Public School Policies

As students head back to school this fall, things may look a little different in some locations. In the aftermath of the Newtown Elementary tragedy, many districts across the country are looking for ways to beef up security procedures to keep students and staff a little safer. In light of those efforts, students may be greeted by new security devices, safety measures, and even armed guards at some schools.

Debates Over Best Security Options

The Courant reports that as schools weighed their options in new security procedures, debate over the best way to protect students and faculty ensued. Armed police guards are often the center of that debate, with some school officials in favor of the action and others opposed. Other issues that have been argued in recent months include arming school administrators and security personnel and allowing teachers to bring guns to school.

This video from ABC News reports on the mounting cries nationwide for better security in our schools.

Carl Sferrazza, police chief for Enfield, Connecticut, is one who agrees armed guards are the best way to keep students safe. Sferrazza told the Courant, “These people are homicidal and suicidal individuals. Their intent and their planning are all geared toward killing as many people as they possibly can.”

However, others liken placing armed guards at the entrances of schools to creating a prison-like atmosphere for students. Nate Quesnel,

A private high school in Illinois is raising the stakes on testing. However, the testing in question is not standardized examinations or even pop quizzes in the classroom. This school is adding testing for alcohol consumption to its current tests that randomly screen students for drug use.

Hair Test Detects Alcohol Consumption

The Huffington Post reports that St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights, Illinois, will unveil its random alcohol testing at the start of the new school year. The private Catholic high school has been testing students for drug use for several years and now will use a similar test to check up on students’ alcohol consumption. The alcohol test is a new addition, and the high school will be one of the first in the country to try out this new testing method.

“We’re adding this test because we care about our kids, and we want them to be the best God created them to be,” St. Viator President Corey Brost said at the Huffington Post.

This video describes how Southington High School in Southington, Connecticut, will use a $600 alcohol-detection device similar to a Breathalyzer to screen students for alcohol consumption.

The new test will use hair samples, about the width of pencil lead, to reveal any alcohol use by the student. The test provides information about students who have had two to three drinks a week

As public school students get their fill of lazy, carefree summer days, their state school boards are grappling with new federal Common Core Standards slated to go into effect this year. States that were quick to grab onto the funding that was dangled with the standards are now realizing that implementation of those standards is meeting more than a little resistance. As students play outdoors with friends and enjoy long, leisurely bike rids, their local schools are embroiled in a battle, with no sign of a resolution in time for the fall semester.

This video explains Common Core.

Teacher Complaints Have North Carolina Rethinking Plans

North Carolina was one of the 45 states in the country to sign on for Common Core Standards, thanks to the $166 million state school districts received in Race to the Top funding. However, as the state tries to rewrite curriculum – and fast – to accommodate the new standards, education officials are realizing the process of switching over to the new requirements won’t be easy.

News Observer reports that the state department of education has received numerous complaints about new tests in a wide range of subjects. The tests were originally written to be used as means for evaluating teachers. Effective teacher evaluations were a key component to the state’s compliance with the new federal standards. However, a large number of teachers have complained

Math and science are the backbone of the education system in the United States today, as STEM fields come to the forefront of the global marketplace. However, if one examines the test scores of U.S. students, it becomes clear that students in this country are not taking sufficient math and science to make the grade. As the U.S. continues to fall in math and science rankings on a global scale, many educators and business leaders are leading the charge for more rigorous math and science requirements in high schools. Will more math and science really make the U.S. more competitive?

U.S. Lagging Other Industrial Countries

Last year, William Bennett, the former U.S. Education Secretary, reported at CNN that the United States scored 23^rd in math and 31^st in science among the 65 top industrial countries in the world. The Wall Street Journal also issued a report, citing a warning in a report from the United States National Academies that stated the U.S. was losing ground in both math and science skills. Even as the U.S. has made some improvements in math and science test scores over the past decade, the country still lags behind many other countries across the globe in these key areas.

In addition to losing a global competitiveness, the U.S. may be cheating itself out of future math and science advancements. The CNN article also reported that only 26 percent of the high school seniors in this country score

Texas high school students may see fewer standardized tests in the future, thanks to new legislation that recently passed the state House and Senate. Known as House Bill 5, the bill reduces the number of standardized tests required for high school graduation from 15 to just five. While state lawmakers are patting themselves on the back for getting this legislation to the desk of Texas Governor Rick Perry, not everyone is happy about the changes coming to the Texas education system.

Texas at Forefront of Education Changes

Serving as the first in line for education reform is nothing new to Texas, according to a report at the Huffington Post. This state was one of the first to embrace No Child Left Behind and tougher standardized testing for all public school students. Now, all eyes are on the state once again, as lawmakers work to revamp graduation standards that would tone down the stringent standardized testing and accountability the state has supported for many years.

House Bill 5 encompasses education reform that drops the number of tests students must take for high school graduation. The five proposed tests that would be left in the standards would cover English reading and writing, Algebra I, U.S. history, and biology. In addition, the new bill would allow students to pursue a base high school diploma that does not require the completion of Algebra II or other high-level math and science courses.

ABC Local reports that the new