March 27, 2013
Education Week, Vol. 32, Issue 26
School & District Management
Popular Curriculum Targets Elementary Students
Some 45,000 teachers nationwide are using the Engineering Is Elementary program, more than triple the number of five years ago.
Assessment
New NAEP to Gauge Engineering, Technology Literacy
The computerized exam will ask students to apply their knowledge of technology and engineering principles to solve problems.
Science
Engineering Building a Foundation in K-12 Curricula
Often the neglected part of STEM education, engineering is making inroads into the precollegiate sphere.
Assessment
Study: Middle School Algebra Push Yields Minimal Performance Gains
A new study finds that increasing enrollment in advanced math classes before high school hasn't led to higher math performance for states on the national assessment in the subject.
School & District Management
More Teachers Group Students by Ability
After being condemned as discriminatory in the 1990s, grouping students by academic ability seems to be back in vogue with a new generation of teachers, according to an analysis of federal teacher data.
Education Funding
Race to Top Winners Could Get More Time to Finish Up
The Education Department will consider granting the 12 original Race to the Top grantees extensions to complete their work.
School & District Management
Experts: Later School Start Helps Sleep-Deprived Teens
Getting adequate sleep is critical to brain development, memory function, and cognitive skills in children and teenagers, experts and advocates tell a symposium in Maryland. Pushing back school start times helps ensure that they get enough rest.
Equity & Diversity
Opinion
Are We Creating a Generation of Observers?
At the expense of creation, our classrooms have become too focused on celebrating the lives of others, writes Stephen R. Herr.
IT Infrastructure & Management
Federal Project Aims to Expand Web Access
Nearly 18 months after its conception, the nonprofit Connect to Compete organization recently launched programs aimed at Americans without home broadband Internet access, including tens of millions of students.
School & District Management
Disparities Found in N.Y.C.'s System for Matching Students to Schools
New studies highlight the complex roles that neighborhoods, schools, interests, and academic expectations can play in school-selection processes.
College & Workforce Readiness
Report Roundup
Language and Dropouts
English-language learners are twice as likely to drop out of school as their peers who are either native English speakers or former ELLs who have become fluent in the language.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Text Publishers Lose in Copyright Case
The U.S. Supreme Court last week issued a decision on copyright law that dealt a defeat to educational publishers but eased the fears of teachers and libraries over the use of books published overseas.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
Ohio School Shooter Gets Three Life Terms
The teenager who pleaded guilty to killing three Ohio students was sentenced last week to three life sentences in prison.
Teaching Profession
News in Brief
Teacher Ed. Programs Show Improvement
Teacher evaluation programs are using data, technology, and monitoring/tracking systems to improve, but obstacles to improvement persist.
Curriculum
News in Brief
Report Outlines Trends In Open Resources
A new reports suggests that open education resources are "here to stay," but warns warns that the content may carry higher costs for schools than are immediately obvious.
Education Funding
Report Roundup
U.S. School Facilities Given 'D' For Sustainability and Upkeep
Two new reports show that many of the country's school buildings are in a state of disrepair.
Families & the Community
Report Roundup
English-Learner Parents
Collaboration with families, improved communication, and an embrace of community culture could help alleviate educational challenges for English-language learners.
School Climate & Safety
States Use School Score Cards to Target Climate Problems
Under a federal grant program, 11 states are using student surveys and select data to monitor and address issues around safety, discipline, and engagement.
Reading & Literacy
Report Roundup
Gender Gaps
An international study highlights nuances of gender gaps favoring girls' achievement in reading and boys' achievement in math.
Student Well-Being
News in Brief
Fewer Girls Receive HPV Vaccination
Many parents are choosing not to have their daughters vaccinated against the human papillomavirus because of concerns about the vaccine's safety.
College & Workforce Readiness
Report Roundup
Dual Enrollment
Students who participated in dual-enrollment programs in high school were more likely to earn a postsecondary degree than students who didn't participate.
Standards
Common-Core Curricula Spark Teacher Resistance
New York state took an unorthodox route in buying curriculum that teachers now say students won’t have time to digest before being tested.
Teacher Preparation
News in Brief
New N.C. Laws Expand Teacher Tech Training
A pair of bills signed into law will expand the use of educational technology, and boost teachers' ability to use digital tools wisely.
Student Well-Being
News in Brief
Pediatric Group Warns About 'Smart Drugs'
The American Academy of Neurology has officially weighed in against prescribing "smart drugs" to improve attention and cognition in healthy children.
School & District Management
N.M.'s Acting Schools Chief Remains in Political Limbo
Hanna Skandera, New Mexico's secretary-designate of education, pushes ahead with agenda, despite lawmakers' inaction on her confirmation.
Families & the Community
San Diego Superintendent Pick Has Deep Parent Ties
Parent groups will be on the ground floor as an elementary school principal vaults to the helm of San Diego's school system.
Standards
News in Brief
Ala. Senate Halts Bill Against Common Core
A bill requiring Alabama to drop the Common Core State Standards in English/language arts and math was tabled, effectively killing the anti-common-core proposal for this session.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Educational Quality Pushed for Developing World
UNESCO, with the government of Senegal and other aid organizations, convened in Dakar this month as part of a series of global consultations to discuss how to further advance the 'education for all' agenda.