Monday, May 2, 2016

School ratings delayed nine months, MDE rolls out computer coding classes for kids.

The Mississippi Department of Education will issue the annual district and school ratings in June.  The ratings are normally posted in the beginning of September each year but were delayed for nine months when the department had to move to a different location due to a fire at an adjacent building last year.  MDE told JJ this morning that the 2015-2016 ratings will probably be issued in October and thus closer to the original schedule.  The third grade "reading gate" test results will be released when the Board of Education meets on May 12.  Meanwhile, MDE is rolling out a pilot computer science program for students that will include coding programs in elementary schools.  MDE issued the following press release last week:

MDE Targets Expansion of Computer Science Education in Pilot Programs, Teacher Training

CLINTON, Miss. – Next school year, the Mississippi Department of Education will roll out the Computer Science for Mississippi (CS4MS) pilot program in 34 school districts across the state in an effort to expand the knowledge base of students and open the doors to career opportunities.
More than 150 teachers will begin training this summer. Participating districts have committed to a robust schedule of professional development, data gathering, and adequate technology and infrastructure to qualify for the CS4MS pilot. During the pilot’s first year, 68 high school teachers from 50 high schools and 167 K-5 teachers from 106 elementary schools will teach computer science content to their students.

For elementary-age students, the computer science curriculum will include coding, digital literacy, keyboarding, and robotics. High school students will enroll in a comprehensive course called Exploring Computer Science (ECS).

During future years of the CS4MS pilot program, MDE plans to add 6th-8th grade courses, as well as an expanded offering of high school courses. Ultimately, the goal of CS4MS is to have a continuous K-12 computer science pipeline in place for all Mississippi public schools by the year 2024.

Jean Massey, associate state superintendent, said computers and software impact every profession, including medicine, energy, entertainment, transportation and agriculture. She said every student should have the opportunity to learn vital skills for a productive career. “Computer science is now a part of the necessary foundational knowledge for students, and we need to include it in our schools,” Massey said.

The CS4MS pilot program was created to address an urgent economic need. According to Code.org, there are currently 607,708 open computing jobs nationwide, but America only graduated 42,969 computer science students into the workforce last year. The CS4MS pilot program aims to address this computer science knowledge gap so that Mississippi’s students can compete for jobs alongside candidates from any other state or country.

MDE Editor’s Note: The chart that shows the breakdown of participating districts includes the abbreviation “ECS,” the Exploring Computer Science course. The course, supported and promoted by the National Science Foundation, was developed at the University of California at Los Angeles and the University of Oregon.

Kingfish note: JJ contacted Madison, Rankin, and Jackson Public School districts to find out which schools will participate in this program.  Rankin and Madison responded and the schools are listed below.

Rankin County School District

Oakdale Elementary School
Northwest Rankin Middle School
Brandon Middle School
Florence Middle School

Madison County School District
East Flora Elementary
Highland Elementary
Madison Avenue Upper Elementary.
 

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hardly call having kids use Scratch as "coding". Better than nothing but only marginally.

Anonymous said...

Delayed 9 months due a move. Wow. In what world to these people exist that they get to put off work for 9 months due to a move? This Department should be abolished. Ever talk to anyone who works (actually works) there? Huge number of folks never show up. Of the ones that do show up, a huge number of those don't do anything. Work is assigned to them. They don't do it. And it gets re-assigned to the relatively few that actually work there.

Anonymous said...

The ratings are late due to the PARCC test results getting to the state late, and JP Bedouin "The Chief" being generally incompetent and refusing to delegate.

Rumor is, he won't be around much longer.

Zero to do with a fire.

multiple choice said...

'coding' is the new buzzword for:

a) Bullshit

b) Polyamorous Diversity

c) Ronnie McGehee's garage key

d) Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

e) Classroom Behavioral Norm

Kingfish said...

I first asked about the delay in November. I was told the move and spreading out of offices caused the delay and they would be released in January.

You are right about Parc and that was what I was told today in reference to the ratings due to be released this September.

Just saying what I was told.

Anonymous said...

Bullshit 11:22. Coding is really about thinking algorithmically, which is exactly what Scratch teaches kids. Georgia Tech uses a pseudo language to teach computing, I suppose you think that is marginally ok, too.

Anonymous said...

9:43; Can you run that back through your word processor?

Anonymous said...

001100010011000100111010001100100011001000100000
011010010111001100100000011010100111010101110011
011101000010000001100001001000000110101001100001
011000110110101101100001011100110111001100100000
011101110110100001101111001000000111010001101000
011010010110111001101011011100110010000001101000
011001010010011101110011001000000110000100100000
011000110110111101100100011001010010000001101110
011010010110111001101010011000010010111000100000

Anonymous said...

7:55, the keys on your computer are stuck.


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