"Building a Better Admissions Test" (Inside Higher Ed, 11/11/08)

Most standardized admissions tests — from the SAT and ACT to those used for admission to graduate and professional schools, such as the Law School Admission Test — promise one thing: to predict academic success in the first year enrolled. Most standardized tests also face growing skepticism because white and Asian students tend to outperform, on average, black and Latino students.

What if a standardized test managed to predict much more than first-year success? And what if there existed the possibility of having standardized tests that didn’t have ethnic or racial gaps, but better predicted long-term success?

"A School District Asks: Where Are the Parents?" (NYTimes, 11/11/08)

The new diversity of a New York school district has revealed a cultural chasm over the meaning of parental involvement.

"Mrs. P Has a Story for You, Kids" (LATimes, 11/10/08)

Mrs. P is the title character of a new children's storytelling website debuting at the beginning of National Young Readers Week. Los Angeles Times, November 10, 2008

"Learning How the Brain Learns May Be Boon in the Classroom" (Miami Hearld, 11/4/08)

The Education and Brain Research Program at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore is conducting a study to understand the neurological differences among students who are skilled readers, those who have difficulties, and those with diagnosed learning disabilities. Miami Herald, November 4, 2008

"Fair-Use Help for Internet On Its Way" (EdWeek, 11/11/08)

The National Council of Teachers of English was part of a group of media literacy organizations to produce "The Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education," which was released today.  Education Week, November 11, 2008

"New course is needed for No Child law, educators say" (San Diego Union-Tribune, 11/10/08)

Change is coming to the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

With Barack Obama heading to the White House and dozens of additional Democrats elected to Congress, President Bush's signature education bill almost certainly will face profound revisions, experts across the country say.

"Obama's Possible Candidates for Education Secretary" (Chronicle of Higher Ed, 11/5/08))

If history is any guide, Barack Obama will spend several weeks chugging through higher priorities on his presidential to-do list before choosing an education secretary.

And if he follows past trends, Mr. Obama is not likely to choose a secretary on the basis of higher-education policy. His nominee will be the ninth U.S. secretary of education, and nearly all of the previous eight were known more for their backgrounds at the elementary and secondary levels.

"Reports: Students graduate unprepared" (Huntsville Item, 11/10/08)

Less than one-third of all Texas high school students graduate prepared for college, and those numbers get even lower for minority students, according to two studies by a team of Sam Houston State University educational leadership and counseling department professors.

"Assessing a Hot Assessment Tool" (Inside Higher Ed, 11/10/08)

The Collegiate Learning Assessment may be passing the largest test to date of whether it can measure growth in student learning. But the study of the CLA also found that many minority students and those who are not well prepared for college show smaller gains on the CLA — potentially reinforcing the concerns some have about how the test may be used.

"Encouraging Colleges to Look Within" (Inside Higher Ed, 11/10/08)

The National Survey of Student Engagement — an annual report providing comparative data on student experiences at four-year institutions nationwide — is entering its 10th year. Now that the survey is reaching what some consider a critical mass of participants, this year’s report finds that variations in educational quality are more prevalent within institutions than among them. As a result, NSSE officials argue that holistic assessments, such as theirs, provide a more accurate comparison than do those using institution-wide averages.

"Reading council helps teachers motivate students" (Post-Tribune, 11/6/08)

Judy Rauscher, language arts instructor at Clark Middle School in Hammond, is always searching for new ways to keep her students motivated and excited about the written word.

"College Ends Ban on Nietzsche Quote" (Inside Higher Ed, 11/7/08)

Whether or not “God is dead,” as Nietzsche famously argued in The Gay Science, the philosopher’s famous quote can once again be displayed on the doors of faculty offices at Temple College, in Texas.

"Diplomas for (Would-Be) Dropouts: Project Learning Serves the Most At-Risk Students" (Edutopia, 11/3/08)

Urban students on the verge of quitting scale new heights -- and remain in school -- through an ambitious program.

