Quick Hits (1.11.12)

Speechless. A Connecticut elementary school reportedly has a “scream room” or “timeout room” (depending on whether you ask parents or administrators) for students with behavioral problems. Parents reported that their children were locked in rooms with only holes and no windows. Board chairman response? We’ll look into it. (MSNBC)

Accountability in online learning. The Colorado Board of Education is considering new rules that would hold online schools accountable, much like their brick-and-mortar peers. Critics say online schools use large chunks of state funding without showing results. The new rules would require online schools to report their finances and adhere to prescribed standards. In an Education Sector report released this week, Craig Jerald takes accountability one step further with school inspections, or evaluations. Why aren’t schools evaluated regularly, just like teachers? England does it, and so should we, Jerald argues. (Denver Post)

This could bring relief, or panic, to high-schoolers. San Francisco-area teachers are pushing for a cap on the number of Advanced Placement classes that students can take. They say students are stressed to tears, and capping – or eliminating – AP offerings could curb some of that. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Real world learning. For these New York high-schoolers, last night’s New Hampshire primary was a lesson in politics. (WBUR)