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Here you will find a wealth of information that falls somewhere between a full research or study document that you would find under the "Research and Issues" page categories and a short daily news piece available in "Today's Hot News."

Simply choose from the topic list below:

Here's an interesting resource if you are into blogging!  Washington Post columnist Jay Matthews who writes an education column, "Class Struggles," has identified his 10 top education blogs that cover a wide range of subjects. 

Do you have a print education resource/story? Please share it with us so we can include it here for other education stakeholders. We will even post your name as a contributor if you like.  Just give us the word.

The candidates want you to know.  Here are links to the web site education pages of the three remaining major candidates.  Do you agree with them?  Check them out:

Senator Hillary Clinton (D-New York)

Senator John McCain (R-Arizona)

Senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois)

Overlooking education, the candidates aren't measuring up.  This Washingtom Times opinion piece says all three Presidential candidates are not devoting the attention they should to public education.  (March 30)

Where do the remaining candidates stand on education and technology? This eSchool News story takes a look at the positions of the three key remaining Presidential candidates, Senators Clinton, McCain and Obama (February 13)  

Decision 2008, where do the candidates stand on education?  This report from the Educational Policy Institute, will help answer that question (January)

The Benwood Initiative - In the late 1990s, an independent think tank ranked all of the elementary and middle schools in Tennessee. Of 860 elementary schools, 9 of the 20 lowest-performing schools were in Hamilton County. These were urban schools enrolling minority children from low-income families. Virtually all of them qualified for the free- or reduced-lunch program.  Something had to be done.  A partnership was formed.  The results have been impressive.  (An Education Sector report is available under Teacher Issues of the Research and Issues page of this web site.) (April 2008 - Public Education Network - PEN)

‘The Prince' Provides A New How-To Guide For Teachers - Niccolo Machiavelli may have missed his intended audience. In fact, his audience should have been the teachers of the young, writes Regina Barreca for Education World. While Machiavelli doesn't project the warm and fuzzy image everyone has of quality teachers, he does understand the nature of authority. Most people can agree that some form of authority is necessary for the effective management of a classroom. So, according to Machiavelli, a teacher assumes authority by either being given authority or outright taking it.

Technology Can Attract and Orient New Teachers - A hypothetical recently graduated new teacher is accustomed to 24/7 broadband access to the Internet, staying in touch via text messages and e-mails, virtual career fairs online and e-mentoring programs. Most new teachers expect to be plugged in all the time and want the same opportunities when they move from higher education to the professional world, writes Joan Richardson in The Learning System. While providing classroom computers and Internet access has become the norm, few school districts are using technology as a way to attract new teachers or to enhance induction.

Raise teacher starting salaries, attract better teachers? - The U.S. lags behind other countries in teacher compensation, which in turn adversely affects the ability to recruit high-quality candidates.  A recent study by McKinsey and Company argues that good starting salaries are an essential ingredient for getting the right people to become teachers.  Check out the story in Economic Snapshots from the Economic Policy Institute (which also includes a link to more of the report). (April 2008 - Public Education Network - PEN)

Coach, don't mentor, new teachers -   Baseball managers do not give each player a mentor to go to if he needs advice on fielding a grounder, after which he goes off to "reflect" on the proper strategy. Rather, each positional coach has a responsibility to bring out the best in every player under their charge. Many educators use this same concept and have long since moved away from giving new teachers mentors. According to this article it seems to be working, as across the country the use of literacy/academic coaches have helped make significant test score gains. (March 2008 - PEN)

First year teachers listen up!  Avoid the 2nd floor bathroom!  -  On her first day as a high school English teacher in a large urban public school, a new teacher expected to be greeted by the principal or chairperson, guided to her classrooms and provided with what she considered to be the essentials (schedule, curriculum, rosters and keys), writes an anonymous second-year teacher for American Educator. Instead, she was provided with only a piece of paper with two numerical codes and a warning not to use the women's bathroom on the second floor. (March 2008 - PEN)

