Issues

September 7, 2016

Education Week, Vol. 36, Issue 03
Families & the Community Report Roundup Early Learning
In the lower-income neighborhoods of Oakland, Calif., 70 percent of parents read to their young children at least three days a week, according to a survey of 420 parents conducted in the spring by the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, a local philanthropy.
Lillian Mongeau, September 7, 2016
1 min read
Every Student Succeeds Act New ESSA Spending Regulations Proposed
The draft rules appear to give districts and states added flexibility in ensuring federal funds for low-income students don't replace state and local dollars.
Alyson Klein & Andrew Ujifusa, September 6, 2016
5 min read
Curriculum Rating Materials for Reading
The curriculum review group EdReports.org last week released its first round of ratings for grades 3-8 English/language arts materials—and results were mixed.
Liana Loewus, September 6, 2016
1 min read
School & District Management Amid School-Closure Worries, Michigan Lists Low Performers
State officials insist the roster of low-performing schools is not a closure list, but an accountability measure required by law, though those reassurances may face skepticism.
Brenda Iasevoli, September 6, 2016
4 min read
School & District Management Indiana Lawmaker's Staffer Tapped to Craft Trump School Choice Plan
Rob Goad, on leave from the office of Rep. Luke Messer, R-Ind., has been working as a Trump policy adviser in New York City.
Andrew Ujifusa, September 6, 2016
3 min read
Julie Woestehoff, Parents Across America’s interim executive director.
Julie Woestehoff, Parents Across America’s interim executive director.
Families & the Community Q&A Parents Across America Group Outlines Ed-Tech 'Threats'
In an exclusive interview, the organization’s leader talks about the threats and addresses criticisms that the national group is making alarmist claims.
Benjamin Herold, September 6, 2016
5 min read
Special Education Longer Day, Year Required for Many Head Start Programs
Final performance standards are aimed at raising professional-development requirements and educational standards for the federal preschool program, while cutting the red tape.
Christina A. Samuels, September 6, 2016
3 min read
Teacher Preparation Amid Shortage Fears, States Ease Teacher-Licensing Rules
With policymakers across the country increasingly worried about teacher shortages, one after another, state licensing authorities have been loosening certification rules.
Emmanuel Felton, September 6, 2016
2 min read
Kindergarten students at Fallsmead Elementary School in Rockville, Md., rotate among classes in their first week of school as teachers get to know them.
Kindergarten students at Fallsmead Elementary School in Rockville, Md., rotate among classes in their first week of school as teachers get to know them.
Erin Irwin/Education Week
Early Childhood Schools Try Class Rotation for Kindergartners on Week One
Cycling the new students through all the kindergarten classes lets teachers get to know them before permanent class assignments are made.
Christina A. Samuels, September 6, 2016
6 min read
Special Education Studies Flag Potential Downside to Inclusion
Young classmates of pupils with emotional and behavioral disabilities were found to have more absences, lower math and reading scores, and more disruptive behaviors.
Carmen Constantinescu & Christina A. Samuels, September 6, 2016
9 min read
Sabrina Villanueva, a sophomore at the University of Rochester in New York, earned 12 college credits in high school through a dual-enrollment program with a community college in her hometown of Dallas. None of her college credits were accepted at the university.
Sabrina Villanueva, a sophomore at the University of Rochester in New York, earned 12 college credits in high school through a dual-enrollment program with a community college in her hometown of Dallas. None of her college credits were accepted at the university.
Mike Bradley for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Are Dual-Enrollment Programs Overpromising?
Students in dual-enrollment programs are often told they will be able to transfer the credits they earn to college, but it doesn't happen.
Catherine Gewertz, September 6, 2016
10 min read
Principal Shawn Chabot (back left) at Lewiston High School in Lewiston, Maine, keeps an eye on the hallway during class change on the first day of school. Proposed tax increases up for a vote in November aim to make up for flagging revenue in the state that has had an impact on school funding.
Principal Shawn Chabot (back left) at Lewiston High School in Lewiston, Maine, keeps an eye on the hallway during class change on the first day of school. Proposed tax increases up for a vote in November aim to make up for flagging revenue in the state that has had an impact on school funding.
Sarah Rice for Education Week
Federal Tax Boosts to Aid K-12 Up for Vote in Several States
Voters in Maine, Oregon, and other states are being asked to approve ballot measures that would use tax increases to increase the amount of money school districts receive each year.
Daarel Burnette II, September 6, 2016
7 min read
"Student-Centered Learning Can Modernize Schools: Our education system isn’t broken; it’s outdated," Commentary by Nicholas Donohue. Photo by Getty.
Getty
Teaching Opinion Student-Centered Learning Can Modernize Schools
Tailored student-centered approaches can improve student achievement and attainment, writes Nellie Mae Education Foundation president Nicholas C. Donohue.
