GovPile's Public Education News & Resources

May 1, 2007

Some Georgia school districts to offer Bible classes
http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/05/01/bible.classes.ap/index.html

Texas Set to Test Students for Steroids
The Texas House and Senate have both approved bills that would make
the state the first to require random testing of high-school student
athletes for steroids
http://tinyurl.com/2e35aq

April 23, 2007

Alternative Teacher Professional Pay System
Rewards teachers for continuous improvement, giving teachers the
choice to participate in a salary schedule pegged to student achievement,
skill mastery, and leadership initiative
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/23971.html

Mental illness strains school counselors
Across America, college counseling centers are strained by rising
numbers of mentally ill students and surging demand for mental health
services — a challenging trend as campus officials try to identify potential
threats
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-04-19-mental-illness-
schools_N.htm

Testimony alleges mismanagement of reading program
Federal advisors mismanaged President Bush's $1 billion-a-year
reading program and profited from close ties to the Bush administration,
according to testimony
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2007-04-19-reading-first_N.htm

Should college applicants get background checks?
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-04-17-blcover_N.htm

Editorial: Monitoring School Sprawl
http://tinyurl.com/2q9od2

April 11, 2007

Utah's school voucher law
Opponents of Utah's school voucher law say they have collected more
than enough signatures to put the act on hold until the public can vote
whether to repeal it
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_5625175

Vouchers see mixed success this session
This year the school choice movement reached a milestone – Utah
became the first state to sign a universal voucher law. Unlike other
voucher programs, Utah’s would allow every child – regardless of income
or geography – to receive public money to attend private school
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=195909

Teaching life lessons in dollars and sense
Although college entrance exams like the SAT and ACT test a student's
ability to understand algebraic equations, they don't test what many
consider the practical side of math: comparing prices, computing interest
and balancing checkbooks
http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/04/09/teens.money/index.html

States to develop math test using shared standards
Nine states have come together for the first time to develop a common
high school math test, a move described by some as a step toward
national educational standards
http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/04/10/math.test.states.ap/index.
html

Governors call for more control over NCLB
Renewal of the oft-criticized No Child Left Behind federal law is supported
by the nation’s governors, but they want far more authority to carry out its
mandates
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=196302

April 4, 2007

Bush administration wants to loosen NCLB rules
The Bush administration wants to loosen the rules so that many more
disabled children can take tests that are simpler than those required by
the president's signature No Child Left Behind law
http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/04/04/special.ed.rules.ap/index.
html

No Child law faces medley of changes
If President Bush wants the next version of his signature No Child Left
Behind education law to carry his imprint, the White House will have to
compromise with a host of disparate groups seeking changes in the 5-
year-old act
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=193830

Testing service cancels plans for new GRE exam
The makers of the GRE graduate school entrance exam have scrapped
an extensive makeover of the test, citing concerns they wouldn't be able to
accommodate enough students at test centers
http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/04/03/gre.changes.ap/index.html

Silencing Student Speech, At Our Peril
The Supreme Court heard a case concerning the scope of student
speech in public high schools
http://tinyurl.com/2v2yd3

Charter Schools
Educating children from America's cities may be the toughest challenge
urban leaders face
http://www.smartcityradio.com/smartcityradio/coming_up.cfm?
showsmartcityID=331

School cardiac arrest plans urged
All high schools and colleges should be more prepared to save the lives
of athletes who have a sudden cardiac arrest, according to medical
guidelines published
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-04-01-cardiac-arrest-
schools_N.htm

Judge: Banning fliers violated student's rights
http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/04/02/forbidden.flier.ap/index.html

March 27, 2007

Ohio could become 8th state to reject abstinence-only money
Ohio might become the eighth state to reject federal money for
abstinence-only education - a decision that public-policy groups say is
part of a nationwide shift toward more-comprehensive educational
programs
http://tinyurl.com/yqzbln

More U.S. schools pin fortune on Chinese
In 2000, there were about 5,000 students studying Mandarin Chinese in
U.S. public schools, according to the American Council for the Teaching
of Foreign Languages. Now that number is between 30,000 and 50,000
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=189934

