practice run putting on the glasses so kids know what to expect. Certified eclipse glasses block out almost all light—a good reason to practice wearing the glasses with kids before the big event. Read more>>

The new LEGO Education resources, designed for teachers and students to explore coding, include free lesson plans, online courses for teachers, and an invitation to all schools and after-school programs to participate in the new FIRST LEGO League and FIRST LEGO League Jr. Challenge season. Read more>>

To support personalized learning and continue building a network of integrated classroom solutions, Renaissance and Edmentum are partnering to integrate Exact Path, Edmentum’s K8 individualized learning solution, and Renaissance’s Star Assessment into Renaissance Flow 360. Read more>>

Monroe County Schools announced it has begun work on a district-wide infrastructure improvement and modernization project at its nine schools and central office that will generate $6.2 million in energy and operational savings. The district partnered with Schneider Electric to implement new technologies in its schools that will provide a first-class learning environment for students in Monroe County, Alabama. Read more>>

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Ballston Spa CSD Superintendent Joseph Dragone is leaving the district he has headed since 2008 for a top job at Capital Region BOCES. He will lead the district at the start of the new school year before Denise Jones, assistant superintendent for human resources and professional development, steps in as interim superintendent. Read more>>

Hazleton Area School District's school board selected Brian Uplinger as the superintendent to replace Superintendent Craig Butler, who is leaving Hazleton Area for the Saucon Valley School District. Uplinger is the top leader in Central Greene School District. Read more>>

Johnnie Thomas, former superintendent of Crystal Lake Schools District 115, was selected for his new job last week by the Rich Township school board to begin as superintendent this week. Read more>>