Quick Hits

Colorado's first all-girls public school to open in Denver: The Girls Athletic Leadership School, Colorado's first public school for girls only, is set to open as a charter school in Denver in 2010 with sixth- and seventh-graders and will eventually include classes through 12th grade. The curriculum at GALS will be based on the Expeditionary Learning model, focusing on teamwork, character and hands-on learning. "We know that girls focus on academics more when they're in an all-girls setting, simply put, because we are taking away a large social distraction, especially in middle school," the school's founder said. (The Denver Post)

Mississippi district offers instructional days over winter break: Some students in grades 3-8 in a Mississippi district cut their winter break short to attend a three-day school program to reinforce basic skills by focusing on reading, language, math and computer literacy. "I expect that with small-group instruction, the students can strengthen their skills to prepare for the next semester and the state tests," one school's principal said. "The foundation will be there when they go back to school so they can do better." (The Greenwood Commonwealth)

Virtual school provides focused learning environment for some students: Some parents in Washington state who say they want a more focused learning environment for their children are turning to Washington Virtual Academies, an online-learning program for students in grades K-12 also known as WAVA. One mother said her son is completing seventh grade at home through WAVA to get away from the distractions of large class sizes in local schools. The WAVA curriculum includes online lessons and webinars in core subjects as well as physical education, foreign languages and Advanced Placement courses. (SnoValley Star)

Ohio law mandates education on dating violence: Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland has signed a bill requiring schools in the state to educate students about dating violence and healthy relationships. The Tina Croucher Act, which is directed at seventh- to 12th-graders, is named for an 18-year-old Ohio girl who was killed by her ex-boyfriend in 1992. (Cincinnati Enquirer)

Teacher corps sees success in Nashville classrooms: Teach for America supporters believe it's a movement that has the power to reform public education. Ideally, the corps members work for two years and then go on to powerful leadership positions, taking with them a firsthand look at the country's education system and its problems. Skeptics of the program say it's a gimmick and does nothing to solve the long-term staffing issues that plague low-performing schools. But according to state academic data released this month, the corps is having an impact on student learning. Teach for America corps in Memphis outperformed beginning and veteran teachers across the state. Students in their classes learned more in almost all subject areas and grade levels, compared with their peers...Teachers unions say there is something to be learned from Teach for America, but they question whether local and state governments are willing to invest the money to adopt the program's training techniques on a larger scale. (The Tennessean)

Schools could learn lessons on food safety: As Congress and the Obama administration seek new ways to assure the safety of food served to the nation's schoolchildren, the most promising paths are no secret. Scientists and food safety experts say there are industries and major companies, both in the United States and abroad, that have made great strides in safety and consistently produce food free of the bacteria that sicken about 75 million Americans a year. Can those practices become the rule for the food the government buys for schools? (USA Today)

TN legislators want to expand mission of community colleges: More students could be starting their four-year degrees in one of Tennessee's 13 community colleges under an overhaul of the state's education system being developed by Gov. Phil Bredesen. Lawmakers will open debate next month on a plan meant to cut costs and bolster Tennessee's graduation rate by realigning how the state's two-year colleges and four-year universities work together. The proposal is part of a broader effort to reform public education at a special session that begins Jan. 12. (The Tennessean)

Service-learning project helps school work toward IB status: As part of a districtwide push toward International Baccalaureate accreditation, educators at a Michigan elementary school are combining academic lessons with monthly visits to a senior citizens center. A different class takes the trip each week and participates in service-learning activities tied to the curriculum for each grade level. "The focus is that one child can make a difference," the school's principal said. (The Flint Journal)

Career-switchers find increased sense of accomplishment in teaching: People who sought second careers as teachers say they are using previous professional experiences to help make classroom lessons more relevant for their students. Some second-career teachers coming from fields such as engineering and human resources say they are more satisfied in their jobs. "I see how much [students] have learned over the year," one Wisconsin teacher said, "and it gives me a sense of accomplishment more so than being able to go to someone and say I just saved the company a couple hundred thousand dollars. It's the human nature of it." (The Journal Times)

Senator seeks support for principal training: Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., has introduced legislation to create a program to train principals to work in disadvantaged schools, and he is calling on lawmakers to include the measure when the No Child Left Behind law is revised. "The effectiveness of principals in high-risk or high-need schools is one of the primary determinants of whether these schools are able to attract and retain effective teachers," Franken said. (Minnesota Public Radio)

New Orleans charter finds success through autonomy: A struggling New Orleans school that reopened as a charter four years ago now ranks among the best open-enrollment public charter schools in the area. Educators and administrators say the success of the Sophie B. Wright Charter School is partly based on the new-found autonomy of the school's same principal and staff, who can quickly tailor the curriculum and programs to meet the specific needs of the students. "We're able to control our own destiny," one longtime staff member said. "After all these years, you can finally see something being done." (The Times-Picayune)

Struggling schools face tough reform choices: To qualify for more federal funding, struggling schools must choose from several measures, some of which include replacing teachers and principals. However, there is little evidence that these steps will improve academic achievement at these schools, experts say. One Brookings Institution analyst says the best way to turn around a struggling school is by improving the school curriculum and the way that the material is taught. (The Washington Post)

Ohio STEM middle school offers project-based studies: Students were chosen by lottery to attend a new middle school in Akron, Ohio, aimed at engaging students in math and science learning at a critical time in their educational careers. Teachers are known as learning coaches at the National Inventors Hall of Fame School Center for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Learning, which features a project-based curriculum, in which all subjects are interconnected. (Akron Beacon Journal)

Popular game for gifted students launches iPhone application: A free version of ThinkFun's Rush Hour puzzles for the iPhone and iPod Touch features 70 challenges that are especially helpful in encouraging gifted students to stay with a task long enough to finish it, writes Tamara Fisher in this blog post. Gifted students who may typically become discouraged after not succeeding right away may develop the motivation to persist with this application, Fisher writes. (Teacher Magazine)

Dept. of Ed.: Race to the Top applications could take 681 hours: It should take states roughly 681 hours to complete applications for federal Race to the Top funds, according to estimates released by the Department of Education, which added 39 hours to its original estimate of 642 to account for more complicated contest rules. Many state education officials who have been working for months on the grant proposals -- due Jan. 19 -- say the estimate is low. "We just know our effort is immense and time-consuming," one Florida education official said. (The New York Times)

As profession struggles, student journalism is on the rise: Despite financial struggles and other woes in professional journalism, interest among students in journalism courses and school publications is going strong and may be increasing, say students and educators. Journalism courses fit in with a push to teach 21st-century skills such as media literacy and collaboration, they say. "Even for somebody not going into journalism, everything you learn or experience is something you can use in any field. And they're life skills that are necessary for anyone to be successful," one student journalist said. (Cincinnati Enquirer)