State Education Commissioner Richard Mills announced that 19 schools have been identified as "persistently dangerous" under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Last year 27 schools were identified. Pursuant to federal requirements, the list of schools is being announced today so that parents can exercise their right of school choice.

Statewide high school graduation results reported by school districts.

New Graduation Results Released for High Schools Statewide

From the Desk of Johanna Duncan-Poitier, Senior Deputy Commissioner of Education - P-16

The NYSED Curriculum, Instruction & Instructional Technology (CI&IT) Team's July 31, 2008 E-Blast is now available.

These reports are produced to inform the people of New York State about the recent performance of public schools. We hope that these reports are used in constructive conversations which lead to improved education for all children in the State.

The State Board of Regents convened leaders from education, business, and community service organizations to confront tremendous educational challenges. We must continue to close the achievement gaps that exist from early childhood through postsecondary education while also raising the performance of the entire system to the level needed to sustain the state's economy in the face of global competition. We have made progress over the last decade, yet the gaps in achievement and productivity persist and impede New York's economic and civic vitality.

A great deal of information, including direct mailings to K-8 teachers and regional meetings across the state, will be made available to teachers and administrators - test design, time requirements, etc. so that the field is fully informed and can offer their insights. Sample questions at each grade level in each subject will also be provided. In addition, curricular and other resources for teachers will be provided on our website.

The purpose of the New York State Education Department's Virtual Learning System is to encourage the use of the Internet as a tool for teaching and learning and to assist classroom teachers in locating Internet resources for instruction. VLS offers the full text of New York State's learning standards with their key ideas and performance indicators, as well as alternate performance indicators for students with severe disabilities. It provides resources that classroom teachers can use to support preK-12 standards-based instruction, such as sample tasks, learning experiences and lesson plans.

The Love Your Library license plate is now available from the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Proceeds from the plate's annual fee will help support the New York State Library's Statewide Summer Reading Program at public libraries across the State.

The Commissioner's monthly report to the Board of Regents featuring information on the Regents School Accountability Plan, Challenges to the Regents Exams, and other relevant topics.

Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Stephanie Monroe will join 1,000 higher education leaders and policymakers on September 8 in Washington, D.C., during the 2008 national conference celebrating the nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

The Department announced the award of $6.7 million in grants to 23 higher education organizations to help them develop pilot projects for students with disabilities.

ED's Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement Doug Mesecar visited Guadalupe Schools in Salt Lake City today to present an $8,533,334 Charter Schools Program grant to the Utah State Department of Education. Utah's Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert and Vice Chairman of the Utah State Board of Education Mark Cluff joined Mesecar for the announcement.

The Constitution, U.S. government, international relations, nations of the world, pivotal moments in U.S. history, early childhood education, calculator-controlled robots, and polar sciences are topics of new resources at FREE, the website that makes teaching resources from federal agencies easier to find.

When you visit ED.gov, why do you come -- what do you hope to accomplish? We are trying to identify the most important or popular tasks that people hope to accomplish at ED.gov, the main website of the U.S. Department of Education. Please help! Simply select the 5 tasks that are most important to you when you visit ED.gov.

New data from states show improvement in nearly every grade and subgroup, including English language learners and students with disabilities.

Is a multimedia story of the creation of the Internet. Learn about the individuals who began connecting computers in the 1960s. Listen to Vint Cerf, often referred to as "the father of the Internet," describe their work. Find out about TCP/IP, packet switching, CSNET, and other technologies and initiatives. Trace developments back to the first Internet message (Oct 29, 1969) and the first web page (Aug 6, 1991). See predictions about what's next. (National Science Foundation)

Notices inviting applications have been issued recently under ED programs that include the following: Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program.

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