"Stumbling Blocks: Playing It Too Safe Will Make You Sorry" (Edutopia, 11/5/08)

How teachers are working around overprotective content filters to use Web 2.0 tools in the classroom.

"A Tale Of Two Literature Courses" (Washington Post, 11/9/08)

At Clarksburg High School in Montgomery County, teacher Jeanine Hurley's English class finished "The Canterbury Tales" and just started "Hamlet." Senior Raphael Nguyen says he doesn't spend a lot of time on homework because Hurley doesn't give much.

Defense Contractors, Districts Partner to Improve STEM Education

Defense contractors Northrop Grumman Corp. and Lockheed Martin Corp. are joining forces here in an innovative partnership to develop high-tech simulations to boost STEM—or science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—education in the Baltimore County schools. (Education Week, 11/7/08)

Obama Gets to Work on Transition

President-elect Barack Obama and his team started work this week on a transition that includes searching for the people who will bring to life his agenda of expanding preschool, improving the quality of teachers, and fixing the major federal law in K-12 education. (Education Week, 11/7/08)

Black Teachers in Short Supply

Most opt for urban schools, giving minority students in Metro suburbs fewer role models. (The Detroit News, November 3, 2008)

A Tale of Two Economies

The economic crisis is rattling people's nerves, but imagine living during the time of Charles Dickens, when the Bank of England was on the verge of collapse and financial ruin was sudden. Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, a professor at Oxford University's Magdalen College, talks with Renee Montagne about his article comparing today's financial crisis with the economic downturn when Dickens was a boy. (Morning Edition, NPR, November 4, 2008)

Economy behind Surge in Substitute Teachers, Some Say

Sacramento area school districts are reporting an increase in the number of people applying to substitute teach. "It's either directly or indirectly because of the economy," said Pat Godwin, superintendent of Folsom Cordova Unified School District. His district has seen substitute applications increase by a third this year. (Sacramento Bee, 11/4/08)

For Striving 6th Graders, History Is Now

On Wednesday, Mr. Meade tossed aside the regular curriculum and schedule to bring the boys together to live history as it unfolded in real time. The students were a jumble of questions about the Electoral College and the difference between red states and blue states. But mostly, they were in awe — at once giddy and proud. The New York Times, November 5, 2008

Reading on the Bus Solves Three Education Challenges at Once

Some Wisconsin bus drivers found an effective and productive way to keep kids under control by pairing older elementary kids with younger ones. The older kids read to the younger ones -- with fantastic results. WRCB TV3, October 26, 2008

So Why Are Fewer Parents Reading to Their Children?

Reading aloud to children is seen by many as a parent’s duty. But sadly, in today’s time-pressed world it’s one that’s increasingly taking a back seat. Echo News, October 28, 2008

Exclusive: Toni Morrison Reads from Her New Novel

In this special edition of Book Tour, NPR presents Pulitzer Prize-winner and Nobel laureate Toni Morrison reading from her new novel, A Mercy. NPR, October 27, 2008

The Story Plays Out

Scholastic is betting that The 39 Clues, a 10-book adventure series for ages 8 to 12, will be the new, hot book that kids want to read, following in the footsteps of Scholastic's Harry Potter series. The Boston Globe, October 28, 2008

One-to-One Makes All the Difference When Teaching Children to Read

A scheme from New Zealand is helping English children learn to read – with great success. But would this expensive programme survive a change of Government? The Independent, October 30, 2008

Goosebumps and Guffaws in Stine's 'HorrorLand'

Anyone who thinks that Goosebumps, R.L. Stine's fantastically popular kids book series from the 1990s, is a thing of the past would have been disabused of that notion at this year's National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Morning Edition, NPR, October 31, 2008.

