Evaluating Public Schools

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General

General Foreign Language Immersion Programs - This is an article with the most comprehensive list of websites. Here you can learn everything about language immersion programs, prepared by a Director of Foreign Language Education Center for Applied Linguistics. The site has great information about the features and trends of immersion programs over the years.

Benefits of Language Immersion - This website contains useful information about academic, educational, economic and socio-cultural benefits of language immersion programs.

Language Immersion and Language Study Abroad Programs - Here you will find an excellent list and information about schools or institutions offering total immersion programs across the best destinations around the world.

Centre for Applied Linguistics - This website discusses various points about language immersion programs like: The goal of an immersion program, its effect on verbal English, keys to a successful immersion program, as well as its advantages and disadvantages.

Two-way immersion programs

Two-Way Immersion Kindergarten Programs -

U.S. News has released its newest ranking of the top-performing public high schools in the country. The rankings are compiled by the news publication annually to help students and parents discover the best high school choices in their states. Rankings are determined by a precise set of criteria that looks at student performance and college readiness. A special look is taken at how well a high school serves its least-advantaged students in these areas.

The Method Behind the Research

To assess thousands of schools throughout the United States, U.S. News teams up with the American Institutes for Research. This DC-based organization is considered a foremost authority on behavioral and social sciences research across the globe. AIR is responsible for the new criteria utilized by U.S. News this year, which were based on the idea that top schools should effectively serve all the students in their population. This explains the specific examination of student performance by disadvantaged students at each school.

Researchers perused data from more than 21,000 high schools in 49 states and the District of Columbia. States had to provide adequate data and 12-grade enrollment to be included in the rankings. Nebraska did not submit sufficient data on the state’s high schools to be considered. Rankings were completed on a statewide and national basis, to provide the best framework for parents and students who use the rankings to choose the best local high school for their needs.

This video reports on the rankings

The numbers are in that indicate how well the education system in the United States is serving its students. Education Week has released its 17^th annual ratings for the quality of education in each of the 50 states, awarding letter grades to schools similar to those found on student report cards. Unfortunately, the report card indicated there is still plenty of work to do for most states across the country, with an average national grade of a C+ overall. However, there were a number of bright spots across the survey as well, particularly in the top rated states where education appears to be thriving in many ways.

“Quality Counts”

The survey, titled, “Quality Counts,” uses six key metrics to grade the quality of education in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The metrics are as follows:

• K-12 Achievement
• Assessment and Accountability
• Transitions and Alignment
• Standards
• Students’ Chances for Long-Term Success
• The Teaching Profession

Within these six metrics are more than 100 indicators that include such factors as graduation rates, education funding and achievement gaps, according to a report on the survey at the Washington Post. Data was collected from sources like the U.S. Department of Education and the Census Bureau to compile these recent rankings.

Interesting Note on Findings

When discussions on education quality arise, many of them tend to center on school funding. The general school of thought is that the more money that is pumped into public schools, the higher the

When lists come out of the rich and famous, it is often assumed that these individuals were raised in an elite environment filled with private schooling and tutors to guide them on their path to success. However, many of the CEOs at Fortune 500 companies today came from much more humble beginnings – through the public school systems in their neighborhoods. If there was ever a doubt about how public school can launch students on the road to prosperity, these 15 individuals are living examples to dispel those doubts.

1. Michael T. Duke – Wal-Mart Stores

Michael Duke is currently serving as the fourth Chief Executive Officer for Wal-Mart. Duke joined the company in 1995 and quickly developed a broad base of experience as he led the Logistics, Distribution and Administration Divisions, and more recently, the U.S. Operations. From 2005 to 2009, Duke served as vice-chairman of the company, taking the reins as CEO in February, 2009, according to a bio at the Wall Street Journal.

Duke has a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. After college, he held positions with a number of retail companies before heading to Wal-Mart, including Federated Department Stores, May Department Stores and Venture Stores. Before his college career, Michael Duke was a student at Fayette County High School, located in Fayetteville, Georgia, according to Wikipedia.

2. Rex W. Tillerson – Exxon Mobil

Rex W. Tillerson is the Chairman and Chief Executive

The tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut shook the country, leaving many asking how an individual could get into a “safe” school and open fire on young children and adults alike. As the aftermath of the shootings continues to rattle educators, students and parents, lawmakers are taking a look at what they can do to prevent such tragedies in the future. For some states and school districts, one option on the table has been to allow more, not fewer, guns in the communities and within the schools themselves. However, suggestions of arming schools staff have been met with significant concern and more than a few protests from parents and the teachers themselves.

Missouri Lawmakers Consider Arming School Staff

Missouri is one of the states considering legislation that would allow teachers and administrators to carry concealed firearms in schools. The Joplin Globe reports that State Representative Mike Kelly (R-Lamar) has begun the process to file a bill that would allow for the practice if the teachers and administrators had a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Kelly is not alone in his efforts – thus far, 24 other state lawmakers have signed on to co-sponsor the bill. Kelly told the Globe that if the bill passes, he would try to add an amendment that would require concealed firearms to be kept on the teacher or administrator at all times throughout the school day.

Another Missouri lawmaker, State Representative Bill White (R-Joplin) is