March 7, 2012
Education Week, Vol. 31, Issue 23
Education Funding
Governors Cautiously Optimistic on Economic Forecast
NGA sessions touch on the K-12 revenue outlook and the federal role in education.
Assessment
Experts Outline Steps to Guard Against Cheating
A panel offers advice for school leaders on how to avoid—and investigate—a test-cheating scandal in their district.
IT Infrastructure & Management
Opinion
The Rising Tide of Data
The importance of mining student data is drilled into educators before they even set foot in the classroom, but there must be a clear purpose in mind for its use, argues Kenneth Lopour.
School & District Management
State Court Ruling Adds Fresh Twist to Bridgeport Saga
Changes are continuing in the struggling school system, says Superintendent Paul G. Vallas, despite a state Supreme Court ruling last week.
Reading & Literacy
Troupe Adapts Students' Stories for the School and N.Y.C. Stages
Story Pirates, a group of educators and actors, inspires elementary students to write by turning their stories into plays.
Federal
26 States, D.C. Join Bid for NCLB Waivers
A second wave of states seek flexibility under the No Child Left Behind Act.
Families & the Community
'Parent Unions' Seek to Join Policy Debates
New groups aim to stake out a place for parents' voices amid a crowded field of advocates and policymakers.
International
Opinion
Are International Comparisons Useful?
We should look to other countries for lessons on the value of education, not best practices, Edward Fiske writes.
Recruitment & Retention
Data Show Retention Disparities
Black students were nearly three times as likely to be retained; Hispanic students were twice as likely as white students to repeat a grade, according to the latest federal survey.
Equity & Diversity
News in Brief
Court Rules in Favor of White Administrator
A federal appeals court has reinstated a jury verdict in favor of a white administrator in Arkansas who was demoted by a majority-black school board.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Ex-Officials Indicted in Dropout-Data Case
Two former Houston school administrators, indicted after a two-year probe, could face prison time on charges they altered student-dropout records.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Alabama Defends Immigration Checks
Alabama defended its immigration law last week, including provisions that require schools to gather data about the citizenship and immigration status of students.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
Colo. Bill Scales Back Zero-Tolerance Rules
A bill to scale back strict Columbine-era school discipline policies cleared the first hurdle in the Colorado Senate.
Accountability
News in Brief
N.Y.C. Releases Data on Charter Teachers
Days after they released ratings for 18,000 public school teachers, New York City officials released numbers for a much smaller number of charter school teachers.
Student Well-Being
News in Brief
Va. Senate Panel Kills 'Tebow Bill'
The Virginia Senate Education and Health Committee voted down the "Tebow Bill" last week, which would have allowed homeschooled high school athletes to participate in public school sports.
Federal
News in Brief
Federal Rules Ban Sweetened Fruit
Schools cannot serve frozen fruit with added sugar under the new federal rules on school breakfasts and lunches, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.
Accountability
News in Brief
Fla. Schools Face Tougher Grading
The Florida board of education approved rule changes last week making it tougher for schools there to get top grades.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
Three Secondary Students Die in Ohio School Shooting
The 17-year-old suspect in a deadly shooting rampage at an Ohio high school was charged last week with killing three students, the first step in proceedings.
English Learners
Report Roundup
Research Report: English-Language Learners
A new report offers some guidance for classroom teachers working with English-language learners in seven states where the number of students learning English is climbing steadily.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Principal Quality
School principals vary widely in quality, but effective principals can influence student achievement in their schools.
College & Workforce Readiness
Report Roundup
Switching Colleges
A report documents what many in higher education have been saying: Often students no longer follow a traditional path from college entry to degree at a single institution.
College & Workforce Readiness
Letter to the Editor
Dropping Out Should Be an Option
To the Editor:
In reference to your Feb. 8 article "States Mull Obama's Call to Raise Compulsory-Attendance Age," I would like to note the minimal exposure to classrooms of such famous Americans as Thomas Edison (three months) and Abraham Lincoln (less than a year). In an earlier letter, "Compulsory Schooling: Was Edison Right?" (Nov. 1, 2006), I pointed out that Edison, Lincoln, and many other accomplished Americans grew to adulthood before compulsory-attendance laws became the norm. I asked a question: "Could it be that both boys' parents and their indifferent state governments were on to something?"
In reference to your Feb. 8 article "States Mull Obama's Call to Raise Compulsory-Attendance Age," I would like to note the minimal exposure to classrooms of such famous Americans as Thomas Edison (three months) and Abraham Lincoln (less than a year). In an earlier letter, "Compulsory Schooling: Was Edison Right?" (Nov. 1, 2006), I pointed out that Edison, Lincoln, and many other accomplished Americans grew to adulthood before compulsory-attendance laws became the norm. I asked a question: "Could it be that both boys' parents and their indifferent state governments were on to something?"
Equity & Diversity
Opinion
Restoring Civic Purpose in Schools
We have begun to unhinge education from its civic purpose, endangering the ability of students to learn how to compromise, write the authors of an online history and civics program.
Ed-Tech Policy
Report Roundup
Video Game Effects
Students who spend more time playing video games are likely to have more attention problems later on,and students who have attention disorders are likely to play more video games.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Students' Sleep Needs
Students may not need as much sleep as previously thought to perform at their best in school, according to a new study.
School Choice & Charters
Ohio Moves to Keep Charter Operator's Expansion in Check
The state has refused to sponsor four new charter schools because state officials said the for-profit company running them, White Hat Management, would have wielded too much power.
Special Education
Shortages of ADHD Drugs Felt in Classrooms
Teachers are among those who have to cope when the medications used to treat students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder run short.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
School Choice Program Yields Gains in the End
Students at some of Milwaukee's private schools made gains in reading in 2010-11 that were significantly higher than those of peers in public schools.
Equity & Diversity
Growing Gaps Bring Focus on Poverty's Role in Schooling
Studies say deepening income-based academic gaps could keep poor children from finding a path out of poverty.