February 27, 2013
Education Week, Vol. 32, Issue 22
Federal
Q&A: Federal K-12 Policy Chief Shares Outlook
Deborah S. Delisle, the Education Department's point person on K-12 issues, talks policy in a far-ranging interview.
Federal
Decision Point Approaches on District-Level Waivers
Education Secretary Arne Duncan eyes March for deciding whether to open the door to district-level NCLB waivers in states that haven’t won them.
Education Funding
Grant Contest to Aid High Schools Still Work in Progress
President Obama's proposal for a Race to the Top-style competition aimed at high schools has yet to be fleshed out.
Early Childhood
States Size Up Obama Pre-K Proposal
Many would welcome federal aid to boost early-education programs, but are wary it could come with strings attached.
Federal
Q&A: Ed. Dept.'s K-12 Chief Shares Policy Outlook
Deborah S. Delisle sat down recently with Education Week for a wide-ranging interview.
Professional Development
Study Aims to Evaluate Tech-Related Teacher PD
A research project in the Memphis, Tenn., schools is comparing two different professional-development approaches that incorporate technology.
Equity & Diversity
Commission Urges Action on Education Equity
A federal panel proposes a five-pronged agenda aimed at helping children in poverty and eliminating the achievement gap.
Federal
Push Is On for Common Ways to Identify ELLs
The common-core standards may be paving the way for more uniform definitions for deciding who gets ELL services.
Education
Obituary
Education Scholar Was Union Critic
Myron Lieberman, an education professor, author, and prominent critic of teachers' unions, died of natural causes Feb. 6 in Chevy Chase, Md., his son said in a statement. He was 94.
Education
Obituary
Disadvantaged Youths' Advocate in New York City Dies
Richard L. Murphy, a former youth-services director in New York City who created the advocacy organization that evolved into the Harlem Children's Zone, died Feb. 14 of complications from stomach cancer, The New York Times reported. He was 68.
College & Workforce Readiness
Universities Create Ed. Entrepreneur Programs
Efforts to promote an evolving area of study—entrepreneurship in education—are taking hold in graduate schools across the country.
Student Well-Being
Character Education Seen as Student-Achievement Tool
Character education is on the upswing as research points to its effectiveness and policymakers seek ways to curb improper behavior.
Assessment
5 Largest States Rival or Lag Nation on NAEP Scores
Several showed gains in math and reading over roughly two decades, a new study says.
School & District Management
Survey Finds Rising Job Frustration Among Principals
Three out of four public school principals believe their job has become "too complex," and about a third say they are likely to go into a different occupation within five years, according to a new MetLife survey.
Standards
Getting Ready for the Common Core
In an online survey on edweek.org conducted by the EPE Research Center, teachers were asked for their views on how ready they and their schools are for the common core.
Standards
Teachers Say They Are Unprepared for Common Core
Almost half said in a survey they weren't ready to teach the standards, especially to students considered at-risk and those with special needs.
Education Funding
News in Brief
N.Y.C. Bus Strike Ends, Costing Millions
New York City spent millions in transit cards, taxis, and gas mileage to get thousands of students to school during the month-long bus strike that ended Feb. 11.
Families & the Community
News in Brief
'Parent Trigger' Push Approved in L.A.
Los Angeles' school board has voted unanimously to approve a parent-driven petition to overhaul a troubled elementary school.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Appeals Court Hears Wristband-Ban Case
A full federal appeals court last week heard arguments about whether school districts may bar students from wearing the popular wristbands that promote breast-cancer awareness.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
Federal Complaint on Disciplinary Practices Filed
A Texas school district is being accused of violating black students' civil rights because those students are being cited by police four times as frequently as their peers for profane language and disrupting class.
Reading & Literacy
Opinion
A Happy Tale From a Common-Core Classroom
The common standards have opened a new world to English/language arts students, writes teacher Lyn Cannaday.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Mergers, Acquisitions Mark Ed-Tech Outlook
Forty-eight mergers and acquisitions of education-focused technology companies took place in 2012, a slight dip from the previous year.
Special Education
Opinion
ADHD Medication Can Help Kids, But It Can't Fix Schools
Training can help educators work successfully with students with behavioral problems, Nancy Rappaport writes.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Court Blocks Cuts in State Aid to N.Y.C.
A New York judge has blocked the state from withholding funds from New York City schools as punishment for missing a deadline on a teacher-evaluation plan.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
Justices Reject Rules for Drug-Sniffing Dogs
The U.S. Supreme Court last week rejected broad certification requirements for drug-sniffing dogs.
Student Well-Being
Opinion
Poverty's Prominent Role in Absenteeism
Getting low-income students, particularly kindergartners, to attend school is key to breaking the cycle of poverty, writes Marc Cutillo.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Va. Seeks Authority on School Takeovers
The Virginia state legislature has approved a plan that will allow a state agency to take control of struggling schools.
Education
Correction
Corrections
A story on discipline policies in charter schools in the Feb. 20, 2013, issue of Education Week included an incorrect first name for Adele Fabrikant, the deputy chief in the office of youth engagement for the District of Columbia public schools.