Sharing Languages, Students Gain an Edge

An innovative bilingual language-immersion program called Two-Way Spanish, which is in its seventh year, integrates native Spanish-speaking students with native English-speaking students so that each can learn the languages, not only from teachers, but from each other. The Boston Globe, October 23, 2008

High Schools Add Electives to Cultivate Interests

Electives added this year to the curriculum of an affluent Westchester County suburb redefine traditional notions of a college-preparatory education and allow students to pursue specialized interests that once were relegated to after-school clubs and weekend hobbies. The New York Times, October 26, 2008

Texas: TAKS Test Passage Rules May Change

Texas students in certain grades would no longer have to pass the state achievement test to be promoted under a new school accountability plan unveiled Tuesday by leaders of the House and Senate education committees. The Dallas Morning News, October 21, 2008

Recordings Capture Writers' Voices Off the Page

The British Library has released rare recordings of the voices of British and American writers. All Things Considered, NPR, October 23, 2008

College Board Will Offer a New Test Next Fall

A new test intended to prepare eighth-grade students for high school and college courses, not for use in assessment or college admissions, will be available to schools next fall, according to the College Board. The New York Times, October 22, 2008

Champaign School Board Votes against Use of Kite Runner

The Champaign school board reversed a committee recommendation Monday night and ruled that the novel "The Kite Runner" will no longer be used for a sophomore honors English class. The News-Gazette, October 28, 2008

Library Backs Book on Same-Sex Parents

The Calvert County Board of Library Trustees voted unanimously Tuesday to keep a controversial book about two male penguins where it is shelved: in the children's section of county libraries, along with other picture books. The Washington Post, October 23, 2008

Schools, Libraries See Hundreds of Requests to Ban Books

The American Library Association's annual list of book challenges reports more than 400 requests to remove books from schools and libraries during 2007. And Tango Makes Three, The Chocolate War, and Olive's Ocean are the top three books cited USA Today, October 22, 2008

In Tough Times, More Turn to Two-Year Schools

Community colleges in Mississippi expect to see increased enrollments this year and next year. "When people are out of work, it's an opportune time for them to go back and learn a new skill, a new trade," said Ed Smith of Jones County Junior College. The Hattiesburg American, October 23, 2008

Rules Will Require Schools to Track Dropout Rates

Twenty-five percent of high school students quit school today, and, according to U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, that statistic must change under new rules aimed at extending No Child Left Behind to the high school level. Orange County Register/Associated Press, October 28, 2008

Growth Data for Teachers Under Review

As states’ information-collection systems grow more sophisticated, officials are grappling with where to draw the line on how “value added” data on teachers can be used. Education Week, October 20, 2008

Baylor Pays for SAT Gains

After several days in which educators and admissions experts nationally lambasted its plan to pay accepted applicants to raise their SAT scores (and presumably the institution’s ranking in U.S. News & World Report), Baylor is admitting a mistake. Inside Higher Ed, October 15, 2008

Kansas Assessment Test Scores a 'Storybook' Success

Double-digit increases in high school assessment scores are extraordinary by any measure. So when the 2008 Kansas assessment scores were unveiled Wednesday, several area high school principals and teachers had something to brag about. Kansas City Star, October 17, 2008

Dallas District Fires 375 Teachers

375 Dallas teachers were fired Thursday as part of a massive layoff designed to help the school district avoid a projected $84 million budget shortfall. Dallas Morning News, October 17, 2008

New York Parents Delay Formal Schooling for Kindergartners

A growing community of like-minded parents are opting to enrich rather than formally educate their not-yet-school-age children (6 is the age that New York City law requires parents to register their children as home-schooled). New York Times, October 15, 2008

The Politics of Election Day Classes

Should Election Day be a college holiday? Alternatively, should professors grant an automatic excused absence to students who miss class come November 4? Inside Higher Ed, October 21, 2008

Students 'Elect' Obama President

Political handicappers take note: If you need a fresh, new demographic to help predict the outcome of the Nov. 4 presidential election, ask non-voters younger than 18. USA Today, October 14, 2008

Students 'Elect' Obama President

USA Today, October 14, 2008

Strangers in a Familiar Profession

A Maryland community college and county government outreach program helps immigrant nurses gain licensure and ESL proficiency. Inside Higher Ed, October 20, 2008

Its Native Tongue Facing Extinction, Arapaho Tribe Teaches the Young

As part of an effort to save their language, the Northern Arapaho recently opened a new school where students will be taught in Arapaho. New York Times, October 17, 2008

