April 4, 2007
Education Week, Vol. 26, Issue 31
Special Education
Panel Weighs NCLB and Students With Disabilities
Experts say NCLB has prompted a significant improvement in the education of students with disabilities.
Federal
More Parental Power in Revised NCLB Urged
Advocates want the federal law to give states the power to enforce the parental-involvement sections of NCLB.
Curriculum
NRC Sees Deficit in Federal Approach to Foreign Languages
A report characterizes the Education Department’s programs for the teaching of foreign languages and cultures as “fragmented.”
Education Funding
Center to Support Instruction on ‘Computational Thinking’
New courses will help children to learn to think like computer scientists.
Early Childhood
Reporter's Notebook
Getting Up to Speed on Finance Research
Conference attendees saw latest research on such topics as how age affects kindergarten performance and whether the grade span of a school influences achievement.
Federal
States Seeking Greater Rural Flexibility Under NCLB
Schools and districts should receive aid that addresses the unique concerns of rural schools, educators said.
College & Workforce Readiness
Colo. Rejects More Math, Science Requisites
Citing cuts into other courses, state lawmakers resist national tide.
Federal
Spellings Seeks Input on Technology’s Role in Schools
A series of roundtables with education “stakeholders” will explore ways that technology can improve education.
Federal
Voicing Concern for English-Learners in Debate Over NCLB
Peter Zamora, a lawyer and former high school teacher, brings a varied experience to his role as an advocate.
College & Workforce Readiness
Va. Graduates Guide Students to College
Tiffany Meertins thought she would go to law school after college. But when she took a year off after graduating from the University of Virginia, in Charlottesville, she found herself at a high school in southern Virginia helping students navigate the SAT-registration process and holding workshops for parents on how to fill out financial-aid forms.
Reading & Literacy
Watchdog’s Oversight Is Having Wide Impact
The inspector general’s Reading First reports have boosted the office's visibility.
Reading & Literacy
Reading Probe Will Continue on Capitol Hill
The recent wrap-up of an intensive, two-year examination of the federal Reading First initiative is not expected to halt debate over the program.
Federal
Puerto Rico Falls ‘Below Basic’ on Math NAEP
So few students scored at the “proficient” or “advanced” levels in 2005 that the percentages rounded to zero.
Federal
Study Casts Doubt on Value of ‘Highly Qualified’ Status
Detailed observations of 5th graders in 20 states show that students of "highly qualified" teachers focused on basic skills rather than problem-solving activities.
Early Childhood
New Analysis Bolsters Child Care, Behavior Link
The correlation does not fade by the end of elementary school, according to a report from a long-running federally funded study.
Federal
A Washington Roundup
House Panel Backs Measure to Aid Math, Science Teachers
The bill would offer financial incentives to postsecondary students to become teachers in mathematics- and science-related subjects.
Federal
A Washington Roundup
School Hurricane Aid Included in War Bills
School districts hit by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 would receive $30 million to attract teachers, under a bill approved by the Senate last week.
Mathematics
Federal File
Adding Up Report From Math Panel
Critic says the National Mathematics Advisory Panel’s initial work doesn’t bode well for a final prescription.
Education
Schools Credited With Helping Some Pupils Limit Weight
Schools may play a helpful role in keeping children at a healthy weight during kindergarten and 1st grade, scholars say.
Education
Abuse of Inhalants Rising Among Girls, Study Shows
A federal report shows that girls ages 12 to 17 are increasingly more likely to sniff or “huff” dangerous substances such as nail-polish remover or glue.
Student Well-Being
Campaign Focuses on Safe Handling of School Chemicals
The federal government launched a national program to draw attention to dangerous chemicals in schools, and to help school officials get rid of them.
Education
Correction
Correction
A column in the March 28, 2007, issue of Education Week about a bill to change the teaching-licensure requirements for the North Dakota state schools superintendent said that the current superintendent, Wayne Sanstead, would leave his post at the end of his current term. In fact, Mr. Sanstead has not announced whether he will run for a seventh term.
Education
A National Roundup
Four Mass. Schools to Become 'Pilots'
The Massachusetts state board of education has granted four low-performing schools’ requests for the type of autonomy typically enjoyed by charter schools.
Education
A National Roundup
D.C. Schools Increase Courses Required to Earn Diploma
All students, starting with those who enter 9th grade next fall, will be required to take four years each of mathematics, English, social studies, and science.
Teaching Profession
A National Roundup
AFT Survey Finds Pay for Teachers Is Falling Behind
A report calls for increasing teacher salaries by 30 percent by the end of the decade to make teacher pay competitive with salaries in other professions.
School & District Management
N.C. Parents Sue Over Calendar
A dispute over plans to use year-round schooling to ease student overcrowding has boiled over into the courts.
Education
Wyoming Lawmakers Approve Scholarships
The Hathaway Success Curriculum offers more money to students based on the rigor of their studies.
Teaching Profession
Poll Finds Gaps in Outlooks of Teachers, Principals
Teachers are less likely than administrators to say their students can excel academically, according to a recent survey.
Education
A State Capitals Roundup
New Education Secretary Named by Schwarzenegger
David Long, the superintendent of the Riverside County Office of Education, has been appointed California’s new education secretary.