Quick Hits

Rural Ohio district to pilot online learning for snow days: Some 700 students in a rural Ohio school district will test Internet-based instruction as an alternative during days their schools are closed because of inclement weather. Online classes could help schools avoid having to add days at the end of the year. The district's superintendent said the move could help prepare students for taking online courses in college. (The Columbus Dispatch)

50% of high-school students report participation in bullying: Roughly 50% of high-school students say they have participated in bullying behavior in the last year, while almost as many report being victims, the results of a study show. Researchers with the nonprofit Josephson Institute of Ethics conducted the survey of more than 40,000 high-school students, a third of whom said violence is a concern for them at school. (CNN)

Program pushes students to be active participants in learning: Teachers at a Utah junior high school have developed a program that combines the teaching of English, history, science and technology into an interdisciplinary curriculum aimed at getting students to be active participants in learning. Students research and create multimedia presentations, interview business leaders and participate in hands-on science. "We're into changing the world of learning, and get right to the root of it. It should be a lifelong experience," one of the teachers said. (The Daily Herald)

Gifted students learn forensic science through modern version of Clue: Students in a gifted and talented program at an Ohio middle school are participating in a modern version of the board game Clue, designed to warn students about Internet dangers while teaching them about forensic science. The students, who also visited the forensic science department at Marshall University, will use anthropology, ballistics, handwriting analysis and other skills to solve the mystery. (WSAZ-TV)

Rhee warns ineffective teachers as she ends tenure in D.C.: Outgoing Washington, D.C., schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee issued a warning Thursday to ineffective teachers and teacher-training programs as she wrapped up her contentious tenure. "Now we have a new teacher-evaluation system where we know who's ineffective, minimally effective and highly effective," Rhee told attendees at a College Board forum. "We're going to back-map where they came from, which schools produced these people. And if you are producing ineffective or minimally effective teachers, we're going to send them back to you." (The Washington Post)

How Chicago's first turnaround school is faring: Improvements are slowly taking root at Chicago's first school to undergo a turnaround process. Education Secretary Arne Duncan -- then Chicago's schools chief -- implemented the turnaround process at the long-struggling William T. Sherman Elementary School in 2006 and has brought the model nationwide to at least 5,000 schools. At Sherman, a new team of teachers and administrators was put in place and achievement is up, but scores still lag behind city averages and the turnaround has taken longer than some had hoped. (Education Week)

Students can learn fractions using new iPhone app: A new iPhone app is aimed at helping elementary-school students better understand fractions through a game that uses the phone's motion sensors. Motion Math is based on the notion of embodied cognition, which the developers say will help students develop a visceral understanding of fractions. (The Wall Street Journal)

Opinion - Relationships are crucial to successful school turnarounds: A Cincinnati principal was able to turn around a struggling high school by keeping the same teachers in place and working to build relationships among staff and the community. While many turnaround efforts focus on test scores and data, journalist and author Laura Pappano makes the case that relationships factor just as significantly into real change. "For turnaround to be meaningful, it must be deeper and more durable than test results," she writes. (Education Week)

Identifying and reaching students with depression: Students with depression can improve academically if teachers recognize the symptoms and apply effective measures, write R. Marc A. Crundwell, a school psychologist, and Kim Killu, an associate professor of special education at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. They identify the characteristics of depression and what form they might take in school, such as not completing class work. They also offer strategies on how to help students with depression. (Educational Leadership)

Fewer students are being classified as learning-disabled: The number of students nationwide classified as having a learning disability dropped from 2.9 million in the 2000-01 school year to 2.6 million in the 2007-08 school year -- or 5.2% of all students, according to Department of Education statistics. The percentage of students enrolled in special-education courses also dropped recently -- from 13.8% in the 2004-05 school year to 13.4% in the 2007-08 school year. Officials say the decreases could be linked to improved achievement in reading because of Response to Intervention and better lessons. (Education Week)

Study shows academic-proficiency standards vary widely across states: Academic-proficiency standards on state exams may vary by as many as four grade levels from state to state, according to a study by the American Institutes for Research. The researchers measured the results of state tests against international testing benchmarks to compare the standards and recommended that states develop common proficiency goals. "It documents again what we've long known, which is on current state tests, the bar for proficiency is literally all over the map," said the president of one education-focused nonprofit group. (Education Week)

Teacher-accreditation groups plan merger: A higher bar could be set for teacher preparation after the merger of the two national accreditation groups for teacher education -- the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council. Under the agreement, the groups would merge within the next two years to become the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation. While the action will have no immediate effect on teacher education, a potential long-term goal for the group is to "raise the bar for quality educator preparation." (Education Week)

Why aren't more high schools opting for later start times?: Research shows that teenagers are more alert if they can sleep later, but many high schools across the country have resisted delaying start times because of political and logistical concerns. High-school schedule changes often lead to child-care issues for families whose older children are responsible for younger siblings after school, as well as concerns about after-school activities, with some athletics events running into the evening. (Miller-McCune.com)

The effects of bilingualism on student learning: New research using neuroscience and other methods suggests that learning a second language -- even at a later age than previously thought -- might have additional learning benefits for students. One study found early social interaction with native speakers is critical to language learning and might also have implications for general learning, while another showed students who are multilingual are more flexible problem-solvers. (Education Week)

Baltimore considers proposals for charter, transformation schools: A K-5 school that integrates arts into the curriculum, a K-8 academy that is focused on project-based learning and two charters that feature single-gender instruction are among those being proposed to open next year in Baltimore. Schools chief Andres Alonso is expected to make recommendations today on which of the 11 proposed charters and transformation schools should receive school-board approval. (The Sun)

Ravitch - Why NYC should not use value-added data to rate teachers: School officials in New York City should abandon plans to release teacher ratings that were created with value-added data, education expert and author Diane Ravitch writes in this opinion piece. She argues that "the methodology is both inaccurate and unstable" and ignores other external factors -- such as family income -- that greatly influence student performance. Making public such ratings will only serve to demoralize effective teachers and lead educators to avoid the neediest students, she writes. (Daily News)

NYC schools chief defends planned release of teacher-effectiveness data: In this opinion article, New York City schools Chancellor Joel Klein defends the city's use of value-added data to rate 12,000 individual teachers, as well as plans to release the ratings to the public. Klein concedes that the data may offer an incomplete picture of teacher performance, but he argues that the data does offer important information about which teachers are consistently performing above or below their peers. (New York Post)

Obama enlists schools, educators to curb student bullying: The White House is asking educators to help prevent bullying and protect students, saying that in some cases the harassment might violate students' civil rights. The Obama administration is offering guidance to school districts and colleges on how to address discrimination resulting from bullying that in some cases has led students to commit suicide. "We've got to dispel this myth that bullying is just a normal rite of passage," President Barack Obama said. (The Washington Post)

Poll highlights misperceptions about learning disabilities: There are many misperceptions and stigmas about learning disabilities that lead some parents to delay seeking help for their children who display early signs of a disability, according to a recent poll. The survey of 1,000 teachers, parents and others was conducted by the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation and GfK Roper. Experts, however, encourage interventions from an early age and say such attitudes about learning disabilities put students at a disadvantage. (Early Ed Watch blog)

How will state elections affect education reform in Indiana?: Education reform is expected to be a priority when Indiana's legislature reconvenes in January. But which reforms are pursued could be decided in state elections held Nov. 2. Some of the policy priorities outlined by state schools chief Tony Bennett -- such as greater school choice and merit pay for teachers -- may face more opposition if a Democratic majority remains in place. But other priorities, such as the expansion of charter schools, have bipartisan support. (Evansville Courier & Press)