Home > School Issues Channel > Archives > EDscoops

Ed World tracks down education news from across the nation and around the world. Some sites credited in this article may require free registration. Some links may be valid for only a brief period.

Edscoops 2008

• Mentoring Program Exposes H.S. Students to College Science
  Connecticut high-school students are getting a taste of college science and other subjects through Mentor Connection, a three-week session that matches high school students with University of Connecticut researchers. 08/01/08



• New School Buses Run on Propane
  A San Antonio, Texas-area school district has unveiled new classic-yellow school buses that officials say are the first in the U.S. manufactured to run on propane. 07/31/08



• Working With Hands Helps Brain Development
  British children's brain development is being threatened by their failure to work with their hands in school and at home, a study said. Schools offer fewer hands-on classes, and at home kids play computer games. 07/30/08



• State Calls NCLB Goals Unrealistic
  While more Hawaiian students scored higher on standardized tests this year, 60 percent of public schools failed to make adequate yearly progress due to what education officials called unrealistic NCLB expectations. 07/29/08



• Multiple Military Deployments Stressful for Children
  With more children of military personnel showing signs of stress as parents are deployed multiple times to war zones, schools are increasing efforts to provide support for the children of servicemen and women. 07/28/08



• School District Approves Paddling Students
  Starting in the fall, principals in Twiggs County, Georgia, will be able to paddle students who don't respond to detention or other forms of discipline, reaffirming a policy that had lain dormant in the county since 2006. 07/25/08



• School Board Bans Student-Teacher Texting, Online Social Networking
  The Lamar County (Mississippi) school board recently approved a policy prohibited teachers from texting or communicating with students through Internet social network sites such as MySpace. 07/24/08



• Students Taking Lead in Green Initiatives
  Increasing numbers of environmentally-aware students are leading green initiatives at their schools. A graduate of a Virginia high school got approval for solar panels and raised money for the project. 07/23/08



• Grants Aim to Help Middle-Schoolers Prep for College
  The U.S. Department of Education approved 24 new grants for the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) to help disadvantaged middle school students prepare for and pursue a college education. 07/22/08



• Students Discuss Asian, Hispanic Students' Performance
  Students at Lincoln High School in California have participated in candid discussions about the differences in Hispanic and Asian-American students' academic performance in an effort to close the achievement gap. 07/21/08



• Parents Secretly Teaching Kids 'Old' Math
  Concerned that their children are missing out on certain critical skills, some parents are teaching their children "old" math procedures -- such as long division -- to supplement new, concept-based curricula. 07/18/08



• Summer Program Cuts Hurt Gifted, Remedial Students
  Remedial and enrichment summer classes are being eliminated around the country as school districts try to reduce costs and struggle to balance budgets in a tight economy. 07/17/08



• Good Nutrition Linked to Better Test Performance
  Learners with access to a more nutritious diet in early childhood may score higher on intellectual tests in adulthood, regardless of how much education they received overall, according to new data. 07/16/08



• ALA to Study Gaming Impact on Literacy
  The American Library Association (ALA) is planning a study to track and measure the impact of gaming on literacy skills. ALA plans to monitor the results of gaming initiatives. 07/15/08



• Teachers Sign On for 'Geek' Training
  More than 50 Oklahoma teachers participated in a week of work with GEEK SMART, a professional development program that helps educators learn to integrate hands-on math and science lessons. 07/14/08



• Failure No Option for Middle-Schoolers
  Starting this fall, Florida will require all students to pass their core subjects in middle school in order to be promoted to the ninth grade. Failing students receive remedial help during the year or attend summer school. 07/11/08



• Virtual PE Fits Many Students' Needs
  Hundreds of teens in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area are enrolled in online gym classes. Students study sports and fitness, but are expected to practice what they learn. Physical activity is completed on an honor system. 07/10/08



• Teachers Could Swap Tenure for Higher Pay
  D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee is proposing giving mid-level teachers who are paid $62,000 yearly the opportunity to earn more than $100,000 -- but they would have to give up seniority and tenure rights. 07/09/08



