August 31, 2011
Education Week, Vol. 31, Issue 02
Teaching
For Muslim Students, Life Changed After Sept. 11
Stigmatized by the terrorist attacks, Muslim students feel a continuing obligation to be ambassadors for their faith and their culture.
Reading & Literacy
Opinion
Let Us Not Abandon Listening in the Classroom
Even in the rush of today's school culture, it remains important to foster the deeper skills around listening, Diana Senechal writes.
School & District Management
Opinion
Student Success Depends on Public Accountability
Instead of bashing schools and vilifying teachers, critics should help to foster change, writes Jamie Vollmer.
Federal
Opinion
ELL Assessment: One Size Does Not Fit All
There is a critical and rising need for fair, accurate assessments for English-language learners, David N. Plank writes.
Standards
Majority of States' Standards Don't Mention 9/11
While the causes, effects, and aftermath of the attacks appear to occupy little space in the classroom, in-depth lessons can be found.
Teaching
Muslim Pupils' Lives Changed After Sept. 11
Stigmatized by the terrorist attacks, Muslim students feel a continuing obligation to be ambassadors for their faith and their culture.
School & District Management
Swords Drawn Over Funding for Expanded Learning
Advocacy groups for out-of-school-time programs and those for extra learning time in school are battling over federal funding.
Early Childhood
Rating Systems Seen Crucial in New Race to Top Bids
A public rating system for early-learning programs is worth big points in the contest for $500 million in new federal aid.
Classroom Technology
Online Schooling Seeing Explosive Growth in Oklahoma
An analysis shows that the number of Oklahoma public school students doing schoolwork through computer-based programs has increased nearly 400 percent over three years.
Teaching Profession
Budget-Driven Personnel Shifts Pressure Districts
School administrators are forced to shift workers into different roles and positions to cope with funding cuts and vacancies.
Education
Letter to the Editor
Nation Should Seek More Than 'Proficiency'
To the Editor:
The news that states have failed to raise standards on math and reading tests is certainly disappointing, but not at all surprising (“What Do Rising Title I Achievement Scores Really Mean?,” Inside School Research blog, Aug. 10, 2011). The federal education framework set in place by the No Child Left Behind Act requires our country’s states, districts, and schools to focus exclusively on maximizing the number of students considered “proficient” on end-of-year tests. This myopic attention to “proficiency” has led to two disturbing, but wholly unsurprising results: First, as your report noted, states have lowered standards to increase the number of students considered “proficient.”
The news that states have failed to raise standards on math and reading tests is certainly disappointing, but not at all surprising (“What Do Rising Title I Achievement Scores Really Mean?,” Inside School Research blog, Aug. 10, 2011). The federal education framework set in place by the No Child Left Behind Act requires our country’s states, districts, and schools to focus exclusively on maximizing the number of students considered “proficient” on end-of-year tests. This myopic attention to “proficiency” has led to two disturbing, but wholly unsurprising results: First, as your report noted, states have lowered standards to increase the number of students considered “proficient.”
Education
Letter to the Editor
Hall Commentary 'Cries Out' for Response
To the Editor:
The facts cry out for a response to Beverly Hall’s Commentary (“The Scandal Is Not the Whole Story,” edweek.org, Aug. 10, 2011; Education Week, Aug. 24, 2011).
The facts cry out for a response to Beverly Hall’s Commentary (“The Scandal Is Not the Whole Story,” edweek.org, Aug. 10, 2011; Education Week, Aug. 24, 2011).
Education
Letter to the Editor
Could Common Core Be 'Chalk' on the Pavement?
To the Editor:
Last spring, my students read the excellent book Chalk, by Bill Thomson, in which chalk drawings come alive. We spent some time planning our own chalk drawings, and on a sunny day we blocked off our parking lot, opened buckets of chalk, and turned the children loose. They left a whole lot of learning on the pavement. Rain, the very next day washed it all away.
Last spring, my students read the excellent book Chalk, by Bill Thomson, in which chalk drawings come alive. We spent some time planning our own chalk drawings, and on a sunny day we blocked off our parking lot, opened buckets of chalk, and turned the children loose. They left a whole lot of learning on the pavement. Rain, the very next day washed it all away.
Student Well-Being
Report Roundup
After-School Programs
A new study shows that middle school students enrolled in a citywide after-school program in Providence, R.I., had better school attendance records than peers who did not participate.
College & Workforce Readiness
Report Roundup
Financing College
To deal with college expenses in an uncertain economy, families are turning to lower-cost schools and seeking more financial aid, a national survey reveals.
Special Education
Report Roundup
ADHD Students
A federal report finds that the percentage of U.S. children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder increased to 9 percent in 2009.
College & Workforce Readiness
Report Roundup
High Schools
Students who attended a school that required an entrance exam were more likely to take rigorous high school courses, but not enroll in college.
College & Workforce Readiness
Report Roundup
Education Schools
An analysis of education departments shows that students studying to become teachers likely benefit from grade inflation more than students in other areas.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Research Report: School Uniforms
School uniforms have some benefits, but appear to have little effect on student behavior and achievement, a report concludes.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Sports Participation Hits Record High
The number of high school students playing sports reached an all-time high this past school year, according to a new survey.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Teacher Can't Be Sued for Comments on Religion
A student, who believes in creationism, objected to numerous comments his teacher made during a European history course in 2007.
College & Workforce Readiness
News in Brief
Who Are Today's Students?
The 2015 Beloit College Mindset List is out.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Va. Picks Education Secretary
Gov. Bob McDonnell has appointed Laura W. Fornash as Virginia's new secretary of education.
Special Education
News in Brief
Special Ed. Center Hires Director
The National Center for Special Education Research has hired Deborah Speece.
School Choice & Charters
News in Brief
Walton Foundation Investing in Calif. Charters
The Walton Family Foundation has been a major player in promoting school choice.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
Ariz. First State to Mandate Concussion Test
The 50-minute program uses videos to walk students through symptoms of a concussion, among other things.
Accountability
News in Brief
Grade-Change Claims Up in NYC
Allegations of grade-changing and test-tampering by New York City teachers and school administrators have more than tripled since 2003.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Urban Districts to Pilot Common Standards
They will be assisted by a $4.6 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.