School Board to Determine Fate of Grendel

Some parents have challenged John Gardner's Grendel for being too graphic. The district uses the NCTE policy for handling challenges.  Sherwood Gazette, October 30, 2008

As State Scores Drop, Schools Work to Engage Students in Reading

Many Chicagoland schools are struggling to discover how to best teach reading to adolescents. NCTE members Jamie Hecht and Teri Lesesne are quoted. The Chicago Daily Herald, October 31, 2008

School Leaders: Focus on New-Age Skills

A new survey says that 21st century assessments should be at the top of policymakers' lists.  eSchool News, November 4, 2008

School’s Success Gives Way to Doubt

The state has recently started a criminal investigation into test scores at Sanders-Clyde Elementary, seeking to determine whether a high number of erasure marks on the tests indicates fraud.

Councils ban use of Latin terms

A number of local councils in Britain have banned their staff from using Latin words, because they say they might confuse people.

Several local authorities have ruled that phrases like "vice versa", "pro rata", and even "via" should not be used, in speech or in writing.

But the ban has prompted anger among some Latin scholars.

College costs rise

Overall costs of attending private school increased 4.8%, while in-state public school costs rose 5.7% from previous school year, College Board says.

Study Links Violent Video Games, Hostility

Children and teenagers who play violent video games show increased physical aggression months afterward, according to new research that adds another layer of evidence to the continuing debate over the video-game habits of the youngest generation.

Study Links Violent Video Games, Hostility

Children and teenagers who play violent video games show increased physical aggression months afterward, according to new research that adds another layer of evidence to the continuing debate over the video-game habits of the youngest generation.

Online Grading Systems Mean No More Changing D's to B's

Parents and students in a growing number of Washington area schools can track fluctuations in a grade-point average from the nearest computer in real time, a ritual that can become as addictive as watching political polls or a stock-market index.

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

Consensus on Learning Time Builds

Under enormous pressure to prepare students for a successful future—and fearful that standard school hours don’t offer enough time to do so—educators, policymakers, and community activists are adding more learning time to children’s lives. Education Week, September 22, 2008

More New York Schools Get A's

The number of schools receiving A’s under New York’s much-contested grading system increased significantly this year from last in what Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said was a clear sign of success and evidence that his signature accountability program was spurring improvement at schools across the city. The New York Times, September 16, 2008

Groups Seek to Keep a Spotlight on Issues of Testing, Standards

The No Child Left Behind Act is not likely to be reauthorized this year and isn’t getting much play on the presidential campaign trail.

But this week, some of the most ardent supporters of testing and standards discussed how the law has bolstered education and what next steps policymakers should consider in renewing it in the next Congress. Education Week, September 17, 2008

States Cite Capacity Gap in Aid for Schools on NCLB

Nearly seven years after the No Child Left Behind Act became law, two-thirds of state education departments report that they don’t have adequate capacity to help low-performing schools, says a study released last week by the American Institutes for Research. Education Week, September 17, 2008

Schools Fail to Meet No Child Left Behind Goals

A Call to Restructure Restructuring points out that 50% more schools failed this year than last under NCLB San Francisco Chronicle, September 23, 2008

Are High-Stakes Tests Making the Grade?

After a decade, have the standards and their high-stakes tests improved public education in Virginia?

It depends on whom you ask.

A Quarter Million Teachers to Get Free Wikis

A San Francisco wiki services provider has just finished a multiyear project under which it gave teachers all over the world 100,000 free wikis. And now, it is doubling up and getting set to give away another quarter million.

Laptops in Schools Help Research, Writing, but Not Test Scores

Student research and writing are on the rise in schools in the state’s laptop initiative, but test scores aren't seeing the same benefit, Education Department officials told legislators this morning.

Sharing Your Notes Online -- and Getting Paid for It

Knetwit is a Web site that combines some familiar Web 2.0 features — user profiles, file sharing, online communities — with the goals of campus note-taking services.

I'll Take My Lecture to Go, Please

When provided with the option to view lectures online, rather than just in person, a full 82 percent of undergraduates kindly offered that they’d be willing to entertain an alternative to showing up to class and paying attention in real time.

