Issues

November 11, 2015

Education Week, Vol. 35, Issue 12
Principal Tamara McWilliams stands in the hallway at Ozona Middle School in Ozona, Texas. She is the principal of the only elementary and middle schools in the rural town, with a population of just over 3,200.
Principal Tamara McWilliams stands in the hallway at Ozona Middle School in Ozona, Texas. She is the principal of the only elementary and middle schools in the rural town, with a population of just over 3,200.
Lisa Krantz for Education Week
School & District Management Opinion A Principal Takes Charge of School Morale
Amidst a web of challenges, principals can still manage to control the "weather" inside their schools, writes Tamara McWilliams.
Tamara McWilliams, November 10, 2015
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3 min read
Rodney Fisher, the founding principal of the Marie Curie High School for Medicine, Nursing, and Health Professions, poses for a portrait inside the New York City school.
Rodney Fisher, the founding principal of the Marie Curie High School for Medicine, Nursing, and Health Professions, poses for a portrait inside the New York City school.
Mark Abramson for Education Week
School & District Management Opinion A Playbook for Responsive School Leadership
A rash of student transfers was a wake-up call for Principal Rodney Fisher to prioritize his school's mission, he writes.
Rodney Fisher, November 10, 2015
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4 min read
BRIC ARCHIVE
Steve Braden for Education Week
Recruitment & Retention Opinion How to Combat Principal Churn
The Harvard Graduate School of Education's Mary Grassa O'Neill shares recommendations for keeping principals in their jobs.
Mary Grassa O'Neill, November 10, 2015
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2 min read
BRIC ARCHIVE
Steve Braden for Education Week
School & District Management Opinion What Keeps Principals Up at Night?
The No Child Left Behind Act has had an impact on principalship, writes Harvard Graduate School of Education's Deborah Jewell-Sherman.
Deborah Jewell-Sherman, November 10, 2015
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2 min read
Habeeb Quadri, the principal of Muslim Community Center Academy, shakes hands with students following afternoon prayers at the school's Morton Grove, Ill., campus.
Habeeb Quadri, the principal of Muslim Community Center Academy, shakes hands with students following afternoon prayers at the school's Morton Grove, Ill., campus.
Alyssa Schukar for Education Week
School Choice & Charters Opinion Building Community, One Student at a Time
Leading a parochial school demands an engaged focus on students' sense of community and character, says Habeeb Quadri.
Habeeb Quadri, November 10, 2015
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4 min read
Meriwether Lewis Elementary School Principal Tim Lauer makes his normal visiting rounds of classrooms, in Portland, Ore.
Meriwether Lewis Elementary School Principal Tim Lauer makes his normal visiting rounds of classrooms, in Portland, Ore.
Leah Nash for Education Week
School & District Management Opinion Tech Solutions to Principals' Overloaded Schedules
Principal Tim Lauer shares how he uses technology to balance extended classroom visits with his other leadership responsibilities.
Tim Lauer, November 10, 2015
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4 min read
Federal Report Roundup Early Childhood
While most states continue to broaden their child-care assistance policies to serve more families, others are moving backward, according to an Oct. 27 report by the National Women's Law Center, an advocacy group focused on public-policy issues.
Lillian Mongeau, November 10, 2015
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1 min read
Special Education Report Roundup Students With Autism
Some children who are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder go on to lose that diagnosis, but according to their parents, that change is not because of treatment or the child's maturity.
Christina A. Samuels, November 10, 2015
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1 min read
English-Language Learners Report Roundup Refugees in School
Refugee children's prior educational experiences, not their academic aptitude, may be the most significant indicator of how they'll perform in U.S. schools, according to an analysis from the Migration Policy Institute.
Corey Mitchell, November 10, 2015
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1 min read
Classroom Technology Report Roundup Technology and Media
Teenagers and "tweens" are clocking an average of six to nine hours of screen time a day on TVs, computers, and mobile devices, according to researchers with Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization that rates and reviews media by age level for parents.
Lovey Cooper, November 10, 2015
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1 min read
Federal In Off-Year Elections, Ky., Miss., Drew Spotlight
A Republican's win in the Kentucky governor's race could shake up the political climate for common core in that state, and a Mississippi funding measure goes down to defeat.
Andrew Ujifusa, November 10, 2015
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5 min read
College & Workforce Readiness Report Roundup Tuition Rose Faster at Public Universities
Students who attend public four-year colleges and universities are paying an average of 38 percent more in tuition and fees than they were a decade ago, according to data released last week. Those increases are far greater than the increases at two-year public colleges or at private, four-year institutions.
Catherine Gewertz, November 10, 2015
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1 min read
Law & Courts Ariz. Governor Signs Deal to Settle K-12 Suit
A package of legislation aims to pump $3.5 billion into education in the next 10 years to settle a funding lawsuit, but the deal still needs voter approval in a special election.
The Associated Press, November 10, 2015
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3 min read
Every Student Succeeds Act States Gird for Shifting Role on Accountability
As an ESEA rewrite nears the finish line, states must prepare for a scaled-back federal footprint and how to assure continued progress for low-performing student subgroups.
