What’s churning:
There’s been virtually no disagreement over the policy goals – ending most zero-tolerance requirements – of a school discipline bill moving through the legislature.
But there’s been lots of negotiation over data-reporting portions of Senate Bill 12-046, which supporters say are necessary to track which students are disciplined and why.
Some new material for the discussion has been provided by a University of Colorado study released Monday. The report, from the National Education Policy Center at CU-Boulder’s School of Education, examined discipline practices in state schools from 2008 to 2010.
The study found:
- Schools are more likely to issue out-of-school suspensions that any other type of discipline. In-school suspensions are the next most common action.
- Higher percentages of black, Latino and Native American students are disciplined than are white and Asian American students.
- “Discretionary: behavior such as disobedience account for just over 85 percent of school discipline incidents.
Get more information about the study here.
What’s on tap today:
Colorado Seniors4Kids launches with a 10 a.m. press conference on the west steps of the Capitol building. The new group aims to be “a new ally for the policies and investments that will help Colorado’s children thrive and succeed,” according to a media release. Various state lawmakers will be on hand and speakers are scheduled to include Rocky Mountain PBS president Doug Price, Colorado Children’s Campaign CEO Chris Watney and Generations United executive director Donna Butts.
The Adams 12-Five Star board is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. at the Educational Support Center, 1500 E. 128th Ave. in Thornton. The agenda includes proposals to revise school board member districts to meet the state legal requirement that board members’ districts “shall be contiguous, compact, and as nearly equal in population as possible.” The board also has scheduled a closed session to discuss employee contract negotiations.
Good reads from elsewhere:
Sharpen those pencils: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is proposing a new high school assessment system that would require students to pass up to a dozen tests to graduate. The plan would replace existing tests and be phased in over several years. Students would take the new tests in the 9th, 10th and 11 grades. Get the details from the The Star-Ledger.
States try to tamp down tuition: After years of relentless tuition increases, some states are trying to get a handle on the problem. Arizona, for instance, is freezing tuition at its two largest institutions for the first time in 20 years. Stateline has a full report.
The EdNews’ Churn is a daily roundup of briefs, notes and meetings in the world of Colorado education. To submit an item for consideration in this listing, please email us at EdNews@EdNewsColorado.org.