March 26, 2008
Education Week, Vol. 27, Issue 29
Education
Letter to the Editor
What I Learned in 1966 That Mr. Finn Did Not
As a fellow first-year intern at Newton High School that year, 1965-66, I taught English to this same group of students and had a different experience with them.
Education
Letter to the Editor
Use Caution in Assessing Research Findings on TAP
TAP’s reputation as one of the nation’s leading systemic reforms adopted across schools of all socioeconomic levels makes it important that your readers understand the research’s limitations.
Education Funding
South Dakota School Funding Increase Tied to Teacher Salary, Benefit Boosts
Education funding got a 3 percent boost in South Dakota last week, with Gov. Michael Rounds’ March 17 signing of a $337 million school spending package—part of a state budget totaling $3.6 billion.
Education Funding
Indiana Shifts School Costs Away From Local Tax Rolls
The Indiana legislature in its recently completed session shifted the costs of running schools entirely to the state.
Equity & Diversity
More Diversity Seen in Pool of Graduates
Racial and ethnic diversity among high school graduates will sharply increase in the United States, even as the overall number of graduates dips over the next seven years, a new report says.
Teaching Profession
West Virginia Teachers’ Pension Plan Revised—Yet Again
The latest pension proposal offers teachers a chance to move to a defined-benefit program that would give teachers a guaranteed pension upon retirement.
Law & Courts
Federal File
FOIA Request Elicits Greetings and Blank Pages
Nearly three months and several follow-up phone calls and e-mails later, Education Week received a response to a request for information on a long-awaited federal commission that will review reading research.
School Choice & Charters
Report Roundup
School Choice
Students who use vouchers to attend private schools tend to perform better on assessment tests and graduate from high school at higher rates, a report finds.
Teaching Profession
Report Roundup
Teachers' Purchasing Behavior
A majority of teachers surveyed reported using the Internet when buying classroom and teacher materials, according to a report.
Curriculum
Report Roundup
Science Education
Three-quarters of adults say they do not have a good understanding of science, a survey finds.
Education
Report Roundup
Pre-K Study Shows Good and Bad News
More than 1 million toddlers now attend public preschool programs, but 12 states still don’t have publicly financed programs, a report finds.
Teaching
Opinion
The Disappearing Field Trip
David Polochanin laments the loss of these "valuable cultural experiences."
Education
News in Brief
Calif. School Reform Plan Released
Stronger teaching and leadership and expanded high-quality early-childhood-education programs are among the recommendations to fix a “broken” public education system.
Education
Correction
Correction
The Special Education column in the March 19, 2008, issue of Education Week gave an incorrect name for a research journal that published a study about gifted black students. It is Urban Education.
Education
News in Brief
Bank Street College Names New Head
Elizabeth Dunbar Dickey has been named the next president of the Bank Street College of Education.
Education
News in Brief
New Phila. Board Member Sworn In
Heidi A. Ramirez replaces James Nevels, who had chaired the commission.
School Choice & Charters
Opinion
The Charter School Idea Turns 20
Richard D. Kahlenberg advocates returning to Albert Shanker's original vision for the movement.
Federal
News in Brief
U.S. Dept. of Ed. Awards Grants to Cover Fees for AP, IB Exams
The department will award $11 million in grants to 39 states to help low-income students cover costs associated with the tests.
School Climate & Safety
Opinion
Education Beats Incarceration
Governments should try controlling crime by spending more on schools, Tom Carroll argues.
Federal
Consultants Help Modernize Arab Schools
Persian Gulf states enlist foreign education experts in cautious move toward Western methods.
Science
Fla. Evolution Foes Try a Fresh Tactic
Critics of evolution’s now officially enshrined place in Florida science classes are regrouping with a new line of argument.
Science
‘Probeware’ on Increase in Schools’ Science Labs
Companies are offering schools a new generation of high-tech instruments for collecting and analyzing data from the physical world.
Federal
Made in America
A program that lets high school juniors and seniors earn college credit while training for hightech manufacturing jobs faces a shortage of interested students.
Federal
States Seeking Proper Balance in Use of ELL Test Scores
Most states seem to be taking steps toward standardizing the use of English-language-proficiency tests.
Federal
Student Loans Avoid Credit Crunch, So Far
With an anxious eye on the troubled credit markets, Congress is urging the Department of Education to prepare for the possibility that families might face problems in securing student loans for higher education.
Law & Courts
Court Takes Case Arising From Shooting at School
The case will present the justices with a stark reminder that public schools are often caught up in urban violence.
Law & Courts
Fla. School District Sued Over Low Graduation Rates
The ACLU has filed a class action against the Palm Beach County, Fla., school district, claiming its low graduation rate is a violation of the Florida Constitution.
Federal
Software Industry Promotes Goals for School Technology
The goals address student engagement and achievement, equity, access, accountability and 21st-century skills for students.