STATE OF THE UNION

JFF ON THE PRESIDENT’S EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE PROPOSALS

JFF applauded President Obama for highlighting P-TECH Early College High School in Brooklyn, NY, and its corporate partner IBM in his fifth State of the Union address last week. P-TECH and IBM’s unique grade 9-14 partnership helps its students graduate within six years with both a high school diploma and an Associate’s degree, equipped with the skills and knowledge that employers are demanding. P-TECH—like 240 other schools nationwide—is based on the early college model that enables more than 75,000 students a year to earn free college credit in high school. Most students are from minority and low-income families. Read more . . . 

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EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY

BLENDED K-12 LEARNING

Increasingly, schools and districts are incorporating technology into their instruction to engage young people who have fallen off track to graduating from high school on time. In a new practice brief, JFF’s Clare Bertrand details three essential processes for integrating tech-based tools into curricula. For each, she highlights a pioneering school that serves off-track and out-of-school youth, pointing to what its experience reveals. Read more . . . 

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K-12 STANDARDS AND ACCOUNTABILITY

FIVE GRADUATION RATE QUESTIONS FOR STATES WITH NCLB WAIVERS

States with NCLB waivers are developing new K-12 accountability systems that have the potential to encourage college and career readiness. However, states must not reduce the importance of graduation rates within these systems. JFF Education Policy Director Kathryn Young offers five questions that each state should ask to ensure that grad rates remain a central indicator of school success. Good news: The states already have the data they need to answer these questions. Read more . . . 

CAN ACCOUNTABILITY IMPROVE STUDENT OUTCOMES?

Increased K-12 accountability can improve student outcomes if it is coupled with the expansion of innovations proven to accelerate the skills of low-income youth. That’s the main message of Joel Vargas and Janet Santos’ chapter in Sage Publications’ new book, Standards and Accountability in Schools. The book, composed of point-counterpoint essays, is designed to be a primer on education issues. Its editor, Thomas J. Lasley, II, is a former dean of education at Dayton University and co-founder of Dayton Early College Academy. Read more . . . 

WHO’S IN CHARGE HERE?

It was time to renew the charter of Boston Day and Evening Academy, a school that uses a competency-based approach to educate high school-age students for whom the traditional education model has not worked. The re-charter team asked a group of BDEA students a pointed question: “Who is in charge here?” After brief discussion, one student proclaimed: “We are!” The others agreed. 

And according to BDEA Director of Instruction Alison Hramiec, they’re right. 

Hramiec’s guest JFF blog entry details how BDEA students are encouraged to guide their own learning and that of their classmates, with teachers serving as guides and competencies serving as the milestones they reach for. BDEA has over 300 benchmarks across core subjects, all aligned with the Common Core State Standards. Read more . . . 

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EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL WEEK 2013

5TH ANNUAL CELEBRATION HAPPENING MARCH 25-30

JFF and its early college partners nationwide are celebrating 11 successful years on Monday, March 25 thru Saturday, March 30. During our fifth annual Early College High School Week, many of the 200+ early colleges nationwide will invite their community leaders to various events that showcase how effective they are at preparing their students—mainly from minority and low-income families—for college success. Currently 93 percent of early college students graduate high school, 94 percent of which leave with free college credit. Like the Week on Facebook to see more great early college stats and find out what events are happening at a school near you. 

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JFF IN THE NEWS

Jan. 31: The Denver Post and EdNews Colorado reported that JFF is scaling up Early College Designs in 10 Denver Public Schools, thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Investing in Innovation (i3) program. JFF received $15 million last December to spread Early College Designs to Denver and two districts in South Texas. 

Jan. 25: In a Huffington Post editorial, Fred Dedrick took note of the 20 million Americans looking for full-time work as the context for the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, which has helped tens of thousands connect with valuable training programs and employers with jobs to fill. 

Jan. 15: The Christian Science Monitor quoted Lili Allen on leading ideas to recover and advance high school dropouts. The article also features South Texas districts that JFF assists as they identify and implement cost-effective school designs, practices, and professional development tailored to local needs.

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JFF ON THE ROAD

Feb. 21, American Association of School Administrators’ National Conference on Education, Los Angeles, CA: 

• JFF’s LaVonne Sheffield, K-12 reform expert and former school superintendent, will show how school districts can recover dropouts and prepare them for college success using Early College Designs and the principle of “acceleration, not remediation.” 

Feb. 22, 2013 Achieving the Dream Hawaii Strategy Institute, Honolulu, HI: 

• JFF higher education policy expert Lara Couturier will speak about Cornerstones of Completion, her new report, including 10 recommendations for state policymakers on how to develop and support structured pathways through college. 

Feb. 25, America’s Promise Alliance’s Building a Grad Nation Summit, Washington, DC: 

• JFF National Education Policy Director Kathryn Young will highlight federal policies and resources that can improve education and career outcomes for youth—particularly those from minority and low-income families. Bob Wise (president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former West Virginia governor) will make opening remarks. (10:15-11:45 a.m., Room: Maryland B-C) 

Mar. 9-12, National Association of Workforce Boards’ NAWB Forum, Washington, DC: 

• JFF is a Partner Sponsor. Come visit us in the main exhibition hall throughout the Forum (Booth #315) or at the Partners’ Exchange on March 11 from 8:00-11:00 a.m. 

SEE YOU ONLINE!

Talk to us and see what’s new in #edreform, #highered, and workforce development (#wkdev) on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, or visit our blog. 

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