Ed World tracks down education news from across the nation and around the world. Some sites credited in this article
may require free registration. Some links may be valid for only a brief period.
Five States Develop Green Curriculum
Five states have committed to developing green career and technical education initiatives. Those states will create secondary and post-secondary programs that will lead to certificates and associate and bachelor degrees.
06/24/2009
Texas Rejects Plan to Adopt National School Standards
Texas has decided to steer clear of a national effort -- involving 46 states -- to develop uniform "common core" standards that spell out what K-12 students should be taught in English and math. 06/23/2009
Extreme Book Club Pulls Students In
Extreme Read brings students, parents and teachers together to talk about books they agreed to read together. The book club has been singled out as a great way to involve parents. 06/24/2009
Subsidized Lunch Program Surges in Sacramento County
In a sign that the recession is increasing child poverty, the rate of Sacramento County students taking subsidized lunch grew faster this school year than any of the prior 15 years, new figures show. 06/24/2009
Spelling and Writing Strategies for Students With Dyslexia
For students with dyslexia, the ability to perform at grade level alongside peers in the classroom and later at college depends not only on reading abilities but writing and spelling tasks as well.06/23/2009
RTI in Math Deemed Challenging
A new federal practice guide for educators lays out recommendations for making the RTI approach work in math as well as reading. Educators agree that applying RTI to math is challenging -- but worth the effort. 06/21/2009
Program Teaches Engineering in Elementary School
A class in South Florida is teaching elementary-school students the basics of computer science and robotics, subjects that program founder Lucy Tamez hopes will better prepare them for high-school science. 06/22/2009
Schools Suffer Despite Stimulus Funding
The nearly $100 billion for education in the federal stimulus package might be helping school districts staunch the bleeding, but many district leaders say it isn't nearly enough to meet their needs.06/17/2009
Benefits of Year-Round School Touted
While summer break for most Shreveport (Louisiana) public school students began in May, school books still are being read, lessons still are being taught and children still are still learning at Shreve Island Elementary. 06/23/2009
Artificial Turf Gets a Foothold at High Schools Across Region
Many high schools nationwide are turning to artificial turf. It has gone down in price and up in quality. It survive relentless wear and tear. But its spread has fed some concerns about public safety. 06/23/2009
Failing Alabama School Now One of Nation's Best
Principal Terri Tomlinson opens her classrooms to anyone who wants to see how a school goes from having some of the worst test scores in the county to having one of the best reputations in the country.06/22/2009
Programs Encourage Male Presence in Schools
The Watch DOGS (Dads of Great Students) program encourages fathers or adult males to spend time at school, where they do everything from assisting teachers to eating lunch with students. 06/2009
Sum Help: New Search Engine for Mathletes
A new search engine, which some think will challenge Google as the search engine of choice, has unique "math shortcut" features that some teachers think could encourage student laziness. 06/2009
The Permanent Recession: Is Our Educational System to Blame?
In a USA Today editorial, Laura Vanderkam says it's no secret that America's educational system doesn't stack up well with the rest of the world. She says this fact has a dramatic economic toll, too. 06/2009
Senator: Make It a Crime to Change Test Scores
A leading state senator says it should be a crime for Georgia educators to change students' answers on standardized tests, and the governor has indicated he may be willing to support such a law. 06/2009
Two Years of Hard Lessons For D.C. Schools' Agent of Change
In her quest to transform the District's long-broken system, Supt. Michelle A. Rhee has had a sometimes-painful education. The lessons tell the story of her tenure as her second school year draws to a close. 06/2009
Little Girl Gets Big Note from Obama
A Wisconsin girl has a rock-solid excuse for missing the last day of school: she was present at an appearance President Obama made nearby. And she has a personal excuse note from the president. 06/2009
Rolling Labs Bring Science to Kids
Mobile science labs -- buses or semis outfitted with the basics of science education -- bring hands-on science tools to students, and provide teacher training in a field that can see curriculum change overnight. 06/2009
Kids Reap Benefit of Long School Year
Roughly 1,000 schools -- 80 percent charter schools and 20 percent traditional public schools -- have expanded their schedules by more than one to two hours a day, according to the National Center on Time and Learning. 06/2009
No Longer Letting Scores Separate Pupils
This fall, middle school students in Stamford, Connecticut, will learn together in mixed-ability classes because, district officials say, the long-held system of academic tracking is unfair and divisive.06/2009
Electronic Chalkboards Transform Classrooms
Interactive whiteboard technology increases students' interest and attention span and improves behavior, educators say. Educator interest in the technology, designed in the early 1990s, has increased in the past three years. 06/2009
Web Site Allows Students to Report Bullying
Hillsborough County, Florida, officials soon will launch a Web site that will allow students to anonymously report bullying incidents. The goal is to help students by bringing such incidents to light. 06/2009
Non-Profit Selecting Teachers for Spacecraft Flights
A Texas elementary-school science teacher is a finalist to participate in a short, suborbital flight on a private spacecraft. The nonprofit program was inspired by, but is not affiliated with, the NASA Teachers in Space program. 06/2009
Horses Assist Struggling Students
Struggling students have improved at an Ohio school that incorporates working with horses into the curriculum. The horses seem to bring out the best in teens, says a social worker at the school. 06/2009
Stereotypes Lower Test Scores
When students take a test in school, how well they perform depends on how smart they are, how hard they have studied and something else: how they see themselves and how others see them. 06/2009
Phys Ed May Have Little Effect on Kids' Overall Daily Activity
Giving children more opportunities for physical education in school may not increase their overall activity level or be effective in reducing childhood obesity rates, a new study suggests. 06/2009
Ohio Teacher Accused of Preaching in Class Sues District
An Ohio school teacher says in a $1 million lawsuit that his free speech and civil rights were violated. Eighth-grade teacher John Freshwater also says he was harassed and defamed because of his religion. 06/2009
Schwarzenegger Pushes for Digital Textbooks
Governor Schwarzenegger intends to make free, open-source digital textbooks available for high school math and science classes, a move that he says will reduce a $350 million state budget line. 06/2009
Suspensions Ineffective in Improving Students' Behavior
Suspensions are ineffective in improving student discipline and are applied unevenly as a "reflex response" to infractions, according to a Maryland task force. The task force says alternatives must be found. 06/2009
New Buses Cut Belching
They look like school buses but they don't smell or sound like them. One Texas school district showed off three of its new propane-powered buses and touted the $303,150 in subsidies they received. 06/2009
Kids Reap Benefits of Long School Year
Roughly 1,000 schools have expanded their schedules by more than one to two hours a day or 300 hours a year. Some, but not all, of those schools are seeing the benefits of extended school days and years. 06/2009
Pressuring Parents Helps S.F. Slash Truancy
San Francisco schools showed a 23 percent drop in the number of elementary students skipping classes this year as citywide efforts, including parental prosecution, appeared to be paying off. 06/2009
Teachers Snub Scholastic Toys
Scholastic, the longtime children's book publisher, is being sent to detention by some teachers who say its book club catalogs and fairs are too heavy on toys and too light on quality books. 06/2009
Short on Funds, Districts Declare Fiscal Emergency
Districts that have declared fiscal crises in the last year range from those in smaller cities (Pocatello, Idaho) and counties (Jefferson County in Florida) to a major metropolis such as Dallas, according to an AP report. 06/18/2009
Special Needs Children Get Field of Dreams
A Pittsburg Pirates Charities Miracle League field opened recently in Cranberry, Pennsylvania. The field, topped by a rubberized surface, hosts a league for special-needs children. 06/17/2009
Rap Boosting Kids' Academics
A pilot program called "Rap to Roots" is having success in inner city schools in Denver, Chicago, and Cleveland. The after-school series teaches kids to use rap's rhythm, rhymes, and history to boost their academics. 06/16/2009
School Kids Learn to Compost
Sarah Davis teaches kids in Phoenix, Arizona, all about the importance of composting. Kids learn what goes in and what must stay out of their school's nicely layered (like "messy lasagna") compost. 06/15/2009
Chemistry Day Provides Students With Early Exposure
"Science" isn't limited to space, the environment, and animals -- the bulk of grade schools' science education content and the impetus behind Chemistry Days taking place at some at D.C.-area schools. 06/12/2009
Bonuses Sought to Lure Teachers
The Tuscaloosa schools are considering bonuses of up to $10,000 to entice teachers to work at and help pull a district school out of school improvement status, where it has resided for four years. 06/10/2009
Students Stay Busy Up to the Last Day
As school winds down for the year, teachers are working to keep students' attention. Teacher Jana Avison saved one of her most engaging projects, in which students create blogs, for the last weeks of school. 06/09/2009
Colleges Scan Facebook During Admissions
About a quarter of colleges and universities polled in a recent survey said admissions officers research prospective students' social-networking profiles before extending admission or scholarships. 06/08/2009
Special-Ed Students Create Bullying Movie
Michigan students with special needs who were troubled by bullies made a movie to help one another overcome the problem. In the film, they are heroes who don't let bullies get the best of them. 06/05/2009
Pool of Teachers Being Depleted
Nationwide, the numbers of teaching credentials issued and students majoring in education are in sharp decline. Experts warn that news of layoffs could exacerbate the trend. 06/04/2009
Aspiring Teachers Fall Short on Math
Nearly three-quarters of aspiring elementary school teachers who took Massachusetts' licensing exam this year failed the math section, according to state education officials. 06/03/2009
Arts Appear to Play Role in Brain Development
As many districts cut the arts to concentrate on getting struggling students to pass tests, a growing body of brain research suggests that teaching the arts may be good for students across all disciplines. 06/02/2009
Teachers Shielded from Lawsuits
Indiana governor Mitch Daniels recently signed into law a bill that will give teachers who "act reasonably" to discipline students or break up fights immunity from lawsuits relating to those incidents. 06/01/2009
Recession Takes Toll on Students
Unlike the during Great Depression, the current economic downturn's toll is far less obvious: children are grappling with more stress at home and low-income families are being forced to pull up stakes and move more often. 06/2009
Four States Yet to Agree to Standards
Forty-six states and the District of Columbia are part of a plan to craft a single vision for what K-12 children should learn. The four states on the holdout list are Alaska, Missouri, South Carolina and Texas. 06/2009
Web Site Lets Parents Track Data on Students
After several months of delays, a Web site that offers an interactive portfolio of New York City public school students' test scores, grades, and attendance will be available soon for all City parents. 06/2009
Students Roar as Principal Rewards Them for TAKS
Houston-area school leaders are eating worms, shaving their heads, dancing on roofs, kissing a donkey, and even dressing as "Manah" Montana to reward students for boosting test scores. 06/2009
Five Schools Chosen for Teacher Pay Pilot Program
Performance pay for teachers is officially on track in Utah. Five schools will divvy up $300,000 a year for two years to create performance pay pilot programs for elementary teachers and classroom-related staff. 06/2009
Connecticut District Tosses Algebra Textbooks
Westport Connecticut teachers, frustrated that students weren't grasping important concepts, have replaced their 1,000-plus-page math textbooks with a custom-designed online curriculum.06/2009
Next Test: Value of $125,000-a-Year Teachers
Is it quality teaching that matters most when it comes to student achievement? An eight-teacher dream team at a NYC charter school will be paid $125,000 each in an experiment that might help answer that question. 06/2009
A Red-Letter Day at National Spelling Bee
A tangle of words, letters, and anxiety sums up the final rounds of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. About 12 hours after the day's competition began, Kavya Shivashankar of Kansas held this year's trophy. 06/2009
Kids With ADHD Need to Fidget
Children with ADHD might need to fidget to access their short-term memory, according to a study from the University of Central Florida. Only when their concentration wasn't needed did the boys sit still, researchers said. 06/2009
California Considers Open Digital Textbooks
In what could be a first-of-its-kind statewide initiative, California education leaders are working to compile a list of free digital textbooks that will be available to high school math and science classes this fall.