Balancing Act with Books

More contemporary works are joining the classics on high school reading lists in an effort to better reach teen readers. NCTE President-Elect Kylene Beers and NCTE members Bob Probst, Alleen Nilsen, and others are quoted. Chicago Tribune, October 19, 2008

A Push to Curb the Casual Use of Ugly Phrases

The Ad Council has put together a campaign to discourage bullying of young people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.  The New York Times, October 7, 2008

Kittitas County Teacher Named State Teacher of the Year

NCTE member Susan Johnson, a high school language arts teacher at Cle Elum-Roslyn High School in Washington, has been named the state's teacher of the year. LeLani Pitts, also an NCTE member, was among the finalists for the honor. The Seattle Times, October 9, 2008

More Schools Miss the Mark, Raising Pressure

SINCE 2001, when President Bush signed the federal No Child Left Behind law, schools in Connecticut have scrambled to revamp curriculums, step up professional development for teachers and continually assess students’ test scores to comply with the law’s requirements. It is an effort that has dominated the agendas of school officials not just in Connecticut, but all over the nation, and not everyone is happy that test results have become such a focus. The New York Times, October 10, 2008

Under "No Child" Law, Even Solid Schools Falter

Many schools, even schools that make progress, are not making enough progress to meet the annually increasing goals that states agreed to when they signed on to the legislation. The New York Times, October 13, 2008

Professors Use Technology to Fight Student Cheating

Teachers, long behind in the cheating arms race, may finally be catching up. They are using new technologies, including text-matching software, webcams, and biometric equipment, as well as cunning stratagems such as Web "honey pots," virtual students, and cheat-proof tests. The result: It appears to be getting at least a little harder for students to plagiarize from websites, text-message answers to friends during tests, or get others to do their homework. U.S. News & World Report, October 3, 2008

Helping Community College Students Beat the Odds

Each semester, many community college students have to address an important and nagging question, “Should I stay or should I go?” Inside Higher Ed, October 8, 2008

Call to Arms for Adjuncts . . . from an Administrator

It’s not unheard of, at faculty gatherings, to hear colleges’ treatment of adjuncts compared to the way Wal-Mart treats its workers. On Monday, such a comparison was made at a most unlikely place: the annual meeting of the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources.Inside Higher Ed, October 14, 2008

Education in Spotlight on Statewide Ballots

Education issues are poised to break through the din of presidential politics and economic anxiety in more than a dozen states next month, as voters confront ballot questions and constitutional amendments involving K-12 policy and school finance. Education Week, October 6, 2008

Candidates View Parental Role Differently

Parents play vital roles in their children’s education, John McCain and Barack Obama agree. But the presidential candidates disagree on what a president should do to encourage parents to choose and participate in the educational experiences of their children. Education Week, October 14, 2008

Where They Stand: McCain, Obama Split on Education

If there's one feature that defines the presidential debate on education, it's this: near silence.

Webcast: Education and the Next President

Tuesday, October 21, 7-9 p.m. EST

Register now for Education Week's "Education and the Next President," a live debate taking place at Teachers College, Columbia University, between Linda Darling-Hammond, education adviser to Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama, and Lisa Graham Keegan, education adviser to Republican nominee John McCain.

The Prose of Adolescence, and Sudden Loss

Author Francine Prose discusses her new novel -- see Prose at the NCTE Annual Convention.  NPR, October 7, 2008

Giovanni Finds Funky Beats to Teach Poetry to Kids

In her new book, poet Nikki Giovanni uses blues, gospel, and jazz to teach kids history and poetry. All Things Considered, NPR, October 13, 2008

81% Got Diplomas on Time This Year

Virginia has tracked its graduation rates for the first time. Overall, 81% of students graduated on time, but rates were lower for Hispanic (70%) and African American students (73%). The Washington Post, October 9, 2008

Easing the Toll on Teachers' Checkbooks

Sponsors of "A Day Made Better" estimate that teachers spend $1000 per year out of pocket for school supplies for their classrooms, so 1000 teachers received classroom supply surprises worth just that much.  The Washington Post, October 9, 2008

Needy Students Closing Test Gap Under 'No Child'

Since enactment of the No Child Left Behind law, students from poor families in the Washington area have made major gains on reading and math tests and are starting to catch up with those from middle-class and affluent backgrounds, a Washington Post analysis shows. Washington Post, October 2, 2008

Oregon Measure Seeks Merit-Based Pay for Teachers

A ballot measure that aims to tie teachers' pay to their "classroom performance" is adding another round to a long-running feud between the state's teachers unions and conservative activist Bill Sizemore. KGW.com, September 28, 2008

McCain, Obama, and Leaving No Child Behind: Will Ed Tech Win in '08?

