March 22, 2006
Education Week, Vol. 25, Issue 28
School & District Management
Later High School Start Times a Reaction to Research
The West Des Moines school board last week adopted later daily starting times for the Iowa district’s high schools that will go into effect next school year. In Milwaukee, district officials are now letting high school students start their days 30 minutes to an hour later. The Tulsa, Okla., public schools, meanwhile, have flipped the starting times for elementary and high schools to give the older students more rest.
Curriculum
Public Boarding School Seeking to Expand
The founders of the nation’s only public boarding school are pushing efforts in several states to replicate their program, which takes poor students out of unstable homes and puts them in a rigorous, round-the-clock college-preparatory setting.
Science
Talk of U.S. Crisis in Math, Science is Largely Misplaced, Skeptics Say
Contemporary warnings about the gathering storm facing the U.S. economy are being met with some skepticism. The skeptics don't challenge the need for improving math and science education at the K-12 level, a course of action that is at the heart of most of the current proposals aimed at protecting America's competitiveness. They just wonder if it's the right solution to the wrong problem.
Education
SAT Glitches Prompt Broader Testing Worries
On the heels of revealing that it had mistakenly reported lower scores for 4,000 students—and higher scores for 600—who took the SAT in October, the College Board admitted last week that a batch of 1,600 answer sheets was not rechecked as part of a corrective effort launched when the first round of errors was discovered.
Education
Illinois Schools Adjust to Delays, Mishaps by Test Company
School districts across Illinois have scrambled to reschedule test dates and review test materials in response to a series of delays and problems with their statewide assessment—setbacks that state officials blame on the contractor hired to produce and deliver the exams.
Education
Early Services Benefit Low-Birth-Weight Babies, Study Finds
Children with low birth weights who receive early intervention and educational services are likely to have higher reading and math scores and better behavior in school than similar children who do not receive such services, a new study shows.
Law & Courts
N.C. Judge’s Threat Puts Heat on Struggling High Schools
A state judge’s threat to close some of North Carolina’s lowest-performing high schools is prompting angry reactions among local education leaders, while also spurring state efforts to give the schools promised technical help.
Education
National PTA Aims to Restore Time for Recess
The National PTA and the Cartoon Network unveiled a public relations campaign last week that seeks to protect or reinstate recess time for elementary school children.
College & Workforce Readiness
Kentucky Moves Toward College Test for All
Kentucky is on the verge of integrating a college-admissions test into its state testing system, and it may soon be followed by other states also trying to provide students with a new gateway to college.
Education
About This Report: Executive Agendas
Education Week reviews the 2005 education agendas and outcomes for all 50 governors, and notes their 2006 priorities. Includes state data interactive map and PDF of entire report.
School & District Management
Executive Agendas
Governors are focusing much of their attention on two critical areas of education policy—high school and preschool—a 50-state look at the nation’s governors and their leadership on education over the past year shows.
School Climate & Safety
Bill Would Offer More Access to Crime Data
Educators in every state soon may have an extra source for identifying sex offenders and other criminals who apply to work as teachers and other school staff members, or who volunteer to work with children in public and private schools.
School & District Management
‘Education Governor’ Is a Relative Term
Which of the 50 governors can claim to be a true “education governor”?
Ed-Tech Policy
Initiative Pushes ‘Open Technologies’
A new initiative spearheaded by the Consortium for School Networking aims to raise awareness among schools about so-called “open technologies,” software and computer operating systems with content and applications that have few or no licensing restrictions.
School & District Management
Rural Educators Step Up Capitol Hill Lobbying Efforts
Karen Smith traveled 1,000 miles from her job as an elementary school principal in Evening Shade, Ark., to let members of Congress know last week that rural educators are worried about President Bush’s proposed budget cuts for education, and that rural schools need more attention.
School & District Management
Project to Vet Think Tanks’ Work With Eye Out for Ideological Bias
A just-launched project will review education reports released by private think tanks for the quality of their research, methodology, and conclusions, using expert academic reviewers.
Teaching Profession
Path to Classroom Not Linked to Teachers’ Success
The certification pathway that New York City teachers took to their classrooms seemed to have little relationship to how effective they were in raising students’ scores, concludes a study that matched some 10,000 teachers with six years of test results.