06/2009
Kids With Attention Problems Still Struggle in High School, Study Finds
A Michigan State University study has found that six-year-olds who don't pay attention well in class apparently struggle throughout their school years, and reach age 17 with lower test scores than their peers. 06/2009
School's Sensory Room a Hit With Disabled Students
The new sensory room at a Florida elementary school is part classroom, part indoor playground. Teachers hope the room will help calm anxious kids and stimulate nonresponsive ones. 06/2009
Skateboarding Joins PE Curriculum
At one Arizona middle school, students put on knee pads, helmets, and elbow pads as they prepare for action. The school's skateboarding program, begun this year, will be expanded to other schools next year. 06/2009
Third-Grader's Parents in Dispute With Schools Over His Food Allergies
One child's parents say the schools are not doing enough to protect their child from dangers posed by the child's allergies. The schools are balking at their request for a one-on-one aide for the child. 06/2009
Reform, Through the Eyes Of New York's Chancellor
New York City school chief Joel Klein explains the more "rational pay system" that should replace schools' "seniority-driven, life-tenure-driven, across-the-board salary-driven model of compensation." 06/2009
Putting Students in a Writing Frame of Mind
The third annual Writers Workshop brought 18 professional writers to one California elementary school. Workshops showed third- through fifth-graders how writing is a skill they will use throughout their lives. 06/2009
MAY 2009
Extra Time Didn't Help Struggling Students
A $100 million plan to improve student achievement at Miami-area schools by implementing a longer school day and school year had very little effect on student test scores, according to a district report. 05/29/2009
Montgomery County Touts 'Seven Keys to College Readiness'
A glossy new brochure offers a tantalizing formula for parents who crave assurance that their children are on track: a seven-step pathway to higher education that starts as early as kindergarten. 05/28/2009
Sony PSPs Find a Place in the Classroom
Some Indiana fourth- and fifth-graders use Sony Portable Play Stations in their classroom to access the Internet, download videos, listen to audio novels, take tests, and broaden their learning.05/27/2009
Chess Making Comeback in U.S. Schools
Over the past few years, chess has taken U.S. schools by storm. "More and more educators see the impact of a chess program on students," says Jerry Nash, of the U.S. Chess Federation. 05/26/2009
Teacher Brings Music to her Classroom
A day doesn't go by in which third-grade teacher Jackie Rogers isn't singing. She gets kids involved in lessons by using songs to energize and motivate her students and as learning tools too. 05/25/2009
House Approves $6.4 Billion for Green Schools
The House passed a bill that provides $6.4 billion in construction money for schools. The goals of the bill are to reduce energy consumption, create healthier schools, and produce jobs. 05/22/2009
iPods Help ESL Students Achieve Success
A New Jersey educator who uses iPods to teach English-language learners says the technology helped 50 percent of students move from an ESL program to an all-English program in a single year.05/21/2009
A Longer School Day, a Smarter Kid?
Extended school day schedules are gaining support among educators and politicians, including President Obama. Opponents point to increased costs as well as the potential for burnout among students. 05/20/2009
A Cautionary Video About America's "Stuff"
"The Story of Stuff," a 20-minute video about the effects of human consumption, has become a sleeper hit among teachers eager to supplement textbooks when teaching about climate change and pollution. 05/19/2009
Budget Outlines Funding for Teacher Merit Pay Programs
President Obama wants to add hundreds of millions for teacher merit pay programs. His plan includes $52 million in grants to open charter schools, and funding to expand education research. 05/18/2009
When the Cellphone Teaches Sex Education
North Carolina's Birds and Bees Text Line, a personalized cellphone-based service, offers teens one-on-one access to information and advice that's private, personal, and anonymous -- -- sex ed on their own turf. 05/15/2009
School IT Support: Overworked and Understaffed
New research suggests that school IT departments are overworked and understaffed, and that they spend too much time reacting to technology problems and not enough time on teacher training and technology integration. 05/14/2009
Before State Exam Time, Children Bust a Rhyme
Music teacher Marcia Grim's students have been writing rap music lyrics as part of a school-wide effort to prepare for state tests. Students performed the songs a few days before the PSSA tests were given. 05/13/2009
Report: Homework Only Helps Older Students
Homework is of little benefit to elementary school students but can be useful for older students as long as it is not simply rote learning, says a Canadian Council on Learning report examining 18 studies on the issue. 05/12/2009
Push is on for National Academic Standards
An effort to establish common academic standards for U.S. schools is gaining momentum. States could see a common set of standards for K-12 math and language arts by the end of this summer. 05/11/2009
Middle School Fitness Lab Inspires Students to Stay Active
A fitness lab is the latest addition to one middle school's physical education program. Students rotate between health class, regular physical education activity, and the fitness lab throughout the school year. 05/08/2009
Task to Aid Self-Esteem Lifts Grades for Some
Researchers report that some seventh graders who were struggling in class did significantly better after doing confidence-building writing exercises. The improvements continued through eighth grade. 05/07/2009
Inadequate Sleep Linked to Behavior Problems
A recent Finnish study found that children who slept less than 7.7 hours a night were more likely than other children to be hyperactive and impulsive, and to score higher on a test of typical ADHD symptoms.
05/06/2009
Schools Use Race-Based Assemblies to Boost Test Scores
Students at some California schools have been attending what organizers call "heritage assemblies." The race-based gatherings are designed to motivate students and close achievement gaps on standardized tests. 05/05/2009
New NAEP Findings Released
New National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results show increases among many of the nation's lowest-performing students, but the achievement gap has barely budged. 05/04/2009
Obama Honors 2009 Teacher of the Year
A special education teacher and former police officer -- America's 2009 National Teacher of the Year -- was honored by President Obama at the White House. 05/01/2009
APRIL 2009
U.S. Schools Close in Swine Flu Scare
More than 100 school systems in 14 states have closed at least one school in response to the swine flu outbreak, sending home more than 160,000 students. That number is expected to rise. 04/30/2009
Schools Crack Down on Unpaid Lunch Tabs
To help reduce the debt caused when parents stopped paying for their children's hot lunches, the Albuquerque school district now offers children with unpaid bills only cheese sandwiches, milk, and a fruit or vegetable.
04/24/09
Student Files Suit to Free Stimulus Funds
A South Carolina high-school senior has filed a lawsuit asking the state's Supreme Court to decide whether the governor or the legislature controls $700 million in federal stimulus money. The student wants funds to go to schools.
04/23/09
Writing About Values Boosts Kids' Performance
Some seventh graders who were struggling in class did significantly better after performing a series of brief confidence-building writing exercises, and the improvements continued through eighth grade, researchers reported.
04/22/09
Study: Hazing Pervades U.S. High Schools
A new study of hazing in U.S. high schools reveals that 47 percent of college freshmen report getting hazed in high school. Hazing activities included silly stunts, drinking games, and physical and sexual assaults.
04/21/09
U.S. Ed Secretary Says Kids Need More Time in School
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said U.S. students are falling behind their peers in other countries because of the traditional school calendar, and the school day and year need to be longer.
04/20/09
Students Learn from Energy-Saving Measures
Many schools in upstate New York have invested in capital projects, such as natural gas-run turbines, which not only help conserve resources, but save the districts money and provide learning opportunities for students.
04/17/09
ALA: Spend Stimulus Money on School Libraries
As school leaders weigh how to spend billions of dollars in federal stimulus money, the American Library Association (ALA) is lobbying to have some of that money used to keep school libraries up to date.
04/16/09
Hundreds of Thousands to Join Day of Silence
Hundreds of thousands of students are expected to mark the 13th annual Day of Silence Friday by taking a form of a vow of silence to protest the harassment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals.
04/15/09
U.K. Weighs Blogging for Grades
Some school officials in the United Kingdom are considering making blogging, tweeting, and podcasting part of the primary school curriculum.
04/14/09
'Fruity Girls' a Hit With Peers
A group of students at Balboa (California) High School known as the Fruity Girls took on the task of distributing fresh fruit for snacks to classmates and teachers.
