August 27, 2008
Education Week, Vol. 28, Issue 01
Education
Correction
Corrections
A story in the Aug. 13, 2008, issue of Education Week about the federal Teacher Incentive Fund gave the wrong name for the Santa Monica, Calif.-based National Institute for Excellence in Teaching.
Federal
Survey Gives Obama Edge on Education
A larger proportion of the American public thinks that the Democrats are more likely to strengthen public schools than Republicans, according to a pair of opinion polls.
IT Infrastructure & Management
Instant Messaging, Video Games Probed for Effects on Academics
Researchers at the American Psychological Association's annual convention shared findings on the positive and negative effects of technology on developing and utilizing academic skills.
Federal
Mapping Analysis Finds Interdistrict-Choice Options to Be Limited
The use of interdistrict-choice programs is unlikely to significantly increase most students’ educational opportunities, a new report concludes.
School Climate & Safety
Report Roundup
Corporal Punishment
A report on the practice of paddling in schools finds that males, black students, and students in special education were far more likely to be paddled than their peers.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Teacher ‘Residencies’ Examined
Evidence suggests that urban teacher “residency” programs are attracting talented and diverse recruits to high-needs schools and helping keep them in those schools, a new report says.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Delaying Kindergarten
Children who enter kindergarten a year after they are eligible do better in school initially than their younger peers, but the advantage tends to fade later in their academic careers, according to a study set to appear in the Journal of Human Resources.
Education
News in Brief
Phila. Selects Chief Academic Officer
Maria Pitre has been approved as the Philadelphia public school system’s new chief academic officer.
Education
News in Brief
Hewlett Gets New Education Director
Barbara Chow will join the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation in Menlo Park, Calif., as director of its education program.
Education
News in Brief
Calif. Charter Leader Moving On
Caprice Young, the president and chief executive officer of the California Charter Schools Association, will step down to become an executive at Knowledge Universe Inc.
Education
News in Brief
ETS Europe Loses Contract in U.K. After Mistakes
The United Kingdom’s Qualifications and Curriculum Authority has terminated an exam-grading contract worth about $291 million with ETS Europe.
Curriculum
News in Brief
'Core Knowledge' Reading Set for 11 Schools in N.Y.C.
Eleven New York City schools will use a new reading program this school year developed by the Core Knowledge Foundation.
Education
News in Brief
D.C. Program to Pay Students for Attendance, Performance
D.C. school leaders last week joined ranks with other big-city districts that are experimenting with programs that pay cash to students for showing up at school and performing well.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Science in Plain English
Students introduced to science concepts in everyday English before having them explained in more complex scientific language fare better on tests than students who are given more science-heavy terminology upfront, a study concludes.
Reading & Literacy
Writing to Learn
Writing workshops have drawn a steady and loyal following among teachers seeking to refine their own skills, reflect on their practice, and learn strategies for teaching their young scribes.
School Climate & Safety
Cleveland Schools Faulted on Climate
The Cleveland school district has an inconsistent approach to how it handles students’ behavior problems that must be addressed, in part, by better training of school personnel, says a study by a Washington-based research group.
Federal
Federal File
Some Choice Picks For Research Panel
President Bush has nominated eight candidates to fill existing and forthcoming vacancies on the National Board for Education Sciences.
States
Hard Times Hit Schools
Hard-to-grasp dollar amounts are forcing real cuts in K-12 education at a time when the cost of fueling buses and providing school lunches is increasing and the demands of the federal No Child Left Behind Act still loom large over states and districts.
Education Funding
Districts Cut Back Busing, Seek Ways to Save Energy
A struggling economy and skyrocketing fuel costs are making their grim presence felt as school districts across the country open their doors.
Curriculum
New Algebra 2 Test Suggests States Face High Hurdles
Students across the country struggled with advanced algebra on a first-of-its-kind test in that subject, according to a report to be released this week.
Federal
News in Brief
Blogger ‘Eduwonkette’ Is Identified
The anonymous blogger is taking off her mask to reveal herself as Jennifer Booher-Jennings, a doctoral candidate in sociology at Columbia University.
Education Funding
Hawaii Governor Blasts Travel Costs
Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle, aghast at the $1.2 million that was spent to send more than 600 Hawaiian educators to the Model Schools Conference in Florida, is cracking down on what she considers excessive spending in the state Department of Education.
Recruitment & Retention
Opinion
The Turnstile Superintendency?
Despite problems in their districts, the more successful urban school leaders stick around and make steady progress "more like long-distance runners than flashy sprinters," says Larry Cuban.
Curriculum
Opinion
'Curriculum Is Not Dogma'
"We have created an educational structure that is convenient for government, convenient for teachers, and convenient for society— but seemingly highly unsuitable for many young people," writes Bernard Fryshman.
Student Well-Being
Opinion
Andre's College Application
Elliot Washor, Samuel Steinberg Seidel, and Andre Bradley ask: What constitutes “readiness for college,” and how can this be measured?
IT Infrastructure & Management
Opinion
Is E-Mail a Teacher’s Friend or Foe?
School-related e-mails can make a teacher's job both much easier and much more difficult, says Aliza Libman.
Education
Letter to the Editor
Use Performance Pay in Sweatshops, Not Schools
To the Editor:
The ProComp merit-pay structure set up between the Denver teachers’ union and the city’s school district is in “ferment” because nowhere does research show that it has had any real, positive impact (“Model Plan of Merit Pay in Ferment,” July 30, 2008). Merit-pay plans are established because they sound simple to people who just want their schools or kids to do better, and because politicians will say or do anything to look good, especially when they really can’t be proved wrong. All a politician has to say, when merit pay does not work, is that it was applied incorrectly, or that the union sabotaged it.
The ProComp merit-pay structure set up between the Denver teachers’ union and the city’s school district is in “ferment” because nowhere does research show that it has had any real, positive impact (“Model Plan of Merit Pay in Ferment,” July 30, 2008). Merit-pay plans are established because they sound simple to people who just want their schools or kids to do better, and because politicians will say or do anything to look good, especially when they really can’t be proved wrong. All a politician has to say, when merit pay does not work, is that it was applied incorrectly, or that the union sabotaged it.
Federal
Democrats Air Dueling Ideas on Education
Democrats are almost certain to leave their convention in Denver united behind Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois as their nominee for president. But it less likely that they’ll settle an intraparty disagreement over how much the public should expect from schools.
Education Funding
Pennsylvania Bucks Tide on Funding Squeeze
At a time when others are freezing or cutting back, the Keystone State is boosting K-12 spending and has revamped its funding formula.