October 20, 2010
Education Week, Vol. 30, Issue 08
Education
Correction
Correction
A story in the Oct. 13, 2010, issue of Education Week on the National Urban Alliance’s efforts in Newark, N.J., to involve students in teachers’ professional development misidentified the research group contracted to evaluate the program. The evaluator is Westat, based in Rockville, Md.
School & District Management
Early Grades Are New Front in Absenteeism Wars
While efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism typically focus on adolescents, experts say that the early grades are the place to start.
Teaching Profession
Report Roundup
Teacher Effectiveness
In the wake of high-profile evaluations of teachers using their students' test scores, a study released last month suggests some such methods, called "value added" measures, are too imprecise to rate teachers' effectiveness.
Mathematics
Report Roundup
Gender and Math
When it comes to mathematics, males and females are about equally skilled, according to a new review of the research on that topic.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Gulf Recovery
A recent report from the Cowen Institute for Public Initiatives at Tulane University argues that school governance should be transferred directly, rather than through a memorandum of understanding.
College & Workforce Readiness
Report Roundup
College Persistence
States appropriated almost $6.2 billion for four-year colleges and universities between 2003 and 2008 to help pay for the education of students who did not return for year two, a recent report says.
Special Education
Report Roundup
Learning Disabilities
A study of more than 5,000 Minnesota youths shows that children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder have far higher rates of reading disabilities than youths without the disorder.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Economic Integration
Schools in Montgomery County, Md., have won national acclaim for their track record in educating poor and minority students, but a new report argues that the county's housing policies also play a role in the school system's success.
School & District Management
'What Works' Broadens Its Research Standards
The federal clearinghouse goes beyond 'gold standard' research and sets standards for accepting other types of studies.
Reading & Literacy
Report Roundup
Literature Curriculum Found to Be Flawed
High school English teachers no longer teach a common set of traditional literary works, concludes a report based on a nationally representative survey of 400 teachers.
Law & Courts
Student-Tracking Devices in School Badges Spark Controversy
School leaders say the devices improve security and increase attendance rates, but some parents and privacy advocates question whether the technology could have unintended consequences.
Education Funding
Gates Foundation Turns Attention to Ed. Tech.
For the first time in nearly a decade, the foundation unveils an initiative in the educational technology arena.
Law & Courts
High Court to Weigh Police Questionings at School
Justices will consider if a warrant or parental consent was needed to question a student in a suspected child abuse case.
School & District Management
STEM Issues Among Those on New NSF Chief’s Platter
Advocates hope for more interagency coordination now that a new head for the National Science Foundation has been confirmed.
Education Funding
Ballot Measures Reflect States' Shaky Economies
K-12 funding issues directly or indirectly dominate education-related state ballot measures around the country this election year.
School & District Management
Future of D.C. Reforms Is Uncertain Following Rhee's Plan to Resign
In announcing her departure, Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee said the future mayor has "a right to choose his own school leader."
School & District Management
News in Brief
Kerri Briggs Joins Bush Institute
Kerri Briggs, who helped implement the No Child Left Behind Act, has been hired as program director of education reform for the George W. Bush Institute.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Southern Education Foundation Hires New Chief
C. Kent McGuire, the dean of Temple University's education college, has been named the president of the Southern Education Foundation.
School & District Management
Study Challenges States on 'Fairness' of Funding
Many states fall short in the "fairness" of their school funding models, says a new study based on a detailed look at Census data.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
U.S. Appeals Court Upholds Texas Pledge of Allegiance
A federal appellate court upheld the inclusion of the words “one state under God” in the Texas Pledge of Allegiance, which state law requires public school children to recite daily.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Ga. Districts Urge Judge to Toss Charter Ruling
The first challenge to Georgia’s charter school law went before the state’s highest court, with public school districts hoping to recover hundreds of thousands of dollars taken by the Georgia Charter Schools Commission.
Professional Development
News in Brief
Baltimore Teachers Reject Contract's Shift to Merit Pay
The Baltimore Teachers Union recently rejected a proposed contract that would have eliminated step increases, linked teachers' pay to student performance, and given teachers more input on school working conditions.
Classroom Technology
News in Brief
Pa. District Settles Lawsuit Over Webcam Surveillance
A suburban Philadelphia school district agreed last week to pay $610,000 to settle lawsuits over secret photos taken on school-issued computers.
School & District Management
News in Brief
N.C. Scrapping Policy Meant to End Social Promotion
North Carolina is dropping a policy that required end-of-the-year exams to ensure students were mastering their grade-level subjects.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
Alternative Education Not a Fundamental Right in N.C.
Students suspended from school for fighting have no fundamental right to alternative education under the North Carolina Constitution, the state’s highest court has ruled.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Calif. District Chiefs Team Up for Reform
Seven California superintendents are teaming up to push changes in education that previously failed to gain widespread traction with districts and unions across the state.
Special Education
News in Brief
State Court Rules for Wider Extracurricular Inclusion
School districts must provide the accommodations that children with disabilities need to take part in activities the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled.
Federal
Congress Adjourns Without Passing School-Meals Bill
But, with fresh-food vending machines and lessons from chefs, schools keep trying to ensure that students eat healthy at school.