Issues

May 18, 2016

Education Week, Vol. 35, Issue 31
Law & Courts Interdistrict Enrollment Is Appealing But Tricky
An expansive new law in Florida allowing students to more easily cross district lines to go to school spotlights the opportunities and challenges in open enrollment.
Sarah Tully, May 17, 2016
8 min read
Ben Kang, an 8th grader at Longfellow Middle School in Falls Church, Va.,struggles over a question as students compete in the Countdown round of the MathCounts national competition in Washington last week.
Ben Kang, an 8th grader at Longfellow Middle School in Falls Church, Va.,struggles over a question as students compete in the Countdown round of the MathCounts national competition in Washington last week.
T.J. Kirkpatrick/Redux for Education Week
Student Well-Being Elite Math Competitions Struggle to Diversify Their Talent Pool
A mix of social and cultural forces keeps many African-American, Latino, and low-income students off the track toward international math recognition.
Liana Loewus, May 17, 2016
9 min read
In this image taken with a fisheye lens, the doors to public restrooms are propped open at a office complex on Monday, May 9, 2016 in Anaheim, Calif. A California lawmaker says he'll bring up for a vote Monday his proposal requiring single-stall public restrooms to be gender-neutral, hours after North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory sued the federal government to defend that state's law restricting access to restrooms based on the gender listed on a person's birth certificate.
In this image taken with a fisheye lens, the doors to public restrooms are propped open at a office complex on Monday, May 9, 2016 in Anaheim, Calif. A California lawmaker says he'll bring up for a vote Monday his proposal requiring single-stall public restrooms to be gender-neutral, hours after North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory sued the federal government to defend that state's law restricting access to restrooms based on the gender listed on a person's birth certificate.
Chris Carlson/AP
Law & Courts Schools at Center of Feud Over N.C. Transgender Law
An escalating legal fight between the Obama administration and state officials could still leave federal funds at risk for the state's K-12 schools.
Evie Blad, May 17, 2016
5 min read
Merrick B. Garland, President Barack Obama’s nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, clerked for Justice William J. Brennan Jr. during the 1978-79 term, when he was involved in cases about desegregation and religious schools.
Merrick B. Garland, President Barack Obama’s nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, clerked for Justice William J. Brennan Jr. during the 1978-79 term, when he was involved in cases about desegregation and religious schools.
Susan Walsh/AP
Law & Courts High-Court Nominee's Clerkship Combed for Hints on K-12
Merrick B. Garland, nominated for a U.S. Supreme Court seat, clerked for Justice William J. Brennan Jr. in the 1978-79 term, which included high-profile education cases.
Mark Walsh, May 17, 2016
9 min read
Accountability States Eye Data Dashboard for Nuanced Accountability
Educators and lawmakers in some states want to move away from one-size-fits-all school rankings and offer more information using a model drawn from the business world.
Daarel Burnette II, May 17, 2016
8 min read
Every Student Succeeds Act Nontraditional Sector Seen Having High Share of Low-Grad.-Rate Schools
A report finds that charter, virtual, and alternative schools account for a disproportionate percentage of schools with low graduation rates.
Catherine Gewertz, May 17, 2016
4 min read
Classroom Technology 1-to-1 Laptop Initiatives Boost Student Scores, Study Finds
A meta-analysis of 15 years' worth of research found 1-to-1 laptop programs had a positive impact on students' English, math, and science scores.
Benjamin Herold, May 17, 2016
6 min read
Ronald F. Ferguson, the director of the Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard University, examined the systemic and structural barriers that make school success harder to achieve for black, Latino, and Native American boys.
Ronald F. Ferguson, the director of the Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard University, examined the systemic and structural barriers that make school success harder to achieve for black, Latino, and Native American boys.
Equity & Diversity For Boys of Color, 'Complex Web' of Obstacles Hinder Success
A new report from the Urban Institute explains how systemic barriers that begin at birth put black, Latino, and Native American males at risk of underperformance.
Corey Mitchell, May 17, 2016
6 min read
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College & Workforce Readiness Opinion Before College, Take a Gap Year
After Malia Obama's decision to delay college, more high school graduates should consider the importance of an academic break, argues David Santulli.
David Santulli, May 17, 2016
4 min read
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States Opinion The K-12 Funding Crisis
States must invest in better school funding systems to improve student outcomes, say law professors Charles J. Ogletree Jr. and Kimberly Jenkins Robinson.
Charles J. Ogletree Jr. & Kimberly Jenkins Robinson, May 17, 2016
5 min read
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College & Workforce Readiness Opinion Why 10th Grade Should Be the New Senior Year
Allowing students to graduate after their sophomore year and providing two years of alternative options could curb dropout rates, proposes Blair E. Lybbert.
Blair E. Lybbert, May 17, 2016
6 min read
BRIC ARCHIVE
Jared Boggess for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Opinion Graduation Rates Are Better, But We're Not There Yet
Despite the increase in high school graduates, barriers to a diploma are still present for many students, writes John Gomperts.
