October 24, 2007
Education Week, Vol. 27, Issue 09
Reading & Literacy
‘Reading First’ Panel Awaits Program Evaluation Reports
Is Reading First working? Advocates claim it is and critics say it isn’t, while others contend there isn’t enough information to know.
School & District Management
Ontario Pins Hopes on Practices, Not Testing, to Achieve
Americans who want to see school improvement that is focused less on test-scores and more on engaging teachers and principals should look to the North.
Teaching Profession
‘Peace and Stability’ Campaign Prevails for Ontario’s Unions
The Premier’s policies include salary increases and engendered trust.
Families & the Community
When It Comes to Math and Science, Mom and Dad Count
The connection between parental influence and children’s interest in math and science has received increasing attention among researchers, as educators search for ways to urge more students to pursue the subjects.
School Choice & Charters
A Choice Showdown
In a conservative state, where the public schools remain popular, an ambitious new voucher program faces a fierce ballot challenge.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
Missing Dillon
Teacher Dennis Danziger remembers a remarkable student—and wonders what he could have been.
School & District Management
Opinion
The Not-So-Inevitable Failure of High School Conversions
Stephen Fink and Max Silverman offer specific strategies to increase the likelihood of small schools’ success.
Law & Courts
Opinion
‘Because Race Can’t Be Ignored’
The colorblind ideal is seductive, but history tells us that it fails as a practical strategy to improve race relations, Zoë Burkholder writes.
Special Education
Videos Spotlight Warning Signs of Autism on Web
Toddlers with autism spectrum disorders often have symptoms that are so subtle that parents and educators lose the advantage of early, effective treatment.
Education
Correction
Correction
A news brief in the Oct. 17, 2007, edition of Education Week about an executive transition at the Lumina Foundation mistakenly omitted the last name of Martha D. Lamkin, who is retiring as president and chief executive officer. She is being succeeded on Jan. 1 by Jamie P. Merisotis.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Atlanta Superintendent Reappointed
Beverly L. Hall, the superintendent of the Atlanta school system, has been reappointed to another three-year term, officials said last week.
School & District Management
News in Brief
D.C. Mayor Seeks Authority to Clean House
Adrian M. Fenty has asked local lawmakers to grant his schools chancellor more authority to fire hundreds of central-office staff members.
Education
Letter to the Editor
Missing a Crucial Event in Albert Shanker’s Evolution
Your article on Richard D. Kahlenberg’s recently published biography of Albert Shanker gives short shrift to the effect that Ocean Hill-Brownsville had on Mr. Shanker and the largest local union in the AFL-CIO.
Education
Letter to the Editor
Performance Pay Means Bottom-Line Teaching
To pay teachers more for their students’ higher test scores is to eliminate their role as educators and make them old-time “pieceworkers.”
Federal
News in Brief
Evers Wins Senate Confirmation for Education Department Post
The U.S. Senate last week confirmed Williamson M. Evers to serve as assistant secretary for planning, evaluation, and policy development in the U.S. Department of Education.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Arizona Lawmakers Get Deadline on Plan to Pay for ELL Services
A federal judge has set a deadline of March 4 for the Arizona legislature to approve a plan to pay adequately for the education of English-language learners.
Education
News in Brief
ETS Wins Five-Year NAEP Contract, Continuing Firm’s Work Since 1983
Nonprofit organization will design, analyze, and report information for "nation's report card."
Education
Report Roundup
Small High Schools
A study of the New Century High Schools in New York City has found that their students dropped out less often and graduated on time at much higher rates than did their peers citywide.
Federal
Report Roundup
NCLB and School Choice
A higher percentage of students participate in supplemental educational services than in school choice programs available under the No Child Left Behind Act, but very few parents are actually aware of the existence of either of these federal programs, says a policy brief.
Education
Report Roundup
CDC Nutrition Study
Since 2000, public schools have cut down on the amount of junk food served in cafeterias and increased the number of physical education courses required for elementary school students, a recent report says.
Education
Report Roundup
Rural Enrollment Seen Growing
After years of steady decline, enrollment in rural schools increased 15 percent from the 2003-04 school year to 2004-05, largely because of a significant boost in minority students, says a report.
Federal
Federal File
Report Card Time for Research Arm of Education Dept.
The Institute of Education Sciences, the research arm of the Department of Education, is the latest department program to get an “effective” rating from the White House Office of Management and Budget.
Recruitment & Retention
Employees Sharing in Alaska’s Bonuses
Visitors arrive by plane and ferry to the remote, 130-student Hoonah City School District, located on an island off the Alaskan coast.
Law & Courts
Justices Decline to Hear 2nd IDEA Case on Tuition
The U.S. Supreme Court won’t be resolving an important question about private school placements under federal special education law in its current term.
Curriculum
Genocide Claiming a Larger Place in Middle and High School Lessons
With an array of new curriculum resources, teachers are finding ways to give their students a more comprehensive look at genocide historically and in current events.
Student Well-Being
Experiments Aim to Ease Effects of ‘Stereotype Threat’
Researchers are developing tools and techniques to improve the academic achievement of students who are most likely to suffer from negative stereotypes in the classroom.
Education Funding
In Consolidating Districts, States Run Tricky Course To Secure Local Support
States are dealing with complications over funding, resistance from residents, and criticism that the plans may not save as much money as promised.
Teaching
Opinion
Stop the Narrowing of the Curriculum by ‘Right-Sizing’ School Time
Educators need to significantly expand learning time in order to match 21st-century learning goals, S. Paul Reville contends.
Federal
Reading Aid Seen to Lag in ELL Focus
Educators and experts want to refine Reading First to better cater to children acquiring English.