February 29, 2012
Education Week, Vol. 31, Issue 22
Student Well-Being
Sports Rules Shift in Light of Concussion Research
Governing bodies for youth sports are toughening rules, especially related to football players, as research on head injuries mounts.
Equity & Diversity
K-12 Wrinkle Seen in Affirmative Action Case
The Supreme Court will weigh the use of race in a college admissions case with implications for K-12 policy.
Law & Courts
E-Learning Group Sues Washington State Over Budget Cuts
An online learning coalition has filed a lawsuit, claiming that state budget cuts have hit alternative education programs harder than traditional schools.
Special Education
Touch Screens May Ease Verbal Barriers to Learning
New technologies use visual cues to bridge communication challenges in the classroom.
Curriculum
Opinion
Fighting the Enemies of Personalized Learning
Technology has the potential to boost individualized instruction or drive it into the ground, Joseph S. Renzulli argues.
Education
Letter to the Editor
Respect Must Be Taught and Learned
To the Editor:
R-E-S-P-E-C-T: What does it mean to our kids? It is important that children develop respect for themselves or others. Children are born without biases about other people of any race, culture, gender, or disability. We sometimes wonder if we can raise children free of prejudice by just leaving well enough alone and making sure not to pass on negative attitudes. Unfortunately, it doesn't work this way; society's messages are too pervasive.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T: What does it mean to our kids? It is important that children develop respect for themselves or others. Children are born without biases about other people of any race, culture, gender, or disability. We sometimes wonder if we can raise children free of prejudice by just leaving well enough alone and making sure not to pass on negative attitudes. Unfortunately, it doesn't work this way; society's messages are too pervasive.
Standards
Letter to the Editor
Next Steps for Cognitive Education
To the Editor:
Both the Feb. 1 and Feb. 8, 2012, issues of Education Week carried pieces with important implications for curriculum and, in particular, the role of cognitive education. A Commentary on Feb. 1, "The Common-Core Contradiction" by Stephanie Hirsh, underlined the importance of teachers' integrating critical and creative thinking, problem-solving, and inquiry; and a Feb. 8 article, "Common Core's Focus on 'Close Reading' Stirs Worries," referred to the "close reading" approach, in which students probe structures and seek deeper understanding.
Both the Feb. 1 and Feb. 8, 2012, issues of Education Week carried pieces with important implications for curriculum and, in particular, the role of cognitive education. A Commentary on Feb. 1, "The Common-Core Contradiction" by Stephanie Hirsh, underlined the importance of teachers' integrating critical and creative thinking, problem-solving, and inquiry; and a Feb. 8 article, "Common Core's Focus on 'Close Reading' Stirs Worries," referred to the "close reading" approach, in which students probe structures and seek deeper understanding.
Standards
Letter to the Editor
Student Experiences Are Key to Learning
To the Editor:
I read with concern "Common Core's Focus on 'Close Reading' Stirs Worries," (Feb. 8, 2012).
I read with concern "Common Core's Focus on 'Close Reading' Stirs Worries," (Feb. 8, 2012).
Assessment
NAEP Would Slip, PISA Gain in 2013 Budget Plan
The Obama administration aims to cut $6 million from the "nation's report card," and boost aid to another testing initiative.
Standards
News in Brief
S.C. Panel Rejects Anti-Standards Bill
A state senate panel in South Carolina has voted against a bill that would block the implementation of the Common Core State Standards in math and reading.
Equity & Diversity
News in Brief
Tenn. Delays Action on Gay-Issues Ban
The measure to ban the teaching of gay issues to elementary and middle school students stalled after fellow Republican Gov. Bill Haslam expressed concerns.
Teaching Profession
News in Brief
Minn. Law to Require Skills Test for Teachers
Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton has signed a bill that requires teachers to pass a skills test in order to get a state license.
School & District Management
News in Brief
After 28 years, N.D. Schools Chief Decides to Retire
Wayne G. Sanstead, the gregarious former government teacher and debate coach, announced this month that he will not seek re-election.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Archdiocese to Close Fewer Phila. Schools
After hearing appeals, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced this month that it is making changes to its school organization plan and that fewer school buildings in the five-county diocese would be shuttered.
Education
Correction
Corrections
A story in the Feb. 22, 2012, issue of Education Week about publicly traded companies misspelled the name of Wireless Generation's chief of staff, Zachary Silverstein. In addition, the story should have said Connections Education had an estimated $190 million in revenues in 2011.
Science
News in Brief
Website to Highlight Adolescent Brain
The website that will make information about neuroscience and its implications for instruction available to educators this fall.
Education
State of the States
State of the States 2012: Alabama, Minnesota
Here are summaries of recent annual addresses by governors around the country.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Contractor to Study Special Ed. in D.C.
The District of Columbia school district, which has a checkered track record on serving students with disabilities, is taking an unusual step to try to reset its course.
Families & the Community
News in Brief
'Parent Trigger' Effort Fails at Calif. School
A high-profile attempt to use a "parent trigger" law to convert a traditional public school in California to a charter was rejected by the local school board, after divisions over the plans surfaced.
Accountability
News in Brief
N.Y.C. Officials Release 'Value Added' Reports
New York City officials last week released "value added" reports that purport to estimate a teacher's impact on his or her students' standardized test scores to news outlets.
School Climate & Safety
Report Roundup
Study Points to Decrease in On-Campus Crimes
Violent crime at the nation's schools is declining, and students and schools are reporting less bullying and gang activity.
International
Report Roundup
Research Report: Mathematics
Though boys typically perform better in mathematics, a new study shows that girls' superior verbal skills tend to make them better at arithmetic.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Open Enrollment
School districts that lost a significant number of students through Wisconsin's open-enrollment program tended to see a boost in student achievement.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
District Reforms
A high-profile school turnaround effort in Philadelphia has yielded better test scores and higher attendance in most of those schools.
Science
Report Roundup
STEM Learning
An ambitious effort to improve science and math education in Alabama has generated academic gains for students.
Teaching Profession
Report Roundup
Teacher Induction
Even as there are an increasing number of novice teachers in the ranks of the profession, states' teacher-induction policies are generally piecemeal.
School & District Management
Enter the Innovation Officer: Districts Design New Jobs
Administrative positions with the word "innovation" in the title are cropping up in school districts and state education departments nationwide.
Teacher Preparation
Teacher-Prep Accreditor Names Standards-Setting Panel
The group will recommend standards for ensuring that candidates know their content and can teach effectively, among other policies.