04/13/09
Parents Sue District Over Son's Suicide
The parents of a 17-year-old boy who committed suicide after constant torment by bullies are suing the Mentor, Ohio, school district claiming teachers and staff members knew about the bullying but failed to take action. 04/10/09
Massive Teacher Retirements Could Mean Shortages
Over the next four years, more than one-third of the nation’s 3.2 million teachers could retire, depriving classrooms of experienced instructors and straining taxpayer-financed retirement systems, a report says.04/09/09
Touch Helps Make the Connection Between Sight and Hearing
Touch helps students learn to read by connecting visual and audio signals, according to a study. Students who combined learning with tactile stimuli learned more efficiently, researchers say.04/08/09
Teacher Lingo Works in Elementary Classrooms
Many elementary teachers use catchy commands to keep order in the classroom. Even if the lingo is nonsense, teachers say, it seems to work. 04/07/09
Social Skills Better Predictors of Future Success Than Test Scores
According to an Illinois professor, high school sophomores who had good social skills and participated in extracurricular activities, made more money and completed higher levels of education than their classmates who had similar test score but were less socially adroit.04/06/09
HISD Offering Combat Pay for Tough Schools
Houston Independent School District is offering $20,000 -- $10,000 annually over the next two years -- to some of its most effective teachers if they commit to a two-year stint at a struggling campus. 04/03/09
Sensory Yard a Hit With Special Needs Students
A New Orleans elementary school's sensory yard aims to help children with autism, ADHD, and other disorders interact more with their environment and prepare them to better focus in the classroom.04/02/09
Most Connecticut Seniors Not Prepared for College
Of more than 8,000 Connecticut students who took the ACT in 2008, just 35 percent of white seniors, 18 percent of Hispanic seniors, and 9 percent of black seniors demonstrated preparedness for college work. 04/01/09
MARCH 2009
Texas Board of Ed Targeted
Proposed bills in the Texas State Legislature would remove the authority of the State Board of Education to adopt textbooks and approve curriculum and transfer that authority to the Texas Education Agency. 03/31/09
Music Education Can Help Improve Reading
A recent study found that children who received keyboard instruction as part of a long-term increasing difficult music curriculum performed significantly better in vocabulary and verbal sequencing than students who did not. 03/30/09
NFL Players Promote Phys Ed
Seven NFL players attended a rally on the Capitol lawn to push for passage of the FIT Kids Act requiring schools to report on students' physical activity, and to give youngsters health and nutritional information. 03/27/09
Teachers and YouTube
Student video recordings of teachers' lectures increasingly are showing up on YouTube, prompting some Connecticut lawmakers to call for research on banning such recording devices in all of the state's classrooms. 03/26/09
IT Support: Overworked and Understaffed
New research suggests overworked and understaffed school IT departments are spending too much time reacting to technology problems--and not enough time on training and integration. 03/25/09
Differentiated Instruction Has Benefits, Challenges
Tailoring lessons to individual students allows more students with special needs to be placed in mainstream classrooms, but the method requires more training, planning time and top classroom-management skills, educators say. 03/24/09
Robot "Sub" Can't Replace Human Instructor
Saya, the robot teacher, can express six basic emotions and say simple preprogrammed phrases, but it still can't do much more than call out names and shout orders like "Be quiet" and it must be remote-controlled by a human watching through a camera. 03/23/09
Twin Cities' Schools Use Yoga to Help Students Learn
Teachers in Minneapolis-St. Paul use yoga to help children improve academic skills, physical fitness, emotional behavior, and stress management. Moving while learning also helps children retain information, proponents say. 03/20/09
School Funding Falls as Mortgage Foreclosures Rise
Falling property values (and lower property taxes), combined with declining student populations as parents move to find new jobs, have forced school systems to trim budgets, freeze hiring. 03/19/09
PETA Stages Circus Protest at Elementary School
Protesters showed up unannounced at a LI elementary school to try to convince youngsters that circuses mistreat animals. The protesters handed out coloring books that read, "Circuses are no fun for animals." 03/18/09
Teachers Use Internet to Find Resources
Teachers say they are more frequently turning to the Internet for creative classroom projects and lessons, and to give students access to educational Web sites for reading and math.03/17/09
Ohio School Gets 700 Applicants for Janitorial Job
Evidence of the slumping economy is stacking up at an Ohio school which has nearly 700 applications for one open janitorial job. Officials extended the deadline to accommodate the overwhelming response.03/16/09
Catholic Schools Convert to Charter Schools
Seven Washington Catholic-turned-charter schools exemplify what is becoming a popular exit strategy for urban parochial schools nationwide.03/13/09
Board of Ed Chairman Challenges Evolution
The Texas State Board of Education Chairman will ask board members to adopt a more critical approach to the teaching of evolution. What the board decides will impact textbook content for the entire country.03/12/09
Studies Support Benefits of Educational TV
Top educational television can prepare young children for reading, according to several new studies. Well-designed programs can teach children distinct skills and cultivate a love of reading. 03/11/09
Teachers Team Up for Space Shuttle Ride
This week's space shuttle flight of Joseph Acaba and Richard Arnold II will mark the first time two former teachers have rocketed into space together. Both will attempt multiple spacewalks during the two-week mission. 03/10/09
Study Says Most First Grade Classes Not High Quality
According to research published in the Elementary School Journal, only 23 percent of first-grade classrooms could be judged to be of "high quality" in both instructional practices and social and emotional climate. 03/09/09
National Standards Gain Support
A growing number of governors and education leaders now support national education standards. Past efforts to introduce national standards or exams have met intense political criticism.03/06/09
Tucson Schools Enhance Learning With the Arts
Students who participated in the brain-based learning program Opening Minds Through the Arts significantly outscored their peers in reading, math, and writing. Teachers excelled at lesson planning and the creative use of learning activities. 03/05/09
Teachers Get MySpace, Google, YouTube Training
San Francisco teachers are meeting with representatives from Google, MySpace, CNET, and YouTube for training on how to bring blogging, podcasting, video, and social networking into their classrooms. 03/04/09
Stand-Up Desks May Improve Attention, Reduce Obesity
Student desks that allow pupils to stand or sit seem to improve student concentration and reduce obesity, say educators. Two studies are examining whether the desks really do improve students' academics or fitness. 03/03/09
Survey Looks at 25 Years of Education Reform
The recently released MetLife Survey of the American Teacher: Past, Present, and Future, reveals that 62 percent of today's teachers are "very satisfied" with their careers, compared to only 40 percent in 1984.
03/02/09
FEBRUARY 2009
Arizona Schools Face Teacher Shortage
With new requirements for high-school math and science, the Arizona DOE projects the state will need an additional 400 math and 250 science teachers a year; 500 more than the state's public universities are currently producing.
02/27/09
Bunkum Awards for Shoddy Educational Research Announced
The Think Tank Review Project, a collaboration of the University of Colorado at Boulder and Arizona State University, has announced the winners of its annual Bunkum awards for shoddy educational research.
02/26/09
Microsoft Explores Educational Link to Video Games
Microsoft has put up $1.5 million to start The Games for Learning Institute. The goal of the Institute's research is to see whether video games can draw students into math, science and techology.
02/25/09
Crafting a New Generation of Assessments
The power of technology to improve assessments lies in its ability to provide useful data not just on what students know, but also on how they arrive at their answers, according to a report by the think tank Education Sector.
02/24/09
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The economic stimulus package allocates more than $100 billion to prevent layoffs in school systems at risk of state and local budget cuts, as well as for expanded college aid and school construction.
02/23/09
Economic Crisis Spurs Finance Classes
More states are considering mandating school courses in finance as personal debt and foreclosures mount, according to the executive director of the JumpStart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy.
02/20/09
Kentucky Bill Mandates Parental Involvement
A proposed bill in Kentucky would require all parents, guardians, or custodians to meet with their children's teachers within the first 60 days of the school year or face fines of up to $200.
02/19/09
Student Test Scores Unaffected by Teacher-Training Route
Students whose teachers have been certified through alternative-training programs do no worse in math or reading than students whose teachers have been certified by traditional teacher ed programs.
02/16/09
Video Self-Modeling Helps Autistic Students
According to a pilot program conducted last fall in two Pennsylvania school districts, children with autism may benefit from watching videos of their proper interactions with others.
02/17/09
Scholastic Criticized for Marketing Toys In School-Based Book Clubs
Scholastic Corp. has come under fire from the Boston-based Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood for using its vast network of school-based book clubs to market toys and other non-educational items.
02/16/09
Governor Proposes Consolidating 500 Districts to 100
Pennsylvania's 500 school districts would be consolidated to 100 or fewer under a proposal offered by Gov. Ed Rendell that would also increase total public school funding by 2.8 percent.
02/13/09
Utah District Hires Collections Agency
The Logan City (Utah) School District has hired a collections agency to try to recoup about $70,000 in unpaid student fees from last school year. The total includes $29,000 owed by students who left the district.
02/12/09
ESPN Pitching in to Create Sports-Themed High School
ESPN the Magazine is offering to help the New York City Department of Education create a new high school focusing on the business side of sports. The school is slated to open in September with 81 ninth-grade students.
02/11/09
District Mandates Furloughs
All Fayette County (Georgia) school custodians, secretaries, and office staff must take two unpaid days off before June 30 to offset a projected deficit, officials said.
02/10/09
Corp. Knowingly Sold Tainted Peanut Products to Schools
Peanut Corporation of America sold peanut products to the federal government for a free-lunch program for poor children even as tests showed its products were contaminated with salmonella bacteria.
02/09/09
Top Students Earn Letter Jackets
Students who earn a 4.0 grade point average at Davis High School in Texas receive a wool letter jacket, similar to varsity team jackets. The high school is one of the few to offer letter jackets based on grades alone.
02/06/09
Kids Who Have Recess Behave Better
A study in the February issue of Pediatrics concluded that children who have recess during the day behave better in class. Children learn as much on breaks as they do in the classroom, experts said.
02/05/09
Teachers' Union Urges Test Boycott
The Los Angeles Unified Teachers' Union is calling for a boycott of 'periodic assessments,' saying dropping the tests would save money. But some data shows the tests are helping to boost scores in critical subjects.
02/04/09
District Eliminating Substitutes
Charleston County, South Carolina, school officials plan to eliminate the use of substitute teachers for the remainder of the year to save about a half-million dollars. The district's budget was cut mid-year.
02/03/09
K-12 Online Course Enrollment Jumps
More than a million public school students are enrolled in online classes, notes a report from a group that supports virtual schools. Three of four public schools now offer courses with some online components, researchers found.
02/02/09
JANUARY 2009
Debating Improves Students' Academics
Debate programs are popping up again in public schools, including those in urban areas. Students involved in debate programs show improvement in literacy and graduation rates.
01/30/09
Teachers Contest Random Drug-Testing Proposal
Teachers in Graham County, North Carolina, are awaiting a state appeals court ruling to see if they'll be required to submit to random tests for drugs and alcohol.
01/29/09
Administrators Offer to Forgo Raises
At least 16 principals and other administrators in Florida's Hernando County schools want to forgo planned raises and instead apply the proposed funds to prevent the layoffs of teachers and other school staff.
01/28/09
'Obama Effect' Could Help Minority Students
A performance gap between African-Americans and whites on a 20-question test given before Obama's nomination disappeared when the exam was given after his acceptance speech and again after the presidential election.
01/27/09
U.S. Schools to Share Bailout
U.S. schools could receive nearly $142 billion over the next two years from Congress' $825 billion economic stimulus plan. But in return for the money, schools must meet certain criteria, such as creating high-quality educational tests.
01/26/09
Budget Cuts Spur Moms to Go On Hunger Strike
Drastic budget cuts in the Miami-Dade County, Florida, school budget spurred two mothers to go on a hunger strike. The two want school district leaders and state officials to recognize their concerns that the school system is underfunded.
01/23/09
Court: Sex Between Teachers, 18-Year-Olds OK
Washington state law does not bar teachers from having consensual sex with 18-year-old students, an appeals court ruled Tuesday in dismissing a case against a former high school choir teacher.
01/22/09
Internet Free Speech Ruling Favors School Administrators
In a key ruling on Internet free speech, a federal judge has found that Connecticut school officials were within their rights when they disciplined a high school student over an insulting blog post she wrote off school grounds.
01/21/09
Teacher: Time to Expel Huck Finn
John Foley, a high school English teacher in Portland, Oregon, wrote in a newspaper column that he thinks it is time to drop The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the curriculum because of the racist language and students don't find it engaging.
01/20/09
School Leaders: Where's Our Bailout?
Officials at a few hard-pressed school systems are asking for a share of the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, intended for ailing financial institutions, and the economic stimulus package now before Congress.
