January 9, 2013
Education Week, Vol. 32, Issue 15
Education
Correction
Correction
Labels for pie charts illustrating expulsion and suspension data by race/ethnicity in the 2009-10 school year were transposed on Page 13 of Quality Counts 2013, which accompanies this issue of Education Week. The correctly labeled charts appear here. The U.S. Department of Education’s overall data set includes 42 million students in about 72,000 schools. Black students were overrepresented in disciplinary actions schools took in the 2009-10 school year.
Special Education
Letter to the Editor
More, Diverse Teachers Needed For Special Education
To the Editor:
Across the country, every state is facing special educator shortages. This job is a critical-need area. Not only does this career offer flexibility and a good salary, it also provides opportunities for committed and talented educators to profoundly impact the lives of students with disabilities and their families. Men and individuals from culturally and linguistically diverse groups are in particular demand as teachers in the field of special education.
Across the country, every state is facing special educator shortages. This job is a critical-need area. Not only does this career offer flexibility and a good salary, it also provides opportunities for committed and talented educators to profoundly impact the lives of students with disabilities and their families. Men and individuals from culturally and linguistically diverse groups are in particular demand as teachers in the field of special education.
Equity & Diversity
Letter to the Editor
N.Y.C. School Admissions Test Seen as Discriminatory
To the Editor:
Regarding the short news item “Bias Complaint Targets N.Y.C. Admission Exam” (Oct. 3, 2012), the U.S. Department of Education’s office for civil rights has now initiated an investigation into the discriminatory impact of the Specialized High School Admissions Test, or SHSAT, stemming from a 1971 state law requiring that rigidly rank-ordered scores from a single test determine admission to the city’s most elite schools.
Regarding the short news item “Bias Complaint Targets N.Y.C. Admission Exam” (Oct. 3, 2012), the U.S. Department of Education’s office for civil rights has now initiated an investigation into the discriminatory impact of the Specialized High School Admissions Test, or SHSAT, stemming from a 1971 state law requiring that rigidly rank-ordered scores from a single test determine admission to the city’s most elite schools.
School & District Management
Top State Ed. Positions Turn Over as Year Ends
Several top state education jobs changed hands as 2012 came to a close.
Assessment
Opinion
Waving the Flag for Formative Assessment
Teachers should recognize that formative assessment works and advocate for using it with honesty and unparalleled zeal, argues W. James Popham.
Federal
K-12 Aid Forecast Still Hazy Despite Fiscal Cliff Deal
Federal education programs win a temporary reprieve from deep cuts, but federal policymakers face a new deadline in March.
School Climate & Safety
Conn. Shooter's Link to Autism Worries Advocates
Asperger's syndrome didn't cause Adam Lanza's violent attack, say groups representing people with disabilities.
Education Funding
Letter to the Editor
Lack of Resources Hampers Rural Grant Applications
To the Editor:
Save the Children, through its work in poor, rural communities, knows the obstacles small, rural school districts face. Through a process dubbed the Rural Empowerment Model, we connect rural districts with national partners and provide intensive support to “empower” them to win competitive grants and run quality programs.
Save the Children, through its work in poor, rural communities, knows the obstacles small, rural school districts face. Through a process dubbed the Rural Empowerment Model, we connect rural districts with national partners and provide intensive support to “empower” them to win competitive grants and run quality programs.
Teaching Profession
Letter to the Editor
Interning Helps Improve Teacher-Retention Rates
To the Editor:
We couldn’t agree more with the article “Student-Teacher Mentoring Targeted” (Dec. 5, 2012). The Stanley Teacher Preparation Program—which was one of the first alternative-licensing programs in Colorado—has been pairing novice “intern” teachers with mentor teachers since 1991.
We couldn’t agree more with the article “Student-Teacher Mentoring Targeted” (Dec. 5, 2012). The Stanley Teacher Preparation Program—which was one of the first alternative-licensing programs in Colorado—has been pairing novice “intern” teachers with mentor teachers since 1991.
Federal
Letter to the Editor
No Child Left Behind Testing Is An Expensive Intervention
To the Editor:
The article “Standardized Testing Costs States $1.7 Billion a Year, Study Says” (edweek.org, Nov. 29, 2012) summarizes Matthew M. Chingos’ report, issued by the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution, on the state costs of the No Child Left Behind Act-required achievement testing. Chingos’ report uses the term “assessments.” He emphasizes that despite the $1.7 billion annual price tag, the cost is really quite low because it is about “a quarter of 1 percent” of the total K-12 education spending, and the dollar cost per pupil is on average $65.
