Reporting of graduation rates must be standard across nation

Seeded on Mon Jun 23, 2008 4:12 PM EDT (Walla Walla Union Bulletin )

Trying to get a clear picture of graduation rates in Washington state - or the nation — is nearly impossible. That's because there is no uniform way to calculate graduation rates. Every state has different rules.

education

Juvenile sex offenders marked for life

Seeded on Mon Jun 23, 2008 4:11 PM EDT (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

They were neighbors, aged 13 and 10, who played together in a toy fort at the older boy's home. But one summer afternoon, the teen began talking about masturbation, then performed oral sex on the younger boy. He said they should do it again the next day. And they did.

juvenile-justice

$500,000 could be headed to Pierce County to fight gangs

Seeded on Mon Jun 23, 2008 4:10 PM EDT (Tacoma News Tribune)

Pierce County could receive $500,000 to fight gangs from the federal government soon. U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., has included the money in a spending bill headed for the full Senate's approval, her office announced today.

juvenile-justice

WASL changes work

Seeded on Mon Jun 23, 2008 4:09 PM EDT (Ballard News Tribune)

The Seattle School District says the class of 2008 has proven the School Board's change in four new statewide graduation requirements works when the class met and exceeded the state reading and writing portions of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning, better known as the …

wasl

Girl reports rape at middle school

Seeded on Mon Jun 23, 2008 4:09 PM EDT (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Police are investigating reports from a 14-year-old girl who said she was raped at a Seattle middle school, but no arrests have been made. The girl told police the incident happened June 11 at Aki Kurose Middle School, according to a police report.

safety

State's distaste for candy-themed lottery came late

Seeded on Mon Jun 23, 2008 4:08 PM EDT (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Gov. Chris Gregoire doesn't play games with industries that market to minors. She's muscled the alcohol industry. She's been tough on Joe Camel and cigarette manufacturers. But when it comes to legal gambling? Apparently not so much.

safety

Campaign Watch: Barack Obama Links Early Ed to America's Economic Well-Being

Seeded on Mon Jun 23, 2008 4:07 PM EDT (New America Foundation)

In a major economic speech this Sunday, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama made clear that improving America's education system is one of his top economic priorities.

early-learning

State lottery pulling scratch game after complaint it could appeal to kids

Seeded on Mon Jun 23, 2008 4:07 PM EDT (The Seattle Times)

Washington's Lottery is removing a scratch game featuring pictures of popular candies after a complaint that it could appeal to children. Gov.

safety

State's child-welfare system must do better by minority kids

Seeded on Mon Jun 23, 2008 4:06 PM EDT (The Seattle Times)

A recent Seattle Times editorial ["Child welfare up close," May 19] touched on the issue of racial disproportionality in our child-welfare system. It is a complex and troubling topic that is receiving a great deal of attention both nationally and within our state.

foster-care

Cities welcome law making gang-related graffiti a crime

Seeded on Mon Jun 23, 2008 4:04 PM EDT (The Seattle Times)

Faced with an increasing wave of graffiti, much of it gang-related, many Seattle-area cities are welcoming a new law that specifically makes gang-related graffiti a crime and allows property owners to recover civil penalties and costs.

juvenile-justice

Local students show steady improvement on WASL

Seeded on Mon Jun 23, 2008 4:03 PM EDT (Yakima Herald-Republic )

Yakima students have scored better than previous years on the reading and writing portions of the high school WASL. The results also show a lessening of the gap with other students in the state.

wasl

Will the real WASL critics please stand up?

Seeded on Mon Jun 23, 2008 3:57 PM EDT (Tacoma News Tribune)

Over the weekend in Spokane, state Democrats took a stand on an issue they must think will be potent this year. In the party platform section on education, they supported "abandoning the WASL test as a mandatory high school graduation requirement."

wasl

Rules to pinpoint graduation rates

Seeded on Mon Jun 23, 2008 3:56 PM EDT (Spokesman Review )

SEATTLE-- Comparing graduation rates from one state to the next or even one school to another can be as difficult as trying to help your children with their math homework: Everyone has their own way of coming up with an answer.

education

Most high schoolers handle WASL

Seeded on Mon Jun 23, 2008 3:55 PM EDT (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

The majority of the state's high school students are on track to meet WASL graduation requirements by passing the reading and writing portions of the test, the state's top education official announced Monday.

wasl

State makes top 10 in healthiest states rating

Seeded on Mon Jun 23, 2008 3:54 PM EDT (Tri-City Herald)

The Washington Health Foundation recently released its Healthiest State Report Card and Washington ranks No. 10 overall. The state's strengths include smoking rates, injury and violence prevention, years of life lost and physical activity.

health

Agency to focus on health before birth

Seeded on Mon Jun 23, 2008 3:54 PM EDT (Tri-City Herald)

Preventive care that starts before children are even born is the first area of focus for United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties' Community Solutions Plan, the organization announced Tuesday.

health-care

Fostering success for bright minds

Seeded on Mon Jun 23, 2008 3:54 PM EDT (The Seattle Times)

A highly anticipated report on racial disproportionality in Washington state's child-welfare system will home in on the challenges, but mixed in the muddle is one clear success: education.

foster-care

Grads: WASL daunted some, motivated others

Seeded on Mon Jun 23, 2008 3:53 PM EDT (The Seattle Times)

Rickey Combs still doesn't think students should have to pass reading and writing on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning in order to graduate.

wasl

MISD receives $185K for special education

Seeded on Mon Jun 23, 2008 3:52 PM EDT (Mercer Island Reporter)

The Mercer Island School District has been granted $185,000 in state Safety Net funds for its special education program. The money will be used to cover what the district had to pay in 2007-2008 for its "high cost" special education students.

education

WASL Leaves Some Seniors Without Diplomas

Seeded on Mon Jun 23, 2008 3:52 PM EDT ()

Last week education leaders were celebrating this fact - over 90 percent of the class of 2008 passed key sections of the WASL. But that celebration ignored the large number of students who failed the math section.

wasl

Schools experiment with paying kids

Seeded on Mon Jun 23, 2008 3:51 PM EDT (Tri-City Herald)

Friday is payday at KIPP DC: KEY Academy and some sixth-grade girls gather at the makeshift school store trying to decide how to spend their hard-earned money. They received paychecks for behaving well, doing their homework or making academic gains. The money is pretend.

education

First Tee helps youth build character

Seeded on Mon Jun 23, 2008 3:50 PM EDT (Yakima Herald-Republic )

YAKIMA -- A program that aims to build character in youngsters through golf has announced the start of its summer schedule. The First Tee of Yakima is part of a national network of similar programs.

education

Pasco 8th-graders celebrate 3 years of success as other schools wrap up

Seeded on Mon Jun 23, 2008 3:48 PM EDT (Tri-City Herald)

About 275 eighth-graders marched into the gym at Stevens Middle School in Pasco as the music swelled. It wasn't Pomp and Circumstance and they weren't wearing caps and gowns. But they were saying goodbye.

education

State gets high marks for its birth weights

Seeded on Mon Jun 23, 2008 3:47 PM EDT (The Seattle Times)

NEW YORK-- The percentage of underweight babies born in the U.S. has increased to its highest rate in 40 years, according to a new report that also documents a recent rise in the number of children living in poverty.

health

Child-abuse claims vs. parents' rights

Seeded on Mon Jun 23, 2008 3:47 PM EDT (Christian Science Monitor)

Washington-- The US Supreme Court is being asked to determine whether procedures used in Illinois to investigate allegations of child abuse or neglect violate the fundamental rights of parents.

abuse

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