With Selection Sunday coming up, what’s the over-under on the RTT Sweet Sixteen? (Education Week)

How many schools in your state didn’t make AYP? (Center on Education Policy)
And what does “making AYP” mean anyway? (Education Sector)

Wanna save $50K? Just graduate a year early. (Bridge-Span)

Is the voluntary common standards movement doomed to fail again?  Or is Jay Greene just a pessimistic professor down in Arkansas? (Jay P. Greene)

Could it take “Eyeballs in the Fridge” to get girls interested in science? A new study says maybe so. (h/t The Answer Sheet )

Plan A: Elect a legislature less friendly towards public employees.  Plan B: Quit school and become a state billboard inspector.  WSJ asks: Which will it be UC students? (The Wall Street Journal)

Will charter-like autonomy make American schools more competitive with an ambitious world? (The New York Times)

Did Pickles die? Or is it just those pesky decoding skills at work again? (Organized Chaos)

Who cares who gets RTT awards? Not Jay Mathews—but he’s willing to be proved wrong. (Class Struggle)

Is it longevity or student outcomes? Cuban asks: What defines great superintendents? (Larry Cuban)

Want to see the human side of “college- and career-ready?” (The Educated Reporter)

Cap enrollments and increase tuition?  Or cap tuition and increase enrollments? (Inside Higher Ed)

What happens when teachers turn Young Money’s Bedrock into a test-prep anthem? (h/t Joanne Jacobs)

Curiouser and curiouser—is “Alice” just a critique of the (then) new math? (New York Times)

How will the Obama Administration’s view on civil rights influence pressing education policy decisions? (Flypaper)

Diane Ravitch: The Ayn Rand of education? (Sherman Dorn)

RTT Finalists: Real reformers or just jumbled jargonists? (Rick Hess Straight Up)

Can Mississippi schools ban LGBT couples from prom? (Campus Progress)

Common education standards a boon to students, teachers, and… testing companies? (Wall Street Journal)

Is student activism on the rise again?  Or are huge tuition hikes leading to a one-time show? (Inside Higher Ed)

Can everyone celebrate National Grammar Day in their own way? (Grammar Girl)
Challenge: Find the grammatical error in the sentence above.

What happens to the school picture guy in the age of cameras in cell phones? (New York Times)

Should the feds conduct or fund education research, or stay out of it? (Jay P. Greene)

Miss Duncan’s testimony to the House Ed and Labor Committee?  The NYT sums it up here. (New York Times)

Was your state named a RTT finalist? (Politics K-12)

Image from Harper Collins

Which children’s books are the all-time faves of members of Congress? (NEA)

Should students be assigned to schools in a way that ensures socioeconomic diversity?  Wake County voted yes, until it voted no. (WRAL)

Answering the age-old question: What makes effective teachers and how do schools keep them? (Teachers Network)

Is bad advice worse than no advice at all? That’s often the choice high school seniors face when they ask counselors about college applications. (Inside Higher Ed)

What have states done to raise the bar on student achievement? A lot. (Achieve)

Teaching with… Facebook? (My Digital Education Space)

Want to read about a real Mr. Holland? Warning: Get out your tissues. (New York Times)

Is it time for the Obama Administration to address college transfer credits?  National experts urge action. (ACTA)

If “outrage is often a powerful prod to reform,” can allowing states to adopt new common core standards while they still set their own cut scores really motivate improvement? (Education Week)

What could novice teachers and figure skaters have in common? (Class Struggle)

You’ve always wondered: What are the secrets to successful teaching? America’s Greatest tell all. (ABC News)

Have you made your Race to the Top Madness bracket? (Politics K-12)

Ever heard of “State Patty’s Day?” It’s causing quite a stir—and concern—on (the #1) party school’s campus. (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

Is college worth it?  Is college for everyone?  Some are doubtful. (TIME)

What’s your pencil grip like? Occupational therapy is all the rage for helping students learn the ancient art of —gasp— handwriting! (New York Times)

What does the Secretary of Education Arne Duncan think about direct lending? It’s a better way to invest in education. (The Washington Post)