For a more than a decade, early learning advocates in Indianapolis who argued that more and better quality preschool could dramatically help kids start kindergarten more prepared to learn were deeply frustrated.
Located on the bottom floor of a housing project in one of the wealthiest counties in the country, a small after-school program is helping low-income students flourish. The program was cited as a national model by the Afterschool Alliance, an advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., because of its alignment with the Common Core standards.
Some community organizations that depend on state money to provide after-school and summer programs for thousands of low-income children in Chicago say they’re upset with how long it’s taken the Illinois State Board of Education to prioritize their needs.
The Indianapolis Public School Board will consider expanding its fledgling preschool program to add 200 spots for four year olds by establishing 10 more preschool classes in seven schools at its Tuesday meeting.
More hours in the school day for teachers as well as students can lead to improved academic achievement, according to a new report that studies 17 schools across the nation that give teachers more time for collaboration and professional development. The average American teacher spends about seven hours of the workweek outside the classroom, according to “Rethinking Teacher Time,” a report by the National Center on Time and Learning.
Having secured state pre-K funds and settled the teachers contract, Mayor Bill de Blasio is now turning his attention to funding after-school programs and boosting arts education.
Some Chicago elementary schools are having a tough time as they prepare to meet a new requirement that students receive 30 minutes of physical education each day. The city is letting them phase in the time.
New York City’s proposed teachers contract stakes a claim about the time educators spend with students: quality beats quantity. Some are questioning that tradeoff.
Bit by bit, CPS has chipped away at efforts to create a non-traditional school calendar that aimed to make better use of time to improve academics. The last nail in the coffin came earlier this year, when the Board of Education quietly approved a new calendar that will have students once again return to school after Labor Day.