October 14, 2009
Education Week, Vol. 29, Issue 07
School & District Management
Governance Project Teaches Value of Policy Framework
The Reform Governance in Action training insists that school boards have a "theory of action" and stick to it.
School & District Management
In Pittsburgh, Monitors Hold School Board Accountable
'Board Watch' volunteers attend meetings and grade the panel on good-governance measures.
Teaching
Opinion
Successful Schools Avoid False Choices
Karin Chenoweth shares what she learned in visits to hard-pressed schools that have succeeded against the odds.
School & District Management
An Overlooked Institution Struggles to Remain Relevant
Whether school boards are up to the task of governing local districts in an era of increasing state and federal control is up for debate.
Federal
Opinion
Standards Aren't Enough
Susan Fuhrman, Lauren Resnick, and Lorrie Shepard tell what else will be needed to make the proposed common standards work.
Federal
'Striving Readers' Tough to Measure
Striving Readers, which the Obama administration wants to expand, has not shown impressive student-achievement results so far.
College & Workforce Readiness
Opinion
'Dropouts Happen'
John W. Myres, a retired teacher and superintendent, shares five hard realities educators must face as they try to improve their schools.
School Climate & Safety
Outcry Against Violence
Cabinet members travel to Chicago to offer money and call for adults to play a larger role in the lives of teenagers.
Teaching Profession
AFT Announces First Recipients of Innovation Fund
Union affiliates will tackle new ways to set up contracts and recruit, evaluate, and pay teachers with their share of $1.2 million.
Federal
Teacher 'Residencies' Get Federal Funding to Augment Training
The federal government, for the first time, is supporting the teacher-training model, with the lion's share of $43 million in grants.
Assessment
Test Experts Wary on 'Race to Top' Rules
Federal officials are warned against using a single test, such as NAEP, to weigh student and teacher progress under the program.
Federal
Scholars Spar Over Research Methods Used to Evaluate Charters
A scholar at Stanford University defends her study's mostly negative findings on charter schools against criticisms from a colleague who found positive results for charters in New York City.
School Climate & Safety
Survey Finds More Children Unattended After School
The number of school-age children in after-school programs has risen, but so have the ranks of those left unsupervised, a report says.
Federal
Proposal Sets Out 'i3' Rules
Districts and nonprofits seeking $650 million in stimulus aid would have to show evidence backing their proposals—and line up matching donors.
Federal
Budget Woes Putting Squeeze on State Testing, GAO Reports
A new report by the investigative arm of Congress says many states have been forced to cut spending on tests mandated under NCLB.