01/19/09
Early Academic Struggles Could Breed Depression
Students, particularly girls, who struggle with reading and math in first grade are at risk of developing poor self-perception and depression symptoms in middle school, according to University of Missouri researchers.
01/16/09
State Law Protects Newspaper Advisors
A new California state law, the Journalism Teacher Protection Act, prohibits school administrators from retaliating against student newspaper advisors for trying to protect student press freedoms.
01/15/09
Teachers Use Blogs to Connect With Students, Parents
Teachers in some Texas school districts are using their own blogs on school Web sites to reach out to students and parents. Teacher blog entries include instructions, assignments, and anecdotes.
01/14/09
At Least 2,300 Teachers Could Lose Jobs
A $250 million midyear shortfall in the Los Angeles Unified School District's budget may force school officials to lay off as many 2,300 teachers in the next few months.
01/13/09
Home-Schooling Numbers Increase
The number of parents home-schooling their children continues to increase, and while religion remains the primary reason for many families, factors such as concern about narrowed curriculum also are playing a role.
01/12/09
For Some, Cursive Still 'Write' of Passage
Despite pressures from No Child Left Behind and state testing, some teachers still find time to teach cursive writing, since even in a digital age students must sign their names.
01/09/09
Professor Argues Cell Phones Are Educational
While many schools ban student cell-phone use, teachers can use phones to supplement their lessons, said Liz Kolb, an adjunct professor at Madonna University in Michigan and author of a book on cell-phone projects.
01/08/09
Parents to Try State's High-Stakes Test
The Plainville, Connecticut, school board is inviting parents to take a mock exam with questions from the Connecticut Mastery Test and Connecticut Academic Performance Test so they better understand what their children face in class.
01/07/09
Student Troublemaker Who Made Good Honors Disciplinarian
More than 20 years after Elgin (Illinois) Academy's discipline dean James Lyons saved James J. Liautaud from expulsion, Liautaud donated $1 million to the school for a new building and insisted it be named for Lyons as well as himself.
01/06/09
Schools Melding Alternative Energy into Lesson Plans
Students at Michigan's St. Clair County RESA Career Technical Center are learning about alternative energy by calculating actual energy outputs from school-owned windmills, solar panels, and a hydroelectric plant.
01/05/09
Chicago Schools' CEO Named Secretary of Education
Chicago Public Schools' CEO Arne Duncan's experience in consensus-building and compromise are among the reasons president-elect Barack Obama chose Duncan for Secretary of Education, some say.
01/02/09
Schools Keep Cafeterias Open During Break
Concerned that needy children would have no place to eat over the holiday break, North College Hill School District in Ohio kept its cafeterias open during the vacation so children would have hot lunches.
01/01/09
EDscoops 2008
School Shooter: 'I Didn't Realize' They Would Die
Evan Ramsey, 20, serving a 210-year prison sentence for a 1997 fatal shooting spree at his Alaska high school, claims at the time he couldn't discern fantasy from reality. "I didn't realize that you shoot somebody, they die."
12/18/08
School Enforcing 'Dirty Dancing' Ban With Orientation, Contracts
Fed up with sexully-suggestive moves at student dances, Prairie High School's (Vancouver, Washington,) principal now requires students to attend an orientation and sign a contract to attend dances.
12/17/08
Almost 10,000 Teachers Earn National Certification
For the second straight year, the number of new National Board Certified Teachers broke a record -- 9,600 teachers earned national certification in 2008, an increase of 12 percent from 2007.
12/16/08
U.S. Students Show Progress in Math, Science
U.S. fourth and eighth grade students generally rank at least in the top one-third compared to other countries in mathematics, according to the 2007 report of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).
12/15/08
Budget Cuts Could Mean Bigger Classes
A survey of more than 800 districts by the American Association of School Administrators found that 36 percent of districts have increased class sizes because of the economic downturn.
12/12/08
District Launches Hotline for Hispanic Parents
In an effort to reach out to Hispanic parents, the New Haven, (Connecticut), school district launched a hotline with a Spanish-speaking liaison to help parents navigate the school system.
12/11/08
School Employees Disciplined Over Facebook Postings
Seven Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools' faculty members have been disciplined in connection with postings on their Facebook pages. An after-school program staff member was fired, and one teacher may face dismissal.
12/10/08
Survey Raises Questions About Teen Ethics
In the last year, more than 64 percent of students have cheated on a test and 30 percent have stolen from a store, indicates a survey of 30,000 U.S. high school students. Yet, 93 percent are satisfied with their ethics and character.
12/09/08
Teacher Sells Ads on Tests to Cover Printing Costs
After the Poway (California) Unified School District cut funds for printing, Rancho Bernardo High School calculus teacher Tom Farber began selling ads on his tests to cover his printing expenses.
12/08/08
Drop-Out Warning Signs Surface by Middle School
Middle-schoolers who fail a single math or reading class are much more prone to drop out of high school than those who do well, noted a recent study in Colorado. Struggling students as young as 11 should be monitored.
12/05/08
Students Convince Board to Rename School for Obama
Students at the former Ludlum Elementary School in Hempstead, New York, convinced the school board to rename their school after president-elect Barack Obama. The change took effect November 21.
12/04/08
Brain Abnormalities Tied to ADHD
Boys with ADHD have minor brain abnormalities that may help scientists better understand the disorder, according to a study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.12/03/08
More Parents Want Twins in Same Class
More parents are pushing to overrule principals' long-standing practice of separating twins in school. Nine states have laws requiring public schools to respect parents' requests on classroom placement.
12/02/08
State to Require Online Course to Graduate
Next year, all high-school students in Alabama will be required to take and pass an online course in order to graduate. A growing number of students in Alabama already are learning online.
12/01/08
Feds Say No to New Testing System
The federal government will not waive NCLB requirements to let two Utah school districts give computer adaptive tests several times a year instead of Criterion Referenced Tests.
11/26/08
Schools Showing Latino Parents How to Get Involved
Garland, Texas, school officials this year began a series of workshops for Hispanic parents of children in bilingual education. Bilingual teachers show parents test-taking strategies and how to work with kids at home.
11/25/08
States to Pilot High-School Reforms
Three states - Massachusetts, Utah, and New Hampshire - have agreed to pioneer some high-school reform proposals from the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce aimed at better preparing students for college and employment.
11/24/08
Gates Foundation to Tackle Teacher Quality, H.S. Graduation Rates
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation plans to focus now on improving teacher quality, creating national high-school learning standards, and improving the college acceptance and retention rate for disadvantaged students. 11/21/08
K-8 Students Could Flock to Online Schools
Thousands of Florida K-8 students could abandon public schools next year in favor of online classes. A state law taking effect next fall requires every district to set up an online school for K-8 students.
11/20/08
District Drops Zeros for Elementary Students
The lowest grade elementary students in the Collier County (Florida) district now can receive on an assignment is 50 rather than zero. School officials say zeros are punitive and rarely reflect a student's overall abilities.
11/19/08
Who Will be the Next Education Secretary?
Speculation has begun about who President-elect Barack Obama will name as his secretary of education. Eight of the previous nine education secretaries had backgrounds in elementary and secondary education.
11/18/08
New Copyright Guide Available for Teachers
To help teachers understand when they can use copyrighted materials without permission or paying a fee, several organizations have prepared the "Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education" for teachers. 11/17/08
Solar Panels Could Provide Schools With Cheap Power
Solar panels placed on the roofs of school buildings by private businesses may allow four Arizona school districts to buy their electricity at a discount. The businesses would pay to install the panels.
11/14/08
School District to Build Housing for Teachers
The Los Angeles (California) Unified School District is looking to develop low-cost apartments on as many as 12 campuses in an effort to help teachers find less expensive housing and live closer to their jobs.
11/13/08
Experts Worry About Impact of Student Rewards
Cash incentives for students to improve grades and/or test scores may work better when instructors are rewarded as well, some reports indicate. Some education experts, though, worry what will happen to students' motivation when the rewards stop coming.
11/12/08
More Teachers Using Sick Leave for Reasons Other than Illness
A new analysis of a district's teacher-absence pattern suggests more teachers are dipping into their sick time in order to take care of errands, do the holiday shopping, or extend a weekend.
11/10/08
Students Form Bank to Help Latin American Women
Seventy students at The Meadows School in Las Vegas, Nevada, have raised about $25,000 and formed The Meadows School MicroBank, which will loan money to needy Latin American women seeking to start their own businesses.
11/07/08
Small City Districts to Sue State for More Aid
A group of smaller city school districts in New York said it will sue the state for more funding, similar to the way New York City schools sued to get billions of dollars more in operating and capital funds.
11/06/08
District Cuts Night Lights to Save Money
officials in the Wachusett (Massachusetts) Regional School District plan to shut off all lights in buildings, parking lots, and athletic fields from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. to save money and energy.
11/05/08
Poor Vision Could Be Source of Homework Problems
A common yet often missed vision problem called convergence insufficiency, which prevents the eyes from turning together properly to read, could be the cause of reading problems in as many as one out 20 children.
11/04/08
Dept. of Ed. Announces New Rules to Decrease Dropout Rates
U.S. schools and states now must track and lift the graduation rates for all students, including minorities and students with disabilities, under new regulations announced by the U.S. Department of Education.
11/03/08
77 Percent of Teachers Assign Internet-Related Homework
More than three in four K-12 teachers say they or a colleague assigns homework that requires students to use the Internet, according to a recent study conducted for Cable in the Classroom.
10/31/08
Parents Lobby for Insurance Coverage for Autism
Many parents of children with autism are lobbying their state legislatures to require health insurance companies to cover more of the costs of services for autistic children.
10/30/08
NCLB Puts Science Back in Focus
The No Child Left Behind Act mandate to start testing students in science last year is sparking a resurgence in science instruction, after years of minimal or no science instruction in many schools.
10/29/08
Parents Are Key to Dropout Prevention
Schools need to keep parents informed and involved to help reduce the high-school drop-out rate, a study said. Fewer than half of parents of students in low-performing high schools said they were kept up-to-date on their child's progress.
10/28/08
Deaf Students Leading Cheers
Three students who are deaf have joined the cheerleading squad at Francis Howell North High School in Missouri. The students are able to follow the cheers by reading lips and watching an interpreter using sign language.
10/27/08
Wind Power Comes to Schools
A program called Wind for Schools is aiming to bring smaller turbines to six states with a mission of educating students and the community about wind power.
10/24/08
Experts Question Benefits of Time-Out Rooms
Some educators say time-out rooms are being used with increased frequency to discipline children with behavioral disorders. And the time outs are probably doing more harm than good, they add.
10/23/08
More Title I Schools in Restructuring
The number of Title I schools in the restructuring phase of school improvement under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has increased by 56 percent since the 2006-07 school year, according to a study by the Center on Education Policy (CEP).
10/22/08
Students Anonymously Report Bullying Online
Six Utah schools have introduced a Web site that allows students to anonymously report bullies, so kids can avoid being labeled snitches or suffering in silence. Students also can post information about other issues.
