January 23, 2013
Education Week, Vol. 32, Issue 18
Education Funding
News in Brief
Head Start Grantees Must Recompete
The federal government has told 122 recipients of Head Start funds that they must recompete for their grants.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Teacher Claims Bias Over Fear of Children
A former teacher is suing the Cincinnati school district, saying administrators discriminated against her because she has a rare phobia.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Sweeping Ed. Reform Approved in Mexico
A plan to overhaul Mexico's public education system has been ratified by 18 of the country's 31 states.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Moody's Negative on Higher Ed. Sector
Moody's Investors Service downgraded its outlook for the higher education sector to negative across the board.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Growing Demand Seen for Digital Products
The market for educational software and digital products in schools grew over the most recent, a new analysis reveals.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Student Demographics
Fourty-five precent of public high school graduates in the United States will be nonwhite by 2019-20, a new report projects.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
More Schools Offer Breakfast Programs
In many school districts, more than 90 percent of schools that serve lunch through the National School Lunch Program now serve breakfast at school.
College & Workforce Readiness
Report Roundup
Rural College-Going
High-achieving, low-income students who don't live in major metropolitan areas are less likely to apply to highly selective colleges.
Standards
News in Brief
Anti-Standards Crowd Protests at Ind. Capitol
Hundreds of people attended an Indiana Statehouse rally to support a legislator's effort to pull the state from Common Core State Standards.
School Climate & Safety
Report Roundup
Children's Fitness
Among elementary school children, e-games can have benefits similar to traditional physical education.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
New York Passes Tough New Restrictions on Gun Sales
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation placing new restrictions on gun ownership that also also address school security.
Assessment
Report Roundup
Michigan Charters
The average charter school student in Michigan is showing more academic growth than demographically similar students in regular public schools.
Assessment
Report Roundup
Common-Core Tests Dig Deep to Assess Learning, Study Says
Tests being designed for the common standards are likely to gauge deeper levels of learning and have major impact on classroom instruction, study finds.
Assessment
News in Brief
Input Sought on Test Accommodations
The multistate consortium known as PARCC is seeking input on policies for tests it is creating for the Common Core State Standards.
Assessment
Report Roundup
Neuroscience of Math
High school students who struggle on college-readiness tests solve the simplest arithmetic problems as quickly as higher-achieving students, but use different brain processes to do so.
Education
Clarification
Clarification
A quote highlighted in the Mike Rose Commentary in the June 16, 2013, issue of Education Week did not represent the broader point of Mr. Rose's essay that the "full meaning of cognition is robust and intellectual."
Education Funding
News in Brief
N.Y.C. Misses Deadline on Teacher Evaluations
Many New York school districts may lose out on state education aid because they did not meet a state-imposed deadline for having a teacher-evaluation plan in place.
Education
Letter to the Editor
Feeding the Testing-Industrial Complex
To the Editor:
"Testing Group Selects Exam to Gauge 'College Readiness'" (Jan. 9, 2013) announces yet another test to add to the staggering pile of tests our students must take.
"Testing Group Selects Exam to Gauge 'College Readiness'" (Jan. 9, 2013) announces yet another test to add to the staggering pile of tests our students must take.
Education Funding
Letter to the Editor
Public Housing, Education Are Intertwined
To the Editor:
The article "Study Finds Housing Aid No Path to Better Education" (Dec. 5, 2012) reported on something that is highly consequential to teaching and learning: concentrated poverty.
The article "Study Finds Housing Aid No Path to Better Education" (Dec. 5, 2012) reported on something that is highly consequential to teaching and learning: concentrated poverty.
Teaching Profession
Letter to the Editor
Teacher Training Needs New Focus
To the Editor:
Regarding James S. Liebman's Commentary "Ending the Great School Wars" (Dec. 12, 2012): The Measures of Effective Teaching Project found, "Across all [five] instruments, raters rarely found highly accomplished practice for the competencies often associated with the intent to teach students higher-order thinking skills."
Regarding James S. Liebman's Commentary "Ending the Great School Wars" (Dec. 12, 2012): The Measures of Effective Teaching Project found, "Across all [five] instruments, raters rarely found highly accomplished practice for the competencies often associated with the intent to teach students higher-order thinking skills."
Teaching Profession
No Academic Harm Found in Early Retirement of Teachers
Studies find student achievement doesn't suffer even when teachers take advantage of early-retirement incentives.
Law & Courts
State Finance Lawsuits Roil K-12 Funding Landscape
Court battles continue to put pressure on policymakers at the state level, even in the wake of settled cases.
Education Funding
Vermont Governor Launches Four-Point Ed. Initiative
Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin's proposals include expanded investments in early-education and dual enrollment.
Standards
Charters Adjusting to Common-Core Demands
Educators in charter schools are making changes to meet new professional development, curriculum, and technology needs.
School Climate & Safety
Obama Presses School Safety, Mental-Health Initiatives
The president's multi-pronged plan to avert gun violence is a mix of executive actions and proposals needing congressional assent.
Education Funding
Calif. Districts Team Up to Push School Improvements
Fed up with state school improvement efforts, eight California districts have banded together to bring about change.
School Climate & Safety
Districts Get Bold on School Security
As President Obama unveils an anti-violence plan, districts are taking dramatic steps—and even arming staff—to boost safety.
Reading & Literacy
Children Still Prefer Print Books to E-Books
The popularity of e-books, however, is growing, according to a Scholastic survey of 6- to 17-year-olds.