September 4, 2019
Education Week, Vol. 39, Issue 03
Student Well-Being & Movement
Do Distressed Students Have a Right to Trauma-Sensitive Schooling?
Three lawsuits argue schools have a responsibility to consider and mitigate the effects of students' personal traumas on their learning.
Teaching
Opinion
'Should Grades Be Based on Classwork?' And Other Questions We Should Stop Asking
Many of education's most common questions skip a logical step or two, warns Alfie Kohn.
School Climate & Safety
What Schools Need to Know About Threat Assessment Techniques
Prodded by new state laws, a growing number of schools are using threat assessment techniques drawn from law enforcement to sift out a serious threat from one that might be better handled through counseling or mediation, or other means.
School Climate & Safety
In Battle Against Bullies, Some Schools Target Parents
Looking for new ways to combat kids who bully, some communities are threatening to fine parents with no evidence that the approach is effective.
Assessment
Opinion
The Five Big Challenges Ahead for Advanced Placement
AP has managed to dodge the partisan pitfalls that have felled other ambitious curricular efforts—so far, write Chester E. Finn Jr. and Andrew E. Scanlan.
School Climate & Safety
Letter to the Editor
Teachers Aren't Prepared for School Shootings
To the Editor:
"Unprepared" is the word that comes to mind when I think of my level of competency for dealing with a school shooting. The opinion essay "What Ed. Schools Can Do About School Shootings (And Other Overwhelming Problems)" (July 31, 2019) attempts to provide a blueprint that colleges should follow to prepare their students for today's education world. Teacher-preparation programs need to revamp their curriculum to place the same emphasis on mental health and crisis readiness as they do on learning theories.
"Unprepared" is the word that comes to mind when I think of my level of competency for dealing with a school shooting. The opinion essay "What Ed. Schools Can Do About School Shootings (And Other Overwhelming Problems)" (July 31, 2019) attempts to provide a blueprint that colleges should follow to prepare their students for today's education world. Teacher-preparation programs need to revamp their curriculum to place the same emphasis on mental health and crisis readiness as they do on learning theories.
School & District Management
Teacher-Drivers Keep Wheels on the Bus Going Round
School systems throughout the U.S. are struggling to find bus drivers, and district leaders are getting creative to fill vacancies.
States
Data: Mapping the States on This Year's Quality Counts
A map of this year's final state scores on the annual Quality Counts report card shows states ranging from a pair of rare B-pluses to a low of D.
School & District Management
What the Research Says
States Start to Back Away From End-of-Course Tests
States have used end-of-course tests in core courses for accountability since the 1990s.
Families & the Community
What the Research Says
Early-Year Parent Involvement Pays Off in Middle School
Middle school students whose parents get involved early in the school year have fewer academic and behavioral problems later on, finds a new study in the journal School Psychology.
School & District Management
What the Research Says
Concept Words Key to Comprehension
Students need to reach a "knowledge threshold" to boost reading comprehension in a new subject, and some academic keywords are more critical than others, finds a new study in the journal Psychological Science.
States
State Grades on K-12 Achievement: Map and Rankings
Examine the grades and scores that states and the nation earned on the K-12 Achievement Index in Quality Counts 2019, along with how they scored on a host of indicators that go into those rankings.
School & District Management
Opinion
The Hidden Mistake School Leaders Should Avoid This Year
The most common assumption that leaders make is one they don’t even realize they’re making, warns chief academic officer Jared Myracle.
Education
Briefly Stated
Briefly Stated: Stories You May Have Missed (Sept 3, 2019)
In a new feature, Education Week catches you up on the week gone by with a thoughtful look at recent news in K-12 education.
Professional Development
Teachers Nationwide Now Have Access to Open-Source Science Curriculum
For years, educators have complained that they lacked materials aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards. But a new effort called OpenSciEd is slowly releasing a free, open curriculum that many say is high-quality.
Reading & Literacy
With New Anti-Plagiarism Tool, Google Enters Familiar Debates About Teaching Writing
Will teachers use the "originality reports" added to Google's popular Classroom platform to target cheaters—or tee up teachable moments about fair use and proper citation?