Sign In
Free Newsletter
Report: Arizona saw nation’s largest in-state tuition hikes
Arizona’s four-year public universities had the nation’s largest in-state tuition and fees increase over the past five years, according the nonprofit organization that oversees the SAT.
Senator Yee: Personal finance instruction will lead to better choices
When Mitch Ruttenberg teaches economics at Trevor G. Browne High School, he ends each semester with lessons on credit cards, taxes, budgeting and other aspects of personal finance.
Department of Education seeks $15 million to pay for new achievement test
The Arizona Department of Education is asking for $15 million from the general fund in the next fiscal year to pay for the achievement test for the state’s new learning standards, according to a request submitted to the Governor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Budget on Sept. 24.
Brewer ditches ‘Common Core’ moniker for new standards
Hoping to douse a political firestorm that has sprung up in some conservative circles, Gov. Jan Brewer ordered state employees Friday to begin calling the state’s learning standards by a different name.
Common Core Readiness: Washington Elementary School District
Although the Washington Elementary School District began introducing the Common Core teaching standards ahead of the state’s suggested schedule, full implementation at all grade levels has proved to be a bit of a moving target.
Common Core Readiness: Topock Elementary School District
The 141-student, rural, isolated Topock Elementary School District has been preparing for and implementing new and potentially expensive teaching methods and a computer-based assessment. The keys have been collaboration paired with some timely technology grants.
Common Core Readiness: Mesa Unified School District
The state’s largest school district has been preparing to teach the Common Core standards in much the same way that smaller districts have – with several consecutive years of teacher training, millions of dollars in technology upgrades and parent education. However, despite a successful 2012 bond election, money is still tight.
Common Core Readiness: Cave Creek Unified School District
With one wary eye cast down the road at PARCC testing, Cave Creek Unified School District tested its ability a couple of years ago to have a massive amount of students using its computer network all at the same time. And the result was a failure.
Common Core Readiness: Arizona College Prep Academy
As a small charter school without the ability to ask voters for bond overrides, Arizona College Prep Academy has to be judicious with its spending decisions. But like every other Arizona school, it still has to train its teachers to implement the state’s Common Core standards and eventually test students on them.
Costs of new test to be hotly debated
Public school superintendents aren’t expecting much money from the Legislature for putting Common Core into effect, but the cost of the test to measure new learning standards is going to be a hot topic of the 2014 Legislature.
The Drama of Common Core
New set of school standards searches for success
Topock, an Arizona town on the far western edge of the state, doesn’t even have a stoplight. But its school district has scrambled to prepare for the new standards and get the Internet capacity and computers necessary for the 2015 debut of the accompanying test.
Higher education officials press for more business engagement
University officials today pressed the business community and the state for more engagement in creating a robust college education system, even as they acknowledged that schools are adapting to technology-driven changes in higher education.
