The sign outside the waiting room read: “Preliminaries Test, Quiet Please.” Spellers emerged one by one, having taken the first vocabulary test in the history of the National Spelling Bee, the Associated Press reports. They were greeted with pats on shoulders from parents and whispers of “How’d it go?” One of the favorites thought he did OK, although he was grateful for a trick everyone learns at school: the process of elimination. “It was good that they gave multiple choice, so that you could eliminate incorrect answers,” said 13-year-old Arvind Mahankali of New York. “I had to guess at one or two in vocabulary.”
…Read MorePodcast Series: Innovations in Education
Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.
RI House delays vote on social media privacy bill
Rhode Island lawmakers have put off a vote on legislation that would stop employers or higher education officials from demanding access to a person’s Facebook or Twitter accounts, the Associated Press reports. The House was scheduled to vote Wednesday but decided to wait to allow for more work on the legislation. The measure is sponsored by Rep. Brian Patrick Kennedy. Kennedy says he wants to prevent employers or school coaches from requiring access to a person’s social media accounts as a condition of their employment or enrollment…
…Read MoreFinancial literacy program aimed at Neb. schools
A new program will offer an online education in financial literacy to Nebraska high school students and parents, the Associated Press reports. State Treasurer Don Stenberg on Thursday unveiled the new initiative, which will be available this fall. The program is being offered through an agreement with EverFi, Inc., an educational technology company based in Washington, D.C. The coursework addresses a range of financial tops, including credit cards, credit scores, insurance, mortgages, savings, student loans and taxes…
…Read MoreMassive tornado rips through Moore, Okla.
A devastating, mile-wide tornado touched down near Oklahoma City on Monday, killing dozens of people—including children—decimating homes, businesses and a pair of elementary schools in the suburb of Moore, the Associated Press reports. According to the state’s medical examiner, the death toll, reduced to 24 Tuesday morning, was expected to rise. About 40 bodies were expected to be transported to the medical examiner’s office overnight…
…Read MoreNo charges for teen after explosion at Fla. school
The Associated Press reports that a central Florida teenager who was accused of igniting a chemical explosion on school grounds – and who became the subject of a grassroots social media campaign on her behalf – will not face criminal charges, authorities said Wednesday. Polk County State Attorney Jerry Hill wrote in a statement that the case against 16-year-old Kiera Wilmot has been dismissed, but that she must complete a diversion program…
…Read MoreWis. budget gets $500M anticipated revenue boost
Wisconsin’s budget surplus grew by $500 million Thursday, leading to a bipartisan call by state lawmakers and Gov. Scott Walker to put some of the money toward public schools two years after funding was cut by more than $1 billion, the Associated Press reports. Beyond schools, though, lawmakers and Walker disagreed on the best way to use the surplus reported by the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau. Republicans said they were committed to cutting taxes, putting money in reserves, and reducing the amount of bonding used for roads projects. Democrats called for investing more in worker training, but didn’t endorse deeper tax cuts…
…Read MoreComputer problems in three states hamper student proficiency tests
School districts in Indiana, Oklahoma and Minnesota are rescheduling high-stakes proficiency tests because of technical problems involving the test administrators’ computer systems, the Associated Press reports. Thousands of students have been kicked offline multiple times during testing in recent weeks. School officials say there is no room for error on the tests, on which states are spending millions of dollars and for which teachers and students are held accountable…
…Read MoreCalif. educators sued over English instruction
About 20,000 students in California who need to learn English aren’t getting adequate language instruction, according to a lawsuit against the state and education workers filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Associated Press reports. Under state and federal law, schools are required to teach non-English speakers the language, but by its own records, the state isn’t offering English instruction to nearly 20,000 students. The suit alleges that lack of instruction has meant some children had to be held back a grade or live with low proficiency scores because of a language barrier. The ACLU brought the issue to the attention of the state with a letter in January, and officials say they’re working to ensure compliance at the local level…
…Read MoreQualcomm founder gives $133M to NYC tech school
A burgeoning graduate school aimed at reinventing higher education’s relationship with high tech is getting a $133 million gift from a professor-turned-entrepreneur who used his engineering background to help build a major telecommunications company, the Associated Press reports. The gift from Qualcomm Inc. founding chairman and former CEO Irwin Jacobs will endow an innovation institute at the core of Cornell NYC Tech, an elite graduate program that’s meant to link academia and entrepreneurship while helping make New York a high-tech hub. Students are to be linked with tech-industry mentors, and the campus will rent space to companies, in an effort to help research get into the market…
…Read MoreRevoked charters could be forgiven $12M in loans
Indiana lawmakers are considering forgiving $12 million in loans that “failing” charter schools accepted from the state, as part of a broader package of state aid for charters, the Associated Press reports. The Indiana Department of Education loaned roughly $12.9 million to eight charter schools to help with startup costs, and they still owe $12 million to the state, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. Seven whose charters were revoked by Ball State University in January would be absolved of payments, along with another school which did not seek to renew its charter. “Why did they get their charter revoked?” asked Senate Appropriations Chairman Luke Kenley, R-Noblesville. “If they were (educating students) and it was a good faith effort and they were in good standing at that time, maybe it should be paid for them.”
…Read More