April 11, 2007
Education Week, Vol. 26, Issue 32
States
Ambitious Legislative Agendas Move Ahead
School spending and prekindergarten are among the dominant issues for many state lawmakers.
School Choice & Charters
High Court to Hear Case on School’s Letter To Athletes
A private school argues that its free-speech rights were violated after it was penalized for sending a letter to incoming student-athletes.
Law & Courts
Justices Turn Down Case on Mich. Sports Seasons
The U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous action on April 2 was not a ruling on the merits of the lawsuit, but it was the final buzzer in a legal contest that lasted nine years.
Federal
Caution in Use of College-Entry Tests Urged
A new analysis sees college-admissions and -placement tests as an imperfect gauge of high school standards.
Federal
Most GOP Education Activists Still Sizing Up Field
Presidential candidates have offered few specifics so far on K-12 policy proposals.
Education
Opinion
Chat Wrap-Up: Technology Counts 2007
The conversation focused on schools’ use of technology, as well as research findings in this area as reported in Technology Counts 2007: A Digital Decade.
Federal
Opinion
Monopoly and ‘No Child Left Behind’
Schools alone cannot equalize opportunity for children from very different socioeconomic backgrounds, writes Richard Morrill.
School & District Management
Opinion
‘It’s Being Done’
It is possible to teach all children, including those in high-poverty, high-minority schools, to high levels, writes Karin Chenoweth.
Federal
Major Study on Software Stirs Debate
On the whole, the use of educational software in classrooms yields no significant gains, according to the federal study.
Federal
Pathways to a Diploma
In New York City, high school students who are overage and undercredited can take several routes to graduation.
Special Education
Final Rules Offer Greater Testing Flexibility
Federal regulations on assessments for special education students may help schools make adequate yearly progress.
Federal
Nine States to Be Partners on Algebra 2 Assessment
The collaboration comes as some policymakers appear to be rekindling the push for national academic standards.
Education
Events
7—Student behavior: Bringing Back Integrity: Theirs and Ours, sponsored by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States, for faculty, administrators, and parents. This is an audio seminar. Contact: Kathleen Straight, 1165 N. Clark St., Suite 311, Chicago IL 60610; (312) 255-1244; fax: (312) 255-1278; e-mail: kathleen@isacs.org; Web site: www.isacs.org.
May
7—Student behavior: Bringing Back Integrity: Theirs and Ours, sponsored by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States, for faculty, administrators, and parents. This is an audio seminar. Contact: Kathleen Straight, 1165 N. Clark St., Suite 311, Chicago IL 60610; (312) 255-1244; fax: (312) 255-1278; e-mail: kathleen@isacs.org; Web site: www.isacs.org.
Education
Honors & Award
Honors & Awards
The Siemens Foundation, based in Iselin, N.J., has announced the winners of its 2006-07 Awards for Advanced Placement. One teacher and one high school from each state were recognized for their participation and performance in AP science and mathematics programs. Each teacher received a $1,000 cash award and each school received a $1,000 grant to support science and mathematics education. The Siemens National Teacher of the Year, David Ely, a biology teacher at Champlain Valley High School in Hinesburg, Vt., received a $5,000 cash award. Teacher and school winners from each state are listed below. Some states have only a teacher or school winner.
Advanced Placement Awards
The Siemens Foundation, based in Iselin, N.J., has announced the winners of its 2006-07 Awards for Advanced Placement. One teacher and one high school from each state were recognized for their participation and performance in AP science and mathematics programs. Each teacher received a $1,000 cash award and each school received a $1,000 grant to support science and mathematics education. The Siemens National Teacher of the Year, David Ely, a biology teacher at Champlain Valley High School in Hinesburg, Vt., received a $5,000 cash award. Teacher and school winners from each state are listed below. Some states have only a teacher or school winner.
Federal
A Washington Roundup
Bill on Incentive Fund Offered
Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., introduced a bill late last month that would formally authorize the Teacher Incentive Fund.
Federal
A Washington Roundup
Children’s ‘Summit’ Planned
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has announced that she will convene a daylong event to highlight the health, educational, and other needs of children.
Federal
Federal File
Key HHS Official Set to Depart
Wade F. Horn oversaw Head Start and advocated abstinence-only sex education programs. His last day at the Department of Health and Human Services was scheduled for April 6.
Teaching Profession
Teacher Pay, Pensions Among Issues in W.Va.
Teachers in West Virginia will see a 3.5 percent salary increase under the $10 billion budget bill approved by state lawmakers.
Education
In Kentucky, Lawmakers Complete Quiet Session
The recently concluded 2007 legislative session in Kentucky offered little in the way of education initiatives, although lawmakers approved a $4.1 billion K-12 budget for fiscal 2008.
Education
Scholarships, Teacher Raises Approved in Idaho Legislature
Newly elected Superintendent of Public Schools Tom Luna got most of what he had requested in the $1.37 billion pre-K-12 budget approved for fiscal 2008.
Education
Arkansas Lawmakers Boost School Spending
The Arkansas legislature allocated $456 million to repair school buildings cited in an Arkansas Supreme Court review of the state’s schools.
School Choice & Charters
Ill-Chosen Words—or Excess Candor?
A Colorado lawmaker is hit with backlash over his remarks on charters.
Education
Letter to the Editor
Bias in Reading Program: ‘It Just Did Not Happen’
Richard A. Allington is quoted in the March 14, 2007, article "‘Reading First’ Contractor Neglected Bias Rules" as stating that e-mails between myself and Christopher J. Doherty indicated that we “knew which consultants/reviewers were ‘appropriately’ aligned with their vision of Reading First,” and that we “knew [we] should mask any overt ideological moves to name people or products.”
Education
Letter to the Editor
Jay McTighe Responds to ‘Understanding By Accident’
The recent Commentary by Kim Chase deserves a response.
Education
Letter to the Editor
Study Makes the Case for Media Literacy
The Kaiser Family Foundation’s recent study on children and the media is a wake-up call for both parents and educators.
Education
Letter to the Editor
Writer Reaffirms Belief in Democratically Run Unions
Education Week readers following the coverage of and issues pertaining to unionism and school reform may be confused by two printed responses to my Feb. 28, 2007, letter to the editor.
Standards & Accountability
R.I. Offers Web-Based Curriculum Linked to Statewide Standards
Rhode Island teachers have a new resource: a Web-based archive of lesson plans, student work, and videos—all aligned with the state’s academic expectations for students.
Recruitment & Retention
Forums to Be Held on Retaining Teachers
Business leaders and policymakers will join teachers, students, and parents at a series of forums on teacher retention.
Education
Letter to the Editor
Intervention Advice From Nobel Economist Praised
Thank you for featuring Nobel laureate James J. Heckman’s recent work on the importance of investing in youths.