Quick Hits (1.31.13)

New term, same president, so what will happen with education? This brief looks at the history of federal involvement in K-12 education and considers what’s possible for President Obama and his team to accomplish in the next four years; this is important to consider, as states work toward implementing Common Core State Standards and other reforms outlined in their NCLB waiver applications—two topics that Education Sector’s K-20 Task Force listed as top to-do’s on the president’s agenda this term. (American Enterprise Institute)

Where to draw the line between “too much” and “just enough”? A South Carolina elementary school practices a school lockdown with real guns, fake blood, and a police officer acting as a shooter. (Associated Press)

Priorities. New research finds that college students place a premium on amenities, like dorms and student activities, rather than academics when choosing a college. (National Bureau of Economic Research)

Fake college syllabus. “I’d love to give you a five-minute break halfway through the period, with the tacit understanding that we actually blow 15, but then I’d have to pretend I didn’t notice when 36% of you didn’t bother to come back.” (Salon)