Sen. Murkowski's Education Newsletter for the week of February 5, 2010
What Works Clearinghouse Report on Computer Based Curriculum "I Can Learn"
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Sen. Murkowski with Josie Burton's 4th Grade Class in Nome, Alaska.
Sen. Murkowski with students of Galena Interior Learning Academy |
This What Works Clearinghouse Quick Review reports on a study that examined whether the "I Can Learn" computer-based curriculum is more effective than traditional classroom instruction at teaching pre-algebra and algebra concepts to middle- and high-school students. The study, called "Technology's Edge: The Educational Benefits of Computer-Aided Instruction," reported that at the end of the school year students in classrooms using "I Can Learn" scored higher on the assessment of pre-algebra and algebra skills than students in traditional math classrooms. The growth was equivalent to moving a student from the 50th to the 57th percentile. The What Works Clearinghouse's assessment of this study determined that the research described in this report is consistent with WWC evidence standards. To view the full report please visit: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/publications/quickreviews/QRReport.aspx?QRID=125.
Links to President's Budget for Department of Education, HHS, and Labor
As you know, the President submitted his recommendations for the Fiscal Year 2011 (FY11) federal budget to Congress yesterday. We are in the process of analyzing those recommendations, especially with regard to programs that are important to Alaskans. Many of you, however, may be curious about what the President has proposed. The following links will enable you to review the proposals made for the Departments of Education, Labor, and Health & Human Services. Links to budget proposals for other federal departments can be found at www.budget.gov.
U.S. Department of Education:
• Links to FY11 Budget Summary Documents: http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/budget11/summary/index.html
• Programs Proposed for Consolidation or Elimination: http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/budget11/summary/edlite-section4.html
• Detail of USED Programs FY09 Enacted - FY11 Proposed: http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/budget11/summary/appendix4.pdf
• State Tables FY09 Enacted - FY11 Proposed: http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/statetables/index.html
• Justifications (if you want lots of detail): http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/budget11/justifications/index.html
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:
• Budget in Brief: http://www.hhs.gov/asrt/ob/docbudget/2011budgetinbrief.pdf
U.S. Department of Labor:
• Budget in Brief: http://www.dol.gov/dol/budget/2011/bib.htm#summary
Keep in mind that the President's budget proposal is just that-a proposal. As many of you know, Congress determines how much money is actually appropriated for all the different federal programs. That process begins with the President's budget proposal but will continue through (at least) October 1 when the 2011 Fiscal Year begins.
Senator Murkowski is very interested in the views of Alaskans, as you know. So, if you have questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions about federal funding for programs in which you are interested, please do contact me or contact Senator Murkowski via the webform on her website at https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=EMailLisa.
Race to the Top Phase I Applications Now Available and Request for I3 Reviewers
The narratives of all Race to the Top applications for Phase I are up on USED's website and can be found at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/phase1-applications/index.html
In addition, the Department has posted a call for peer reviewers for the i3 program. The link for the posting is http://www2.ed.gov/programs/innovation/index.html. USED believes there is a potential for a large volume of applications, and so anticipates that they may need over a hundred quality peer reviewers.