10/21/08
Students Note Hazards on Their Route to School
Fifth graders from Garfield Elementary School in Santa Ana, California, joined by teachers and public health officials, walked their route to school with checklists and notepads to record conditions that made them feel at risk or uncomfortable.
10/20/08
Stand-Up Desks Steady Fidgety Students
Some schools have discovered that adjustable-height, stand-up desks and big, tall tables that let students work in groups while standing and shifting their weight, leaning, and stretching are improving student attentiveness.
10/17/08
Students Learn in 'Education Garden'
More than 1,000 Massachusetts students are helping prepare the soil, plant, and harvest herbs and vegetables in an "education garden." Crops included herbs, rainbow kale, beans, potatoes, pumpkins, and the occasional tomato. 10/16/08
District Mulls Selling Bonds to Pay Retiree Benefits
The Moorhead (Minnesota) School District is considering the sale of about $10 million worth of bonds to finance skyrocketing retirement benefit costs. The state allows schools and local governments to bond for retiree health insurance costs without taxpayers' approval.
10/15/08
Students No Longer Surpassing Parents' Education Levels
The American tradition of younger generations exceeding their parents' education level is at a standstill, according to a report by the American Council on Education.
10/14/08
Nearly 9 Out of 10 LGBT Students Face Harassment
The 2007 National School Climate Survey conducted by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) found that nearly 9 out of 10 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students experienced harassment at school in the past year.
10/13/08
Teachers Give F to New Grading Policy
Teachers and parents in Dallas, Texas, are complaining about new grading policies that they say lower standards and expectations. One policy allows a student who fails a test to retake it, and then drop the lower score.
10/10/08
Boys Benefit from Male Teachers
Boys who have a male elementary school teacher tend to perform better in school, British researchers say. About half of 1,000 men surveyed cited male elementary school teachers as having had the most impact on them during their school life.
10/09/08
Students Call for More Options to Earn H.S. Diploma
Students from Michigan Youth in Government have called for changes in the state's tough new graduation requirements, to give teens more options for earning a diploma based on their post-graduate plans.
10/08/08
Urban Districts Struggle to Retain Superintendents
Despite good salaries and ample perks, one study notes that the average urban U.S. superintendent stays on the job only about three years -- which educators say isn't enough time to enact meaningful, long-lasting reform.
10/07/08
Study: Many Teachers Lack Sleep
About 43 percent of teachers said in a recent study that they slept an average of six hours or fewer per night, while half admitted to missing work or making errors due to a "serious lack of sleep."
10/06/08
Male First-Grade Teacher Shares Love of Baseball, Books
Illinois first-grade teacher Jeremy Melick, the son of two educators and husband to another, is the only male teacher most of his students will have until they reach the seventh grade. He's also a top teacher, his principal said.
10/03/08
Magazine Names Healthiest U.S. Schools Health magazine recently named the healthiest schools in the U.S. after rating schools based on food and nutrition, fitness and activity, health education, and healthy building materials and practices.
10/02/08
Isn't It Time for Financial-Literacy Lessons?
Why isn't teaching personal finance basics considered more important than trigonometry, which few of us will ever use again, asks financial-literacy expert Braun Mincher.
10/01/08
Schools' Chief: Find Those Dropouts
In a new effort to re-enroll dropouts, Baltimore's school chief Andres Alonso has directed the city's high schools to track down the 925 students who have dropped out since January and urge them to return to school. School administrators must make home visits.
09/30/08
Report Questions Effectiveness of Reading Coaches
While a new report from the Rand Corporation shows middle school reading coaches in Florida help teachers and boost student motivation to read, the study offers no clear data on coaches' overall effectiveness in raising student test scores.
09/29/08
State Adopts Chess Instruction
As part of an effort to increase math and reading skills, all second and third graders in Idaho are learning to play chess. The state's Department of Education has invested $120,000 into the project.
09/26/08
Students Protest Backpack Ban
Dozens of students staged a sit-in at Marshwood High School in Maine to protest a school policy that prohibits the use of backpacks during school hours. School officials said the ban would remain in place.
09/25/08
Superintendent Cuts Salary to Help District
The Little Miami (Ohio) School District superintendent, Dan Bennett, is donating 1 percent of his salary ($1,180.14) to the district to help persuade voters to approve an annual 1 percent earned income tax.
09/24/08
AFT Announces Reform Effort
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) has launched the AFT Innovation Fund, a plan to support sustainable, innovative, and collaborative reform projects developed by AFT members to strengthen public schools.
09/23/08
Younger, Minority Students Doing Better
One-third of fourth- and eighth-graders were capable of reading and doing math at grade level last year compared with one in four in 2000, according to data from the U.S. Education Department.
09/22/08
Math Lessons Outside of Class Aid Understanding
A new math program in Michigan is designed to improve math achievement among struggling students by having them work on problems in real-world settings. Teachers gain new skills as well.
09/19/08
Businesses Urged Not to Hire Dropouts
Companies in Alberta, Canada, should stop hiring high school dropouts to encourage students to get their diploma, Alberta Education Minister Dave Hancock told Calgary business leaders.
09/18/08
More Incentives Needed to Recruit Teachers
While more than 40 percent of surveyed adults with bachelor's degrees say they are interested in becoming teachers, two recent reports conclude that higher salaries, incentives, and stronger preparation programs are needed to entice people.
09/17/08
Schools Urged to Restore Playground Games
Traditional outdoor games such as tag and British Bulldog may be returning to British school playgrounds at the urging of government officials, who say the games can help combat childhood obesity.
09/16/08
'Number Sense' Helps With Math
Scientists have for the first time established a link between a primitive, intuitive sense of numbers and performance in math classes, a finding that could lead to new ways to help children who struggle with math.
09/15/08
Georgia Schools' Chief Wins $1 Million on Quiz Show
Georgia state school superintendent Kathy Cox won $1 million on the game show "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" and plans to donate most of the money to state schools for the deaf and blind. Some state officials are criticizing Cox for appearing on the show. 09/12/08
Middle Schoolers Can Earn Cash for Grades, Conduct
Some middle-school students in the Washington, D.C., public schools will be able to earn cash this year for good grades, behavior, and attendance. Students could receive as much as $100 a month.
09/11/08
Researcher Studying Cheating Epidemic
University of Connecticut assistant professor Jason Stephens is piloting a program at six schools to deter cheating by letting teachers and students develop academic integrity plans.
09/10/08
Kindergarten Teacher's First Lesson: Try Hard
First-time kindergarten teacher Darin Peets, who is a quadriplegic, told his young students they need to try new things before asking for his help. Peets previously taught older students.
09/09/08
Stressed Teachers Get 24-Hour Helpline
Scottish teachers who are feeling overwhelmed now can call a free, 24-hour teacher helpline staffed by trained counselors to receive emotional and practical support. Teachers also can request coaching via e-mail.
09/08/08
Mistrust of Male Elementary Teachers Remains
While teachers' unions and other educators have called for more men to enter teaching, male elementary-level teachers often are mistrusted by some parents who are suspicious of men who want to teach young children.
09/05/08
School Bans Homework, Calling it 'Unfair'
The principal of Prince of Wales Public School in Barrie, Ontario, has banned homework, saying it is unfair to many of the school's students who don't have the resources or parental help at home to complete projects.
09/04/08
Outdoor Educators Seek More Funding
Outdoor and environmental educators across the U.S. are putting pressure on Congress and their state lawmakers to add more funding to state and federal budgets for nature learning to get more kids outside.
09/03/08
Students Explore Career Options at Mayo Clinic
A pilot partnership between the Rochester, Minnesota, Mayo Clinic and an area high school aims to allow struggling teens to explore health and science jobs and develop career goals.
09/02/08
Cell Phone Use Banned Near School
West University Place, Texas, has banned all use of cell phones by drivers within three blocks of its elementary school during school hours. School officials feared distracted drivers could put kids at risk.
08/29/08
Group Distributes School Supplies to Needy Kids
Kids R First, a non-profit group founded by retired teachers, collected school supplies for more than 14,000 needy Virginia students this year. The group finds out exactly what students need before buying materials.
08/28/08
Student-Fueled Effort for More Rigor Falls Short
A student-supported push that began in 2005 to get the Los Angeles school district to ensure that every area high school student had access to college-prep courses by 2006 has fallen short of its goal.
08/27/08
Governor Calls for Legal Protection for Teachers
The governor of Indiana said he wants to give teachers immunity from lawsuits for making good faith efforts to maintain discipline and order, such as restraining a student involved in a fight.
08/26/08
Council to Advise on NCLB Issues
The U.S. Department of Education appointed 16 members to the National Technical Advisory Council, which will advise the department on state standards, assessments, and accountability systems.
08/25/08
Town Allows Teachers to Carry Guns
The Harrold (Texas) Independent School District may be the first in the nation to allow teachers and staff members to carry concealed firearms for protection when classes begin for this school year.
08/22/08
Educators Paying to Stock Classrooms
Severe budget cuts in the Clark County, Nevada, district have led to teachers spending more of their own money on classroom supplies. Some teachers expect to spend about $100 a month on supplies.
08/21/08
200,000-Plus Kids Spanked/Paddled at School
More than 200,000 children were spanked or paddled in U.S. schools during the past school year, reports a human rights group. Corporal punishment in schools is legal in 21 U.S. states and used frequently in 13.
08/20/08
Districts Pool Funds for Teacher Training
Three south San Antonio (Texas) school districts shared the cost of bringing summer training sessions to teachers. Educators who attended the training met new people and the districts saved money.
08/19/08
Are Laptops Improving Student Learning?
Since Maine began supplying laptops to middle-schoolers in 2002, attendance has improved and students have shown more enthusiasm for schoolwork. But student scores on most state tests have not changed significantly.
08/18/08
Principal Spends Summer Visiting Students
Armed with maps and back-to-school information and aboard a scooter, Saghalie (Federal Way, Washington) Middle School principal Damon Hunter visited the home of every one of his 600 students this summer.
08/15/08
Students More Open to Life Lessons from Trusted Teachers
When it comes to delivering lessons on sensitive subjects such as sexually-transmitted diseases and pregnancy prevention, the message has more impact on students when it comes from a teacher they trust, a study says.
08/14/08
Rodeo Clown Creates Anti-Bullying Program
Marvin Nash, a professional rodeo clown for 30 years in Wyoming, and his wife, developed a bullying prevention program for schools called "Bullying Hurts." Older students teach younger ones how to deal with bullies. 08/13/08
Teachers, Parents Question Summer Assignments
As the new school year looms, many students are rushing to finish all their summer assignments, causing some parents and educators to question whether such projects stress out students badly in need of a break.
