July 16, 2008
Education Week, Vol. 27, Issue 43
College & Workforce Readiness
Career Academies Seen to Pay Off in Higher Earnings
A 15-year research project found that students in career academies were no more likely to attend college than those in traditional high schools, but they earned more money by their mid-20s.
States
Connecticut Lawmakers Enact Level K-12 Budget
Despite a roller-coaster economy, Connecticut’s K-12 budget for fiscal 2008-09 remained exactly as it had been fixed in last year’s legislative session.
Federal
Oregon Ballot Proposal Seeks to Cap Some ELL Services
Supporters of a proposed Oregon ballot initiative are looking forward to the November ballot, now that they have gathered enough signatures to put the measure up for a statewide vote.
Classroom Technology
Edison Schools Retools Itself as Online-Learning Provider
The school-management firm aims in a new direction with the purchase of a software company.
School & District Management
Challenges Steep in Rural Settings
After-school programs in rural areas face particular challenges, but creative strategies are available that can help such programs thrive, says a new report.
Education
Correction
Correction
A story in the June 18, 2008, issue of Education Week about a private-school-voucher plan for New Orleans misspelled the name of a senior litigation attorney at the Institute for Justice. His name is Richard D. Komer.
Special Education
Braille Makes a Comeback
Technology, once seen as heralding the end of the communication method, is instead making it easier for students to learn it.
School Choice & Charters
News in Brief
Charter Advocates Urging Quality
Despite concern over their mixed results, a growing group of advocates is working to improve the quality of charter schools across the country.
Federal
News in Brief
Minn. Governor to Head ECS:
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a Republican in his second term, is the new leader of the Education Commission of the States. The president of ECS serves two years. He succeeds Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a Democrat.
School Choice & Charters
News in Brief
D.C. Voucher Program Survives:
The private-school-voucher program for the District of Columbia would continue for another year, following a key U.S. House panel vote.
Federal
Congress Eyes Modest Increases in FY 2009 Education Spending
The education spending bills now making their way through the House and the Senate would provide only modest increases for key federal education programs.
Reading & Literacy
‘Reading First’ Funds Headed for Extinction
Federal, state, and local officials are scrambling to figure out how to sustain the program, or at least some of the instructional changes it fueled.
Education
News in Brief
College Board Changes SAT Policy:
Students who take the SAT more than once will soon be able to cherry-pick which scores they want colleges to see.
Standards
News in Brief
Site Offers Translated Standards:
A new English-language Web site provides access to mathematics and science standards from several high-performing Asian nations.
Federal
School Spending Priority A Key Point of Difference For Presidential Hopefuls
Obama is proposing $18 billion in new federal education money, while McCain sees NCLB funding as adequate, and weighs a domestic spending freeze.
Federal
News in Brief
Education Slips As Election Issue
With the general election looming, voters’ concerns about rising gas prices and the sagging economy trump education as a campaign issue, even as more Americans believe the nation’s schools are getting worse, according to a national poll released by the Public Education Network.
Teaching Profession
Weigh Student Gains, NBPTS Urged
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards ought to take into account student-learning gains in deciding which teachers are skilled enough to merit receiving its credential, says a new study.
Education
News in Brief
Former Texas Employee Sues Over Dismissal After Creationism E-Mail
The former science curriculum director at the Texas Education Agency has filed suit charging that she was improperly fired for forwarding an e-mail regarding a public event about evolution.
Professional Development
News in Brief
GE Funds Math, Science in N.Y.C.:
The foundation for the General Electric Co. is providing a $5 million grant to improve science, technology, engineering, and mathematics instruction in 10 public schools in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood.
School & District Management
Federal File
Interest Builds for McCain to Detail Education Views
Although the Arizona Republican has touted his support for merit pay and school choice, education policy wonks still aren’t certain how he would handle such major issues as the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act.
Federal
Report Roundup
Bureau of Indian Education
Most Bureau of Indian Education schools have officially adopted the definition of AYP of the states in which the schools are located, a report says.
School Choice & Charters
NEA Delegates Block Private School Workers From Membership
Nearly two-thirds of union's delegates turn down a proposal to accept private K-12 employees.
Education
Report Roundup
Middle Schools
Accelerated middle schools, a strategy that involves “catching up” students who lag behind through intensive teaching in separate schools or classrooms, is the latest program to get a qualified nod from the What Works Clearinghouse.
School Climate & Safety
Criminal Records Focus of Fla. Law
A new law in Florida is intended to reveal any criminal skeletons in the closets of the state’s teachers—but big questions remain about how the Ethics in Education Act will be implemented.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Native American Culture
Fewer than a third of children who identify themselves as American Indian or Alaska Native report knowing “a lot” about their tribe or group, says a study.
Education Funding
Education Spending in R.I. Flat Amid Budget Squeeze
Gov. Donald L. Carcieri signed off on the state’s $6.9 billion budget for fiscal 2009 on June 26, including $690 million for K-12 public education in fiscal year 2009.
School & District Management
Rhode Island Law Allows Municipal Leaders to Charter Schools
R.I. has enacted legislation permitting the creation of “mayoral academies”—public charter schools overseen by a group of municipal leaders and intended to serve a diverse student population regionwide.
Education
Report Roundup
High-Stakes Spillover Seen
So-called “high stakes” testing policies in reading and mathematics have had a positive effect on the science performance of students in struggling Florida schools, a study concludes.
Early Childhood
States Eye Research to Shape Pre-K Priorities
States are now using child-development research to guide decisions on how they should delegate resources for early-childhood services.