Improving teaching through pay for contribution  -  Teacher "Pay for Contribution" affects current and future educators' performance -  This report  by Public Impact for the National Governors Association outlines this strategy for investing more in teachers and teaching roles that contribute measurably more to student learning. The report concludes that this approach helps shape not only the performance of current teachers, but also the quality of the future teaching workforce by shifting who enters and stays in the profession. (February 2008)

Teacher retention is an issue faced in every state - In California, 22 percent leave after their first four years, 10 percent transfer away from high poverty schools each year.  This report, "A Possible Dream - Retaining California Teachers So All Students Learn," from California State University, examines results from an online poll of 2,000 teachers, providing insights into why teachers leave. (June 2007)

The Carnegie Corporation of New York's  program director for higher education told the House Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness that quality teachers have a greater influence on pupil achievement than any other school-based factor.  He further suggested that how the United States educates its teachers will largely determine the degree to which it succeeds in the 21st century knowledge economy. (May 2007)

The Data Quality Campaign has released materials from its March quarterly meeting.  The meeting discussed the benefits, challenges and lessons learned of connecting teacher and student data.  Materials include session video, an issue brief and presentation material from speakers. (March 2007)

Is $34.06 per hour underpaid?  This Wall Street Journal article previews the Manhattan Institute report, "How Much Are Teachers Paid?"  The report compiles information on the hourly pay of public school teachers nationally and in 66 metropolitan areas, as collected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in its National Compensation Survey.  Here's the article.  For the full report, visit the Research and Issues page of the Web site (scroll down to External Research and Reports). (February 2007)

Stop pandering on bad teachers - This Newsweek story by Jonathan Alter holds Republicans and Democrats at fault for their approaches to the nation's public education.  It says it is time to move from failing schools to failing teachers.  (February 2007) 

Georgia Public Policy Foundation - Teach for America:  A Rising Tide Lifting Low Income Students  - So what is "Teach for America"?  This piece written by former Teach for America Atlanta Executive Director Diana Ellsworth helps answer that question.  (December 2006)

College Going Rates On The Rise, Thanks To Tuition Aid And Advisors - The number of Hamilton County (Tenn.) students enrolling in higher education continued to climb in 2007, reports the news team for Channel 9 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The numbers reflect hard work on the part of principals and teachers, but also a heavy investment from the community.

A high school's culture and filing a FAFSA key to going to college - It seems which high school one goes to matters greatly, as a school's culture affects college attendance rates, according to a new report from the Consortium on Chicago School Research. The research indicates that of the 83 percent of Chicago high school seniors who said they wanted to earn a bachelor's degree or higher, only 59 percent actually applied to college. (March 2008 - Public Education Network - PEN)

A framework for college success - The Consortium on Chicago School Research works to help the Chicago Public Schools, other urban districts and national policymakers understand what it takes to improve the college outcomes for urban and other at-risk students, who now overwhelmingly aspire to college. In a new report, the Consortium looks beyond qualifications to examine where students encounter potholes on the road to college. (March 19)

Lost in Transition - Building a Better Path from School to College and Careers - This Southern Regional Education Board shows there is great concern with ensuring high school grads are college ready, but it appears the second part of the question, being career ready, has fallen by the wayside.  According to this report, educators, policy makers and the public have been too willing to define "success" as a four-year college degree and tend to concentrate most resources toward that single goal. (March 2008)

Graduates of Academic and Career Majors  -  This report from the National Center for Education Statistics compares the experiences of graduates with academic and career-oriented undergraduate majors.  It examines college gradutes' work experiences in 1994, 1997 and 2003, describing their labor force status, employment stability and intensity, occupations and industries, salaries and benefits and perceptions about their jobs. (March 2008)

