Jan. 22, 2014
Education Week, Vol. 33, Issue 18
Classroom Technology
News in Brief
Teachers Found to Avoid Social Media in Classroom
Many teachers have not incorporated the technology into their interactions with students and parents because of concerns about negative repercussions, according to a survey released last week by the University of Phoenix.
Assessment
News in Brief
Districts Cited for 'Scrubbing' Student-Attendance Data
Seven Ohio districts improperly reported student-attendance data, which may have led to inflated school report cards, a state investigation has found.
College & Workforce Readiness
News in Brief
College Credentials Elusive for 2002 Sophomores
Students who were high school sophomores in 2002—at the start of the No Child Left Behind Act's accountability wave—ended up in dramatically different places 10 years later, depending on whether they continued their education.
Reading & Literacy
News in Brief
Novel Reading Could Be Good for Brain, Study Says
A new study out of Emory University offers evidence that reading novels is more than just high-level entertainment.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Katrina School Employees Fired Improperly, Court Rules
A state appeals court has affirmed a lower-court ruling that thousands of New Orleans teachers and school employees fired after Hurricane Katrina were denied the constitutional right of due process.
Education
News in Brief
New Group to Examine Corporate Ties to Education
A new advocacy group was launched last week to expose connections between K-12 public education and for-profit education companies.
Assessment
News in Brief
California Districts Build Tests for Common Core
The breakaway group of California districts known as CORE has created performance assessments for the common-core standards that they've now posted online for anyone to review or use.
School & District Management
News in Brief
Bill Dispute Leads City to Shut Off School Water
Schools are closed in a Texas town after the city shut off their water amid a dispute over the bill.
School Choice & Charters
Letter to the Editor
Union Official Flags Chicago Charter Scandals
To the Editor:
In less than a six-month period, Chicago has been hit with two consecutive charter network scandals. The first, involving the United Neighborhood Organization, the biggest charter operator in Illinois, involved allegations of financial improprieties and nepotism. More recently, the decision to approve two new charter schools run by Concept Schools Inc. has come under fire ("Changes May Be Coming to Charters in New York City, Philadelphia," Charters & Choice blog, Dec. 27, 2013).
In less than a six-month period, Chicago has been hit with two consecutive charter network scandals. The first, involving the United Neighborhood Organization, the biggest charter operator in Illinois, involved allegations of financial improprieties and nepotism. More recently, the decision to approve two new charter schools run by Concept Schools Inc. has come under fire ("Changes May Be Coming to Charters in New York City, Philadelphia," Charters & Choice blog, Dec. 27, 2013).
Teaching Profession
Letter to the Editor
Punitive Culture, Not Money, Fueling Teacher Attrition
To the Editor:
When it comes to doing what's right in education, the policies of U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan seem to be off the mark.
When it comes to doing what's right in education, the policies of U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan seem to be off the mark.
Standards
Letter to the Editor
Common Core Will Improve Cooperation, Collaboration
To the Editor:
After seeing the Program for International Student Assessment, or PISA, scores in "Global Test Shows U.S. Stagnating" (Dec. 11, 2013), I was both disheartened and encouraged.
After seeing the Program for International Student Assessment, or PISA, scores in "Global Test Shows U.S. Stagnating" (Dec. 11, 2013), I was both disheartened and encouraged.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Autism
Students with autism spectrum disorders may have difficulty processing sights and sounds simultaneously, according to a new study in the January issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.
School Climate & Safety
Report Roundup
Research Report: School Climate
School-based drug testing doesn't cut the likelihood that students will try marijuana, but students attending schools where they feel respected are less likely to try drugs, finds a new study.
College & Workforce Readiness
Report Roundup
Study: Early-College Schools Improve Persistence
New research confirms that getting a head start earning college credit in high school pays off.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Civics Education
A new survey finds fewer than half of civics teachers devote at least one unit to teaching students how to critically analyze news.
Equity & Diversity
Report Roundup
Achievement Gaps
In Mississippi and Montana, no female, African-American, or Hispanic students took the Advanced Placement exam for computer science in 2013, finds a new analysis of test-taking data.
School Climate & Safety
Report Roundup
School Nutrition
Students at all grade levels continue to face a massive, $149 million-a-year marketing blitz from food vendors at school, finds a new study.
School & District Management
Opinion
Do Small Schools Undermine Diversity?
Small schools in New York City offer a test case for the benefits of small high schools, but also underscore problems of race and social-class segregation they may inadvertently promote, Bruce Fuller writes.
Teaching Profession
Teacher Evaluation Sparks Clash in Pittsburgh
The dispute between the district and the teachers' union over the jointly designed system shows the stark distinction between ambitious policy plans and the realities of implementation.
College & Workforce Readiness
Opinion
A Common Cause for the Common Core
The common standards offer an opportunity to level the playing field for all students regardless of their ZIP code, income, race, or ethnicity, Rufina Hernández writes.
International
Opinion
Questionable Education Lessons From China
The steep competition over test scores in China has taken a toll on students' physical and mental health, write Xu Zhao, Helen Haste, and Robert L. Sherman.
Teaching Profession
Lawmaker's Retirement to Open K-12 Leadership Void
U.S. Rep. George Miller, leaving Congress after four decades, helped push through game-changing legislation, including the No Child Left Behind Act.
Education Funding
Federal Spending Plan Aims to Ease 'Sequester' Pain
Early education is a winner in the massive bill worked out in Congress, but key Obama initiatives come up short.