News Desk (LD News June 2006)

The Condition of Education 2006
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has released the 2006 Condition of Education mandated annual report, which summarizes important developments and trends in American education.  The report focuses on 50 indicators, including participation and persistence in education and student performance, and makes a special analysis on international assessments.

For more information, click here.

The Connection between Health and Transition Services
A new NCSET Parent Brief on Health and Transition provides information on the benefits of and strategies for including health in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process. It notes that although it is not common practice to identify health-related needs and goals when developing a statement of transition services within a student's IEP, lack of attention to health needs and health management can jeopardize goals for learning, working, and living safely in the community.

To review the Parent Brief, click here.

Keeping an Eye on State Standards
While No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requires all students to be proficient in math and reading by 2014, the 2002 federal law also allows each state to determine its own level of proficiency. Evidently there may be discordance between state proficiency levels and the NCLB mandates. The following report looked at the difference between the percentage of students said to be proficient by the state and the percentage identified as proficient on the National Assessment of Education Progress.

For more information, click here.

The Transition to College for Students with Learning Disabilities
NCLD recently released a new Parent Advocacy Brief titled "Transition to College: Strategic Panning to Ensure Success for Students with Learning Disabilities." The brief was designed to help parents of students with learning disabilities understand the requirements and opportunities included in the law so that they can successfully plan and help their children prepare for the future.

For more information, click here.

To download this brief in PDF format, click here.

Frank Porter Graham Institute Completes Recognition and Response Research
The University of North Carolina's Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (FPG) has recently completed a review of research that underscores the importance of recognizing and responding to critical early warning signs of learning difficulty in young children. The paper, titled "Recognition and Response: An Early Intervening System for Young Children At Risk for Learning Disabilities," discusses the challenges for early educators and parents in addressing the learning difficulties of pre-school age children and advocates for a new systemic approach that can help early educators and parents ensure early school success for all children, including those at risk for learning difficulties.

For more information, click here.

Click here to download this paper in PDF format.

High School Science Scores Decrease
The first nationwide science test administered in five years shows an increase in the average science score since 1996 at grade 4, no significant change at grade 8, and a decline at grade 12. The results came from the National Assessment of Educational Progress administered in early 2005 to more than 300,000 students. The falling average science test scores among high school students are certain to add new urgency to calls for an overhaul of the nation's high schools.

For more information, click here.

National Mathematics Advisory Panel Up and Running
On April 18, President George W. Bush issued an executive order creating the National Mathematics Advisory Panel to advise him and U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings on the "best available scientific evidence" for teaching and learning math. Following in the footsteps of the influential National Reading Panel, the Math Advisory Panel will convene experts to evaluate the effectiveness of various math teaching approaches and, in so doing, create a research base to improve instructional methods for teachers.

To learn more about the panel's activities, click here.

Online Test Prep Services Receive Mixed Reviews
Consumer Reports recently evaluated ten online test-prep services that claim to help students prepare for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Results indicate that the quality of these online services varied widely and were not related to costs.

For more information, click here.

The Effects of Full-Day vs. Half-Day Preschool on Early School Achievement
NIEER's new working paper titled "Is More Better? The Effects of Full-Day vs. Half-Day Preschool on Early School Achievement," presents the findings of a randomized trial comparing the effects of extended-day, extended-year public preschool to half-day public preschool on children's literacy and mathematics learning. Results indicate that students do indeed benefit from extended-duration instruction; students in full-day programs improved their standard math and vocabulary scores by 11 to 12 points, compared to a 6 to 7 standard point increase for half-day students.

To read the NIEER working paper in PDF format (22 pages), click here.