All articles tagged with #elementary schools
Schools in the Portland metro area are set to reopen after a week of snow and ice-related closures, but four elementary schools and one middle school will remain closed due to extensive water damage from burst pipes, possibly for another week.
Hillsborough County School Board members are grappling with disappointing school grades that show a significant number of D and F schools in the district. The report revealed that many students are not demonstrating proficiency in English and math. While the state's change in standards and testing systems makes year-to-year comparisons impossible, the statistics were particularly bleak for Hillsborough's elementary schools, which saw a significant increase in D and F schools compared to the previous year. Superintendent Van Ayres acknowledged the significance of the report and expressed optimism for improvement in the future. Board members highlighted concerns about the readiness of younger students and the opportunity gap in marginalized communities.
In Portland Public Schools, only 14% of elementary school classes are considered large enough for teachers to receive extra pay, according to the teachers union. However, the distribution of these large classes varies widely among schools, with some having over 60% of classes considered large and others having none.
Arkansas has released grades for every public school in the state, ranging from A to F, based on factors such as test scores, graduation rates, and progress in English language proficiency. Thirteen Bentonville schools received A grades, while Elmdale Elementary School in Springdale was the only Northwest Arkansas school to receive an F. The statewide Arkansas Virtual Academy Elementary and Founders Classical Academy Elementary Online also received an F, although all three brick-and-mortar Founders Classical Academies in Northwest Arkansas received A grades.
Two elementary schools in the Las Vegas Valley, Linda Rankin Givens Elementary and C.T. Sewell Elementary, have canceled classes due to a shortage of teachers. The schools cited an unexpected number of licensed staff/teachers absent as the reason for the closures. This follows similar closures earlier in the week at other schools in the Clark County School District.
A school district in Utah has banned the Bible in elementary and middle schools after a parental complaint called it "sex-ridden." The district removed the Bible from its elementary and middle schools while keeping it in high schools after a committee reviewed the Scriptures in response to the complaint. The district has removed other titles, including Sherman Alexie's "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" and John Green's "Looking for Alaska," following a 2022 state law requiring districts to include parents in decisions over what constitutes "sensitive material."
Los Angeles officials will consider a proposal to add speed bumps near every elementary school in the city after a mother was struck and killed while walking her 6-year-old daughter to school. The driver of the pickup truck was driving fast at the time of the collision and crashed into an apartment building after hitting them. The mother died at the scene, and the 6-year-old girl was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky says she will support the motion to install speed bumps near elementary schools to ensure the safety of children and the surrounding school communities.
A US Department of Education study found that only one in three fourth graders was at or above reading proficiency, prompting elementary schools to reassess their reading programs. One school in particular changed its reading program after realizing that students "weren't actually learning to read."
Lawmakers in Florida are considering a bill that would ban elementary schools from discussing menstrual cycles, sexually transmitted diseases, and other sexuality topics. The bill would limit classroom discussions about human sexuality and related topics to students in grades 6th through 12th. Parents would also have the power to object to books and materials at their children’s schools, and schools would be mandated to teach a person’s sexual identity is determined biologically at birth under the proposed legislation. The bill needs to clear another committee before it reaches the House floor for a final vote.