January 28, 2015
Education Week, Vol. 34, Issue 19
States
State of the States
Nevada Eyes Tax Hike for Schools
Nevada Governor Brian E. Sandoval proposed raising taxes to support a sweeping set of education initiatives he said will modernize the state's lagging K-12 school system.
Curriculum
Letter to the Editor
Delisle: Comments Underscore Differentiation's Failings
To the Editor:
When I wrote my Commentary "Differentiation Doesn't Work" (Jan. 7, 2015), I anticipated that it would generate some discussion. Indeed, it has. In reading the comments made directly to Education Week on edweek.org, as well as the dozens of emails I have received from readers in several countries, I can conclude only one thing: Differentiation works … unless it doesn't.
When I wrote my Commentary "Differentiation Doesn't Work" (Jan. 7, 2015), I anticipated that it would generate some discussion. Indeed, it has. In reading the comments made directly to Education Week on edweek.org, as well as the dozens of emails I have received from readers in several countries, I can conclude only one thing: Differentiation works … unless it doesn't.
Teaching
Opinion
Differentiation Does, in Fact, Work
One of the leading proponents of differentiated instruction, Carol Ann Tomlinson, writes a spirited defense of the teaching practice.
IT Infrastructure & Management
After Ed-Tech Meltdown, a District Rebounds
The Guilford County, N.C., school district and its vendor, Amplify, have shared the cost of getting a failed 1-to-1 computing initiative back on track this school year.
Federal
Activists Share Strategies for 'Opting Out' of Tests
At a recent national conference in Florida, advocates and parents strategized on getting more people involved in the growing practice of "test refusal."
Equity & Diversity
Poverty Data Signal Urgency for Schools
With the shift to a majority-poor enrollment in the nation's public schools, policymakers and school officials need to up the ante in addressing the needs of disadvantaged children and the challenges in educating them, researchers and educators say.
Early Childhood
K-12 Gets Short Shrift in State of the Union Speech
The president calls for two free years of community college and child-care aid, but ESEA goes unmentioned.
School & District Management
Boston Joins Growing Ranks of Districts With Longer School Days
Advocates predict this month's endorsement from the Boston teachers' union will spur more districts to extend the school day.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
Happiness in the Classroom
A recent national poll shows that more than half the country’s teachers are not engaged in their work. And those who are "actively disengaged" say they "act out their unhappiness in ways
that undermine what their co-workers accomplish," as defined by Gallup. Unengaged teachers report
slightly more unhealthy days than their more engaged peers, but their greater share of the workforce means they account for additional missed workdays.
Families & the Community
News in Brief
Minn. District Investigates Suspected Snapchat Bullying
Administrators of the Prior Lake-Savage area school district in Minnesota say the district is conducting its own investigation after the father of a black student confronted his daughter's bullies in a posting on YouTube.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Indiana Lawmaker Seeks OK for Education Lobbying Job
The leader of the education committee of the Indiana House has formed a lobbying company to represent clients in the field of education.
School & District Management
News in Brief
D.C. Schools Launch Effort to Help Black, Latino Boys
The District of Columbia public schools last week launched an effort aimed at improving outcomes for black and Latino male students.
Standards
News in Brief
Mississippi Pulls Out of PARCC Consortium
Mississippi's school board has voted to leave the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers and seek a new test for the next school year.
English-Language Learners
News in Brief
Suburban N.Y. Schools Agree to Improve Access for ELLs
Seven suburban districts in New York state have reached an agreement with the state attorney general to expand educational access for students with limited English skills.
Education Funding
News in Brief
50 Percent Attendance Rate Found in Ohio Charters
An audit released last week based on a "surprise" head count at 30 charter schools in Ohio found that some were overreporting enrollment.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Fla. District Fires Candidate in Line for National Honor
The Hillsborough County school board in Tampa, Fla., last week fired Superintendent MaryEllen Elia, its leader since 2005.
