October 3, 2012

Education Week, Vol. 32, Issue 06
School Climate & Safety Calif. Laws Aim to Curb Use of School Suspension
But the governor vetoed another bill that would have made it harder for schools to suspend for "willful disobedience."
October 4, 2012
5 min read
Federal Grad-Rate Metrics: A Waiver Soft Spot?
A top House Democrat and advocacy groups urge the Education Department to closely monitor graduation rates for waiver states.
Alyson Klein, October 2, 2012
1 min read
Education Obituary Former Chairman of Mass. Board Dies
John R. Silber oversaw the takeover of the city of Chelsea's troubled public school system and was later appointed chairman of the Massachusetts board of education.
The Associated Press, October 2, 2012
1 min read
College & Workforce Readiness Exit Exams Face Pinch in Common-Core Push
Some states rethink the kind of tests high school students must pass to graduate, or whether to use exit exams at all.
Andrew Ujifusa, October 2, 2012
7 min read
Southeastern High teachers Amy Sarisky and Jonah Kisesi go door-to-door to meet students and parents in Detroit.
Southeastern High teachers Amy Sarisky and Jonah Kisesi go door-to-door to meet students and parents in Detroit.
Kimberly P. Mitchell/Detroit Free Press/MCT
Teaching Mich. Initiative Scraps Grade Levels and Letter Grades
The goal is to improve achievement in the state's lowest-performing schools by allowing students to progress at their own pace.
Chastity Pratt Dawsey, Detroit Free Press (MCT), October 2, 2012
4 min read
This banner, displayed on a public sidewalk outside a high school in Juneau, Alaska, in 2002, was interpreted as a pro-drug message.
This banner, displayed on a public sidewalk outside a high school in Juneau, Alaska, in 2002, was interpreted as a pro-drug message.
Clay Good/Zuma-File
Law & Courts Symposium Revisits Landmark Student-Speech Cases
Key players on both sides come together to discuss pivotal U.S. Supreme Court cases involving students' free-speech rights.
Mark Walsh, October 2, 2012
9 min read
A moratorium on new charter schools in New Hampshire has drawn pushback from parents and state officials, who are trying to get the freeze lifted. Among those hoping to open a new charter and worried about the moratorium are, from left, parents Abby Pierson, Sarah Hall, Debbie Christianson, Karin Cevasco, Rebecca Frederickson, and Betsy Moore.
A moratorium on new charter schools in New Hampshire has drawn pushback from parents and state officials, who are trying to get the freeze lifted. Among those hoping to open a new charter and worried about the moratorium are, from left, parents Abby Pierson, Sarah Hall, Debbie Christianson, Karin Cevasco, Rebecca Frederickson, and Betsy Moore.
John Tully for Education Week
School & District Management N.H. Charter Freeze Triggers Fierce Backlash
Conflict over a charter moratorium underscores national tensions over charter funding and management.
Sean Cavanagh, October 2, 2012
7 min read
College & Workforce Readiness Hopes Pinned on Standards to Boost College Readiness
The latest results of the SAT college-entrance exam show declines in reading and writing and a leveling-off of math performance.
Caralee J. Adams, October 2, 2012
4 min read
School Climate & Safety Calif. Laws Seek to Curb School Suspensions
But the governor vetoed another bill that would have made it harder for schools to suspend for 'willful disobedience.'
October 2, 2012
5 min read
GOP presidential standard-bearer Mitt Romney, accompanied by his running mate, U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, speaks during a campaign stop in Lakeland, Fla.
GOP presidential standard-bearer Mitt Romney, accompanied by his running mate, U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, speaks during a campaign stop in Lakeland, Fla.
Evan Vucci/AP
Education Funding A Romney Win Could Upend K-12 Federal Policy Landscape
A scaled-back Education Department and cloudy prospects for Obama initiatives are among the scenarios.
Michele McNeil, October 2, 2012
6 min read
Equity & Diversity Schools Falter at Keeping ELL Families in the Loop
Communicating with parents is proving to be a big challenge for districts facing immigrant influxes for the first time.
Lesli A. Maxwell, October 2, 2012
8 min read
Chicago teachers picket on Sept. 10, the first day of their strike, which closed schools in the nation's third-largest district for seven days.
Chicago teachers picket on Sept. 10, the first day of their strike, which closed schools in the nation's third-largest district for seven days.
Scott Olson/Getty
School & District Management Opinion Writers Reflect on Chicago Strike
Four writers explore the implications of the recent teachers' strike in Chicago.