Careers for Georgia's youths - The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) issued this report in May after holding its Georgia Education Forum.  Sponsored by the League for Innovation in the Community College and the SREB, and supported by the U.S. Department of Education, the forum focused on the goals of the College and Career Transitions Initiative.  This report details the outcome of the forum and suggests actions Georgia can take to improve students' transitions from high school to postsecondary studies and careers. (Issued in May, posted here in July 2007) 

A new Public Agenda survey examines the public's views on college quality and affordability - "Squeeze Play: How Parents And The Public Look At Higher Education Today" finds a record number of Americans now say a college education is necessary for success in the workplace. (June 2007)

One of the nation's most prestigious business magazines has selected Rome (Georgia) as one the nation's best places for new businesses to locate.  Why?  The local community college is getting it right in creating programs to train local workers to fit the needs of employers.  Hail, Rome! is a Forbes Magazine story detailing the success of the local community,. (April 2007)

National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education: "Developing Skills and Knowledge for the Global Knowledge Economy" -  This report examines how the United States is performing in higher education, analyzing how countries with advanced, market-based economies compare on key education-related indicators. (November 2006)

Engaged for Success - Service Learning as a Tool for High School Dropout Prevention  -  Civic Enterprises has released a report arguing that service-learning programs have the potential to provide hands-on activities that bring relevance to classroom lessons, increase student engagement, and therefore keep more students in school longer. (April 2008 - ECS)

Graduation rates called a "catastrophe" - Seventeen of the nation’s 50 largest cities had high school graduation rates lower that 50 percent for school year 2003-04. According to data recently released by America’s Promise Alliance, many urban areas showed a considerable gap between their inner-city schools and the surrounding suburbs. "When more than one million students a year drop out of high school, it’s more than a problem, it’s a catastrophe," said former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell.  (April 2008)

How can we close the math achievement gap? - This Jobs For The Future report looks at the real challenges behind the math achievement gap and what high achieving schools can teach us about how to close it. (April 2008)

Here's something totally different! - The Air Force Brain Booster Book (available free online) is a collection of 52 activities loosely placed into three categories: puzzles, patterns or curios. The puzzles exercise the use of various logical and problem-solving skills as taught in mathematics and English. The book focuses on problems that can be explored or solved using skills learned in grades K-12.(March 2008)

High school reform - A growing number of state leaders have begun to grapple with the challenge of how to substantially increase the percentage of young people graduating from high school while also continuing to bring academic standards into alignment with the skills and knowledge required for success in higher education and employment. A new paper from Jobs For The Future calls upon state policymakers to commit to five key outcomes and suggests strategies and steps that they can take to focus their high school reform efforts on ensuring that these commitments are met. (March 2008)

Virtual high schools as laboratories of reform - Spreading rapidly, virtual schools are leading innovation in areas that traditional schools have struggled for decades to improve.  They are personalizing student learning and extending it beyond the traditional school day.  See how.  (June 2007) 

Reading First Impact Study: Interim Report  - The $1 billion-a-year Reading First program has had no measurable effect on students' reading comprehension, on average, although participating schools are spending significantly more time teaching the basic skills that researchers say children need to become proficient readers, a federal report finds. (May 2008)

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Early Learning Guidelines  -  This recently released report from ZERO TO THREE presents recommendations to assist states in creating or revising early learning guidelines for infants and toddlers.  The report promotes the building of a strong foundation for chikld development and for future learning through care that is responsive, appropriate and high quality in order to enhance a young child's earliest experiences.  (March 2008)

What will it take to ensure that young low-income children succeed in the early school years?  How to bring schools into the 21st century is the title of this special report.  The Time cover story  examines our public education system.  Where is it and where is it going and what do we need to do to create a globally competitive system. (January 2007)

Tutors for Toddlers - This Time Magazine story examines the growing trend to hire tutors for preschoolers and kindergartners.  Many parents feel such help will lead the way to college and better paying jobs.  But are they right? (November 2007)

