Guess what? It’s Friday again, and we’ve got a week’s worth of education stories you might have missed.
- Education leaders say they’re encouraged by the new federal legislation that will replace No Child Left Behind, saying states will now have more of a say in how teachers and schools are assessed. Closer to home, Orange County educators are also optimistic.
Six students from Washington Middle School in La Habra won a $10,000 prize after devising a plan to reduce water usage on campus. They’re now in the running for a $30,000 grand prize in the of the Lexus Eco Challenge.
- GATE students at Circle View Elementary in the Ocean View School District learned about constellations, space craft design and more during the school’s Space Day on Dec. 3.
- Gifted students held back by learning disabilities are finding hope through a new school that specializes in meeting their needs.
- Costa Mesa High students are performing scientific field studies for research projects in Newport Banning Ranch thanks to a partnership between the Newport Banning Land Trust and the Institute for Conservation Research and Education.
- Project Zero Waste, a partnership between OCDE’s Inside the Outdoors program and OC Waste & Recycling, earned a Golden Bell Award from the California School Boards Association.
- Though a large percentage of preschoolers speak a language other than English in the home, preschool teachers often don’t have the training to teach English-learners.