February 6, 2013
Education Week, Vol. 32, Issue 20
Federal
Letter to the Editor
NCLB Waivers Promote Gains
To the Editor:
The No Child Left Behind Act highlighted how extreme the achievement gap is in this country. One major flaw in NCLB logic, however, is that the legislation does not take student growth into account. It is impossible to close the achievement gap without student growth.
The No Child Left Behind Act highlighted how extreme the achievement gap is in this country. One major flaw in NCLB logic, however, is that the legislation does not take student growth into account. It is impossible to close the achievement gap without student growth.
Federal
Report Roundup
Early Childhood
Head Start, the federally funded preschool program for low-income children, appears to have short-term positive impacts on early academic skills, teacher-child relationships, and behavior for children living in "non-parental care," according to researchers at Oregon State University in Corvallis.
School Climate & Safety
Report Roundup
Teenagers' Well-Being
Although about one in five adolescents has a mental-health disorder, 60 percent to 90 percent of them don't ask for or receive treatment, a research brief from the nonprofit Child Trends says. And schools are often the first to identify the mental-health needs of adolescents.
Accountability
Report Roundup
Report: Research to Practice Goes Both Ways
Researchers often argue for the necessity of translating study results to classroom practice, while lamenting how rarely it happens. A new report by the William T. Grant Foundation says that thinking purely in terms of how to get educators to use the research presented to them creates a "one-way street" that's less effective than developing true partnerships between districts and researchers.
Teaching Profession
Report Roundup
Teacher Evaluation
Two scholars take aim at the final results from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Measures of Effective Teaching project in a new report, saying the data offer little insight into how teacher-evaluation systems should be structured.
College & Workforce Readiness
Report Roundup
College-Going
Money is increasingly affecting students' college choices and is one of the main reasons they are pursuing a degree, according to a nationwide survey of first-time college freshmen.
Curriculum
Report Roundup
Entrepreneurial Education
More middle and high school students were being exposed to business and financial education in 2012 than they were a year before, but students' interest in entrepreneurship has remained flat, a survey shows.
Education
Correction
Corrections
A chart accompanying the story "Skills Promoted to Aid Learning Amid Adversity" in the Jan. 30, 2013, edition of Education Week mislabeled the status of some of Washington state's projects. Legislative changes to child welfare; pilot interventions at Childhaven and the Children's Home Society; a professional training unit in the Department of Early Learning; and the Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration's review of policies are all active projects. However, a broader interagency training video and interventions at Educational Service District 112, the Green Hill School, and the Children's Lab School are rolling out throughout the year.
Assessment
News in Brief
Ill. Raises Cut Scores on State Tests
The Illinois state school board has voted to raise cutoff scores on its math and reading assessments.
College & Workforce Readiness
More Students Drawn to STEM—But Fewer Girls
A national survey shows that high schoolers' interest in STEM careers is growing and so are gender gaps.
College & Workforce Readiness
Obama, Senators Press Immigration Reforms
The push is on to speed a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, including for more than 2 million brought to the United States as children.
States
State of the States: Maine, Md., Tenn., Texas, Utah
Here are summaries of recent annual addresses by governors around the country. In this roundup: Maine, Maryland, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah.
School & District Management
Pupil Assignments Get Another Look in Boston
Twenty years after desegregation ended, the mayor wants to change the way students are matched to schools.
Classroom Technology
News in Brief
Tenn. Bill Could Stiffen Virtual School Rules
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam is pressing for higher standards and restrictions on growth at virtual schools.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
Rep. Kline Seeking School Safety Details
The Obama Administration is being pressed to provide significantly more details on its school safety proposals.
Education Funding
Federal File
Race to the Top Half-Time Report
The U.S. Department of Education found progress in a variety of areas, but also a diverse set of challenges that remain for Race to the Top grant winners.
Education Funding
News in Brief
N.M. Could Lose Special Ed. Funds
New Mexico could be docked up to $93 million in special education funding for making reductions to the program without approval.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Why Educators' Wages Must Be Revamped Now
With budgets tight, states must link teacher pay to student achievement, Eric A. Hanushek writes.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Hawaii to Use Scores in Principal Evaluations
Hawaii has announced that half of a school principal's evaluation will be based on growth in student performance.
Special Education
Opinion
Appreciating Special Education Students' Diversity
We honor diversity among students, except when it comes to their special needs. Neurodiversity provides a pathway for that to change, writes Thomas Armstrong.
Law & Courts
Opinion
Hazelwood at 25
A Supreme Court decision that diminished students' First Amendment rights has had dire consequences on a generation of young people, writes Frank D. LoMonte.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
Schools Opt Out of U.S. Meals Rules
At least two New York school districts have decided to forgo federal money to subsidize school lunch costs.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Protesters Decry School Closings in Nation's Cities
Protesters from 18 cities gathered in Washington to tell officials at the U.S. Department of Education how school closings have affected their communities.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
Two More Texas Districts Allow Some Staff to Conceal Weapons
At least two school districts in Texas have adopted policies allowing some staff members to carry concealed firearms onto campus.
Early Childhood
Students Must Learn More Words, Say Studies
Without better instruction, children starting school with small vocabularies will struggle with common standards, scholars say.
School & District Management
News in Brief
State May Prescribe N.Y.C. Evaluation Plan
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says if a teacher-evaluation system can't be agreed on in New York City, the state will impose one.
Federal
News in Brief
Snack Foods at School to Face New Scrutiny
Snacks sold to students in vending machines, a la carte lunch lines are facing their first new regulations in more than 30 years.
School Climate & Safety
Opinion
Don't Run Away From Teaching Pop Culture
Educators must learn to teach about inappropriate media content in their students' lives, Marc Hauser writes.