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Welcome!
What is Urban Edge?
Urban Edge is a service that provides CUBE districts with relevant information to help your awareness of education issues around the country. We will glean news sources, blogs, research studies, and NSBA's wide range of expertise for timely information that guides CUBE districts in making sound decisions.
From Washington...
NCLB update on high school graduation
Tracking high school graduation is now going to be mandatory. Under a new piece of the No Child Left Behind Law that will go into effect in the 2010-2011 school year, districts will have to track high school students over their four years in high school, allowing for minor adjustments. Some experts see this as a step to solving the mystery regarding what happens to many high school students over the four years. They hope that better tracking will increase the high school graduation rate.
Link to RedOrbit (USA Today) 10/29/08
News from CUBE Districts
Chicago looks way outside the box
When we think of innovation in urban high schools, technology centered classrooms and the internet come to mind. In Chicago, an alternative high school is focused on agriculture. "Ag High" isn't just driving a tractor, growing seeds, and milking cows--students learn how to be everything from a food inspector to a fish farmer. This school goes beyond the typical walls, all the way to a barn.
Link to NPR story 10/25/08
Urban students making progress against international students
A new report shows that many urban districts, including CUBE districts, are doing well academically when comparing their scores to international students. The study looked at fourth and eighth grade math scores in 11 districts and concluded that the importance of math in a global economy is paramount. Even though the report highlights some of the positive outcomes, it stresses that much more work needs to be done in urban schools, especially in math, if the U.S. is going to be able to compete globally.
Link to full report 10/28/08
Aurora, Colorado takes a different approach to English language learners
CUBE districts often face the challenge of having students speaking dozens of different languages when they walk in the school's front door. In many states, including Colorado, the schools have one year of school to get ELL students up to par with their English speaking peers. Aurora (just east of Denver) has 84 languages spoken in their schools and has set up "newcomer centers" to not only help students, but their parents, too.
Link to Denver Post 10/27/08
Innovation
California district joins forces with union
At the ABC Unified School District in California, having a high population of students in poverty and high English Language Learners can make it difficult to improve test scores. Almost 10 years ago the teachers union and the school board came together to create a plan to focus on student achievement. Southside Schools Reading Collaborative created a new way for teachers to teach the students, and one another. The result has been up to a 50 percent jump in 6th graders test scores. This is just one of the urban success stories you can find at Public School Insights.
Link to PSA story 10/9/08
Link to PSA Success Stories
NSBA News
The October 2008 issue of Leadership Insider, NSBA’s school law and policy newsletter for CUBE and other member districts, hits close to home when it comes to CUBE’s ongoing discussion of race. The topic is racial and ethnic diversity on school boards. The newsletter reviews demographic shifts and achievement gaps, addresses whether our school boards are racially unrepresentative and whether board diversity even matters, discusses how election structure affects board diversity and the legal considerations, and explores options for school boards. The issue is here, a collection of related online resources is here, and past issues of Leadership Insider on a range of other key topics for school boards are here.
NSBA is hosting the Walk of Excellence during this year’s Annual Conference at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. This showcase session uses tabletop displays as a tool for school districts to highlight effective local programs to conference attendees. The session attracts hundreds of conference goers and takes place Sunday, April 5, 2009 from 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM.
CUBE districts attending the Annual Conference who want to showcase their programs are strongly encouraged to apply. NSBA is accepting online proposals for the Walk of Excellence here. The proposal deadline is 5:00 PM Eastern on Monday, December 8, 2008.
If you have any questions regarding the Walk of Excellence or would like a list of school districts attending from your state, please e-mail Bethany Kashawlic or Valerie Carty.
School Board News has added a daily and weekly recap for your use. Click here to find a brief summary on what's happening around the country in education.
Meetings Minute
NSBA Annual is coming to San Diego--housing opened October 16th!
Click here to make housing reservations in the CUBE block at the Manchester Grand Hyatt online. This link will only allow you to make reservations in the CUBE block at the Manchester Grand Hyatt AFTER you register for the conference and receive your housing ID number. If you wish to stay at a different hotel for the conference, you must go through the regular housing link found on the NSBA Annual Conference website located at www.nsba.org./conference.
For a glimpse at what CUBE will be programming at NSBA Annual, click here.
Disclaimer
Links on the Urban Edge are subject to change or become inactive after a period of time. Please be aware that CUBE has no control over links to other organizations or entities.
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