Education

Richmond students caught in the middle of two tests

Public school students and teachers in Richmond are caught in the middle between divergent sets of testing standards. Students are required to take and pass two types of assessments – the often criticized Standardized Testing and Reporting model and the incoming critical thinking standards of Common Core. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson said in a statement, “It’s simply wrong to expect schools to prepare our students for the future while continuing to ask them to use tests that…

Richmond High fields all-girl tennis team

After operating for three years as a co-ed tennis team with boys and girls competing against all-boy teams, there were enough players this year to form an all-girl tennis squad at Richmond High School.

Reduce, recycle, reuse and rot in El Cerrito and Richmond schools

A new project aims to usher in a waste management transformation. This month, the Environmental Protection Agency awarded the Watershed Project, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting East Bay watersheds and ecosystems, a $30,000 grant to educate children and their community about recycling, reusing and composting.

WCCUSD meets to discuss test scores

Despite signs of improvement, test scores in the West Contra Costa Unified School District continue to fall short of expectations. That was the message on Wednesday night when the West Contra Costa Unified School District Board met to discuss the school district’s test results and Academic Performance Index ratings. Nearly 75 percent of the district’s schools fall below the state’s target API score. The district includes 50 schools and 30,000 students of varying ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds. “As a district, we…