US Secretary Of Education Arne Duncan
Birmingham– According to the U.S. Department of Education, Alabama’s high school graduation rate jumped eight percent between the years 2011 and 2013. That may not sound like a lot, but it was the second-largest increase in the country, which also saw its rate increase while racial gaps decreased. WBHM’s education reporter Dan Carsen caught up with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to talk about what the numbers mean for the state and for the nation. An extended web-only version of the interview is above. Below are the state superintendent’s thoughts.
Reached by phone early this morning, Alabama schools superintendent Tommy Bice attributed Alabama’s spike in high-school graduation rates to three factors:
Setting a target. One goal of the state’s “Plan 2020” is a 90 percent graduation rate by that year. In order to help bring that about, Bice says, the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) is giving every system in the state disaggregated student data and working with the systems on their plans to bring rates up.
The state’s new data system. Up and running since 2012, it gives more reliable “clean” student data in a way that’s comparable across systems and across the nation.
Flexibility. The legislature, the state board of education, and ALSDE have in recent years granted waivers and permissions to try new approaches to help prevent at-risk students from dropping out. Bice cited as one example the “Hope and Twilight” program in Walker County, where students are allowed to attend school from 4 to 8 p.m., which helps students working jobs during the school day stay on track to graduate.
“We let them know, ‘you can do this — there’s nothing that says school has to be between 8 and 3,'” says Bice.
Fact-checking claims about a proposed hyperscale data center
The developer behind the $14.5 billion project in Bessemer has suggested residents’ concerns are based on misinformation. Here’s what we know about the project and its impacts.
Home sales are down. So why are prices at an all-time high?
Those with equity in a home can trade up more easily, while many first-time homebuyers are still stuck on the sidelines.
Taiwan votes to decide whether to oust lawmakers from China-friendly party
Taiwanese were voting Saturday to determine whether to oust about one-fifth of their lawmakers, in elections that could potentially reshape the power balance in the self-ruled island's legislature.
Has the Billboard Hot 100 caught the Holy Ghost?
Brittany dives into the economy behind Christian contemporary music
Arizona woman to serve 8 years for identity theft scheme benefiting North Korea
Christina Chapman was sentenced to prison this week for her role in a scheme that the DOJ said used stolen American identities in order to help illegally employ North Koreans in U.S. companies.
Lawmakers seek to ban federal agents from wearing masks
ICE says its employees have good reasons to hide their faces from protesters who want to dox them online, but Democrats say masked federal agents evokes "secret police," and the practice should be banned.
