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.
Alyson Klein, August 5, 2014
4 min read
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.
Liana Loewus, August 5, 2014
3 min read
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.
J. William Towne, August 5, 2014
4 min read
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.
Catherine Gewertz, August 5, 2014
11 min read
Daryl Cura demonstrates an e-cigarette at a Vape store in Chicago.
Daryl Cura demonstrates an e-cigarette at a Vape store in Chicago.
Nam Y. Huh/AP-File
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.
Amanda Ulrich, August 5, 2014
5 min read
Education Best of the Blogs Blogs
August 5, 2014
7 min read
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.
Andrew Ujifusa, August 5, 2014
6 min read
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.
Lesli A. Maxwell, August 5, 2014
5 min read
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.
August 5, 2014
1 min read
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:
August 5, 2014
1 min read
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.
August 5, 2014
1 min read
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.
Irwin Redlener, August 5, 2014
6 min read
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.
August 5, 2014
1 min read
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.
August 5, 2014
1 min read
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.
Sarah D. Sparks, August 5, 2014
1 min read
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.
Sarah D. Sparks, August 5, 2014
1 min read
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.
Denisa R. Superville, August 5, 2014
1 min read
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.
Liana Loewus, August 5, 2014
1 min read
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.
Michele Molnar, August 5, 2014
1 min read
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.
Evie Blad, August 5, 2014
1 min read
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.
Mark Walsh, August 5, 2014
1 min read
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.
Lesli A. Maxwell, August 5, 2014
1 min read
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.
Sean Cavanagh, August 5, 2014
1 min read
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.
Stephen Sawchuk, August 5, 2014
1 min read
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.
Denisa R. Superville, August 5, 2014
1 min read
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.
The Associated Press, August 5, 2014
1 min read
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.
Christina A. Samuels, August 5, 2014
1 min read
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.
Sarah D. Sparks, August 5, 2014
1 min read
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.
Caralee J. Adams, August 5, 2014
1 min read