Issues

January 6, 2016

Education Week, Vol. 35, Issue 15
Ed-Tech Policy News in Brief District Approves Drone Use for Educational Purposes
The Clarksdale, Miss., school board has approved the use of drones for educational purposes.
The Associated Press, January 5, 2016
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1 min read
Education News in Brief Teacher-Bonus Program Comes Under Fire in Fla.
A state teachers' union has filed a federal complaint over a Florida teacher-bonus program that the union alleges discriminates against teachers based on age and race.
Ross Brenneman, January 5, 2016
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1 min read
Special Education News in Brief Minneapolis Suspends Talks With Superintendent Pick
The Minneapolis school board has suspended contract negotiations with Sergio Paez, the former Holyoke, Mass., superintendent the board picked as its new schools chief.
Denisa R. Superville, January 5, 2016
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1 min read
Education Funding News in Brief Panel Urges State Monitor for Troubled N.Y. District
A committee appointed to study a troubled New York school district is recommending that a state monitor with power to veto the school board's decisions be put in place—a plan unanimously approved by the state board of regents.
The Associated Press, January 5, 2016
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1 min read
School Choice & Charters News in Brief Austin District Hires Marketing Company
The Austin, Texas, school district has hired a marketing firm to help boost student enrollment.
Tribune News Service, January 5, 2016
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1 min read
Education News in Brief Tens of Thousands Skip State Tests in Illinois
Tens of thousands of Illinois students—the most in recent history—sat out the state's standardized exams during the past school year as resistance to testing gained momentum nationwide, new state data show.
Tribune News Service, January 5, 2016
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1 min read
Education Funding News in Brief La. Seniors Must Apply for Financial Aid
To graduate from high school, all seniors in Louisiana public schools will have to apply for college financial aid.
Catherine Gewertz, January 5, 2016
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1 min read
Education News in Brief Few Detroit Students Pass Tougher State Exam
Just one 4th grader in Detroit schools run by the Education Achievement Authority—a district the state created to turn around the worst-performing schools in Michigan—passed the math portion of a tough new state exam, results released last month show.
Tribune News Service, January 5, 2016
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1 min read
Equity & Diversity News in Brief N.Y.C. Elementary Schools Fail ADA Requirements
Twenty-five years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, most New York City elementary schools are not fully accessible to children with physical disabilities, according to an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Christina A. Samuels, January 5, 2016
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1 min read
College & Workforce Readiness News in Brief Graduation Rate Rises To All-Time High
The graduation rate for the nation's class of 2014 reached a record 82 percent, an increase of 1 percentage point from the previous year's rate, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Education.
Andrew Ujifusa, January 5, 2016
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1 min read
Education News in Brief Los Angeles and New York Districts Choose Different Responses to Threats
The nation's two largest districts responded very differently to recent threats to their schools, raising questions about how school officials should handle such matters.
Evie Blad, January 5, 2016
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1 min read
BRIC ARCHIVE
Getty/Getty
Special Education Opinion Four Steps to Implement RTI Correctly
Eight researchers weigh in on how RTI can be implemented successfully.
Amanda Vanderheyden, Matthew Burns, Rachel Brown, Mark R. Shinn, Stevan Kukic, Kim Gibbons, George Batsche & W. David Tilly, January 5, 2016
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6 min read
Federal U.S. Ed-Tech Plan Calls Attention to 'Digital-Use Divide'
While many educators hailed the fifth National Education Technology Plan as a compelling statement of what's possible, attempts to make the vision a reality face big hurdles.
Benjamin Herold, January 5, 2016
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5 min read
In this 2014 file photo, the California State Assembly meets for an organizational session at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif. Among other things, legislators in the state will be looking for ways to tackle teacher shortages.
In this 2014 file photo, the California State Assembly meets for an organizational session at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif. Among other things, legislators in the state will be looking for ways to tackle teacher shortages.
AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File
Every Student Succeeds Act New K-12 Law Adds to Buzz as Legislatures Set to Convene
State lawmakers around the country will be looking closely at how new flexibility for states under the Every Student Succeeds Act will play out on a key range of issues in their backyards.
Daarel Burnette II, January 5, 2016
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7 min read
The Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association case goes before the U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 11.
The <i>Friedrichs</i> v. <i>California Teachers Association</i> case goes before the U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 11.
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
Law & Courts High Stakes in Union-Fee Case Before Supreme Court
Arguments this month will focus on whether to overturn a key precedent allowing unions to charge nonmembers for collective bargaining costs.
Mark Walsh, January 5, 2016
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8 min read
Seventh graders at Marshall Simonds Middle School in Burlington, Mass., review a PARCC practice test in March 2014 before the start of field-testing for the computer-based assessments.
Seventh graders at Marshall Simonds Middle School in Burlington, Mass., review a PARCC practice test in March 2014 before the start of field-testing for the computer-based assessments.
Gretchen Ertl for Education Week-File
Every Student Succeeds Act Will States Swap Standards-Based Tests for SAT, ACT?
An ESSA provision that lets states use college-entrance exams to measure student achievement could spur a profound shift in high school testing.
Catherine Gewertz, January 4, 2016
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5 min read
Education Opinion Top Opinion Blog Posts of 2015: Education Week's Most-Viewed
Education Week's opinion bloggers discussed and debated growth mindset, the teaching profession, school leadership, and more in the most-read posts of the year.
December 28, 2015
Education Opinion Top Education Commentaries of 2015: Education Week's Most-Viewed
To give a sense of which opinion essays our readers found most compelling in 2015, the editors at Education Week have compiled a list of our most-viewed Commentaries.
December 28, 2015
College & Workforce Readiness As New SAT Looms, Students Opt for Multiple College-Entrance Tests
Thanks to the impending debut of the revised SAT, many high school juniors are taking as many as three different college-readiness tests this school year.
December 22, 2015
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8 min read
Every Student Succeeds Act ESSA's Flexibility on Assessment Elicits Qualms From Testing Experts
The Every Student Succeeds Act allows states and districts to cobble scores from interim assessments into a single, summative score, but some experts worry that will make the results less valid.
Catherine Gewertz, December 18, 2015
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5 min read
Students and other charter school advocates rally last month at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. The rally was held by "Act Now for Washington Students," with the goal of halting the closure of any charter schools that have already opened.
Students and other charter school advocates rally last month at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. The rally was held by "Act Now for Washington Students," with the goal of halting the closure of any charter schools that have already opened.
Rachel La Corte/AP
Law & Courts Wash. Court Ruling Could Be Roadmap to Charter Opponents in Other States
Charter schools in Washington state are fighting to stay open after the state supreme court ruled them unconstitutional, a decision that national advocates worry may lead to ramifications for charters in other states.
Arianna Prothero, December 17, 2015
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4 min read
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