March 14, 2007

'No Child' Target Is Called Out of Reach
Goal of 100% Proficiency Debated as Congress Weighs Renewal
http://tinyurl.com/2c628q

Indiana's Full-Day Kindergarten: A Wise Choice for Education Dollars?
Negligible, short-term results won't fix Indiana's schools
http://www.reason.org/commentaries/snell_20070306.shtml

March 7, 2007

'Hire' education: A vocational model succeeds
Have you ever used what you learned in high school to get a job?
http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/03/07/cec.career.tech/index.html

School district sued over graduation held in church
The state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is suing the
Newark public school district, saying a school's decision to hold its
graduation ceremonies in a Baptist church violated a Muslim student's
religious freedom
http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/03/08/church.graduation.suit.
ap/index.html

College compromises on displaying its chapel cross
Removing an 18-inch brass cross from the altar of the oldest college
chapel in the United States proved a costly decision -- dozens of alumni
withheld contributions, including one whose pledges totaled $12M
http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/03/07/college.cross.ap/index.html

National Conference of State Legislatures Education Finance Summit
2007
http://www.ncsl.org/magazine/edfinance.htm

Surgeon General Calls for Stronger College Alcohol Policies
http://www.jointogether.org/news/features/2007/surgeon-general-calls-for.
html

Bill Gates pushes for better schools
Gates challenged lawmakers to push for higher educational standards
and to make more challenging coursework available to students
http://tinyurl.com/2f9tna

February 21, 2007

ACLU backs student in flap over religion in class
The American Civil Liberties Union is supporting a high school student
who objected when his teacher made religious statements, including
allegedly telling students that those who do not believe Jesus died for
their sins belong in hell
http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/02/20/taped.teach.ap/index.html

Court Upholds Ban on Teacher-Student Relations
The state Supreme Court boosted the state legislature's efforts in recent
years to further criminalize relations between school employees and
students, ruling that Connecticut laws prohibiting such conduct do not
infringe on one's constitutional right to privacy
http://tinyurl.com/2d48lo

Utah Governor Signs Voucher Bill, Experts React
Utah's governor signed the most expansive school reform legislation in
American history. The Parent Choice in Education Act will give the parent
of every child in Utah a voucher worth up to $3,000, depending on family
income
http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=20665

Utah's Revolutionary New School Voucher Program
The program will offer scholarships to each of the estimated 500,000
children currently enrolled Utah's public schools and to low-income
children currently attending private schools
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Education/wm1362.cfm

Teachers oppose salary posting
West Virginia's teachers' unions are opposed to the idea of posting the
names of teachers and their salaries online, similar to the policy that's
now in effect for all other state workers
http://tinyurl.com/2abgs5

February 14, 2007

'No Child' Commission Presents Ambitious Plan
A commission proposed a wide-reaching expansion of the No Child Left
Behind law yesterday that would for the first time require schools to
ensure that all seniors are proficient in reading and math and hold
schools accountable for raising test scores in science by 2014
http://tinyurl.com/33vh6c

Commission urges tracking of teacher progress
An updated No Child Left Behind law should track the progress of
teachers as well as students, a special commission said
http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/02/14/no.child.commission.
ap/index.html

Evolution returns to Kansas science standards
Kansas has repealed public school science guidelines questioning the
theory of evolution that brought the state international ridicule, but
educators aren't sure how long it will be before the decision is overturned
http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/02/14/evolution.debate.ap/index.
html

Cigarette Use Reaches New Low Among High School Seniors
Perceived Risk of Smoking at All Time High
http://www.cesar.umd.edu/cesar/cesarfax/vol16/16-04.pdf

North Dakota could solve ed funding feud out of court
Like custody battles in divorces, messy state disputes over school
funding regularly land in court. North Dakota is one state trying to break
the chain
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=179079

February 7, 2007

States hopeful that mentoring will retain new teachers
States from Oregon to Georgia are considering pouring millions of
dollars into mentoring programs for new teachers, aiming to stop
educators from spending just a few years in the classroom before leaving
the field
http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/02/07/teacher.mentors.ap/index.
html