08/12/08
Grants to Help Special Ed Teachers Meet NCLB Standards
Twenty U.S. universities are slated to receive federal funding to expand preparation programs for special educators. The grants are for training programs to help special ed teachers meet NCLB "highly qualified" standards. 08/11/08
Double Dutch Gains Varsity Status
Starting in the spring of 2009, double dutch, a form of jumping rope popular in urban areas, is slated to become the New York City Public Schools' newest varsity sport.
08/08/08
Students Who Break Dress Code Get Jumpsuits
Starting in the fall, students at Gonzales High School in Texas who ignore the school's dress code will be sentenced to wearing a blue prison-style jumpsuit for the rest of the school day.
08/07/08
Energy Costs Spurring Green-School Construction
School districts that in the past thought constructing green schools would be too expensive now are embracing the idea as a way to save on energy costs and have more healthful school environments.
08/06/08
Is Online Reading Real Reading?
While some educators and policy makers argue that too much time surfing the net is causing children's reading skills to decline, others say the time has come to recognize the value of online reading.
08/05/08
Girls Doing as Well in Math as Boys
A study recently published in the journal Science disputes the notion that girls don't do as well in math as boys. The study data showed only a small gap in boys' and girls' math performance.
08/04/08
Mentoring Program Exposes H.S. Students to College Science
Connecticut high-school students are getting a taste of college science and other subjects through Mentor Connection, a three-week session that matches high school students with University of Connecticut researchers.
08/01/08
New School Buses Run on Propane
A San Antonio, Texas-area school district has unveiled new classic-yellow school buses that officials say are the first in the U.S. manufactured to run on propane.
07/31/08
Working With Hands Helps Brain Development
British children's brain development is being threatened by their failure to work with their hands in school and at home, a study said. Schools offer fewer hands-on classes, and at home kids play computer games.
07/30/08
State Calls NCLB Goals Unrealistic
While more Hawaiian students scored higher on standardized tests this year, 60 percent of public schools failed to make adequate yearly progress due to what education officials called unrealistic NCLB expectations.
07/29/08
Multiple Military Deployments Stressful for Children
With more children of military personnel showing signs of stress as parents are deployed multiple times to war zones, schools are increasing efforts to provide support for the children of servicemen and women.
07/28/08
School District Approves Paddling Students
Starting in the fall, principals in Twiggs County, Georgia, will be able to paddle students who don't respond to detention or other forms of discipline, reaffirming a policy that had lain dormant in the county since 2006.
07/25/08
Students Taking Lead in Green Initiatives
Increasing numbers of environmentally-aware students are leading green initiatives at their schools. A graduate of a Virginia high school got approval for solar panels and raised money for the project.
07/23/08
Grants Aim to Help Middle-Schoolers Prep for College
The U.S. Department of Education approved 24 new grants for the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) to help disadvantaged middle school students prepare for and pursue a college education.
07/22/08
Students Discuss Asian, Hispanic Students' Performance
Students at Lincoln High School in California have participated in candid discussions about the differences in Hispanic and Asian-American students' academic performance in an effort to close the achievement gap.
07/21/08
Parents Secretly Teaching Kids 'Old' Math
Concerned that their children are missing out on certain critical skills, some parents are teaching their children "old" math procedures -- such as long division -- to supplement new, concept-based curricula. 07/18/08
Summer Program Cuts Hurt Gifted, Remedial Students
Remedial and enrichment summer classes are being eliminated around the country as school districts try to reduce costs and struggle to balance budgets in a tight economy.
07/17/08
Good Nutrition Linked to Better Test Performance
Learners with access to a more nutritious diet in early childhood may score higher on intellectual tests in adulthood, regardless of how much education they received overall, according to new data.
07/16/08
ALA to Study Gaming Impact on Literacy
The American Library Association (ALA) is planning a study to track and measure the impact of gaming on literacy skills. ALA plans to monitor the results of gaming initiatives.
07/15/08
Teachers Sign On for 'Geek' Training
More than 50 Oklahoma teachers participated in a week of work with GEEK SMART, a professional development program that helps educators learn to integrate hands-on math and science lessons.
07/14/08
Failure No Option for Middle-Schoolers
Starting this fall, Florida will require all students to pass their core subjects in middle school in order to be promoted to the ninth grade. Failing students receive remedial help during the year or attend summer school.
07/11/08
Virtual PE Fits Many Students' Needs
Hundreds of teens in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area are enrolled in online gym classes. Students study sports and fitness, but are expected to practice what they learn. Physical activity is completed on an honor system.
07/10/08
Teachers Could Swap Tenure for Higher Pay
D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee is proposing giving mid-level teachers who are paid $62,000 yearly the opportunity to earn more than $100,000 -- but they would have to give up seniority and tenure rights.
07/09/08
Some See School Day-Care, Teen Pregnancy Link
Some educators and social service workers have raised concerns that the presence of day-care centers in high schools sends the message to girls that teen pregnancy is acceptable. Others call for increased sex education.
07/08/08
Study: PE No Cure for Obesity
Increasing the volume and frequency of physical education classes can improve kids' bone mineral density, aerobic capacity, blood pressure, and flexibility, but has no effect on childhood obesity, a study says.
07/07/08
The Ordeal of Trying to Fire Bad Tenured Teachers
The mounting legal costs and years of effort needed to dismiss bad tenured teachers -- even those who have broken the law -- forces many administrators to tolerate poor teacher performance, some experts say.
07/03/08
School Districts Root Out Energy 'Hogs'
Texas school administrators are scouring their districts to find ways to save energy to meet a state mandate to reduce energy consumption 5 percent each year from now through 2013. Some districts already have energy plans.
07/02/08
Study: Children Still Love Books
Despite their interest in all things digital, children between the ages of 5 and 17 still want to read books, a study says. The study also noted that the amount of time kids spend reading for fun declines after age 8.
07/01/08
Parents Want to See More Math Instruction
More than one-third of U.S. parents said in an AP poll that they want their children to receive more math instruction in school. A majority also said schools are doing just a fair job in preparing children for the work force.
06/30/08
Study: Test Scores Up Under NCLB
Students are performing better on state reading and math tests and the achievement gap has narrowed since enactment of the federal No Child Left Behind law six years ago, according to an independent study.
06/27/08
Are Eighth-Grade Graduation Celebrations Going Overboard?
Some educators are starting to wonder if eighth-grade graduation celebrations -- which can include dances, trips, dinners, and awards ceremonies over the course of several weeks -- are becoming excessive.
06/26/08
New Data Shows Gains for Reading First Students
State data shows gains for Reading First students in nearly every grade and subgroup, including English language learners and students with disabilities, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
06/25/08
Students Charged With Loading Spyware, Changing Grades
Two Orange County, California, teenagers have been charged with breaking into high school offices and using stolen usernames and passwords to change lackluster grades to A's. The two are facing jail time if convicted.
06/24/08
Children Read Better After Brains 'Rewired'
An intensive reading program conducted three years ago in 50 Allegheny County (Pennsylvania) schools permanently "rewired" the brains of dyslexic children, Carnegie Mellon University researchers reported. 06/23/08
College Board: SAT Writing Section Fails to Meet Expectations
The writing section added to the SAT three years ago has done little to improve the exam's overall ability to predict how students will do in college, according to research released by the College Board, the test's owner.
06/20/08
Teachers Not 'LOL' Over Text Shortcuts
Many teachers are seeing the abbreviations used in text messaging in student papers, tests, and other assignments, and say students also are ignoring spelling and punctuation in their written schoolwork.
06/19/08
Group Seeks Uniform Allergy Policies for U.S. Schools
The nonprofit Food Allergies & Anaphylaxis Network is pushing for a federal law to create uniform guidelines for schools to follow to protect the estimated 2 million U.S. school-age children with food allergies. 06/18/08
Board-Certified Teachers Boost Scores
Students taught by educators certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards make bigger gains on standardized tests than students taught by other teachers, according to a study.
06/17/08
Actor Pays for First Interracial Prom
Charleston (Mississippi) High School held its first interracial prom this year, paid for by actor Morgan Freeman. In the past, white and African-American students attended separate, privately-funded proms.
06/16/08
Interest Grows in Peer Review for Teachers
The teachers' union in Toledo, Ohio, has spearheaded a peer review policy to purge the district of incompetent teachers. The practice has withstood three lawsuits and union members overwhelmingly support it.
06/13/08
Study: Exercise Helps Raise Test Scores
Studies by Ontario, Canada, researchers indicate that schools that stress fitness and nutrition have seen their standardized scores rise by as much as 50 per cent over two years in third grade.
06/12/08
Teachers React to Dress Code Memo
Annoyed by teachers who "dressed down," the Wyandanch, New York, superintendent fired off a memo saying teachers should dress like they are working with children, not cows and horses. The union reacted sharply. 06/11/08
School Goes Extra Mile to Help Poor Kids Learn
Sherrie Gahn, principal of Whitney Elementary School in East Las Vegas, Nevada, has made it her mission to ensure her students get what they need to help them learn -- including food, clothes, eyeglasses, and haircuts.
06/10/08
Poll: Male Involvement at Schools on the Rise
A National PTA poll shows that more men are involved in their children's education than ever before. Almost 50 percent of parent leaders said that the level of male involvement has grown at their PTA in the last three years.
06/09/08
Students, Teachers Protest Gas Prices
Hundreds of students, faculty, and staff at Sayville (New York) High School left their cars at home Wednesday and found alternate means of transportation to school to protest rising gas prices.
06/06/08
Districts Receive Funds for Emergency Planning
The U.S. Department of Education has awarded $24 million in grants to 92 school districts in 34 states to help them update and improve their readiness and emergency management plans.
06/05/08
High Schools, Parents Raise Concerns About 'Beach Week' Parties
The high-school graduation ritual in some communities of teens partying at a beach for a week after school ends, and often drinking excessively, is raising concerns among parents and educators.
06/04/08
State Asks for "Fresh Start" on NCLB
Idaho's State Board of Education has asked the U.S. Department of Education to wipe away the student progress measurements for 2002-2006 for hundreds of schools now facing sanctions under No Child Left Behind.
06/03/08
States Wrestle With School Bus Fuel Costs
The soaring cost of fuel for school buses is forcing some school districts to reduce the number of field trips, cut the school week down to four days, and even eliminate bus transportation for some students.
06/02/08
Poor Hearing Can Be Behind School Problems
Hearing problems may be the cause of some children's poor academic performance or misbehavior in school, according to some experts. Children who have difficulty hearing often appear inattentive and restless.
05/30/08
Schools Requiring Students to Take Lunch Break
In some high schools where students are trying to pack Advanced Placement courses into every spare moment of the day, school administrators are tweaking schedules to allow all students a lunch break.
05/29/08
Bill to Shield PE, Music, Arts from Cuts Vetoed
Arizona's governor vetoed a measure intended to protect gym classes and instruction in music and the arts from K-12 budget cuts. The governor noted that school boards decide which programs are cut.
05/28/08
Free Summer Classes Draw Thousands
Students in British Columbia, Canada, are registering for summer school in droves because the province is paying for classes ranging from math and science to music, sports, speed reading, and digital media.