Accountability
Opinion
Is Tenure an Anachronism?
Teacher quality, more than any other factor, influences student learning, argues Marc F. Bernstein. Therefore, he claims, teachers must be evaluated over longer periods of time and by standards of student success before receiving tenure.
Education
Opinion
Chat Wrap-Up: One-to-One Computing
On March 8, Education Week sponsored an online chat on one-to-one computing programs, in which schools provide a computing device for every student.
Education
Opinion
New in Print: Disability's Blessings
An excerpt from Dana Buchman's recent book, "A Special Education: One Family's Journey Through the Maze of Learning Disabilities."
Education
Opinion
New in Print
Reviews of the latest books dealing with education, including publications focused on race and education, as well as language and child development.
International
Opinion
China’s Modernization Plan
Vivien Stewart, the vice president for education of the Asia Society, examines China's remarkable educational growth. She explains why this growth, and that of other nations, compels American leaders to carefully reassess the U.S. education agenda.
School & District Management
Opinion
Mediocrity: Deplorable, Yes. Until We Consider the Alternative
Rona Wilensky, the principal of New Vista High School in Boulder, Colo., questions the proposals announced by some of the country's "education governors" to fix the nation's high schools. While most policy leaders set requirements before supplying the means to meet them, Wilensky argues for a reversal of this trend: Give schools and educators the necessary resources before requiring them to implement reform.
Education
Events
21-23—Community involvement: National & Global Youth Service Days, sponsored by Youth Service America, for educators and students, nationwide. Contact: Karen Daniel, 1101 15th St. N.W., Suite 200, Washington, DC 20005; (202) 296-2992; e-mail: karen@ysa.org; Web site: www.ysa.org/nysd.
April
21-23—Community involvement: National & Global Youth Service Days, sponsored by Youth Service America, for educators and students, nationwide. Contact: Karen Daniel, 1101 15th St. N.W., Suite 200, Washington, DC 20005; (202) 296-2992; e-mail: karen@ysa.org; Web site: www.ysa.org/nysd.
Education
Letter to the Editor
More on Preschool and ‘Entitlement’ Programs
To the Editor:
In response to Walt Gardner's March 8, 2006, letter to the editor defending preschool education, I am well aware of the premier High/Scope Perry Preschool Project and its results. However, Mr. Gardner and preschool proponents in general are asking us to create a very expensive entitlement program (without a sunset clause) on the basis of a study involving 123 schoolchildren in Michigan that began in 1962.
In response to Walt Gardner's March 8, 2006, letter to the editor defending preschool education, I am well aware of the premier High/Scope Perry Preschool Project and its results. However, Mr. Gardner and preschool proponents in general are asking us to create a very expensive entitlement program (without a sunset clause) on the basis of a study involving 123 schoolchildren in Michigan that began in 1962.
Education
Letter to the Editor
Safe-Schools Funding Cut Is Seen as ‘Inexcusable’
To the Editor:
I am shocked and dismayed by the proposed elimination of the $345.5 million federal Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities program in President Bush’s 2007 budget ("Drug-Free-Schools Grants Targeted by Bush," March 1, 2006).
I am shocked and dismayed by the proposed elimination of the $345.5 million federal Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities program in President Bush’s 2007 budget ("Drug-Free-Schools Grants Targeted by Bush," March 1, 2006).
Education
Letter to the Editor
More Money? Spend It on Cultural Understanding
To the Editor:
My comments in response to Kevin Carey’s Commentary, "Is There a Heyday on the Horizon?" (March 1, 2006) are inspired by Scott Thompson’s Commentary, “The Importance of ‘Reculturing,’ ” in the same issue.
My comments in response to Kevin Carey’s Commentary, "Is There a Heyday on the Horizon?" (March 1, 2006) are inspired by Scott Thompson’s Commentary, “The Importance of ‘Reculturing,’ ” in the same issue.
Education
A Washington Roundup
House Extends Ed-Flex, Student-Loan Programs
The House of Representatives last week approved a bill extending student-financial-aid programs in the Higher Education Act through June 30.