Public access to school computers raises questions
A move that will let schools use federal e-Rate funds to help their stakeholders get online by opening up their computer labs to the community after school hours…
Policy
Educators respond to national ed-tech plan
While many school stakeholders say there's a lot to like in the new National Education Technology Plan, others are concerned about what they see as a fundamental conflict…
FCC plans to move forward with broadband plan
The Federal Communications Commission said April 8 that it intends to move forward quickly with key recommendations in its national broadband plan, reports the Associated Press.
Utah school district unveils new teacher web rules
The Granite, Utah, school district is considering a new social-networking policy that would forbid employees from fraternizing with students online, including being Facebook friends, reports the Salt Lake…
Could net-neutrality ruling hinder online education?
A federal court threw the future of internet regulations and U.S. broadband expansion plans into doubt April 6 with a far-reaching decision that went against the Federal Communications…
Can ‘smart phones’ lead to smarter students?
Palm Beach County, Fla., school officials say it's time to consider lifting a ban on student cell phones to take advantage of new technologies and boost achievement, reports…
From proposed plan to implemented program
The partnership between public and private stakeholders has never been more important to American education. That's especially true now, as we consider the recommendations set forth by the…
Critics say administration’s blueprint is too similar to NCLB
As the Obama administration seeks support for its plan to rewrite the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), many education policy analysts worry that the new blueprint's guidelines…
School webcam spying prompts call for new laws
Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., is pushing for new federal laws on electronic privacy as a school district in his home state struggles with a lawsuit over attempts to…
$20 billion in ed funding slashed from student aid legislation
In last-minute maneuvering designed to get the measure to pass, lawmakers eliminated $20 billion in proposed education funding from the student aid overhaul enacted by Congress last week:…
Federal CTO calls for ‘student-led innovation’ in developing broadband apps
Aneesh Chopra, chief technology officer for the Obama administration, has posted a blog entry calling for a campus-based initiative to encourage broadband innovation by students.
Ed Secretary Duncan faces questions on admissions
Revelations that President Barack Obama's top education official kept a log of calls from powerful people trying to get students into top Chicago high schools when he ran…
Competition missing from broadband plan, some say
The sweeping national broadband plan that federal regulators delivered to Congress last week doesn't go far enough to satisfy some experts, who warn that the United States would…
House boosts college aid for students in need
Riding the coattails of a historic health care vote, the House on Sunday also passed a broad reorganization of college aid that affects millions of students and moves…
Student aid, linked to health care, gets a trim
Congressional Democrats on March 18 trimmed their original student loan plans, reduced spending for community colleges, and eliminated early childhood money from a broad rewrite of a college…
Obama administration seeks converts to education plan
Facing intense resistance from teachers’ unions, the Obama administration has begun trying to persuade union leaders, teachers, and the public that its proposals for overhauling federal education policies…
National Broadband Plan focuses on e-Rate, online learning
More students should have access to online learning, and the federal e-Rate program should be more widely deployed and should embrace and encourage innovation, according to the National…
Digital access, collaboration a must for students
In a national survey that reveals K-12 students' use of technology at home and at school, students overwhelmingly agreed that access to digital media tools and the ability…
FCC announces Children’s Agenda for broadband
Digital access, literacy, citizenship, and safety are the four key areas of focus in the Federal Communications Commission's plan to bring broadband access to all children.
Groups make renewed push for student loan reform
Higher education and K-12 activist groups have stepped up their support in recent days for President Obama’s student lending reform legislation, which has stalled in the U.S. Senate…
Obama’s student loan overhaul in danger
One of President Obama’s top legislative priorities, an ambitious overhaul of student lending programs that aims to save money by shifting to direct government loans, is in danger…
Kansas City to close nearly half its schools
The Kansas City Board of Education voted March 10 to close almost half of the city’s public schools, accepting a sweeping and contentious plan to shrink the system…
U.S. moves closer to common standards
Math and English instruction in the United States moved a step closer to uniform—and more rigorous—standards March 10 as a revised draft of new national guidelines was released.…
Texas board resumes work on social studies curriculum after notable election
Texas' state education board, rocked by primary elections that could push the influential panel's far-right leanings toward the center, is set to take its first vote on a…
Rural schools need more federal attention
According to a new report, one out of every four rural students fails to graduate from high school. From changing Title I formulas to providing cutting-edge technology, it’s…
Nation’s ed-tech chief reacts to budget concerns
Karen Cator, director of education technology for the U.S. Department of Education, has heard the concerns from ed-tech groups about President Obama’s 2011 budget proposal, which would fold…
FCC to propose revamping Universal Service Fund
Federal regulators trying to bring high-speed internet connections to all Americans will propose tapping the government program that now subsidizes telephone service in poor and rural areas, reports…
Ed officials to step up civil-rights enforcement
The federal Education Department plans to intensify its civil-rights enforcement efforts in schools around the country, including a deeper look at issues ranging from programs for immigrant students…
Feds release new national ed-tech plan
The new National Education Technology Plan, released March 5, sets an ambitious agenda for using technology to transform teaching and learning, ed-tech advocates say--and a call to action…
Federal officials address ed-tech concerns
Before an audience of chief technology officers from across the country, Karen Cator, director of education technology for the U.S. Department of Education, and Federal Chief Technology Officer…
Texas election results could influence the future of textbooks
The Texas state education board's influential Christian conservative bloc was weakened March 3 after one of its most prominent members lost his seat to a moderate Republican, and…
Teachers share their views on how to improve education
In one of the largest national surveys of public school teachers, thousands of educators agreed that today’s students aren’t college-ready when they graduate from high school. Teachers' suggestions…
National ed-tech plan coming next week
The latest national blueprint for how schools can leverage technology’s power to transform teaching and learning is coming next week, said Karen Cator, director of the Office of…
Obama angers union officials with remarks in support of R.I. teacher firings
President Obama voiced support March 1 for the mass firings of educators at a failing Rhode Island school, drawing an immediate rebuke from teachers union officials whose members…
Plan to stem dropout rate stirs controversy
The Obama administration is offering a $900 million carrot to the nation’s school systems to tackle what many view as an abysmal dropout rate that threatens America’s ability…
Tennessee colleges fight cell-phone cheating
As students head off to college with cell phones in hand, universities are wrestling with the issue of how to cope with high-tech temptations in the classroom, reports…
Rhode Island town fires all teachers at a failing high school
In one of the first tests of the federal government’s restructuring model for failing schools, the Central Falls, R.I., school board on Feb. 23 approved a recommendation to…
Librarians to colleges: Keep on streaming videos for courses
The Library Copyright Alliance has published a legal analysis of the use of streaming video in higher education, NewTeeVee reports, and the bottom line could be good news…
FCC survey shows need to teach internet basics
The federal government’s plan to provide fast internet connections to all Americans will have to include some basic instruction in Web 101, a new survey reveals.
Obama urges states to raise academic standards
Saying America’s “primacy in the world” is at stake, President Barack Obama on Feb. 22 prodded states to raise their academic standards by using the best leverage he…