Quick Hits

Major studies show verdict is still out on charter-school effectiveness: The benefits of charter schools are still unknown, based on two major studies that offer opposing views of their effectiveness. One study found that charter-school students outperform their public-school peers, while the other found that charter-school students perform worse or at the same level as those in public school. "The people who said this was going to be the greatest thing since sliced bread were wrong," said Robert Maranto, a University of Arkansas professor of education reform. "The people who said it would be a calamity were equally wrong." (The Washington Post)

Education chief promotes turnaround strategies for struggling schools: Education Secretary Arne Duncan hopes to improve the 5,000 worst schools in the country by pushing states and districts to close them and replace educators before reopening the schools. Duncan is encouraging school districts to take this step by offering $3.5 billion in competitive grants to states that plan to transform struggling schools. "As a country, we need to get into the turnaround business," Duncan said. "Adults need to have the courage to make these tough decisions and do right by our kids." (The Associated Press)

Early trials show students struggling with new Texas exams: A trial run of some Texas end-of-course tests showed that 57% of the 79,000 high-school students who took the Algebra I exam received a passing grade, and 60% of the 58,000 who took the biology test passed. A state official said scores "will be lower initially because students are taking a new exam that reflects a new culture of testing." Students who enter high school in 2011 will have take 12 end-of-course exams in core subjects -- instead of one graduation exam -- and have a passing average on some tests to receive a diploma. (The Dallas Morning News)

Survey shows Americans don't know much about history: Results of a recent survey show that more American adults know that Michael Jackson is the musician behind hits like "Beat It" and "Billie Jean," than know James Madison as the father of the Constitution, according to this blog post by education writer Sean Cavanagh. The "amusing and sad" results of this survey may underscore the need for adults to continue their history education through books and documentaries, Cavanagh writes. (Curriculum Matters)

Report: Most states plan to apply for Race to the Top: Although most states say they will apply for federal Race to the Top grants, many say they envision significant difficulties in adopting reforms in teacher quality and turning around struggling schools -- two areas designated by the Obama administration as important criteria for the funds, according to a new report from the Center on Education Policy. The report shows that many states are making progress on other reforms, however, including improved data systems, assessments and curriculum standards. (Education Week)

School provides community supports for students, families: Once the lowest-achieving school in a city near Boston, the Robert L. Ford School has become an example of a successful community school that works to provide support services for its families. Partnerships with outside agencies, grants and government funding help provide enrichment programs including after-school literacy and math help, free night classes for adults, Saturday school for struggling students and dinner every night in the school gym. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

College applicants may need more math classes in Maryland: Maryland's university system is considering a plan to require all high-school students seeking admission to its universities to enroll in a fourth math course and take math as seniors. If approved, the changes could affect students who begin ninth grade in 2011. "Math is not a spectator sport," said Chancellor William E. Kirwan, a former math professor. "If you get away from it for a year, you lose a lot. The research is pretty clear and consistent that it makes a difference to have math your senior year." (The Sun)

High-school teacher uses fantasy football to teach economics: A North Carolina educator is using fantasy football to teach students about the concept of supply and demand. High-school social studies teacher Michael Williams says by setting up teams, drafting players, tracking statistics and managing a budget help his students see real-life applications of concepts in finance, economics and entrepreneurship. "They're understanding what I'm teaching, they're just learning it differently than they would some place else," he said. (Statesville Record & Landmark)

Former science teacher takes physics show on the road: Middle-school students in Great Falls, Mont., recently received a visit from the "Mr. G Science Show," a program designed by retired teacher Glenn Govertsen aimed at getting students excited about physics. Govertsen uses loud hip-hop and pop music to teach students about sound vibration and has students don 3-D glasses as he teaches them about the properties of light. "I really feel it's something unique to try and motivate kids in science," Govertsen said. (Great Falls Tribune)

PTA given $1 million to build support for common standards: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is providing $1 million to the National Parent Teacher Association so the group can engage parents in the push for the adoption of national common K-12 curriculum standards. Initially, the efforts will be focused on four states with active PTA memberships -- New Jersey, North Carolina, Florida and Georgia. The Common Core State Standards Initiative is expected to propose the national academic standards in early 2010. (The Seattle Times)

NYC plans closure of four struggling schools: Four struggling New York City schools will be shut down, officials announced Wednesday, joining 91 city schools that have closed since 2002. More announcements on school closures -- which must be approved by a panel -- are expected in coming weeks. "We know that in these schools, as in schools citywide, our teachers and administrators are working very hard," one official said. "This proposal is a reflection of our belief that in some schools there is simply not the capacity to fulfill our promise to kids to prepare them for the future." (The New York Times)

