Identifying potential dropouts in middle school. A Louisiana school is seeing reduced suspension and failure rates, plus a higher attendance rate, thanks to—officials say—a data-driven program that flags students who show signs of falling behind. (PBS NewsHour)

Who will hold colleges accountable? Kevin Carey argues for elimination of the “antiquated credit hour.” How else can we measure Continue Reading »

The Big Gap. Ninety-three percent of middle school students report that their goal is to attend college. However, only 44% enroll in college, and only 26% graduate with a college diploma within six years of enrolling. (National High School Center)

As if this election cycle weren’t enough evidence. Great story on why civics education matters. (American School Board Journal, h/t AlanContinue Reading »

Building esteem for online learning. This new report calls for better and stronger accountability for online schools and courses by collecting data on student achievement, retention rates, and course quality. (h/t Hechinger Report) (International Association for K-12 Online Learning)

Who believes in U.S. education? Americans without a high school diploma are more likely to have confidencContinue Reading »

Defining school down. Virginia has a lot of work to do as it revises its new standards. “Setting passing rates for black and Hispanic students far below the cutoff scores for white and Asian students is deplorable.” (Richmond Times Dispatch)

Persistence, and the lack of. Only 9 percent of low-income students get a bachelor’s degree by age 24. Why? (American RadioWorks)

Delinquent Continue Reading »

Budding entrepreneurs. The First-Fourth Key Chain Co. is a business of first- and fourth-grade partners who create and sell key chains, setting their prices based on the cost of their supplies. (h/t ASCD Smart Brief) (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

Making higher ed more cost-efficient. Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has started a series of roundtable discussions that focus on more accountability anContinue Reading »

New to the accountability hot seat. Under a new agreement between McGraw-Hill and Western Governors University, the textbook publisher won’t get paid for its course material unless students earn a “B” or higher. (Inside Higher Ed)

If only it were that easy. Patrick Riccards urges his colleagues to ditch negative attacks and the vitriol that sometimes fill education reform debates. Stick Continue Reading »

Standardized testing is one of the most polarizing topics in education policy. Policymakers have advocated for tests as an objective measure of both teacher and student performance. Teachers, though, largely despise the tests, the preparation for them, and the time it takes away from classroom instruction in the springtime.

Photo Credit: Disney

ProponentsContinue Reading »

As we’ve reported, 26 states and the District of Columbia submitted applications before the second round ESEA waiver deadline on February 28. (Maine and New Hampshire decided it was better to turn their homework in late, while California has decided it deserves some special treatment.) Admittedly, it’s been taking us awhile to get through the 10,000 pages that landed on the Department of EducatContinue Reading »

Image from esea.net

Two weeks ago, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce reported out two of Chairman John Kline’s ESEA reauthorization bills, the Student Success Act and the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teaching Act, on a party-line vote, 23-16. Democrats, led by Ranking Member George Miller, offered just two (unsuccessful) amendments, bothContinue Reading »

Penalty: soap and water? Arizona lawmakers are considering a bill that would prohibit teachers from using profanity, and other words not permitted by the Federal Communications Commission, in the classroom. (The Arizona Republic)

Caught on tape. Some teacher mentors in a statewide program in Oregon use iPads to record lessons, which they say helps them provide more specific feedback lateContinue Reading »