February 28, 2007
Education Week, Vol. 26, Issue 25
Federal
National Standards Urged for Math, Science Teachers
A new proposal would mark a clear shift away from a system controlled by individual states and universities.
Federal
NSTA to Provide ‘Anchors’ to Winnow Topics
Working with science standards reflects a new direction for the National Science Teachers Association.
Reading & Literacy
Opinion
Writing: An Unexamined Gatekeeper
Some say the writing section on the new SAT is responsible for large score drop offs, but author Ardith Davis Cole says more research is needed to understand how writing affects high-stakes test performance.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Autism Research
Certain components of the brain's chemical-messenger system and a site on chromosome 11 have been pinpointed as two new genetic links that may predispose children to autism, a study says.
Assessment
Students Taking More Demanding Courses
But new findings show declines in reading test scores and lackluster performance in mathematics.
Education
Report Roundup
India's Private Schools
Many low-income families in India are choosing to send their children to low-fee private schools rather than higher-priced private schools or public schools, says a paper published by the National Center for the Study of Privatization of Education, located at Teachers College, Columbia University.
Standards & Accountability
Report Roundup
Technology Standards
A set of guidelines for what students should know about technology and how to use it for learning has been updated to reflect technological changes.
Education
Report Roundup
After-School Efforts in N.H. Show Results
Fifty-nine percent of elementary school students and 62 percent of middle school students in New Hampshire who took part in after-school programs showed academic and behavioral improvements in the wake of their participation, concludes a report.
Federal
Critics of NCLB Ask Congress to Overhaul It
A coalition of numerous education and other groups would reduce the focus on testing.
Reading & Literacy
Ed. Dept. Allowed Singling Out of ‘Reading First’ Products
Federal officials also failed to screen a contractor for potential bias, says a new report.
Education
People in the News
Chip Kimball
Chip Kimball has become the superintendent of the 23,500-student Lake Washington school system near Seattle.
Education
People in the News
Frank E. Davis
Frank E. Davis is the new president of TERC, a nonprofit research-and-development organization in Cambridge, Mass., that focuses on math, science, and technology education.
Education
People in the News
Henry Bangser
Henry Bangser has been named the chief executive officer of Glenview, Ill.-based Hazard, Young, Attea, & Associates Ltd., a national consulting and executive-search firm serving public school districts.