Posts Tagged ‘Education’

Iowa SAT Scores Top in the Nation

The Iowa Department of Education recently released that Iowa students performed top in the nation on SAT scores, this just after the announcement that Iowa students are 2nd in the nation for ACT scores.

Iowa students continue to perform well on the SAT, the college entrance exam administered by the College Board. With three percent of 2010 graduating seniors taking the exam, the SAT is less predominant in Iowa than the ACT test.  Iowa students who take the SAT perform well, however, with the highest composite scores in the nation for reading, math and writing.

• 603 in critical reading, compared to a national mean score of 501;
• 613 in math, compared to a national mean score of 516;
• 582 in writing, compared to a national mean score of 492.

The 10-year change shows a 14-point increase in reading and 13-point increase in math. Decade information is not available for the writing test, which has been administered since 2006.

Tags: Act, act scores, Education, iowa deptartment of education, SAT, SAT scores
Category Education, Featured, Recent News |

Iowa ACT Scores #2 in the Nation

Once again Iowa’s graduating high school students ranked number two in the nation after the state of Minnesota. Iowa students earned an average composite score of 22.2. The national average was 21.0. A perfect score on the ACT is a 36.The 2010 high school class left better prepared for college than the 2009 class predecessors, and their ACT scores remained second-highest in the country.

In 2008 the Iowa Legislature passed SF 2216 that boasted Iowa’s Core Curriculum by upping the standards of graduating high school students. Three years after the Legislature raised standards in schools to boost student achievement and ensure kids are prepared for jobs in today’s global economy, the Iowa Board of Education gave unanimous approval at their July 29th meeting to combine Iowa’s Core standards with a multi-state effort to develop a “Common Core” standard.

The Iowa Department of Education’s review of the new national model of education standards shows they are aligned with 88% of Iowa’s standards for math skills and concepts addressed in the Iowa Core. In literacy or English language arts, 84% of the skills and concepts addressed in the Iowa Core are also covered in the Common Core.

The Common Core State Standards were developed to be aligned with college and work expectations, to include rigorous content and skills, and to be internationally benchmarked. The Common Core State Standards initiative encompasses standards for English, language arts, and mathematics.

Tags: Act, common core, core curriculum, Education, iowa department of education
Category Education, Featured, Recent News |

Governor Signs Bill Encouraging Educator Diversity

State Representatives Ako Abdul-Samad and Wayne Ford were in attendance yesterday at Moulton Elementary in Des Moines as Governor Chet Culver signed bills encouraging diversity among teachers. Rep. Abdul-Samad and Rep. Ford spoke to students and teachers in the auditorium about the importance of education and diversity in the classroom.

With House File 2432, the Department of Education, area education agencies and public and private colleges and universities will study opportunities to employ and keep racial and ethnic minority teachers in the classroom. The representatives will look at specific methods to encourage minority students to enter teaching at Iowa universities and to encourage them to become school administrators in Iowa.

Staff support to the study group will come from the Board of Regents. A report is expected to the General Assembly by Jan. 10, 2011.

Tags: Ako Abdul-Samad, bill signing, Chet Culver, Education, Moulton Elementary, Wayne Ford
Category Education, Jobs & Economy |

Strong Schools Package Clears First Hurdle

A key house committee has already approved a package of education initiatives that will strengthen Iowa k-12 schools and protect local property taxpayers.  On a 12-4 vote, the House Education Committee passed a series of reforms to help Iowa land up to $175 million in Race to the Top funds. (House File 2033)

Iowa property tax payers will benefit from another bill passed to make sure schools spend down their cash reserves before raising property taxes. (House File 2030)  

Requested by schools last fall, two other bills approved by the committee will delay setting the school aid formula schools by one year, instead of setting it two years in advance. (House File 2031 & 2032)

Tags: Education
Category Education |

IPERS Advisory Committee Makes Recommendations

The Benefits Advisory Committee (BAC) of the Iowa Public Employees Retirement System (IPERS) has agreed on recommendations to the Legislature to deal with the long-term funding concerns facing the system.
The committee’s recommendations to the Legislature include the following:
1. Increase the combined employer/employee contribution rate to 13.45% effective July 1, 2011. Under current law, the rate will be 11.45% on July 1, 2011.
2. Allow IPERS to “float” the contribution rate by 1% each year. Current law sets this at 0.5%.
3. Change the vesting requirement from the current four years to seven years.
4. Change the final average salary from the current high three years to five years.
5. Increase the early retirement reduction penalty from the current 3% to an average of 6% per year below age 65 for anyone retiring before they have earned the Rule of 88, or age 62 with 20 years of service or have reached age 65.
6. The benefit multiplier remains unchanged under this proposal. Currently, employees earn 2% per year for up to 30 years of employment resulting in a 60% multiplier. Once the employee has worked from 30 to 35 years, the benefit multiplier is 1% resulting in their final retirement benefit being the average of the highest three years salary times 65%.

Tags: Education, IPERS, Retirement
Category Education, Jobs & Economy |