December 4, 2013
Education Week, Vol. 33, Issue 13
Classroom Technology
Educators Weigh iPad's Dominance of the Tablet Market
Apple's device commands 94 percent of the education market, according to a recent analysis, raising questions and concerns about whether that level of market share is good for schools.
College & Workforce Readiness
Cambridge Academic Program Makes Inroads in U.S.
The college-prep courses developed by the British university are far less popular here than the AP and International Baccalaureate programs, but Cambridge is quickly gaining ground.
IT Infrastructure & Management
With New Technology, N.Y.C. Paves Way for Open Data
The city school system is believed to be the first in the country to release data via an "application programming interface," opening the doors for software developers to create custom tools.
School & District Management
Custom Software Helps Cities Manage School Choice
A nonprofit has combined economic principles and technology to help overhaul the school choice and student assignment systems in New York, Boston, Denver, New Orleans, and Washington.
Federal
Bipartisan Pre-K Bill Faces Uphill Climb
Top education lawmakers in Congress are pushing a $30 billion early-education measure, but budget austerity poses a big challenge.
Reading & Literacy
Latest SIG-School Snapshot Mixed on Improvements
Big questions linger as the U.S. Department of Education unveils its second annual look at results of the federal School Improvement Grant program.
College & Workforce Readiness
Opinion
A Crucial Investment in Indian Higher Ed.
More needs to be done to prepare American Indian students to attend and succeed in college, Fort Lewis College Provost Barbara Morris writes.
Equity & Diversity
Opinion
Common Core From a Tribal Perspective
Leaders of the Pueblo of Jemez have adapted the common-core standards to make them more culturally appropriate and educationally effective in their community, writes Kevin Shendo, the pueblo's education director.
Equity & Diversity
Opinion
Upending an Education Crisis in Indian Country
Early education is a critical step to bridging the achievement gap between Native and non-Native students, writes Jefferson Keel, the lieutenant governor of the Chickasaw Nation.
Equity & Diversity
Federal Cuts Take a Toll on Native Americans' Schools
The sequester's 5 percent across-the-board cuts have been particularly hard on schools serving Native students—many of which rely heavily on federal funds.
Federal
Opinion
Title VII: A Path to Education Equity
By bringing the local culture of Native students into the public schools they attend, Title VII has been one of the most important programs for reforming education in Indian Country, writes Corey Still, a student board member of the National Indian Education Association.
Ed-Tech Policy
Letter to the Editor
Schools Should Weigh Issues of Privacy in Military Test
To the Editor:
We agree with Cameron Evans, who advocates more-stringent policies to protect the privacy of student data in his recent Commentary, "Five Steps to Reboot American Schools" (Oct. 30, 2013).
We agree with Cameron Evans, who advocates more-stringent policies to protect the privacy of student data in his recent Commentary, "Five Steps to Reboot American Schools" (Oct. 30, 2013).
Standards & Accountability
Letter to the Editor
Reader Decries 'Scapegoating' in Common-Core Commentary
Editors: Web headline, one full sentence, 120 characters, 4 lines max
Standards & Accountability
Letter to the Editor
Vermont Secretary of Education: Common Standards Make Sense
To the Editor:
Vermont, along with a majority of other states, has already adopted a common set of educational standards that outline what we expect our students to know and do in grades pre-K-12.
Vermont, along with a majority of other states, has already adopted a common set of educational standards that outline what we expect our students to know and do in grades pre-K-12.
School Climate & Safety
Report Roundup
Physical Fitness
Across the world, children are approximately 15 percent worse off in terms of cardiovascular fitness than their parents were when they were young, researchers found.
Education
News in Brief
Transitions
Yvette Sanchez Fuentes stepped down last week as the director of the federal Head Start program. Before her appointment in October 2009, the office had gone without a permanent director for two years. A replacement has not been named.
College & Workforce Readiness
Report Roundup
Choosing a College
What high school students think they want to study in college doesn't always match their interests and strengths, a new report finds.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
D.C. Choice
The U.S. Government Accountability Office has issued a report detailing weaknesses in the management and implementation of the District of Columbia's voucher program.
School Climate & Safety
Report Roundup
Sandy Hook Shooting Report
A report on the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School officially confirms some widely reported details and provides some new insights.
Reading & Literacy
Report Roundup
Reading Recovery Pays Off in i3 Study
First graders in the Reading Recovery program made dramatic gains in word recognition and comprehension in the first year of a massive expansion financed by the federal Investing in Innovation program.
Federal
News in Brief
California Plans to Expand Field-Testing to Win Waiver
California has revised its approach to its spring testing plans as part of an application for a federal waiver.
Mathematics
News in Brief
Texas Board Votes to Ax Algebra 2 Graduation Rule
The Texas board of education has given preliminary approval to dropping Algebra 2 as a requirement for high school graduation.
Ed-Tech Policy
News in Brief
Bill Would Add Safeguards to Children's Online Privacy
A bipartisan group of federal lawmakers has introduced legislation designed to ramp up protection of students' online privacy.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Collection and Use of Student Data Found to Be Growing in States
An increasing number of states are expanding the way they use student and school data, according to a new report by a Washington-based nonprofit that advocates using data to improve student achievement.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Detroit District Regains Some Authority
The Michigan education agency has taken the Detroit school district off federal "high risk" status.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
Steubenville Schools Chief Indicted, Placed on Leave
Superintendent Michael McVey and two other employees were placed on administrative leave after state authorities announced the employees were charged with crimes related to the rape of a teenage girl in the town.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Religious Schools Struggle in Wake of Charter Growth
Religious schools in urban centers continue to decline, in part because of competitive pressures from charter schools, says a new report.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Courts Permit Newspapers to Access Teacher Data
State appeals courts in California and Florida have ruled that newspapers can have access to "value-added" information on individual teachers.