Proponents of education technology are mobilizing during this year’s presidential election, hoping to garner more support for teaching 21st century skills in K–12 schools. School Library Journal, October 1, 2008

An Early End to the '08 (Education) Campaign

In choosing the next president, American voters have their fair share of crises to consider, be it the economy, healthcare, or national security. But will education be on many voters' minds on Nov. 4? Increasingly, the answer appears to be no. Time, October 4, 2008

Students Share Views with Chief Executive

"Students Share Views with Chief Executive": NCTE Executive Director Kent Williamson and members Elyse Eidman-Aadahl and Erin Ludwick are quoted. The News-Gazette, October 3, 2008

Yearbooks Fade as Networking Sites Propagate

Thanks to technology cultural shifts and the immediacy offered by social-networking Web sites such as Facebook and MySpace, annual yearbooks might be dying out among the college crowd.

Using Video Games as Bait to Hook Readers

When PJ Haarsma wrote his first book, a science fiction novel for preteenagers, he didn’t think just about how to describe Orbis, the planetary system where the story takes place. He also thought about how it should look and feel in a video game

The online game that Mr. Haarsma designed not only extends the fictional world of the novel, it also allows readers to play in it. At the same time, Mr. Haarsma very calculatedly gave gamers who might not otherwise pick up a book a clear incentive to read: one way that players advance is by answering questions with information from the novel.

Understanding Students Who Were 'Born Digital'

John Palfrey and Urs Gasser have written a book that they hope will bridge the generation gap, at least when it comes to an understanding of the different habits, learning styles and ideas about privacy attributed to so-called “digital natives.”

On the Way: Nation's First Tech-Literacy Exam

For the first time ever, technological literacy will become part of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation's Report Card, the test's governing board has announced.

Beginning in 2012, the test will measure students' proficiency with technology in addition to reading, math, science, history, writing, and other subjects. The new test will mark the first time students' technology literacy has been assessed on a national level.

Program Could Turn Arkansas' School Buses into Classrooms

A pilot program that has transformed school buses into mobile virtual classrooms in one Arkansas school district is worth expanding across the state, coordinators say.

The Aspirnaut Initiative, launched in April 2007 in the Sheridan School District, equips students with laptop computers and iPods and allows them to take online math and science courses while traveling to and from school.

E-Textbooks for All

Many observers, both in academe and in the publishing industry, believe it’s only a matter of time before electronic textbooks become the norm in college. Some campuses in particular may already be getting a glimpse of the future through partnerships with individual publishers or with consortiums.

Doesn't Anybody Get a C Anymore?

More and more academic leaders may lament grade inflation, but precious few have been willing to act against it, leaving their professors all alone in the minefield between giving marks that reflect true merit and facing the wrath of students for whom entitlement begins with the letter A. The Boston Globe, October 5, 2008

A 'Penalty' for Starting at a Community College?me

See the working paper. Inside Higher Ed, October 1, 2008

Putting What Works to Better Use

A new report  by the AACU notes that while colleges know and use many practices to help improve student learning, not enough students are exposed to these practices. Inside
Higher Ed, October 6, 2008

A Dead Language That's Very Much Alive

Students looking to increase their SAT scores are turning back to Latin study. The New York Times, October 6, 2008

Banned Books Celebration Promotes Freedom of Expression

Friday will feature some unusual story times at local libraries, when passages from once-verboten books are read aloud to mark Banned Books Week.



"Where we live, the free expression of ideas is unlimited. But that doesn't prevent well-meaning people from trying to suppress information," said Donald J. Farish, president of Rowan University in Glassboro. "As a university, we need to stand up. We do not believe in censorship." The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 29, 2008

Banned Books Week Raises Important Censorship Issues

Walt Whitman once said, "The dirtiest book of all is the expurgated book," a view some local libraries have taken to heart. Saturday marked the beginning of the 28th annual Banned Books Week, a program started by the American Library Association aimed at curtailing book censorship nationwide.



Locally, Drinko Library and the Cabell County Public Library are participating in the program although area high schools are abstaining becasue of state testing.

Banned Books Week Draws Attention to Censorship

Each year, Banned Books Week draws attention to threats against free speech specifically the threat that is posed by attempts to remove books from library shelves. Lake County Record-Bee, September 29, 2008

Class Learning to New Beat with iPod, without the Music

It might seem like Sarah Menn is showing you how to jam to the latest music kindergarten students are tuning into these days, but she's actually fine-tuning her reading skills. News 8 Austin, September 29, 2008

Students' Incentive Bank Opens

Through a test program called Capital Gains students are paid for performance (attendance, behavior, and grades). NCTE member Anita Walls is quoted. The Washington Post, September 30, 2008