August 11, 2010
Education Week, Vol. 29, Issue 37
Federal
Civil Rights Groups Call for New Federal Education Agenda
Seven leading civil rights groups are urging U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to dismantle core pieces of his education plan, including Race to the Top.
Early Childhood
Opinion
'Kindergarten Ready' Needs to Be the New 'College and Career Ready'
Learning begins at birth, writes Elanna S. Yalow, and learning standards should start with even our youngest children.
School & District Management
Study: Effective Principals Embrace Collective Leadership
The wide-ranging study linked high student achievement to those principals who involved teachers, parents, and others in school decisions.
Federal
Opinion
What Counts, or What Is Counted?
Michael K. Stone, a leader in the green-schooling movement, argues that in education as in life, less easily quantifiable qualities may be those most critical to the future.
Science
Opinion
Now Is the Time to Support Science Teachers
Concern over the Gulf oil spill will increase both students' and the public’s interest in science education, writes Siemens Foundation President Jeniffer Harper-Taylor, but that interest must be met with creative efforts to bolster science teaching.
Equity & Diversity
Fewer Latino Students Select Four-Year Colleges
Finances, poor counseling, and inadequate academic preparation keep many Latinos out of four-year colleges and selective schools.
Standards
Mass. Adopts Common Standards Amid Fiery Debate
The state board's vote is seen as a tipping point in the effort to set common guidelines for what students learn in school.
School & District Management
Common Standards Judged Better Than Most States'
A Fordham Institute review says that the common core standards are an improvement over teaching guidelines now used in 33 states.
Equity & Diversity
Opinion
When a Rush to Graduate Shoves Learning Aside
Pressure to raise graduation rates has led some high schools to defy common sense in their approach to educating immigrant and English-learning students, writes Ellen Balleisen.
Federal
Reformers See Promise in Race to Top Momentum
If the grant program's extension makes it into the final spending bills for fiscal year 2011, advocates say, it could mean more states will take reform-minded steps to secure funding.
Teaching
Opinion
Becoming Advocates for Our Students
Putting the child at the center of his work as an educator was something that took decades to learn but has made all the difference, writes Dane L. Peters, the head of a Montessori school in Brooklyn.
Education Funding
New R.I. School Funding Formula Aims at Equity
The new law sets a baseline amount for each student in the state and adds money to account for those in poverty.
Federal
Md. Eyes Environmental Ed. Graduation Mandate
Supporters say the state would be the first to require study of environmental literacy in order to get a high school diploma.
Federal
NCLB Seen Impeding Indigenous-Language Preservation
At a national summit, advocates press for more flexibility for programs and schools that immerse students in Native American tongues.
School Climate & Safety
Opinion
Sexting, Teacher Negligence, and the Law
School districts would be wise to have clearly defined policies on how employees should handle new, technology-based infractions, whether these occur on or off campus, writes Michael D. Kelly.
School & District Management
Drug-Testing Reduces Students' Drug Use, Study Says
Results show that drug-testing curbs students' drug use during the school year, but it doesn't keep them from using drugs later on.
Standards
Panel Moves Toward 'Next Generation' Science Standards
The goal of the National Research Council panel's framework is to promote learning in greater depth, and includes an emphasis on engineering and technology.