NY nonprofit head cautions against rush to voucher expansion

Lynette Guastaferro, executive director of Teaching Matters Inc., says a rushed and haphazard voucher program could have ruinous consequences.

By Tara García Mathewson • Feb. 24, 2017

Paperless science and social studies classroom aims to get students real-world ready

Anthony Johnson operates his fifth- and sixth-grade classroom as a small city and immerses students in project-based learning to get them acting like adults.

By Tara García Mathewson • Feb. 24, 2017

Is it time to bring project-based learning to PD?

Schools have quickly jumped onto the PBL bandwagon to engage and empower learners, and the Shanghai American School has started using the strategy with teachers.

By Tara García Mathewson • Feb. 24, 2017

Rhode Island white paper outlines plans to scale personalized learning statewide

The Statewide Personalized Learning Initiative’s paper offers a common definition for personalized learning and maps out broad goals and objectives, with action items for individual districts.

By Tara García Mathewson • Feb. 24, 2017

California ed officials explore ways to measure, use school climate data

The state's next stage of accountability goes beyond test scores and grad rates, asking districts to take responsibility for continually improving school climate measures.

By Tara García Mathewson • Feb. 23, 2017

Digital courseware market is maturing, but schools must stay focused

The Learning Counsel’s Digital Curriculum Strategy Survey found 86% of K-12 schools expect to spend more on digital curriculum this year, and spending is shifting to the district level.

By Tara García Mathewson • Feb. 23, 2017

Study: Virtual schools tend to attract and harm lowest-performing students

A RAND Corporation and New York University study published last week found that students with low test scores who enroll in virtual schools tend to do even worse.

By Tara García Mathewson • Feb. 23, 2017

Feds rescind transgender bathroom guidance despite pushback from DeVos

While the Obama-era guidance requiring schools to let transgender students use the bathroom of their choice is no longer in place, Betsy DeVos has come out as a protector of LGBT students.

By Tara García Mathewson • Feb. 23, 2017

States begin fleshing out ESSA plans in advance of Ed Dept deadline

The Coalition of Chief State School Officers says at least 39 states have hosted community meetings or town halls to get public feedback.

By Tara García Mathewson • Feb. 23, 2017

Report: Districts should better leverage non-residential properties for school funding

EdBuild research finds districts often don’t leverage the non-residential property tax base, made up of businesses, factories and farms.

By Tara García Mathewson • Feb. 22, 2017

The Tennessee grad rate scandal that wasn't — because of bad data

An announcement earlier this month that one-third of the state’s 2015 graduates received diplomas without actually meeting requirements isn't true after all.

By Tara García Mathewson • Feb. 22, 2017

Internet of Things helped Connecticut district cut electricity bill by 84%

The Cheshire Public Schools converted lights in six buildings to LED bulbs and connected them to sensors and cloud-based servers that control brightness and turn lights off automatically.

By Tara García Mathewson • Feb. 22, 2017

DC turns old school into state-of-the-art building for severely disabled students

The River Terrace Education Campus replaced two run-down buildings in the DC Public Schools, and it serves 135 students with severe physical or intellectual disabilities.

By Tara García Mathewson • Feb. 22, 2017

Districts push students into 'alternative' charters to boost grad rates

A ProPublica investigation finds many states allow high schools to send students to alternative programs if they have low test scores or attendance rates, or are at high risk of dropping out.

By Tara García Mathewson • Feb. 22, 2017

Suspensions plummet in NYC school that incentivizes good behavior

At Robert Van Wyck Middle School, in Queens, teachers track good citizenship and displays of empathy along with traditional bad behaviors like tardiness.

By Tara García Mathewson • Feb. 21, 2017

What lessons can be drawn from Denver's relative school choice success?

The Mile High City has a fairly popular school choice program that has raised overall academic growth and graduation rates, but achievement gaps persist and school closings have been disruptive.

By Tara García Mathewson • Feb. 21, 2017

NJ district hailed for maintaining school diversity during time of resegregation

The Morris School District was created in 1971 when an urban and suburban district merged, and it has managed to remain integrated in part because of community support.

By Tara García Mathewson • Feb. 21, 2017

Teachers with DACA protection wait to learn their fate under Trump

Teachers are among those given temporary reprieve from deportation through the program, which President Donald Trump targeted on the campaign trail.

By Tara García Mathewson • Feb. 21, 2017

When students run tech initiatives, they sharpen key skills

Student experts run sessions in a biannual Tech Boost conference at Creekside Middle School in Patterson, CA, and they staff the Burlington Public Schools’ (MA) help desk for credit.

By Tara García Mathewson • Feb. 21, 2017

Early planning can help make use of snow days — even without devices

After St. Mary’s Academy had its fifth snow day of the school year, toward the end of the first semester, teachers and administrators created a Digital Learning Day Protocol.

By Tara García Mathewson • Feb. 21, 2017

Kentucky district expands college opportunities for high schoolers

Franklin County Public Schools offers an Advanced STEM Pathway with Kentucky State University to help students work toward an associate degree along with their diploma.

By Tara García Mathewson • Feb. 17, 2017

Corporate programs and community efforts can support digital equity

Programs like Sprint’s 1Million Project and Google Fiber are helping close the digital divide for students who don’t have access to internet-enabled devices or the internet itself at home.

By Tara García Mathewson • Feb. 17, 2017

Texas teachers bring drones into classrooms across STEAM spectrum

Walnut Elementary School ran an after-school drone club with support from a parent software engineer, and use of drones in classrooms has expanded districtwide.

By Tara García Mathewson • Feb. 17, 2017

Education Week survey shows more stable state testing environment nationwide

The third-annual survey tracked state testing changes since 45 states planned to scrap legacy tests in favor of newly designed exams aligned with the Common Core.

By Tara García Mathewson • Feb. 17, 2017

Colorado district considers tiny home project to attract teachers

The Eagle County School District, southwest of Vail, is exploring the feasibility of constructing 18 tiny homes on about an acre of land to offer teachers more affordable housing options.

By Tara García Mathewson • Feb. 17, 2017