Quick Hits

Federal dollars may force states to use test scores to evaluate teachers: The Obama administration is proposing not giving Race to the Top stimulus funding for school innovation to states that refuse to use student performance in assessing teachers. Some states have laws preventing the use of test scores in teacher evaluations. Education Secretary Arne Duncan will direct the $4.3 billion in Race to the Top money to states that make school reform and innovation a priority. (The New York Times), (USA TODAY)

Draft of common standards draws a range of reactions: A draft of national common standards, unexpectedly released on the Internet, is drawing a wide swath of opinions from educators, ranging from praise for encouraging critical thinking to disapproval for a formulaic approach. The project, led by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, aims to set core curricula in English and math. Work will continue through the end of the year. (Education Week)

Call for a Kindle for every child gets mixed opinions from educators: A call to supply every student with an electronic reading device is getting mixed reviews from educators. A paper by the New Democratic Leadership Council pointed to the benefits of e-textbooks, including interactivity and the capacity to change as needed. Some teachers agree, but many point out logistical difficulties, such as initial investment, the cost of replacement and the pervasiveness of paper. (eSchool News)

PDAs, cell phones are becoming teaching tools rather than distractions: Cell phones and PDAs are changing roles at schools -- from troublesome distraction to teaching aid. An Ohio district is even implementing a pilot program where third-, fourth- and fifth-graders are assigned PDAs. The devices provide children with interactive education applications in art, writing, spelling, math and more. (MSNBC)

Theory of "plateau effect" in test scores is contested: A study of test-score trends in 16 states contests the "plateau effect" theory about accountability testing -- that scores increase sharply at first under new tests as marginal students are brought up to proficiency, then plateau as students with learning challenges receive additional attention. "It should make us all a little more cautious about believing all test results are sacrosanct," said Jack Jennings, head of the nonpartisan Center on Education Policy. (Education Week)

Retest puts Dallas school's test scores more deeply in doubt: The Dallas school district is widening an investigation into test-score irregularities at one school after a retest showed the original results of an eighth-grade math test needed for promotion to high school apparently were greatly inflated. Students were retested this summer after district officials spotted anomalies in the original results. The first test was passed by 79.5% of students, but in the retest only 43.7% passed. (The Dallas Morning News)

Limits on alternative tests could sting state assessments: Federal education officials have tightened regulations on alternative exams traditionally given to students with disabilities, only allowing states to administer the exams to up to 1% of students. Ohio educators fear a substantial dip in the federal assessment of their schools. "Any school that has a huge concentration of students with disabilities, those schools are going to be greatly hurt," said the superintendent of Cincinnati schools, where 3.8% of students qualified for alternative tests. (Cincinnati Enquirer)

Want options for education? Get serious about quality: Charter schools are touted as an application of free-market efficiency to education. But unlike businesses, too many low-performing charter schools are kept open, writes Margaret Raymond, director of the Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University and an author of recent studies on charter schools. Stringent performance measures and clear signs of school quality for parents are some of what's needed, she writes. (Education Week)

2 Maryland schools illustrate possibilities of reform: Restructuring helped two Maryland middle schools get off the state's school-improvement list. At Woodlawn Middle School, which was at risk of a state takeover for eight years, educators surveyed test results and grouped students by skill level. Teachers reviewed concepts that students didn't grasp, and after-school and Saturday sessions were held. "You cannot give up on children ... and you have to have a fundamental belief in the potential of children," said the district's superintendent. (The Sun)

Justice Department tells Mississippi district to end mass transfers: Federal officials have told a Mississippi school district to stop allowing hundreds of white students to transfer from predominantly black schools, a move that is violating a desegregation order. A local NAACP leader who reported the transfers says that federal funding follows the transferred white students, shortchanging the black students. School officials said they will comply with the order before the start of the 2010-11 school year. (The Clarion-Ledger)

More schools consider extending time in classroom: Could more time in school solve problems such as poor student performance and summer learning loss? More districts and states are experimenting with adding hours to the school day and days to the school year. Critics say schools don't have the money to pay for extra hours and that longer hours doesn't necessarily equate to additional learning. (TIME)