High quality child-care for low-income children offsets risk of later depression.  Young adults from low-income families who were in full-time early educational child care from infancy to age five reported fewer symptoms of depression than their peers who were not in this care, according to a new report by FPG researchers.  Read more.  (June 2007)

White House announces No-Child changes.  The Bush administration sought to bolster its signature education law Tuesday, announcing new rules designed to address the nation's dropout problem and ensure close attention is paid to the achievement of minority students. Time Magazine reports. (April 2008)

Documentary takes an indepth, inside look.  "Put to the Test," follows the students, teachers and administrators of Western Guilford High School, located in Greensboro, N.C., as they navigate the requirements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB).  Many teachers when asked say they think schools are becoming so focused on test results that education is being reduced to what can fit on a multiple choice exam. However, ask the principal at Western Guilford High School what he thinks, and he'll tell you the testing is absolutely necessary.  This is an American RadioNow report. (April 2008 - Public Education Network)

Taking a look at NCLB in an election year, will it be reauthorized?  This WorldNow report is an update on where we are or aren't as the case might be.  It provides perspectives from both sides - detractors and supporters. (April 2008)

Spellings marches to her own NCLB Re-Authorization beat as reported in this Associated Press article.  Regardless of how re-authorization is moving, the Bush administration is trying to address one of the most common complaints about the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced March 18 that states may submit proposals for assigning different consequences to schools based on the degree to which they miss adequate yearly progress (AYP).  (March 2008 - Public Education Network - PEN)

USA Today takes a look at the No Child Left Behind Act and how it can be improved.  The newspaper provides two education experts who offer their views on how the Act can be fixed. (June 2007)

The Nation asked noted education expert Linda Darling-Hammond to examine the consequences and prospects for improving the No Child Left Behind law as Congress begins to consider reauthorization.  Her in-depth report offers interesting findings. (May 2007)

The newest Data Quality Campaign's newsletter includes a synopsis of the NCLB Commission report, an excerpt from the March issue brief on teacher-student data connection, and information about a variety of upcoming meetings.  (April 2007)

This American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research features "Thought Leaders Who Debate the Compatability of Competitiveness Agenda and No Child Left Behind."  American schools have spent the past five years under the spotlight of NCLB.  The statute's relentless push to close the racial achievement gap and pursue universal proficiency in reading and math has focused unprecedented attention on basic instruction.  However, this push has also raised concerns about a slighting of high-achieving students and about inattention to advanced instruction and the dictates of national "competitiveness." (April 2007)

School Finance  -  A new report by The School Finance Redesign Project to help elected officials better understand how the finance system now works and to identify their options in allocating resources to support K-12 education. (February 2008)

Cost Per Day for Extended School Year - ECS StateNotes.  Extending the school year has become a topic of interest to many states across the nation, and one of the first concerns any state looking to extend their school year must consider is the expenditure associated with extension of the school year.  This document provides a rough estimate of what the cost-per-day for school operation can run in each state.  (June 2007)

What policymakers need to know about the cost of implementing lab-based science course requirements - ECS Policy Brief.  An increasing number of states have required that some -- or all -- Carnegie units in science for high school graduation be fulfilled in lab sciences.  This brief examines the research that supports implementing lab science requirements for high school graduation, the costs associated with fitting schools with science labs and the alternatives to traditional labs and their respective benefits and disadvantages. (June 2007)

The Commission on the Whole Child has issued a new report, The Learning Compact Redefined: A Call to Action.  This study provides the impetus for educators, policymakers, parents, community leaders and other stakeholders to change the conversation about learning and schooling from reforming its structures to transforming its conditions so that each child can develop his strengths and restore her unique capacities for intellectual, social, emotional, physical and spiritual learning.  Here it is. (May 2007)

The Commission on the Whole Child has another report that calls for attention on the conditions that evidence makes clear are essential to learning.  The Learning Compact Redefined: A Call to Action,  stresses that current educational practice and policy focus on academic achievement, which is a necessary but not sufficient element of student learning and development, and only a part of any complete system of educational accountability. (April 2007)