Video Games Start to Shape Classroom Curriculum

While more educators adopt games as a learning tool, one public school designs a brand new teaching philosophy. Christian Science Monitor, September 18, 2008

Challenging Conventional Wisdom on STEM Supply

A speaker at the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology said that the worry about a shortage of qualified individuals in science and technology is part of a cyclical trend. Inside Higher Ed, September 17, 2008

College Panel Calls for Less Focus on SATs

A report by the National Association for College Admission Counseling says colleges should focus less on the ACT and SAT and more on admissions exams keyed to high school curricula.  The New York Times, September 21, 2008

Check Mate! Idaho Tries Chess to Boost Math, Reading Skills

An old-fashioned game helps students develop the critical thinking skills they need to succeed in reading and math. USA Today, September 19, 2008

Reading between the Lines -- and Everywhere Else: Where Literacy Is Headed

NCTE Executive Director Kent Williamson reports on results of a survey in which nearly 1,000 respondents told NCTE about the role of twenty-first century literacies in their classrooms. Council-Grams, September 2008

The Grade Game

NCTE author, ReadWriteThink contributor, and consultant John O'Connor talks about alternatives to traditional letter grades. Eight Forty-Eight, Chicago Public Radio September 10, 2008

Twittering from the Cradle

IT would be easy to assume that the first month of Cameron Chase’s life followed the monotonous cycle of eat-sleep-poop familiar to any new parent. But anyone who has read his oft-updated profile on Totspot, a site billed as Facebook for children, knows better. Cameron, of Winter Garden, Fla., has lounged poolside in a bouncy seat with his grandparents, noted that Tropical Storm Fay passed by his hometown, and proclaimed that he finds the abstract Kandinsky print above his parents’ bed “very stimulating!”



The New York Times, September 10, 2008

Information Warfare

How and why famous authors and others were recruited to influence the media during WWII. On the Media, NPR, September 12, 2008

Report: Retool Instruction, or U.S. Will Fail

A new report by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills warns that the economic competitiveness of the U.S. depends on the country's ability to give its students a 21st century education. eSchool News, September 10, 2008

In Rush to White House, "No Child" Is Left Behind

For the next president, one of the first domestic challenges will be to reshape the No Child Left Behind law, hailed six years ago as a bipartisan solution to America's education troubles.

But in their race for the White House, Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) are distancing themselves from what has become a tainted brand.

Some California Dropouts Finish High School But Don't Succeed Beyond, Study Finds

While slightly more than 50% of California students receive a high school diploma or GED, 90% never enroll in college or they drop out after they do. Los Angeles Times, September 12, 2008.

Colleges Spend Billions on Remedial Classes to Prep Freshmen

Millions of students are arriving on college campuses unprepared for the work they have ahead of them. See the report Diploma to Nowhere by Strong American Schools.  USA Today, September 16, 2008

Young, Inexperienced Teachers Recruited to New Orleans

September 10, 2008

Black Teachers in Philadelphia Schools: A Vanishing Breed

Philadelphia Daily News, September 10, 2008

Middle School Reading Coaches Found to Build Teachers' Skills

NCTE member Nancy L. Shanklin and the NCTE/IRA
Literacy Coaching Clearinghouse are mentioned.  Education
Week, September 11, 2008

Making Every Word Count: Computers and the Web Complicate Vital Research on Frequently Used Language

Word-frequency rankings are part -- albeit just a sliver -- of the vast output from studies of language corpora, or large collections of written and sometimes spoken text. Researchers parse such data to help make sense of our ever-evolving language.

But the results of these rankings differ widely. Taking a snapshot of English in all its diverse incarnations is devilishly tricky and expensive. Computers and the Internet can make research simpler. But they also add to the challenge because they can distort language patterns.

Who Wants to Be a Teacher? A Whole Lot of People, a New Survey Finds

Forty-two percent of college-educated 24- to 60-year-olds would consider teaching as a career, according to a survey out Wednesday from the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation in Princeton, N.J.

Online storybooks can help young readers with fundamentals

Parents and children now have another resource available to help learn the fundamentals of reading with a new online database through the Allegany County Library System.

