The start of the school year can be a confusing time for all families,but especially for those who are new to the public school system or who have children with special needs. Enrollment centers opened today for all high school students new to New York City, as did special education enrollment centers for new elementary and middle school students who need a self-contained or collaborative team teaching class.

To help parents navigate the system, and to anticipate problems that might arise, the ARISE coalition,which advocates on behalf of special needs students, has put together a handout for those families. A list of common problems and questions are answered in a Q&A format. (more…)

Most respondents to last week’s poll said that ARIS is a helpful tool, and only a few felt that it’s a waste of the city’s money. Unfortunately, a large chunk of voters didn’t even know what ARIS is. Thanks for your thoughtful comments!

On Wednesday, we highlighted criticism of the Department of Education’s gifted and talented admissions process. The authors of “Nurture Shock,” a new book that examines child rearing practices, argue that the city’s system of awarding G&T seats “flouts science.” Even though research shows that young children’s test results are not indicative of future academic success, the city administers tests to preschoolers to determine G&T program eligibility for kindergarten (when the highest percentage of G&T are open).

We’ve received a ton of reader feedback about the G&T process — on test prep, test results, placement, and more. With “Nurture Shock” expected to hit bookstores in September, we’d like to know if you think the system should be changed. Vote now and please add your thoughts below!

GothamSchools led us to a post on The New York Times Bits Blog about a partnership between two innovative websites that allows you to turn unused gift cards into donations for schools.

According to Plastic Jungle, which buys, sells and trades gift cards, the average American household has around $400 worth in unused cards. Plastic Jungle’s users typically exchange cards for crash or a credit at Amazon.com, but now they have another option: allied with DonorsChoose.org, the site allows users to donate the face value of a gift card to schools in need.

Back in 2007, our blogger Jennifer Freeman introduced us to DonorsChoose, which offers public school teachers the opportunity to post their needs for classroom projects in the hopes of receiving funding. You can browse the project requests and donate to the cause of your choice — and thanks to Plastic Jungle, not just with your credit card, but with your unused gift cards, too!

New York City schools are featured in one chapter of best-selling author Po Bronson’s latest book “Nurture Shock,” says The New York Times. What landed our schools in the limelight?  Bronson and co-author Ashley Merriman say the city has gotten testing for gifted programs all wrong, awarding a very high a percentage of seats to very young students — with little retesting as kids get older.

As many of our readers know all too well, here in the city, kindergarten admission to gifted and talented programs is based on the results of tests taken by preschoolers. For the high-scorers who make the cut, a kindergarten seat guarantees a gifted education through the 5th grade. And for the luckiest students, like those at the Anderson School, a seat earned by a preschooler guarantees a gifted education through middle school.

In a chapter titled “The Search for Intelligent Life in Kindergarten,” Bronson and Merriman present research that suggests tests taken before kindergarten are not a good indicator of future academic success. They add that many test creators endorse retesting children at an older age to ensure fairness in gifted and talented tracking. So while a standardized admissions process with uniform cut-off scores makes acceptance to the programs more equitable, it needs improvement. (more…)

In July, we reported that, following a flood of parent complaints, the Department of Education would re-consider its ban on  parent-funded assistants in schools. According to The New York Times, the DOE has reached an agreement with the teachers’ union to allow the school aides to stay — at least for this upcoming year.

Principals will be permitted to hire aides with money raised by parents’ groups as long as those aides are included in the official school budget, which makes them eligible for union protection. The DOE and union officials hope to come to a long-term solution before the current agreement expires at the end of the school year.

A study released yesterday by NYU’s Institute for Education and Social Policy takes a look at graduates of the city’s controversial Leadership Academy, which offers educators an alternative route to becoming school principals.

According to the study, graduates of the Leadership Academy’s 14-month Aspiring Principals Program (APP) tend to be younger educators with fewer years of teaching experience than other new principals who were traditionally trained. In keeping with the program’s mission to place its graduates in the hardest-to-staff schools, they are also  more likely to serve at troubled schools with a history of poor student achievement. Nonetheless, the study says, program veterans showed gains comparable to those of their traditional peers, and on elementary and middle school ELA exams, their increases outpaced those of other new principals. (more…)

Although the first day of school is just two weeks away, some students, especially those new to the city, still don’t know where they will be going to school on Sept. 9.

