December 11, 2019
Education Week, Vol. 39, Issue 16
School & District Management
What the Youth Vaping Epidemic Costs Schools
Some numbers behind the steep toll that youth vaping is taking on one school district.
School Climate & Safety
Should Schools Still Play Dodgeball?
Lively debate persists around this playground game, which opponents say is ripe territory for bullies and which supporters argue builds skills like teamwork and resilience.
Student Well-Being & Movement
Open Enrollment Has Drained One District. It's Looking to Dissolve
Wisconsin’s Palmyra-Eagle district has lost more than half its students in the last decade, sparking a fiscal crisis. A special board is deciding whether the district should be allowed to dissolve.
Teaching Profession
Teaching in 2020 vs. 2010: A Look Back at the Decade
As the 2010s draw to a close, teachers are left reeling from massive shifts in policy and practice that have affected their everyday work.
Law & Courts
Educators Keep Watch as High Court Hears Gun Case
Advocacy groups that emerged in the wake of mass school shootings are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to broaden gun rights as the justices consdier a Second Amendment case.
Teaching
How Much Should Teachers Talk in the Classroom? Much Less, Some Say
Are teachers monitoring how much they talk vs. how much their students do? Research and teacher experience suggest they should be.
Federal
Interactive
Timeline: How Teaching Has Changed Over the Decade
Here's a look at how national policy on teachers and teaching has changed over the past 10 years.
Student Well-Being & Movement
Letter to the Editor
Make Trauma-Informed Training Mandatory
To the Editor:
In recent weeks, there have been several articles across various media outlets written about childhood trauma and adverse childhood experiences. However, none of these articles expressed the need for continuing education courses for education personnel on how to effectively work with children who have experienced trauma. As Jim Hickman and Kathy Higgins pointed out in their opinion essay ("10 Simple Steps for Reducing Toxic Stress in the Classroom," Nov. 15, 2019), we need to immerse our schools in trauma-informed approaches to promote improved outcomes for our children.
In recent weeks, there have been several articles across various media outlets written about childhood trauma and adverse childhood experiences. However, none of these articles expressed the need for continuing education courses for education personnel on how to effectively work with children who have experienced trauma. As Jim Hickman and Kathy Higgins pointed out in their opinion essay ("10 Simple Steps for Reducing Toxic Stress in the Classroom," Nov. 15, 2019), we need to immerse our schools in trauma-informed approaches to promote improved outcomes for our children.
Families & the Community
Briefly Stated
Briefly Stated: Stories You May Have Missed
A collection of short news stories from this week.
School & District Management
What the Research Says
Performance Flat, But Gaps Widen in International Assessments
The United States has gained ground against other countries in a global assessment of teenagers' reading, math, and science skills. That's ironic, though, considering this country has been running in place for years in all three subjects.
School & District Management
Opinion
Does 'the Achievement Gap' Evoke a Negative Stereotype? What the Research Says
What we call education inequality defines how—and even if—we solve it, write three researchers.
School & District Management
Opinion
Only 3 States Expect Teachers to Learn About Institutional Bias. That's a Big Problem
Students of color don't need to get "grittier," writes New America's Jenny Muñiz. They need us to fix institutional racism.
Student Achievement
Opinion
The Dangerous Narrative That Lurks Under the 'Achievement Gap'
Black students are not to blame for their lack of educational opportunities, argues assistant principal Eric Higgins.
Professional Development
Opinion
I Study How Teachers Collaborate Online. Here's How They Can Do It Better
Researcher Robin Anderson shares what happened when one online community of teachers tried to unlearn their deficit mindsets together.
Student Achievement
From Our Research Center
How Teachers Talk About Educational Disparities (Data)
In a national survey, we dug into how teachers use language to make sense of disparities in student outcomes by race and income level.
Every Student Succeeds Act
States Gear Up to Overhaul K-12 Funding in 2020
The political landscape for updating school finance systems won’t be any easier in the 2020 legislative season, despite a surging economy, state flexibility under ESSA, and single-party control in many states.
Mathematics
Math: The Most Powerful Civics Lesson You've Never Had
A handful of educators across the country are quietly making the case that math may be the missing piece in civics education.