BookFlix combines classic fictional video storybooks from Weston Woods with nonfiction eBooks from Scholastic to reinforce reading skills and develop essential real-world knowledge and understanding.

Reforming the Requirement-Free Curriculum

Brown U. considers how to improve students’ educational experience — while not taking away their freedom. Among the strategies: e-portfolios and being overt about priorities.

Don’t Buy That Textbook, Download It Free

A few college professors have started putting their textbooks online to protest the high prices that textbook publishers can get.

Principal has proud passion for helping students to read

Ask Kathy Harrington what the most important room in the Pine-Richland Middle School is and she won't say a science classroom where students study biology, a French classroom where they learn about the culture of Paris, or the reading classroom where they decipher the words of famous poets.

She'll tell you it's the room where they can do all of the above -- the library.

Latest Reading Push Leaps Off the Page

How do you get a kid to open a book? And once it's open, how do you get a kid to keep reading, book after book?

At Ferguson Elementary School in North Philadelphia yesterday, educators and publishers rolled out a brand-new answer to those questions. It's called The 39 Clues, and it's aimed at readers 8 to 12.

Toddling up to new levels of learning

Two-year-olds discussing insect proboscises and three-year-olds comparing notes on the surface tension of bubbles it is just another day at the Gifted Education Centre.

The Auckland-based programme for toddlers says a funding boost will allow it to open centres across the country next year.

Graphic Storytelling and the New Literacies: An Interview with NCTE Educator Peter Gutiérrez

Referring to The NCTE Definition of 21st Century Literacies, Gutiérrez notes, "Yes, new technologies encourage non-traditional, often non-linear ways of engaging with text, but there's a danger in supposing that what makes the new literacies 'new' is the technology per se -- it's the literacies that are new; . . . they speak to the idea of 'participatory culture.'" Diamond Bookshelf, September 2008

Literacy and Online Reading

NCTE member Donald Leu, holder of the John and Maria Neag Endowed Chair in Literacy and Technology and director of The New Literacies Research Lab at the University of Connecticut, is interviewed. Focus 580, WILL Radio, September 4, 2008 (scroll down to program)

Donald Leu is a contributor to NCTE's Secondary School Literacy: What Research Reveals for Classroom Practice.

General Education in the City

Temple's interdisciplinary general education program (about 1/3 of the undergraduate experience) has four themes: "Community-Based Learning," "Globalization," "Sustainability," and, most notably, the "Philadelphia Experience." Inside Higher Ed, September 5, 2008

Ph.D. Completion Gaps

Significant gaps exist — by demographic groups and disciplines — in who finishes Ph.D. programs. Generally, foreign, male, and white students are more likely to earn their doctorates after 10 years than are their counterparts who are American, female or minority.

Print Journalism Squeeze Hits Campuses

Late last month, two student newspapers announced plans to curtail print publications, citing the same drain in advertising revenues that has prompted layoffs at commercial newspapers across the country

No Simple Explanation for College Dropout Rate

Last in a series of articles on colleges and their students -- see links to the entire series with the article. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, September 6, 2008

"Harry Potter" Author Wins Suit over "Lexicon" Book

Morning Edition, NPR, September 9, 2008

Districts 'Scrubbing' Away Thousands of Students' Test Scores

In this era of academic accountability, the test scores of thousands of Ohio public-school students are being left behind. That's because districts are allowed to throw out test scores -- "scrub" them, in testing parlance -- of students who are not continuously enrolled from October through the testing dates in March and May.

Should We Relax English Spelling Rules?