Beginning next Monday, Aug. 31, the Department of Education will open special enrollment centers for high school students who are new to New York City, new to public school, or who otherwise don’t have a high school placement. The center will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Monday to Friday from Aug. 31- Sept. 18 (closed on Labor Day). (more…)

Looking for something to do with the kids this weekend? Consider attending the Department of Education’s Back to School Kickoff in Central Park on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the bandshell area near 72nd Street and 5th Avenue. There will be games, face-painting, and other activities for families. Staten Island’s PS 22 chorus, which has gained national attention, will also perform!

Plus there will be many representatives from the DOE who can answer your questions about the upcoming school year, including Chancellor Klein who is scheduled to speak at 12:30 p.m.

Got questions about your child with special needs? Look for a representative from Insideschools’ parent organization, Advocates for Children of New York ,who will join with colleagues from Resources for Children with Special Needs to distribute information and answer questions.

If you go to Saturday’s fair, let us know what you learned!

Last week, we asked whether you are monitoring the number of hours your kids spend in front of the screen — especially as this intense heat and humidity could be keeping them indoors. Nearly half of you said you limit the number of hours of computer and TV use per day or week. About a quarter of you leave it up to your kids, and 17% of you said you don’t really have much control, but wish you did. Thanks for voting!

On Thursday, Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum released a report that found a majority of public school principals surveyed by her office support the $81 million Achievement Reporting and Innovation System (ARIS), a computer system designed to boost achievement and accountability in classrooms. (more…)

A new study shows that increasing numbers of parents nationwide plan to volunteer at their children’s school this fall, citing the slow economy and budget cuts to schools as incentives. According to the study, by GreatSchools.net and the Harris Interactive research firm, nearly two-thirds of 1,086 parents polled feel it’s more important now than ever to volunteer at school.

The results show that 20% more parents plan to volunteer this year than did last year –  an anticipated jump from 23%  to 44%. The trend is “most pronounced” among African American parents; 60% said they planned to volunteer up from the 23% who volunteered last year. (more…)

The New York Times reports today that charter school construction is providing a growing niche for the building and design industries in the New York City area. The article highlights a 54,000-square-foot project for the Mott Haven Academy Charter School in the South Bronx, which will house both classroom space and a community social services center.

Mott Haven reserves two-thirds of its seats for students in foster and preventive care. According to New York Foundling, the non-profit organization that runs the school, the integration of social services in the building “will address the different life circumstances that negatively impact the academic performance of children ‘in the system.’” Foundling raised $17 million from private donors to finance the new building. (more…)

After the city council passed a resolution in favor of adding two Muslim holidays to the public school holiday calendar, we polled our readers to see if you supported the council’s vote. Although Mayor Bloomberg does not think schools should close for additional days, 60% of our nearly 600 poll respondents said they would like to see Id al-Fitr and Id al-Adha on the calendar.

If you would like to demonstrate your support for adding the holidays to the school calendar, you can join the New York Civic Participation Project’s letter-writing campaign to the mayor, who has the final say. You can sign the coalition’s letter and send it directly to City Hall (The Honorable Michael Bloomberg, Office of the Mayor, City Hall, New York, NY 10007), or you can contact Sussie Lozada to arrange for NYCPP to pick up the letter and pay the postage. If you mail the letter on your own,  make sure to email Lozada, so she can accurately track the number of letters sent.

The NYCPP’s Coalition for Muslim School Holidays represents more than 40 religious, labor, community, and advocacy organizations. According to the coalition, there are over 800,000 Muslim New Yorkers who represent 12% of the student population in public schools.

Dear Judy,

My daughter has been attending school in another state. Now she wants to finish back in the city. She will be going into 11th grade and she’s a good student. What are her options?

-Puzzled Mom

Dear Puzzled Mom (and others who are new to the city):

Eleventh grade is a tough time to make a change, particularly for high-achieving kids who have been attending school out-of-state. The selective exam and audition high schools, known as specialized high schools, do not accept 11th-graders and many other popular schools generally don’t have available seats.

