April 24, 2013
Education Week, Vol. 32, Issue 29
Federal
Duncan to Business: Defend Standards
The education secretary wants business leaders to step up their backing for common standards and other K-12 policy changes.
Education
Correction
Corrections
A story in the April 17, 2013, issue of Education Week about open-meetings and -records laws misspelled the name of the executive director of the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government. Her name is Gwyneth Doland.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Memphis Suburbs Moving Closer to Avoiding Merger
Tennessee's state legislature has passed two bills that would allow six of Memphis' suburban cities to create their own districts.
School & District Management
San Antonio Mayor Beats Drum for Support of Pre-K Push
Tough work continues in assuring everyone is on board in a Texas city with 15 independent school districts.
School & District Management
San Antonio Sets Sights on Preschool Leadership
Buoyed by a local tax, the Texas city aims to open an unusual and ambitious public preschool program in August.
Federal
Opinion
A Nation at Risk: Where Are We Now?
Education Week Commentary editors look at academic, demographic, and other trends since the landmark report was released 30 years ago.
Federal
Head Start Tight-Lipped on Which Centers to Lose Aid
Some low-performing Head Start centers fell short in recompeting for grants, but the agency has yet to specify which.
School & District Management
Schools Evaluate Whether to Privatize Support Services
Districts' decisions about whether to contract out services or keep them in-house are influenced by myriad and often competing factors.
School & District Management
'A La Carte' Purchasing Tactics Signal Districts' Unique Needs
While K-12 procurement of curricular materials has long favored big companies, many districts are now relying on smaller, startup companies to supplement their curriculum needs.
School & District Management
Beta Testing Ed. Products Can Get Tricky for Schools
When school leaders agree to beta test a product, they know that they may be creating extra work for teachers and administrators, and that they may be forced to carve out class time for trying it out.
School & District Management
Big Ed. Companies Face K-12 Buying Shift
Large education companies still carry advantages over their smaller counterparts, but experts say K-12 procurement practices are shifting to include a greater variety of vendors.
School & District Management
Ed. Companies Exert Public-Policy Influence
Some experts are alarmed at what they see as increasingly aggressive moves by companies, but others see those moves as the natural interplay between the private and public sectors.
School & District Management
Big-Name Companies Feature Larger-Impact Research Efforts
Serious efficacy studies can start as high as $150,000, a price tag that keeps most smaller market players from commissioning similar studies.
School & District Management
Schools Vet Ed. Companies' Research With a Critical Eye
Educators are trying to make smart decisions about what learning products they use based on limited, and sometimes questionable, research about those products.
School & District Management
Ed. Companies, K-12 Policymakers Seek Common Ground
As the educational marketplace continues to grow, more companies are working with policymakers to iron out better ways to work together to meet the needs of schools.
College & Workforce Readiness
N.Y.C.-IBM Partnership Focuses on Students' Tech. Skills
The public-private initiative between the technology company and a city school aims to prepare students for future careers.
Standards
Letter to the Editor
Inventor Calls Science Standards a First Step
To the Editor:
As a boy growing up in the United Kingdom, my learning often began once school was dismissed. On any given day, I could be found disassembling machines—stripping lawn mowers down to parts, then rebuilding them with the purpose of improving them (not always successfully). That was the extent of my after-school education, but it helped to shape my in-school outcomes.
As a boy growing up in the United Kingdom, my learning often began once school was dismissed. On any given day, I could be found disassembling machines—stripping lawn mowers down to parts, then rebuilding them with the purpose of improving them (not always successfully). That was the extent of my after-school education, but it helped to shape my in-school outcomes.
Teacher Preparation
TFA Alumni Aid New Teachers in New Orleans
A group started by former Teach For America members helps novices navigate the cultural and instructional challenges they face in the city's schools.
Federal
USDA Sifts Comments on School Vending Machines, 'A La Carte' Items
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is eyeing the nutritional content of foods sold in school apart from highly regulated lunches and breakfasts.
IT Infrastructure & Management
'Real World' Social Media Helps Students Bond, Say Researchers
While socializing virtually can make it harder for students to make deep connections with one another, new studies suggest that situations like video-chats or avatar environments can lead to more natural engagement.
Teaching Profession
Florida Unions Sue Over Test-Score-Based Evaluations
Teachers represented in the lawsuit against the state education department argue that they are being graded against subjects and students they don't teach.