September 23, 2015
Education Week, Vol. 35, Issue 05
Federal
Opinion
How I Teach My English-Language Learners to Love Writing
Once a journalist covering English-language learners, Mary-Ann Zehr realized she had a lot to learn once she stepped into the classroom.
Student Well-Being
Opinion
Carol Dweck Revisits the 'Growth Mindset'
Carol Dweck, who parsed the difference between a "fixed" and a "growth" mindset, clarifies her theories of intelligence.
School & District Management
GOP Debaters Give Glancing Mention to Education
The latest face-off among Republicans running for the White House included allusions to federal overreach, little of substance on K-12.
School & District Management
One-on-One With Arne Duncan
As his annual back-to-school bus tour rolled along, the Secretary of Education talked talked waivers, common core, and other issues with Education Week's Alyson Klein.
School & District Management
Online Credit Recovery in Need of Improvement, Study Says
School districts need to make changes to their online credit-recovery programs to focus greater attention on content mastery and evidence of learning gains.
School & District Management
Pressure Mounts Against Schools' Confederate Ties
The racially motivated church shooting in Charleston, S.C., has spurred districts to reconsider school names, mascots, and imagery linked to the Old South. Such moves stir sharp debate.
English-Language Learners
As ELL Tests Move Online, Educators Hope for Better Gauge of Skills
Most states will shift to new, computer-based assessments to measure their ELLs' English-language proficiency this school year.
Curriculum
Opinion
Why Do Students Hate History?
In history class, students should explore topics of interest, not just memorize a chronology of events, writes Greg Milo.
Science
Opinion
STEM Should Broaden, Not Narrow, the Curriculum
The integration of STEM in schools will spark innovation, not diminish other subjects, write Ann Myers and Jill Berkowicz.
School & District Management
From Pre-K to Higher Ed., Duncan Touts Priorities on Bus Tour
The education secretary hit the road a multistate, back-to-school trek, joined at one point by President Barack Obama.
School & District Management
KIPP Students Found to Have Edge in Academics But Not Attitude
A final evaluation of KIPP finds that its schools continue to have a positive impact on student achievement, even as the network expands.
Accountability
Ferguson Commission Urges K-12 Changes to Combat Inequities
The panel called for focusing on "whole-child" issues and overhauling the way the state handles unaccredited school districts.
Teaching Profession
Letter to the Editor
Student Potential, Not 'Indoctrination,' Should Rule Classroom Learning
To the Editor:
It seems obvious that the focus of any system of education should be to meet the student's need for fulfillment of personal potential, whatever that may be. The reality, however, is very different. My experience as a high school student—and as someone who has taught theater, drama, and communications over a 44-year career at the elementary through college levels—has shown me that the existing system leans more to indoctrination than to education in the Socratic sense.
It seems obvious that the focus of any system of education should be to meet the student's need for fulfillment of personal potential, whatever that may be. The reality, however, is very different. My experience as a high school student—and as someone who has taught theater, drama, and communications over a 44-year career at the elementary through college levels—has shown me that the existing system leans more to indoctrination than to education in the Socratic sense.
Assessment
Letter to the Editor
Multiple-Choice Test: Why Are SAT and ACT Scores Dropping?
To the Editor:
Regarding your article "SAT-ACT Performance for 2015 Graduates Called 'Disappointing,' " here is a quiz for readers.
Regarding your article "SAT-ACT Performance for 2015 Graduates Called 'Disappointing,' " here is a quiz for readers.
Curriculum
Letter to the Editor
When Talking About 'Jeb!,' Don't Neglect His Education Record
To the Editor:
Many pundits ask former Gov. Jeb Bush about his support for the Common Core State Standards, but none questions him about his major gaffe as governor of Florida: eliminating the state's long-standing graduation requirements that students successfully complete courses in American history and government. I find it downright bizarre that this elimination happened in the year after 9/11 and at roughly the same time that numerous surveys reported students lacked basic knowledge of history, civics, and geography. That student performance on social studies assessments is not compared on the National Assessment of Educational Progress could explain why many states do not prioritize civic understanding in the classroom. It could also clarify why Jeb Bush might have felt comfortable eliminating such courses as high school requirements.
