Quick Hits (10.23.12)

Trending toward reform. More teachers nowadays are likely to favor performance-based reforms in evaluation and pay (when compared to veteran teachers), according to this new study. It reiterates some of what was found in Education Sector’s survey of teachers released this summer. (Teach Plus)

Learning as they go. A new blending learning approach in a Washington, D.C., school puts 200 middle-schoolers in one room with computers, where they learn math and work at their own pace. (Washington Post)

Beyond test scores and grades. Portmont College, a new nonprofit in Los Angeles, accepts students based on personal characteristics, like “grit, character, and motivation,” rather than test scores. Applicants must also complete an online, three-week course that is part-orientation, part-psychological assessment to see if they are a good fit. (Fast Company)

Early ed in election 2012. What do the presidential candidates have to say about early education? Answer: not much. (Huffington Post)