The article “Standardized Testing Costs States $1.7 Billion a Year, Study Says” (edweek.org, Nov. 29, 2012) summarizes Matthew M. Chingos’ report, issued by the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution, on the state costs of the No Child Left Behind Act-required achievement testing. Chingos’ report uses the term “assessments.” He emphasizes that despite the $1.7 billion annual price tag, the cost is really quite low because it is about “a quarter of 1 percent” of the total K-12 education spending, and the dollar cost per pupil is on average $65.
School & District Management
Letter to the Editor
Businesses Can Help Schools and Principals
To the Editor:
A recent article, “Training Programs Connect Principals to District Realities” (Dec. 5, 2012), outlines the ways that university education schools and districts are working together to provide principals with on-the-job training. This collaboration is one way to ensure that principals receive ongoing professional development throughout their careers. Yet there are still more resources that we can use, and we must pursue them all to ensure that we’re doing everything that we can for our students.
A recent article, “Training Programs Connect Principals to District Realities” (Dec. 5, 2012), outlines the ways that university education schools and districts are working together to provide principals with on-the-job training. This collaboration is one way to ensure that principals receive ongoing professional development throughout their careers. Yet there are still more resources that we can use, and we must pursue them all to ensure that we’re doing everything that we can for our students.
College & Workforce Readiness
Testing Group Picks 'College Readiness' Exam
An end-of-course test given during the last class of Algebra 2 or Math 3 will gauge whether students are college-ready, the PARCC consortium decides.
Federal
California's Hopes Dashed for NCLB Waiver
The state's request for a waiver from mandates of the No Child Left Behind Act will be denied, according to state and federal officials.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Zuckerberg Donates $500M for Ed., Health
Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced he will donate $500 million of his company's stock to education and health causes.
Teaching Profession
News in Brief
Chicago Union Decries Black Teachers' Layoffs
The Chicago Teachers Union alleges in a class action suit that African-American teachers have been disproportionately affected by recent rounds of layoffs.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Ex-Schools Chief to Sue W.Va. Board
West Virginia's former schools superintendent, Jorea Marple, plans to sue the state board of education for what her lawyers are calling her illegal dismissal.
Federal
News in Brief
School Lunch Rules Revised Amid Criticism
Caps on the amount of grain and protein in school meals have been lifted for now.
Reading & Literacy
On Global Exams, U.S. Comes Closer to Finland
While the two nations ran even in math, Finland maintained the lead in science and reading even though some U.S. states finished ahead.
School Climate & Safety
At Sandy Hook School, Tragic Day Unfolds
On Dec. 14, the news out of a Newtown, Conn., elementary school grew grimmer by the second.
Special Education
News in Brief
Appeals Court Backs Parents in Spec. Ed. Placement
A federal appeals court ruled that a Colorado school district must reimburse the parents of a student with severe emotional and mental-health needs for the costs of the student's enrollment at an out-of-state residential facility.
School Climate & Safety
Post-Tragedy, Difficult Choices Loom
As Newtown, Conn., administrators are learning, school leaders walk a delicate tightrope in helping their schools find "a new normal" in the wake of a shooting tragedy.
Federal
Head Start Gains Found to Wash Out by 3rd Grade
Most of Head Start's academic benefits are fleeting, according to the latest findings from the national Head Start study.
School Climate & Safety
Tragedy Sets Off Fresh Debate Over Federal Gun-Policy Role
The Sandy Hook shootings renew the federal debate over gun policy, with a White House task force set to report his month.
Classroom Technology
News in Brief
Online-Privacy Rules For Children Revised
The Federal Trade Commission has approved revised rules that spell out the types of information that cannot be collected from children without their parents' permission.
School Climate & Safety
Legal, Logistical Concerns Seen in Call to Arm Adults
State laws vary widely, and some law enforcement officials raise practical and logistical concerns.
School & District Management
News in Brief
School Reform Group Closes National Office
The Public Education Network has announced plans to close its national office in Washington after 21 years of working to ensure all children have access to quality education.
Assessment
News in Brief
Standards-Test Group Lists Tech Guidelines
Two groups designing tests for the Common Core State Standards has released guidance on the minimum technology standards needed to give those tests, beginning in 2014-15.
College & Workforce Readiness
Report Roundup
Study Unpacks Schools' College-Going Rates
Students entering high school with plans to attend a four-year college after graduation make very different choices about higher education based on the high school they attend.