March 10, 2010

Education Week, Vol. 29, Issue 24
Teaching N.Y.C. School Built Around Unorthodox Use of Time
A small public high school structures educators’ roles and schedules so that students—and teachers—have more time to learn.
Stephen Sawchuk, March 9, 2010
10 min read
States College and Career Standards Catching On in States
A new report shows that 31 states now have such standards, but many have yet to embrace matching "comprehensive" accountability systems.
March 9, 2010
5 min read
Education Funding Opinion Union Leaders and the Generational Divide
Teachers' unions must bridge wide differences between veteran and new members to be players in reform, writes Susan Moore Johnson.
Susan Moore Johnson, March 9, 2010
6 min read
BRIC ARCHIVE
iStockphoto.com/Skip ODonnell
Curriculum Opinion Going From STEM to STEAM
For a greater global payoff, writes Joseph Piro, give the science, technology, engineering, and math acronym an A—for the arts.
Joseph M. Piro, March 9, 2010
5 min read
Teaching Profession Opinion Lacking Accountability, Doing Just Fine
Sidney Trubowitz looks back 50 years and wonders how his first class of 4th graders would have fared if he'd been worried more about test scores.
Sidney Trubowitz, March 9, 2010
6 min read
Education Funding The Sweet Sixteen: Race to Top First-Round Finalists Snapshots
This interactive map shows highlights from the 16 Race to Top finalists' proposals. Details include grant amount requested, districts buying-ins, and use of funds.
Chienyi Cheri Hung, March 9, 2010
Education Best of the Blogs Blogs of the Week
March 9, 2010
2 min read
Education Funding Senators Highlight Rural-State Issues
Twenty-two Democratic senators want the U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to make sure rural schools get a fair shot at the roughly $3 billion in new competitive-grants.
Alyson Klein, March 9, 2010
1 min read
States Election Loosens Conservatives' Hold on Texas Board
The Texas state education board's Christian conservative bloc was weakened Wednesday after one of its most prominent members lost his seat.
April Castro, Associated Press, March 9, 2010
3 min read
Education Report Roundup Preschool
As a region, the South has become a national leader over the past decade in providing support for prekindergarten programs, says a new study by the Southern Education Foundation.
Debra Viadero, March 9, 2010
1 min read
School & District Management Opinion Transparency and the House of Mirrors
District leaders should steer clear of the ubiquitous word "transparency" until they've figured out what it means, Patrick F. Quinn writes.
Patrick F. Quinn, March 9, 2010
3 min read
Education Report Roundup Teacher Layoffs
Teachers in two districts overwhelmingly support using factors in addition to seniority to determine who should be laid off, according to a survey by the New Teacher Project.
Stephen Sawchuk, March 9, 2010
1 min read
School & District Management Report Roundup Teachers' Views
U.S. teachers are more interested in collaborating and getting support from administrators to promote student achievement than in boosting their paychecks, according to a survey of more than 40,000 K-12 teachers.
The Associated Press, March 9, 2010
1 min read
Education Report Roundup Guidance Counseling
When it comes to advising students on college and career choices, a majority of young adults with college experience rate their high school guidance counselors as “fair” or “poor,” says a survey released last week.
Debra Viadero, March 9, 2010
1 min read
Education Correction Correction
A story in the Jan. 27, 2010, edition of Education Week misstated the percentage of participating districts with local support for their Race to the Top plans. Pennsylvania had 28 percent of districts participating, of which 100 percent also had union buy-in. Colorado had 74 percent of districts participating, of which 41 percent had union approval.
March 9, 2010
1 min read
Education Report Roundup Bullying May Be Decreasing, Survey Finds
There’s been a sharp drop in the percentage of American children who are being bullied or beaten up by their peers, says a new national survey.
The Associated Press, March 9, 2010
1 min read
Education Letter to the Editor Early Algebra: Options to Ensure 'Readiness'
To the Editor:
In your article "Early-Algebra Push Seen to Be Flawed" (Feb. 10, 2010), Adam Gamoran, a professor of educational policy studies and sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is quoted as saying that “there’s no simple solution” to the problem of how to help students many years behind grade level in math.
March 9, 2010
2 min read
Education Letter to the Editor Finland vs. United States: An Unequal Comparison
To the Editor:
Walt Gardner’s delightful blog post Are Quality and Quantity Possible in Teacher Recruitment?" (Feb. 26, 2010) points out that Finland, highest in international comparisons of student achievement, is a small, largely homogeneous nation that focuses much attention on education. Critics of American schools often point to Finnish achievement as a model, and ask that whatever the Finns do be replicated in the United States.
March 9, 2010
1 min read
Education Letter to the Editor Keep Expectations High for Students in Poverty
To the Editor:
In response to Jack Schneider’s Commentary "What Is 'Excellence for All'? Meeting Kids Where They Are—Not Where We Wish They Were" (Jan. 27, 2010):
March 9, 2010
1 min read
Education Letter to the Editor Reading? Who Cares. It's All About the Tests
To the Editor:
In response to "The Case for Literature" (Feb. 10, 2010), Nancie Atwell’s Commentary on keeping book reading in the curriculum:
March 9, 2010
1 min read
Education Letter to the Editor Letters on Charter Essay Overlooked Its Content
To the Editor:
I found the collection of letters to the editor in your Feb. 10, 2010, issue responding to Thomas Hehir’s Commentary "Charters: Students With Disabilities Need Not Apply?" (Jan. 27, 2010) to be significantly one-sided. Arguing that charter schools require more resources and that enforcement of federal special education provisions is not the sole answer makes sense. What the letters mostly ignore, however, is that Mr. Hehir addresses these issues in his essay.
March 9, 2010
2 min read
Education News in Brief Baltimore Archdiocese Plans to Shut Down 13 Schools
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore says it will close 13 schools in that city at the end of the current school year, the closings will displace 2,152 students.
The Associated Press, March 9, 2010
1 min read
Education News in Brief Ore. Students Granted Extra Year to Prepare for Assessments
Oregon high school students are getting an extra year to prepare for their statewide tests in reading, math, writing, and science.
The Associated Press, March 9, 2010
1 min read
Education News in Brief AFT Taps Editor to Lead Fund
Ann Bradley, a longtime reporter and editor for Education Week, has been hired by the American Federation of Teachers to serve as interim director of the unions $3.3 million Innovation Fund.
Stephen Sawchuk, March 9, 2010
1 min read
Education News in Brief School Employees Reassigned Over TAKS Cheating Claims
Two employees at a school in north Houston have been reassigned over allegations of cheating in preparations for the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test.
The Associated Press, March 9, 2010
1 min read
Education News in Brief Massachusetts Alerts 35 Schools to Possible State Takeovers
The schools have been evaluated on a set of criteria including low math and English scores and the number of students failing to graduate.
The Associated Press, March 9, 2010
1 min read
Education News in Brief Mississippi Senate OKs Shorter School Year
The Mississippi Senate has voted to give school districts the option of keeping children in class five fewer days for each of the next two academic years.
The Associated Press, March 9, 2010
1 min read
School Climate & Safety News in Brief Curbs on Pupil Restraints Advance
A bill that would authorize the federal government to regulate the use of restraints and seclusion in schools moved a step closer to becoming law last week.
Lisa Fine, March 9, 2010
1 min read
Education News in Brief Audit Asserts Teacher-Pay Funds Are Being Misspent in Arizona
State auditors in Arizona say money intended for rewarding good teachers is instead being spent on regular teacher salaries and other costs.
The Associated Press, March 9, 2010
1 min read