Rural California district turned to performance-based learning to boost outcomes

Tulare County had high dropout rates and an 80% low-income student population that was nearly half English learners.

By Tara García Mathewson • Nov. 17, 2016

Internal watchdogs can help schools reduce financial risk

James Sullivan, former inspector general for the Chicago Board of Education, advises districts to hire an inspector general or internal auditor to uncover fraud and deter attempts.

By Tara García Mathewson • Nov. 17, 2016

Presidential election could impact ed tech use in schools

How President-elect Donald Trump will approach education policy is largely unknown, but leaders in the space worry his administration could pull ed tech funding and support.

By Tara García Mathewson • Nov. 17, 2016

Report: K-12 system is failing to leverage data

New research from the Center for Data Innovation urges policymakers to build a data-driven education system nationwide, catalyzing significant changes in teaching and learning.

By Tara García Mathewson • Nov. 16, 2016

Los Angeles USD uses range of tools to address suicidal behavior increase

The number of incidents of suicidal behavior reported in the district rose from 255 during the 2010-11 school year to 5,624 last year, and school staff are responding with better supports.

By Tara García Mathewson • Nov. 15, 2016

School conditions can reduce LGBT bullying

Specialized training for teachers, Gay Straight Alliance clubs and enumerated anti-bullying policies that highlight gender identity are among recommendations.

By Tara García Mathewson • Nov. 15, 2016

How are districts measuring progress on SEL?

Districts in California, Illinois and Texas have incorporated social-emotional learning in different ways, but all of them are paying attention to measurement.

By Tara García Mathewson • Nov. 14, 2016

Study: Students less likely to be suspended by same-race teachers

Researchers from American University and the University of California, Davis, studied 1 million students and 50,000 teachers in North Carolina who were in or taught first through fifth grade from 2008-2013.

By Tara García Mathewson • Nov. 14, 2016

Arlington County schools criticized for communication failure in block schedule shift

The high-performing Virginia district has embarked on a shift from period to block scheduling in middle school, but parents feel left out of the decision-making process.

By Tara García Mathewson • Nov. 14, 2016

NYC Ed Dept presses on with school integration plan

Some had worried the department was going to back off of a controversial plan to redraw attendance boundaries on the Upper West Side.

By Tara García Mathewson • Nov. 14, 2016

Republican control in Iowa expected to impact school choice, teachers unions

Last week’s election elevated Republicans to the majority party in the state's Senate, making many worry about school funding.

By Tara García Mathewson • Nov. 14, 2016

Election 2016, career pathways and Educause: The week's most-read education news

Stay ahead of the class with the latest on what educators might expect from a Trump presidency and more here.

By Roger Riddell • Nov. 11, 2016

What will happen to the Common Core under President Trump?

Trump derided the standards throughout his campaign, and one of the only comments about education on his website was about the need to eliminate them.

By Tara García Mathewson • Nov. 11, 2016

Trump victory prompts call for better K-12 civics education

Soviet advances with Sputnik prompted a burst of investment in science education, and those who see Trump’s presidency as a threat to democracy say this election should do the same for civics.

By Tara García Mathewson • Nov. 11, 2016

California officials join chorus of opposition to Ed Dept ESSA regs

At the close of the public comment period for the Obama administration’s regulations relating to the distribution of federal Title I dollars, state leaders made their voices heard.

By Tara García Mathewson • Nov. 10, 2016

Massachusetts voters deny lift on charter school cap

About 62% of voters cast their ballots against charter school expansion in a deeply personal campaign for families both for and against a lift.

By Tara García Mathewson • Nov. 10, 2016

State ballot initiatives rock K-12 policy

Four states voted on referenda that would greatly impact the K-12 landscape.

By Autumn A. Arnett • Nov. 9, 2016

Don't forget Common Core calls for literacy instruction in all subjects

At the end of the English/language arts section of the Common Core State Standards are recommendations for integrating literacy into history, social studies, science and technical subjects.

By Tara García Mathewson • Nov. 9, 2016

Why voting doesn't matter so much for schools

Candidates on all sides say they want to improve schools, and while they may have different strategies for doing so, ed isn’t particularly politicized, Jay Mathews writes for The Washington Post.

By Tara García Mathewson • Nov. 9, 2016

Education community hopes differences can be reconciled with President-elect Trump

Despite overwhelming support for the Democratic nominee, hope remains the state of education will improve under the next president.

By Autumn A. Arnett • Nov. 9, 2016

California voters expected to effectively overturn English-only mandate

Voters in the state will see a question on their ballot about whether to allow multilingual instruction in public schools, reversing a 1998 ban.

By Tara García Mathewson • Nov. 8, 2016

Massachusetts instructional tech specialist urges critical thinking

Dianne Pappafotopoulos believes it is time for a paradigm shift in the way schools offer technology education, adding in lessons on ethics and the potential downsides of tech advancements.

By Tara García Mathewson • Nov. 8, 2016

Superintendent turnover breeds instability in districts working toward reform

An EdSource survey of California’s 30 largest districts found that 17 had superintendents in their positions for three years or less, and nine of those 17 were in their first year.

By Tara García Mathewson • Nov. 8, 2016

Ohio superintendents plan statehouse rally against standardized testing

As the state school board meets and a trade show opens, superintendents will join other education leaders to protest the emphasis on testing.

By Tara García Mathewson • Nov. 7, 2016

New 'supplement not supplant' legal analysis sides with Ed Dept

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights asked attorneys at WilmerHale to determine whether the Department of Education has legal authority to approve its draft regulation.

By Tara García Mathewson • Nov. 7, 2016