by Daniel Frank ’12

Md. schools No. 1 in Advanced Placement success for 4th year in a row

Half of MCPS’ Class of 2011 received a college-ready score on at least one Advanced Placement (AP) exam—nearly twice the rate of the state of Maryland and nearly triple the rate of the nation’s graduates. The Maryland State Department of Education announced Wednesday that Maryland education was ranked number one in the College Board’s annual report on the Advanced Placement (AP) program. The State Department of Education says that 27.9 percent of Maryland seniors got a score of 3 or higher on one or more AP exams in 2011. It is the highest percentage in the nation for the fourth consecutive year. That percentage is also 1.5 percentage points better than 2010, according to the College Board’s “Annual AP Report to the Nation.”

Women in combat policy to change

Under a 1994 policy, women are restricted from formally serving in small ground units directly involved in combat, but that is now changing. The Defense Department is notifying Congress Thursday that it will open up nearly 14,000 jobs to military women that will place them even closer to the front lines of combat. Some of the jobs that will now be open to women include specialties such as tank or artillery mechanics, crew members on missile launchers, and field surgeons in forward deployed brigade combat teams.

Gay Marriage to be Legalized in Washington State

A bipartisan group of lawmakers in Washington state voted Wednesday in favor of a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage, putting Washington on the path toward becoming the seventh state in the nation to legalize marriage for gay and lesbian couples. Governor Christine Gregoire plans to sign the bill into law when she receives it on Monday.

Bloodshed in Syria

In the wake of protests and political unrest that started last March in Syria, violence on a large scale continues in the embattled Middle-Eastern nation. Dictator Bashar al-Assad has ordered the Syrian military to crack down on protestors with lethal force. But as the crackdown dragged on into the summer and fall, thousands of soldiers defected and began launching attacks against the government, bringing the country to what the United Nations in December called the verge of civil war. The violence continues unabated.

“No Child Left Behind’s” grip on U.S. educators loosening

Ten states are being granted waivers to free them from parts of the No Child Left Behind law, the White House said Thursday. “After waiting far too long for Congress to reform No Child Left Behind, my administration is giving states the opportunity to set higher, more honest standards in exchange for more flexibility,” President Barack Obama said in a news release.