March 14, 2001

Education Week, Vol. 20, Issue 26
Federal Bush Chooses Hansen For Deputy Secretary
In a long-anticipated announcement, the White House said last week that President Bush would nominate William D. Hansen, a lobbyist for a higher education finance group, to serve as the deputy secretary of education. That job is the No. 2 post in the Department of Education.
Joetta L. Sack, March 14, 2001
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7 min read
Teaching Profession Hawaii Teachers Plan Strike Vote Over Pay Demands
Teachers in Hawaii are expected to vote this week on whether to strike for a wage increase. If they vote yes, the walkout will probably happen the first week of April, just as many schools are coming back from spring break and beginning the final stretch of the school year.
Linda Jacobson, March 14, 2001
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3 min read
Education State Spending on Testing, 2001
A survey conducted by stateline.org, a Web site that reports on state policy issues, has found that states will spend approximately $400 million this fiscal year to develop, issue, and score their exams.
March 14, 2001
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1 min read
Teaching Profession State Journal

Guilt by Association

Some education students looking to do their student teaching in the Reading, Pa., area might find themselves viewed as personae non gratae.
March 14, 2001
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1 min read
The State of the States
Education Gov. Bush Aims To Keep Teachers
The State of the StatesIn his March 6 State of the State address, Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida warned that if initiatives supporting teacher recruitment aren't approved, the state's growing teacher shortage could threaten to undermine recent academic gains.
Jessica L. Sandham, March 14, 2001
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2 min read
States News in Brief: A State Capitals Roundup
  • Ala. Special Session Ends Without Action
  • Wisconsin Chief's Race Down to Two Educators
March 14, 2001
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1 min read
School Climate & Safety Student Tips Help Authorities Nip School Violence
The shooting at Santana High School near San Diego last week came amid a series of recent incidents involving students' alleged plans for violent acts on school grounds. But most of those potential episodes were averted when students reported threats or plots to authorities.
Michelle Galley, March 14, 2001
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4 min read
School Choice & Charters College's Chartering of Schools Upsets Cap in Michigan
In the politically charged atmosphere of the Michigan charter school movement, a tiny college run by American Indian tribes is defending its decision to authorize two of the independent public schools.
Bess Keller, March 14, 2001
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3 min read
Education Justices Signal Interest in Appeal Over Grading Practices
The U.S. Supreme Court asked the Bush administration last week for its views about a federal appeals court ruling that struck down the practice of having students grade each other's schoolwork.
Mark Walsh, March 14, 2001
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3 min read
Assessment Companies Target Large States Where the Stakes are High
Last fall, as middle school administrators here combed through the results of state achievement tests in English and mathematics, some of them may also have noticed a flier in the mail from Kaplan Inc. The mailing promoted the company's professional-development seminars, designed to help teachers help their students perform better on state tests.
Jessica L. Sandham, March 14, 2001
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3 min read
Sen. Jack O'Connell
Assessment California's 'Practice' Test is for Real
Ninth graders in California who volunteered to take what many believed would be a practice run of the state's new high school exit exam received a surprise last week when they learned, just two days before exam day, that the test would count.
Jessica L. Sandham, March 14, 2001
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2 min read
Education Funding Grassroots Group is Taking Names In Effort To Increase Spending
They're not your typical group of activists, but they're serious about making an impact on Washington and schools across the country.
Joetta L. Sack, March 14, 2001
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4 min read
Education Federal File