Bush seeks cuts for Sallie Mae, other student lenders
The Bush administrat proposed to slash subsidies paid to financial
institutions that make college loans, surprising Wall Street and
hammering sector leader Sallie Mae's stock price
http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/02/05/budget.student.aid.
reut/index.html

High schools see more college-level studies
New York has the country’s highest percentage of high school students to
pass college-level Advanced Placement exams, with 22.7 percent. But
every state has managed to boost the number of students passing the
rigorous tests, a new study shows
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=178080

Obesity report cards
Arkansas -- the first state to send home obesity report cards to warn
parents of overweight kids' health risks -- may ditch the plan or weaken it
with the help of the new governor
http://tinyurl.com/yv5j88

January 29, 2007

Frat brothers sent to prison for hazing
Two fraternity brothers who paddled a pledge with wooden canes each
received a two-year prison term from a judge who said she wanted to
send a message with Florida's first prosecution under a felony hazing law
http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/01/29/florida.hazing.ap/index.html

Safe Routes to School
Safe Routes to School campaign is advancing in the U.S., with Congress
allocating $612 million for state programs in FYs 2005-2009
http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?
art=5860&state=52&res=1024

College Sustainability Report Card
The Sustainable Endowments Institute graded 100 colleges on 26
indicators, based on campus greening practices and endowment policies
http://www.endowmentinstitute.org/sustainability/

January 21, 2007

More schools put character in the curriculum
Motivated by a declining sense of values in a society in which people are
more likely to curse and less likely to offer their seat on the bus, schools
in Wisconsin and across the country are turning the teaching of character
into a formal part of the curriculum
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/16904.html

Polls: Wealth is a top priority for today's youth
http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/01/22/materialistic.youth.ap/index.
html

Carrots in, fries out in school cafeterias
Among students in kindergarten through 12th grade, french fries dropped
in popularity from 1998 to 2006, while carrots and fresh vegetables rose
in popularity
http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/01/22/school.nutrition.ap/index.
html

January 9, 2006

Panel urges collegians to focus on liberal arts
A panel of national higher education and business leaders issued a
roadmap for reforming higher education, arguing that college graduates
must be able to do more than equip themselves for their first job
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2007-01-10-panel-usat_x.htm

Courses on Bible up for vote
Georgia State Board of Education members are expected to give
preliminary approval to new academic courses on the Bible, allowing
Georgia's public high schools for the first time to offer taxpayer-funded
classes devoted to the "Good Book"
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2007/01/10/0111metbible.
html

Kansas State Board of Education revisiting evolution
Now controlled by moderates, the Kansas State Board of Education
wasted little time in beginning the repeal of science curriculum standards
that cast doubt on the theory of evolution
http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/16424564.htm

Justice enters Prop 2 case
Hours after the University of Michigan announced it would set aside its
hard-fought practice of using race and gender in admissions, a U.S.
Supreme Court justice opened the door for the nation's highest court to
wade into the already thick legal entanglement
http://tinyurl.com/yx4jyr

University pledges to end race, gender preference in admissions
The University of Michigan announced Wednesday it will comply with a
new voter-approved ban on affirmative action and immediately stop
considering race and gender in admissions
http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/01/10/affirmative.action.ap/index.
html

Bush, lawmakers meet to plan next phase of No Child Left Behind
President Bush pushed for renewal of the No Child Left Behind education
law Monday in a meeting with congressional leaders but was
noncommittal on their request for more money to help schools meet the
law's requirements
http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/01/08/bush.education.ap/index.
html

'No Child' law is called 'beyond repair'
On fifth anniversary of 'fundamentally flawed' plan, ex-Bush education
official does about-face
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_4976188

Detroit schools chief: More closures needed for savings
Some 23,246 Detroit, Michigan children would have to change schools
under a plan that includes closing 47 school buildings this summer and
five in 2008
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20070106/NEWS01/701060320/1003

