January 19, 2011
Education Week, Vol. 30, Issue 17
School Climate & Safety
Class-Size Fines on Horizon in Fla.
Florida school districts that can't shrink the size of their classes could soon face shrunken state funding.
College & Workforce Readiness
Mentor Program Introduces Students to STEM-Related Fields
ACE also offers early career exposure and scholarships to attract students to architecture, construction, and engineering.
States
State of the States
State of the States 2011: Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming
Education Week's coverage of the governor's addresses in Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Drug Use
Marijuana and ecstasy use among teenagers increased last year, says an annual survey by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Education Management Organizations
A study released last month finds continued growth in the number and reach of nonprofit education management organizations, or EMOs.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
School Choice
District of Columbia students who left their local schools for other regular public or charter schools outperformed students who stayed in their assigned neighborhood schools, according to a new report.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Superintendents
A study of superintendents found a greater percentage of women in that job last year than 10 years ago.
College & Workforce Readiness
Report Roundup
Higher Education
The U.S. Department of Education should require colleges to provide their six-year graduation rates in all admissions and financial-aid correspondence so students and families can more easily distinguish among colleges, according to a new report.
Education Funding
Report Roundup
Study Calls for Changing ELL-Funding Formulas
Federal support of programs for English-language learners depends on a formula based on the number of ELL students in each state and district, but a new study suggests the need for change.
IT Infrastructure & Management
'Attack a Teacher Day' Facebook Invitation Prompts Arrests
Although the Nevada middle school girls insisted it was a joke, they were charged with communicating threats.
College & Workforce Readiness
High School Students Attend College in 'Second Life'
East Carolina University program uses a virtual world to let high school students take college-level courses and experience campus life.
School & District Management
Teachers' Unions on Defensive as GOP Lawmakers Flex Their Muscles
Elected officials target job projections and benefits they contend the public can no longer afford academically or financially.
Federal
Ed. Dept. to Fund ELL Tests Tied to Common Standards
Federal officials plan to offer grants for states to work together in creating English-proficiency tests tied to the Common Core academic standards.
Assessment
Study Questions Fate of NAEP in Common-Test Era
The Brookings report found NAEP items were, on average, two to three years below the 8th grade math in the common-core standards.
Education
Letter to the Editor
CTE Programs Provide Valuable Lessons
To the Editor:
I was surprised when I read your article “Experts Begin to Identify Nonacademic Skills Key to Success” (Education Week, Dec. 23, 2010) because school districts across the country have been teaching students the skills and knowledge necessary to be college- and career-ready through career and technical education. CTE programs embed academic concepts within courses and teach students how to apply academics to the real world through application and example. These programs also address the nonacademic skills you reference, including learning dependability, teamwork, creative thinking, and a work ethic.
I was surprised when I read your article “Experts Begin to Identify Nonacademic Skills Key to Success” (Education Week, Dec. 23, 2010) because school districts across the country have been teaching students the skills and knowledge necessary to be college- and career-ready through career and technical education. CTE programs embed academic concepts within courses and teach students how to apply academics to the real world through application and example. These programs also address the nonacademic skills you reference, including learning dependability, teamwork, creative thinking, and a work ethic.
Education
Letter to the Editor
Praise for N.C.'s Focus on Early-College Schools
To the Editor:
While we bid farewell to 2010 and welcome the new year, it is apparent one thing will continue: budget shortfalls in states throughout the United States and increasing pressure to cut funding for education. Your recent article “Cutbacks Force Some Early Colleges to Close Down,” (Education Week, Dec. 20, 2010) paints a grim but realistic picture of the funding problems states are facing, even for programs that are making a difference like early colleges.
While we bid farewell to 2010 and welcome the new year, it is apparent one thing will continue: budget shortfalls in states throughout the United States and increasing pressure to cut funding for education. Your recent article “Cutbacks Force Some Early Colleges to Close Down,” (Education Week, Dec. 20, 2010) paints a grim but realistic picture of the funding problems states are facing, even for programs that are making a difference like early colleges.
Education
Letter to the Editor
Building a Culture of College Expectations
To the Editor:
We were so pleased to see the article "Elementary Students Encouraged to Raise College Expectations" (Education Week, Dec. 8, 2010). College preparation is most often focused solely on students, while we know that students turn to parents and families more often than counselors or teachers for advice and information. That these schools integrate parents into the initiative and build their college knowledge is highly commendable.
We were so pleased to see the article "Elementary Students Encouraged to Raise College Expectations" (Education Week, Dec. 8, 2010). College preparation is most often focused solely on students, while we know that students turn to parents and families more often than counselors or teachers for advice and information. That these schools integrate parents into the initiative and build their college knowledge is highly commendable.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Education Sector Names Leader
The education research group Education Sector has hired Richard Lee Colvin, the head of the Hechinger Institute on Education and the Media at Teachers College, Columbia University, as its new executive director.
Mathematics
News in Brief
N.Y. Adds Kindergarten Math
New Yorks board of regents approved changes in the statewide curriculum and testing last week that include requiring the teaching of basic math and counting concepts in kindergarten.
Student Well-Being & Movement
News in Brief
NCAA Won't Block Scholarships
The National Collegiate Athletic Associations legislative council has rejected a proposal that would have stopped college coaches from offering scholarships to students as young as middle school.
Education Funding
News in Brief
70 Detroit Schools May Close
Robert Bobb, the emergency financial manager for Detroits public schools, submitted a proposal to state officials last week that includes closing 70 more school district buildings within the next two years.
Education
News in Brief
1,500 Jobs at Risk in N.C. District
Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools Superintendent Peter Gorman last week recommended cutting hundreds of teaching and assistant jobs to help close an expected $100 million budget shortfall.
Teaching Profession
News in Brief
Four Finalists Announced for 2011 Teacher of the Year
The Council of Chief State School Officers last week announced the four finalists for the 2011 National Teacher of the Year.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Ohio Lawmakers Question Cost of Firing Teachers
Ohio lawmakers are taking a closer look at a 1941 state law that allows teachers to demand administrative hearings.
School & District Management
News in Brief
New Job Proves Lucrative for Former Schools Chief
Joel I. Klein, who earned $250,000 a year as chancellor of the 1.1 million-student New York school system, will be paid $2 million a year in his new job at News Corp.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Rhee Outlines Policy Targets for New Advocacy Group
Former District of Columbia Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee unveiled her new advocacy group's much-awaited policy priorities.
Federal
News in Brief
New Standards Proposed for School Lunches
The U.S. Department of Agriculture released a proposed rule last week that would dramatically change nutrition guidelines for school lunches.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
N.Y.C. Must Provide Names With Data
The New York City Department of Education must include teachers' names in the performance-data reports it provides to news outlets to fulfill open-records requests, a New York state court ruled last week.