Eastern States

Success breeds popularity, but in Baltimore County Schools, that popularity can be more than school officials bargained for. Overcrowding has become a serious problem for many successful schools in this large county, leaving few options for a district that has little money in the budget for expansion. However, doing nothing is not viable either, as future projections show the problem growing rather than subsiding.

According to a recent report at the Parkville Patch, 2012 enrollment for Baltimore County is 106,885 students. By 2020, that number is expected to jump to 111,488, with steady increases annually until that time. The report used Cohort Survival Methodology to make the predictions listed, assuming students will enroll through the grade levels sequentially. In addition, new housing construction in the area was considered as the projections were calculated.

Schools Deal with Tough Conditions

Overcrowding issues impact numerous schools throughout Baltimore County. The Baltimore Sun recently reported on three Maryland schools that are well over capacity; Hillcrest Elementary, Westchester Elementary, and Catonsville Elementary. Of the three, Hillcrest appears to be suffering the most right now, with a student body of 841 students in a building designed to hold just 666. Likewise, Westchester has an excess of 85 students over capacity, and Catonsville currently boasts 31 students over their capacity limit.

With nearly 200 students over capacity, Hillcrest faces a myriad of issues, from frequently stopping toilets to classes assembling in hallways. Lunch “hour” lasts almost

One of the largest school districts in Virginia and across the country is in the construction phase of a new high school that may serve as a prototype for public schools in the future. The all-new Kellam High School design for Virginia Beach City has collaborated with school staff, students and community members. The new building will reflect a whole new approach to the education process through architecture and style elements not seen in many other public schools today. The building will replace the old Kellam High School building, which has become too small for the current student population.

Student Competition Results in Courtyard Design

When the superintendent of Virginia Beach City, James G. Merrill, began the planning phase of the new high school, he recruited help from unexpected places. According to Pilot Online, the superintendent sought input from students and teachers at the current school to determine what they thought would make for a more effective learning environment. Six of the classes at Kellam, including five environmental design classes, created designs for the outer courtyard of the school, which incorporated gardens for the school's science and culinary arts programs.

The competition consisted of 140 students on six different teams, each creating their own drawings of what they thought the courtyard should look like. Inform, an architectural design publication, reports that student plans went well beyond the overall look of the gardens. They also designed irrigation systems, rain-water infiltration systems, and an outdoor café.

One of the largest school districts in the country, Boston Public Schools, is joining the rest of the state of Massachusetts to explore the issue of gender identity. A new law passed by the Massachusetts legislature in 2011 has led schools across the state to reassess their gender identity policies to ensure all students in those schools are treated fairly and equally. However, the new law is not without its share of controversy, as not everyone in the state agrees with some of the recommendations made by state lawmakers.

An Act Relative to Gender IdentityMassachusetts Transgender Political Coalition

The new law, titled, “An Act Relative to Gender Identity,” was passed by Massachusetts lawmakers in November, 2011, and went into effect in July, 2012, according to Christian Post. The law adds gender identity to the state’s non-discrimination code. The law also defines gender identity as “a person’s gender-related identity, appearance or behavior, whether or not that gender-related identity, appearance or behavior is different from that traditionally associated with the person’s physiology or assigned sex at birth.”

Boston.com reports on the results of a 2011 survey by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, which found that more than three-fourths of transgender students had been verbally harassed during the previous school year. More than 32 percent had been physically harassed and nearly 17 percent had been physically assaulted. Numbers on the website for the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition are even higher.

Parents of high school students in the Boston area will be happy to know ratings are out for the top secondary schools in the city and its suburbs. Boston Magazine provides its annual list based on a number of factors that are carefully calculated into a single formula for ranking purposes. The magazine also breaks down rankings by various characteristics to make it easy for parents and students to get a complete picture of how schools across the city perform.

This video offers a look at how a survey is done.

How the Rankings are Calculated

According to Boston Magazine, there are 13 factors that go into the calculations for the annual rankings. The most weight was given to academic factors since the primary function of public schools is to provide a solid education to students. The criteria under academic performance included test scores for national tests like the SAT, as well as standardized examinations for the state. The magazine also took into consideration completion rates and the number of students heading to college after graduation.

Other factors that were not given as much weight but are still considered in the final calculations include the availability of extracurricular activities, such as clubs and sports. While these opportunities do not factor directly into academic performance, they do cultivate leadership and team-building skills, and they are valuable for beefing up college and employment

Washington, D.C., has become a school district where charter schools enroll nearly as many students as neighborhood public schools. As the charter model becomes more and more prevalent in the District, school officials are forced to look at the future path of public schooling in D.C. While some believe the exponential growth of charter schools is a good thing for education quality overall, others fear the expansion of these schools will permanently put traditional public schools in a minority position, where they will lack clout and resources to educate D.C., children, effectively.

Charter School Growth: Numbers Don’t Lie

Charter schools first came to Washington D.C. in 1996. The movement has slowly expanded across the school district to the point where 43 percent of D.C.’s students attend one of these schools today. According to Education Week, that translates to nearly 35,000 students at 100 campuses across the city. Charter school enrollment appears to be on a path to continue this expansion by approximately 10 percent each year.

According to the Washington Post, enrollment in traditional public schools in the District was at just over 45,000 in 2012. The number indicated a one-percent growth in public school enrollment from 2011 to 2012. If that trend continues, it won’t be long before charter school enrollment outpaces enrollment at traditional public schools.

The competition with charter schools has taken its toll on D.C.’s public school system overall. This year, low enrollment numbers are forcing DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson