The College Board recently released four new publications, addressing issues from the presidential election to expanding opportunities for historically underserved groups in public institutions of higher education. Each of the publications underscores the country’s current economic issues and the raging debate over education reform. The Common Core aims to prepare Read more
On June 29, the Department of Education announced that waiver applications from five more states have been approved. Arkansas, Missouri, South Dakota, Utah and Virginia bring the total of waiver-approved states to 24, with 13 states still waiting for a decision. The big surprise for many observers was the approval Read more
The Obama administration approved eight additional states for flexibility from key provisions of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) in exchange for state-developed plans to prepare all students for college and career, focus aid on the neediest students, and support effective teaching and leadership. The announcement brings the number of states Read more
David Coleman, one of the main writers of the Common Core, has been appointed president of the College Board and will take his post in October. His new position will involve a continued focus on college readiness, as well as some role in ensuring that the Common Core is reflected Read more
Governor Mike Dayton vetoed a proposal to overhaul teacher layoff rules earlier this month, a top priority for the state’s Republican lawmakers. In defense of his veto, the governor said the measure was “an example of prejudice against public school teachers” that singled out hard-working teachers by negating long-establish[ed] bargaining Read more
The second round of waiver applicants, 26 states plus the District of Columbia, have received feedback from the Department of Education on their requests. Education Week examined 22 of the 27 letters sent to applicants, and found some common areas of concern: Almost every state needs to do a better Read more
Andrew Rotherham weighed in on this question last week. Although polls show that 67% of voters in swing states said education was “extremely important” to them, President Obama and Mr. Romney haven’t talked much about education. Why? Rotherham believes it is because “education reform doesn’t fit well with the overall Read more
Finland, with its high-achieving public schools, has been held up as a standard for the US as we slog down the path of education reform. However, are there things we can’t learn from Finland’s model? Pasi Sahlberg, author of Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn About Educational Change in Read more
While the economy may be showing signs of life, local school districts nationwide continue to struggle mightily. The “new normal” of tougher budget times is here to stay for American K-12 education. So how can local officials cope? This Fordham Institute released a policy brief earlier this month, authored by Read more
Paul Farhi, senior contributing writer for The Washington Post, recently wrote a commentary piece for The American Journalism Review (a publication from the University of Maryland Foundation, which examines how the media cover specific stories and broader coverage trends). Farhi’s article reflected on the way the American education system has Read more
On March 27, Education Sector held a panel discussion to discuss the challenges facing states as we head towards 2014. Between now and 2014, states will be facing the challenges of new Common Core standards, new assessments, new accountability systems, new teacher evaluations, new data systems, and for some states, Read more
Across the country, state education agencies have begun to institute new offices to specialize in innovation—searching for new ideas and helping them to make it into education policy. The “new ideas” cover a variety of areas, from teacher quality to online learning, which means they “transcend the assigned duties of Read more
The New Teacher Center (NTC) has released a new study, Review of State Policies on Teacher Induction, which summarizes the Center’s analysis of induction and mentoring policies across the country. The paper uses a battery of criteria to highlight leading state policies, and makes policy recommendations that the Center believes Read more
A new brief by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) focuses in on the proposals to reauthorize portions of ESEA. The brief is part of a series co-authored by the Center for American Progress (CAP), called “Tightening Up Title I.” This particular brief was written by Frederick M. Hess of AEI Read more
From the 1970s through the 1990s, Wake County Public Schools in North Carolina was known for its academic performance and dedication to racial integration of its schools. However, since 2000, when the courts ruled race could no longer be a criterion in determining which school students attend, Wake county has Read more
Twenty six more states plus DC have applied for waivers to free them from many NCLB requirements. If the new applicants are approved, only 13 states will still be operating under the full law (11 states have already received waivers—you can read the story here). In exchange for waivers, the Read more