Then there are the Regents exams: kids have to pass five of them to get a diploma. Principals have some discretion on whether to waive one or two exams, based on academic records, but be sure to ask about that when your register your daughter for school. (more…)

 Have a school question for Judy?  Search archives | Contact Judy

For 30 years, the federal government has funded free meals for students during the summer months. How many meals are served in New York City, the largest  school system in the country? Statistics are not yet available for this summer’s program, which ends on Aug. 28, but last summer, the city served up more than 7.25 million at a cost of about $21 million. Given the economic downturn, it will be no surprise if this year’s numbers top 2008’s.

In addition to breakfast and lunch served at city schools, youngsters between the ages of 5 and 18, can get a free meal at some  of  the city’s pools, parks, housing projects, food kitchens, and libraries - more than 1,000 locations in all. This summer the city even added a second lunch session at some pools, so that midday meals are served from 11  a.m. to 1:15 p.m. , and again from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. (more…)

A week after the State Senate re-newed the law granting Mayor Bloomberg control of the city’s public schools, the mayor announced today his appointees to the Panel for Educational Policy, the oversight board that replaced the old Board of Education. The PEP is made up of eight mayoral appointees and one appointee from each borough president’s office. The panel is charged with approving educational policies proposed by the chancellor and voting on the Department of Education budget (and some contracts); but it has had no real decision-making power.

Mayoral appointees serve at the pleasure of the mayor and there are no term limits. Four of the eight appointees are “repeats” - Philip Berry,  David Chang, Tino Hernandez, and Richard Menschel. Only two of the four new members are public school parents: Joe Chan, president of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership and Linda Lausell Bryant, executive director of Inwood House, a nonprofit that supports families and teen parents. (more…)

Last week, we asked what you thought about programs that give students cash for good grades and test scores. Nearly  60% of you are opposed to the idea.

Some of you, however, did think pay-for-performance initiatives had merit. Ben said that he was open to programs that produce positive results. Michael suggested that students who need to work to help support their families be paid in advance, so that they  have more time to apply themselves academically.

Now that we’re in mid-August, we want to know to if you’ve been keeping tabs on how much your kids watch TV and surf the web. Vote now, and let us know more about your ‘house rules’!

Though the city released the results of the ELA and math state exams this spring, the debate over the value of these standardized tests reignited this month. The latest argument on the table? The Daily News reported yesterday that, even with Bloomberg ‘raising the bar’ with his proposed promotion policy, 6th-graders can score high enough on the state English test to move onto the next grade simply by guessing.

In fact, says the News, the number of 6th-graders who scored at the bottom, Level 1 dropped from 10% in 2006, when twice as many points were required to pass, to 0.2% this year. And, according to the News, it’s not just lower standards on the reading test; a June article reported that Jennifer Jennings, a sociology doctoral student at Columbia University, found the state math exams are easier, too. (more…)

Charter schools seem unable to shake the perception that they don’t enroll as many students with special needs  - those who are disabled or who need help learning English, for example - as traditional schools.

Yesterday’s Boston Globe spotlights the expansion of charter schools in Massachusetts, but notes the discrepancy in enrollment of special needs students in charter schools as compared to other schools. It reports that  English language learners make up a fifth of the students in the Boston school system, yet they represent only 4% of the students in all but one  charter school. Special education students likewise are underrepresented in Boston charter schools as compared to their traditional counterparts. (more…)

GothamSchools broke the news yesterday that the family of the late Mitchell Weiner, a Queens assistant principal who was the first city resident to die of  swine flu, intends to file a multi-million dollar suit against the city for wrongful death and negligence. Today The New York Times provides more detail: Weiner’s widow, Bonnie, and their three sons served a “notice of claim” (a precursor to the lawsuit) to the city on Aug. 5 charging that the city did not provide a safe working environment for Weiner and other school employees.

While her husband lay in critical condition in early May, Weiner’s widow Bonnie said she was outraged that city officials failed to act sooner to close IS 238, where both she and her husband worked. According to the Daily News, the school remained open for days after tests confirmed the virus in a number of students. (more…)

Could it be? The back-to-school ads are here! For me, that’s usually a signal to revisit my list of summer ambitions before September arrives. Soon, I figure, my children will be in school and indoors for most of their days.

