April 18, 2012
Education Week, Vol. 31, Issue 28
States
K-12 Issue Simmers in Gubernatorial Races
As gubernatorial campaigns heat up around the country, K-12 policy feeds into the fight, though specifics vary state to state.
Federal
Plans Dropped on Easing Penalties for Special Ed. Cuts
The U.S. Department of Education is taking back an offer to go easier on districts cutting special education funds.
School & District Management
Los Angeles District Hires First Social-Media Director
The new position may be the first in the country dedicated solely to building and overseeing a district’s social-media efforts, observers said.
Reading & Literacy
Separate Reading Exams Await Elementary Teachers
More states are requiring teacher-candidates to take—and pass—licensing tests in reading before they can move into the classroom.
College & Workforce Readiness
Opinion
Encouraging AP Success for All Students
Increasing minority students' access to advanced coursework is crucial, writes Mary Ann Rankin.
Families & the Community
National PTA Seeks to Reverse Drop in Membership
Critics of the iconic organization question costs and advocacy efforts.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Research Paints Portrait Of Effective Principals
Principals are second only to teachers in their impact on student achievement, according to a report on principal effectiveness.
Special Education
Report Roundup
Special Education Vouchers
The tally of students with disabilities who attend private schools using vouchers is about 30,000 nationwide.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Sex Education
The percentage of schools teaching about sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy prevention was significantly lower in 11 states than it was two years earlier.
College & Workforce Readiness
Report Roundup
AP Coursetaking
New research suggests that paying students and teachers for high scores on Advanced Placement exams can yield some academic payoffs.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Teenage Pregnancies
Since 1991, the rate at which teenagers give birth has dropped by 44 percent, according to a data brief.
Early Childhood
Report Roundup
Recess Length
The amount of time kindergartners spend at recess varies, but that variation doesn't seem to affect their reading achievement.
Teaching Profession
Report Roundup
Teacher Incentives
A cash incentive appears to have helped seven school districts attract effective teachers to low-income schools.
Mathematics
News in Brief
Texas Business Group Pans Math Standards
The Texas Association of Business is urging the state board of education to go back to the drawing board.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Education Sector Has Shift in Leadership
John E. Chubb, an education scholar and a founder of Edison Schools Inc., will serve as interim director of the Washington-based Education Sector.
Teaching Profession
News in Brief
Ga. Revokes Licenses After Cheating Scandal
More than 65 educators in the Atlanta school district who were accused in a massive test-cheating scandal will lose their teaching licenses in Georgia.
Classroom Technology
News in Brief
New Ed. Rating System Gauges Digital Content
An educational rating system for digital content announced last May has made its debut with listings for more than 150 mobile apps, games, and websites.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
U.S. Files Lawsuit Over E-Book Pricing
The U.S. Department of Justice filed an antitrust suit against Apple Inc. and five of the "big six" book publishers last week over e-book prices.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Improvements Seen in Rural Achievement
Rural Americans have improved their educational attainment during the past 40 years, but the gap between rural and urban areas for residents with college degrees is growing.
Science
News in Brief
Tenn. Evolution Bill Becomes Law
A controversial bill protecting teachers' classroom discussions of "weaknesses" in evolution and other scientific theories became Tennessee law last week without the signature of Gov. Bill Haslam.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
No Reports of Bullying by 14 Large Districts
The American Association of University Women has found that 14 of the 20 largest school districts in the nation reported no incidences of bullying.
Federal
News in Brief
Negotiations on Teacher-Preparation Rules Fail
A three-month-long effort to set new teacher-preparation reporting and accountability rules effectively reached its conclusion last week.
Teaching Profession
News in Brief
N.Y. Budget Rules Speed Teacher Cases
Provisions included in the New York state budget should speed up teacher-discipline hearings and bring down costs. The changes will limit the pay of the hearing officers who decide the cases and force both sides to shorten the process.
Federal
Voters Keen on Education Issue, Survey Finds
Many of those surveyed in sokey swing states says rank education among their top issues this election year.
School Climate & Safety
Study Weighs Benefits of Organizing Recess
Researchers found that a structured approach to managing recess led to less bullying and more time for learning.
Education Funding
Sluggish Pace for Race to Top Spending
States have been slow to spend their prize money, reflecting challenges in delivering on ambitious plans.
International
India Pushes Public-Private Ed. Partnerships
The national government plans to open 2,500 new schools over the next five years and is inviting companies and foundations to apply to run them.
Education
Letter to the Editor
Blog's Rhetoric Is All Too Familiar
To the Editor:
Imagine my disappointment when I saw Democracy in Education, an edweek.org blog (new to me) that says its author, Greg Jobin-Leeds, "considers the intersection between the politics of public education and reform movements," but found that its content seems heavy on comments about "occupy" movements and marches and topics that seem only loosely related to the intersection between politics and public education.
Imagine my disappointment when I saw Democracy in Education, an edweek.org blog (new to me) that says its author, Greg Jobin-Leeds, "considers the intersection between the politics of public education and reform movements," but found that its content seems heavy on comments about "occupy" movements and marches and topics that seem only loosely related to the intersection between politics and public education.