September 11, 2013
Education Week, Vol. 33, Issue 03
Reading & Literacy
News in Brief
Student Promotions Faulted in St. Louis
An audit of the St. Louis schools says the district is violating state law by promoting to the next grade level thousands of students who cannot adequately read.
Assessment
News in Brief
Testing Cuts Mulled for California Students
California students and teachers could receive a one-year reprieve from standardized-testing requirements that have become a part of school culture each spring.
Science
News in Brief
Calif. Board Adopts Science Standards
The state board of education in California voted last week to adopt the Next Generation Science Standards, bringing to six the number of states to take such action.
Teaching Profession
News in Brief
More Variation Seen in Evaluation Scoring
Early results from Louisiana's most recent teacher evaluations show more variation in teachers' scores than appeared in prior systems, according to a report issued last week.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
CDC Reports Increase in Phys. Ed. Mandates
The percentage of districts requiring physical education in elementary schools has increased by more than 10 percentage points over the past 12 years, according to the CDC.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Feedback Requested on Support for ELLs
The U.S. Department of Education is looking for guidance on how it can provide better technical support and services to local educators and state education officials responsible for English-language learners.
Teaching Profession
News in Brief
Seattle Agreement Heads Off Strike
Seattle teachers voted to approve a new two-year contract last week, ending the possibility of a strike.
Classroom Technology
News in Brief
Game-Based Learning Sees Market Growth
The global market for learning games and simulations is growing and is likely to continue to expand over the next few years says a recent analysis.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
More Children Using Electronic Cigarettes
Children are increasingly trying electronic cigarettes, according to the first large national study to gauge use by middle and high school students.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Maine Gov. Affirms Standards Are Local
Maine Gov. Paul R. LePage signed an executive order last week declaring that the state's schools are fully in charge of the academic standards that guide their teaching.
Assessment
News in Brief
Indiana Report Calls Grade Fixes 'Plausible'
Changes made to the state's grading system by then-Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett were "plausible," a new report found.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Massachusetts High Court Weighs 'Pledge' in Schools
A group of self-described atheist and humanist families challenged a state law requiring daily recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in schools because of the inclusion of the words 'under God.'
Federal
NCLB Waiver-Renewal Process Turns Up Heat on States
New guidance from the Education Department ups the ante on teacher quality work for states looking for another two years of flexibility from provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act.
Standards
One District's Common-Core Bet: Results Are In
Small teams from all District of Columbia schools have been analyzing student test performance from 2012-13 to guide teachers' instruction in the new school year.
Teaching
Opinion
Learning: A Holistic View
All education stakeholders, including funders, should treat learning as an interdependent ecology rather than as siloed responsibilities spread across multiple agencies, writes Alan J. Friedman.
Federal
Calif. Lifts One-Year Cap on Teacher-Prep Programs
A new law will allow candidates to spend as much as two years learning how to be teachers—time that many teacher-educators say is needed to cover instructional strategies.
Early Childhood
Congress Aims to Revamp Child-Care Grant Program
A long-stalled effort to renew the Child Care Development Block Grant Program would emphasize the quality and safety of programs children are entering.
Federal
States May Move Closer to Uniform Way of Identifying ELLs
The goal of a new guide is to help states find common ground on figuring out who qualifies for English-language-learner services and when students no longer need them.
Reading & Literacy
Public Libraries Add Multimedia Learning to Digital Mission
Public libraries are moving deeper into digital learning, often in partnership with schools and other institutions, to help prepare students for the skills they'll need for college and careers.
School Climate & Safety
Chicago School Opening Tests New 'Safe Passage' Routes
An army of parents, volunteers, workers, and police escorted Chicago students to and from school to prevent any gang-related violence stemming from a recent wave of school closings.