First Priority


First lady Laura Bush has pledged to make education her top priority, and is launching a tour to help recruit teachers and promote her agenda.
March 14, 2001
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1 min read
Assessment States Spend Nearly Half-a-Billion On Testing
States spend almost half-a-billion dollars a year on testing, according to a new estimate, and are bracing for additional costs if President Bush's proposed education plan is enacted.
David J. Hoff, March 14, 2001
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3 min read
Education Middle-College High Schools Vary In Size, Location, and Style
While middle colleges share core values, such as creating a smaller school environment for students who want an alternative to a large comprehensive high school, the look and feel of middle colleges varies depending on the location.
March 14, 2001
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2 min read
School & District Management High School, With a College Twist
Middle colleges, a quarter century-old experiment at tearing down the barriers between high school and college, have witnessed a resurgence in interest as educators examine alternative approaches to the traditional high school model. Includes a map: "Growth of Middle-College Schools," and accompanying story, "Middle-College High Schools Vary in Size, Location, and Style."
John Gehring, March 14, 2001
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19 min read
Education Reporter's Notebook
  • American Educators Abroad Face
    Woes Similar to U.S. Counterparts'
March 14, 2001
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3 min read
Education Events
A symbol (**) marks events that have not appeared in a previous issue of Education Week.
March 14, 2001
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30 min read
Education Youth Sports Injuries Cost $448 Million a Year
An estimated 2.5 million American youths and young adults are treated for sports- and recreation-related injuries at a cost of $448 million a year, a study released last week by the National Centers for Health Statistics says.
Scott W. Wright, March 14, 2001
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1 min read
Education Philadelphia Schools Warn City Of Spiraling 'Fiscal Crisis'
The Philadelphia school system is looking at a whopping $235 million budget deficit by the end of fiscal 2002. Moreover, without new revenue and dramatic cost reductions, the shortfall will grow to more than $785 million over the next three years.
Robert C. Johnston, March 14, 2001
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3 min read
Education Early Years
Unused Subsidies: An upcoming study by researchers at Temple University in Philadelphia will explore reasons why some low-income mothers are not taking advantage of child-care subsidies.
March 14, 2001
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2 min read
Special Education Studies Examine Racial Disparities In Special Education
Black students are classified as needing special education far more often than white students, and are less likely, once they have been identified as having disabilities, to be placed in mainstream classrooms, according to a report by the Civil Rights Project at Harvard University. Includes a table, "Identifying Mental Retardation."
Lisa Fine, March 14, 2001
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5 min read
Education Children & Families
Keeping Busy: Participating in extracurricular activities is linked to better performance in school, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
March 14, 2001
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2 min read
Education News in Brief: A National Roundup
  • False Notices Force N.Y. District
    To Close
  • Tribe Wins Grant for School
  • Teens Face Sentencing in Fire
  • Threats Prompt Policy Change
  • 1st Grader Suspended for Gun
  • Judge Rejects Drug Tests
  • Job To Focus on Gay Issues
March 14, 2001
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6 min read
Elizabeth L. Hale
Professional Development People in the News

Elizabeth L. Hale

Elizabeth L. Hale will succeed Michael D. Usdan as the president of the Washington-based Institute for Educational Leadership, a nonprofit organization established in 1964 that works toward improving educational systems and assuring better results for children. Ms. Hale, 59, was appointed last month after Mr. Usdan announced his retirement. She will begin her tenure as president in July. Ms. Hale has been affiliated with the IEL for nearly 25 years and has been its acting vice president since 1987.
March 14, 2001
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1 min read
Assessment Companies Cash In on Testing Trend
As states continue to raise the stakes tied to standardized tests, such as using them as the basis for promoting students to the next grade or awarding high school diplomas, the cottage industry surrounding test preparation at the K-12 level is growing and gaining permanence.
Jessica L. Sandham, March 14, 2001
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8 min read
Education Honors & Awards
COVERDELL AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE

The Peace Corps recently announced the recipients of the Coverdell Award for Excellence, recognizing their contribution to Water in Africa, a Web-based project for the Peace Corps' World Wise Schools education program. The award is given in honor of the late Sen. Paul D. Coverdell, R-Ga. the Peace Corp's director from 1989 to 1991 who founded World Wise Schools. The seven winners were honored at a ceremony in Washington on Peace Corps Day, March 1. They are:

March 14, 2001
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1 min read
Education Growth of Middle-College Schools
Click on the numbers on the map to jump to the school name.
March 14, 2001
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1 min read
Education Law Update
  • N.C. District Finds It Can Be Tricky
    To Interpret Student 'Threats'
  • Safe-Schools Lawsuits
  • Special Education
Mark Walsh, March 14, 2001
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4 min read