April 29, 2009
Education Week, Vol. 28, Issue 30
School & District Management
Opinion
What's Missing in Obama's Education Plan?
"If we fail to confront the problem of score inflation, we will be left, once again, with an illusion of effective accountability," argues Daniel M. Koretz.
Families & the Community
Opinion
An Audacious Hope for Arne Duncan
ESL educator Ellen Balleisen wonders if Arne Duncan will treat programs for young children and poorly educated adults as part of the educational mainstream, and not as stepchildren to K-12 and higher education.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
'Hugging the Middle'
“In those tired debates between partisans of progressive and traditional teaching, most of those who hug the middle of the continuum get ignored,” argues Larry Cuban.
Federal
Opinion
President Obama: Time for a Federal Small-Class Program
"Reducing almost every class to 20 and eventually to 15 students would create many jobs for new teachers, as well as for classroom construction or reconstruction," writes Herbert J. Gans.
Federal
Scholars Probe Diverse Effects of Exit Exams
Researchers find that high school graduation tests are hitting certain groups harder than others.
Teaching Profession
Moving On
Pat Forgione had no experience running a school district before he arrived in Austin, Texas. As he prepares to depart 10 years later, he earns high marks from a once-skeptical city.
Federal
Fitness Program Gets Top Visitors
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, visited an elementary school last week that is demonstrating a growing trend in physical education.
Federal
Initial Aid Is Puzzle to Track
States and federal agencies are off to a slow and uneven start in helping the public track up to $100 billion in education aid.
School & District Management
Chicago’s High Achievers Found To Miss Out on College Options
Though more Windy City students are taking challenging academic programs, too few are making it into selective colleges, a study finds.
Federal
Achievement Gaps Drag Down Economy, Study Asserts
The United States risks "the equivalent of a permanent recession" unless the situation is remedied, a McKinsey and Co. researcher warned.
Federal
Community-Service Opportunities Expanded
A new law includes service programs aimed at school-age children, but some worry that genuine service learning will take a back seat.
Law & Courts
School Strip-Search Case Argued at Supreme Court
Justices questioned whether upholding a lower court ruling could clear the way for “body cavity” searches of students by school officials.
Federal
U.S. Supreme Court Considers Funding For English-Learners
The justices heard oral arguments last week on whether a federal court had acted properly in ordering Arizona lawmakers to provide funds for ELL programs.