Teaching Profession
News in Brief
Judge Rules Philadelphia Can't Cancel Union Contract
A Pennsylvania judge ruled last week that the Philadelphia School Reform Commission, which runs the city's public schools, does not have the authority to unilaterally cancel the teachers' union contract and impose new terms.
College & Workforce Readiness
News in Brief
Scores, Test-Takers Down for New GED Exam
The GED Testing Service, which offers the General Educational Development test in 40 states, reports about a 60 percent passing rate for students taking all four sections of its new computer-based test, down from about 65 percent in a typical year.
International
International Study Ranks Schools on Social Stress, Equity
When it comes to comparing school systems, test scores are just the tip of the iceberg, researchers argue.
School & District Management
Chicago's Closures Drove Most Students to Better-Rated Schools
A new study also finds that nearly one-third of students who didn't choose one of the district's "welcoming schools" opted for lower-performing schools than the ones they left behind.
School & District Management
Opinion
Change Education Attitudes, Not Just Management
Rather than quick fixes through "management science," schools must improve students’ attitudes about achievement, Garrison Walters says.
Equity & Diversity
Opinion
Why Do Some Schools Feel Like Prisons?
In some struggling majority-minority schools, the emphasis is on discipline to the detriment of learning, Samina Hadi-Tabassum says.
Teacher Preparation
Opinion
Rules Alone Won't Propel Improvement of Teacher Ed. Programs
To fix how this country evaluates education schools will require more than just data measurement, writes Susan H. Fuhrman.
Education
Letter to the Editor
Computer-Programming Prepares Students for Problem-Solving
To the Editor:
With success stories like that of Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, more people are willing to learn what programming is and why it's important to begin learning about it in primary and secondary schools.
With success stories like that of Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, more people are willing to learn what programming is and why it's important to begin learning about it in primary and secondary schools.
Data
Letter to the Editor
Data Alone Cannot Solve Education's Problems
To the Editor:
A Dec. 23, 2014, Inside School Research blog post, "Report Questions Sustainability of Longitudinal Student-Data Systems," outlined the findings of a U.S. Government Accountability Office report exposing gaps in the ability of states to match individual students' education records to their later results in the workforce. It is a critically important story for those of us who know that the power of valid data can be used to guide continuous improvement in teaching and learning (and the policies that support them).
A Dec. 23, 2014, Inside School Research blog post, "Report Questions Sustainability of Longitudinal Student-Data Systems," outlined the findings of a U.S. Government Accountability Office report exposing gaps in the ability of states to match individual students' education records to their later results in the workforce. It is a critically important story for those of us who know that the power of valid data can be used to guide continuous improvement in teaching and learning (and the policies that support them).
Curriculum
Letter to the Editor
Arts Standards Will Help Youths Learn Across Disciplines
To the Editor:
Your recent collection of arts education Commentaries highlighted the irreplaceable value of the arts to learning, documenting many exciting occurrences in the field ("Inspired Learning: A special Commentary section on arts education," Dec. 3, 2014).
Your recent collection of arts education Commentaries highlighted the irreplaceable value of the arts to learning, documenting many exciting occurrences in the field ("Inspired Learning: A special Commentary section on arts education," Dec. 3, 2014).
College & Workforce Readiness
Letter to the Editor
Early-College Programs Benefit Students, Colleges
To the Editor:
In an article in the Dec. 10, 2014, issue, "College Policies Mixed on AP, IB, Dual Classes," there was not a single mention of the most robust, scalable, and successful early-college-credit model available and in use in most states: concurrent enrollment.
In an article in the Dec. 10, 2014, issue, "College Policies Mixed on AP, IB, Dual Classes," there was not a single mention of the most robust, scalable, and successful early-college-credit model available and in use in most states: concurrent enrollment.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Private Schools Chime In on Choice
Concerns about too much regulation and maintaining independence are the primary reasons private schools choose not to participate in school voucher or tax-credit scholarship programs, according to a new report.
Education Funding
Report Roundup
District Finances
An analysis of school funding in 11 big-city districts that share financial and demographic similarities shows that the financially strapped Philadelphia school district receives less funding per-pupil than seven of its counterparts.