The Council of Chief State School Officers has released its latest in a biennial series of reports on key state education policies.  The report examines policies on teacher preparation and certification, high school graduation requirements, student assessment programs, school time and assessment and school leader/administrator licensure is provided. (March 2007)

The Panasonic Foundation in cooperation with the American Association of School Administrators and the University Council for Educational Administration - Strategies - Instruction at the Core  -  For what purpose does your school system exist?  This question should not evoke a range of answers from district to district.  Although the wording may vary, we would expect the answer to be something like this: "We exist for the purpose of educating all the students we serve to high levels through high-quality instruction."  (December 2006)

The overscheduling myth.  Contrary to popular belief, recent research contradicts the notion that most or even many youth are over-scheduled and are suffering as a result. A new Child Trends brief suggests how best to focus not on the few children and youth who are over-scheduled, but rather on those who do not participate at all. (April 2008 - Public Education Network - PEN)

High-risk families limit participation in out-of-school activities.  As research mounts, it seems certain that participation in an out-of-school program is related to better outcomes for children. Nevertheless, research to date has examined family and neighborhood risks as if they operate separately. So, Child Trends conducted a study that combines the two by analyzing data for children ages 6 to 17 from the 2003 National Survey of Children's Health. (March 2008 -  PEN)

Educational improvement starts at home...now!  Once again, the air is filled with headlines and recriminations about the quality of our schools and whether our students can compete in the real world.  Is all this bemoaning about American education justified?  Studies are unclear about this, writes Dorothy Rich.  See what she means.  (June 2007) 

Guiding A Community Toward School Reform - Since Joshua Starr arrived in Stamford (Conn.) as the new superintendent, education conversations have been productive and pro-active, he writes in the School Administrator. He sees his role as more of a teacher than a dictator, focusing on asking the right questions that will inspire others to seek the appropriate solutions.

Principals' group updates standards for leadership - In the year 2021, the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) will celebrate 100 years of service to pre-K-8 principals worldwide. NAESP recognizes the importance of this landmark event and is committed to assisting principals prepare for the future. NAESP’s VISION 2021 initiative asks the important questions: What will schools be like in 2021? What will be the role of principals in 2021? What needs to be done today to better prepare schools? (April 2008)

Respect students and you will be rewarded - When Elizabeth Legault began as principal at Calcutt Middle School in Central Falls, R.I., she entered a school that averaged about 1,000 suspensions a year, yet had a student body of only 800-plus. What made matters worse is that most suspended students simply got on their bikes and came right back. Like many schools, Calcutt's disciplinary philosophy relied on the assumption that adults can punish children into compliance. However, punishment does not improve behavior because it fails to cultivate cooperation or respect. (March 2008 - Public Education Network - PEN)

Principal Advisory:  How Much is Too Much? - The authors in this Changing Schools article agree that school leaders need a certain degree of latitude.  Here they address the question:  School districts focus on hiring great school leaders.  Should they then stay out of their way or should they guide improvement efforts all the way from the boardroom to the classroom? (March 2008)

The School Administrator - Desiderata: An Ageless Message on Exemplary Leadership  -  Few people go into educational administration striving to be anything less than competent.  And while the ingredients of exemplary leadership are similar - desire, skills and experience - these ingredients must be augmented by the belief that leadership is an evolving process, just like life itself. (December 2006)

Georgia Public Policy Foundation - Issue Analysis - Preparing for a Perfect Storm:  Meeting Georgia's Need for Quality School Leaders  - Just as complex weather systems can spawn powerful storms, a complex set of conditions is converging in Georgia that may challenge the state's ability to get and keep enough school leaders with the right skills and expertise.  Georgia's Leadership Institute for School Improvement Executive Director Deb Page authors this analysis.  (December 2006)   