Stephen Dyer, Paul Thomas, Kamau Bobb & Andrea Kayne Kaufman, October 2, 2012
7 min read
Standards Opinion Engineering Good Math Tests
It will take more than computer-based tests to truly assess students' math abilities, Hugh Burkhardt writes.
Hugh Burkhardt, October 2, 2012
6 min read
Reading & Literacy Letter to the Editor Constructivist Learning Needs Further Study
To the Editor:
I listened in on a Sept. 19, 2012, Education Week-hosted webinar sponsored and presented by Cambium Learning/Voyager Vice President Stevan Kukic ("Using RTI & Data-Driven Strategies in the Common-Core Era," Sept. 19, 2012). I am very appreciative of Mr. Kukic's acknowledgment that targeted interventions are vital for the success of our schools. He is correct on this point. I am concerned, however, that Cambium Learning has applied scientific findings associated with early reading instruction to reading intervention for middle and high school students.
October 2, 2012
1 min read
Education Letter to the Editor Achievement Scores Often Misinterpreted
To the Editor:
The article "Principals Criticized on Teacher-Retention Decisions" (Aug. 8, 2012) contains the following statement about results issued in a report by TNTP, formerly The New Teacher Project: "Of the teachers studied, the group identified a subset of about 20 percent as 'irreplaceables' because their students made two or three more months' worth of academic progress compared [with] those taught with the average teacher in the district." The statement is fundamentally flawed and represents a common misunderstanding fostered by the testing industry, which prefers to report results in months and years of achievement when all they have is the number of items scored as correct on a particular test: the raw score.
October 2, 2012
2 min read
School & District Management News in Brief Ohio Ex-Schools Chief Not Charged in Probe
Prosecutors have decided not to file charges against Ohio's former schools superintendent.
The Associated Press, October 2, 2012
1 min read
Education Funding News in Brief Louisiana Seeks to Use Storm Money for Pre-K
La. Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration wants to shift $20 million in storm-recovery spending to fill in budget gaps in the state's preschool program for at-risk children.
The Associated Press, October 2, 2012
1 min read
Student Well-Being News in Brief Ohio to Rate Schools On P.E. Standards
State report cards will soon feature a new measure for Ohio schools.
McClatchy-Tribune, October 2, 2012
1 min read
School Climate & Safety News in Brief Texas District Expands Student-Paddling Rule
Parents at a Texas high school complained about the school's violation of a paddling policy.
The Associated Press, October 2, 2012
1 min read
Ed-Tech Policy Report Roundup Digital Textbooks
A national education technology group suggests that schools switch from print to digital instructional materials by 2017.
Jason Tomassini, October 2, 2012
1 min read
School & District Management Report Roundup Children's Health
Twenty or 40 minutes of physical activity per day can help reduce the risk of obesity and obesity-related diseases in children.
Gina Cairney, October 2, 2012
1 min read
Families & the Community News in Brief PTA Sues Rival Group on Trademark Issues
The National Parent Teacher Association sued a for-profit riva, accusing it of denigrating the established group in a bid to siphon off members.
The Associated Press, October 2, 2012
1 min read
Science Report Roundup Early Childhood
Preschoolers naturally think about probability and make inferences as they play and explore their world.
Sarah D. Sparks, October 2, 2012
1 min read
English-Language Learners News in Brief Ore. to Create ELL Test With Federal Grant
The state education agency in Oregon has won a $6.3 million grant to create a new English-language-proficiency test.
Lesli A. Maxwell, October 2, 2012
1 min read
Education Best of the Blogs Blogs of the Week
October 2, 2012
4 min read
Education Funding Report Roundup College Tuition
Students shouldn't let the sticker price of college deter them from considering the pursuit of a degree.
Caralee J. Adams, October 2, 2012
1 min read
English-Language Learners Report Roundup Wanted: Bilingual Staff
A survey reveals that Illinois has a shortage of early-childhood teachers trained to provide bilingual instruction to young English-language learners.
Lesli A. Maxwell, October 2, 2012
1 min read
Accountability News in Brief Exams to Count Less In Calif. Accountability
Calif. Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law that would redefine the state's key measure of public school quality.
The Associated Press, October 2, 2012
1 min read
Equity & Diversity News in Brief Bias Complaint Targets N.Y.C. Admission Exam
The NAACP Legal Defense Fund filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education's office for civil rights about New York City's specialized high schools' admissions process.
Jaclyn Zubrzycki, October 2, 2012
1 min read