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Newscomm June 3, 2003
In This Issue:
"Lower Test Scores Across the Board"
"No Schooling" Is Not Homeschooling
Accolades to Stellar Kids
Legal and Legislative News
Charter, Alternative Education, Cyber-schools, Etc.
Military Changes
"All the Hubbub About Home Schooling"
Homeschooling Spinoff?
WSFH Discussion
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"Lower Test Scores Across the Board"
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Oakland Tribune, California, By Jill Tucker, July 1
http://www.oaklandtribune.com
Headline: Charter schools on par, [Rand] study finds
One stand-alone paragraph from this article commands our attention.
"And yet, home-school or independent study charter schools post lower test scores across the board."
Ann: "Lower scores across the board" - Wow! I immediately wondered where the Rand people got test scores for all of those homeschoolers, so I visited the Rand site to read the Press Release and Research Brief.
http://www.rand.org
http://www.rand.org/publications/RB/RB8022/RB8022.pdf
The Rand Press Release, June 30, actually says this: "Charter schools that allow students to receive a portion of their instruction in their homes or at other locations outside of traditional classrooms average significantly lower test scores than conventional public schools."
The Research Brief states, on page three: "Fourth, the low achievement of students in nonclassroom-based charter schools warrants further investigation of these schools, including the nature of instruction and use of resources."
Ann: The Rand Report, using precise and accurate language, describes a specific population of students, not the general population of homeschooled students implied in the Tribune article with a catch-all phrase "home-school or independent study charter schools."
Okay, I read the story wrong, so here is my question. Will the readers of the Oakland Tribune assume, as I did at first reading, that California homeschoolers of every stripe "post lower test scores across the board?" My hunch is they will assume.
Other California news suggests more homeschooling confusion to come. See Legislative and Charter School News, below.
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"No Schooling" Is Not Homeschooling
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http://www.oregonlive.com
Headline: Accountability for home schooling
In his response to homeschooling activist Christine Webb's June 23rd letter to the Oregonian (noted here last issue), on June 28, Richard A. Gano, a retired high school counselor, writes: "...students being brought back into the school setting who had spent several years of what I call "No Schooling," ...and now it was the school's problem to get them caught up. If public schools are expected to be accountable, so should home-schooling parents."
Ann: Maybe this retired educator has forgotten that the public school mandate is to offer appropriate education to students of every ability, not just those who reach a certain level. As for accountability, it makes no sense for homeschooling parents to be accountable to a system that fails its enrolled students at such a high rate.
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Accolades to Stellar Kids
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The Free Lance-Star, Fredericksburg, Virginia, By Osasu Airhiavbere, June 25
http://www.freelancestar.com
Headline: Home-schoolers receive Congressional Gold Medals
"When Stafford residents Jennifer Cartis and Kristen Rupert camped out in Shenandoah Valley, they weren't expecting continuous rain and for their tent to be surrounded by bears... Both home-schooled, Cartis and Rupert were the only award recipients from Stafford and both will be attending James Madison University in the fall."
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San Francisco Chronicle, California, By Charles Burress, June 7
http://sfgate.com
Headline: Homeschool class quickly zeroes in on mock epidemic
"What happens when the speeding neurons of young teens collide with an epidemic like SARS?
Like a pack of small-scale Sherlock Holmeses in hyper-drive, the six youngsters quickly brought the origin of the mock epidemic to bay. 'Usually, it takes people a little bit longer,' said their surprised instructor, Ann Moriarty, who devised Thursday's exercise for a special class on epidemics for homeschooled children."
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By Ken Steinken, Journal Sports Writer, June 30
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com
Headline: Ranchers rope in title
Rapid City - "Harding County continued its domination of high school rodeo in South Dakota with its third straight team title Sunday at Central States Fairgrounds." Homeschoolers, Tyson Stewart and Levi Hapney each won and placed in several individual events. The all-around award "Reserve Cowboy" went to Levi Hapney.
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Piqua Daily Call, Ohio, July 01
http://www.dailycall.com
Headline: Atlantis JO teams do well
"The Team Atlantis 13 Elite volleyball team finished 29th at JO Nationals. The team includes Morgan Zumberger, homeschooled."
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Legal and Legislative News
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California
Appeal-Democrat, Sutter County, California, By Harold Kruger, July 1
http://www.appeal-democrat.com
Headline: Grand jury minds schools
Sutter County's 2002-03 grand jury focused on education in its final report, noting a "misunderstanding" of home schooling... and the fact that "parents, school officials, teachers and others in our local community generally have a misunderstanding of what home schooling is... Superintendent of Schools John Boyd [said]..."The county office has no idea who the home school people are," he said. "They don't register through our office...The real dilemma in all this is oftentimes students quit appearing at schools. The schools have no idea where they are either."
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Maryland
NHEN Forums, From Alice Gordon, June 26
http://www.nhen.org
Headline: New State regulation
"Home School regulations say that the one-time notice of consent must be on a form prescribed by the State Department of Education. After significant revisions during meetings with state home school leaders, the form now is substantially in line with the regulations and suitable for use by homeschoolers. The state form is below. Forms that individual counties create often impose unauthrized requirements. Using the state form can provide protection from such unauthorized requirements. "
See Maryland Home Education Association for more information.
http://www.mhea.com/index.htm
Pennsylvania - interscholastic access
Ann: Some news stories suggest that some do not want this legislation, while others show interest in the parity it could provide.
