October 30, 2013
Education Week, Vol. 33, Issue 10
Education
News in Brief
Mergers and Acquisitions
The number of mergers and acquisitions in the education industry remained about the same during the most recent quarter, analysis shows.
School & District Management
Education Issues Animate N.J., Va. Governors' Races
Gubernatorial contests in New Jersey and Virginia could affect the direction of school choice and parent-driven education changes in those states, along with spending priorities.
School & District Management
5 Things Educators Need to Know About Cory Booker
The Newark, N.J., mayor, newly elected to the U.S. Senate from the Garden State, already has a national profile on education.
Early Childhood
N.C. Supreme Court to Decide on Pre-K Funding
A dispute before the state's high court is part of a trend of funding-equity cases that touch on state responsibility for early-childhood education.
Standards & Accountability
Transition to Online Testing Sparks Concerns
As states move to common-core exams, many students at first will take paper-and-pencil assessments, raising questions about educational equity and the comparability of results.
Special Education
Obituary
Congressional Education Ally Major R. Owens Dies
Former U.S. Rep. Major R. Owens, a champion of disadvantaged students, died last week at the age of 77.
Standards & Accountability
Opinion
Latin Is a Common-Core Natural
Latin should be a recommended area of study in the English/language arts standards, student Jacob Weiss writes.
Student Well-Being & Movement
New Laws Permit Schools to Stock Epinephrine
Spurred by the death of a Virginia student, more states are passing laws to allow—and sometimes require—schools to store the lifesaving allergy drug.
School & District Management
Colo. School Board Race Shapes Up to Be Divisive
Douglas County, Colo., voters are poised to register a verdict on the high-profile policy changes that have been taking place in their suburban district.
Education
News in Brief
Transition
Jonathan Brice has been named a deputy assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Education's office of elementary and secondary education.
Reading & Literacy
Report Roundup
Class Readings Aim Too Low, Says Study
A new survey shows that most teachers are still gearing class reading assignments to students' respective skill level, rather than—as the common-core standards envision—to their grade level.
Standards & Accountability
Report Roundup
Data-Based Decisionmaking
Data used in most state accountability systems does not provide useful information to improve instruction, according to an analysis by Boston College researchers.
College & Workforce Readiness
Report Roundup
Career Education
There is a "significant mismatch" between the states' current career education standards and the new Common Career Technical Core, according to a 50-state review.
School Climate & Safety
Report Roundup
Homeless Education
Nearly 1.17 million homeless students were enrolled in the nation's schools in 2011-12, the National Center on Homeless Education's annual report finds.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Science Education
American companies are reporting a lack of qualified candidates to fill a growing number of jobs in the STEM fields, an annual survey concludes.
English Learners
Report Roundup
Research Report: English-Language Learners
Principals' decisions on which grade to place older immigrant English-language learners entering U.S. schools for the first time can impact ELL's math achievement, a study finds.
Standards & Accountability
Opinion
How to Measure School Quality
In order to make informed decisions about the best schools for their children, parents need a better yardstick, write Jack Schneider and Anil Nathan.
Education
Correction
Correction
A photo caption accompanying a story on corporal punishment in the Oct. 23, 2013, issue of Education Week misstated George Tomyn's position. The Marion County, Fla., school superintendent opposes his board's decision to bring back paddling.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
Harasssment Charges Filed in Cyberbullying Suicide
Felony charges were filed last week against two girls in Florida accused of harassing a classmate so much that she jumped to her death.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Facebook Founder Supports Educational Survey Startup
A startup that provides surveys and analytics based on feedback from parents, students, and teachers, announced last week that it raised $4 million in seed funding through an initiative sponsored in part by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.
College & Workforce Readiness
News in Brief
Price Increases Slow Down at Public Universities
The cost of higher education saw the smallest one-year increase from 2012-13 to the current academic year in more than 3½ decades, the College Board reported last week.
Teaching Profession
News in Brief
Newark Constructing 'Village' for Teachers
With the goal of reviving its blighted downtown, Newark, N.J., has launched a major development project known as Teachers Village.
Teaching Profession
News in Brief
Seven States Chosen to Pilot Teacher-Prep Changes
Under a two-year pilot program created by the Council of Chief State School Officers, the seven states will be expected to overhaul their teacher-preparation and -licensing systems.
School Choice & Charters
News in Brief
Nonprofit to Join Charters With Special-Needs Students
A nonprofit based in New York that hopes to break down barriers to charter schools enrolling and effectively educating students with disabilities was launched last week.
Special Education
News in Brief
Los Angeles Moves Closer to Meeting Spec. Ed. Targets
The Los Angeles Unified school district has met all but two of the 18 performance-based outcomes mandated in a consent decree negotiated in a class action suit, according to a report.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Mich. Looks Ready to Thaw Spending on Common Core
The Michigan Senate last week voted to allow the state to resume spending on the Common Core State Standards.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
U.S. House Approves Bill on Background Checks
A bill approved by the U.S. House of Representatives would require school districts to conduct comprehensive background checks on any employee with unsupervised access to students.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Local Education Hiring Up Despite Sequestration
The latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics says local government education employment posted a monthly increase of 9,500 jobs.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
Teachers Slain at Their Schools in Massachusetts and Nevada
Two teachers—one in Massachusetts, the other in Nevada—were killed at their schools last week, allegedly by students.