Parenting and Learning Issues

The state of Virginia will not be requiring public schools to accommodate home-schooled athletes in their sports programs, now that the bill dubbed the “Tim Tebow” bill has been shot down in a congressional vote. The bill was named for the NFL quarterback currently on the roster for the Denver Broncos, who was home-schooled through high school but played on the football team of his local public school. While the vote was close, some republicans and the majority of Democrats in the state agreed that a requirement would be unfair to public schools on both an economic and participation level.

This video reports on the failure of the so-called Tebow bill.

The Impact of the Bill

According to a report at the Washington Post, the “Tim Tebow” bill would have ensured tens of thousands of home-schooled student across the state had the right to participate in athletic programs at local public schools. State officials estimate that around 32,000 students are home schooled in the state, although the Home School Legal Defense Association believes that number to be much higher. There is no way to predict how many of these students would take advantage of athletic programs if they were given the chance.

Currently, 25 states allow for such participation, under a variety of guidelines, according to information provided to the New York Times by the Home School Legal

Washington D.C. high schools have one of the lowest graduation rates in the country, standing currently at just 43 percent, according to the Huffington Post. Many efforts have been made to raise that number, but not all have received as much dialogue and debate as a recent proposal made by a DC council member. DC Council Chairman Kwame Brown (D) has proposed a new requirement for high school seniors in the city – that they show concrete evidence of college readiness prior to donning a graduation cap as they exit the hallowed halls of high school.

Taking Tests, Completing Applications

The Washington Post reports that Brown plans to introduce a bill to the city council that will require high school seniors to show college readiness before they graduate from high school. Under the new bill, students will be required to take either the SAT or ACT college entrance examination while still in high school. They will also need to apply to at least one college or trade school prior to graduation – even if the student has no intention of continuing his education after high school.

This video takes a look at a college admissions committee's deliberations.

The point behind the bill is to encourage students to complete high school by showing them what their opportunities might be after graduation. According to some education experts, taking college entrance

Bullying is a problem that can permeate every corner of a child’s life. While school districts across the country take a “no tolerance” stand on bullying, the reality is that many incidents go by without being properly reported or punished. A non-profit group in Iowa hopes to change the situation through a website that allows parents, students and faculty to report bullying right from the comfort of home. The hope is that by making it easier for people to report bullying activities, fewer incidents will go unnoticed by those who can do something about them.

The Eychaner Foundation Introduces Online Reporting

The Eychaner Foundation is a non-profit group in Iowa with a goal of promoting tolerance and nondiscrimination among all Iowa residents. According to a report at Heartland Connection, the organization discovered that although Iowa law requires incidents of bullying to be reported to the Iowa Department of Education, more than half of all state districts failed to report a single bullying episode during 2011.

“We know that is simply not true,” Michael Bowser, executive director for the Eychaner Foundation, told the Des Moines Register.

While the organization found many possible reasons why reporting was not done, those involved decided to find a solution, rather than play the blame game. The foundation set out to make the reporting process as easy as possible for everyone involved in hopes of uncovering and dealing with more bullying problems in Iowa schools.

“Everything’s online for kids. Parents

Parents can play a significant role in the academic success of their children. Unfortunately, many parents don’t realize the importance of involvement in a child’s school career and are not sure how to get involved constructively. Too much or too little parental involvement sometimes becomes detrimental to the child – a difficult obstacle for many to overcome. The good news is that you can take relatively easy steps to show your child you are interested in his or her school work and offer the necessary help and support along the way.

The Parent-Child Relationship

A successful school experience begins at home, with the relationship between the parent and child. This process involves developing good habits at home that your child will easily adapt to during the school year. It also incorporates nurturing a comfortable, trusting relationship with your child that will make him more willing to come to you when problems and challenges in the school environment do occur. Some of the ways to encourage your child’s success in school include:

This TED Talk discusses 5 Parenting Tips for Raising Resilient, Self-Reliant Kids.

Good Habits

Good home habits will limit distractions and put schoolwork at the forefront throughout the academic year. First, instill a love of reading in your child, by keeping plenty of interesting books at home and reading together on a regular basis. Let your child see you sit down with

One major concern at many school districts across the country is graduation rates and academic success for high school students overall. This is especially true in light of the recent focus the current administration has put on higher education as a means of remaining competitive in the global marketplace. However, the concerns and needs don’t always match up with the actual data coming out of high schools today – when accurate date can be collected at all. To help schools along the way, Naviance Succeed was created to promote college and career readiness for the high school students who need it most. Is Naviance Succeed working? We’ll take a look at the innovative program and some of the schools that are adopting it to find out.

The Science behind Naviance Succeed

Although most schools have assessment and curriculum systems in place today, most of these programs are designed with the educator in mind. Naviance Succeed is a student-centered approach to secondary education that provides sufficient support and resources to ensure students succeed in the public school system. According to the Naviance website, the program is designed with integrated tools that take the following factors into consideration:

• Success Planning – Naviance Succeed allows for customization of college and career readiness programs at both the school and district level. Programs can be aimed toward specific age groups or other demographics as needed.
• Career Planning