November 10, 2010
Education Week, Vol. 30, Issue 11
Mathematics
Report Roundup
Fewer Math Students Seen at Advanced Level
A new study finds that the United States is lagging far behind many of the world's leading industrialized nations in producing a strong cadre of high-achieving students in mathematics.
School & District Management
Full Cost of Professional Development Hidden
Districts tend to consider training as programming, which leads to underestimating other investments in teachers' knowledge and skills.
Teaching
Experts Search for Best Content to Train Teachers
Both content and instructional knowledge are among the elements of professional development that researchers are examining.
School & District Management
Mich. District Adds Accountability to Staff Training
School leaders devised ways to provide oversight without being too prescriptive about individual school teams' activities.
School & District Management
Proof Lacking on Success of Staff Development
Weakness in education research and obstacles to studying teacher training's impact on student achievement are behind the lack of proof.
Federal
Texas District Targets Teachers for ELL Training
An evaluation Austin conducted of the first two years of the program for regular classroom teachers finds it "moderately effective."
School & District Management
Mass. District Strives for Teacher 'Learning System'
Administrators and teachers are trying to convert typically scattershot professional development into a seamless endeavor.
Professional Development
Staff-Development Providers Eye New Opportunities
Still, the industry will have to compete for market share with districts as school systems shift ever more training in-house.
Professional Development
Professional Development for Teachers at Crossroads
To be a player, the field must be able to articulate both what it is and how it can help teachers improve student achievement.
Teaching Profession
Questions Arise Over Teacher-Credential Expenses
Experts differ over whether additional course credits or advanced degrees should be counted as professional-development spending.
Accountability
News in Brief
43 Los Angeles Campuses Eligible for Choice Reform
The Los Angeles Unified School District says 43 campuses are eligible for public school choice, meaning nonprofits, charter operators, and teachers can apply to run underachieving or new campuses.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
Corporal Punishment Banned in Seoul, South Korea
Education authorities in Seoul, South Korea, banned corporal punishment at all schools in the capital last week.
School Choice & Charters
News in Brief
More Mass. Students Attend Charter Schools
The number of Massachusetts children attending charter schools has more than doubled in the past decade.
English-Language Learners
News in Brief
Researchers Create Bilingual Test for Speech-Language Disorders
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have created an assessment designed to detect speech-language disorders in children who speak both Spanish and English.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Achieve Names Leaders
The nonprofit education reform group Achieve has named Laura Slover to lead its support for the development and implementation of an assessment system for the PARCC consortium.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Colorado Picks Interim Schools Chief
Colorado's state board of education approved the appointment last week of Deputy Education Commissioner Robert Hammond to become interim commissioner when Dwight Jones leaves next month.
Science
News in Brief
Al Gore to Host Virtual Town Hall on STEM
Former Vice President Al Gore plans to hold a "global online town hall" meeting on Nov. 17 to drum up greater interest among American students in science, technology, engineering, and math.
School & District Management
News in Brief
San Francisco Targets 'Cheating' Families
San Francisco school officials have gone on the offensive against students who lie about where they live so they can attend the city's schools.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Sen. Reid Vows to Bring DREAM Act to a Vote
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has vowed to bring back the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, or dream, for a vote during Congress' lame-duck session.
Education
Correction
Correction
The commentary "How the Arts Lay a Foundation for Learning" in the Nov. 3, 2010, issue of Education Week included an incorrect date for an article on "the secret of self-control." The article appeared in the May 18, 2009, issue of The New Yorker.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
District Sued Over Field Trip to Voting-Precinct House
An anti-tax group has sued the Cincinnati school district after a claim that students were taken to a voting-precinct house on a field trip, shown how to vote, and given Democratic sample ballots.
Education
News in Brief
Facebook-Funded Schools Fix Hits the Streets in Newark
The first phase of the $100 million Facebook-funded makeover of the Newark, N.J., school system will reach far beyond classrooms and into living rooms.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Head of Schools in Chicago Resigns
Ron Huberman confirmed last week that he would resign as the chief executive officer of Chicago's public schools at the end of this month after less than two years in the job.
Education Funding
News in Brief
63 Kansas School Districts Sue Over Millions in Funding Cuts
A group of more than five dozen Kansas school districts filed a lawsuit against the state last week, contending that cuts the state legislature made to education spending violated Kansas' Constitution.