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No Child Left Behind signed into law
Reauthorizes ESEA of 1965. Mandates high stakes testing, holds schools accountable for student achievement & penalizes schools who don't meet AYP goals. Results: Narrowed curriculum and changed focus from learning to preparing for a test. Reduced teaching and learning to a test score. -
Higher Education Act (HEA) Amended
Increase availability of student aid and loans for higher education, increasing college access to minority students. -
Schools and the internet
All schools have access to the internet, although high poverty schools have fewer rooms with internet access (NCES). -
Response to Intervention (RTI)
Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act (IDEA) - Reauthorized and Modified. Modifications require school districts to use Response to Intervention (RTI) approach to screen, monitor, and provide increasingly intense academic interventions for students at risk. Intention is to reduce need for special education. -
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STEM Initiatives
Programs designed to promote educational development and progress in science, technology, engineering and math, fields necessary to U.S. success in a global economy. These programs are directed toward K-12 students. Many agencies are involved in this initiative including the National Science Foundation, NASA, the Department of Defense, and Department of Education to name a few. -
Common Core State Standards Inniative
Academic standards that detail what students should know in Math and ELA. Stresses college and career readiness and focuses and critical thinking and problem solving skills. A lot of controversy and push back from teacher and parent groups, mostly on the poorly planned implementation process. -
Race to the Top
Department of Education $4.35 billion competitive grant program. Designed to instigate school innovation and reform in K-12 education
Focus on 4 areas: 1) adopting rigorous academic standards & assessments, 2) student progress monitoring, 3) teacher evaluations, 4) improve low achieving schools.
Criticized by teachers, teacher's unions, and parents. Not enough time or money to effectively develop and implement changes. Still uses high stakes testing as a cornerstone. -
Class Size Reduction Ends
Enacted in 1996 for K-3 to reduce class size to 20-1. Significantly improved academic achievement in Math & ELA, especially in low achieving student populations. Budget shortfalls beginning in 2009 caused its demise. -
1-1 iPads 5th - 8th Grade FSD
Fullerton School District implements a 1-1 iPad program for students in grades 5th - 8th. Designed to promote digital literacy, the program transforms teaching and learning. Students are able to learn, collaborate, and share projects digitally and in creative and innovative ways. -
iPersonalize - Game Based Learning - FSD
Fullerton School District introduces iPersonalize, a game based learning platform. Students reach learning goals by completing quests, earning achievement points, and gaining levels. It is a way of delivering instructions where the students play "the game" and work at their own pace. -
U.S. Continues to perform poorly on internation benchmarking test.
Results of Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) show that U.S. 15 year olds continue to perform poorly on Math, Reading, and Science literacy test compared to their counterparts around the world. These results will drive continued efforts to raise student achievement in the U.S. and provide impetus to adopt and implement the Common Core Standards. -
Every Student Succeeds Act - ESSA
Replaces NCLB. While still retaining the standardized testing requirements of NCLB, the ESSA shifts accountability goals, school improvement, and teacher evaluations back to the states. With more control, states and districts can better serve the needs of their populations. -
Betsy DeVoss confirmed as U.S. Secretary of Education
DeVoss has zero public school experience and is a proponent of school vouchers. There is the possibility that she will try to defund public schools and funnel the money to private and other for profit school. With no regulations, these schools are focused more on money, than quality education.