Alyson Klein, November 10, 2015
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4 min read
IT Infrastructure & Management Districts Still Struggling to Equip Schools With High-Speed Internet
Cost and rural settings are among the barriers as districts strive to bring fast broadband access to schools, according to a report from the Consortium for School Networking.
Benjamin Herold, November 10, 2015
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5 min read
Lila Perry, second from left, a senior transgender student at Hillsboro High School in St. Louis, speaks with friends Gianna Warfel, left, Skyla Thompson and Hayley Reeves following a student walkout at the school held in both support and opposition to Perry’s request to use the girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms.
Lila Perry, second from left, a senior transgender student at Hillsboro High School in St. Louis, speaks with friends Gianna Warfel, left, Skyla Thompson and Hayley Reeves following a student walkout at the school held in both support and opposition to Perry’s request to use the girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms.
Robert Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/AP-File
Law & Courts School Districts Confront Transgender Student Policies
Recent disputes over schools' treatment of transgender students present complicated questions for educators.
Evie Blad, November 10, 2015
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7 min read
Paraprofessional Vicky Henderson works with a 3rd grader, Payton, during story time in his special education classroom at Clinch County Elementary School in Homerville, Ga. The law now called the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act turns 40 this month.
Paraprofessional Vicky Henderson works with a 3rd grader, Payton, during story time in his special education classroom at Clinch County Elementary School in Homerville, Ga. The law now called the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act turns 40 this month.
Melissa Golden for Education Week
Special Education Decades of Progress, Challenges Under Federal Special Education Law
Enacted in 1975, the law now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act remade the landscape for an often-vulnerable, once-overlooked population of students.
Christina A. Samuels, November 10, 2015
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9 min read
College & Workforce Readiness News in Brief PARCC Releases Test Items for Use in Instruction
The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers has released hundreds of test questions from its 2015 assessment. The items are available on the consortium's Partnership Resource Center website.
Catherine Gewertz, November 10, 2015
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1 min read
Alex Hoover, 14, and his mother, Rene Hoover, pose together. Alex, who has a terminal heart condition, is currently not attending his Alabama school because of what his mother says is a dispute with school officials over her "do not resuscitate" orders for him should he go into cardiac arrest.
Alex Hoover, 14, and his mother, Rene Hoover, pose together. Alex, who has a terminal heart condition, is currently not attending his Alabama school because of what his mother says is a dispute with school officials over her "do not resuscitate" orders for him should he go into cardiac arrest.
Rene Hoover via AP
Student Well-Being 'Do Not Resuscitate' Orders Are Tough Call for Schools
In Alabama, school officials say they could not abide by a mother's advance directive not to revive her terminally ill son if he goes into cardiac arrest.
Phillip Lucas, Associated Press, November 10, 2015
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3 min read
Law & Courts News in Brief Mont. Schools Chief Juneau Launches Congressional Bid
Montana Superintendent Denise Juneau, a Democrat, announced last week she will run for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2016 against the state's at-large Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke.
Andrew Ujifusa, November 10, 2015
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1 min read
Student Well-Being News in Brief H.S. Coach Placed on Leave For Leading Prayers on Field
The Bremerton, Wash., school district has placed an assistant football coach on paid administrative leave for leading prayers with students on the field following games.
Bryan Toporek, November 10, 2015
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1 min read
Teaching Profession News in Brief Most States Link Evaluations to Student Test Scores
The vast majority of states now require that teachers be evaluated, at least in part, on student test scores—up sharply from six years ago.
The Associated Press, November 10, 2015
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1 min read
Education Best of the Blogs Blogs
| NEWS | Curriculum Matters
November 10, 2015
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7 min read
Teaching Profession News in Brief N.J. Toughens Requirements for Teacher Certification
New Jersey's state education board has changed requirements for teachers to be certified to include a full year of student teaching and going through a state evaluation system.
The Associated Press, November 10, 2015
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1 min read
Education Clarification Clarification
An article in the Nov. 4, 2015, issue of Education Week miscast the National Education Policy Center's stance on the drop in NAEP scores. The press release from the center stated that the decrease was "bad news" for school improvement approaches that seek to close failing schools and hold teachers accountable for student test scores.
November 10, 2015
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1 min read
Teaching Profession News in Brief Monthlong East St. Louis Strike Comes to an End
One of the longest teachers' strikes of 2015 has come to an end, with students in East St. Louis, Ill., finally returning to school last week.
Ross Brenneman, November 10, 2015
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1 min read
Equity & Diversity News in Brief AP Computer Science Lacking in Diversity
The pool of test-takers for the Advanced Placement computer science exam is still overwhelmingly white and male, according to data from the College Board.
Liana Loewus, November 10, 2015
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1 min read
Education News in Brief Walton Family Foundation Gives $50 Million to TFA
The Walton Family Foundation says it will donate $50 million over three years to Teach For America to support 4,000 new teachers nationwide.
The Associated Press, November 10, 2015
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1 min read
Student Achievement News in Brief Students With Disabilities Still Show Gaps on NAEP
The math and reading scores for students with disabilities on the 2015 National Assessment of Educational Progress showed little movement from two years ago.
Christina A. Samuels, November 10, 2015
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1 min read
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