May 11, 2011
Education Week, Vol. 30, Issue 30
Standards & Accountability
Opinion
True Teacher Accountability
LouAnne Johnson argues that we need to make it easier for teachers with "the right stuff" to get the training and support that they need.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Colorado Chooses State Chief
Robert Hammond has been named the sole finalist for the commissioners job by the state board of education.
Classroom Technology
Opinion
The School-Internet 'Relationship' and Online Learning
Defining your school's Internet "relationship" is crucial to preparing for online and blended learning, Lawrence M. Paska asserts.
Education
News in Brief
Students Ask White House Questions About Bin Laden
The White House held a 30-minute webinar directed at secondary school students and their teachers to describe what happened and answer their questions about the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound.
Education
Letter to the Editor
Why Title I Should Not Mandate Programs
To the Editor:
In his Commentary "Job One for Title I: Use What Works" (March 30, 2011), Robert Slavin called for the Title I reauthorization to “ensure” that the funds be used for programs that have been proven to work, including his own, Success for All. He has made many such calls in the past, and when heeded, Success for All benefited disproportionately and the reforms failed.
In his Commentary "Job One for Title I: Use What Works" (March 30, 2011), Robert Slavin called for the Title I reauthorization to “ensure” that the funds be used for programs that have been proven to work, including his own, Success for All. He has made many such calls in the past, and when heeded, Success for All benefited disproportionately and the reforms failed.
Teaching Profession
Opinion
How to Improve Teacher Quality? Treat Teachers as Individuals
Frederick M. Hess, Greg M. Gunn, and Olivia M. Meeks write that one solution to improving teacher quality is to recast teachers as human beings instead of superheroes.
Early Childhood
Early Education a Priority of New Federal Grant Pool
A $700 million pot of money would leverage state-level competitions in an effort modeled on Race to the Top.
School Climate & Safety
States Ease Rules for Tornado-Damaged Schools
As state leaders assess the damage from a recent string of deadly tornadoes, school administrators are figuring out what comes next for displaced students.
Education Funding
Chicago Faces Potential Loss of 18,000 Summer Jobs for Youth
Over the last two years, federal stimulus money helped bankroll many youth jobs in Chicago. Those funds have now dried up.
Student Achievement
Opinion
Let's Focus on Gaps in Opportunity, Not Achievement
Teachers who address the cultural, racial, and social contexts of their students' lives can overcome the opportunity gaps that affect achievement, H. Richard Milner writes.
School & District Management
Chicago Study Finds Mixed Results for AVID Program
Disappointing results from a study of the popular AVID study-skills program suggests that context is key when scaling up successful programs.
Education Funding
Lack of Clarity in Budget Bill Leaves Ed. Dept. Some Flexibility
The federal spending package enacted last month left details sketchy on spending levels for some Education Department programs.
Equity & Diversity
Studies Provide Guidance for Teaching Immigrant Preschoolers
A growing number of studies offer guidance for educators on strategies for preparing the children of the nation’s growing immigrant population for kindergarten.
Assessment
Most Students Lack Civics Proficiency on NAEP
High school seniors' scores fell, 4th graders' rose, and 8th graders' remained the same.
School & District Management
Opinion
The Relationship Between Respect and Test Scores
Maurice J. Elias writes about the essential link between respect for education and positive outcomes for schools and students.
Education Funding
K-12 Uncertainty as California Gropes for Budget Fix
More tax revenue is needed to stave off damaging cuts, Gov. Brown warns, pushing hard for a ballot measure that gives voters the final say.
School & District Management
Colorado Picks One Finalist for State Schools Chief
Robert Hammond, who has been serving as Colorado's commissioner of education since December, is expected to be formally hired by the State Board of Education next week.
Federal
Schools May Track Military Students' Progress
Growing concern about the academic welfare of students from highly mobile military families is prompting some advocates to call on schools to break out the data on them.
Special Education
States Pressured to Curb Test Exemptions for Disabled Students
States and districts are being pressed to stop exceeding limits on the proportion of scores from alternate exams for students with severe disabilities that can be counted as passing in federal accountability ratings.
Special Education
'Funding Cliff' Hits Special Education in N.C. District
Like many districts, New Hanover County, N.C., schools used federal economic-stimulus aid to pay for special education teaching assistants. Now that the money has run out, it may be time to let them go.
Law & Courts
Mother's Arrest Raises Questions of Where Homeless Children Can Enroll
Prosecutors say that a Norwalk, Conn., woman illegally used her baby sitter's address to enroll her son in a better-performing school system than the one he was legally obligated to attend.
Federal
Ed-Tech Advocates Look to Life After Federal Budget Cut
The scrapping of a federal ed-tech program is forcing states and districts to find other ways to fund technology initiatives, especially in professional development.
Federal
Proposed Rules Guide States on Managing Student Privacy
Federal privacy rules likely to take effect this summer offer timely, first-time guidance for states and districts finishing up new longitudinal student-data systems this year.
Federal
Proportion of Schools Falling Short on AYP Rises, Report Says
States' progress in making adequate yearly progress under NCLB varies widely, the Center on Education Policy finds.
Curriculum
Gates, Pearson Partner to Craft Common-Core Curricula
The project will create courses in math and English for nearly every grade level, some of which will be available online for free.
Education Funding
Education Community Mulls 'Pennies for Peace' Support
Allegations have surfaced that the author of Three Cups of Tea may have misused funds meant for Afghan and Pakistani schools.