Washington Observer Reporter, Pennsylvania, By Martha Raffaele, June 26
http://www.observer-reporter.com
Headline: House passes measure to open extracurricular activities to home-schoolers
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (AP) - Home-schooled students in all of Pennsylvania's districts would have the opportunity to try out for public school sports teams, audition for plays and musicals, or join clubs under a measure passed Wednesday by the state House of Representatives..."
"Allentown school board...vice president Jeff Glazier said...'Harrisburg is on a continual march to take control away from local school boards,' he said. 'In this instance, the Legislature just runs roughshod over us.'"
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York Daily Record, Pennsylvania, Editorial, June 30
http://ydr.com
Headline: Let 'em play
"In a lot of Pennsylvania school districts, homeschooled students aren't permitted to participate in extracurricular activities offered by their local school. But in other districts, they are. It's inconsistent and policies vary from district to district. It would be much fairer for every school district to have the same policy."
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Virginia
NHEN Forums, by Shay Seaborne, June 28
Headline: Hanover County/Religious Exemption
Ann: Two homeschooling organizations have made very different responses to a local board's move toward a more restrictive policy in Hanover County. One response was from Home Educators Association of Virginia (HEAV) http://www.heav.org and the other from Virginia Home Education Association http://www.vhea.org/dark.html
Shay comments: "The contrast in wording and approach is fascinating, and these notices illustrate two very different ways of responding to a local school division."
Read both notices in their entirety at
http://www.nhen.org
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Charter, Alternative Education, Cyber-schools, Etc.
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Alaska
Anchorage Daily News, Alaska, by Eric Fry, June 30
http://www.adn.com
Headline: New online courses aid tiny schools
21 CHOICES: Learning method teaches self-reliance and computer skills.
"In the Kenai Peninsula School District, which has 43 schools spread over 26,000 square miles, students from small and large schools have taken online courses from the district's home school program and other sources in recent years, Superintendent Donna Peterson said."
California
Eureka Times-Standards, California, By Christine Walters, June 29
http://www.times-standard.com
Headline: Castle Rock Charter School provides learning option
Crescent City - "...Funded by federal monies filtered through the state and county, charter schools are part of an educational reform program challenging the public school system to make it better... There is no tuition, and each student is credited with $1,500 a year for books, supplies and special classes... The program model is based on one student/one teacher, with a credentialed teacher meeting one hour per week with each student..."
Colorado
The Raton Range, Raton, Colfax County, New Mexico, By Ken Reamy, July 1
http://www.ratonrange.com
Headline: Online schooling program proves popular in rural area
Branson, Colo. - "Branson Online, a cyber-class educational program...is hoping to see 1,200 students enrolled by this fall...
"This year, the Colorado State Legislature has imposed a restriction on the cyber-ed system. Each online student in the 25 to 30 various programs in the state must have attended at least one semester in a public school. Numerous home-schoolers, who have never attended a public school at all, have shown interest in online schooling."
Ann: Will this ruling keep homeschooled students out of the program, or will it draw them into the 'brick and mortar' with the cyber-carrot?
Kentucky
The Courier-Journal, by Chris Kenning, July 1
http://www.courier-journal.com
Headline: Jefferson e-school widens its reach
"The program, initially designed for struggling students who needed to make up courses, now attracts students who are seeking advanced courses such as pre-calculus, tuba players who could not otherwise squeeze in four years of band, home-schoolers looking for high-level coursework, and out-of-state students."
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Military Changes
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NHEN Forums, From Valerie, June 27
http://www.nhen.org
Headline: The Alternative Educational Credential Pilot Program
"...The 5-year pilot program of enlisting into the military homeschool diploma holders as Tier I recruits will be ending September 2003. The program's goal is to study the retention levels (the percentage of enlistees who complete their enlistment contract) of homeschool diploma holders. Historically, recruits who have a high school diploma made the social adjustment to military life better than recruits without a diploma from a brick & mortar high school..." Read more at the link.
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"All the Hubbub About Home Schooling"
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Merrimack River Current, Massachusetts, By Bruce Menin, June 27
http://www.townonline.com
Headline: Home schooling? Been there, done that
"Really now, what's all the hubbub about home schooling? After all, every child starts out being home schooled...we tried to be diligent in establishing links between preschool life and the basic, numbing MCAS stipulated curriculum."
Ann: Everybody homeschools? In fact, Mr. Menin writes a good article about natural learning in the early years, albeit tongue-in-cheek. Now the trick, Mr. Menin, is to continue this same process until those kids are grown, and you'll understand the real truth of your words...
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Homeschooling Spinoff?
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GoMemphis.com, Tennessee, By Shirley Downing, June 30
http://www.gomemphis.com
Headline: Bringing Care Home: Microboards 'rescue' retarded relatives
Private care agencies draw scrutiny
"...The Hendersons are among two dozen Tennessee families to form nonprofit agencies - or microboards - to care for mentally disabled relatives... the federal court monitor compared microboards to home-schooling..."
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WSFH Discussion
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Ann: The arguments and discussions about the "We Stand for Homeschooling" Resolution at http://www.westandforhomeschooling.org/res/index.php still roar through cyberspace. I am on two lists that have managed civil and informative discussions on the Resolution.
The Washington discussion has stayed very much on point with thoughtfully developed arguments both pro and con. Discussion begins around June 6 and continues to be a respectful and informative discussion today. http://groups.yahoo.com
At AHA-PoliticalAction, civil discussions start around message 4826, late June. AHA-PoliticalAction
Readers, if your discussion list has enlightened or informed you about these important issues in a civil and respectful way, won't you let me know?
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Final Words
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Always keep me in mind as you find and make the news. Hugs and hearty handshakes go out to those who have contributed to this and past issues.
Ann Lahrson Fisher
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