North Carolina district pays for parent engagement

Guilford County Schools offers some parents cash in return for participating in certain volunteer activities.

By Kate Schimel • Oct. 16, 2015

How do schools contribute to wider achievement gaps?

New studies from NAEP and PISA find greater gaps within schools than between them.

By Kate Schimel • Oct. 16, 2015

New e-book provides guide for ed tech procurement

The free resource was developed by LearnBop in collaboration with Howard-Winneshiek (IA) Superintendent John Carver.

By Kate Schimel • Oct. 16, 2015

Tennessee district cancels school indefinitely over financial concerns

Clay County's director of schools attributed the closure to financial constraints brought on by the Affordable Care Act.

By Kate Schimel • Oct. 16, 2015

WestEd releases new toolbox for school turnaround leaders

The nonpartisan research and development company has released a series of materials on hiring and retaining leaders for turnaround schools.

By Kate Schimel • Oct. 15, 2015

Network attached storage offers schools secure, cheap data alternative

The systems, which have been refined over older models, offer an alternative to insecure USB drives and other options.

By Kate Schimel • Oct. 15, 2015

Indiana stalls over passing rates on new tests

The state's board of education is contemplating a delay on setting passing rates for the standardized tests students took last spring.

By Kate Schimel • Oct. 15, 2015

Texas district capitalizes on unusual funding source

Rains Independent School District has a fund drawn from historical land ownership and oil and gas revenues. So what do leaders do with it?

By Kate Schimel • Oct. 15, 2015

Real estate investors turn focus to charter schools

A market has sprung up around providing spaces for the public schools, which are typically operated by private companies.

By Kate Schimel • Oct. 15, 2015

New tech requires hands-on PD approach

Lamar University professor George Saltsman argues for a “go and show” model of professional development.

By Kate Schimel • Oct. 14, 2015

States grapple with academic, financial concerns in the charter sector

At least four North Carolina charter schools have been flagged for poor performance and Indiana is contemplating limits on state loans available for charters.

By Kate Schimel • Oct. 14, 2015

Microsoft to expand classroom coding program

The company added 11 Washington state schools to its Technology Education and Literacy in Schools initiative.

By Kate Schimel • Oct. 14, 2015

New teacher evaluations spark legal challenges nationwide

A total of 14 cases have been brought by unions or teachers in seven states.

By Kate Schimel • Oct. 14, 2015

Special ed changes likely in final months of Obama admin

At the meeting of the National Association of State Directors of Special Education, presenters told district and state leaders to expect new guidance.

By Kate Schimel • Oct. 14, 2015

Former Chicago schools CEO Byrd-Bennett pleads guilty, faces prison sentence

Through tears, the former Chicago Public Schools CEO also apologized to the city's students during the hearing.

By Roger Riddell • Oct. 13, 2015

Washington leadership shake-ups leave murky path for K-12 policy

The federal government has limited tools at its disposal to craft new policy and seems likely to stay the course.

By Kate Schimel • Oct. 13, 2015

With 80% saturation, Common Core not likely going away

Despite conservative objections, the new standards are now shaping classroom instruction in most schools.

By Kate Schimel • Oct. 13, 2015

Classroom assignments fall short of Common Core standards

A new report from the Education Trust finds that just 38% of classroom assignments were aligned to the appropriate grade level standard.

By Kate Schimel • Oct. 13, 2015

Dual language schools continue expanding

Several states are offering increased access to dual language programs in support of both English language learners and native speakers.

By Kate Schimel • Oct. 13, 2015

New Jersey sees unique collaboration between schools, industry

High-tech manufacturing jobs are plentiful, and industry experts are working with schools to fill the skills gap necessary for them.

By Kate Schimel • Oct. 13, 2015

5 ways to make dropout recovery work

As states work to raise grad rates, efforts to re-engage dropouts and help them across the finish line are gaining importance.

By Kate Schimel • Oct. 12, 2015

How useful is Twitter in building teacher networks?

Some experts remain on the fence as to how big the platform's classroom impact really is.

By Kate Schimel • Oct. 12, 2015

Ohio highlights states' efforts to tackle charter accountability

Missteps in the Ohio charter sector have prompted a reexamination of what oversight and controls are required, as federal dollars roll in.

By Kate Schimel • Oct. 12, 2015

Study of urban grad rates sparks controversy

Officials in Minneapolis dispute a study from the Center on Reinventing Public Education, which found its rate the lowest of 50.

By Kate Schimel • Oct. 12, 2015

California district leader: Low test scores present an opportunity

Riverside USD Assistant Superintendent Renee Hill also has tips for using and discussing the tests and students’ results.

By Kate Schimel • Oct. 12, 2015