Should arts-based learning be part of STEM education?: Support appears to be growing for efforts to incorporate the arts into science, technology, engineering and math teaching, transforming STEM into STEAM. The concept is being considered at both the federal and local levels, with some advocates saying art and design can help drive innovation in STEM fields. "We believe there is a powerful opportunity here to use the arts and arts-based learning to spark transformational change in science education," said Harvey Seifter, director of the Art of Science Learning. (Education Week)Turnaround efforts are paying off for once-failing N.C. school: The once-struggling Cochrane Middle School in North Carolina has been transformed over the past five years through an intense turnaround process that has included a new focus on professional development for teachers and a commitment to higher standards for students. Teachers at the school crafted 10 classroom techniques, now known as the Cochrane Non-Negotiables, and a partnership with Texas Instruments has led to increased math scores among students. (David Markus' blog)
Relationships matter: In the never-ending discussion around school improvement and reform, the role of relationships rarely gets a mention. However the role relationships play -- as research shows us and children tell us -- is key. Whether it be inside the classroom, outside the school, between peers, teachers or families, relationships are key to student success and growth. Relationships matter. They matter not only for grades, but for engagement. They matter not only for understanding but for providing meaning and context. They matter not only for reducing risk-taking behavior but for connectedness and belonging. They matter not only for attendance but for reducing dropout. They matter not only for minority students but for all students. They matter not only for students but for staff. They matter not only for schools but for communities. Relationships matter and the sooner we appreciate it the better off our children, schools and communities will be. Relationships matter. (Huffington Post)
More schools are teaching students about digital citizenship: More schools in the U.S. are incorporating digital citizenship and Internet safety into classroom lessons as students' use of technology continues to grow. Among other things, schools now are teaching students about the importance of their digital footprint. "All of the drama, all of the growing up, all of the growing pains, all of the things we know happen in high school now also happen digitally," said principal Chris Lehmann of the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia. (USA TODAY)
Majority of school districts have students enrolled in distance learning: Roughly 55% of public-school districts in the U.S. report having students enrolled in some form of distance-learning courses, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics. However, about 75% of respondents said the distance-learning programs in use were organized by outside groups, independent of the districts themselves, the NCES report found. (T.H.E. Journal)
Do common core standards focus too little on social sciences?: Some experts believe the Common Core State Standards being implemented in many states do not give enough priority to social, economic and behavioral-science subjects. Increasing focus on math and language arts as part of No Child Left Behind and, now, as part of the standards leaves little time for such subjects as anthropology, sociology, geography and civics. Some argue these types of social sciences can help students connect lessons in subjects, such as math and reading, to real-life applications. (Education Week)
Caught Between Common Standards and Assessments: When it comes to common standards, we are pretty much past Adoption Season. (Remember? That was a period of about a year and half in which all but four states adopted the standards.) Now we're in Implementation Season. But if states' and districts' next step is putting the standards into practice, that work isn't exactly flowing across the nation in a rolling wave. To be clear, there is some very aggressive work going on out there to implement the new standards. But we're also seeing a good number of questions, hesitations, dilemmas, and delays about implementation. A recent case in point was a study by the Center on Education Policy, which found roughly half of school districts reporting that they aren't really moving ahead in key areas—for a variety of reasons—when it comes to common-standards implementation. (Curriculum Matters)
Report finds lower teacher salaries in poor schools: Teacher salaries are lower in thousands of high-poverty U.S. schools, compared with those in more affluent districts, according to a new report from the U.S. Education Department. "Low-income students need extra support and resources to succeed, but in far too many places, policies for assigning teachers and allocating resources are perpetuating the problem rather than solving it," Education Secretary Arne Duncan said. (The New York Times)
Middle-school interventions may reduce sexual harassment, violence: A new study funded by the Justice Department suggests a number of low-cost education programs that may help reduce dating violence and peer-to-peer sexual harassment in middle schools. The most effective methods included a combination of classroom-based and building-wide interventions, from student discussions about personal boundaries to poster campaigns throughout the school. "The importance of this work is that we have scientific evidence that early intervention lessens later violence," the study's co-author Bruce Taylor said. (Harvard Education Letter)
Teacher involvement remains important, even in virtual schools: Tennessee online teacher Kevin Dockery teaches Advanced Placement government and U.S. history from a laptop computer at his home. Though he no longer deals with school fights or the logistics of the school copy machine, Dockery still logs time tracking students' progress and helping students stay on course. "Just like it's not for every student, it's not for every teacher," virtual-school coordinator Barbra Thoeming said. "They have to have a high level of involvement -- which may sound odd because you don't see your students that often." (The Tennessean)
Public, school libraries embrace noise, technology: A new breed of public and school libraries aims to engage teens by using the latest technology tools, from game consoles to multimedia music- and video-production software. Amid budget cuts, the new, cacophonous spaces seek to keep libraries relevant for students and, in the school setting, teach them to use digital media to better understand academic topics. "People are uncomfortable because it's a 'big C' change, but I don't think there's any stopping it," said school librarian Jennifer Hubert Swan. (The Hechinger Report), (Education Week)
What's next as Kansas City, Mo., schools prepare to lose accreditation: The long-struggling Kansas City, Mo., school district is set to lose its state accreditation on Jan. 1, with many surrounding school districts poised to possibly manage an influx of new students who leave their former schools. Meanwhile, the question of how soon students will be permitted to transfer into other districts -- and whether the Kansas City schools will be responsible for their tuition costs -- is being considered by the courts. (Education Week)
Hundreds of N.Y. principals oppose use of test scores in evaluations: In New York, at least 658 principals have signed a letter opposing the state's use of students' standardized test scores to evaluate teachers and principals. Part of New York's successful bid for Race to the Top funding involved new evaluations, of which 20% to 40% is based on state tests. Principals and others argue that the evaluations were rushed and state testing data is unreliable. (The New York Times)
Why some principals signed the petition against the N.Y. evaluation system: New York principals offer their reasons for signing a petition against using student test scores in teacher and principal evaluations. Many question the adoption of an approach they argue has not been tested adequately or proven to be an effective way to ensure accountability. "Test scores are not the true identity of a student nor should they be used to determine the ability of a teacher," writes Neil Connolly, principal at Carle Place Middle/High School. (SchoolBook blog)
Teach for America establishes roots in New Orleans: Former Teach for America personnel hold many important education positions in New Orleans, this article details. They hold not only positions in teaching, but also in administration and policy-making. Most TFA alumni do not have formal education training, and some in Louisiana question whether schools rely too heavily on the organization. (The Times-Picayune)
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