Many pundits ask former Gov. Jeb Bush about his support for the Common Core State Standards, but none questions him about his major gaffe as governor of Florida: eliminating the state's long-standing graduation requirements that students successfully complete courses in American history and government. I find it downright bizarre that this elimination happened in the year after 9/11 and at roughly the same time that numerous surveys reported students lacked basic knowledge of history, civics, and geography. That student performance on social studies assessments is not compared on the National Assessment of Educational Progress could explain why many states do not prioritize civic understanding in the classroom. It could also clarify why Jeb Bush might have felt comfortable eliminating such courses as high school requirements.
College & Workforce Readiness
Letter to the Editor
The Economy Depends on Good Geography Instruction
To the Editor:
With students across the nation now back for a new school year, and last year's graduates navigating the job market, we continue to overlook a vital area that can boost academic skills and help our economy sustain full employment: geography.
With students across the nation now back for a new school year, and last year's graduates navigating the job market, we continue to overlook a vital area that can boost academic skills and help our economy sustain full employment: geography.
School & District Management
Teens Need More Sleep, But Districts Struggle to Shift Start Times
Transportation costs and family schedules are among the factors that make changing school start times tough for educators.
Federal
Proposed Budget Cuts Set Sights on Education Research
The Institute of Education Sciences—the U.S. Department of Education's primary research arm—"took a hit" in House and Senate appropriations bills.
Teaching Profession
News in Brief
Washington State Teachers' Unions End—and Begin—Strikes
Teachers in Seattle and in one other Washington state district ended their strikes last week, while the union in another district there walked out.
Education
News in Brief
Transitions
Michael Hinojosa, a former Dallas schools superintendent, is the lone finalist to lead the district again. Jean-Claude Brizard, a former Chicago schools CEO, will join Cross & Joftus, an education and consulting firm, as a partner and vice president.
Student Well-Being
News in Brief
Breathalyzer Tests Given at Catholic High's Games
A Roman Catholic high school in northeast Ohio is requiring students to submit to blood-alcohol-level tests before attending the school's football games.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Wichita District to Use Bus Drivers as Custodians
The Wichita, Kan., school district says it plans to use bus drivers as part-time custodians as part of a pilot program to keep schools clean and costs down.
Student Well-Being
News in Brief
Football Players Transferred After Tackling Referee
Two Texas high school football players who appeared to intentionally tackle a referee during a game this month have been temporarily transferred to an alternative school, awaiting the outcome of a disciplinary hearing.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Arizona Board Turns Tables Against Schools Chief
Frustrated with what they called months of political grandstanding by state schools Superintendent Diane Douglas, a unanimous Arizona board of education voted last week to sue if necessary to force her to provide its investigators with access to teacher records used in disciplinary matters.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Teacher Immune in Suit Over Facebook Search
A teacher who demanded access to a student's Facebook account to investigate threatening and offensive remarks is immune from a lawsuit because it was not clearly established that such a search would violate the student's rights, a federal appeals court has ruled.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Cash-Strapped Chicago Spent Millions on Food
The Chicago school system spent millions of dollars to bring in food and beverages from area restaurants and catering companies, including more than $500,000 since July.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Court Rebuffs L.A. District on Verdict in Abuse Case
The Los Angeles school district was wrong when it argued that a 14-year-old girl shared responsibility for sexual abuse by a teacher because she consented to the sex, a California appeals court said last week, overturning a jury verdict in favor of the district.
Education
News in Brief
$50 Million Contest Seeks Redesign of High Schools
Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Apple founder Steve Jobs, has launched a $50 million competition to create new high school designs that maximize student engagement and achievement.