December 11, 2013
Education Week, Vol. 33, Issue 14
Data
News in Brief
Assessment Group Approves Privacy Rules for Student Data
The PARCC testing group approved a new policy last week that is intended to safeguard personally identifiable information about students collected as part of states' common-core-assessment regimens.
Education
Correction
Correction
A story in the Dec. 4, 2013, issue of Education Week about the growth of the Cambridge academic program in U.S. schools provided incorrect information on expansion plans for the Miami-Dade County, Fla., school system. Within three years, the district expects to have Cambridge offerings in 35 elementary, 15 middle, and nine high schools, as well as eight K-8 schools, and three schools serving grades 6-12.
Teacher Preparation
Letter to the Editor
Collaboration Is What's Needed For Middle School Gains
To the Editor:
Regarding the article "Transferring Top Teachers Has Benefits" (Nov. 13, 2013), I can give you a hint why there were no gains in middle school: A successful middle school is highly collaborative, and this will not happen overnight. Collaboration takes time, even for highly successful teachers, but it is what works in a middle school environment.
Regarding the article "Transferring Top Teachers Has Benefits" (Nov. 13, 2013), I can give you a hint why there were no gains in middle school: A successful middle school is highly collaborative, and this will not happen overnight. Collaboration takes time, even for highly successful teachers, but it is what works in a middle school environment.
Equity & Diversity
Letter to the Editor
In Ending Racial Discrimination, Teachers Should Be Role Models
To the Editor:
Unfortunately, racial discrimination is still an embedded part of our society. Laws on affirmative action and nondiscrimination in employment were created in an attempt to eliminate such discrimination, but have not been effective in reaching the goal of ending it ("Racial Equity in Schools," OpEducation blog, Oct. 9, 2013).
Unfortunately, racial discrimination is still an embedded part of our society. Laws on affirmative action and nondiscrimination in employment were created in an attempt to eliminate such discrimination, but have not been effective in reaching the goal of ending it ("Racial Equity in Schools," OpEducation blog, Oct. 9, 2013).
School & District Management
Letter to the Editor
Article on Survey Results Skewed Good Opinion of School Boards
To the Editor:
The article "Superintendents Wary of Boards, Poll Finds" (Oct. 2, 2013) is suspicious.
The article "Superintendents Wary of Boards, Poll Finds" (Oct. 2, 2013) is suspicious.
Early Childhood
Letter to the Editor
History of Improvement Efforts Points to Early Years as Key
To the Editor:
I just read your recent coverage on the work of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on teacher quality ("Gates Foundation Places Big Bet on Its Teacher Agenda," Nov. 6, 2013). It reminded me of other efforts to improve student learning that I have also read about over the years in Education Week.
I just read your recent coverage on the work of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on teacher quality ("Gates Foundation Places Big Bet on Its Teacher Agenda," Nov. 6, 2013). It reminded me of other efforts to improve student learning that I have also read about over the years in Education Week.
Assessment
News in Brief
Many La. Voucher Students Attending Failing Schools
At least 45 percent of the students in Louisiana's voucher program last year attended schools that were rated D or F on the state's grading scale, a new report indicates.
Education Funding
News in Brief
States Make Turnaround In Higher Ed. Funding
Many states are beginning to route more funds back into higher education, which incurred some of the steepest budget cuts in recent years.
Assessment
News in Brief
Rollout of New SAT Delayed One Year
A newly redesigned SAT that is more closely aligned with the Common Core State Standards will likely debut in spring 2016, a year later than the College Board initially predicted.
Special Education
News in Brief
NAEP Board to Examine State Exclusion Rates
The board that sets policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress planned to take up the topic of test exclusions, particularly Maryland's, at its quarterly meeting late last week.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
District Can Fire Counselor For Writing Advice Book
A federal appeals court last week upheld the dismissal of a high school guidance counselor over his self-publication of a purported relationship-advice book for women that contains sexually frank passages and indications that the counselor had a "tendency to objectify" women.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
1 in 4 Parents Dissatisfied With Schools' P.E. Offerings
One in four public school parents believe their child's school isn't placing enough emphasis on physical education, according to a new survey.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Ga. High Court Upholds State Removal Statute
The Georgia Supreme Court has ruled that a state law allowing the governor to remove local school board members is constitutional.
Federal
News in Brief
Okla. Governor Issues Order Against Federal Intrusion
Gov. Mary Fallin issued an executive order last week that she said will shield Oklahoma from federal overreach into its public schools, even as the state implements the Common Core State Standards.
Classroom Technology
News in Brief
Miami-Dade District Pauses 1-to-1 Computing Initiative
Florida's Miami-Dade County school district has "pushed the pause button" on one of the country's largest 1-to-1 digital-computing initiatives.
Classroom Technology
News in Brief
Gates, Zuckerberg Subsidize School Connectivity Plan
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's organization, Startup: Education, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are donating a total of $9 million to a nonprofit to help train schools to use and manage broadband connections.
Federal
News in Brief
'Insiders' Say Federal Policy Poor Fit for Rural Schools
More than three-fourths of a group of education leaders say federal policies were designed primarily for urban and suburban districts and often are poorly suited to rural ones.
Early Childhood
News in Brief
States Approve Legislation To Strengthen Early Learning
More than three dozen laws that support early learning were enacted in 25 states this year, according to the Denver-based Education Commission of the States.
School Climate & Safety
Report Roundup
Student Health
The simple act of regularly interrupting sedentary time by standing up could have beneficial health effects for children, according to a study published last month in the open-access online journal PLOS One.
College & Workforce Readiness
Report Roundup
College Access
New research concludes that access to top universities in the United States, England, and Australia has a lot to do with family background and money—not just the academic ability of applicants.
Early Childhood
Report Roundup
Preschool Math
A U.S. Department of Education-funded study of a math-enrichment program featuring such characters as the Cat in the Hat and Curious George showed that the 10-week program boosted early mathematics skills for 4- and 5-year-olds from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Education Management Organizations
While the number of for-profit companies operating charter schools and other public schools is ticking up slightly, their overall enrollment has expanded greatly as they step up their presence in the virtual and supplemental education markets, a new report concludes.
Federal
Report Roundup
Early Childhood
Despite funding increases for Head Start over the past six years, only 42 percent of eligible children are now served by the federal program, and just 4 percent of eligible children are served by Early Head Start, according to a report by two advocacy groups.
Standards
Report Roundup
Survey Points to Growing Market for Common-Core Resources
As districts implement the Common Core State Standards, 68 percent plan to purchase new instructional materials—an increase from 62 percent two years ago, according to new marketing survey data.
School Climate & Safety
A Year Later, Newtown Tragedy Yields Little Policy Change
While districts have beefed up safety measures and added armed security, only a small fraction of the laws proposed in the immediate aftermath of the school shootings have been enacted.
Federal
Sandy Hook: Words and Actions
The months following the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School were filled with emotional responses from victims' family members and influential educational and political leaders. See a sampling of what they've had to say.
Assessment
Global Test Shows U.S. Stagnating
A fresh round of global test data shows students in more countries outperform U.S. 15-year-olds in math, reading, and science compared with 2009 results.
Teacher Preparation
Opinion
An Open Letter to NCTQ on Teacher Prep
Dean Donald Heller and others at Michigan State University's education school explain why they aren't taking part in the National Council on Teacher Quality's latest teacher-prep-program review.
Student Well-Being
Opinion
How a Learning Gap Grows
A graphic Commentary from TASC's Lucy Friedman shows a widening investment gap in after-school learning.