Feb. 26, 2014

Education Week, Vol. 33, Issue 22
Assessment News in Brief School Improvement Grant Reanalysis Shows Smaller Gains Than First Reported
A revamped analysis of the Obama administration's controversial and costly School Improvement Grant program continues to show that billions of federal dollars produced mixed results.
Alyson Klein, February 26, 2014
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1 min read
Teacher Maureen Kildee works alongside Janiah McKnuckle as the 3rd grader learns computer-coding skills during an "Hour of Code" event last December at Brownell/Holmes Elementary School in Flint, Mich. The initiative aims to expose more students to computer programming, and to raise public awareness about the importance of computer science education.
Teacher Maureen Kildee works alongside Janiah McKnuckle as the 3rd grader learns computer-coding skills during an "Hour of Code" event last December at Brownell/Holmes Elementary School in Flint, Mich. The initiative aims to expose more students to computer programming, and to raise public awareness about the importance of computer science education.
Jake May/The Flint Journal-MLive.com/AP
Science Computer Science: Not Just an Elective Anymore
The subject is getting a fresh look from state and local policymakers, with many pushing measures to expand access to computing courses.
Liana Loewus, February 25, 2014
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7 min read
Early Childhood States Found to Lag in Linking Data on Early-Childhood Programs
Only Pennsylvania fully links up data between five major early-childhood programs and its own K-12 data system, a new survey finds.
Julie Blair, February 25, 2014
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4 min read
School & District Management State Lawmakers Aim to Rejigger Local School Board Elections
Legislators in some states say that putting school board elections on the same calendar as other local races could boost often-anemic turnout.
Andrew Ujifusa, February 25, 2014
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4 min read
Federal New E-Rate Funding Will Take Time to Reach Schools
The pressure on schools to upgrade their technology is growing very fast right now, but they will not see the new E-rate dollars until 2015.
Sean Cavanagh, February 25, 2014
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7 min read
Teacher Preparation Charter Network Taps Alumni to Grow Teacher Pipeline
The charter-management group in Chicago is taking a novel approach to building a corps of highly qualified, and racially diverse, teacher-candidates by recruiting its alumni.
February 25, 2014
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4 min read
Teacher Preparation ETS Wades Into Market for Teacher-Performance Exams
The test-maker says the goal of its new offering is to serve not only as an assessment, but also as a learning tool for prospective educators.
Stephen Sawchuk, February 25, 2014
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3 min read
Pearlie Harris, the director of the Royal Castle Child Development Center, watches over children at the school in New Orleans. In order to stay in business, the center must find ways to retain families who might be drawn to Louisiana's publicly funded preschool program.
Pearlie Harris, the director of the Royal Castle Child Development Center, watches over children at the school in New Orleans. In order to stay in business, the center must find ways to retain families who might be drawn to Louisiana's publicly funded preschool program.
Ted Jackson for Education Week
Early Childhood Private Pre-K Feels Heat From Public Providers
Competition from free, public preschool programs can siphon off clients from private early-education providers and potentially limit options in some communities.
Christina A. Samuels, February 25, 2014
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7 min read
College & Workforce Readiness Education Fuels Growth of Urban Entrepreneurs, Study Suggests
Entrepreneurial growth in U.S. cities is generated more by high school diplomas and college degrees than by venture capital investments or government funding, says new research.
Michele Molnar, February 25, 2014
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5 min read
BRIC ARCHIVE
Paci77/iStockphoto
School Climate & Safety Opinion Give Students Time to Play
Students need outdoor recess and movement throughout the day in order to stay focused and perform better academically, writes Debbie Rhea.
Deborah J. Rhea, February 25, 2014
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3 min read
College & Workforce Readiness Opinion Planning for Life After High School
"Individualized learning plans" empower students to plot a postsecondary course, whether for college or careers, write V. Scott Solberg and Curtis Richards.
V. Scott Solberg & Curtis Richards, February 25, 2014
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7 min read
BRIC ARCHIVE
Quin/iStockphoto
Federal Opinion California: A K-12 Education Outlier
Even though it's a state under Democratic control, California's education policies do not fall in line with those of the Obama administration, writes Charles Taylor Kerchner.
Charles Taylor Kerchner, February 25, 2014
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7 min read
BRIC ARCHIVE
School & District Management News in Brief Transition
Gregory Thornton has been named the chief executive officer of the 80,000-student Baltimore city school district.
