April 9, 2008
Education Week, Vol. 27, Issue 32
Law & Courts
As Diploma-Fraud Bill Advances, Operators Admit to Online Scam
Three Washington state residents have admitted to selling thousands of bogus academic degrees through scores of phony online universities.
Federal
Failing Schools Showed Progress With Most of the Same Teachers
A new report concludes that student achievement at eight inner-city schools in Tenn. seems to be linked to the rising effectiveness of teachers who had been at the schools when performance was dismal.
Law & Courts
Justices Decline Appeal Over Student's Online Threat
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to review the case of an 8th grader who was suspended for an off-campus Internet message with a drawing that suggested a teacher should be shot.
Federal
Dropout Campaigns Envisioned for States, 50 Key City Districts
America’s Promise Alliance joins a host of other nonprofit organizations, foundations, civil rights groups, and Oprah Winfrey in calling for efforts to combat one of the most intractable problems in public education: graduation rates.
Assessment
More Students Master ‘Basics’ on Writing NAEP
More middle and high school students than in the past have mastered the formal “basic” writing skills needed to express ideas or share information, national assessment results released today show.
Federal
High School Studies Eye Role of Charter Status, Teachers
Charter schools, traditional teacher-credentialing requirements, and programs like Teach For America can all make a positive difference for student achievement in high school, according to a trio of new federally funded studies.
Federal
States to Face Uniform Rules on Grad Data
Under the NCLB law, states must publish graduation rates, but they choose their own formulas for calculating the rate.