05/27/08
Proposed Teacher Contract Would End Seniority
The Washington (D.C.) Teachers' Union is reviewing a proposed three-year contract from the school system that would eliminate seniority, giving the schools' chancellor more control in filling vacancies.
05/26/08
Study: 'Crisis' in Boys' Education Overblown
The idea that school systems favor girls at boys' expense and there is a crisis in boys' school performance is overblown, according to a study by the American Association of University Women.
05/23/08
Tight Budgets Mean Fewer Field Trips
At a time when school budgets are shrinking, gas prices rising, and there is an increased emphasis on standardized testing, class visits to science centers, museums, and zoos are becoming increasingly rare.
05/22/08
Debate Grows on Grade-System Reform
U.S. education experts and school administrators are trying to determine how and whether to reform grading systems to give failing students a better chance to catch up. Some advocate a minimum grade of 50.
05/21/08
Virtual Schools Show Strong Growth
A report predicts that as many as half of all courses in grades 9 to 12 could be taught online by 2019, prompting calls for more oversight of virtual schools. Last year enrollment in online classes reached 1 million.
05/20/08
Teachers Agree: Firing Bad Teachers Is Tough
More than half of teachers believe it's too difficult to weed out ineffective teachers who have tenure, and nearly half say they personally know such a teacher, according to a survey.
05/19/08
Registration Open for Dept. of Ed Summer Workshops
The U.S. Department of Education is sponsoring free summer workshops where teachers share successful strategies with other educators to raise student achievement. The workshops are being held in 12 cities.
05/16/08
School Uses Electronic Monitoring to Curb Truancy
Rather than send chronic truants to juvenile detention, a high school in East Dallas, Texas, is using electronic monitoring devices to make sure students arrive at school on time and remain there throughout the day.
05/15/08
Teachers Must Prove They Can Teach Reading
Aspiring early childhood and elementary school teachers in Connecticut will have to prove they know how to teach reading on a test the State Board of Education has added to Connecticut's teacher certification requirements.
05/14/08
Woman Donates Kidney to Former Teacher
Darren Paquin, an English teacher at Elwood (Indiana) Community High School, received a special gift from former student Angie Collins: a kidney. Paquin was suffering from kidney failure.
05/13/08
Amount of K-5 Physical Activity Doubles
The Oklahoma state senate passed a bill increasing the amount of required physical activity time for students in grades K-5 from 60 minutes a week to 120 minutes a week.
05/12/08
Students Want to Learn With Gaming Technology
Educational gaming is one of the emerging technologies that students would most like to see in their schools, according to a Project Tomorrow survey. Yet, only one in ten teachers has adopted gaming as an instructional tool.
05/09/08
State Weighs Anti-Bulling Law
Florida lawmakers are weighing an anti-bullying bill that would prohibit bullying or harassment of any student or school system employee for any reason. Districts could identify groups of students in need of protection.
05/08/08
Teachers' Risque Online Profiles Pose Dilemma for Schools
Some school administrators are wondering what, if anything, they can or should do about racy material some young teachers post on their personal profiles on online social networking sites.
05/07/08
Reading First Not Improving Scores
Students enrolled in the $6 billion federal Reading First program that is at the heart of the No Child Left Behind Act are not reading any better than those who don't participate, according to a U.S. government report.
05/06/08
Districts Investing in Parent Education
Some Texas school districts are investing in parent education programs, in the hope that they lead to improved student behavior, academic performance, and attitudes. The programs include classes, counseling, and social services.
05/05/08
Dept. of Ed to Hold Hearings on New Title I Regulations
The U.S. Department of Education has scheduled a series of public meetings around the U.S. to discuss proposed changes to regulations for Title I under the No Child Left Behind Act.
05/02/08
Report: U.S. Kids' Well-Being Improves
While childhood obesity remains a major problem, the overall well-being of U.S. children between the ages of 6 to 11 is improving, according to a report from the Foundation for Child Development.
05/01/08
Schools Make AYP After Reclassifying Students
Over the past two years, 80 California schools were able to make adequate yearly progress (AYP) under the No Child Left Behind Act after changing the racial classification of some of their students.
04/30/08
Kids Who Pass Tests May Get More Days Off
The Grand Prairie (Texas) Independent School District is seeking state permission to give students who pass the state tests eight days off from school. Teachers would use those days to tutor students who did not pass.
04/29/08
Classical Music Inspires Students
Many pupils from Prince George's County, Maryland, got their first taste of classical music when the district opted to send all 8,000 fourth graders to a concert by the National Symphony Orchestra.
04/28/08
Public Schools Seeking Private Money
Proposed budget cuts in California are prompting schools to seek donations from parents and and community to make up the shortfall. Potential layoff notices have been issued to 20,000 public school employees.
04/25/08
Teacher Suspended for Refusing to Give Test
Carl Chew, a science teacher at Nathan Eckstein Middle School in Seattle, has been suspended for two weeks without pay for refusing to administer the Washington Assessment of Student Learning in his classroom.
04/24/08
Warning: Kids Need Heart Exam Before ADHD Drugs
Children should be screened for heart problems with an electrocardiogram before starting medication such as Ritalin to treat hyperactivity and attention-deficit disorder, said the American Heart Association.
04/23/08
Bullies Taunt Allergic Kids With Peanuts
Some schools are seeing a dangerous new trend in bullying: Kids deliberately exposing students with peanut allergies to peanut products. Peanut exposure can cause severe reactions in some children, even causing death.
04/22/08
Teacher Focuses on Copier Over-Usage to Mark Earth Day
Kenny Luna, a science teacher in North Babylon, New York, is urging schools to reduce the number of photo copies staff members make to help save trees and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
04/21/08
School Nurse Forms Anti-Smoking Group
School nurse and former smoker Donna Pasko created a SWAT team -- Students Working Against Tobacco -- to educate teens at Palmetto High in Florida about the dangers of smoking.
04/18/08
Funding for School Media Centers Lagging
Despite research showing that school libraries help boost student achievement, media centers still don’t receive sufficient funding, reports a study by the American Library Association. 04/17/08
Study: Co-Ed Classes Optimize Learning
A Tel Aviv University study found that boys and girls perform better academically in co-ed classrooms. The study showed that the pressence of girls improved boys’ grades markedly. 04/16/08
Schools Reach Out to Hispanic Parents
Some schools in Texas are offering English and citizenship courses for Hispanic parents so they can become more comfortable speaking English and more involved in their children's education.
04/15/08
Teachers Ordered to Turn Over E-Mails Written at School
A circuit court judge ruled that five Wisconsin Rapids School District teachers must turn over the contents of e-mails written while at school. A resident claims the teachers were writing personal e-mail on school time.
04/14/08
Legos Help Kids With Autism Build Social Skills
Working together on Lego projects helps to build the social skills of pre-adolescent boys with autism, experts have found. Children are forced to interact to meet a common goal while working on a project.
04/11/08
Secretary of Ed Cites Writing Gains
U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced that writing scores for eighth and 12th graders on the 2007 NAEP tests showed gains from 2002 and 1998. More than 165,000 students took the test.
04/10/08
Cricket Comes to U.S. Schools
The New York City schools have become the first school system in the U.S. to launch a cricket league. About 600 students from 14 schools are participating; each team is playing 12 matches.
04/09/08
Judge: Firm Can Store Students' Essays
A U.S. federal district court judge in Virginia ruled that the plagiarism detection company Turnitin does not violate students' copyrights when it stores copies of their essays to check future submissions for plagiarism.
04/08/08
Dept. of Ed. Proposing Uniform Graduation-Rate Formula
U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings plans to propose that states use a uniform graduation-rate formula and publish data on the graduation rates of students from different racial and socioeconomic groups.
04/07/08
Study: Bullies Have Tough Relationships With Parents, Friends
Researchers at York University and Queen's University in Canada found that bullies often have troubled relationships with parents and friends, and without intervention, may continue being disruptive into their teens.
04/04/08
Report: Fewer than Half Graduate from Many Urban Schools
Seventeen of the 50 largest U.S. cities had high-school graduation rates lower than 50 percent, with the lowest graduation rates posted in Detroit, Indianapolis, and Cleveland, a report noted.
04/03/08
School Weaning Students off Gossip
School officials at the private Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls are "weaning" girls off gossiping, starting with a daily school-wide, gossip-free hour. The school encourages a gossip-free atmosphere. 04/02/08
Free Tutoring Not Far-Reaching, Effective Enough
Federally mandated public after-school tutoring isn't always reaching the children it's intended to help, researchers note -- and when it does, the tutoring isn't always help as effective as it could be.
04/01/08
City to Attack School Failure at Multiple Levels
Washington, D.C., plans to pilot a program that includes in-home substance-abuse counseling, solutions for public-aid problems, and other programs for students' troubled families in an effort to raise achievement.
03/31/08
Principal Turns to Students to Close Achievement Gap
Frustrated by the lack of progress in closing the achievement gap at T.R. Smedberg Middle School in south Sacramento, California, the principal began meeting with students to get their input.
03/28/08
Study: Students Drinking by Sixth Grade
A study of more than 4,000 sixth-graders in Chicago schools that showed that 17 percent already had tried alcohol, suggests that education programs need to start at the elementary level, researchers said.
03/27/08
School Stressing Importance of Sleep
To stress the importance of adequate sleep for learning, officials at Memminger Elementary School in Charleston, South Carolina, are asking parents to sign contracts agreeing to put their children to bed earlier.
03/26/08
Dropout Figures Worse Than NCLB Data Shows
Because many states report lower dropout figures to the federal government than they do to state education officials, the magnitude of the high school dropout problem is being hidden, some say.
03/25/08
Officials Unveil Statewide Chess Program
Idaho is the first state in the U.S. to approve a chess curriculum for all second and third graders. The state will fund chess instruction for the voluntary program.
03/24/08
Teacher Absences Could Affect Test Scores
The more days teachers are absent before high-stakes tests, the more likely it is that students will not perform well on the tests, according to a study by Harvard researchers.
03/21/08
Do State Test Scores Belong on Transcripts?
Minnesota state education officials are pushing to add state test scores to high school transcripts that students submit to colleges and universities, in order to get students to take the tests more seriously.
03/20/08
Training Principals to Be Instructional Leaders
Officials in the Norwalk-La Mirada school district have hired consultants to transform their 29 principals into instructional leaders rather than building managers.
03/19/08
Looming Science Test Has Schools Scrambling
The fall launch of science testing under NCLB should lead to a renewed focus on science instruction, said educators and science advocates, at a time when the U.S. is facing a "crisis" in science education. 03/18/08
College Offers Online AP, Honors Courses
The University of California, Irvine Extension, is offering advanced placement (AP) and honors courses online to high-school students nationwide. Courses have been approved by the College Board.
