Census: Foreign-Born Population Reaches Record High

Education Week

May 16, 2012

The U.S. Census Bureau reports today that the population of foreign-born people living in the United States has reached 40 million, an all-time high. That figure — from the 2010 American Community Survey — comprises about 13 percent of the total population in the U.S., which is roughly 312 million people. That represents the largest share of the population since 1910, when foreign-born residents comprised 14.7 percent of the overall population.

Culturally Responsive Teaching: 'It's something you do — every day'

MinnPost (MN)

May 16, 2012

A year ago, Sarah Skahan became one of the first Minnesota teachers to receive a graduate certificate in culturally responsive teaching from St. Mary's University of Minnesota. Her experience as a member of the program's inaugural cohort, she said, has revolutionized her work with special-ed students. "It's transformed my practice," she said. "My kids are meeting their IEP objectives. They are staying in class longer. I have some kids with explosive behavior and they're so engaged they are staying on task."

Remembering Carlos Fuentes, Mexican Man of Letters

The New York Times

May 16, 2012

Carlos Fuentes, Mexico's elegant public intellectual and grand man of letters, whose panoramic novels captured the complicated essence of his country's history for readers around the world, died on Tuesday in Mexico City. He was 83. Mr. Fuentes was one of the most admired writers in the Spanish-speaking world, a catalyst of the explosion of Latin American literature in the 1960s and '70s, known as El Boom. He wrote plays, short stories, political nonfiction and novels, many of them chronicles of tangled love.

Study: Most ELLs Are in Districts That Fall Short of Federal Goals

Education Week

May 15, 2012

Most of the nation's English-language learners were enrolled in school districts that failed to reach all of their accountability goals for that group of students in the 2008-09 school year, according to a national evaluation of the federal program that supports English-language-acquisition services.

Boosting Reading Skills: Will 'Common Core' Experiment Pay Off?

NewsHour (PBS)

May 15, 2012

Called the "Common Core," a new set of state guidelines spell out what young students are expected to learn and what books they're expected to read. Forty five states and the District of Colombia have already adopted the standards. Learning Matters' John Merrow reports on the design and the aim of the new guidelines.

USC to Award Degrees to Japanese Interned During WWII

Los Angeles Times

May 15, 2012

Friday morning, the University of Southern California campus will be filled with smiling students posing for pictures. For Nisei alumni like Hitoshi Sameshima, however, commencement will be bittersweet. At 91, he is one of many students whose educations were interrupted by internment during World War II and who will finally receive degrees from their alma mater — but his wife and daughter didn't live long enough to see it.

Hispanic Students Narrow Gap on Science Exam

Latino Ed Beat

May 14, 2012

The achievement gap between Latino and white eighth-graders in science is narrowing, according to National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data released on Thursday. While the improvement is a bright spot, however, American students still struggle with science. Only about 32 percent of students scored "proficient" or higher on exams, and English language learners continue to lag behind their peers.

Public Gets Glimpse of Science Standards

Education Week

May 14, 2012

An ambitious effort to refocus K-12 science education across the nation enters a new phase today with the release of the first public draft of voluntary, "next generation" science standards. Organizers say the standards emphasize not simply providing a foundation of essential knowledge, but also ensuring that students apply that learning through scientific inquiry and the engineering-design process to deepen their understanding.

Queens Students Get Lessons on Water by Designing a Playground

The New York Times

May 14, 2012

The sixth graders at Stephen A. Halsey Junior High School 157 in Queens have a tough assignment before them: design a new playground that will transform a sea of black asphalt at their school into a recreational oasis — and, while they are at it, help clean up New York City's waterways.

Latino Education Effort Reaches Asian Parents, Too

The Orange County Register (CA)

May 11, 2012

Three moms. Four young people. And seven testimonials to the power of "good gossip." As Latino Educational Attainment marked seven years helping immigrant parents navigate the educational system, each of the seven told of how it had changed their lives, helping them become better informed parents, or more effective students. When immigrant parents learn about the U.S. educational system, proponents say, they in turn can share that knowledge with others — the "good gossip."

