Quick Hits

Boone Co uses CATS for graduation seating: Higher test scores are the key to good seats at graduation for Boone County High School. For the last two years, the school has used CATS testing to alleviate some of the confusion that comes with graduation seating. Students who score proficient or distinguished on all four content areas of the CATS test during their junior year are rewarded by getting five additional tickets to graduation and their tickets are for seats in the lower level of the school's gym, said Principal Mark Raleigh. Students who don't make the scores, receive fewer tickets and the tickets are for the upper level of the gym. (Enquirer)

Do mixed-ability classrooms benefit all students?: A Connecticut middle school that mixed low- and high-achieving students rather than tracking them into separate classes found struggling students improved their behavior and earned better grades, but some high-achieving students said they weren't being challenged. A plan to expand the pilot has drawn parent opposition. (The New York Times)

Low-income students suffer greater summer-learning losses: As the school year ends, a Washington Post story looks into "the summer brain drain" that leaves some students playing catch-up when the new school year begins. Experts say middle-class students improve their reading skills over the summer while their poorer peers suffer a setback of between two and three months. Across income levels, student math skills suffer the most over the summer months. (The Washington Post)

Texas students taking advantage of college courses in high school: More students at a Texas high school are opting to take classes that make them eligible for college credit. Officials say the dual-credit program -- which Texas districts are now required to provide -- and Advanced Placement courses are both important in preparing students for higher education. But there is little research to show whether students earning dual credits perform better in college than their peers. (The Dallas Morning News)

Pay for Student Performance Hits College Level: The state of Ohio is set to make history July 1 when a state budget goes into effect that calculates higher education funding not on the basis of enrollment — the traditional national standard — but on “performance” measures, such as retention and persistence, graduation rates and numbers of science, technology, engineering and mathematics graduates. (Diverse)