Evaluating Public Schools

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

Report cards were recently released for the 1,750 schools in the state of Oklahoma under the new evaluation system implemented by the state’s Department of Education. While most schools were not entirely surprised with their marks, some districts complained that the new system did not adequately assess some of their schools. Others are busy celebrating the high marks they received, attributing their outstanding academic performance to a wide variety of factors.

New Grading System Overview

The Oklahoma legislature created the new method of grading schools to create “accountability and transparency among schools,” according to the Oklahoma Daily. Lawmakers also wanted to make the grading system easy for parents to understand, so they could make educated decisions about the best schools for their children. It was also designed to help schools identify specific weaknesses so that targeted solutions for strengthening and improving schools could be implemented.

“These report cards are user-friendly, straightforward and fair,” Janet Barresi, State Superintendent of Public Instruction for Oklahoma, told the Oklahoma Daily. “It is high time for parents to have access to this information as they seek to make the best educational choices for their children. Parents have a basic right to this information, and they should be able to find it easily.”

The new grading system employs a formula that takes a number of factors into consideration when determining overall school performance. Oklahoma Gazette explains that the new grading system looks

In the wake of the Sandy Hook elementary school tragedy, parents spent the weekend holding their children a little tighter and telling them how much they loved them a little more often. Then Monday morning arrived, and it was time to send those children off to school once again. Only Monday was different – parents didn’t drop their children off with the same carefree spirit they had done just a few short days before. Now, there was fear and anxiety surrounding that seemingly simple, normal event, as parents wondered what their own schools were doing to keep children safer. Some parents purchased bulletproof vests for their children, others equipped little ones with bulletproof jackets. In the wake of Sandy Hook, schools too are working to find ways to improve safety and reassure parents that they can leave their children at school with some peace of mind.

This video describes the events of the Sandy Hook shooting.

Learning from Previous Events

While the Sandy Hook occurrence was one of the worst shootings at a public school to date, other similar tragic events have moved some schools to implement new security procedures already. Kentucky.com reports that in 1997, a 14-year-old student at Heath High School killed three classmates and wounded five others. The students had been gathered for a prayer meeting when the student began firing. One year after the event, the

High school is an important time of life that sets the stage for the rest of a child’s academic and professional future. Simply sending your son or daughter to the high school down the street may work in some instances, but definitely not in all. The key to choosing the best high school for your child lies first in understanding your child’s specific needs, but it also requires you to learn about the various options available. To help you in this seemingly daunting task, we have 10 tips to help you choose the best fit in high schools for your child.

This video from Great Schools offers some tips on finding the right school.

Define Your Child’s Needs

Some children work better in a structured learning environment, while others thrive in classrooms that allow students to guide the process. Look at a school’s curriculum and disciplinary policies to determine whether the environment will be a good fit for your child. Education.com suggests specifically looking at factors like whether the school stresses group projects over individual assignments, homework policies, and discipline practices. Find out if the school is doing everything it can to help students learn, regardless of students’ backgrounds, disabilities and learning styles.

Determine Your Child’s Learning Style

Identify your child’s learning style, whether your child is a visual or auditory learner, and whether he works better in

When it comes to the education of our country’s children, there are many choices today. Whether a child has high academic potential, special needs, or an eye on a career track, schools across the country are ready to answer the call. Take a look at three categories of schools that strive to serve a select segment of our student population today.

Blue Ribbon Schools

In 1982, the Blue Ribbon School program was established by Terry Bell, the Education Secretary at the time. The purpose of the program was to raise the public school system to a new level by recognizing schools across the country that achieved high levels of performance and improvement. Now dubbed the National Blue Ribbon School Program, the system continues to draw attention to outstanding elementary, middle, and high schools in both the public and private sectors.

In order to be eligible for Blue Ribbon status, the Department of Education’s website states that schools must demonstrate one of the following:

• Outstanding academic performance, through standardized assessment test scores in math and reading
• Outstanding improvement in academic performance, again exemplified by state assessments in math and reading

Exemplary improving schools must also demonstrate a student population where at least 40 percent comes from disadvantaged backgrounds. Both public and private schools must follow similar performance criteria, but the nomination process is slightly different between the two. Public schools are nominated by a number of offices, including the Chief State School Officer,