At NY school, a movement reborn with liberty and no testing for all
On a recent Wednesday morning at the Brooklyn Free School, a class was in session. Ten students, ranging in age from about 12 to 16, sat around a…
Month: November 2012
New Hampshire parents could face criminal charges for kids playing hooky
When students play hooky in Rochester, N.H., their parents could be the ones getting a tarnished permanent record, the Huffington Post reports.
Op-Ed: For students, ‘zip code does not define destiny’
As the founder and Executive Director of KIPP Delta Public Schools—a network of four college-preparatory public charter schools in Helena and Blytheville, Arkansas—I have dedicated my career to…
More bad news for Ala. tuition plan; parents irate
The board that oversees Alabama's prepaid college tuition program got more bad news about the plan's financial outlook Wednesday, and the board's chairman got an earful of outrage…
House to vote on increasing advanced-degree visas
A House vote to offer permanent residency to foreign students graduating with advanced degrees in science and math from U.S. colleges and universities is setting the stage for…
Reports highlight need for data mobility
Educational data must follow students as they cross state lines, and policy makers must be equipped with the tools needed to ensure that teachers, students, and parents have…
Grants to fight hunger
More than 16 million children live in food insecure homes, not always sure where their next meal will come from. That's why YSA and Sodexo Foundation are calling…
$10K in classroom products and a call with Santa
Skype continues to support the use of technology to further education experiences through our Skype in the classroom program. Now, educators have a chance to win $10,000 in…
Prizes for space program spinoffs
Students should create videos, 3-4 minutes in length, demonstrating their understanding of what everyday items are "spinoffs" from space program creations. Note: Deadline applies to registration deadline.
Jeb Bush, with cash and clout, pushes contentious school reforms
As former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush convenes a star-studded policy summit this week in Washington, D.C., he is widely regarded as one of the most influential education reformers…
N.J. school custodian accused of hiding spy cameras
A southern New Jersey high school custodian was arrested Nov. 28 and accused of using eight small cameras he had hidden around the school to secretly film students…
Five technologies to take cheating out of online education
As online classes move into the educational mainstream, a cheating prevention system has become all the more necessary, Technapex reports.
Family learns of student’s death on Facebook
The parents of a south Georgia college student first learned from Facebook that their daughter had been found dead in a dormitory study room shortly before Thanksgiving, reports…
Ed-tech best practices: November/December 2012
How to make “bring your own device” programs work for your schools, and how to assess your students’ reading skills without losing valuable instructional time to testing: These…
10 tips for success with analytics, information management, and reporting projects
Launching information management, reporting, and analytics systems can be difficult. Sustaining them – and creating enthusiastic users – is even trickier. In a series of interviews, technology leaders…
Open online course prepares students for biology exam
Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are college classes that anyone with an internet connection can take free of charge. Now, the University of Miami has launched what it…
Lawsuit targets ‘locator’ chips in Texas student IDs
To 15-year-old Andrea Hernandez, the tracking microchip embedded in her student ID card is a "mark of the beast," sacrilege to her Christian faith—not to mention how it…
Oklahoma and West Virginia left out of education grants ‘lottery’
The U.S. Department of Education has $400 million in grant funds available to what will be 20 or so finalists from around the nation to improve education in…
Norwegian app aims to make math cool
The startup behind the algebra app that overtook Angry Birds as No. 1 in the Norwegian app store earlier this year aims to replicate that success globally next…
Wired SKorea to stem digital addiction from age 3
Park Jung-in, an 11-year-old South Korean, sleeps with her Android smartphone instead of a teddy bear, the Associated Press reports.
Announcement marks a reality check for charter schools
Charter schools are about to get a reality check. As someone who has observed the breakneck pace of the growing charter school movement up close, Greg Richmond, who…
Where to find the best education around the world
The United States places 17th in the developed world for education, according to a global report by education firm Pearson, the Huffington Post reports.
Important considerations for blended learning
As blended learning programs grow in popularity, proponents of the approach—which involves a combination of computer-based learning and face-to-face instruction—say there are a few key considerations school leaders…
Feds release first-ever national graduation rates
The U.S. Department of Education has released a first-ever list detailing state-by-state four-year high school graduation rates, the Huffington Post reports.
Educator aided others at cheating, U.S. charges
Federal prosecutors in Memphis are investigating an educator who they say ran a test cheating ring in three Southern states for teachers and prospective teachers who wanted to…
Writing bills, finding funds: Bush’s foundation at work
Soon after leaving office in 2007, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush launched the Foundation for Excellence in Education to "ignite a movement of reform, state by state," Reuters…
Study: Schools failing to support pregnant teens
When 15-year-old Kali Gonzalez became pregnant, the honors student considered transferring to an alternative school. She worried teachers would harass her for missing class because of doctor's appointments…
Chicago offers to pause school closings after 2013 cuts
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said on Monday he wants a five-year moratorium on closing public schools after anticipated cuts in 2013, but the teachers union called his gesture…
Survey: School web filtering can impede learning
More and more students are bringing personal mobile devices to school, but a new survey from the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) finds that content filtering often…
Georgia school systems use Gallup to predict teacher success
This article is no longer available.
McGraw-Hill sells its education business
In a surprise $2.5 billion cash and debt deal expected to be final by the early part of 2013, a private equity firm will purchase McGraw-Hill Education's digital…
Feds: Teachers embroiled in test-taking fraud
It was a brazen and surprisingly long-lived scheme, authorities said, to help aspiring public school teachers cheat on the tests they must pass to prove they are qualified…
Op-Ed: True reform means ‘freeing educators of bureaucratic constraints’
At Rocketship Education, a public K-5 charter school system for low-income students, our mission is to close the achievement gap within our lifetimes, Takepart.com reports.
Young teachers drawn to kids, career starts tricky
Jordan McNeil offered skills in high demand by public schools when she graduated from college with a dual major in special education and elementary education in 2011, the…
Ind. justices weigh largest school voucher program
Indiana Supreme Court justices weighing the legality of the nation's largest school voucher program made clear during a packed hearing Wednesday that the program's fate may rest on…
Cambridge to study technology’s risk to humans
Could computers become cleverer than humans and take over the world? Or is that just the stuff of science fiction? Philosophers and scientists at Britain's Cambridge University think…
New ed-tech products and services: November/December 2012
A convertible computing device with three different modes (tablet, productivity, and presentation); software that simplifies management of school bell schedules and AV systems; and replacement lamps for school…
Feds: Pa. can’t give special treatment to charter schools
This article is no longer available.
Some states preserve penmanship despite tech gains
The pen might not be as mighty as the keyboard these days, but California and a handful of states are not giving up on handwriting entirely.
Michigan takes big step forward in online testing of students
This article is no longer available.