February 27, 2013
Education Week, Vol. 32, Issue 22
Standards
Fla. Chief Weighs 'Plan B' on Tests
"Complexities" that might delay common-core aligned tests lead Florida schools' chief Tony Bennett to start preparing a "Plan B."
Equity & Diversity
Report Roundup
Latino Students
Latino middle school students whose academic performance was affected by 'stereotype threat' earned higher grades after participating in assignments meant to boost their confidence.
Assessment
Report Roundup
Report Points to Steady Increase in Passing Rates for AP Exams
Nearly one in five public high school graduates in the class of 2012 passed an Advanced Placement exam, reflecting a steady increase in performance over the past decade.
Assessment
Report Roundup
International Comparisons
Several countries that consistently outperform the U.S. on the Program for International Student Assessment also have more equitable education systems, but American schools are making progress on that front.
College & Workforce Readiness
Report Roundup
Transition to College
Opportunities for high school students to earn college credit are expanding.
Equity & Diversity
Report Roundup
Completing High School
With a national graduation rate of 78.2 percent, the United States is on track to meet a goal of achieving a 90 percent four-year high school graduation rate by 2020, according to the latest annual report from the Building a Grad Nation campaign.
States
State of the States
State of the States: N.C., Ohio
Here are summaries of recent annual addresses by governors around the country. In this roundup: North Carolina and Ohio.
States
State Councils Propel STEM Education
The networks and organizations are designed to bring together key players to help coordinate STEM learning in and out of school.
School & District Management
Opinion
Rebranding Public Schools as New Charter Schools
Urban public schools should consider refashioning themselves as charters to recapture public confidence, Jack Schneider writes.
Teaching Profession
Letter to the Editor
'Permission to Forget' Should Be Forgotten
To the Editor:
Regarding the recent Commentary by Gary Huggins, "It's Time for Summer Learning" (Jan. 16, 2013): Summer forgetting is a problem. However, it is not even close to the problem of forgetting during the school year.
Regarding the recent Commentary by Gary Huggins, "It's Time for Summer Learning" (Jan. 16, 2013): Summer forgetting is a problem. However, it is not even close to the problem of forgetting during the school year.
School Climate & Safety
Letter to the Editor
Mental-Health Bill Deserves Praise
To the Editor:
Calls for armed guards, teachers, and principals to protect our schools proliferate in the national discourse since the tragic events in Newtown, Conn. This debate is really missing the mark and should instead focus on how lawmakers and policymakers can fund more mental-health resources for our schools and students.
Calls for armed guards, teachers, and principals to protect our schools proliferate in the national discourse since the tragic events in Newtown, Conn. This debate is really missing the mark and should instead focus on how lawmakers and policymakers can fund more mental-health resources for our schools and students.
College & Workforce Readiness
Letter to the Editor
Schools Shouldn't Forget 'Middle Skill' Jobs
To the Editor:
Regarding the article "Internships Help Students Prepare for the Workplace" (Jan. 30, 2013): It makes sense to offer kids real work experiences in high school. The reality is that not all high school students are bound for a four-year college.
Regarding the article "Internships Help Students Prepare for the Workplace" (Jan. 30, 2013): It makes sense to offer kids real work experiences in high school. The reality is that not all high school students are bound for a four-year college.
Assessment
Letter to the Editor
NWEA Supports Measures Of Academic Progress
To the Editor:
In response to a recent post on edweek.org's District Dossier blog, "NEA Supports Seattle Teachers Protesting Standardized Test" (Jan. 23, 2013), I thought it would be useful to elaborate on the Northwest Evaluation Association's Measures of Academic Progress and where NWEA thinks the discussion needs to go from here.
In response to a recent post on edweek.org's District Dossier blog, "NEA Supports Seattle Teachers Protesting Standardized Test" (Jan. 23, 2013), I thought it would be useful to elaborate on the Northwest Evaluation Association's Measures of Academic Progress and where NWEA thinks the discussion needs to go from here.
Teaching Profession
Letter to the Editor
Teacher-Pay Commentary Shows Flawed Thinking
To the Editor:
As an experienced teacher of more than 17 years, I take umbrage as well as insult from Eric A. Hanushek's Commentary "Why Educators' Wages Must Be Revamped" (Feb. 6, 2013). Once again, an academic from outside K-12 education has the answer to America's fabricated educational crises.
As an experienced teacher of more than 17 years, I take umbrage as well as insult from Eric A. Hanushek's Commentary "Why Educators' Wages Must Be Revamped" (Feb. 6, 2013). Once again, an academic from outside K-12 education has the answer to America's fabricated educational crises.
Curriculum
Letter to the Editor
History Instruction Often Marginalized
To the Editor:
One of the longest-running complaints in education is that history is "boring" and is presented as a list of disconnected names, dates, and events to be memorized. However, rather than rehash a rebuttal to the unsubstantiated and anecdotal Commentary "Let's Overhaul How We Teach History," (Jan. 30, 2013), it should be apparent to most observers that the "boring" condemnation is no longer relevant.
One of the longest-running complaints in education is that history is "boring" and is presented as a list of disconnected names, dates, and events to be memorized. However, rather than rehash a rebuttal to the unsubstantiated and anecdotal Commentary "Let's Overhaul How We Teach History," (Jan. 30, 2013), it should be apparent to most observers that the "boring" condemnation is no longer relevant.
School & District Management
Districts Abandoning At-Large School Board Elections
A 2001 California law has spurred some school systems to pick board members by subdistricts to increase diversity.
Assessment
5 Largest States Rival or Lag Nation on NAEP Results
Several of the nation's largest states showed gains in math and reading over roughly two decades, a new study says, though there's room to improve.