A rather large loophole. New Pennsylvania standards require that all students pass state standardized tests in order to get a diploma. Except when they don’t; then they just take a “validated local assessment,” or a test issued by the school district. (h/t Joy Resmovits, Morning Call) 

What? A college dean, speaking on the challenges of teacher recruitment, tells The New York Times that Continue Reading »

Don’t judge a (text)book by its cover. Up to one-third of high school math textbooks aren’t about the subject printed on its cover, according to a U.S. Department of Education analysis. (Associated Press)

Will other states follow? Kevin Carey explores the implications of California’s “groundbreaking” plan to make public universities accept online courses, like MOOCs, for credit. (Higher Continue Reading »

Every minute counts. “Five minutes wasted each day on sloppy (classroom) routines translates into 21 lost class periods each year.” (Stanford Social Innovation Review)

Early education for everyone. Sara Mead explains why “Pre-K isn’t a waste just because your mom can read.” (Policy Notebook/Education Week)

Bad news for higher ed. Moody’s Investors Service doesn’t think too positivContinue Reading »

The value of online learning. Half of college presidents say online courses are as valuable as their face-to-face counterparts, but less than one-third of Americans agree. (Pew Research Center)

Changing the entryway to teaching. Twenty-five state education chiefs get behind a new report, calling for more accountability and rigor in teacher preparation programs. (Council of Chief State SContinue Reading »

Despite several pleas not to, the Indiana State Board of Education voted to change teacher licensing rules, easing credential requirements for both superintendents and teachers. (News and Tribune)

Careful interpretations. Kevin Drum warns that media coverage of yesterday’s NAEP vocabulary scores is “wrong on so many levels.” (Mother Jones)

For data nerds. An interactive map with kContinue Reading »

Practice makes perfect. The best athletes and musicians never stop practicing. Principal Katie Yezzi says the same is true for educators: “The key to workplace satisfaction is doing a job well, and our most powerful tool for ensuring that is practice.” (New York Times)

More support for early ed. A new CALDER study links pre-K program participation in Texas with improved third-grade math Continue Reading »

Pricing out high school dropouts. The price to take the GED test will triple in the next year, making it inaccessible to some of its poorest students. (The Columbus Dispatch)

Midwest colleges take the largest chunk. International enrollment in U.S. universities has increased 6 percent since last year, even as total enrollment has leveled off. (Associated Press)

Packed lunch. CouldContinue Reading »

“My manicurist requires a license to do my nails, but our nation isn’t sure we should license teachers.” Camilla Benbow in an excerpt from John Chubb’s new book, The Best Teachers in the World. (Defining Ideas)*

More Chicago woes. District leaders are working to identify as many as 100 schools eligible for closure. (The Atlantic)

Preparing high-schoolers for life. At least 4Continue Reading »

Reaping the benefits of its graduates. A small California county starts training teachers-to-be during their senior year of high school, and so far, three have returned to teach at their alma mater. (Education Week)

Opportunities for students of low-education parents. This information, when compared to other countries, makes the United States look “plain lousy on the everyone-has-an-equaContinue Reading »

The National Council on Teacher Quality is in the midst of a mammoth review of the nation’s teacher preparation programs. Predictably, many schools of education are pushing back (see their letters of dissent here.) Their reasons for not participating strike common themes. Some schools argue they are already accountable to their state regulatory and accrediting bodies. Others argue that NCTQ’s mContinue Reading »