Instructional Time
Federal
Arizona's English-Learner Debate Unlikely to Wane, Despite Ruling
Though a federal appeals court has upheld the state's mandate of four-hour blocks of English-immersion daily for ELLs, federal civil rights officials are pushing Arizona to overhaul its approach to language instruction.
Recruitment & Retention
SIG Money Gives Principal Tools for Turnaround
A federal School Improvement Grant has helped the principal at one North Carolina school amp up the focus on using data to boost student achievement.
Special Education
Hurdles in Pairing General, Special Education Teachers
Poorly implemented co-teaching practices may be taking the "special" out of special education, say many who train teachers and districts in collaboration.
Education Funding
As School Day Grows, Ties Deepen Between Schools, Providers
Expanded-learning initiatives are pushing educators and outside groups to collaborate in new, more integrated ways.
Federal
After-School Programs Feel Heat From Congress, Critics
A congressional proposal to roll federal after-school funds into a broader block grant has created an opening for critics and a rallying cry for advocates.
Assessment
Opinion
We're Racing Through K-12 Education
Learning takes time, so rushing children to finish assignments is not the answer, writes speech-language pathologist Rebecca Givens Rolland.
Student Well-Being
Districts Work With Families to Curb Pre-K Absenteeism
Amid a national push to expand early education, officials in a number of cities work to combat chronic nonattendance among preschoolers, seen as a warning sign of issues in the later grades.
Standards
Opinion
Competency-Based Education Is Working
New Hampshire schools demonstrate how competency-based education offers a positive, skills-based approach to standards learning, writes Ronald A. Wolk.
Standards
As Common-Core Test Season Begins, Teachers Feel Pressure
A combination of earlier testing times and interruptions in instruction due to snow days is putting pressure on teachers to cover as much content as they can to get students ready.
Teaching
Schools Test Impact of Blending Technology, Longer School Days
The pairing of blended learning and an expanded school day hits the sweet spot for improving K-12 education, concludes a new guide for educators and policymakers.
International
Do U.S. Teachers Really Teach More Hours?
A new study says U.S. teachers still lead the world in time spent in front of a class—but not as much as everyone thinks.
Teaching
U.S. Teaching Time Greatly Exaggerated Finds New Study
The amount of time that U.S. public school teachers spend teaching has been greatly overstated, according to a new study by Teachers College at Columbia University, and that has led to mistaken comparisons between the U.S. educational system and those of the world's highest-performing countries.
School & District Management
Credit Hours Are Still Useful Measures for Schools, Study Concludes
In an era of "competency-based education," the Carnegie unit remains a "guarantee" that all students are getting a minimum level of learning time, says a new report.
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.