03/17/08
More High Schools Adding Classes Scripted by Corporations
Some major U.S. accounting and engineering firms, partly because of fears about labor shortages, are creating free curriculum for high schools to introduce students to careers in engineering and finance.
03/14/08
Charter School to Pay Teachers $125,000
The director of a New York City charter school plans to pay teachers $125,000 annually -- more than his own salary -- based on the idea that top teachers are the key to high achievement.
03/13/08
Ruling Could End Homeschooling
Parents who lack teaching credentials cannot educate their children at home, according to a California appellate court ruling that is sending shock waves through the state's home-schooling families.
03/12/08
Students Record Black Residents' Memories
Students in an education class at Henry E. Lackey High School in Indian Head, Maryland, interviewed some of the area's oldest African-American residents and are preserving the stories on a DVD.
03/11/08
Underachievers May Have Poor Working Memory
Not all underachieving students are slow; some may have poor working memories, according to a study by researchers in the United Kingdom. Working memory is the ability to retain information and manipulate it mentally.
03/10/08
Teachers Complain About 'Hovering' Parents
For the past two years, 60 percent of Howard County (Maryland) teachers said in a job satisfaction survey that they have been subjected to harassment -- and parents were the offenders 60 percent of the time.
03/07/08
Schools Try New Ways to Curb Cheating
With cheating and plagiarism rampant in many U.S. high schools, some administrators are trying new strategies to curb cheating, such as allowing accused students to be judged by a panel of their peers.
03/06/08
Parents Push for School Defibrillators
Two families whose sons might have survived cardiac problems if defibrillators had been available on school fields have teamed up with a cardiologist to lobby Congress to require all schools to have defibrillators.
03/05/08
Students Do Better in 'Green' Schools
Students in schools with clean air, natural light, wastewater recycling, renewable power, and other "green" features show improved academic performance and have fewer cases of asthma, colds, and flu, a study says. 03/04/08
Good Students Earn Cell Phones, Minutes
About 2,500 students in seven New York City middle schools received cell phones for good grades and good behavior. Students now can earn additional rewards such as more minutes, ring tones, and text messaging options.
03/03/08
Bill Would Expand Crimes to Decertify Teachers
A bill in the Washington state legislature would require districts to report innapropriate behavior by teachers and expand the list of crimes for which a conviction could result in the termination of a teacher and/or the revocation of credentials.
02/29/08
Math Teachers, Students Can Be Bad Match
Miscommunication between math teachers and students may compound the struggles some students have with the subject. Teachers who are math experts sometimes assume students know more than they do.
02/28/08
Educators Fighting Back against Online Insults
Teachers and principals are retaliating against students who post insulting messages or images about them online. Students have faced criminal charges, civil lawsuits, long-term suspensions, or permanent expulsions.
02/27/08
Beef Recall Puts Schools on Alert
School districts around the U.S. are trying to determine if any of the meat involved in the biggest beef recall in the nation's history announced this week is still headed for school lunches.
02/26/08
Eating Better Could Earn Kids Cash
Children who eat more healthful food at school and exercise regularly could receive taxpayer-funded financial bonuses in their state savings accounts, a health adviser to the British government suggested.
02/25/08
School Turns to Business Management Model
Children at Mt. Lebanon (Pennsylvania's) Washington Elementary School are learning under the "continuous improvement" management model that made Toyota a powerhouse. The approach's mantra is: plan, do, study, act. 02/22/08
Computer Program Shows Living Costs
Eighth-graders at Bernardo Heights Middle School in California got a look at real-world living expenses through a computer program that provided figures for housing, utilities, and other costs based on their location and lifestyle.
02/21/08
Students Set to Learn about Young Holocaust Victims
France's president Nicolas Sarkozy set off a debate when he announced that next year every fifth grader will learn about the life of a French child who died in the Holocaust. Some argue the information is too grim for young children.
02/20/08
Sixth Graders to Learn About Contraceptives
Under a new sex education curriculum beginning in April, Palm Beach (Florida) sixth graders will learn about contraceptives. Florida has the sixth-highest rate of teen pregnancies in the U.S.
02/19/08
More Students Taking, Passing AP Exams
A higher percentage of students in public high schools are taking and passing Advanced Placement exams, a report from the College Board notes. The performance gap between black and white students, however, remains large.
02/18/08
State Passes Anti-Bullying Measure
Nebraska lawmakers have passed a bill intended to prevent bullying in schools. The measure doesn’t dictate specific actions that school districts must take, but it does require them to set antibullying policies by next summer. 02/15/08
Bullying Harms Kids' Mental Health
Being bullied can negatively affect children's mental health, according to a recent study. Bullied children are more likely to have anxiety, depression and thoughts of suicide, study authors note.
02/14/08
Rallies, Prayers Pump Up Students for Tests
Schools and communities in Florida are rallying around students who are taking the state assessment tests with pep rallies, academic boot camps, exercise programs, and prayer meetings.
02/13/08
National PTA CEO to Retire
Warlene Gary, who has served as the chief executive officer of the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) for five years, plans to retire in June. Gary has been active in the PTA for 35 years.
02/12/08
In Some Schools, 50 is the New 0
Some schools in Clark County, Nevada, are experimenting with making 50 the lowest grade a student can receive on a report card -- even if a student turned in no homework and scored 0 on every test.
02/11/08
"Green Team" Keeps School Eco-Conscious
Student members of the Green Team at Julius West Middle School in Rockville, Maryland, promote energy conservation and recycling among the school's students and faculty.
02/08/08
Many Sex Ed Teachers Don't Cover the Basics
A study of sex education teachers in Illinois showed that one-third did not give comprehensive instruction -- defined as covering abstinence, birth control, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
02/07/08
Government to Fund Auschwitz Visits
To impress on young people the horrors of the Holocaust, the English government will pay for two students from every secondary school to visit the Auschwitz death camp in Poland.
02/06/08
Board Approves Afro-Centric School
The Toronto District School Board narrowly approved a proposal for an Afro-centric school that opponents charged was tantamount to segregation. The school is slated to open in September 2009.
02/05/08
Kids With ADHD May Be More Likely to Bully
Children with ADHD are almost four times as likely as others to be bullies, a study shows. Also, children with ADHD symptoms were almost ten times as likely to have been bullied prior to the onset of ADHD symptoms.
02/04/08
Rocker Composing Curricula
Steven Van Zandt, lead guitarist for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, is writing Little Steven's Rock and Roll High School, a music education program that traces the history of rock 'n' roll in the U.S.
02/01/08
Computer-Savvy Kids Still Lack Research Skills
Today's children may have grown up using the Internet, but that doesn't mean they are better researchers, a British study says. Easy access to data has not improved kids' ability to assess information.
01/31/08
School Holds "No Place for Hate" Week
Memorial Middle School in Houston, Texas, recently held a No Place for Hate Week, featuring activities and discussions designed to reduce bullying and teasing and help students appreciate differences.
01/30/08
Bounce Back School Gives Dropouts Last Chance
The Bounce Back School in Chula Vista, California, is a last chance for high-school dropouts to earn a diploma. Students attend classes for three hours a day, and teachers track them down if they are missing.
01/29/08
Mandatory Cooking Classes Proposed
A new mandate requires all students between the ages of 11 and 14 in English public schools to take a cooking class, as part of an effort to teach students about nutrition and reduce obesity.
01/28/08
Intensive Remediation Program Shows Results
A promotion with intensive remediation program has allowed some Louisiana youngsters who struggled in eighth grade to move from middle school to high school and handle the demands of high school work.
01/25/08
School District Gives Teachers Money for Houses
The Palm Beach County (Florida) School District is offering $10,000 housing subsidies to 50 teachers who purchase homes in a specific development, which gives qualified buyers more than $43,000 for homes.
01/24/08
H.S. Offers Homeland Security Courses
Joppatowne High School in Joppa, Maryland, is the first high school in the U.S. to offer a homeland security program. Students take courses to learn about protecting the country against terrorism.
01/23/08
School Board Weighs Maternity Leave for Students
Two pediatricians, a counselor, and a pregnant teen asked the Denver School Board to consider granting four-to-six weeks of maternity leave for students who have babies, so the teens can recover and bond with their children.
01/22/08
Teens Brainstorm Ways to Keep Peers in School
At Mississippi's first Teen Graduation Summit, high school students from across the state talked about reasons why their peers drop out of school and what could be done to keep them in school. 01/21/08
'Dashboards' Give School Snapshots
The U.S. Department of Education has unveiled an online tool called Dashboards to show the public how schools fare in reading and math achievement, graduation rates, and participation in Advanced Placement exams.
01/18/07
Teacher Stress Impacts Pre-K Expulsions
The level of stress experienced by a preschool teacher directly impacts the number of children who are expelled, a Yale University study says. Preschoolers are three times more likely to be expelled than K-12 students.
01/17/07
Student Artwork on Display in DC
Artwork by 30 students created in 2006-2007 for the national PTA’s arts program, Reflections, has been selected for display at the U.S. Department of Education. The theme for last year's program was "My Favorite Place."
01/16/08
Education Funding System Gets Overhaul
The New Jersey state legislature approved a bill overhauling how the state allocates funding for public schools. Gov. Jon Corzine said the changes will more fairly distribute more than $8 billion in annual education aid.
01/15/08
School Principals Get More Authority
The Hartford (Connecticut) school district is on the verge of making a dramatic shift in the way school budgets are prepared to give principals control over hiring, the length of their school days and years, and more.
01/14/08
Teacher's Songs Inspire Students
Virginia music teacher Linda White helps her students learn about history, science, and other subjects through the musicals she writes for students to perform.
01/11/08
Bush Gives NCLB Ultimatum
President Bush has warned that if Congress doesn't reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act soon, he'll make as many changes as he can on his own. Bush added if Congress acts and weakens the law, he will veto it.
01/10/08
Court Ruling Revives NCLB Challenges
A federal appeals court decision has revived a lawsuit filed by three states and the National Education Association challenging the funding of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
01/09/08
More Schools Drafting Breathalyzer Policies
More schools are creating policies on the use of breathalyzers, now that the cost of the devices has fallen and schools are seeking better ways to keep intoxicated students from attending school functions.
01/08/08
Parents of Disabled Students Seek Separate Classes
As mainstreaming students with disabilities becomes common, more parents of disabled students are opposing the practice, saying their children don't get the specialized attention they need in regular classes.
01/07/08
Tutors Help Boys Get Organized for Success
A growing number of families are hiring tutors to assist their sons with organizational, time management, and study skills to help them succeed in school and prepare college applications.
01/04/08
Foundation Creates Fellowship for Teachers
The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation plans to award hundreds of future teachers $30,000 starting in 2009 to attend graduate school. The fellows agree to teach for three years at high-needs schools.
01/03/08
Fifth of U.S. Dropouts May Be Gifted
As many as 20 percent of the high-school dropouts in the U.S. could be considered gifted, studies show, an indication that these students are bored and frustrated with school. 01/02/08