• Some See School Day-Care, Teen Pregnancy Link
  Some educators and social service workers have raised concerns that the presence of day-care centers in high schools sends the message to girls that teen pregnancy is acceptable. Others call for increased sex education. 07/08/08



• Study: PE No Cure for Obesity
  Increasing the volume and frequency of physical education classes can improve kids' bone mineral density, aerobic capacity, blood pressure, and flexibility, but has no effect on childhood obesity, a study says. 07/07/08



• The Ordeal of Trying to Fire Bad Tenured Teachers
  The mounting legal costs and years of effort needed to dismiss bad tenured teachers -- even those who have broken the law -- forces many administrators to tolerate poor teacher performance, some experts say. 07/03/08



• School Districts Root Out Energy 'Hogs'
  Texas school administrators are scouring their districts to find ways to save energy to meet a state mandate to reduce energy consumption 5 percent each year from now through 2013. Some districts already have energy plans. 07/02/08



• Study: Children Still Love Books
  Despite their interest in all things digital, children between the ages of 5 and 17 still want to read books, a study says. The study also noted that the amount of time kids spend reading for fun declines after age 8. 07/01/08



• Parents Want to See More Math Instruction
  More than one-third of U.S. parents said in an AP poll that they want their children to receive more math instruction in school. A majority also said schools are doing just a fair job in preparing children for the work force. 06/30/08



• Study: Test Scores Up Under NCLB
  Students are performing better on state reading and math tests and the achievement gap has narrowed since enactment of the federal No Child Left Behind law six years ago, according to an independent study. 06/27/08



• Are Eighth-Grade Graduation Celebrations Going Overboard?
  Some educators are starting to wonder if eighth-grade graduation celebrations -- which can include dances, trips, dinners, and awards ceremonies over the course of several weeks -- are becoming excessive. 06/26/08



• New Data Shows Gains for Reading First Students
  State data shows gains for Reading First students in nearly every grade and subgroup, including English language learners and students with disabilities, according to the U.S. Department of Education. 06/25/08



• Students Charged With Loading Spyware, Changing Grades
  Two Orange County, California, teenagers have been charged with breaking into high school offices and using stolen usernames and passwords to change lackluster grades to A's. The two are facing jail time if convicted. 06/24/08



• Children Read Better After Brains 'Rewired'
  An intensive reading program conducted three years ago in 50 Allegheny County (Pennsylvania) schools permanently "rewired" the brains of dyslexic children, Carnegie Mellon University researchers reported. 06/23/08



• College Board: SAT Writing Section Fails to Meet Expectations
  The writing section added to the SAT three years ago has done little to improve the exam's overall ability to predict how students will do in college, according to research released by the College Board, the test's owner. 06/20/08



• Teachers Not 'LOL' Over Text Shortcuts
  Many teachers are seeing the abbreviations used in text messaging in student papers, tests, and other assignments, and say students also are ignoring spelling and punctuation in their written schoolwork. 06/19/08



• Group Seeks Uniform Allergy Policies for U.S. Schools
  The nonprofit Food Allergies & Anaphylaxis Network is pushing for a federal law to create uniform guidelines for schools to follow to protect the estimated 2 million U.S. school-age children with food allergies. 06/18/08



• Board-Certified Teachers Boost Scores
  Students taught by educators certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards make bigger gains on standardized tests than students taught by other teachers, according to a study. 06/17/08



• Actor Pays for First Interracial Prom
  Charleston (Mississippi) High School held its first interracial prom this year, paid for by actor Morgan Freeman. In the past, white and African-American students attended separate, privately-funded proms. 06/16/08



• Interest Grows in Peer Review for Teachers
  The teachers' union in Toledo, Ohio, has spearheaded a peer review policy to purge the district of incompetent teachers. The practice has withstood three lawsuits and union members overwhelmingly support it. 06/13/08



• Study: Exercise Helps Raise Test Scores
  Studies by Ontario, Canada, researchers indicate that schools that stress fitness and nutrition have seen their standardized scores rise by as much as 50 per cent over two years in third grade. 06/12/08