Mexican Mom Brings Multicultural Awareness to Students

The Beach Reporter (CA)

May 11, 2012

Last week, students at Hermosa View gathered for a special Cinco de Mayo fiesta complete with music, dance and a little taste of Mexican culture. The event was organized by Monica Linnell, a woman who holds Mexican culture and the Spanish language near and dear to her heart. She was born in Mexico City on Cinco de Mayo, May 5, and was the youngest of 18 children. Linnell and her family moved to the United States when she was 5 years old, but she grew up with a strong foundation in dual language and a clear understanding of her background.

This Mother's Day, Strike Up the Band

Tell Me More (NPR)

May 11, 2012

On Mother's Day in Mexico, mariachi bands are snapped up to serenade moms well in advance of the holiday. Host Michel Martin speaks with Dan Sheehy of the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. He's also a member of Mariachi Los Amigos, a Washington D.C. mariachi ensemble.

Learning a New Language on Location

The New York Times

May 10, 2012

Americans are not known for their facility with foreign languages, and learning gets more difficult as people age. But that has not stopped 60-, 70- and 80-somethings from heading to senior-friendly language immersion classes to tackle verb conjugations and the nuances of idioms — in places like the Tuscan hills and beach towns of Costa Rica.

All L.A. Unified Students Must Pass College-Prep Courses

Los Angeles Times

May 10, 2012

The Los Angeles Unified School District will require all students to pass a college-preparatory curriculum beginning next fall. The Class of 2016, next year's ninth-graders, will be the first in the nation's second-largest school system who must take those courses needed to apply to a four-year state university. The Board of Education approved a proposal Tuesday that also allows the students to pass those classes with a D — rather than the C needed for admission to either a Cal State or UC school.

Fla. Court To Rule: Can A Lawyer Be Undocumented?

NPR

May 10, 2012

It sounds like a typical American success story: A young boy becomes an academic standout, an Eagle Scout and high school valedictorian. Later, he attends college and then law school, all on full scholarships. But Jose Godinez-Samperio's story is not typical. He's an undocumented immigrant from Mexico — and now he's fighting to be admitted to the Florida bar.

Puerto Rico's Governor Pushes for Fully Bilingual Citizenry

Education Week

May 09, 2012

In a bid to make Puerto Rico a full-fledged bilingual society, Gov. Luis Fortuño has rolled out a controversial proposal that would make English the primary language of instruction in all courses taught in the island's public schools. Spanish grammar and literature classes would still be offered under the Republican governor's plan to make the U.S. territory fully bilingual within the next decade.

Interview: Tucson's Ousted Mexican-American Studies Director Speaks Out

Color Lines

May 09, 2012

Sean Arce may not have a job anymore, but he's still going to defend the program he used to direct. Arce, the former director of Tucson Unified School District's now-suspended Mexican American Studies program, was fired earlier this month in the latest crackdown on the program in what has become a years-long saga over the fate of the popular program.

Sendak's Legacy: Helping Kids 'Survive Childhood'

NPR

May 09, 2012

Maurice Sendak says he didn't have a happy childhood. He was born the year before the Great Depression in Brooklyn, N.Y., to Jewish Polish immigrants. Though he grew up in the U.S., the horrors of the Holocaust were never far away. Sendak was often sick and stuck in bed. He grew up in constant fear of his own death, and was haunted by the loss of his relatives who died in the Holocaust.

Justice Dept to Ala.: Immigration Law Drove Latinos From Schools

Education Week

May 08, 2012

A new and stern letter from the civil rights division of the U.S. Department of Justice to the Alabama state schools chief has affirmed what many educators in the state already know — the state law cracking down on undocumented immigrants drove unprecedented numbers of Hispanic children out of public schools.

Geographic Districts Could Boost Latino School Board Representation in CA

Latino Ed Beat

May 08, 2012

According to the California Department of Education, about 59% of the Pasadena Unified School District's 19,802 students are Latino. But only one of the seven school board members elected is Latino. On June 5, voters will decide whether to switch from an at-large system to creating designated geographic voting districts that could increase the influence of minority voters in determining the composition of the board.