Afternoon Announcements: Philadelphia school year on track despite $81 million budget deficit

Robert Rothman, senior fellow at the Alliance for Excellent Education, discusses the results from the New York common core state test, saying student performance levels can sometimes be misleading. The Hechinger Report

Philadelphia Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. said Friday that a series of temporary spending cuts would help administrators to close an $81 million budget deficit and that classes would start as scheduled next month. The New York Times

The standardized state of U.S. schools today grew from the Reagan blueprint, ‘A Nation at Risk.’ Why that legacy matters now. The Christian Science Monitor

As the school year approaches, President Obama is stressing the importance of students preparing themselves for college saying it’s up to students to challenge and push themselves this fall. The Hill

Montgomery County, MD has issued a new Code of Conduct that views out-of-school suspensions as a last resort and emphasizes disciplinary consequences that allow students to learn from mistakes and repair harm. The Washington Post

Despite conservative opposition in Iowa, Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are likely to stay in place in the state for the foreseeable future. Omaha World Herald

Oklahoma Schools Superintendent Janet Barresi is asking the U.S. Department of Education for a one-year extension of a 2012 waiver from No Child Left Behind (NCLB) guidelines. SF Gate

The Obama administration first offered No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act waivers to states back in 2011. This interactive timeline that tracks the twists and turns (and terms) of that legislation. Education Week

Excellent Schools Detroit, an education coalition, in a sweeping proposal recently shared with top city and state leaders, calling for centralized, city-wide school enrollment, transportation systems, and a new office to manage the opening and closing of all publicly funded schools in the city. Detroit Free Press

At its core, game-based learning connects learning and meaning to content to give students an intrinsic learning experience, and is particularly effective in giving students open-ended environments in which they can explore, play, and create. eSchoolNews

Helping Introverted Students Succeed in the Classroom edSurge

It can be difficult for them to stay up-to-date on the latest technology trends. New digital tools can make it easier for teachers to manage their class and more efficiently assess a student’s behavior. US News High School Notes