"Confronting Violence in Our Schools: Planning, Response, and
Recovery"
Free Online Symposium taking place January 8-12, 2007
http://www.riskinstitute.org/PERI/SYMPOSIUM/

December 26, 2006

How Do They Get There? A Spatial Analysis of a ‘Sprawl School’ in
Oregon
For over 50 years, communities across the United States (US) have
experienced a shift away from small, neighborhood schools to large ones
located on the urban periphery.
http://www.uoregon.
edu/~schlossb/articles/schlossberg_sprawl_school_ppr.pdf

IU will join the University of Michigan, Stanford and Berkeley as
adopters of iTunes U
Indiana University has signed an agreement with Apple Computer Inc. to
make online content available through iTunes U
http://tinyurl.com/y9jnb5

College bells are ringing
While seniors write essays, their parents must get going on the dreaded
FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), which can be submitted
after Jan. 1
http://tinyurl.com/y5o9o5

Bungee cord backpack lightens the load
Using elastic cords to suspend a backpack from a rigid frame reduces
the energy needed to carry the load, easing the stress on shoulders and
joints
http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/12/21/bungee.backpack.reut/index.html

Parents get support for magnet school application process
In the cutthroat competition to get their kids into a public magnet school,
some parents are turning to support groups and a stiff drink to help them
through the process
http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/12/26/magnet.school.martinis.
ap/index.html

'Barefoot Teachers' Left Behind in China
Rural Educators Lose Jobs in Push to Modernize
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2006/12/25/AR2006122500490.html

December 21, 2006

Universities have become attractive targets for hackers
Hackers are taking advantage of the openness of the schools' networks,
their decentralized security and the personal information they keep on
millions of young adults
http://tinyurl.com/y8xnv5

College Recruiting
Mailboxes, inboxes burst with college brochures, prompting worries of
overkill
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2006-12-17-college-
recruiting_x.htm

Colleges helping students pick majors
Colleges around the country are devoting more time, money and staff
power to students who can't decide on a major, concerned that many of
them will leave school without graduating or will prolong their college
careers and take up precious spots for prospective students
http://tinyurl.com/y3dz4t

Michigan Schools Can Use Affirmative Action
A federal judge ruled that Michigan's top universities can continue using
race and gender in their admissions decisions for next year's incoming
students, despite a voter-approved ban on affirmative action that was
supposed to take effect this weekend
http://tinyurl.com/tpj2p

School board settles lawsuit that brought national limelight over
disclaimers
The Cobb County evolution saga is finally over, more than four years after
school officials ordered stickers warning that evolution is "a theory, not a
fact" pasted into thousands of science textbooks
http://www.ajc.
com/metro/content/metro/cobb/stories/2006/12/19/1220metstickers.html

Report: U.S. schools need radical fixes
Some students would go to community college after 10th grade, local
schools would be run by private contractors, and teachers’ salaries would
shoot up as high as $110,000 but their pensions would be slashed
under a new set of recommendations likely to shake up the U.S.
education system
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=164631

The End of School Bash/Back to School Bash program in Muskegon, MI
Provides safe and fun activities for youth at the beginning and ending of
the school year
http://www.nationalcitynetwork.org/view_city_practices.html?id=435240

Poor students are shortchanged by federal and state school aid
policies
At the federal level, the Education Department gives states nearly $13
billion a year to help students in low-income districts
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2006-12-21-school-aid_x.htm

Federal, state spending policies hurt poor students, study says
Government funding formulas can deliver more money to smaller and
wealthier states
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/living/education/16286115.htm

'Sustainability' gains status on U.S. campuses
Somewhere in the curriculum, most colleges and universities include
Henry David Thoreau. Now, many of them are trying to emulate him
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techinnovations/2006-12-19-
sustainability-on-campus_x.htm

December 13, 2006

Panel: Cut years in high school
Frustrated with piecemeal school reform across the nation, a prestigious
panel endorsed a radical overhaul of U.S. education, including a chance
for most students to cut short their high school careers and go on to
community college or vocational training
http://tinyurl.com/ycxduw

School Guidance During an Influenza Pandemic
http://www.idph.state.il.us/pandemic_flu/schoolguide.htm

