What we can expect from new NAEP scores
This *was written by Matthew Di Carlo, senior fellow at the non-profit Albert Shanker Institute, located in Washington, D.C. This post originally appeared on the institute’s blog. * * By Matthew Di Carlo Tomorrow the education world will get the results of the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often referred to as the “nation’s report card.” The findings — reading and math scores among a representative sample of fourth and eighth graders — will drive at least part of the debate for the next two years, when the next round comes out. Read full article >>
Catholic U. responds to lawsuit charging Muslim
Catholic University has been hit with a human rights complaint filed by a lawyer charging that the school has “illegally discriminated” against Muslim students because it has failed to make available rooms for prayer that have no Catholic religious symbols. The suit was filed by lawyer John F. Banzhaf III, a public interest law professor at George Washington University who has filed, with his students, hundreds of legal actions over a range of topics. Read full article >>
Do four-day school weeks make sense?
Many millions of dollars have been spent this year on experiments with teacher evaluation systems, standardized tests and the expansion of charter schools. But when it comes to finding the resources to keep schools open five days a week and classes at a reasonable size, well, not so much. Four-day school weeks in a small but growing number of school districts are a result of the economic crisis around the country, according to this story by my colleague Lyndsey Layton. More than 290 school districts — up from an estimated 120 two years ago — now have four-day weeks with extended ho... more »
New data Bill Gates, other ed reformers should care about
This * was written by educator Anthony Cody, who worked for 24 years in the Oakland schools, 18 years teaching science at a high-needs school and six years as a mentor and coach of teachers. He is a National Board-certified teacher. A version of this appeared on his Education Week Teacher blog, Living in Dialogue . Read full article >>
Teacher: College Board obstructs nearly blind student’s effort to take PSAT
A teacher of the visually impaired says that her school ran into big trouble with the non-profit College Board over when a nearly blind student could take the PSAT, the qualifying exam for the National Merit Scholarship. The e-mail, sent to me by Leslie Edmonds, who teaches at a high school in California, raises questions about just how flexible the College Board is in meeting the needs of students who need accommodations to take the standardized tests that it owns. The College Board owns the SAT as well as the PSAT and the Advanced Placement program. Read full article >>