February 25, 2014
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1 min read
Education Best of the Blogs Blogs of the Week
| NEWS | Curriculum Matters
February 25, 2014
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6 min read
Federal Report Roundup NCLB Policies Live On Despite Waivers
The No Child Left Behind Act waivers granted by the U.S. Department of Education were intended in part to give states flexibility from some of the policies that were viewed as problematic in the federal law.
Holly Kurtz, February 25, 2014
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1 min read
College & Workforce Readiness Report Roundup Scholarship Incentives
The Kalamazoo Promise Scholarship, a program designed to expand college access in Kalamazoo, Mich., is having a positive impact on student behavior and completion of high school courses, new research finds.
Caralee J. Adams, February 25, 2014
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1 min read
College & Workforce Readiness Report Roundup College-Entrance Testing
A new study finds "no significant differences" between the college grades and completion rates of students who submit ACT or SAT scores with their college applications and those who do not. A more reliable predictor of academic success, the research concludes, is students' high school grades.
Caralee J. Adams, February 25, 2014
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1 min read
Assessment Report Roundup Learning Language
A research synthesis based on decades of evidence from the fields of medicine, psychology, education, and linguistics highlights common myths about children who grow up speaking more than one language.
Holly Kurtz, February 25, 2014
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1 min read
Education Funding Report Roundup Assessment Costs
A new analysis seeks to pinpoint how much can be saved by "machine scoring" test essay questions, and concludes that the costs can be as low as 20 percent of the price of human grading, depending on the volume of students being tested and other factors.
Sean Cavanagh, February 25, 2014
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1 min read
School Climate & Safety News in Brief Mass. Becomes Last State to Fingerprint Employees
School districts in Massachusetts have started fingerprinting teachers, administrators, bus drivers, and other employees for national background checks.
The Associated Press, February 25, 2014
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1 min read
Education Funding News in Brief Extra School Funds Eaten Up by State Retirement System
When lawmakers in Utah decided to boost per-pupil spending last year by 2 percent, many state residents cheered, envisioning that cash raining on teachers and classrooms.
The Associated Press, February 25, 2014
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1 min read
Education Funding News in Brief Albuquerque District Audit Finds Apparent Violations
Internal audits at a third of Albuquerque, N.M., public schools have turned up numerous problems, including instances involving thousands of dollars in questionable expenditures and improperly recorded receipts.
McClatchy-Tribune, February 25, 2014
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1 min read
College & Workforce Readiness News in Brief Ala. House OKs Bill Offering Dual-Enrollment Tax Credits
Lawmakers in the Alabama House unanimously approved a bill last week that would provide $5 million in tax credits for individuals or businesses that contribute to dual-enrollment programs.
Caralee J. Adams, February 25, 2014
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1 min read
Assessment News in Brief Groups Issue Guidelines to Prepare for Online Tests
A group of ed-tech organizations has issued an "assessment ready" checklist, case studies, and responses to frequently asked questions to help districts with the successful administration of new online exams aligned with the Common Core State Standards.
Benjamin Herold, February 25, 2014
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1 min read
Law & Courts News in Brief Federal Court Questions Uniforms with Mottos
A federal appeals court has cast legal doubt on a Nevada district's uniform policy, holding that requiring students to wear shirts with the motto "Tomorrow's Leaders" is a form of compelled speech that implicates the First Amendment.
Mark Walsh, February 25, 2014
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1 min read
School Climate & Safety News in Brief Character-Building Beats Out Economy-Building as Goal
Americans rank "building character" above bolstering the economy when asked to name the most important long-term goals of K-12 education, according to a new poll.
Catherine Gewertz, February 25, 2014
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1 min read
Teaching Profession News in Brief NEA Calls for Correction on Course of Common Core
In a letter to members of the National Education Association last week, President Dennis Van Roekel argues that in too many places, states and districts have "completely botched" implementation of the Common Core State Standards.
Stephen Sawchuk, February 25, 2014
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1 min read
Federal News in Brief Common Arts Standards Open for Final Review
The public has until the end of this month to contribute to a final review of the pre-K-12 arts education standards—covering dance, media arts, music, theater, and visual arts—proposed by the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards.
Liana Loewus, February 25, 2014
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1 min read
Law & Courts News in Brief N.J., Disability-Rights Advocates Settle Long-Term Lawsuit
New Jersey has agreed to take several steps to raise the number of students with disabilities served in inclusive classroom settings, as part of a settlement of a lawsuit disability-rights advocates filed.
Christina A. Samuels, February 25, 2014
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1 min read
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