NEA announces new reading study

Last month, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced the release of To Read or Not To Read: A Question of National Consequence, a new and comprehensive analysis of reading patterns in the United States. To Read or Not To Read gathers statistics from more than 40 studies on the reading habits and skills of children, teenagers, and adults. The compendium reveals recent declines in voluntary reading and test scores alike, exposing trends that have severe consequences for American society.

“The new NEA study is the first to bring together reliable, nationally representative data, including everything the federal government knows about reading,” said NEA Chairman Dana Gioia. “This study shows the startling declines, in how much and how well Americans read, that are adversely affecting this country’s culture, economy, and civic life as well as our children’s educational achievement.”

To Read or Not To Read expands the investigation of the NEA’s landmark 2004 report, Reading at Risk. While that report focused mainly on literary reading trends, To Read or Not To Read looks at all varieties of reading, including fiction and nonfiction genres in various formats such as books, magazines, newspapers, and online reading. Whereas the earlier report assessed reading among adults age 18 and older, To Read or Not To Read analyzes reading trends for youth and adults, and readers of various education levels. To Read or Not To Read is unique for its consideration of reading habits alongside other behaviors and related outcomes including academic achievement, employment, and community involvement.

To view the full report, click here.

Aging science labs are targeted

An interesting article on aging science labs appeared recently in the Boston Globe. It is a timely piece for citizens in Franklin who are looking at an aging high school with similar issues. Here is an excerpt from the article:

Thousands of Bay State high school students conduct experiments in decades-old science labs, some without computers or functioning gas lines, at a time when science has leapt forward to embrace robotics, forensics, and nanotechnology.

At least two-thirds of the 99 public high schools vying for state construction money this year cited outdated science labs among the reasons for building a new school or to renovate and expand an existing building. The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, an accreditation group, has noted aging science labs and other deficiencies in placing six Massachusetts schools on probation, a rare action that can lead to a loss of accreditation.

The condition of the labs – many of them built before Neil Armstrong walked on the moon in 1969 – is raising questions about the schools’ ability to prepare students to pass the state’s new high school science exam, a soon-to-be graduation requirement, and to recruit students into careers for the sciences. Education officials will release the first-ever batch of high school science scores tomorrow.

To view the entire article, click here.

Parents appeal Lexington book ruling

Parents who objected to discussions of gay families in their children’s classrooms have taken their case to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston. They appealed from a decision issued in February 2007 which was subject of a previous blog entry (click here to view it).

The federal Court of Appeals heard arguments on Wednesday, December 5, 2007 in a lawsuit filed by parents who sued after their son brought home a book from kindergarten that depicted different kinds of families, including a gay family. The parents say their rights to religious freedom and to control the upbringing of their children were violated by the school system.

The federal judge who dismissed the lawsuit earlier this year ruled that parents do not have the right to dictate curriculum in public schools. It is unclear when the appeals court would issue its ruling in the case, but we will post it hear when it becomes available.

The families which are suing have a website which can be viewed by clicking here. The Wikipedia entry on the case can be viewed by clicking here.