Lottery lease proceeds would fund higher education spending
Indiana should lease the Hoosier Lottery and use the profits to fund
higher education initiatives that could curb the state's so-called brain
drain, the Governor said
http://tinyurl.com/ydglqb

December 5, 2006

Democrats outline education agenda priorities
Congressional Democrats say when they take the gavel from
Republicans next month, they will put money in the pockets of college
students and closely examine a law reforming elementary and secondary
schools
http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/12/12/democrats.education.
ap/index.html

Appeals court upholds Hawaiian school's admissions policy
A divided federal appeals court ruled that a private school in Hawaii can
favor Hawaiian natives for admission as a means of helping a
downtrodden indigenous population
http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/12/05/hawaiian.school.ap/index.
html

Study: Racial graduation divide at BCS schools
College football teams headed for the five major bowls this year
performed better academically on the whole than the national average,
according to a study
http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/12/04/bcs.graduation.rates.
ap/index.html

School Choice Advocates Win in South Carolina, Utah
Though conservative voters woke up to a newly "blue" world on November
8, the results of the midterm election could mean two states will soon
have more school choice
http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=20264

Federal High School Scholarship Plan Proposed
S. 3995, the Education Opportunity Act, offers a new, reformed method of
providing low-income students with the opportunity to take Advanced
Placement (AP) classes and other advanced courses
http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=20270

In Tutoring, As in Teaching, Structured Programs Work Best
http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=20282

November 30, 2006

Schools, teachers fight No Child Left Behind in court
School districts in three states and the nation's largest teachers union
asked a federal appeals court Tuesday to revive a lawsuit challenging the
way government-mandated programs are funded
http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/11/28/education.lawsuit.ap/index.
html

Report: States need to step up on higher ed
The report said several issues, such as fewer people finishing college,
stem from weak leadership, a low priority on higher education, and the
way legislatures have subsidized colleges
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=160176

$6 billion windfall a bonus to California schools
California schools are in line for a $6 billion windfall over the next five
years, and interest groups are already lining up to get their share,
promoting ideas like improving high schools, paying teachers more, and
helping urban districts with severely declining enrollment
http://tinyurl.com/yhmzth

November 21, 2006

Students set the rules at New York City school
"Free schools," which had their heyday decades ago, operate on the
belief that children are naturally curious and learn best when they want to,
not when forced to
http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/11/21/anarchy.school.ap/index.
html

Court orders state to pay $1.93 billion more a year for NYC schools
New York's highest court ordered the state Monday to increase its funding
for the New York City school system by at least $1.93 billion per year to
provide "a sound, basic education"
http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/11/20/nyc.education.funding.
ap/index.html

Financial aid falls short for minority, low-income college students
The nation's top public universities "are becoming disproportionately
whiter and richer," says a new report that looks at enrollment and
graduation rates at 50 public flagship universities
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2006-11-20-financial-aid_x.htm

November 14, 2006

Some area schools are already teaching some boys, girls separately
For the first time in a generation, public schools have won broad freedom
to teach boys and girls separately, stirring a new debate about equality in
the classroom
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/15510.html

Boot Camp is just the start for Catholic High's Education That Works
initiative
Education That Works helps students gain practical experience and
gives them a chance to earn 70% of their high school tuition in exchange
for working at least eight hours a week at local businesses
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/15605.html

Roosevelt University will offer free college education to students who
can make the grade at one Chicago high school
All 200 freshmen and sophomores at Chicago's new Social Justice High
School now have a huge reason to stay in school and do well
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/15635.html

Kids safety program ditches 'stranger danger' in favor of the buddy
System
A new national program for Grade 1 students was launched in Toronto
with the aim of teaching kids to stay safe by hooking up with a "buddy"
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/15579.html

Every Child, Every Promise Report Details Socio-Economic Impact of
Consistent Investment in Young People
More than 2/3 of our children and youth – 34 million Americans between
ages 6 and 17 – are not receiving sufficient developmental resources that
put them on a path to success in adulthood
http://www.americaspromise.org/OurWork.aspx?id=208

