November 29, 2017
Education Week, Vol. 37, Issue 14
School & District Management
Schools Struggle to Keep Pace With Hackings, Other Cyber Threats
New survey data show K-12 technology leaders have been slow to identify and respond to cybersecurity challenges, resulting in problems nationwide.
Early Childhood
New Analyses Boost Claims of Lasting Benefits From Pre-K
A pair of recent studies reinforce the value of high-quality preschool, suggesting that future research may pivot toward just why such programs are effective.
College & Workforce Readiness
Betsy DeVos Sounds Off on Workforce Readiness, Alternatives to College
Though school choice remains a central part of the education secretary's policy message, she has used recent appearances to emphasize the need for learning beyond the usual post-high school route.
Special Education
Democrats Grill Ed. Dept. Nominees on School Choice Priorities
A Senate confirmation hearing for two top positions in the Education Department gave opponents of the Trump administration's K-12 policy a chance to make their rhetorical case.
Federal
Motion in Congress on Tax Plans With Effects on K-12
House and Senate proposals differ on changes to the federal tax code that could affect out-of-pocket teacher expenses, school choice, and even federal funding.
Reading & Literacy
From Our Research Center
How Mixed-Gender Classes Might Help Boys Read Better
A 33-nation study finds that boys tend to score higher in reading when 60 percent or more of their classmates are girls.
Standards
Opinion
What the Standards-Based Movement Got Wrong
Three simple questions could modernize classroom instruction and correct the past mistakes of the standards movement, writes educator Jenny Froehle.
School & District Management
School Planners Face Daunting Task in Matching Facilities, Enrollment
Predicting and preparing for growth and deciding where to site schools forces officials to take the long view—and to expect the unexpected.
School Climate & Safety
Showcasing Creativity in School Construction
In some communities, new designs for schools support the academic goals of educators—and push the boundaries of traditional K-12 architecture.
School & District Management
High Costs, Wary Taxpayers Make School Projects a Hard Sell
Against a backdrop of tight local budgets and competing priorities, local officials get creative in seeking community support for the capital financing they need for school facilities.
Education Funding
Bond Market Offers 'Green' Option for Building Eco-Friendly Schools
A growing segment of the municipal-bond market serves communities hoping to leverage the promise of energy efficiency and environmental responsibility to finance big-ticket projects.
School Climate & Safety
Energy Efficiency Is Built Into the Mission at 'Green Schools'
Innovative designs aim to save money, protect the environment, and boost student performance and health. But there’s a lot to consider in making such schools truly sustainable.
School Climate & Safety
School Facilities Form a Foundation for Learning
Debate over the nation's schools often focuses on the abstract and academic, but planning, building, and maintaining 21st century facilities can prove crucial to student achievement.
School & District Management
Which Large Districts Have Grown the Most Since 1988?
The Education Week Research Center looked at school districts with 20,000 students or more as of the 2014-15 school year and ranked how much they’ve each grown since 1987-88.
Special Education
Letter to the Editor
Inclusion Helps All Students
To the Editor:
On Nov. 3, 2017, the On Special Education blog published "Does Inclusion Slow Down General Education Classrooms?" The post, which covers a recently released survey of teachers, presents a complex picture that goes beyond inclusion, but conveys an underlying tone that inclusion has a negative effect on general education students. The National Down Syndrome Society, of which I am the president and CEO, maintains that inclusive education for students with Down syndrome benefits all students, not only those with Down syndrome.
On Nov. 3, 2017, the On Special Education blog published "Does Inclusion Slow Down General Education Classrooms?" The post, which covers a recently released survey of teachers, presents a complex picture that goes beyond inclusion, but conveys an underlying tone that inclusion has a negative effect on general education students. The National Down Syndrome Society, of which I am the president and CEO, maintains that inclusive education for students with Down syndrome benefits all students, not only those with Down syndrome.
Education
Letter to the Editor
Ed. Dept. Pick Is Selectively Opposed to Big Government
To the Editor:
I appreciated the profile of retired U.S. Army brigadier general and former South Carolina schools superintendent Mick Zais ("A Polarizing Pick for Education Department's No. 2 Slot," Nov. 1, 2017). But does Zais actually believe in a "smaller footprint for the federal government" in K-12 education, as the article suggests?
I appreciated the profile of retired U.S. Army brigadier general and former South Carolina schools superintendent Mick Zais ("A Polarizing Pick for Education Department's No. 2 Slot," Nov. 1, 2017). But does Zais actually believe in a "smaller footprint for the federal government" in K-12 education, as the article suggests?
School & District Management
News in Brief
Transition
Johnny Collett, the director of special education outcomes for the Council of Chief State School Officers, has been tapped to be the U.S. assistant secretary of education for special education and rehabilitative services.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
College and Career Readiness
Preparing students for the workforce isn't the most important purpose of higher education, according to a survey of the trustees that lead the country's colleges and universities.
Special Education
Report Roundup
Research Report: Special Education
Self-regulated strategy development has the potential to help students with some learning disabilities improve their writing skills, according to a research review by the federal What Works Clearinghouse.
School & District Management
Report Roundup
Research Report: Social-Emotional Learning
School leaders see students' social and emotional development as important factors in school success, but in a nationally representative survey of principals, just 35 percent of respondents said their school was fully implementing social-emotional learning into policies and classroom work.
Families & the Community
Report Roundup
Early-Childhood Education
Families may be less likely to take advantage of early-childhood education programs if they work nonstandard hours, finds a new report from the National Research Center on Hispanic Children and Families.
Assessment
Report Roundup
Report Roundup: English Language Learners
Designating early-elementary students who are close to being proficient in English as English-language learners can have "significant and positive effects on [their] academic achievement," a new study concludes.
Equity & Diversity
News in Brief
Democrats Decry Plan to Drop Content on Civil Rights Leaders From Exam
The New Mexico education department has proposed changes to state history exams that Democratic lawmakers are decrying as an attempt to erase social-justice and civil rights leaders, among other topics, from lessons.
Equity & Diversity
News in Brief
Transgender Athletes May Now Compete in Line With Gender Identity in New Jersey
Transgender high school athletes in New Jersey no longer have to prove their gender identity.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Foundations Give $50 Million to Better Early-Childhood Education in Detroit
The Michigan-based philanthropies the W.K. Kellogg and Kresge Foundations are each donating $25 million to improve early-childhood education in Detroit.
Special Education
News in Brief
Texas Special Ed. Enrollment Surges After Change in State Policy
Special education programs in Texas have seen a sharp increase in enrollment after a policy that directed districts to limit such services was lifted.
Education Funding
News in Brief
Washington State High Court Keeps Legislature in Contempt Over Aid
Although state lawmakers have made progress in a multiyear effort to fully fund basic education, the Washington Supreme Court has ruled that they are not on track to meet next year's deadline and will remain in contempt of court.
Education Funding
News in Brief
S.C. Supreme Court Dismisses Lawsuit Alleging Inequity in School Funding
After 24 years of court battles, a landmark school equity lawsuit aimed at improving education opportunities in South Carolina's poorest, rural schools has been dismissed.
Teaching Profession
News in Brief
Teacher Salaries, Experience Down Since Wis. Curbed Collective Bargaining
Teachers in Wisconsin are earning less money and exiting the profession at higher rates than they were before the state restricted unions' collective-bargaining rights, concludes a study from the Center for American Progress.