May 7, 2014
Education Week, Vol. 33, Issue 30
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Houston Teachers Sue District Over 'Value Added'
The Houston Federation of Teachers has filed a federal lawsuit against the 203,000-student district, claiming that its "value added" approach to teacher evaluation violates teachers' constitutional rights.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
School Administrators
Growth in the urban education reform movement will create a need for at least 32,000 senior and mid-level workers over the next decade, concludes a report.
Assessment
News in Brief
Fla. Legislature Approves Delay on School Grading
Sanctions associated with Florida's school grading system will be put on hold for a year under a bill the state legislature passed last week.
Assessment
Letter to the Editor
The Results of Standardized Tests Do Not Reflect Teachers' Skills
To the Editor:
My first job was at a private elementary school in an affluent suburb of Ohio. When most of my 5th graders scored above the 90th percentile on the standardized test at the end of the year, I thought I must be a very gifted teacher and congratulated myself on doing such a great job.
My first job was at a private elementary school in an affluent suburb of Ohio. When most of my 5th graders scored above the 90th percentile on the standardized test at the end of the year, I thought I must be a very gifted teacher and congratulated myself on doing such a great job.
Reading & Literacy
Letter to the Editor
School Libraries are Essential to the 'Library Ecosystem'
To the Editor:
In April, the American Library Association and the nation celebrated School Library Month. Libraries of all types work together as part of a library ecosystem to deliver learning opportunities for people of all ages. However, a threat to one part of the system stresses the entire system.
In April, the American Library Association and the nation celebrated School Library Month. Libraries of all types work together as part of a library ecosystem to deliver learning opportunities for people of all ages. However, a threat to one part of the system stresses the entire system.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Judge Halts Tenure Law in Two N.C. Districts
Two North Carolina districts have won a temporary freeze from a 2013 state law that phases out tenure in favor of shorter-term contracts.
Accountability
Letter to the Editor
Dean: Ed. School Responsibility Extends Beyond Graduation
To the Editor:
Report after report finds that many teacher-candidates are not receiving the education they need to succeed in today's classrooms.
Report after report finds that many teacher-candidates are not receiving the education they need to succeed in today's classrooms.
Teaching Profession
Letter to the Editor
'Performance' Tests for Teachers: Idea at Odds With School Reality
To the Editor:
The writers promoting "performance tests for would-be teachers" make a salient point, while missing a gaping hole in their argument.
The writers promoting "performance tests for would-be teachers" make a salient point, while missing a gaping hole in their argument.
Special Education
Letter to the Editor
'Gifted' Label Is Crucial to Ensure Access to Much-Needed Services
To the Editor:
Although the authors of the Commentary "Gifted Ed. Is Crucial, But the Label Isn't" make some very good points about the mismatch between gifted students' abilities and the educational services they receive, I find their premise—that the gifted label is unnecessary—to be quite naive.
Although the authors of the Commentary "Gifted Ed. Is Crucial, But the Label Isn't" make some very good points about the mismatch between gifted students' abilities and the educational services they receive, I find their premise—that the gifted label is unnecessary—to be quite naive.
Assessment
Online Testing Glitches Causing Distrust in Technology
For the second year in a row, a handful of states experienced significant disruptions in online testing, prompting some districts to revert to paper-and-pencil assessments.
Federal
Stimulus Boosted State Data Systems, Despite Compliance Hurdles
More than $50 billion in aid to recession-strapped states helped shape how they used and collected education data, though some struggled to comply with the strings attached.
Standards
Early Reports Suggest Few Field-Testing Snags
Districts in the trial run for common-core exams told Education Week they experienced only minor technological problems, but students found the tests harder than their state assessments.
Student Well-Being
Opinion
The Goal of Education Is Becoming
For students to become the most capable people they can be, K-12 education must be more than just about "learning," writes Marc Prensky.
Data
InBloom's Collapse Shines Spotlight on Data-Sharing Challenges
With the rapid demise of the nonprofit data-management company, the daunting technical hurdles for better and safer use of educational data are again front and center.
College & Workforce Readiness
Michigan Affirmative-Action Ruling May Have Modest K-12 Effect
The U.S. Supreme Court upholds a Michigan initiative barring race-based preferences in admissions at the state’s universities, but no one opinion commanded a majority.
Teaching Profession
NCLB Waiver Loss Puts Washington State on Uncertain Ground
The Evergreen State now faces a potentially messy transition back to accountability provisions of the outdated No Child Left Behind Act.
College & Workforce Readiness
Opinion
Reframing Career and Technical Education
Students who want to work with their hands should not be subjected to a bias against technical education, writes Mike Rose.