December 11, 2013
Education Week, Vol. 33, Issue 14
Standards & Accountability
Opinion
Using History to Invigorate Common-Core Lessons
Teachers should draw on historical texts to give life to the literacy objectives of the common-core standards, Stanford University's Sam Wineburg writes.
Assessment
States Grapple With Common Test-Score Cutoffs
The push by the assessment consortia to establish high targets for when students are deemed "college ready" risks causing a steep drop in test-takers' results.
Special Education
Tech. Compatibility Certification Set Up for Common-Core Testing
One of the groups building common-core assessments is enacting a process to ensure that tech products are compatible with the tests, including certification of devices in exchange for an annual fee.
School & District Management
Chiefs for Change Confronts Political, Policy Tests
The group of "anti-establishment" state schools chiefs remains firm on common-core accountability even as individual members chart their own course through implementation of the standards.
Student Well-Being & Movement
'Blue Light' May Impair Students' Sleep, Studies Say
Evidence is growing that late-in-the-day exposure to artificial light from energy-efficient lamps, computers, and other electronic devices can disrupt sleep cycles.
School & District Management
Homework, Friends Help Shape Teenagers' Sleep Patterns
A new study goes beyond biology to explain some of the social changes that play a role in deteriorating sleep habits during students’ teenage years.
Assessment
Hawaii and NAEP: An Upward Trend
After winning a $75 million Race to the Top grant in 2010, Hawaii
made significant gains on the National Assessment of Educational
Progress.
School Climate & Safety
Opinion
The Best Antidote to Bullying? Community-Building
Building a strong sense of community in a school is an effective way to head off bullying before it happens, says Jim Dillon, of the Center for Leadership and Bullying Prevention.
Education Funding
Hawaii Regains Footing After Early Stumbles on Race to Top
Once in danger of losing its $75 million federal grant, Hawaii is using its Race to the Top money in a way that has converted even some critics.
Education Funding
Race to the Top Fuels Innovation Push at Hawaii School
Keaau Elementary School in Hawaii used its status as a Race to the Top "zone of innovation" school to raise money to give each student a computer.
Education Funding
Putting Common Core to Use at Hawaii School
At Kanoelani Elementary, a 785-student school in Waipio on the island of Oahu, the common core is being integrated into a school that prides itself on a cohesive approach to learning across grade levels.
School & District Management
Hawaii Principal Makes Most of Race to Top Aid
At Keaau High School on Hawaii's "Big Island," the principal utilized federal Race to the Top money to help turn around a low-performing school.
Federal
U.S. Companies Finding Success in China's Education Market
U.S. businesses working in China are moving aggressively to secure a piece of the market for curriculum and digital-content management, building on success in other areas of the education market.
Law & Courts
Kansas Funding Feud Could Spark Court, Legislative Clash
Depending on how the Kansas Supreme Court rules in a school finance lawsuit, state lawmakers could be facing a big bill.
School & District Management
Building a Bench of Strong Principals: What Would It Take?
Too few educators aspire to the principalship, says Bain & Co., in a new report that lays out some strategies for fixing that problem.
Assessment
How Does the U.S. Stack Up Against Other Nations?
A new set of international achievement data in math, reading, and science shows that U.S. scores remained flat since 2009, while some other nations posted gains. Use this interactive to explore the test data and compare scores by subject and year.
School & District Management
Legislative-Advocacy Group's Model Bill Tackles Privacy of Student Data
A bill being promoted by the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, suggests data privacy will likely be a hot-button issue in statehouses around the country in 2014.