BBC Radio World Service, September 8, 2008

New Charter School the Pride of Camden

Charter schools can be found in more and more districts, especially urban districts. See the study by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 4, 2008

Brave New World of Digital Intimacy

Facebook's News Feed, Twitter, Flickr, and other forms of incessant online contact have created a brave new electronic world of "ambient awareness." The New York Times, September 5, 2008

The Mystery of the Struggling Reader

NCTE President-Elect Kylene Beers notes that "struggling readers don't possess the strategies necessary to get through the text, to figure out how to get through the problem." NCTE members Maryanne Wolf and Nell Duke are also quoted. Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine, September 2008

A New View On TV

In a paper published in the Quarterly Journal of Economics this year, University of Chicago Graduate School of Business economists Matthew Gentzkow and Jesse Shapiro presented a series of analyses that showed that the advent of television might actually have had a positive effect on children's cognitive ability. The group's research suggests TV enabled an earlier generation of American children in non-English-speaking households to do better in school, helped rural Indian women to become more independent and contributed to lowering Brazil's fertility rate.

Teens Tutor Teens At Student-Created Firm

Private tutoring is big business in the Washington suburbs. And now it is a full-time job for Erik Kimel, who graduated this spring and can devote his full attention to Peer2Peer Tutors, the company he founded five years ago as a senior at Winston Churchill High School in Potomac. Peer2Peer pairs mostly struggling students with older teens culled from the cream of Montgomery high schools.

State falling way behind No Child Left Behind

California schools, required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act to lift more students over a higher academic hurdle this year, instead stumbled and slipped back, as nearly 1,400 fewer schools met test-score targets.

Virtual environment boosts reading skills

For the past year and a half, students at Broad Creek Middle School in Newport, N.C., have used virtual reality technology to enhance their reading skills across the board--and the evidence suggests these efforts are paying off.

Quest Atlantis, created by Indiana University professor Sasha Barab, uses a three-dimensional multi-user virtual environment and games with storylines to help children advance academically and learn about life.

Florida Reading Coaches Help Other Teachers; Effect on Students Unclear"

A recent study of Florida’s middle school reading coaches finds that they seem to have a positive effect on how teachers teach reading.

Author of Book Series Sends Kids on a Web Treasure Hunt

(See Rick Riordan at the ALAN Workshop W.27, Monday-Tuesday, November 24-25, at the NCTE Annual Convention in San Antonio.)

Moving beyond Catcher on School Reading Lists

From Weekend Edition, NPR, August 30, 2008

"Sparking Media Literacy with Comics"

Written by NCTE member Peter Gutierrez and quoting NCTE member Kathleen Monnin. Diamond Book Shelf, September 2008

Learning by DOING

"We can make writing real," said NCTE member Linda Christensen, at the West Linn-Wilsonville School District workshop. NCTE members Shelly Buchanan and Anne Voegtlin are also quoted. The West Linn Tidings, August 28, 2008

Golf Tour's Rule: Speak English to Stay in Play

Players in the Ladies Professional Golf Association will be required to be conversant in English by 2009. The New York Times, August 26, 2008

Testing Change Raises Scores

Northern Virginia's ELL students achieved better test scores this year when portfolios of their work were used for the assessment rather than the same standardized test all the other students took. The Washington Post, August 28, 2008

Who Produces Black Ph.D.’s?

A report looks at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Inside Higher Ed, September 2, 2008

Voting for a Book

Students at Ebert Elementary School in Colorado are learning about the elections by campaigning for their "best books." All Things Considered, NPR, August 29, 2008

"10 City Schools to Focus Reading Skills on Content" (NYTimes)

A recently announced pilot program is expected to overhaul the way children in 10 city schools are taught to read. The pilot program, which will involve about 1,000 children, represents a shift from the Bloomberg administration’s longstanding approach to teaching children to read, known as “balanced literacy.” Under that approach, children are encouraged to select books that interest them, at their own reading levels, from classroom libraries. The theory behind the approach is that it is more important to ensure that young children are truly engaged by books than to dictate that everyone read the same thing.

