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Calif. Bill Would Repeal Bilingual-Education Restrictions
A new bill that seeks to repeal California’s long-running restrictions on bilingual education may be only the most recent signal of a shifting political climate around English-language-learner instruction in that state. California drew national attention in 1998 when voters passed Proposition 227, a ballot measure that severely restricted the availability of bilingual education for students in favor of English-only immersion programs for English-learners. EdWeek
Los Angeles preschool advocates cheer Obama’s budget
Early education advocates were thrilled at the $75 billion President Barack Obama proposed Tuesday to spend on their cause over the next 10 years – even though the budget is unlikely to pass as is. Alex Morales, CEO of the Children’s Bureau of Southern California, said the president’s proposed expansion – to $1.3 billion next year to implement universal preschool and expand other programs – would be a game changer for the poor families his organization serves. KPCC
Linked learning promotes grad rates if not test scores
Students enrolled in linked learning programs over the past four years outperformed their peers in traditional classrooms when it came to earning high school credits and completing advanced college readiness courses, according to a new study released Tuesday. But the report from SRI International and the Irvine Foundation found only mixed results when comparing scores on standardized testing between students in the project-based learning system and their counterparts who were not. SI&A Cabinet Report
U.S. needs to add student online privacy rules
Editorial: As more of our children’s education moves online, there are increased opportunities for abusing the collection of their personal data. Last month, state Senate leader Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) introduced a bill that would help close a loophole in federal regulations — at least in California — in an effort to safeguard personal information of public school students. The potential privacy violations could be significant, and it makes sense for the Legislature to act now. LATimes
School districts should begin planning now for new science standards
Commentary: The Next Generation Science Standards, adopted last September by the State Board of Education, will better engage and educate all students in science, and better prepare them to enter more in-depth science, computing and engineering courses in high school and beyond. EdSource