A daily dose of education news around the nation – just in time for a little mid-day break!
Budget cuts: In a “major setback,” several California school districts will have to trim days off the school calendar as a result of budget cuts. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Appoquinimink School District in Delaware joins a growing list of districts looking for “nontraditional means of funding.” It will launch an independent foundation in August to help foot some of its bills. (Delaware Online)
Online testing: Florida will use virtual testing for statewide standardized exams next year. But few school districts are prepared. (Orlando Sentinel)
Teacher evaluations: Maryland grapples with trying to figure out a good system for evaluating teachers. (Baltimore Sun)
Teacher certification: Nevada’s “rigid” standards can make it difficult for teachers to get licensed in the state. (Las Vegas Sun)
Homeless students: The number of homeless students in Oklahoma has increased 870 percent in the last five years. (Tulsa World)
Summer school: Funded by stimulus money, Portland is operating its “largest free summer school in years.” (The Oregonian)
Dropouts: A new report released by the Texas Education Agency says the state’s dropout rate is 9.4 percent – almost an 11 percent decrease from last year. But experts question the validity of the figure. (Education Week)
