Are High School Graduates Ready for College? Studies Are Dismal

For many families nationwide, Labor Day marks the end of summer – and the start of a new school year. Heading back to school can inspire many emotions from kids and parents alike, from anxiety over meeting new students and teachers to excitement over purchasing new supplies and clothing. While every family approaches the back-to-school process a bit differently, there is a common thread running through nearly every household in the nation this time of year – a flurry of activity that can sometimes be difficult to manage. The good news is that parents and children can take plenty of positive steps to make the transition back to school much smoother.

Stock Up on Supplies

Back-to-school shopping means much more than stocking up on a few pencils and a ream of notebook paper. Most parents engulf themselves in a task that involves purchasing new clothing, checking items off the school supply list from school, and scouring the sales for the best deals. The following shopping tips will make the entire process much more efficient overall.

School Clothes

Organized Home recommends planning before shopping to make the actual trips to the store as fast, easy, and budget-friendly as possible. Begin by assessing each child's current clothing situation to determine what school clothing needs to be purchased. Get rid of all the clothing that no longer fits or is torn or stained beyond repair. Toss what can be reused, donate the rest, or stage your garage sale to make a

Five Indiana schools are facing state takeover this fall, after failing to make the grade for a number of academic years. The takeovers would be the first under a state law enacted in 1999. This action has been proposed to help revamp the under-achieving schools rather than closing them completely – another option allowed by law. The state’s decision is not without its share of controversy, and lawmakers who made the decision may find they are in for more than they bargained for with the school districts.

The Wheels in Motion

According to a report at WBEZ, the Superintendent of Public Instruction for the state of Indiana, Tony Bennett, asked the State Board of Education to take over the troubled schools located in Indianapolis and Gary. Bennett said the decision did not come easy, and it was only made after the schools had been on academic probation for five years and failed to bring their standards up to par with the rest of the district.

“It’s a difficult decision,” Bennett stated when he made the announcement about the takeover of Roosevelt Career Technical Academy in Gary, Indiana. “But I can be very sad and forlorn; you can be very sad and forlorn or we can look at this as how I can begin the conversation. My interest is a new beginning for this school.”

Roosevelt is a high school that currently boasts about 1,600 Indiana high school students. It is the only school in Gary

Chicago Public Schools are well known for having the shortest school days in the country. New Mayor Rahm Emanuel has plans to change that fact – sooner rather than later. Emanuel has announced plans to extend the Chicago school day by as much as 90 minutes, bringing the district up to par with the rest of the public schools nationwide. However, a decision to add a significant amount of time to a school and work day isn’t boding well with everyone who will be impacted by the decision.

Looking at CPS Track Record

The call for more time in school stems from the current problems the school district faces. According to a recent report at the Southwest News-Herald, academic growth among Chicago public school students has been stagnant at best. More than 150,000 students are currently attending underachieving schools in the city, while a little more than half of all high school students are making it all the way to graduation.

CPS also released numbers that show less than one-third of all eighth-graders hit benchmarks for college readiness in reading and only 20 percent made or exceeded the benchmarks in math. By the same token, just under eight percent of high school juniors in the Chicago school system achieved college readiness benchmarks in all four areas on the state’s most recent PSAE tests. Chicago schools also stated that the city falls well below the state in hitting benchmarks; Chicago currently holds at 19

A new Gallup poll suggests that while most adults in this country are not thrilled with the state of public education today, they are supportive of the teachers responsible for the education of their children. The survey showed that three in four Americans have “trust and confidence in public school teachers,” but do not think much of teachers’ unions or the government when it comes to the current quality of education. The poll comes at an interesting time in public education history, when tight budgets, concern over academic performance and teacher layoffs have become commonplace across the country.

About the Poll

The recent survey was conducted by Gallup and Phi Delta Kappa International, a professional education association. The poll interviewed 1,000 people on some of the most compelling topics in the education world today, including teacher quality, the role of unions, and school vouchers. The results were announced and explained at a news conference at George Washington University last week.

Support for Teachers

The survey found that of the 75 percent who said they have the confidence of public school teachers, the highest rates of trust were found among parents, those with college degrees, and people who were younger than 40, according to a report at the Huffington Post. The same number also believed that teachers should have more control over their lessons. Two-thirds would support their children becoming public school teachers, and even more, thought that high-achieving high school students