August 6, 2014
Education Week, Vol. 33, Issue 37
Federal
Clock Ticking on Assured Access to Qualified Teachers
States must tell the Education Department by April how they'll make sure poor and minority students aren't taught by unqualified teachers at a higher rate than other students.
Reading & Literacy
Study Eyes 4th Graders' Readiness for Writing Tests on Computer
Fourth graders are capable of using a computer to type, organize, and write well enough to be assessed, according to a pilot study released by the National Center for Education Statistics.
School & District Management
Opinion
Recasting At-Risk Students as Leaders
When at-risk students helped peers, a school changed for the better, Jason Towne writes.
Federal
U.S. Reviews of Standards, Tests Enter New Phase
As the Education Department prepares to release new guidance on its peer-review process for standards and assessments, educators and testmakers worry how their systems will be judged under the new criteria.
Student Well-Being
E-Cigarettes' Growth Spurs District Actions
Fearful that electronic cigarettes' surging popularity will revive teenage smoking, schools are starting to ban the devices.
Standards
Standards Persist Amid Controversy
Though they've undergone changes, the controversial standards persist even in states where resistance has led to high-profile legislation and heated debate.
School & District Management
Researchers Rank Districts by Finances, Productivity
Three reports highlight differences in how much districts spend, what they get in return, and how government policies exacerbate disparities.
School Climate & Safety
Letter to the Editor
Classrooms Must Accommodate Curiosity and Questioning
To the Editor:
It is incredibly important that we discuss curiosity's place in our educational policies, structures, and practices. This is especially true in schools that serve students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
It is incredibly important that we discuss curiosity's place in our educational policies, structures, and practices. This is especially true in schools that serve students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
School & District Management
Letter to the Editor
Common-Core Standards Require Nuanced, Multifaceted Analysis
To the Editor:
Too often, people evaluating the Common Core State Standards movement conflate the standards as learning goals with implementation factors and associated testing/accountability systems. A more nuanced analysis demands a consideration of the following five dimensions:
Too often, people evaluating the Common Core State Standards movement conflate the standards as learning goals with implementation factors and associated testing/accountability systems. A more nuanced analysis demands a consideration of the following five dimensions:
Early Childhood
Letter to the Editor
Reflective, Creative Culture Advances Early Learning
To the Editor:
"The Case for the New Kindergarten: Both Playful and Academi,c" highlighted the perceived gap between kindergarten classrooms and preschool programming regarding approaches to learning. Aligning school readiness goals through a collaborative process for a community is extremely important. A strong partnership between kindergarten and preschool programs is fundamental to supporting child-literacy levels and the important learning that takes place before 3rd grade.
"The Case for the New Kindergarten: Both Playful and Academi,c" highlighted the perceived gap between kindergarten classrooms and preschool programming regarding approaches to learning. Aligning school readiness goals through a collaborative process for a community is extremely important. A strong partnership between kindergarten and preschool programs is fundamental to supporting child-literacy levels and the important learning that takes place before 3rd grade.
Student Well-Being
Opinion
A Healthy Child Is a Better Student
Removing the eight "health barriers to learning" can make all the difference in the academic success of children living in poverty, Irwin Redlener argues.
Education
News in Brief
Transitions
Montana Gov. Steve Bullock has been elected the 46th chairman of the Education Commission of the States. He takes over as chairman of the Denver-based nonpartisan organization at the 2015 National Forum on Education Policy in June.
Education
Obituary
Obituaries
Gene I. Maeroff, a former education correspondent for The New York Times, a prolific author on education policy issues, and a former school board president in Edison, N.J., died July 25. He was 75.
School Climate & Safety
Report Roundup
Gains Seen in Child Well-Being, Despite Rising Poverty
American children are in many ways healthier and better educated toda than they were a quarter-century ago, according to the latest Kids Count Data Book.
Assessment
Report Roundup
Homeless Education
To improve homeless students' achievement, schools must balance academic and behavioral support, according to a new research and policy report.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Principals
Among the nation's school principals, nearly eight in 10 remained in their post during the 2012-13 school year, according to new federal survey data.
Assessment
Report Roundup
Math Education
Doubling up on mathematics classes for a year may help middle school students in the short term, but the benefits of doing so depreciate over time, according to a new study.
International
Report Roundup
Classroom Practice
U.S. schools and classrooms rank near the bottom among the countries studied in a first-ever report on education innovation by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD.
School Climate & Safety
Report Roundup
Student Nutrition
Two national surveys of school administrators found that students warmed up to healthier school lunches, complaining less and eating as much as they did before the rules took effect.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Wisconsin High Court Upholds Collective Bargaining Restrictions
The Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld a state law that sharply curtails the collective bargaining rights of teachers’ unions and most other public-employee labor groups.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Atlanta Cheating Trial to Proceed Without Hall
The criminal trial of former Atlanta educators for roles they are accused of playing in a widespread cheating scandal is set to open this month, but former schools Superintendent Beverly Hall's failing health has postponed her trial indefinitely.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
AIR Appeals Testing Contract Awarded Solely to Pearson
The American Institutes for Research is going back to court in New Mexico to fight the granting of a potentially enormous award for common-core-testing work to Pearson.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Calif. Tenure Lawsuit Inspires Another Suit in New York
A second lawsuit challenging New York state's laws on teacher tenure, layoffs, and dismissals was filed last week.
School & District Management
News in Brief
New Requirements Proposed for N.Y.C. Superintendents
New York City community-superintendent candidates would have to show at least a 10-year background in teaching to get the job.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Error on Application Form May Jeopardize College Aid
Potentially tens of thousands of students awarded a Pell Grant or other need-based federal aid for the coming school year could find it taken away because of a mistake in filling out a form.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Many Head Start Providers Recompeted Successfully
The Head Start office has released the names of 114 grantees that will be awarded funds after a second batch of low-performing providers was required to recompete for the federal preschool money.
College & Workforce Readiness
News in Brief
After 20-Year Hiatus, U.S. to Rejoin International Exam
For the first time in 20 years, American seniors will once again test their advanced mathematics and physics prowess against that of students in other countries next spring.
College & Workforce Readiness
News in Brief
Ed. Dept. to Pilot Pairing-Up of Seniors, College Students
The development of mentoring programs that pair college students with high schoolers is among the strategies the U.S. Department of Education intends to pilot as part of a new initiative to improve college completion for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.