February 24, 2010
Education Week, Vol. 29, Issue 22
Education Funding
Critics Pan Obama Plan to Tie Title I to Standards
While key members of Congress seem open to the administration's proposal, certain groups warn of federal intrusion.
Teaching Profession
Best Practices in the Middle Grades Identified
California schools successfully serving students ages 10 to 14 shared a common set of characteristics, a new study finds.
Education Funding
Concerns Raised About Impact of Stimulus on Equity
Short-term aid may have long-term consequences for funds targeting students with disabilities and other disadvantages, researchers say.
Education
Report Roundup
Attacks on Education
A report finds the number of politically and ideologically motivated attacks on teachers, students, and school buildings is rising.
Education
Report Roundup
School Administrators
A study of California public schools shows the future labor demand for school administrators varies drastically by county.
Education
Report Roundup
Identifying ELLs With Disabilities
School district officials think teachers tend to be too quick to refer English-language learners to special education, while teachers think administrators tend to wait too long to make a referral, according to a study.
Education
News in Brief
Teamwork Seen As Key to Gains
Most principals and teachers say they believe creating school environments that allow educators to work together more would have a “major impact” on improving the chances for student success, according to a new national survey by MetLife Inc.
Education
News in Brief
Md. Superintendent Named Leader of Year
Elizabeth Molina Morgan, who leads the 21,850-student Washington County, Md., school district, has been named the 2010 Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators.
Education
News in Brief
L.A. Schools Chief Proposes Cutting School Year by Six Days
The head of the Los Angeles Unified School District has proposed shortening the school year by six days in an effort to minimize layoffs as part of a looming budget deficit.
Education
News in Brief
Idaho Says District Incorrectly Labeled ELL Students for Spec. Ed.
The state education department has found that the Nampa district incorrectly labeled English-language learners as eligible for special education services.
Education
News in Brief
Wake County, N.C., Superintendent to Resign at End of Academic Year
The superintendent of the Wake County, N.C., school district says he is resigning at the end of the school year, an announcement that shocked school board members.
Education
News in Brief
Kansas City, Mo., Officials Ponder Closing Up to Half of Schools
Officials are considering a proposal to close half the district’s schools as they struggle to cut up to $50 million from the upcoming academic year’s budget.
Education
News in Brief
Pa. District Accused of Spying On Students With Webcams
A federal lawsuit accuses the Lower Merion, Pa., school district of spying on students at home through school-issued laptop webcams.
Education
News in Brief
More Low-Income Pupils Taking AP
Continuing a pattern from recent years, more students from low-income families are taking—and earning what is considered a passing score on—at least one Advanced Placement exam.
Education
News in Brief
Fla. Magistrate Backs Student Disciplined for Facebook Posting
A high school student who set up a Facebook page to complain about her teacher—and was later suspended—had every right to do so under the First Amendment, a federal magistrate has ruled.
Education
Report Roundup
Online Learning
A report suggests that online technology could help secondary schools address coming teacher shortages, stretch education dollars, and expand learning opportunities for students.
Education
Report Roundup
School Demographics
Nearly 3,000 public schools across the country enroll so few low-income students they might as well be called private schools, says a report.
Education
Report Roundup
Wanted: Well-Trained Physics Teachers
A national task force has issued a strongly worded report raising concerns about the poor state of teacher education in physics and offering ideas to improve the situation.
Federal
Home-Language Surveys for ELLs Under Fire
The method used to identify whether students need help learning English can be inaccurate or misused, some critics complain.
Student Well-Being
Opinion
Should Have, Could Have: What Parents Regret About High School
When his students' parents were asked about their high school years, their answers gave Robert L. Hampel a lesson on engagement.
Education
Snow's Aftermath: Calendar Crunch
State and district officials are looking at how to deal with the days lost to unprecedented snowfalls this month in Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore, and elsewhere in a number of states.
States
State of the States
State of the States 2010: Minnesota, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Wyoming
For complete coverage of this year's governors' speeches, check out State of the States 2010.
Science
Many Authorized STEM Projects Fail to Get Funding
Many of the science, technology, engineering, and math programs contained in the America COMPETES Act have never gotten money.
School Climate & Safety
Opinion
Taking School Safety Too Far?
Harsh conduct codes and heavy police presence may make schools less safe than more flexible measures, write Johanna Wald and Lisa Thurau.
School & District Management
Audit: Wis. Virtual Schools Close to Capacity
The state's 15 virtual schools have been growing in popularity as an educational alternative for students.
Student Achievement
Program Uses Video to Teach Math, Physics
Virtual Nerd, a tutoring subscription service, uses online videos to teach concepts.
Federal
House Committee to Hold Hearings on New ESEA
The process for reauthorizing the main federal education law is set to get under way in Congress.
Assessment
Opinion
Next-Generation Assessment Systems
The future, Stanley N. Rabinowitz writes, will include more flexibility, multiple measures of achievement, different roles for government, and technical innovation.
School Choice & Charters
Backers of Magnet Schools Question Charter Push
Some scholars and activists are calling for the Obama administration to pay more attention to diversity in schools.