D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson celebrates 5 years at helm Washington Post: Most urban superintendents leave after three years; many credit stability at the top for D.C.’s improvement. See also Washington Post.
Ahead of Departure, Arne Duncan Reflects on Signature Education Programs US News: On Thursday, speaking at the Jeremiah E. Burke High School in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood, Duncan plans to reflect on his work thus far in conjunction with the department’s release of two comprehensive assessments of its most significant programs, the Race to the Top competition and the School Improvement Grant.
New SIG Data Serves Up Same Old Conclusion: Mixed Results PK12: The latest Education Department report on the federal School Improvement Grant program paints an uneven picture of SIG’s impact, just as Congress is about to decide its fate. See also Washington Post.
What the Ed. Dept.’s New Race to the Top Report Reveals, and What It Avoids PK12: The Education Department says all states in the competitive-grant program made progress toward their goals, but makes little mention of areas where they stumbled or backtracked.
How N.J. school distirct is making enrollment much easier NJ.com: Replacing a “patchwork” system of 17 different applications, the Camden City School District on Tuesday rolled out a better way of getting kids into school.
Montgomery County Schools Recognize Muslim Holiday of Eid Slate: Some districts in New Jersey have closed for Muslim holidays for years, while others, like Jersey City, recently voted against closing for Eid this year. And this spring, the New York City Department of Education, the largest school district in the country, where an estimated 10 percent of students are Muslim, announced that schools would close for Eid al-Adha.
Common Core testing showdown in Massachusetts Hechinger Report: The Massachusetts Board of Education is deciding whether to use a multi-state test, the Partnership for Assessing College and Career Readiness, known as PARCC, or to stick with its own test.
Research Group Latest to Caution Use of ‘Value Added’ for Teachers TeacherBeat: The American Educational Research Association lists eight principles that it says must be considered before using VAM to judge teachers or teaching programs.
Want To Make A School Better? Get Kids To Show Up NPR: Students who miss 15 or 20 days of school a year may never catch up. The Department of Education is looking for prevention ideas, and one Baltimore school could provide some.
School Discipline: From Corporal Punishment to Mediation WNYC: Eli Hager, reporter for The Marshall Project, explains that teachers in under-funded Mississippi schools often resort to corporal punishment or “alternative” schools to cope with students who act out.
