February 13, 2019
Education Week, Vol. 38, Issue 21
Education Funding
Which States Are Poised to Tackle Outdated K-12 Funding Formulas?
Buoyed by budget surpluses and prodded by teacher activism and legal challenges, legislators and governors are gearing up to tackle long-outdated K-12 funding formulas.
School & District Management
From Our Research Center
Student Journalism Classes Going Strong, Poll Finds
Despite harsh criticism from President Trump, shrinking job prospects, and safety threats, student interest in journalism has risen or held steady in many high schools, a new survey shows.
School Climate & Safety
Are Today's Young Civic Activists in It for the Long Haul?
After a year, the March for Our Lives movement can point to political wins and losses, converts, and dropouts. Can they keep it going?
Families & the Community
From Our Research Center
Debunking the Myth That Rich Parents Don't Want Tech for Their Kids
The media loves stories about wealthy parents keeping their kids off screens. Experts, evidence, and educators from Beverly Hills to Greenwich, Conn. paint a different picture.
Law & Courts
Reading the Tea Leaves in Denial of Case Involving a Coach's On-Field Prayer
Though the Supreme Court refused this particular case, some see an opening for future challenges involving First Amendment issues and public employees.
Early Childhood
Nearly All States Snag Federal Preschool Development Grants
The $250 million pot of federal money helps pay for strategic planning in early-childhood education systems, but the program's undergone some revisions.
School & District Management
Open Questions Follow Governor's Move to Scrap Fla. Standards
It may take years for the state to disentangle itself from the Common Core State Standards and put new ones in place.
Teaching Profession
Stark Choice for States: Bank Surpluses, or Spend Them on K-12
Public school advocates have a long wish list even as state policymakers weigh whether to fatten "rainy day" funds instead of pumping surplus cash into schools.
Student Well-Being
Opinion
'Grit Is in Our DNA': Why Teaching Grit Is Inherently Anti-Black
The popular trend of teaching grit is actually the education equivalent of "The Hunger Games," argues Bettina L. Love.
School Climate & Safety
Opinion
'Listen to Native People': What K-12 Curricula Leave Out (Q&A)
Educators still have a lot to learn from the now-infamous videos of Covington Catholic High School students, says Rebecca Nagle.
School & District Management
Letter to the Editor
The Role of Public Scholarship
To the Editor:
I read the recent Commentary collection on public scholarship ("Want to Be a Public Scholar? Here's What You Need to Know," January 16, 2019). After 50 years in public education, I've reluctantly come to the conclusion that education-research findings have little effect on the development of education policy. There are several reasons why this is the case.
I read the recent Commentary collection on public scholarship ("Want to Be a Public Scholar? Here's What You Need to Know," January 16, 2019). After 50 years in public education, I've reluctantly come to the conclusion that education-research findings have little effect on the development of education policy. There are several reasons why this is the case.
Special Education
Letter to the Editor
Special Ed. Has a Data Problem
To the Editor:
In response to "Special Education's Future," an article that appeared in the "10 Big Ideas" special report, I would add that this broken system is supported and enforced with broken data, which itself costs millions of dollars for often dubious value (January 9, 2019). The cost in dollars and frustration is even higher if we include unfunded teacher and administrator time.
In response to "Special Education's Future," an article that appeared in the "10 Big Ideas" special report, I would add that this broken system is supported and enforced with broken data, which itself costs millions of dollars for often dubious value (January 9, 2019). The cost in dollars and frustration is even higher if we include unfunded teacher and administrator time.
School Climate & Safety
Report Roundup
School Discipline
Being suspended or expelled from school is more likely to lead students to use drugs later as adolescents or young adults than being arrested, according to a new longitudinal study in the journal Justice Quarterly.
School Climate & Safety
Report Roundup
Research Report: Social-Emotional Learning
Survey data including school climate motivated educators to change their practices, but the effects are unclear, according to a new study by Future Ed at Georgetown University.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Principals
Principals have the power to ensure English-language learners get an equitable education, but many don't realize how much influence they wield, a new study on school leadership concludes.
Education
News in Brief
Transitions
Karen Trujillo, an expert in professional development for teachers, has been named secretary of education in New Mexico, where teachers battled nonstop with the prior administration.
Assessment
News in Brief
Roman Catholic Students Sue Vermont Over Dual-Enrollment Lockout
A group of Vermont high school students backed by a powerful conservative Christian legal organization is accusing the state of religious discrimination.
Families & the Community
News in Brief
North Dakota Moves Forward on Law Barring Felons From School Boards
North Dakota's Senate has endorsed legislation that would bar felons from serving on school boards.
Teaching Profession
News in Brief
More Charter School Teachers in Chicago Area Go on Strike
Unionized educators at four Chicago International Charter School campuses went on strike last week, launching the city's second work stoppage at independently operated campuses.
Assessment
News in Brief
What's Up With AP?
About 1.24 million students—or nearly 40 percent of the class of 2018—took at least one Advanced Placement exam in 2018, for a grand total of some 4.22 million tests.
Science
Report Roundup
Science Education
Girls show stronger persistence in science tasks when they are asked to "do science" rather than "be scientists," finds a new study in the journal Psychological Science.
Equity & Diversity
Report Roundup
High Schools
More than a third of all high school students take college-credit courses while still in high school, a new federal report shows—but students are much more likely to take dual-credit courses if they're white or Asian or have college-educated parents.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Oklahoma Lawmakers Ramp Up Security at Capitol After Teacher Protests
The increase in security was imposed by majority Republicans as a new session of the legislature opened last week.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Minnesota Court Again Rejects Challenge to Teacher Tenure
The Minnesota court of appeals has again rejected a lawsuit alleging that teacher tenure and seniority rights in public schools saddle students of color with ineffective teachers and therefore violate those students' right to an adequate education.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Conservative Network to Launch Group Promoting Initiatives for K-12
Officials with the powerful political network led by conservative billionaire Charles Koch say they are promoting a state-level education strategy that they hope educators and teachers' unions will support.
Assessment
News in Brief
High School Graduation Rate Reaches Another All-Time High
The U.S. high school graduation rate has risen for yet another year, to a new all-time high.
Teaching
Teachers Are Turning to Podcasts as an Instructional Tool
From kindergarten to high school, teachers are using student-made podcasts to nurture students' reading, writing, and interviewing skills.
Federal
Could Past K-12 Positions Haunt Democrats Seeking White House?
A restive Democratic base could put presidential hopefuls like Sens. Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, and Elizabeth Warren on the hot seat over issues such as school choice, corporate involvement in schools, and the connection between education and criminal justice.