• Teachers React to Dress Code Memo
  Annoyed by teachers who "dressed down," the Wyandanch, New York, superintendent fired off a memo saying teachers should dress like they are working with children, not cows and horses. The union reacted sharply. 06/11/08



• School Goes Extra Mile to Help Poor Kids Learn
  Sherrie Gahn, principal of Whitney Elementary School in East Las Vegas, Nevada, has made it her mission to ensure her students get what they need to help them learn -- including food, clothes, eyeglasses, and haircuts. 06/10/08



• Poll: Male Involvement at Schools on the Rise
  A National PTA poll shows that more men are involved in their children's education than ever before. Almost 50 percent of parent leaders said that the level of male involvement has grown at their PTA in the last three years. 06/09/08



• Students, Teachers Protest Gas Prices
  Hundreds of students, faculty, and staff at Sayville (New York) High School left their cars at home Wednesday and found alternate means of transportation to school to protest rising gas prices. 06/06/08



• Districts Receive Funds for Emergency Planning
  The U.S. Department of Education has awarded $24 million in grants to 92 school districts in 34 states to help them update and improve their readiness and emergency management plans. 06/05/08



• High Schools, Parents Raise Concerns About 'Beach Week' Parties
  The high-school graduation ritual in some communities of teens partying at a beach for a week after school ends, and often drinking excessively, is raising concerns among parents and educators. 06/04/08



• State Asks for "Fresh Start" on NCLB
  Idaho's State Board of Education has asked the U.S. Department of Education to wipe away the student progress measurements for 2002-2006 for hundreds of schools now facing sanctions under No Child Left Behind. 06/03/08



• States Wrestle With School Bus Fuel Costs
  The soaring cost of fuel for school buses is forcing some school districts to reduce the number of field trips, cut the school week down to four days, and even eliminate bus transportation for some students. 06/02/08



• Poor Hearing Can Be Behind School Problems
  Hearing problems may be the cause of some children's poor academic performance or misbehavior in school, according to some experts. Children who have difficulty hearing often appear inattentive and restless. 05/30/08



• Schools Requiring Students to Take Lunch Break
  In some high schools where students are trying to pack Advanced Placement courses into every spare moment of the day, school administrators are tweaking schedules to allow all students a lunch break. 05/29/08



• Bill to Shield PE, Music, Arts from Cuts Vetoed
  Arizona's governor vetoed a measure intended to protect gym classes and instruction in music and the arts from K-12 budget cuts. The governor noted that school boards decide which programs are cut. 05/28/08



• Free Summer Classes Draw Thousands
  Students in British Columbia, Canada, are registering for summer school in droves because the province is paying for classes ranging from math and science to music, sports, speed reading, and digital media. 05/27/08



• Proposed Teacher Contract Would End Seniority
  The Washington (D.C.) Teachers' Union is reviewing a proposed three-year contract from the school system that would eliminate seniority, giving the schools' chancellor more control in filling vacancies. 05/26/08



• Study: 'Crisis' in Boys' Education Overblown
  The idea that school systems favor girls at boys' expense and there is a crisis in boys' school performance is overblown, according to a study by the American Association of University Women. 05/23/08



• Tight Budgets Mean Fewer Field Trips
  At a time when school budgets are shrinking, gas prices rising, and there is an increased emphasis on standardized testing, class visits to science centers, museums, and zoos are becoming increasingly rare. 05/22/08



• Debate Grows on Grade-System Reform
  U.S. education experts and school administrators are trying to determine how and whether to reform grading systems to give failing students a better chance to catch up. Some advocate a minimum grade of 50. 05/21/08



• Virtual Schools Show Strong Growth
  A report predicts that as many as half of all courses in grades 9 to 12 could be taught online by 2019, prompting calls for more oversight of virtual schools. Last year enrollment in online classes reached 1 million. 05/20/08