"A Plan to Test the City’s Youngest Pupils" (NYTimes)

The Bloomberg administration, which has made accountability the watchword of its overhaul of public education, is asking elementary school principals across the city to give standardized tests in English and math to children as young as kindergartners. The New York Times, August 26, 2008

SAT Scores Flat as Test-Taking Edges Upward

Flat SAT scores may be good news when the increased numbers of students taking the test are figured in. Education Week, August 26, 2008

Schools' Cash-to-Kids Plan Doesn't Pay Off

A controversial initiative that pays high-school students for passing Advanced Placement tests has failed to spur more kids to make the grade. The New York Post, August 20, 2008

Value-Added Evaluation Being Tried in Ohio Schools

The new "value-added" designation on Ohio schools' report cards indicates whether or not students are getting a year's worth of learning in the school, measured by much more than test results. The Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 24, 2008

Bush Education Law: Shift Ahead?

This could be the last time students go back to school under the current No Child Left Behind law. While opinions on the law are split (see the 40th Annual PDK/Gallup Poll), it's sure that the new president and Congress will be dealing with the law next year. The Christian Science Monitor, August 21, 2008

Starting Kindergarten Later Gives Students Only a Fleeting Edge, Study Finds

By the eighth grade, kindergarten's younger students catch up academically with older students. The study, "Kindergarten Entrance Age and Children's Achievement: Impacts of State Policies, Family Background, and Peers" will appear in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Human Resources.  ScienceDaily, August 18, 2008

Slowing Speech Eases Child's Ability to Listen

Wichita State audiology professor Ray Hull says that students young and old better understand teachers who speak more slowly than the average adults do. St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 22, 2008

Is the Semicolon "Girlie"?

Salon staff wonder about favorite punctuation marks. Salon.com, August 21, 2008

New Research Center to Focus on Education Technology

The National Center for Research in Advanced Information and Digital Technologies was approved in the recent reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.  Education Week, August 19, 2008

Lights, Camera . . . Debate; and Worksheet on How to Watch a Presidential Debate

NCTE consultant Frank Baker gives advice on how to use a media-literacy perspective when watching the presidential debates.  Cable in the Classroom, September 2008 (scroll down to article and worksheet)

Computer Time Doesn't Have to Replace Reading Time

NCTE President-Elect Kylene Beers says, "Kids may not be spending as much time reading a novel, but they're spending a lot more time reading things online."  WBZTV.com, August 25, 2008 (watch video interview)

Raving over reading

"Mary Lou Chumbley has a single computer in her second-grade classroom at April Lane Elementary — so it's not technology that's sent reading scores at the school soaring to the highest in the Yuba City Unified School District." (The Appeal Democrat)

When Schools Offer Money As a Motivator

"More and more school districts are banking on improving student performance using cash incentives -- a $1,000 payout for high test scores, for example. But whether they work is hard to say." (The Wall Street Journal)

Weak economy spurs growth for community colleges

"Two-year community colleges are seeing record enrollment as families squeezed by tough economic times steer high school graduates away from more expensive four-year universities." (The New York Times)

Basic English skills test scores show dramatic leap after Casa Grande students attend all-day kindergarten

Reports on all-day kindergarten initiative that resulted in 92 percent of the students learning the skills required to succeed in first-grade.

Tots show benefits from early emphasis on reading

Initial test results of the Early Reading First program, which focused on teaching 3 and 4 year old children early literacy skills, show the children came a long way.

The future of the book

This Ithaca Journal article describes how "Digital screens provide new option for literary lovers"--and the enduring interest in "old-fashioned" paper-based books.

What Your Frosh Know (and Don’t)

From Inside Higher Ed, this article reminds college professors of the things that their incoming first-year class of students do, and do not, know, based on the annual list released by Beloit College.

Will Colleges Friend Facebook?

This Inside Higher Ed article describes a company's new Facebook application, which addresses privacy concerns for colleges that want to engage and support students in social networking.

Author's 40-year search for story behind Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

This Hunts Post Online (UK) discusses a newly published book that outlines the personal story behind Ian Fleming's well-known novel.

Walter Dean Myers, A 'Bad Boy' Makes Good

NPR Story on the relationship between authors Walter Dean Myers and Richard Wright.

PBS Launches An ABCs Offensive With New Shows

NPR story provides details on new PBS shows: Super WHY and Martha Speaks.