May 2, 2018
Education Week, Vol. 37, Issue 29
School & District Management
Opinion
Why I'm Against Innovation in Education
As the education community chases the latest trend, it often overlooks what works for helping students learn, writes Mike Schmoker.
Every Student Succeeds Act
Florida, California Revamp ESSA Plans in Quest for Federal OK
Two of the largest states are still awaiting approval from U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos on their plans for putting the Every Student Succeeds Act into effect.
Every Student Succeeds Act
Where Do States Line Up On Aid for Title I, Title II?
The U.S. Department of Education has released state-by-state spending estimates for key programs based on the fiscal 2018 spending bill President Donald Trump signed last month.
Science
Gaps Persist in Access to Gateway Math, Science Classes, Federal Data Show
The statistics reveal disparities in the share of black and Latino students who take algebra early—as well as in advanced science courses.
Curriculum
Pearson Tests Growth-Mindset Messages in Software
An experiment with embedding 'growth-mindset' messaging in software appeared to help students persist when they encountered difficulty, and raised ethical concerns.
School & District Management
Quality Is Crucial to Sustaining Benefits of Pre-K, Studies Stress
New research shows that early-childhood programs can't be seen as a one-shot inoculation that will sustain children throughout their academic careers.
School Climate & Safety
In Discipline and Academics, Gaps Widen for Students of Color
New federal data on 99 percent of the nation’s schools tally up a long and growing list of inequities that disadvantage students of color and those with disabilities.
School Climate & Safety
Black Students Bear Uneven Brunt of Discipline, Data Show
Black students make up nearly a third of all students arrested at school or referred to law enforcement, but only 15 percent of overall enrollment, OCR data show.
School & District Management
Museums Are Dabbling in Teacher Training, and the Results Are Promising
A New York City effort aimed at preparing teachers to take learning outside the classroom and into the community may be leading to improvements in science achievement and teacher retention, according to some study results.
College & Workforce Readiness
Report Roundup
College and Career Readiness
Only 3 percent of adults think students are "very prepared" for college when they graduate from high school, according to a Gallup survey released last week.
School Climate & Safety
Report Roundup
Student Mental Health
Services provided by teachers and school staff can significantly reduce mental health problems in elementary-age students, finds a study in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Special Education
Report Roundup
Children With Autism
Autism spectrum disorder is up 15 percent, on average, among communities monitored by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to an agency report.
College & Workforce Readiness
Report Roundup
Research Report: Mathematics Education
High school math classes should be broadened to focus on goals beyond college and careers, including teaching the math students will need to be literate participants in civic life.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Former Baltimore County Superintendent Sentenced to Jail Time in Perjury Case
A former Baltimore County schools superintendent who served on prominent national education panels has been sentenced to serve six months behind bars after pleading guilty to perjury charges.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
AFT to Wells Fargo: Choose Between America's Teachers and the NRA
The American Federation of Teachers has dropped Wells Fargo from a list of recommended mortgage providers for its 1.7 million union members, stemming from the bank's ties to gun makers and the National Rifle Association.
Special Education
News in Brief
Texas Unveils Special Education Fix After Denying Services for Years
Texas has unveiled a formal plan to overhaul special education statewide, after federal officials found that services were for years illegally denied to students with disabilities.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
On-Site Police, Security More Common at Majority-Black Secondary Schools
Secondary schools with enrollments of mostly black students are more likely to have on-site police and security officers than schools with largely white enrollment, an analysis of new federal civil rights data finds.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
School Design Contributed to Massacre at Florida School, Investigator Says
Faulty classroom design and failures in the police radio and 911 systems contributed to the chaos and 17 deaths during the recent Florida high school massacre, a commission investigating the shooting in February was told at its first meeting last week.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Americans Back Higher Pay for Teachers, Strikes, Even Taxes, Poll Shows
Americans overwhelmingly believe teachers don't make enough money, and half say they'd support paying higher taxes to give educators a raise.
Ed-Tech Policy
News in Brief
Amid Privacy Changes, Facebook Still to Treat U.S. Teens Like Adults
Faced with public outrage, congressional scrutiny, and a sweeping new data-privacy law soon to take effect in Europe, Facebook has vowed to better protect its users' privacy.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
DACA Ruling Could Open Door for Immigrants in High School
A federal judge's ruling on the future of DACA could open the door for tens of thousands of undocumented high-school-age students to be protected from deportation.
Education
Letter to the Editor
Don't Shun Tests
To The Editor:
Opting out of testing is like opting out of responsibility. As a mother, I want to know how my own kids are doing but, arguably more importantly, we all need to know how all kids are doing. In her opinion blog, Starr Sackstein explains why she opts her son out of state testing and why she, as a mother and a teacher, believes that other parents should do the same. ("Why I Opt My Son Out of State Testing," April 12, 2018).
Opting out of testing is like opting out of responsibility. As a mother, I want to know how my own kids are doing but, arguably more importantly, we all need to know how all kids are doing. In her opinion blog, Starr Sackstein explains why she opts her son out of state testing and why she, as a mother and a teacher, believes that other parents should do the same. ("Why I Opt My Son Out of State Testing," April 12, 2018).
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Scientists Look Like What?
Pop "scientist" into an image search and you're likely to see people in goggles and white coats, swirling liquids in Erlenmyer flasks or peering into microscopes.
Education
News in Brief
Transition
Eric Mackey, the executive director of the School Superintendents of Alabama, has been tapped as that state's new schools chief.
Education
Correction
Correction
A story in the April 25, 2018, issue of Education Week about the Arizona teacher walkout misstated the pay raise West Virginia teachers were given after their strike. They received a 5 percent increase.
Teaching
Opinion
What's Actually Working in the Classroom?
After visiting 200 schools in 50 states, author Ted Dintersmith explores how the most remarkable educators are helping students thrive.
Recruitment & Retention
Where School Employees Can't Afford Housing, Some Districts Try to Help
In some of the hottest real estate markets, principals can't afford to buy homes. Some districts aim to bridge the gaps between salaries and housing costs.
Law & Courts
A Year Ago the Supreme Court Raised the Bar for Special Ed. What's Happened Since?
The Endrew F. decision broadened the standard of what’s required on behalf of students with disabilities, putting a renewed focus on those needs, advocates say.
Education Funding
Opinion
Want to Support Public Schools? Stop Cutting Taxes
Amid widespread teacher strikes and protests, one Kentucky superintendent makes an appeal for increased investment in education.