Duncan: ESEA may include incentives for improved performance: Education Secretary Arne Duncan says incentives for high-performing states, districts and schools may be among the provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act -- known as No Child Left Behind. Incentives could include increased recognition and autonomy as well as extra resources in cases where reforms result in increased student achievement. "Under [the No Child Left Behind Act] there are basically no incentives. There was nothing. There are 50 ways to fail, and if you succeeded, there was nothing there for you," Duncan said. (Education Week)

Should teacher-education programs include lessons in outreach skills?: While studies have shown a link between parental involvement and student achievement, new teachers are rarely trained on how best to foster relationships with students' families. "I call parents, I send out e-mails, I make newsletters to go home. But I feel like I could be doing more," one teacher said. Some say outreach skills should be part of the curriculum in teacher-training programs, while others say new teachers should focus on coursework and leave outreach to social workers. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

New Chicago school-admissions policy is criticized as unjust: A policy that ties admission to top Chicago public schools to socioeconomic data rather than race is unfair to black students, several black city aldermen argued Monday. The new admissions policy was adopted after a federal judge discontinued a desegregation decree that had been in place since 1980. City officials said federal law prevents race from being used to place students in schools. Proponents say it will give students from the lowest economic brackets a greater chance at coveted seats in the city's college-preparatory schools. (Chicago Sun-Times)

Opinion - Don't over-rely on charter schools for education fix: Studies show the success of charter schools is uneven, raising questions about their long-term effectiveness, writes the editorial board of the Los Angeles Times. The Obama administration has pushed for charters as a central element of reform, and it is right to require states to show strategies for shutting down failing charters, the writers assert. But many issues remain unaddressed, they argue, including whether enrollment policies "level the playing field" between charters and traditional public schools and whether innovative charters can be replicated. (Los Angeles Times)

Program provides instant feedback on students' writing: A Web-based instructional program is helping students in a Utah school district improve their writing skills in school and at home. My Access, developed by Vantage Learning, uses artificial-intelligence technology to score students' writing and provide instant feedback on essays and other writing assignments. "Not only does it provide a holistic score, but also specific feedback, in terms of traits or qualities of effective writing, so they know what they need to do to improve," a district administrator said. (Standard-Examiner)

Are foreign-language courses a frill in tight budget times?: Budget woes have Fairfax, Va., officials questioning whether foreign-language learning -- especially for younger students -- is needed. Sixteen states and Washington, D.C., require students to take foreign-language courses to graduate, but Fairfax officials say that although early programs are crucial to developing bilingual students, the recession leaves everything except reading, writing and math on the chopping block. (The Washington Post)

Wikipedia co-founder launches online educational-video library: Larry Sanger, who co-founded the Web site Wikipedia, has launched a site that provides free access to a library of educational videos for students ages 3 to 18. The site -- www.watchknow.org -- features links to more than 11,000 videos in 2,000 categories that include history, math, science and other subjects. Sanger described it as "YouTube meets Wikipedia." (Education Week)

Nashville schools hope for success with fresh-starting: School officials in Nashville, Tenn., hope to see improvements at five district schools where they have employed a fresh-start strategy, asking teachers and staff to reapply for their positions. While proponents of fresh-starting say it is an effective strategy for turning around struggling schools by shaking up leadership and forcing out ineffective educators, others say the strategy is degrading to teachers. (The Tennessean)

Illinois teachers' salary gaps do not reflect student achievement: Despite having one of the largest salary gaps among teachers nationwide, there is little difference in achievement among Illinois schools with the highest- and lowest-paid teachers, according to the 2009 Illinois School Report Card. However, researchers say, the relationship between educator pay and student performance is still unclear. Teacher quality and parental background continue to be the biggest indicators of student performance, said a senior policy analyst with the Education Commission of the States. Chicago Tribune (11/9)

Grant provides incentives to teach math, science in urban schools: A $16.7 million national grant will provide financial stipends to selected teachers who earn master's degrees and agree to teach math and science for three years in urban Michigan schools. Paid for by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, the grant will be offered through six Michigan universities. The schools will be asked to overhaul their teacher-training programs in math and science, and grants will be available to 240 teacher candidates who could receive their degrees as early as 2012. (Detroit Free Press)

Use of Web 2.0 tools increases student collaboration, say educators: More educators in New Jersey are utilizing the tools of Web 2.0 technology, which allows students shared access to content and more collaborative learning. While some educators caution about the downside to the latest technology -- like its propensity for distracting students -- others say wiki pages, classroom blogs, video conferences and online chats help students learn how to be creative and prepare them for college and the real world. (The Star-Ledger)

Congress considers legislation to improve literacy programs: Congress is considering legislation that would replace three federal literacy programs and provide $2.35 billion for K-12 reading and writing programs. If approved, the legislation would replace Reading First, Early Reading First and Striving Readers, and it would increase the focus on teaching reading and writing beyond fourth grade. (Education Week)