Afternoon Announcements: One in Four Dropouts is Still Too Many

L.A. Unified School District in California signed a $30 million contract with Apple Inc. to provide students with iPads. The second-largest school district in the nation has a majority low-income and Hispanic students. High School Soup

The Education Commission of the States awarded Delaware its Frank Newman Award for State Innovation, as a recognition of the state’s creative work to improve student learning and achievement. “Delaware is a great example for the rest of the country to see how innovative approaches  can improve education, even in today’s political climate,” ECS President Jeremy Anderson said. Delaware Online

The US Department of Education is granting leeway to some states already approved for waiver from No Child Left Behind requirements on teacher evaluation systems linked to student growth on staste tests. “To be very clear, this is not a pause or a moratorium,” Secretary Arne Duncan said. Politics K-12

There has been buzz in the news and in the education community surrounding new high school graduation numbers. While the rate is higher than it has been in 40 years, one writer reminds readers that it’s not high enough. “One dropout in four is still too many,” she writes. Huffington Post