June 16, 2010
Education Week, Vol. 29, Issue 35
School & District Management
Winter's Aftermath Includes Lost Time
For many students in the Mid-Atlantic states, the school years is coming up a bit short because of severe snowstorms this past winter.
Law & Courts
Papers Hint at High Court Nominee's Policy Thinking
As one of President Clinton's domestic policy advisers, Elena Kagan sometimes weighed in on education issues.
Reading & Literacy
Letter to the Editor
'No Effects' Reading Study Was Poorly Designed
To the Editor:
Once again, Education Week has published a summary of a study that, with one small exception, suggests “no effects” for programs designed to improve student engagement and depth of reading comprehension ("Study of Reading Programs Finds Little Proof of Gains in Student Comprehension," May 12, 2010). This follows in a long line of “no effects” studies coming from the federal Institute of Education Sciences ("'No Effects' Studies Raising Eyebrows," April 1, 2009).
Once again, Education Week has published a summary of a study that, with one small exception, suggests “no effects” for programs designed to improve student engagement and depth of reading comprehension ("Study of Reading Programs Finds Little Proof of Gains in Student Comprehension," May 12, 2010). This follows in a long line of “no effects” studies coming from the federal Institute of Education Sciences ("'No Effects' Studies Raising Eyebrows," April 1, 2009).
School Climate & Safety
Letter to the Editor
Bullying Prevention: Testing a New Program
To the Editor:
Your article "Studies Probe 'Ecology' of Bullying" (May 19, 2010) reports researchers’ findings on the need for employing a multipronged approach in creating a school climate that effectively combats bullying. It also quotes an article in the journal Educational Researcher that says “there isn’t a single, large-scale clinical trial of a schoolwide bullying-prevention program.”
Your article "Studies Probe 'Ecology' of Bullying" (May 19, 2010) reports researchers’ findings on the need for employing a multipronged approach in creating a school climate that effectively combats bullying. It also quotes an article in the journal Educational Researcher that says “there isn’t a single, large-scale clinical trial of a schoolwide bullying-prevention program.”
School & District Management
Letter to the Editor
Missing 'Political Dynamics' of Utah District's Creation
To the Editor:
Reporting in Education Week has a habit of translating matters of class and power in education into what can best be described as technical questions of school improvement, thereby obscuring the social forces that shape education policy. Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in your story on the formation of the new Canyons school district in Utah ("Utah's Newest District Gives Leadership Team Chance to Make Impact," May 19, 2010).
Reporting in Education Week has a habit of translating matters of class and power in education into what can best be described as technical questions of school improvement, thereby obscuring the social forces that shape education policy. Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in your story on the formation of the new Canyons school district in Utah ("Utah's Newest District Gives Leadership Team Chance to Make Impact," May 19, 2010).
Reading & Literacy
Letter to the Editor
Emphasis on K-3 Reading Urged in Renewed ESEA
To the Editor:
Regarding your article "Report Targets 3rd Grade Reading as Crucial Turning Point" (June 9, 2010):
Regarding your article "Report Targets 3rd Grade Reading as Crucial Turning Point" (June 9, 2010):
Standards & Accountability
Letter to the Editor
Math Groups Support Common Standards
To the Editor:
The final set of common academic standards released June 2 by the Common Core State Standards Initiative are a welcome milestone in the standards movement that began more than 20 years ago when the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics published its “Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics.” State leaders acknowledge that common K-8 and high school standards culminating in college and career readiness will offer better support for national improvement in mathematics achievement than the current system of individual state standards ("Final Version of Core Standards Assuages Some Concerns," June 9, 2010).
The final set of common academic standards released June 2 by the Common Core State Standards Initiative are a welcome milestone in the standards movement that began more than 20 years ago when the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics published its “Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics.” State leaders acknowledge that common K-8 and high school standards culminating in college and career readiness will offer better support for national improvement in mathematics achievement than the current system of individual state standards ("Final Version of Core Standards Assuages Some Concerns," June 9, 2010).
School Climate & Safety
PTA, Facebook Promote Online Safety
The world’s largest social networking site is partnering with the parent group to tackle cyberbullying, Internet security.
IT Infrastructure & Management
Students Text Teachers for Quick Classroom Updates
Some educators encourage students to text them about homework, absences, or just life questions or concerns.
School & District Management
Race to Top Buy-In Level Examined
States increased the amount of support from local teachers' unions in their applications for the second round of stimulus grants, but made far less progress in enlisting districts or expanding the number of students affected by the education reform plans.
Equity & Diversity
Arizona Immigration Law Creates Uncertain Role For School Police
Experts see a potential conflict between the law and a Supreme Court ruling that bars schools from asking about immigration status.
School & District Management
Opinion
It's the Public's Data: Democratizing School Board Records
In a technological age, what it means for school systems to be truly transparent and accountable needs to be rethought, J.H. Snider writes.
Federal
Education Initiatives Hit Political Head Winds
Some in Congress voice qualms about elements of the Obama administration’s Race to the Top and school turnaround programs.
Classroom Technology
Districts Equipping School Buses With WiFi
School systems are trying to work through concerns about cost, content, and safety to give students living in rural areas Internet access.
Federal
New Teacher Distribution Methods Hold Promise
Districts, non-profits, and the federal government are looking at more sophisticated strategies to fix one of K-12 education’s most intractable problems.
School & District Management
Mayoral Control Bill Launched in N.Y. Legislature
Under legislation introduced yesterday by Gov. Paterson, Rochester's mayor would get his wish to take over that city’s schools – but he might not be mayor for long.
College & Workforce Readiness
Opinion
A Powerful Promise
Kalamazoo, Mich., put the concept of the universal place-based college scholarship on the map, Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm and her former education aide Chuck Wilbur write, but it is an idea not content to stay in one place.
School & District Management
NEA Eyes Congress as High Court Refuses NCLB Case
Claims that the law amounts to an unfunded mandate could live on in debates over reauthorization.
School Climate & Safety
Report: Tough Times Ahead for Children of the Great Recession
While the economy may recover, the generation growing up now could feel the harsh impact of the Great Recession for years to come, a new report from the Foundation for Child Development contends.
Special Education
Opinion
What Leaving No Child Behind Really Means
Improving the academic performance of students with learning disabilities does not mean relaxing standards, writes Lynda J. Katz, the president of Landmark College.