This new report from the Alliance for Excellent Education illustrates the discrepancies in graduation rates reported by government and independent sources, examines why this is important and explains how certain federal policies have contributed to the graduation rate confusion. (May 2007)

If high school dropouts who currently head households had earned their diplomas the nation's economy would have benefited from an additional $74 billion in wealth accumulated by families.  That is what this new report from the Alliance for Excellent Education argues.  The brief focuses on household wealth, which is defined as the accumulation of investments that appreciate over time.  Individual state profiles are included. (March 2007)

Intervention: New Chance, it has potential.  This study done by the U.S. Department of Education's What Works Clearinghouse, evaluates this program for young welfare mothers who have dropped out of school. (February 2008)

What's Right With Public Education?  This Georgia Trend article claims that the problems with public education in our state are well documented - so much so that the accomplishments are often overshadowed.  This provides a look at some top schools, their strategies for success and the educators who make them work. Partnership President Dr. Steve Dolinger is quoted in the article and two of the examples of achieving schools - Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School and the International Community School (Charter) - have been Bus Trip Across Georgia stops.  (December 2007)

Summit: Save STEM or watch America fail - At current rates of investment in STEM research and education, America is losing its competitive edge, panelists warn. (eSchool News - May 2008)

 

Multimodal Learning Shown To Increase Achievement - New research indicates that multimodal learning (using many modes and strategies that cater to individual learners' needs and capacities) is more effective than traditional, unimodal learning, reports Meris Stansbury for eSchool News. According to recent research, adding visuals to verbal instruction can result in significant gains in basic or higher-order learning.

Does Computing Add Up In the Classroom?  Computing is essentially math on steroids, writes Steve Lohr for the New York Times. So, at first glance, it should seem appropriate that the National Mathematics Advisory Panel included computer-based instruction among its recommendations to address the mediocre level of math achievement in the United States. However, the champions of computing in the classroom have hailed the math panel report as an encouraging win instead of a commonplace recommendation. (April 2008 - Public Education Network)

STEM Education  -  Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education have been the subject of much attention and concern recently. A new report from Education Week and Editorial Projects in Education provides readers with numerous articles to put the issue in context, and examines efforts to improve STEM education in the states. (March 2008)

Technology Imapcting Education  -  The annual Horizon Report describes the continuing work of the New Media Consortium's (NMC) Horizon Project, which seeks to identify and describe emerging technologies likely to have a large impact on teaching, learning or creative expression within learning-focused organizations.  The 2008 report describes six emerging technologies or practices that will likely enter the mainstream use over the next one to five years. (March 2008)

'Nation at Risk" - The best thing or worst thing for education?  -  Twenty-five years ago this week, Americans awoke to a forceful little report that, depending on your point of view, either ruined public education or saved it. This USA Today story provides brief insight.  (April 2008 - Public Education Network - PEN)  -  For a more in depth analysis provided by the CATO Institute, visit the Research and Issues page.)

A Nation at Risk - 25 Years Later  -  This special Education Week coverage marking the 25th anniversary of the landmark report A Nation at Risk highlights interesting perspectives. (April 2008 - PEN)

 

What Is a Local Education Fund?  -  Local education funds (LEFs) were established in 1983 with funding from the Ford Foundation to improve public education for low-income and minority children living in urban areas. LEFs are nonprofit organizations that work with, but are independent of, their local school systems. (April 2008 - PEN)

 

Putting The Public Back In Public Schools: Focus On Co-Production -  In a new article for Phi Delta Kappan, David Mathews, president of the Charles F. Kettering Foundation, argues that many Americans have lost a sense of ownership of their public schools. At the same time, educators have lost sight of democracy's role in education. This dynamic weakens America's democracy.

Cost-Benefit Studies Do Help The Bottom Line - The Center for Benefit-Cost Studies of Education specializes in calculating the long- and short-term costs, along with probable payoffs, of different educational strategies, reports Debbie Viadero for Education Week. While cost-benefit analyses have long been a staple of business, health care, environmental studies and national defense, such studies are undertaken far less often in education. The center has found that if educators were inclined to pay more attention to costs, the savings could be considerable.

