Education Week American Education News Site of Record

Education Week American Education News Site of Record

After-School Funding Bill Divides Community

Extra money from the federal bill would go to after- and before-school and summer programs, but it could also be used to extend the school day and year.(September 22, 2010)

Merit Pay Found to Have Little Effect on Achievement

A study finds students whose teachers have a chance to earn bonuses perform no better than those of teachers paid traditionally. (September 21, 2010) | Comments (6)

DREAM Act Stalls in Senate, but Backers Aren't Giving Up

(September 22, 2010)

INSIDE SCHOOL RESEARCH BLOG

Study Links Book Giveaways to Literacy Gains

(September 21, 2010)

Tucson Students Aren't Deterred by Ethnic-Studies Controversy

(September 21, 2010) | Comments (6)

FROM THE WIRES

• • Environment to Be Added to Maryland Curriculum
• • DREAM Act Stalls in Senate, but Backers Aren't Giving Up
• • NY senator calls for expansion of textbook rentals

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E-Learning Report

Hilda Perez for Education Week

Education Schools Lag in Virtual Teacher Training

A recent survey found that only 4 percent of responding teachers had been taught how to deliver online courses during preservice education. (September 22, 2010)

DIGITAL EDUCATION BLOG

FCC Chief Expects E-Rate Changes

(September 21, 2010)

FEATURED BLOGS

COLLEGE BOUND >•

Minimal Progress Reported in College Completion Rates

POLITICS K-12 >•

Twenty-one Applicants Win Promise Neighborhood Grants

ON SPECIAL EDUCATION >•

Special Education: Have No Fear

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ASCD Inservice: Cooperative Catalyst

ASCD Inservice: Cooperative Catalyst

Cooperative Catalyst

We covered Aaron Eyler's thought-provoking Synthesizing Education in a previous installment of Blog Watch, so our interest was piqued when we found him popping up again as a contributing author on a new, collaborative blog,Cooperative Catalyst. Here, Eyler shares the table with a wide assortment of educators, including ASCD Emerging Leader Jason Flom and author Kirstin Olson, as the group tackles the big issues facing schools today.

Recent posts include a discussion on

Orwell Repudiates “Pacifism is Objectively Pro-Fascist” � Student Activism

Orwell Repudiates “Pacifism is Objectively Pro-Fascist” � Student Activism

Orwell Repudiates “Pacifism is Objectively Pro-Fascist”

by Angus Johnston

Yesterday I posted briefly about George Orwell’s well-known 1942 claim that pacifism is “objectively pro-fascist,” and his later repudiation of that argument. Here’s the whole passage in which he disavowed the idea — it’s from his column, “As I Please,” in the December 8, 1944 edition of the left-wing London weekly Tribune.
Later this week I’ll have another post up discussing this column, and its applicability to contemporary political debates, in more detail.

“For years past I have been an industrious collector of pamphlets, and a fairly steady reader of political literature of all kinds. The thing that strikes me more and more — and it strikes a lot of other people, too —is the extraordinary viciousness and dishonesty of political controversy in our time. I don’t mean merely that controversies are acrimonious. They ought to be that when they are on serious subjects. I mean that

Quote of the Day

by Angus Johnston

“Marijuana use does appear to foster alientation, towards both the family and society in general. In school and college settings, the tendency of users to form subcultures hostile to prevailing social customs and activities is well known. … It remains to be seen what sort of society will emerge as a generation so heavily associated with marijuana attains the position of leadership.”
– From The Marjuana Epidemic, a 1981 Heritage Foundation report by Stuart Butler, PhD

56: percent of K-12 public school math and science teachers with undergraduate and/or graduate degrees in math, math education, science or science education in 2008 | Thoughts on Public Education

56: percent of K-12 public school math and science teachers with undergraduate and/or graduate degrees in math, math education, science or science education in 2008 | Thoughts on Public Education

56: percent of K-12 public school math and science teachers with undergraduate and/or graduate degrees in math, math education, science or science education in 2008

Oakland Unified takes a stand for science by Anthony Cody This fall students in Oakland elementary schools will be getting a bit more of something they love and everyone seems to agree they need: hands-on science. Over the past decade, pressure to increase scores in reading and math have led ...

Bill would create ‘green’ career academies Two noteworthy education bills I haven’t written about are sitting on Gov. Schwarzenegger’s desk. Both had substantial support in the Legislature, and, by all rights, deserve his signature. But with this governor, you never know. SB 675 would create 97 ...

Study: Teacher bonuses fail to boost test scores - Inside Bay Area

Study: Teacher bonuses fail to boost test scores - Inside Bay Area

Study: Teacher bonuses fail to boost test scores ATLANTA -- Offering big bonuses to teachers failed to raise students' test scores in a three-year study released Tuesday that calls into question the Obama administration's push for merit pay to improve education. South Hayward to become a 'Promise Neighborhood' through federal funding Health care reform's first provisions start Hayward teacher linked to child porn San Ramon Valley youths' biking safety videos to premiere Governor urged to sign bill to protect schools from pesticides Former Mills employee sues over dog bite, layoff Education Report: Oprah, Aspire and "Waiting for Superman"

The Education Report No Promise Neighborhood grant for Oakland A revived DREAM Act, and what it would mean Oprah, Aspire and Waiting for Superman Let me tell you something about decimals… At two-way immersion school, math class is in Spanish » More from The Education Report

Two L.A. nonprofits get $500,000 each in federal grants to create programs for low-income and minority students - latimes.com