John Gomperts, May 17, 2016
6 min read
Education Best of the Blogs Blogs of the Week
May 17, 2016
9 min read
College & Workforce Readiness Letter to the Editor New York State Chancellor Has a Powerful K-12 Opportunity
To the Editor:
Betty Rosa's election as the chancellor of the New York state board of regents presents an opportunity for her to lead significant education reform in New York ("N.Y. Board of Regents Appoints Former Bronx Administrator as New Chancellor" and "Newly Elected N.Y. Chancellor Voices Sympathy for Testing Opt-Outs").
May 17, 2016
1 min read
Equity & Diversity Letter to the Editor Research Finds Black Males' Interest in K-12 Teaching Rising
To the Editor:
In the Education Week article "Black Male Teachers a Rarity," attention is called to disturbing statistics about the attrition of teachers of color, and, in particular, male teachers of color, in public schools across the country. The article suggests that while the pool of qualified and committed teachers of color is increasing, these same teachers are also leaving the profession at a higher rates than white teachers. It draws upon research findings that "many nonwhite educators feel voiceless and incapable of effecting change in their schools."
May 17, 2016
1 min read
Every Student Succeeds Act Letter to the Editor ESSA Can Empower States to Improve Teacher Training
To the Editor:
As Michael V. McGill wrote in his recent Commentary, "Making the Most of ESSA," the new Every Student Succeeds Act gives states tremendous latitude in how they educate teachers. States should seize this opportunity to improve our nation's schools by rethinking how we prepare teachers for the classroom.
May 17, 2016
1 min read
School Climate & Safety Letter to the Editor Social-Emotional Learning Needs Funding Support Under ESSA
To the Editor:
In rethinking the use of federal funding under the Every Student Succeeds Act, the state and district leaders referenced in an April 5 Politics K-12 blog post should support using federal dollars to fund social-emotional learning programming ("State Leaders Hear How to Rethink Their Use of Federal Funding Under ESSA").
May 17, 2016
1 min read
Teaching Profession News in Brief Transition
Paolo DeMaria, who previously worked for the Ohio education department, has been appointed the next schools superintendent by the Ohio board of education.
May 17, 2016
1 min read
School & District Management Report Roundup Study: Graduation Rate Inequities Persist
Since 2004, students in New York City have been allowed to choose where to attend high school. But freedom to leave their neighborhood schools hasn't led to higher graduation rates for students from low-income families, a new study finds.
Catherine Gewertz, May 17, 2016
1 min read
Early Childhood Report Roundup Preschool
Total spending on public preschool, adjusted for inflation, has surpassed pre-recession levels for the first time since 2008, according to the latest data from the National Institute for Early Education Research, or NIEER, a think tank in New Jersey focused on early education.
Lillian Mongeau, May 17, 2016
1 min read
Law & Courts News in Brief Ala. District Pays Settlement to Girl Used to Lure Predator
The Madison County, Ala., school board revealed last week that it had paid $200,000 to settle a lawsuit by a student who said she was raped in a restroom in 2010 after a school worker tried to use her as bait to catch a predator.
The Associated Press, May 17, 2016
1 min read
Ed-Tech Policy Report Roundup Digital Reading
Among digital natives, performing a task on a screen instead of on paper can lead to a greater focus on concrete details, but less ability to infer meaning or understand the big picture, experiments detailed in the Proceedings of the 2016 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems suggest.
Sarah D. Sparks, May 17, 2016
1 min read
Assessment Report Roundup Access to AP
If states want to expand access to Advanced Placement courses equitably, they should consider requiring all high schools to offer at least one AP course, and to double down on enrolling students who have typically been underrepresented in those classes, according to a new policy brief on the subject.
Catherine Gewertz, May 17, 2016
1 min read
Law & Courts News in Brief N.M. to Abandon Gag Order on Standardized Tests
New Mexico's education department announced last week that it will remove a rule that prohibits teachers from making disparaging remarks about standardized tests.
The Associated Press, May 17, 2016
1 min read
School & District Management News in Brief Bill Likely Brings Feud to a Close in Arizona
The long-standing fight between Arizona's top elected school official and the state board of education may have come to an end.
The Associated Press, May 17, 2016
1 min read
Education Funding News in Brief Audit Finds Lax Oversight in Philadelphia District
The Philadelphia school district has failed to conduct background checks of all its police officers and bus drivers, uses unreliable student-data technology, and is the victim of a "broken" state funding system, according to a performance audit released last week by state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale.
Tribune News Service, May 17, 2016
1 min read
Education Funding News in Brief Texas District to Build $63 Million School Stadium
Four years after the Allen Independent district in Texas opened its $60 million multisport stadium, voters in McKinney, Texas, ensured yet another multimillion-dollar facility will be coming to the Lone Star State.
Bryan Toporek, May 17, 2016
1 min read
Law & Courts News in Brief N.J. Settles Lawsuit Over Graduation Rules
New Jersey has settled a lawsuit over its new graduation rules by ensuring options and protections for this year's seniors.
Catherine Gewertz, May 17, 2016
1 min read
The Chicago Transit Authority's Pink Line train passes over North Lawndale on the west side of Chicago.
The Chicago Transit Authority's Pink Line train passes over North Lawndale on the west side of Chicago.
Alyssa Schukar for Education Week
Law & Courts In Chicago School Funding Battles, Human Costs Are Steep
With district leaders at odds with the teachers' union and state officials over the city's K-12 finances, educators, parents, and students worry about the future.
9 min read