June 11, 2014
Education Week, Vol. 33, Issue 35
Federal
Schools Brace for Launch of Federal Snack Rules
For a few districts, the school nutrition rules set to take effect July 1 are just too tough to swallow.
Reading & Literacy
Writing Centers Seek to Unlock Youths' Creativity
A national network of after-school tutoring centers that brings a focus on creative writing is reaching a growing number of urban youths.
International
U.S. Students Get Top Scores for Sleepiness
Many American students are in classes where teachers report that sleepiness gets in the way of instruction "some" or "a lot" of the time.
Accountability
Teacher, School Accountability Systems Shaken Up
Many states are moving to delay or alter test-based accountability for schools and teachers, as tests associated with the Common Core State Standards head for debut nationwide.
School & District Management
Converting Catholic Schools to Charters Draws Scrutiny
Such conversions are rare, but a number of schools have made the switch in recent years. A study this spring found enrollment grew dramatically following the change.
Early Childhood
N.Y.C. Parents Navigate Pre-K Enrollment Maze
Flush with new state money for 45,000 preschool spots in public schools and community-based centers, New York City is pushing to make sure families know all their options.
Teaching Profession
Calif. Pension-Overhaul Plan Has Districts on Edge
California school districts would see their share of teacher-pension costs more than double to nearly 20 percent under a proposal from Gov. Jerry Brown.
Data
$10,000 Price Tag Put on Nevada Parent's Data Request
The situation is raising a tangled web of questions about state educational databases, federal student-privacy laws, and common-core standards.
Education
News in Brief
Transition
Gene R. Carter will retire June 30, after 22 years as the executive director and CEO of the Alexandria, Va.-based ASCD.
School Choice & Charters
Letter to the Editor
Religious-School Vouchers, Tax Credits Don't Have or Merit Public Support
To the Editor:
Sister Carol Cimino, the superintendent of schools for the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, N.Y., rightly notes in a letter to the editor: "The purpose and underlying philosophy of Catholic schools is the transmission of Catholic doctrine and values throughout the day, in the curricular and extracurricular life of students "Catholic Schools Cannot 'Convert' to Charter School Status."
Sister Carol Cimino, the superintendent of schools for the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, N.Y., rightly notes in a letter to the editor: "The purpose and underlying philosophy of Catholic schools is the transmission of Catholic doctrine and values throughout the day, in the curricular and extracurricular life of students "Catholic Schools Cannot 'Convert' to Charter School Status."
Reading & Literacy
Letter to the Editor
It's Time to Acknowledge and Address Students' Declining Linguistic Skills
To the Editor:
Christopher L. Doyle's Commentary "Education in a Post-Literate Age" resonated with me. Mr. Doyle clearly identifies the specific higher-order thinking and literacy decline he has witnessed in his classroom. As a linguist, I would suggest the emerging problem is much larger, though, and even more basic.
Christopher L. Doyle's Commentary "Education in a Post-Literate Age" resonated with me. Mr. Doyle clearly identifies the specific higher-order thinking and literacy decline he has witnessed in his classroom. As a linguist, I would suggest the emerging problem is much larger, though, and even more basic.
Education Funding
Phila. Funding Crisis Threatens Spread of Innovation
The city district's attempt to promote new school models and spread promising new practices is at risk of being overwhelmed by a massive funding shortfall.
Teaching Profession
District Chiefs Split on Standards Readiness, Gallup-EdWeek Poll Finds
School superintendents give diverging views on the common core, teacher evaluations, and educational technology in the latest of a series of polls.
Education Funding
Award-Winning Phila. Teacher Frustrated by Stagnation
Faced with the possibility of being laid off this summer, the teacher plans to leave the district for an education-outreach job with a university robotics lab.
School & District Management
Transformation Grant Fuels Overhaul of School's Instruction
A $1.5 million grant gave a Philadelphia principal considerable freedom to reshape her elementary school's instructional model, staff, and school day.
School & District Management
Scaling Up New School Designs Through 'A Culture of Sharing'
A new district staffer helps spread innovative ideas among school leaders and central office staff eager to try new approaches.
Classroom Technology
Phila. High School Finds Inspiration to Try Inquiry, 1-to-1 Computing
With an assist from Science Leadership Academy, teachers are bringing an inquiry-based, 1-to-1 computing initiative to a Phila. neighborhood high schools.
College & Workforce Readiness
Hands-On Career Academies Struggle to Get Off the Ground
Funding is needed to balance investments in new models with support for promising work in existing schools, says non-profit head.
Teaching Profession
Report Roundup
Teacher-Absence Rates Found to Vary Across Big-City School Districts
America's big-city districts have widely different teacher-attendance rates, according to a new analysis based on data from 40 of the country's largest metropolitan areas.
Assessment
Report Roundup
Time and Learning
A new study presents conflicting findings on how time for instruction affects students' learning.
English-Language Learners
Report Roundup
Early Learning
Immigrant families often struggle to take advantage of maximizing the benefits of early-childhood education opportunities for their children, finds a new report.
Special Education
Report Roundup
Research Report: Special Education
New research shows that, with intensive instruction, children with intellectual disabilities can independently read simple text.
Federal
Report Roundup
Arts Education
Music enrollment rates at public high schools have remained flat for about three decades, despite fears that the arts have been crowded out of schools by the No Child Left Behind law's emphasis on reading and mathematics.
School & District Management
News in Brief
'Data Scrubbing' Probe Expands in Ohio Districts
The Ohio education department will expand its investigation into allegations of "data scrubbing" in four districts to see whether they improperly reported attendance data for 2012-13.
Assessment
News in Brief
Ariz. Withdraws From PARCC to Avoid Perception of Bias
Arizona is withdrawing from the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
California Students Sue State to Get More Instructional Time
Eighteen students from seven low-performing schools in California have filed a class action against the state and its top education officials, claiming they have not been given the same amount of time to learn as students in wealthier areas.
Assessment
News in Brief
Florida to Eliminate Use of Social Security Numbers
As of July 1, the Florida education department will no longer use Social Security numbers to identify students.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Ed. Dept. May Lack the Tools to Evaluate Promise Program
The U.S. Department of Education may not have a good way to evaluate the effectiveness of Promise Neighborhoods, the Government Accountability Office says.