My 5-year-old daughter, Night Owl, is a nature freak, so the two of us recently took a trip to the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Near JFK airport, it’s a protected oasis of marshland where over 330 bird species feed and nest. We drove, but you can take the “A” train to the Broad Channel stop, then walk three-quarters of a mile to the visitor center. If your kids up for it, the trip is well worth the trek. The Q53 and Q21 buses from Queens also serve the refuge. (more…)

Just when financially-strapped parents increasingly rely on free after school care for their children,  many programs have  become a casualty of school budget cuts. A venerable  department store, new to Manhattan, has stepped into the breach to help provide funding for families in need of after school programs.

If you shop at the new JCPenney store at the Manhattan Mall in Herald Square between now and Aug. 16,  you’ll be invited to “round up” the total cost of your purchase to the next dollar, with the proceeds going to support local after school programs.   All donations collected at the store will go to the Children’s Aid Society of New York, which will also receive a $5,000 grant from the JCPenney Afterschool Fund to help the charity provide children in need with access to its after school programs. (more…)

In an announcement today at PS 171 in East Harlem, the mayor proposed ending “social promotion” for all students. His new promotion policy would require all students in grades 3-8 to score at least a “Level 2″ on state reading and math exams to move onto the next grade. (Exams are scored on a 1-4 scale where 4 is the highest.)

Five years ago, Mayor Bloomberg “rammed through” a controversial 3rd-grade promotion policy by summarily dismissing members of the Panel on Educational Policy (PEP) who opposed his plan. After the policy went into effect in 2004, it was later adopted for 5th, 7th, and 8th-graders, as well. Now, Bloomberg wants to extend the policy to include the 4th and 6th grades, so that it applies to all grades in which students take state-mandated standardized exams. (more…)

Last week, we asked you if you thought schools should assign a reading list for students during their summer vacation. While some of you felt students should have a break in the summer, most of you felt summer reading is important, whether or not the books are on a required list.  Thanks for your insightful comments!

On Wednesday, Insideschools covered the awards reception for the REACH program, which gives money to students who pass AP exams. REACH is not one-of-a-kind; in June 2007, we blogged about Opportunity NYC, another program that offers students monetary incentives for good grades. A few months later, our former student blogger, Seth, let us know how the NYC Student Union reacted to the program. Now we’d like to know what you think! Do you support paying students for performance?  Vote now and let us know why (or why not) below!

It’s official. The anticipated State Senate vote re-authorizing  mayoral control of the New York City schools took place this afternoon; senators voted 47-8  in favor of the legislation, according to  news sources. A few vocal opponents argued against its passage  up to the end, according to the Daily News . The News reported that Senator Shirley Hunter, a “an outspoken critic of mayoral control,” had harsh words for some of her fellow senators whom she said struck a deal with Mayor Bloomberg.

GothamSchools.org, which has been following the mayoral control muddle closely, has a good round-up of news coverage.  It also notes  that the Senate approved the four amendments to the State Assembly bill that will “create a parent training center, an arts council, yearly school safety meetings, and expanded oversight of principals by superintendents.” The amendments fall far short of the checks and balances on the mayor’s power that many parent advocates, including Leonie Haimson of Class Size Matters,  have lobbied for.

Arts education has taken a backseat in New York City public schools for the past few years. With emphasis placed squarely on improving reading and math test scores, the arts are too often considered “extras.” According to the non-profit Center for Arts Education, the city’s public schools are not even meeting state requirements that mandate a certain percentage of instructional hours dedicated to the arts - as much as 20% of time in lower elementary grades and a paltry one semester for the entire four years of high school.

