August 24, 2011
Education Week, Vol. 31, Issue 01
School Choice & Charters
Charter Operators Spell Out Barriers to 'Scaling Up'
Critics of charter schools contend that some operators get preferential treatment.
Federal
USDA: Cafeterias Shouldn't Be Cash Cows for Schools
New federal rules lay out which 'indirect' costs schools and districts can charge to their food-service operations.
Federal
Opinion
Rural Student Success Critical to National Goals
The number of rural students is growing and we can no longer afford to look the other way, writes Marty Strange.
Assessment
Opinion
Finding Hope in Atlanta
The punitive culture of high-stakes testing could provide the impetus for needed reforms, writes Dave Powell.
Education Funding
Report Roundup
Study Says Outlook Grim for Children in Poverty
One in five children lived in poverty in the United States in 2009, and the economic outlook for them and other children from low-income families is increasingly bleak, according to a new report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Families & the Community
Report Roundup
Rural Schools
Researchers from Kansas State University are offering advice for working with special-needs or low-income students in rural areas: Provide special programs for female students with disabilities, consider the hardships of low-income families when creating family-involvement programs, and advocate for anti-poverty programs.
School & District Management
Brown Veto Puts Calif. in Jeopardy
The state has to return its entire $6 million State Longitudinal Data Systems grant to the U.S. Department of Education.
Teaching Profession
Report Roundup
Teacher Preparation
Four out of 10 new public school teachers hired since 2005 came through alternative teacher-preparation programs, according to a survey by the National Center for Education Information, a private research group based in Washington.
Special Education
Report Roundup
Research Report: Special Education
Seven years after the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was renewed with a provision allowing "response to intervention" to be used when deciding if a child has a specific learning disability, a new study shows 71 percent of school districts use the strategy in at least one school.
Teaching Profession
Report Roundup
Research Report: Professional Development
Teacher-coaching linked to a well-known teaching framework paid dividends for student achievement in the secondary grades, according to a study published this month in the journal Science.
Education
Correction
Correction
A story in the Aug. 10, 2011, issue of Education Week on legislation aimed at protecting student-athletes misstated the number of states with pending concussion laws. The count is 11.
Equity & Diversity
Groups Help Poor Students Through College Admission
Nonprofit organizations are emerging to help disadvantaged students navigate the often difficult college-admissions and financial-aid processes.
Families & the Community
Chicago Group Helps Break Down Home-School Barriers
With its grassroots parent-mentor program, Chicago's Logan Square Neighborhood Association is empowering immigrant parents and engaging them in their children's schooling.
Standards
Analysis Finds States Strengthening Rigor of Student Exams
A federal study finds that eight states raised their proficiency standards on one or more exams and two lowered them.
Standards
News in Brief
Gates Joins Stanford ELL Project
The project is developing English-language-proficiency resources for states' common-core academic standards.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Chicago Plans Principal Merit Pay
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is establishing a $5 million fund to provide merit pay to reward Chicago's top-performing public school principals.
Accountability
News in Brief
Higher Academic Standards Approved by the NCAA
The approval carries the threat of postseason bans for teams that fall below a certain standard.
Equity & Diversity
News in Brief
ACLU Files First School Suit Over LGBT Website Filtering
The group alleges that a Missouri district is using an Internet filter that prevents access to LGBT material.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
School Board Meeting Prayer Ruled Unconstitutional
A school board's policy of having members lead prayers before public meetings is unconstitutional, a federal appeals court has ruled.
Education Funding
News in Brief
House Page Program Ending
The U.S. House of Representatives page program has become a victim of budget cuts.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Ex-Governor Turns to Lobbying
Former Alabama Gov. Bob Riley told reporters this month that his next role will be as a lobbyist on education and economic development.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Memphis Merger Declared Legal
A court decision paves the way for the creation of a system with 150,000 students by 2013.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Penalty Delayed for Cutting S.C.'s Special Ed. Dollars
The U.S. Department of Education was poised to cut the state's share of federal special education dollars by $36 million.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Colo. Judge Blocks Voucher Program
A school district's groundbreaking private school voucher plan violates Colorado's Constitution, a state judge has ruled.
Federal
News in Brief
Perry, GOP Hopefuls Take on Education
Few have been more vocal than the Texas governor.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Judge Blocks State-Mandated Contracts
The ruling prevents school districts from using new contracts to change the hours or days that teachers work without adjusting their pay.
Federal
News in Brief
GOP Keeps Power in Wis. Recall
Wisconsin Republicans held on to control of the state Senate by a single seat.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Wis. Teachers' Union Cuts Jobs
Wisconsin's largest teachers union, the Wisconsin Education Association Council, confirmed last week that it is laying off 42 workers out of about 100 staff members.