Browse our collection of education articles, audio reports, webcasts, blog posts, and video from around the Web. This blog is no longer being updated.
Education
All-Girls Prom Offers Alternative for Muslim Teens
A girls-only event offered Muslim teens in Minnesota a fun alternative to the more traditional proms some forgo for religious or cultural reasons, according to a story in the Pioneer Press.
Education
Hungry for a Night
Edutopia features a fascinating video look at Heifer International’s Global Village in Perryville, Ak. A humanitarian organization, Heifer International works to end world hunger. The group is best-known for its work using donations to purchase livestock, like cows, goats and chickens, for residents of poverty stricken areas in 125 countries to provide a sustainable food source and sometimes a source of income for families. But here in the United States, the group also runs its Heifer Ranch in Arkansas as well as some other domestic learning centers.
Education
Austin Considering All-Boys Academy
Austin (Texas) school officials have launched a survey to gauge support for a new public all-boys school. "The proposed Young Men’s Leadership Academy would be a college prep school offering advanced courses in communications, technology, math, and science," according to the homeroom blog on the Austin American-Statesman Web site. Austin already plans to open the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders this fall.
Education
When Schools Crack Down on Bathroom Breaks
The highly personal issue of school bathroom breaks is explored in a USA Today story about schools who don't let kids go any time they want. In attempts to crack down on kids who see bathroom breaks as a convenient way to meet friends and misbehave, some schools are limiting how many times students can head to the restroom. But these limits can sometime have "dire consequences" for children who really do need to use the bathroom, the newspaper reports. The story seems to have touched a nerve based on some of the comments posted on the USA Today Web site.
Education
'Sleepwalking' Toward Segregation in the UK
The Observer reports that many English schools are "sleepwalking" toward segregation. In many communities—particularly those in mill towns in northern England—students rarely attend class with children of a different ethnic background.
Education
Court to Decide Whether Vaccines Linked to Autism
Most people know the that numbers of children being diagnosed with autism are on the rise and schools are developing programs aimed at helping many of these students go forward with their education. But the debate over what causes autism continues to rage. Some parents say their children’s autism was caused by vaccines, or more specifically thimerosal, a mercury-based vaccine preservative now banned from most vaccines. The debate over thimerosal is heated, with many health professionals saying there is no evidence the preservative has been linked to autism and many anguished parents who believe it to be a root cause. On June 11 a legal hearing over a case brought by parents of an autistic child is set to settle the matter (at least in a legal sense). This PointofLaw.com article says the case is to be heard in Washington in U.S. Federal Claims court. Emotions surrounding the case are definitely running high: the witness list is to remain secret so that the witnesses will not be harassed. Regardless of the outcome of the case, the debate is likely to continue.
Education
'Hands-On Science' Shutting Down
A nonprofit known for its popular after-school science program has announced plans to shut down later this year after 27 years in operation—a victim, at least in part, officials say, of the drive to tie extracurricular activities to improved test scores. Hands On Science Outreach Founder Phyllis Katz told The Washington Post that her "recreational science" offerings did help children learn, but because the program was informal, "we didn't test the children so we couldn't tell you at the end of an eight-week session, 'The kids learned X amount.' " At one point, Hands On Science served 40,000 children a year nationwide. That number is now down to 21,000, according to the Post. Katz said feels good about the program's legacy: "We've had a 27-year run, and we've impacted hundreds of thousands of kids and tens of thousands of adults. We had an impact."
Education
Giving an Old Building New Life as a School
Recycling is a hot topic in many schools, but this month's issue of District Administration looks at recycling entire buildings for use as schools. In "RE-Construction," writer Peggy Bresnick Kendler looks at "adaptive reuse" where old or abandoned buildings are repurposed for use as schools. While not a trend, adaptive reuse is a viable and valuable option for schools, according to Molly Smith, associate vice president of NANA Consulting Services, an educational facilities planning consultant firm based in Mesa, Ariz. "A lot of districts just get in the mode of looking for land instead of looking at the resources within their communities," says Smith, who is quoted in the article. Before moving forward, however, districts should hire the right experts to make sure an old building isn't a fire hazard, Smith advises. The National Clearinghouse on Educational Facilities offers a more detailed look at the phenomenon in a 2003 briefing paper.
Education
Cheesy Penalty for a Late School Lunch Bill
Pay up, or all you'll get is a cheese sandwich. That's the story from The San Diego Union-Tribune, which reports on elementary schools in Chula Vista, Calif., where the method for getting deadbeat parents to pay their children's school-lunch fees is restricting their children to a cheese sandwich lunch. In Chula Vista, a school lunch costs $1.50. District officials say they racked up $285,000 in unpaid lunch bills just four years ago, but their new sandwich restriction cut that debt by more than $100,000 in 2003, the first year it was implemented.
Education
'Gradcasts' Bring Graduation Experience to You
Love your grad, but hate the graduation ceremony hassles? Why not just kick back at home and watch the festivities there? Thanks to "gradcasts," as some are calling them, several school districts in Texas are offering live streaming video of all the pomp and circumstance, the Houston Chronicle reports. District officials told the newspaper the technology was not hard to master. "We spent $150 and made absolutely no promises," said John Crumbley, director of technology and support services for the Aldine (Texas) school district.
Education
RAND Examines NCLB's Impact in Three States
In a new report based on five years of research, RAND Corporation considers standards-based accountability in three very different states—California, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. Educators' views of standards-based accountability were "mixed"—they liked the idea, but not always the reality, RAND said. The report also lays out educators' recommendations for improving the accountability provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act, including finding better methods for measuring school and student performance. One area of agreement across state lines: school improvement. RAND said that, despite differences in accountability systems, superintendents "generally ranked three activities as most important: aligning curriculum with state standards and assessments, using data for decision-making, and providing extra support to low-performing students."
Education
Are Catholic Schools Dying Out?
Catholic schools are struggling these days to remain viable options for students, particularly in the inner city where they often deal with some of the most disadvantaged students around. This City Journal story chronicles the efforts of Harlem’s Rice High School and its struggle to stay afloat, along with a solid overview of Catholic schools in general as they face falling enrollment and the decline of donations. Education Week details one recent bright spot for Catholic schools, however, with a story this month on some mega-donations New York’s Catholic schools received from wealthy philanthropists.
Education
New Rules Expand Choice in England
New regulations taking effect in England today make it easier for dissatisfied parents and groups to open government-supported schools of their own.
Education
The 24-7 Role of the High School Principal
Along with its annual list of "America's Best High Schools," Newsweek explores the role of the principal in making a school great.