Afternoon Announcements: First Ever National Digital PISA Day Tomorrow

The first ever national digital PISA Day kicks off tomorrow at 10:00am with Education Secretary Arne Duncan giving remarks on the international test and the United States’s ranking among the countries tested. The program continues with video interviews from global education leaders, a presentation from Andreas Schleicher of the OECD, and the release of a new Alliance report on what we can learn from PISA to improve assessments and education in the United States. Register for the online event at PISADay.org.

As the remaining days in 2013 dwindle, veteran teacher Larry Ferlazzo recaps the best and worst education news of the year. The Answer Sheet

Before schools, districts, states, and the nation as a whole can work on closing the achievement gap, Latino students need to feel secure in their right to an education in the United States, without being afraid of deportation, one writer argues. The New York Times

A new performance-based teacher licensing test will roll out in seven states by 2015-16. The exam tests planning, instructional, and analytical skills that are often used in the classroom, among other things. Education Week