Featured Stories
– A few scores can make a big difference in Iowa AEA
– DNR confirms dead gray wolf found on interstate near Davenport
– Mt Trashmore opens on unseasonably warm days
Episode transcription
Welcome to The Gazette's Daily News Podcast for Monday, February 26, 2024. This podcast brings you the latest headlines from the Gazette newsroom. I'm Becky Lutgen Gardner.
First up,
Less than 1 percent of Iowa's special education students are performing, which is cited as the main reason the governor is proposing an overhaul of the state's local education agencies.
This proposal is based on the National Assessment of Educational Progress scores of a small sample of 265 students with Individualized Education Plans who took the National Test in Reading and an additional 265 students with IEPs in Mathematics. These scores are used to represent the approximately 70,000 students receiving special education in Iowa.
Educators and statisticians at the National Center for Education Statistics argue that these scores represent a relatively small number of students nationally and should not be the only factor in proposing changes to education policy. ing.
Local education agencies argue that they provide an important service and that limited data should not justify such drastic changes.
Critics say the score alone doesn't tell the whole story. They highlight an improvement in the graduation rate, which was 80% in 2020, and a reduction in the dropout rate, from 80% in 2020 to 17% in 2020.
Educators also suggest using a broader range of data to assess student achievement, such as IEP goal progress and post-graduation outcomes.
Two bills based on the governor's proposal are still moving through the Iowa Legislature, one in the Iowa House of Representatives and one in the Senate.
The DNR then confirmed that a gray wolf carcass was found on the interstate near Davenport.
The animal's markings resemble a wolf captured on a trail camera in November.
The wolf was discovered by state conservation officers last Monday. It was lying in the median of Interstate 80, near the interchange with Interstate 280, according to the Iowa DNR.
The dead animal was taken to the Iowa State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Ames. An autopsy confirmed that the animal was a male gray wolf, approximately 2 years old.
Wolves carry tapeworms and other parasites that can be transmitted to humans. The DNR says this is a reminder to hunters, trappers and wildlife rehabilitators to be careful when handling coyotes and foxes.
The DNR plans to send tissue samples for DNA testing to determine whether the animal is a true wolf or a hybrid and where it was born.
The Great Lakes wolf population is closest to Iowa and has been increasing recently. Over the past five years, Iowans have averaged between one and five wolves roaming the state. Wolves are protected in Iowa and there is no hunting season.
Finally, with the recent unseasonably warm weather, another sign of spring is already here. It is a limited opening of Mt Trashmore.
The Cedar Rapids-Linn County Solid Waste Authority announced last week that trails at the former landfill will be open to pedestrians today and tomorrow. High temperatures in Cedar Rapids today and tomorrow are expected to be in the 70s, according to the National Weather Service.
The trail was also open last Thursday when Cedar Rapids' high temperature reached 61 degrees. His average high temperature in late February in eastern Iowa is in the mid to upper 30s.
The Mount Trashmore Overlook and Stumptown trails will be open to pedestrians on Mondays and Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Downhill biking trails will remain closed due to wet weather, officials said in a news release.
All Mount Trashmore visitors must check in at 2250 A St. SW before accessing the trail.
Known as Mount Trashmore, this former landfill site is home to 6 million tonnes of trash. Typically, the trail is open to the public from April to November.
Today's weather in Cedar Rapids, Iowa: Sunny, with a high near 74 degrees. The wind is blowing. Winds can reach up to 35 miles per hour. Monday night will be cloudy with a low around 46 degrees. Chance of precipitation after noon Tuesday is 20%. Partly sunny skies, with a high near 71 degrees.
Links to each story featured in today's episode can be found in the episode description or on Gazette.com.
Thanks for listening to The Gazette's Daily News Podcast. I'm Becky Lutgen Gardner.
