May 19, 2010
Education Week, Vol. 29, Issue 32
Federal
More Than 1,600 Seeking to Win 'i3' Funding
Still competition looms for districts, schools, and nonprofits vying for innovation grants under the economic-stimulus program.
School & District Management
Congress Urged to Tie Aid in Jobs Bill to Elimination of Seniority-Based Firing
"Last hired, first fired" policies are being debated as part of the $23 billion education jobs bill Congress is considering.
Education
Clarification
Clarification
A story in the May 12, 2010, issue of Education Week should have stated that the Literacy Collaborative program was jointly developed by researchers from Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, and Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass., and that the research team also included researchers from the University of Chicago. In addition, the 17 schools in the study were located in the Northeast, Midwest, South, and West.
School Climate & Safety
Studies Probe 'Ecology' of Bullying
Bystanders, teachers, and parents are seen as important players in creating a better, or worse, school climate.
School & District Management
Aligning Standards and Curriculum Begets Questions
Educators and policymakers are exploring ways curriculum materials can embody the common standards and be useful to teachers.
Law & Courts
Md. Puts New Reins on Use of Military Test
A first-of-its-kind law bars public high schools in Maryland from automatically sending student scores on a widely used military aptitude test to recruiters.
School & District Management
Slew of Layoffs May Be Linked to Overhiring
Between the 1999-2000 and the 2007-08 school years, the teacher force increased at more than double the rate of K-12 student enrollments.
School & District Management
Limited Record on Precollegiate Issues Seen for Obama's Supreme Court Pick
U.S. Solicitor General Elena Kagan had education as just one part of her portfolio during a White House domestic-council stint under President Clinton.
School Climate & Safety
Ga. Board Weighs New Restraint, Seclusion Rules
Changes would ban solitary confinement in schools and limit the use of other tactics to calm unruly students.
Teaching Profession
Colorado Teacher-Evaluation Bill Enacted
A new law would require teachers to be judged on student performance.
Professional Development
Report Roundup
New Graduates Face Slim Job Prospects
High school and college graduates may have more difficulty trading their mortarboards for jobs this spring than any graduating class in nearly three decades, according to a new report.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Reinventing Central Office
A new report offers insights into how to shift the focus in urban school districts' central offices from "buses, budgets, and building" to improving teaching and learning.
Education
Report Roundup
Engaging Teens and Tweens
Middle and high school students are more likely to enroll in and stick with after-school programs if they're given lots of leadership opportunities within those programs, according to a new study.
School Choice & Charters
Report Roundup
Research Report: Charter Schools
Students in Boston's charter schools do better academically than their peers in traditional schools because they spend more time in the classroom, according to a new study.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
General Educational Development Credential
Only an average of one in 10 Hispanic high school dropouts gets a General Educational Development credential according to a report released by the Washington-based Pew Hispanic Center.
Federal
Few States Meeting Goals of NCLB for English-Learners
Even among the 11 states that do, researchers and experts say, it's not possible to conclude that ELL achievement is improving.
Education
News in Brief
Mich. District Disbands Club for Black Students
Ann Arbor public school officials are investigating whether the district violated state law after 30 black students attended a field trip from which children of other races were excluded.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
R.I. District Says Judges Should Be Able to Hear Case
Officials of a Rhode Island school district where all the high school teachers have been fired say there is no need for judges in the state to recuse themselves from a pending federal lawsuit.
Education
News in Brief
U.S. Issues Guidance for Children's Fitness
First lady Michelle Obama's campaign against childhood obesity received a boost last week when the federal government issued its road map for tackling the problem.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Public Agenda Leader Retiring
Ruth A. Wooden, the president of Public Agenda, announced this month that she will retire at the end of 2010.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Judge Blocks Teacher Layoffs at 3 Inner-City L.A. Schools
Calling it a "major victory," Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa hailed a judge's decision to block district-mandated layoffs at three Los Angeles middle schools.
College & Workforce Readiness
Vt. College, K12 Inc. Forge Language-Learning Partnership
Online foreign language courses will be offered to high school students via Middlebury College in Vermont.
Curriculum
News in Brief
Middle School Civics Mandate Signed Into Law in Florida
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has signed a bill requiring middle school students to take a civics class and pass an end-of-course test in order to go on to high school.
Education
News in Brief
Lawmaker Questions Texas Home-School Numbers
Texas Education Agency figures show nearly 23,000 secondary school students who stopped going to class in 2008 were categorized as being home-schooled and not as dropouts.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Longtime Leader of Principal Group to Step Down
Gerald N. Tirozzi, the longtime leader of the National Association of Secondary School Principals, will retire next summer after 12 years of service, the Reston, Va.-based organization announced last week.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Family Won't Seek Damages for Webcam Spying
A lawyer for the family suing a Pennsylvania school district for allegedly spying on students through school laptops says they won't seek a class-action damage award.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Maryland School Board May Sue Over Budget
The Montgomery County, Md., school board has voted unanimously to take legal action against the county if its budget is cut further.
Standards
Letter to the Editor
The Math Standards May Turn Off Some Students
To the Editor:
In looking at the K-6 algebra-related standards in the draft document released recently by the Common Core State Standards Initiative ("Proposed Standards Go Public," March 17, 2010), one can’t help but wonder if these standards aren’t overly formalistic. Although such an approach may have some value for future mathematicians, the standards could discourage the average and below-average student.
In looking at the K-6 algebra-related standards in the draft document released recently by the Common Core State Standards Initiative ("Proposed Standards Go Public," March 17, 2010), one can’t help but wonder if these standards aren’t overly formalistic. Although such an approach may have some value for future mathematicians, the standards could discourage the average and below-average student.