November 18, 2009
Education Week, Vol. 29, Issue 12
Families & the Community
Scholars: Parent-School Ties Should Shift in Teen Years
Adolescents’ needs have been overlooked by researchers and policymakers intent on boosting parental engagement, a new book concludes.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Project Offers Teacher Scholarships
Math and science teachers in Michigan will be eligible for stipends to pay for their master's-degree training if they commit to working in high-need schools.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
Principal Held Hostage
Upset by the treatment of U.S. military personnel, a 42-year-old father of an Army veteran sneaked a disassembled shotgun into Stissing Mountain Middle School in Pine Plains, N.Y., Nov. 10.
Federal
News in Brief
Health Officials Set Swine-Flu Toll On U.S. Children at 540 Deaths
Government health officials say swine flu has sickened about 22 million Americans since April, and about 4,000 have died, including 540 children.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Gates Foundation to Help Charters With Bond Guarantees for Facilities
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation last week announced plans to help expand the Houston charter school sector.
Federal
News in Brief
Federal Report Faults N.Y. State Over Monitoring of Stimulus Funds
New York state needs to improve the way it monitors how districts and others spend their stimulus dollars, the U.S. Department of Education's office of the inspector general reported last week.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Cash Idea Crashes
Administrators in Goldsboro, N.C., have nixed a cash-for-grades fundraiser that was offering 20 test points to students in exchange for a $20 donation.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Work Groups Picked for K-12 Standards
The members of the "work groups" for developing K-12 standards in English-language arts and mathematics were announced last week.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Washington State Supreme Court Overturns Ruling on Salary Money
Variation in the way Washington state teachers are paid does not pose a constitutional problem, the Washington Supreme Court ruled last week.
Student Achievement
Study of Harlem Children's Zone Finds Gaps Closing
But study does not say whether improved performance is from schools alone, or from schools and wrap-around services.
Federal
NAEP Plan for Testing Special Groups Gets Public Airing
At issue is how students with disabilities and English-language learners take part in the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Career and Technical Education
California’s “multiple pathways” work, which supports high schools in offering students a rigorous blend of academics and real-world career preparation, has the potential to keep more students in school by making education more engaging, but faces challenges as it scales up, a new paper finds.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Stereotype Awareness
Children become aware of negative stereotypes about their race or ethnic group in middle-to-late childhood, a new study shows, and that awareness can have an impact on the way they perform in school or interact with others.
Special Education
Report Roundup
Autism and Handwriting
A study published last week in the journal Neurology suggests that the handwriting problems of children with autism spectrum disorder stem from difficulties with motor control.
Education Funding
Report Roundup
Gifted Education
Even though 32 states require schools to offer gifted and talented education, just under half of all states provided no funding for such programs over the past school year, according to a new report.
Special Education
N.J. Governor-Elect's Education Agenda Eyed
The Republican's support for charters and vouchers draws praise, though some worry other pledges may affect school funding.
Education
Correction
Correction
The In Perspective story in this issue of Education Week incorrectly names the site of a peer-review and -assistance program in a chart. The correct site is San Juan, Calif.
School & District Management
Prospect of Health-Plan Tax Draws Union Opposition
Labor leaders and analysts warn that costs would be passed on to workers in the form of higher premiums—or curtailed benefits.
Curriculum
Games Evolve as Tools for Teaching Financial Literacy
Many educators are turning to digital games to teach students about personal finance and investing.
Assessment
Role of NAEP Could Change With Common Assessments
As a push for common state standards and tests moves forward, questions are arising about the future of “the nation’s report card.”
Education
Letter to the Editor
Ted Sizer: 'The Guy With the Coffeepot in His Hand'
To the Editor:
In response to your obituary of Theodore R. Sizer ("Sizer's Legacy Seen in Appeal of 'Personalized' High Schools," Oct. 28, 2009), I would like to share a personal story that gets to the essence of this wonderful person.
In response to your obituary of Theodore R. Sizer ("Sizer's Legacy Seen in Appeal of 'Personalized' High Schools," Oct. 28, 2009), I would like to share a personal story that gets to the essence of this wonderful person.
Education
Letter to the Editor
Setting Record Straight on 'Read 180' Costs
To the Editor:
Michael L. Kamil’s comments about the cost and effectiveness of Scholastic Inc.’s Read 180 program, in your recent article "Clearinghouse Finds Evidence Reading Program Works" (Oct. 21, 2009), are very misleading.
Michael L. Kamil’s comments about the cost and effectiveness of Scholastic Inc.’s Read 180 program, in your recent article "Clearinghouse Finds Evidence Reading Program Works" (Oct. 21, 2009), are very misleading.
Education
Letter to the Editor
It's No Surprise NCLB Has Lowered the Bar
To the Editor:
That states may have lowered standards for student proficiency in order to meet the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act comes as no surprise ("Test Rigor Drops Off, Study Finds," Nov. 4, 2009). The fiscal consequences they face should their students fail to meet the standards they set are, in effect, an incentive for lower state standards, validated by the lack of consistent proficiency guidelines.
That states may have lowered standards for student proficiency in order to meet the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act comes as no surprise ("Test Rigor Drops Off, Study Finds," Nov. 4, 2009). The fiscal consequences they face should their students fail to meet the standards they set are, in effect, an incentive for lower state standards, validated by the lack of consistent proficiency guidelines.
Education
Letter to the Editor
To Department: 'Get Serious' About Funding Ed. Schools
To the Editor:
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s recent remarks at Teachers College, Columbia University, on teacher preparation were indeed more conciliatory than those he made at the University of Virginia two weeks earlier, to the relief of many of us who have worked to strengthen teacher education ("Duncan Shares Concerns Over Teacher Prep," Oct. 28, 2009).
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s recent remarks at Teachers College, Columbia University, on teacher preparation were indeed more conciliatory than those he made at the University of Virginia two weeks earlier, to the relief of many of us who have worked to strengthen teacher education ("Duncan Shares Concerns Over Teacher Prep," Oct. 28, 2009).
Education
Letter to the Editor
Dorothy Rich's Lessons Never Lose Relevance
To the Editor:
I was sad to learn of the death of Dorothy Rich ("Educator, Author Dorothy Rich Dies," Nov. 4, 2009). I want to thank your newspaper for doing such an outstanding job in her obituary of capturing the many aspects of her life. My husband and I had the pleasure of being in one of Ms. Rich’s classes at Trinity University in Washington many years ago. We have carried her insights into the importance of parents’ connection to their children’s education well into our careers. Her lessons are as true today as they were then. She will be missed.
I was sad to learn of the death of Dorothy Rich ("Educator, Author Dorothy Rich Dies," Nov. 4, 2009). I want to thank your newspaper for doing such an outstanding job in her obituary of capturing the many aspects of her life. My husband and I had the pleasure of being in one of Ms. Rich’s classes at Trinity University in Washington many years ago. We have carried her insights into the importance of parents’ connection to their children’s education well into our careers. Her lessons are as true today as they were then. She will be missed.
Teaching Profession
Rules Set for $4 Billion Race to Top Contest
State-level reform, local buy-in, and teacher quality will count heavily in determining which states get the federal stimulus grants.
School & District Management
Opinion
The New War Against Ed Schools
Instead of scolding schools of education, the nation's secretary of education needs to offer more constructive ideas for change, writes Pedro A. Noguera.
Teaching
Opinion
Remembering 'Horace,' Too
Ted Sizer may be best remembered for his fictional teacher, Horace Smith, writes Robert Barsanti, who sees Horace's struggles in his own career.