Nicholas C. Donohue, September 6, 2016
4 min read
"United States Should Prioritize Global Education: Congresswoman calls for expanded access to education across the globe," Commentary by Nita Lowey. Photo by Getty.
Getty
Federal Opinion United States Should Prioritize Global Education
Expanded access to education across the globe will boost U.S. national and economic security, writes Rep. Nita Lowey.
Nita Lowey, September 6, 2016
3 min read
conceptual Illustration
André da Loba for Education Week
School Climate & Safety Opinion Why Punishment Won't Stop a Bully
When addressing bullying in schools, punitive discipline can itself be a type of bullying, argues author Alfie Kohn.
Alfie Kohn, September 6, 2016
6 min read
Education Funding News in Brief S.C. Settles Dispute on Aid for Special Ed. Services
The U.S. Department of Education has settled a dispute with South Carolina education officials over spending cuts to special education services.
Daarel Burnette II, September 6, 2016
1 min read
School Climate & Safety News in Brief Students Now Can Publish Letters to Next President
The National Writing Project and PBS member station KQED in San Francisco have launched a website, Letters to the Next President 2.0, that will publish thousands of students' letters on the issues that matter to them this election season.
Madeline Will, September 6, 2016
1 min read
School Climate & Safety News in Brief N.M. District to Install Gun Safes on Campuses
Middle and high schools in Los Alamos, N.M., will soon have gun safes full of shotguns and semi-automatic weapons on campus.
The Associated Press, September 6, 2016
1 min read
Student Well-Being Report Roundup In Poor Areas, After-School Programs Are in Demand
For every child in an after-school program in a high-poverty community, two more are waiting to get in, according to a report from the Afterschool Alliance.
Marva Hinton, September 6, 2016
1 min read
School Climate & Safety News in Brief Calif. Lawmakers Approve Alarm for School Buses
Legislation intended to prevent children from being left unattended on parked school buses in California was headed last week to Gov. Jerry Brown.
The Associated Press, September 6, 2016
1 min read
Student Well-Being Letter to the Editor Homework Assignments to Foster Healthy Eating
To the Editor:
Now that school is beginning again, it is important to note that making unhealthy food choices in and outside the home is likely a strong contributor to the high incidence of overweight and obese adults and children in the United States.
September 6, 2016
1 min read
School Climate & Safety Letter to the Editor 'Chutzpah' in King's School-to-Prison Stance
To the Editor:
Chutzpah is a Yiddish word that a lot of people use but is really hard to define. Thanks should go to U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. for helping to do so.
September 6, 2016
1 min read
School Climate & Safety News in Brief Children Attend Classes at New Sandy Hook School
Elementary students attended classes at Sandy Hook Elementary School last week for the first time since a shooting rampage in the Newtown, Conn., school killed 20 1st graders and six educators.
The Associated Press, September 6, 2016
1 min read
"Helping Homeless Students Step Out of the Shadows: ESSA requirements may help homeless youth," Commentary by Barbara Duffield. Photo by Getty.
Getty
Student Well-Being Opinion Helping Homeless Students Step Out of the Shadows
Under ESSA, educators and policymakers have an opportunity to better identify and support homeless students, writes Barbara Duffield.
Barbara Duffield, September 6, 2016
5 min read
Law & Courts News in Brief Pa. District Appeals Ruling on Refugee Placement
A central Pennsylvania district says it is appealing a court ruling allowing refugee students to attend the local high school rather than an alternative school.
The Associated Press, September 6, 2016
1 min read
School & District Management News in Brief Indiana Chief's Office Backed App Deal Without Bidding
Indiana schools Superintendent Glenda Ritz's office approved a lucrative technology contract that state government officials said should have been subject to competitive bid, awarding it to a company that later gave one of her key aides a senior job.
The Associated Press, September 6, 2016
1 min read
School & District Management News in Brief Alabama Educators Protest State Chief Appointment
A group of Alabama educators have started a petition asking the state school board to rescind its hiring of education consultant Michael Sentance as the state's next superintendent.
Daarel Burnette II, September 6, 2016
1 min read
Education Funding News in Brief New Orleans School Board Approves Plan to Reunify System
Eleven years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans and helped set in motion the division of the city's public schools into two systems, the Orleans Parish school board last week signed off on a plan that will reunite those schools under its control.
Tribune News Service, September 6, 2016
1 min read
Reading & Literacy News in Brief Test Can't Be Used to Hold Students Back, Court Rules
A judge has ruled that Florida school districts can't hold 3rd graders back just because they score badly on a mandated standardized reading test, saying that classroom grades and teacher evaluations have to be considered.
The Associated Press, September 6, 2016
1 min read