NO. 3: Data good, or data bad? Plus, helping new teachers; NC ranks 44th; and what to do when you can’t hire a foreign language teacher

LOCAL NEWS

Mooresville Graded District Scores
MGSD’s grade level proficiency last year earned the system high marks–fifth out of 115 school districts in North Carolina, in fact. Learn more about MGSD’s scores here.

STATE NEWS

Helping teachers take flight
Every teacher knows how hard it was when they were brand-new in the classroom. Fortunately for new teachers in Wake, Mecklenburg, and Union Counties, the NC Public School Forum has created a support program that equips new educators with top-flight skills. EdNC has the story. Read on.

Statewide AP and SAT scores have improved
North Carolina students have upped their performance on Advanced Placement and SAT tests, the NC Department of Public Instruction reports. In 2015, fewer NC high schoolers took the SAT, however. Read on.

WalletHub: NC is 44th in the country for teachers
While surveys like these often come under scrutiny, WalletHub adjusted local cost of living and tracked 10-year salary data among other info points to rank states in a “Best & Worst” list for teachers. North Carolina was near the bottom. Read on.

NATIONAL NEWS

Foreign language teacher shortage prompts digital solution
When a school in central Maine found it couldn’t find a foreign language teacher, the administration opted instead to buy the Rosetta Stone computer program. Read on.

Schools triple recess time, and students learn better
A handful of schools in Texas decided to sacrifice class time for more play time–and teachers are reporting that students are learning more in less time. Read on.

Weapons of math destruction
NPR’s Kelly McEvers interviewed data scientist Cathy O’Neil about why big data can sometimes lead to bad decisions–and the pair end up talking about how data measures in public education can be misinforming. Read on.

Send us your feedback

Be sure to let us know what you think. Send your thoughts to info@ourschoolsfirst.com.