October 22, 2014

Education Week, Vol. 34, Issue 09
Ken Koedinger, a professor of human-computer interaction and psychology at Carnegie Mellon University, leads researchers building a database to analyze learning and behavioral information that students generate when they use digital-learning tools.
Ken Koedinger, a professor of human-computer interaction and psychology at Carnegie Mellon University, leads researchers building a database to analyze learning and behavioral information that students generate when they use digital-learning tools.
Data 'Big Data' Research Effort Faces Student-Privacy Questions
A coalition of prominent research universities is receiving federal support to redesign and scale up a massive repository for analyzing learning and behavioral data.
Benjamin Herold, October 21, 2014
8 min read
School & District Management Opinion Weingarten: Four Solutions to Public School Problems
Fix, don't close, neighborhood schools, and adopt three other reform ideas to change education for the better, AFT President Randi Weingarten says.
Randi Weingarten, October 21, 2014
4 min read
BRIC ARCHIVE
iStockphoto
School & District Management Opinion Clearing the Way for Teacher Leadership
Refocusing rigid teacher-evaluation systems is just one way to build capacity for teacher leadership, Barnett Berry says.
Barnett Berry, October 21, 2014
6 min read
Duncan E. Kirkwood, state director of the Alabama chapter of the Black Alliance for Educational Options, talks to local media after a town hall event in support of charter schools in Montgomery, Ala., last week. The group is leading a statewide campaign to pass a charter school law.
Duncan E. Kirkwood, state director of the Alabama chapter of the Black Alliance for Educational Options, talks to local media after a town hall event in support of charter schools in Montgomery, Ala., last week. The group is leading a statewide campaign to pass a charter school law.
Tamika Moore for Education Week
School & District Management States That Prohibit Charters Likely to Decline
Midterm elections and forceful advocacy efforts could reverse long-held resistance in Alabama, Kentucky, and Nebraska.
Arianna Prothero, October 21, 2014
6 min read
California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson meets with parents about the commoncore standards earlier this year in Sacramento. Mr. Torlakson, who is running for re-election, has said California is on the right track in its implementation of the standards.
California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson meets with parents about the commoncore standards earlier this year in Sacramento. Mr. Torlakson, who is running for re-election, has said California is on the right track in its implementation of the standards.
José Luis Villegas/Sacramento Bee/Zuma-File
School & District Management California Rivals Clash on Vision for K-12 Leadership
The race between state schools chief Tom Torlakson and challenger Marshall Tuck centers on whether the Golden State is on the right path in reinventing its public schools.
Andrew Ujifusa, October 21, 2014
9 min read
Abram Bolanos, an 18-year-old senior who is gay, left his last school after he was bullied by students because of his sexual orientation.
Abram Bolanos, an 18-year-old senior who is gay, left his last school after he was bullied by students because of his sexual orientation.
Sandy Huffaker for Education Week
Federal Efforts Build to Track School Climate for LGBT Students
Three federal surveys will add questions related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students to help provide a clearer picture of their experiences in school.
Evie Blad, October 21, 2014
7 min read
Federal Promise, Challenges Seen in Use of Federal Turnaround Aid
A Connecticut official shares that state's experience--and lessons learned--from its participation in the multibillion-dollar School Improvement Grant Program.
Alyson Klein, October 21, 2014
4 min read
John B. King Jr.New York State education commissioner
<b>John B. King Jr.</b><br>New York State education commissioner
Mike Groll/AP-File
School & District Management School Leaders to Trim Testing, But Keep Yearly Assessments
Amid concerns about too much testing, state schools chiefs and big-city superintendents have vowed to shed redundant tests but stick with annual assessments.
Liana Loewus, October 21, 2014
6 min read
Education Best of the Blogs Blogs
October 21, 2014
8 min read
Education Obituary Obituary
–ASSOCIATED PRESS
Paul Hubbert, a two-time candidate for governor of Alabama who transformed an association of school teachers into one of that state's most potent political forces, died Oct. 14. He was 78.
The Associated Press, October 21, 2014
1 min read
Brad Smith
Brad Smith
Education News in Brief Transitions
Brad Smith, the superintendent of the Ogden district in Utah, has been named the state's new schools chief.
October 21, 2014
1 min read
Education Funding Report Roundup Study Ranks Local Schooling Foundations
Local K-12 education foundations with $2 million or more in annual revenues topped a performance ranking of these nonprofit organizations that support individual school districts.
Michele Molnar, October 21, 2014
1 min read
College & Workforce Readiness Report Roundup STEM Preparation
Opportunities to learn STEM subjects are lacking at rural schools in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio, according to a new report.
Jackie Mader, October 21, 2014
1 min read
Education Funding Report Roundup District Mergers
Consolidating large school districts in Texas would increase costs and cause student performance to fall, according to a study by researchers from Texas A&M and Utah State universities.
