School Fails AYP, Institutes Reform

Sherwood did not meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for the 2009-2010 school year. AYP is a measure of academic performance established by the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Three subgroups within the school, Hispanic, Limited English Proficient (LEP), and Free and Reduced Meal Students (FARMS) all failed to meet the minimum participation requirement in reading, and the LEP subgroup fell short of satisfactory reading proficiency. Additionally, the FARMS, Special Education and African American subgroups met reading proficiency by margins of three or less students.

The West Moves to the Right

Recently the United States and countries in Europe moved toward the right end of the political spectrum. This shift has been primarily influenced by the global economic downturn, but this swing to the right varies on each end of the Atlantic.

‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ Repeal Closer to Reality

The military enacted the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy (DADT) in 1993. The policy forbids openly gay and lesbian Americans from serving in the U.S. Armed Services, but does not allow the military to require soldiers to declare their sexual orientation. However, controversy has arisen from soldiers’ orientations being investigated if superiors suspect they are gay or lesbian. There have been several attempts to repeal this policy, but so far all have failed.