Many potential leaders of tomorrow reject the role -  According to this nationwide survey commissioned by the Girl Scouts of the USA, a majority of children and youths in the U.S. have little or no interest with achieving leadership roles when they become adults.  (March 2008 - Education Commission of the States - ECS)

March/school madness: Create divisions of similar schools - Teachers often complain that it is not fair to compare their school to others because of differences in demographics, says this article in This Week in Education. Still, many schools exceed ("Cinderellas") or fail to meet those demographic expectations on a regular basis. So, what about creating NCAA-like divisions (I, II, III) based on student poverty within public school systems?  (March 2008 - Public Education Network - PEN)

Calling school administrators names, is it free speech? - When Avery Doninger, 17, called her school's administrators a mean name on her blog, she didn't intend to start a free speech debate.  In the blog post, Doninger called the administrators "d****bags" and asked other students to e-mail the school superintendent to complain. After her principal learned of the crude post, Doninger was barred from serving on the student council and from speaking at her upcoming graduation. The punishment turned Doninger's post into the subject of a First Amendment lawsuit that questions a school's ability to monitor and punish what students say online. (March 2008 - PEN)

"Not on the Test" Satirizes Current American Curriculum Trends - Tom Chapin, a Grammy Award-winning musician perhaps best known for children's music, has released a new song titled "Not on the Test." The song satirizes the American education system's renewed focus on rote teaching, in which tests have become the sole reason to teach and learn. Music, art, drama and sports were what kept Chapin engaged in school. In addition, these subjects make the teacher's (and the student's) job easier and infinitely more rewarding. Unfortunately, they are also what have been cut from curriculums across the country as Chapin explains lightheartedly in song. (March 2008 - PEN)

Criminalizing Home Schooling  -  This Time Magazine story reports that a California Appeals Court judge has issued a ruling that says school-age children can only be taught by an accredited teacher. (March 2008)

Fighting Poverty Through Incentives and Work Mandates for Young Men - The Future of Children, Princeton-Brookings  -  This paper says many of the nation's most vexing problems are linked with negative behaviors of and problems experienced by adolescent boys and young men.  Two sets of public policies - wage subsidies and work requirements - that hold promise for helping young men increase their employment and earnings could thereby alleviate many of these social problems, especially poverty. (Fall 2007)

My Child Doesn't Test Well.  This Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching article examines a variety of reasons why test performance may not be a valid measure of a person's competence or potential. (June 2007)

Misunderstood Minds.  For one in five students, learning is an exhaustive and frustrating struggle.  Often mistakenly called "lazy" or "stupid" by their teachers, classmates, and even their families, these children may be suffering from debilitating learning problems.  See signs.  (June 2007) 

Is recess a frivolous waste of time with no apparent outcome?  Elementary school recess has no teacher-designed objectives, and many school districts throughout the country have abolished recess in favor of more time for academic learning.  (read more) (June 2007)

The Project Forum brief examines data collected through interviews with four states that currently offer voucher programs specifically for students with disabilities.  The report examines each program's history, administration and specific components including eligibility, participation, voucher amount, transportation and accountability. (May 2007) 

This story in Edutopia Magazine says kids don't have to squirm to learn. If we were to assemble a list of adjectives to describe school, comfortable would not make the cut.  But it is possible to construct classrooms that are comfortable and learning friendly.  Check out "A Comfortable Truth." (April issue, posted May 2007)

Public education and the economy -  Public education in the U.S. is at a critical crossroads.  The knowledge economy and globalization continue to challenge the basic industrial-era assumptions upon which most public schools, curriculum, and evaluation mechanisms are based.  KnowledgeWorks Foundation commissioned a map to examine the forces affecting education and the economy.  (December 2006)