CAE has been lobbying for dedicated arts funding for the schools  and now it wants to enlist parent advocates. As part of a “Parent Fellows” program, 8-10 parent leaders citywide will be trained  in arts education advocacy tactics.  Tasks will include  visiting schools and reaching out to parents  to increase awareness of the benefits of arts education.  Parent Fellows will be paid a monthly stipend, as yet to be determined, and will be trained in leadership skills. (more…)

At a midtown Chase Bank this morning, star-shaped mylar balloons heralded successful high school students who earned hundreds of dollars for top marks on their May AP exams. The students are participants in the two-year-old Rewarding Achievement, or REACH, program, a New York City pay-for-performance initiative that gives financial awards to students who pass AP exams.

The program operates at 31 high schools that serve low-income, minority communities. At these schools, participating students not only have financial incentives for taking AP courses. REACH also provides students with free study guides and Saturday test prep to support them throughout the academic year.

This “experiment in incentives and additional support,” as REACH’s Executive Director Edward Rodriguez described it, seems to be paying off. At the awards reception this morning, Schools Chancellor Joel Klein announced an increase in the overall number of students taking AP courses at REACH program sites, and a 21% increase in students passing AP exams. In particular, he highlighted a 35% gain among black and Latino students. (more…)

Thanks to our generous donors, we have raised $8,511 in our July individual fund-raising campaign. We appreciate all of your efforts to spread the word about Insideschools.org.

Insideschools.org depends on our readers’ support, not only with individual donations, but in other ways as well. Here’s how you can help:

• Volunteer at Insideschools. We have lots of opportunities for folks who have a few hours or more a week to spare. Contact us to find out more.
• Post a comment. Tell us - and others - what’s going on at your school. It just takes a moment.
• Know of an event of interest to public school parents? Post it on our calendar.
• Start a conversation - or join a conversation - on our forum.
• Share your contacts: Do you have contacts in philanthropy, business, or government that may be interested in Insideschools.org? Let us know.

A big thank you from all who have donated. We are still $1,500 shy of our $10,000 goal. Please support us if you can, and forward this to your friends who care about public education in New York City.

Insideschools is one of many projects housed at Advocates for Children of New York. Jared Stein is our colleague at NYS-TEACHS, which strives to ensure that the educational rights of homeless children are both recognized and implemented in New York State.

HearUS posted a link to an electronic petition requesting that President Obama meet with a determined 14-year- old who is completing an 1,100 mile walk to raise awareness about child/youth homelessness. HearUs writes:

“14-year-old David Ashby has walked 700 of 1,100 miles to meet President Obama to urge more national efforts to help homeless kids.

We need petitioners to get the President’s attention.

It won’t hurt if David’s amazing effort inspires people to do something local to help homeless kids.” (more…)

Over the past two weeks I have been struck by the overwhelming response to Insideschools’ post on banning parent-funded assistants from public schools. After reading through the numerous, impassioned comments, the old saying “crabs in a barrel” came to mind. It is a metaphor that I have heard commonly applied to African Americans over the years. It refers to the supposed tendency of one segment of the community to attempt to hold back another upward-bound individual or segment. The eventual result is that no one succeeds. It seems that once again parents are pitted against each other in a battle for the finest education.

One parent noted that the PTA-funded assistants have allowed some schools to continue to thrive where they may have otherwise faltered due to overcrowding. Another parent voiced concern that schools serving the working class are left out completely because they receive neither Title I funds, nor a wealth of money from parent donations. Still another parent commented that the average family in New York City cannot afford several hundred dollars in yearly school fees. (more…)

In a lively kickoff meeting last week, District 3 parents, Department of Education officials, and others met to see how to help their schools go green. The DOE announced a commitment to cutting schools’ carbon footprints in April when it joined the Green Schools Alliance. Since public schools consume 25% of New York’s municipal energy, greening the schools is the only way to meet the city’s goal of cutting carbon emissions by 30%.

Every school has a “sustainability coordinator” as of spring 2009; most are teachers whose chief role is to involve students in greening efforts. Most of the six schools represented at the meeting were already actively working on going green. Parents talked about the challenges of enforcing recycling and promised to share lists of green school supplies. John T. Shea, the DOE’s chief sustainability officer and head of the Division of School Facilities, came to answer questions. Liza Potter, community partnerships coordinator at the new Urban Assembly School for Green Careers (opening this fall in the Brandeis building) said her students could help produce information for a D3 Green Schools website. (more…)