January 17, 2018
Education Week, Vol. 37, Issue 17
Every Student Succeeds Act
States Slow to Adopt ESSA's Testing Flexibility
Two years after the Every Student Succeeds Act passed, few seem eager to let districts give a nationally recognized college entrance exam in place of the state assessment for high school accountability.
Equity & Diversity
What Education Issues Loom This Year for Trump and Congress?
Education Department funding, the prospects for a school choice initiative, and the federal regulatory footprint all could be in play in 2018.
Student Well-Being & Movement
Students Thrive When They See Purpose in Their Learning
Educators and researchers see strong links between classroom work that students find meaningful and their levels of engagement and motivation.
Special Education
At Halfway Mark, Congress Faces Pile of Education Issues
Education Department funding, the prospects for a school choice initiative, and the federal regulatory footprint all could be in play in 2018.
IT Infrastructure & Management
Districts Counseled on Protecting Web Access After Loss of Net Neutrality
K-12 leaders are trying to prepare for a post-"net neutrality" world by reviewing their contracts with internet service providers to protect the flow of internet content.
Federal
Year-One Presidential Scorecards on K-12
Here's some highlights of President Donald Trump's impact on education in his first year—and a look at what his five predecessors did.
Classroom Technology
Opinion
Junior Scholars Have Much to Lose—and Gain—From Public Engagement
Young academics interested in becoming public scholars should proceed with caution, writes Seton Hall University’s Robert Kelchen.
Law & Courts
Opinion
The Problem With Calling Scholars 'Too Political'
Scholars shouldn't opt out of public-policy debates for which they have a deep well of knowledge, writes Diana Hess.
Law & Courts
Opinion
How (and When) Researchers Should Speak Truth to Power
Pedro A. Noguera shares the guidelines he uses to decide when he should participate in heated education debates.
Law & Courts
Opinion
Four Prerequisites for a Productive Education Debate
In our hyperpolarized political environment, education scholars should wade into public debates wisely, cautions Patrick J. Wolf.
Law & Courts
Opinion
When Does Scholarship Give Way to Bombast and Bluster?
For education scholars, when does public engagement cross the line into rote partisanship? Rick Hess proposes six steps to make the call.
Education
Letter to the Editor
The Achievement Gap Isn't on Parents
A recent blog post by Walt Gardner ("The Hard Truth About the Achievement Gap," placed the blame for the achievement gap on one group above others: parents.
School Climate & Safety
Report Roundup
Child Health
Infants and children younger than 19 are at greater risk of dying in the United States than in other industrialized nations, concludes a study of data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Families & the Community
Report Roundup
Family Engagement
When teachers visit students and parents at home, it can change their assumptions and biases and foster stronger school-home relationships.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Research Report: Teachers
Providing extra feedback for teachers and principals may help boost student achievement in math, says a new federal study.
Education Funding
Report Roundup
School Finance
American taxpayers spent close to $649 billion on their K-12 schools in 2015. That's according to a new survey released by the National Center for Education Statistics.
Education
News in Brief
Transitions
Forrest Claypooll, the CEO of the Chicago district resigned last month, amid allegations that he repeatedly lied to investigators during an ethics probe and tried to cover up an investigation into legal contracts. His resignation took effect Dec. 31, a day after the district's inspector general released a re...
Federal
News in Brief
Tax Overhaul's Impact on K-12
The federal tax overhaul—signed into law by President Donald Trump late last month—contains some big implications for K-12, including shake-ups to how state and local taxes are treated, changes to college-savings plans that let them be used for private school, and more.
Teaching Profession
News in Brief
Finalists Named for Top Prizes in Teaching, Administration
Finalists for both the 2018 National Superintendent and National Teacher of the Year have been announced.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Questioning of Superintendent's Raise Leads to Arrest of Louisiana Teacher
The arrest of a Louisiana teacher who spoke out against her superintendent's raise at a school board meeting has ignited online outrage, including death threats against the superintendent, his staff, and his family.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Federal Judge Blocks Arizona From Banning Ethnic Studies
A federal judge has blocked an Arizona law that led to the shuttering of a popular Mexican-American history course in the Tucson school district.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Appeals Court Knocks Down Challenge to 8-Year-Old Fla. School Funding Case
A Florida appeals court has shot down a lawsuit over public school funding, saying it raises "political questions" that cannot be answered by judges.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
#MeTooK12 Launches to Spotlight Sexual Harassment in Schools
A small organization has launched a #MeTooK12 campaign with the hope of harnessing the massive media coverage of sexual harassment and assault in the workplace to spark a conversation about the problem of sexual violence in public schools.
College & Workforce Readiness
News in Brief
Justice Department Probing Ethics Policy of National College-Counseling Group
The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether the ethics policy of a national college-admissions group violates federal antitrust law.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Governor Pitches 'Investigator General' to Root Out Corruption in Md. Schools
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan last week proposed establishing the post of "investigator general" to root out what he described as corruption, mismanagement, and ineptitude in some of the state's school districts.
Every Student Succeeds Act
K-12 a Key Topic for State Legislators as Sessions Gavel to a Start
School finance and policy changes driven by the Every Student Succeeds Act are on the horizon as all but three state legislatures go into full swing this month.
Special Education
Ed. Dept. Finds Texas Suppressed Enrollment of Special Education Students
The federal office of special education programs said the state failed to ensure that students were properly evaluated for special education, as required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Student Well-Being & Movement
In Schools, Classroom Proximity Breeds Teacher Collaboration
New research findings suggest that one way to help teachers collaborate and learn from one another is to make sure their classrooms are just steps away from those of other teachers.
Equity & Diversity
As End of DACA Looms, an 'Anxious Time' for Immigrant Educators and Students
Undocumented students and teachers shielded by DACA remain in limbo as Congress has not yet resolved their legal status since President Trump declared an end to protections that allow them to work legally.