September 6, 2000 - MPR’s Tim Pugmire reports on the opening of more than a dozen new charter schools in Minnesota, bringing the state's total to 64. This year's batch of schools includes some that are targeting specific racial and ethnic groups -- an approach that worries some education leaders.
September 5, 2000 - Minneapolis school district officials began the new school year reminding students they need to show up for classes every day. The state's largest school district is phasing in a tough new attendance policy this year that will eventually require students to show up 95-percent of the time. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.
September 5, 2000 - Catholic educators in the Twin Cities are celebrating an enrollment revival this week as they open four new schools. Officials with the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis say it's been 30 years since a new Catholic school building opened its doors. They say more schools are expected in the next few years as Catholic and Non-Catholic parents try to fill a spiritual void in their children's education. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...
September 1, 2000 - State education officials say most Minnesota school districts are not easing up on their implementation of the Profile of Learning. The controversial system of graduation standards survived this year's legislative session when lawmakers gave schools the option to temporaily reduce the number of student requirements. In a report released today (Friday) by the Department of Children, Families and Learning, 53-percent of the the districts will stay right where they would have been without any choice. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...
August 28, 2000 - Minnesota voters say education is the most important issue facing the state, but they generally feel public schools are already on the right track. Results of a new Minnesota Public Radio, Saint Paul Pioneer Press, KARE-TV poll also show mixed feelings about statewide testing and graduation standards. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...
August 24, 2000 - State education officials have delayed the scheduled launch of three new school tests by at least a year. The decision comes in the wake of a test-scoring fiasco that affected 47-thousand Minnesota students. The Department of Children, Families and Learning says it needs more time to strengthen quality control for existing tests before adding more. But some educators are concerned about the delay's impact on some students. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...
August 22, 2000 - A report from the Legislative Auditor's Office says the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system is still struggling to succeed and needs better defined roles for its leaders. The evaluation of the five-year-old merger of three higher education systems comes as the system's board is searching for a new chancellor. Legislators say the report will likely generate a lot of discussion about higher education issues in next year's session. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...
August 15, 2000 - State education officials now say only about 50 high school seniors were wrongly denied diplomas this spring due to test scoring errors, and only a few were kept out of graduation ceremonies. Representatives of the Department of Children, Families and Learning revised the number during testimony before the House Education Policy Committee. Legislators are looking for ways to prevent future test mistakes and to make sure taxpayers don't end up paying the bill. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...
August 2, 2000 - Five days after the discovery of a major test scoring fiasco, state and local education officials are still trying to measure the full impact on students. State officials say a testing company gave eight-thousand students failing grades on the Basic Standards math test when they actually passed. But the number of seniors actually prevented from graduating now appears to be far fewer than earlier estimates. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.
July 31, 2000 - State education officials and testing experts say additional oversight might be needed to prevent another testing snafu in Minnesota. Members of the Senate K-12 Finance Committee held a hearing today to find out how thousands of students were wrongly told they had failed this year's Basic Standards Test in mathematics. Lawmakers say they want assurances it won't happen again. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...