René Hill

Story Archive

Abundance of testing leading to exhaustion: Wednesday, June 3, 2009; As the emphasis on testing students to find how they have progressed over the years continues, an interesting trend in the reading scores for middle and high school students has emerged. In the last 30 years the state has been administering a proficiency exam, there has been very little measurable increase in achievement.
Teaching can be a rewarding career: Wednesday, May 20, 2009; It's graduation time again and high school graduates are deciding on what college to attend as they think about future careers. I hope many of them are considering a career as a teacher. Teaching isn't for everyone, so I would like to mention some things to keep in mind if you are thinking about joining our profession.
Study shows exit exams affecting graduation rates: Wednesday, May 13, 2009; A new study conducted by the Center for Education Policy has shown that exit exams impact some groups of students more than others. The study was based on California's exit exam, but he results are relevant for other states that require an exit exam.
Priorities can get lost in flurry of testing: Thursday, April 30, 2009; Public disappointment with student achievement has led to extensive criticism of the school system. The media has reported that our district's dropout rate has risen and today's headlines heralded the failure of federally mandated tutoring programs. There are so many issues that are swirling in the education pot that it is sometimes hard to take a clear view of what is really happening.
Level head can prevail over feared phone call: Wednesday, April 22, 2009; Calling home to discuss academic or behavior problems is never easy for a teacher to do; it is a delicate situation that often makes parents panic or get defensive.
'One size fits all' not an effective approach to teaching reading, writing: Wednesday, April 15, 2009; I have spent the past few weeks doing research for a paper on literacy and the reading and writing connections. It has been an area of debate among educators for a while now.
Program catching on at secondary level: Wednesday, April 1, 2009; In 2004, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was reauthorized with a new provision to help students who are struggling learners.
Two different approaches to math showing success: Wednesday, March 18, 2009; A large-scale federal study has identified two math programs as effective in teaching early learners. Math Expressions and Saxon Math emerged in the large-scale study as promising even though they embody different approaches to teaching math in the K-2 grades.
Teachers keep the bar high: Wednesday, March 4, 2009; As teachers, we work hard to encourage students to do their best and achieve their full potential. Sometimes students go above and beyond while others, sadly, do as little as possible.
Parents' knowledge of English directly affects child's success: Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009; As we approach another season of state-mandated testing, teachers and students alike are busy preparing in math, science and English. Over the years, scores have increased in math but are dropping in reading and writing.
Even a small amount of college can help toward better career: Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009; As a teacher in a Title I middle school, I am always looking for ways to encourage my students to better themselves through education. We have several programs that show students the benefits of staying in school and going on to higher education.
Parents' input is integral to finding school budget solutions: Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2009; It was a sad week last week when the governor announced his planned budget cuts.
Parents can help engage students by asking questions: Thursday, Jan. 15, 2009; Aristotle said, "To find yourself, think for yourself."
Families don't need to go far to find year-end fun: Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2008; Now that Christmas has passed, the gifts have all been set aside or at least well used. The kids still have another week off and time to do things. It's also a time when most of the adults are working a bit shorter workday.
Disruptive behavior becomes more common in classrooms: Thursday, Dec. 18, 2008; Over the years I have taught in the Clark County School District, I have worked with some great kids. My students have ranged from the gifted to those with disabilities, and even those children deemed "difficult" have responded to the expectations that their behavior follow classroom guidelines.
Assessing 21st century skills: Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008; Leaders in business and higher education are taking a critical view of the current education system and find it lacking in the interdisciplinary thinking skills that are needed for the 21st century work force.
Despite convenience of technology, attendance is imperative: Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008; The Clark County School District makes it easy and convenient for parents to keep on top of their kids' school work and stay in contact with teachers. The use of technology is being expanded to help parents and students keep track of makeup work when absent and to track the actual absences that the children have.
Cuts from the top can help balance school budgets: Thursday, Nov. 6, 2008; As the state budget crunch continues, schools are seriously impacted by cuts. Teachers all over the Clark County School District have been called into meetings at their schools and asked to recommend what should be cut at the school level.
Even video games can be educational: Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008; Children love video games. Teachers and parents both attest to the fact that the biggest challenge in the battle of homework is the video game. Students would rather play their favorite game than do their homework.
Students with learning disabilities succeed in regular classroom: Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008; As a special educator, I am working in classrooms where students with learning disabilities are mainstreamed into the regular education environment. The research shows that doing this helps the student socially and academically.
New study says not all eighth graders should take algebra: Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008; Nevada is among many states raising the math requirements for its middle and high school students. Many eighth grade students are being pushed into algebra courses for which they are unready and ill-prepared. A new study argues that middle schoolers struggling in math are being enrolled in upper level courses despite being unprepared.
Disability doesn't mean college is not an option: Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008; Throughout my teaching career, I have had the privilege of working with students with diverse disabilities. The one thing that has impressed me, as well as motivated me to continue my work in this area, is the drive and tenacity many of these kids have.
Economic troubles reach into the classroom: Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008; The economic erosion has hit the classrooms of Clark County in numerous areas.
Looking for ways to help disabled students: Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008; It is a difficult task to work with students with disabilities on the high school level. Many of them become frustrated with the expectations and end up as dropouts.
Budget crunch requires schools to get creative: Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008; As many states begin the new school year, they face serious budget shortfalls. Just two months ago, states across the country had combined budget shortfalls of more than $40 billion. That is a staggering amount to say the least, especially since the cost of running schools is on the increase.