February 20, 2008
Education Week, Vol. 27, Issue 24
Budget & Finance
Opinion
The Privatization Infatuation
Kevin G. Welner & Alex Molnar question whether we should buy what think tanks are selling.
School & District Management
McCain Emphasizes School Choice, Accountability, But Lacks Specifics
The likely Republican nominee has said little on the campaign trail about education.
Teaching
Survey on Homework Reveals Acceptance, Despite Some Gripes
According to a new survey, 77 percent of students and more than 80 percent of teachers and parents say homework is important or very important.
School & District Management
Louisiana Chief Plans Math, Reading Initiative
Statewide improvement is the aim of 100-school effort set to roll out in the fall.
Special Education
Advocates Worry Gifted Funding Veering Off Course
Observers fear that a recent government announcement will drain money from a federal program intended to serve academically advanced students.
Federal
Bills to Aid School Facilities Get Attention
Democratic lawmakers have sponsored a spate of bills aimed at providing federal resources for school construction, including so-called “green schools.
School & District Management
Few Teacher Pacts in Largest Districts Seen as Overly Flexible or Restrictive
Just five of the teacher contracts in the nation’s largest school districts grant school leaders the kind of flexibility they need to run schools well.
Federal
NCLB Restructuring Found Ineffectual in California
Few of the hundreds of failing state schools are able to pull up test scores enough to exit restructuring.
Federal
Extra Literacy Class Helps Struggling Readers—Some
Giving struggling readers an extra literacy class can boost their reading-comprehension skills, but not dramatically enough to get them up to grade level, a federal study says.
Special Education
NCLB Trumps IDEA, Appeals Court Rules
A federal appeals court has turned away a lawsuit that said the No Child Left Behind Act was in conflict with requirements of the main federal special education law.
Federal
AP Trends: Tests Soar, Scores Slip
More students are taking Advanced Placement tests, but the proportion of tests receiving what is deemed a passing score has dipped.
School & District Management
Top Two Officials at AFT Won’t Run for Re-Election
Edward J. McElroy, the head of the 1.4-member union since 2004, intends to step down at the AFT’s convention in July.