Two L.A. nonprofits get $500,000 each in federal grants to create programs for low-income and minority students - latimes.com

Two L.A. nonprofits get $500,000 each in grants to create programs for low-income and minority students By Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times The 'Promise Grants,' meant to help disadvantaged students from cradle to college, go to the Youth Policy Institute and Proyecto Pastoral. Reporter's Notebook: 'Waiting for Superman' and American education reform By Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times 'An Inconvenient Truth' filmmaker Davis Guggenheim once again taps into a crucial issue with a building consensus. Reporter's Notebook: Education documentaries and plays California Board of Education addresses teacher evaluation issue By Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times Panel votes to create an online database devoted to efforts around the country to measure education effectiveness L.A. Unified teachers stage protest at Times building

EDUCATION Headlines from L.A. Now Groups will try to replicate Harlem Children's Zone in Los Angeles09/21/2010, 6:25 p.m. Irvine teacher died of natural causes, autopsy finds09/21/2010, 3:28 p.m. Orange County teacher collapses, dies in classroom09/21/2010, 8:00 a.m. UC seeks to intervene in court battle over stem cell research09/20/2010, 7:20 p.m. Villaraigosa calls on Congress to pass Dream Act as way for thousands to shed illegal immigrant status09/20/2010, 3:10 p.m. Free eye exams for some students as vision carrier's mobile clinic visits 6 L.A. schools09/20/2010, 9:59 a.m. Shooting prompts lockdown at Crenshaw High [Updated]09/15/2010, 3:03 p.m. L.A. teachers union protests Times articles09/14/2010, 7:46 p.m. More ...

High-performing charter institute hopes to open two schools in East San Jose - San Jose Mercury News

High-performing charter institute hopes to open two schools in East San Jose - San Jose Mercury News

High-performing charter institute hopes to open two schools in East San Jose Despite being approved to open only one school, Redwood City's Summit Institute plans to recruit students two fill two charter high schools it plans to open in August in East San Jose. Study: Teacher bonuses fail to boost test scores Health care reform's first provisions start Stanford biology professor one of 10 winners of Heinz Awards for environmental work San Francisco state senator wants free water on school menus

Commission accuses Chapman University of discrimination | California Watch

Commission accuses Chapman University of discrimination | California Watch

Commission accuses Chapman University of discrimination

by Erica Perez

Erica Perez

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed a federal lawsuit against Chapman University, saying the private college in Orange County denied tenure to and dismissed a black assistant professor because of her race.

According to the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California this week, Stephanie Dellande was an assistant professor in the Argyros School of Business & Economics' marketing department from 2001 to 2008.

Dellande has a doctorate in marketing from UC Irvine and a master's in business administration from UC

Rise & Shine: Bloomberg announces 2.7% budget cut for schools | GothamSchools

Rise & Shine: Bloomberg announces 2.7% budget cut for schools | GothamSchools

Rise & Shine: Bloomberg announces 2.7% budget cut for schools

by Philissa Cramer

• Mayor Bloomberg announced a 2.7 percent budget cut for city schools. (Bloomberg, WSJ)
• Some former rubber room occupants say they aren’t happy with their new duties. (Post, Daily News)
• Many schools saw budget increases last year; most saw their budgets go down. (Post)
• The state allowed the city to raise class sizes while still funding class size reduction. (Daily News)
• Two city groups got federal grants to help children in their neighborhoods. (NY1, GothamSchools, Times)
• The only area of expansion in the city’s private school scene is among for-profit schools. (Times)
• A top D.C. schools official resigned suddenly last week. (Washington Post)
• A new study says teacher merit pay didn’t cause higher test scores. (Washington Post)
• Al Sharpton is launching a new education-focused television show next month. (AP)

Rewarding Great Researchers � The Core Knowledge Blog

Rewarding Great Researchers � The Core Knowledge Blog

Rewarding Great Researchers

by Robert Pondiscio
September 21st, 2010

Tags: merit pay, Vanderbilt University
Posted in Humor | 1 Comment »

Researchers at Vanderbilt University failed to find any connection between merit pay and higher test scores after a three-year study of Nashville teachers.

Perhaps they would have found it had they been properly incentivized.

Why Am I Disagreeing With Someone Who Doesn’t Like Standardized Tests? | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

Why Am I Disagreeing With Someone Who Doesn’t Like Standardized Tests? | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

Why Am I Disagreeing With Someone Who Doesn’t Like Standardized Tests?

by Larry Ferlazzo

Jonah Lehrer is a very talented writer who creatively applies research from the human sciences to real-life problems. I’ve often linked to his columns from this blog.

Today, though, he wrote an odd column about the somewhat odd column that appeared in the New York Times earlier this week about testing (which I wrote about in “Scientifically Tested Tests”).

My summary of what he wrote is that the standardized tests we use now don’t really measure knowledge. Instead, what it really measures — less than perfectly — is grit, self control, and perseverance. Those are the qualities schools should really be focusing on, and we should develop tests to more accurately measure those

Education Week: DREAM Act Dies With Rejection of Defense Bill

Education Week: DREAM Act Dies With Rejection of Defense Bill

DREAM Act Dies With Rejection of Defense Bill

By The Associated Press

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The chance for hundreds of thousands of young people to legally remain in the U.S. evaporated Tuesday when Republicans blocked a defense spending bill in the Senate.

Democrats failed to get a single Republican to help them reach the 60 votes needed to move forward on the defense bill and attach the DREAM Act as an amendment. The vote was 56-43. Arkansas Democratic Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor voted with Republicans. Majority Leader Harry Reid also voted to