State/National News

U.S. education policy: Federal overreach or reaching for the wrong things?

Posted on Wednesday, February 11th, 2015 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Valerie Strauss, Washington Post
Date: 01/13/2015
Link: Complete Article

Federal overreach in education is under attack from multiple quarters and will likely be diminished in any overhaul of the No Child Left Behind Act, the current law governing national education policy. As a result, the powerful influence of nationally funded assessments and the Common Core State Standards may be reduced. However, the devolution of… [Read More]

New program lets schools compete for increased funding

Posted on Wednesday, February 11th, 2015 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Tiffany Chan, 22 News / WWLP
Date: 02/05/2015
Link: Complete Article

BOSTON, MA (WWLP) – A new initiative called “Building on What Works” hopes to be a competitive way to increase funding for public schools. The new proposal would allow under-performing public schools to compete for additional state funding. The proposal is backed by mayors and leaders in business and education.

School suspensions don’t work. It’s time for something better.

Posted on Wednesday, February 11th, 2015 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: David Bulley, The Boston Globe
Date: 12/21/2014
Link: Complete Article

Cindy sits across from me in what is now called The Justice Center at Turners Falls High School in Montague, about 20 miles north of Amherst. The room is brightly decorated with student art, there is a coffee machine and some candy on a table, and behind me on the wall is a quote from… [Read More]

Mass. High School Graduation Rate Improves

Posted on Tuesday, February 10th, 2015 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: NECN
Date: 01/27/2015
Link: Complete Article

Massachusetts education officials say the state’s high school graduation rate is up to 86.1 percent, with some of the strongest gains among minority and low-income students. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education on Tuesday announced that the four-year graduation rate for students who entered as ninth-graders in 2010-11, or who transferred in, improved for… [Read More]

White House Hosts Summit on Early Childhood Education

Posted on Tuesday, February 10th, 2015 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Washington D.C. – Today the White House announced $1 billion in funding in government, public and private support for early childhood education programs, including $750 million in federal investments for preschool development grants and an expansion of the Early Head Start program. The announcements come as part of the White House’s summit on early learning… [Read More]

Western MA coalition releases recommendations for minimizing the impact of trauma on young children involved in DCF

Posted on Thursday, December 18th, 2014 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Collaborative for Educational Services

NORTHAMPTON, MA – System Change for Successful Children (SCSC), a federally funded initiative coordinated by the Collaborative for Educational Services (CES), recently released recommendations to Massachusetts policy makers for minimizing the impact of trauma on very young children (ages 0 – 5 years) who are involved with the state’s child welfare system. The two-year SCSC… [Read More]