Madeline Will, October 21, 2014
1 min read
Equity & Diversity Report Roundup College-Going
How many graduates from a particular high school go on to college depends largely on the school's poverty level and whether it is public or private, while location is not as much of a factor, new research reveals.
Caralee J. Adams, October 21, 2014
1 min read
College & Workforce Readiness Report Roundup Small Schools
New York City's small high schools raise graduation rates and boost college enrollment—at a lower cost per graduate—than the city's larger high schools, according to findings from an ongoing longitudinal study.
Madeline Will, October 21, 2014
1 min read
Law & Courts News in Brief Parents May Be Liable for Fake Facebook Page
A Georgia appeals court ruled last week that parents of a 7th grader who created a fake Facebook account mocking a classmate are potentially liable for negligence for not forcing him to close the account once they learned of it.
Mark Walsh, October 21, 2014
1 min read
School & District Management News in Brief NSBA Ends Partnership With Tobacco Company
The National School Boards Association will immediately stop its work with the R.J. Reynolds' Right Decisions, Right Now youth anti-smoking program, the organization said last week, just days after it first announced the partnership with the tobacco company.
Evie Blad, October 21, 2014
1 min read
Law & Courts News in Brief Archdiocese Proposes Review of Teacher Contracts
The Roman Catholic archdiocese in southwest Ohio is proposing a committee made up of teachers who would advise on future contracts that include morality clauses.
The Associated Press, October 21, 2014
1 min read
Assessment News in Brief Portland Schools Say No to Oregon Goal Setting
Portland, Ore., won't comply with state rules calling for districts to set goals in three subject areas as part of a switch to a new test.
The Associated Press, October 21, 2014
1 min read
Special Education News in Brief L.A. Faulted on Data System for Special Ed. Students
Problems with the Los Angeles Unified School District's new student-tracking system led to widespread issues in identifying special-needs students and placing them in the correct programs, a report concludes.
McClatchy-Tribune, October 21, 2014
1 min read
Equity & Diversity News in Brief Civil Rights Pact Addresses Transgender Treatment
California's Downey Unified School District has entered into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Education's office for civil rights after a complaint alleged one of its schools discriminated against a transgender student.
Evie Blad, October 21, 2014
1 min read
Education Funding News in Brief Wis. Gives Millions to Schools Booted From Voucher Plan
Wisconsin has spent some $139 million on vouchers in the past decade to pay tuition for students attending private schools that were eventually disqualified from the state's program, according to a review by the Wisconsin State Journal.
Arianna Prothero, October 21, 2014
1 min read
College & Workforce Readiness News in Brief Regents Approve Standards, Opening Door for Okla. Waiver
Oklahoma's institutions of higher education last week ruled that the state's K-12 academic standards are rigorous enough to get students ready for college and the workforce.
Alyson Klein, October 21, 2014
1 min read
School & District Management News in Brief Deasy Resigns as L.A. Chief; Cortines Takes Interim Helm
Superintendent John Deasy resigned last week from the Los Angeles Unified School District, bringing an end to an at-times tumultuous run as the chief of the nation's second-largest district.
Lesli A. Maxwell, October 21, 2014
1 min read
School Climate & Safety News in Brief Ebola Concerns Prompt School Screenings, Closures
Three Texas school districts closed some schools last week in response to news that a nurse who was recently diagnosed with the Ebola virus flew on a commercial airplane while she may have been showing symptoms.
Evie Blad, October 21, 2014
1 min read
Reading & Literacy Letter to the Editor Debate Over Free Reading in Schools Dates Back Decades
To the Editor:
The Curriculum Matters blog post "N.Y.C. Chancellor Pushes for Schools to Reinstate Independent Reading Time" states that there has been "little media attention" given to the issue of free reading in school. There has, however, been a great deal of attention paid to this question in professional educational publications.
October 21, 2014
1 min read
Education Funding Letter to the Editor Reader: Hawaii Early-Childhood Measure Blurs Church and State
To the Editor:
Amendment 4 on the November ballot in Hawaii would authorize tax support for private early-childhood education programs in secular and faith-based private schools.
October 21, 2014
1 min read
School Climate & Safety Letter to the Editor New Organization Questions Military Presence in U.S. Schools
To the Editor:
Amidst alarm over the militarization of school police officers, it is worth remembering that it's likely only 20-plus school districts have participated in the Pentagon's giveaway program. Moreover, in most cases the military weaponry will remain safely out of sight unless there is a true emergency. So, why the outrage? Scenes from the suburbs of St. Louis shocked the nation this summer, and no one wants school police to resemble Ferguson's warrior cops.
October 21, 2014
1 min read