Bill Gates says U.S. education system needs work
Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates said that the U.S. higher education
system is the envy of the world but primary and secondary schools are
failing to adequately prepare students for college
http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/11/13/gates.education.ap/index.
html

The classroom of the future isn't on a college campus. It's in the virtual
world of "Second Life"
More than 60 schools and educational organizations have set up shop in
the virtual world and are exploring ways it can be used to promote
learninghttp://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/11/13/second.life.university/index.
html

American students explore the world in study abroad
American college students are becoming more adventuresome as they
study abroad, showing less interest in English-speaking destinations
such as Great Britain and Australia and more in such alternatives as
China, India, Argentina and Brazil
http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/11/13/study.abroad.ap/index.html

Justices to weigh school diversity
The key legal question is whether school-assignment plans that use
students' race as a factor violate the Constitution's guarantee of equality
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/judicial/2006-11-14-deseg_x.
htm

Should government take a yardstick to colleges?
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2006-11-13-spellings-cover_x.
htm

November 7, 2006

School vouchers rise from the ashes
Newark, New Jersey mayor among new backers of effort
http://tinyurl.com/ydhang

Co-eds Surveyed on Most Easily Available Drugs
http://www.cesar.umd.edu/cesar/cesarfax/vol15/15-43.pdf

School Bus–Related Injuries Among Children and Teenagers in the
United States, 2001-2003
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/short/118/5/1978

Researchers: Seatbelts can make bus rides safer
http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/11/06/school.bus.injuries.ap/index.
html

November 3, 2006

No child left inside
A program to reconnect kids with nature
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/15362.html

School athletes train others to help end violence against females
Scores of Syracuse high school athletes, males and females, will be
trained to recognize and defuse violence against women through a
program called Mentors in Violence Prevention
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/15382.html

Crisis in civics ed?
Revival is under way
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/15476.html

Program uses culture to help math add up
Some educators, recognizing both the diverse applications of
mathematics and the interdisciplinary learning styles of their students,
are teaching mathematics within cultural contexts
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/15464.html

Guitars in classroom can help kids learn
Guitars in the Classroom brings the sound of music into public
elementary and middle schools by providing regular classroom teachers
with music integration curriculum, music lessons, and, of course, a free
guitar
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/15586.html

November 1, 2006

Standardized testing is taking on a primary role in the Florida
governor's race
How candidates stand on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test
may determine whether they pass or fail on Election Day
http://tinyurl.com/yjkuy9

Black kids' scores still low: new study
Analysis redone, but no major change in results
http://tinyurl.com/sjv2w

October 24, 2006

New federal bonuses go to Ohio teachers
The first federal bonuses to reward teachers who raise student test
scores have gone to four of Ohio's biggest, poorest and most
academically challenged districts -- where teacher pay is already well
above the state average
http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/10/24/teacher.pay.ap/index.html

Random Drug Testing Would Meet Fierce Opposition
Drug Czar’s proposal for state governments to mandate random,
suspicionless drug testing in all middle and high schools would meet
fierce opposition in his home state of California
http://www.jointogether.org/news/yourturn/commentary/2006/drug-czars-
leadership.html

The University of Utah is participating in a major research effort to help
the Department of Homeland Security track potential threats to the
nation.
Critics, however, are raising concerns about free speech
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/15429.html

State pre-K program under fire
Advocates of early education call Florida's program the model that states
should avoid
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/10/25/State/State_pre_K_program_u.shtml

October 17, 2006

Not playing around: Scientists say video games can reshape education
http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/10/17/video.games.ap/index.html

Confident students do worse in math; bad news for U.S.
Kids who are turned off by math often say they don't enjoy it, they aren't
good at it and they see little point in it. Who knew that could be a formula
for success?
http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/10/18/unhappy.achievers.ap/index.
html

U.S. Higher Education: Pay More, Learn Less
The report is the first to ask whether our institutions of higher education
are preparing students for lives as educated and involved citizens of a
republic
http://www.heritage.org/Press/Commentary/ed101406b.cfm

Public Education