• Teachers Agree: Firing Bad Teachers Is Tough
  More than half of teachers believe it's too difficult to weed out ineffective teachers who have tenure, and nearly half say they personally know such a teacher, according to a survey. 05/19/08



• Registration Open for Dept. of Ed Summer Workshops
  The U.S. Department of Education is sponsoring free summer workshops where teachers share successful strategies with other educators to raise student achievement. The workshops are being held in 12 cities. 05/16/08



• School Uses Electronic Monitoring to Curb Truancy
  Rather than send chronic truants to juvenile detention, a high school in East Dallas, Texas, is using electronic monitoring devices to make sure students arrive at school on time and remain there throughout the day. 05/15/08



• Teachers Must Prove They Can Teach Reading
  Aspiring early childhood and elementary school teachers in Connecticut will have to prove they know how to teach reading on a test the State Board of Education has added to Connecticut's teacher certification requirements. 05/14/08



• Woman Donates Kidney to Former Teacher
  Darren Paquin, an English teacher at Elwood (Indiana) Community High School, received a special gift from former student Angie Collins: a kidney. Paquin was suffering from kidney failure. 05/13/08



• Amount of K-5 Physical Activity Doubles
  The Oklahoma state senate passed a bill increasing the amount of required physical activity time for students in grades K-5 from 60 minutes a week to 120 minutes a week. 05/12/08



• Students Want to Learn With Gaming Technology
  Educational gaming is one of the emerging technologies that students would most like to see in their schools, according to a Project Tomorrow survey. Yet, only one in ten teachers has adopted gaming as an instructional tool. 05/09/08



• State Weighs Anti-Bulling Law
  Florida lawmakers are weighing an anti-bullying bill that would prohibit bullying or harassment of any student or school system employee for any reason. Districts could identify groups of students in need of protection. 05/08/08



• Teachers' Risque Online Profiles Pose Dilemma for Schools
  Some school administrators are wondering what, if anything, they can or should do about racy material some young teachers post on their personal profiles on online social networking sites. 05/07/08



• Reading First Not Improving Scores
  Students enrolled in the $6 billion federal Reading First program that is at the heart of the No Child Left Behind Act are not reading any better than those who don't participate, according to a U.S. government report. 05/06/08



• Districts Investing in Parent Education
  Some Texas school districts are investing in parent education programs, in the hope that they lead to improved student behavior, academic performance, and attitudes. The programs include classes, counseling, and social services. 05/05/08



• Dept. of Ed to Hold Hearings on New Title I Regulations
  The U.S. Department of Education has scheduled a series of public meetings around the U.S. to discuss proposed changes to regulations for Title I under the No Child Left Behind Act. 05/02/08



• Report: U.S. Kids' Well-Being Improves
  While childhood obesity remains a major problem, the overall well-being of U.S. children between the ages of 6 to 11 is improving, according to a report from the Foundation for Child Development. 05/01/08



• Schools Make AYP After Reclassifying Students
  Over the past two years, 80 California schools were able to make adequate yearly progress (AYP) under the No Child Left Behind Act after changing the racial classification of some of their students. 04/30/08



• Kids Who Pass Tests May Get More Days Off
  The Grand Prairie (Texas) Independent School District is seeking state permission to give students who pass the state tests eight days off from school. Teachers would use those days to tutor students who did not pass. 04/29/08



• Classical Music Inspires Students
  Many pupils from Prince George's County, Maryland, got their first taste of classical music when the district opted to send all 8,000 fourth graders to a concert by the National Symphony Orchestra. 04/28/08



• Public Schools Seeking Private Money
  Proposed budget cuts in California are prompting schools to seek donations from parents and and community to make up the shortfall. Potential layoff notices have been issued to 20,000 public school employees. 04/25/08



• Teacher Suspended for Refusing to Give Test
  Carl Chew, a science teacher at Nathan Eckstein Middle School in Seattle, has been suspended for two weeks without pay for refusing to administer the Washington Assessment of Student Learning in his classroom. 04/24/08



• Warning: Kids Need Heart Exam Before ADHD Drugs
  Children should be screened for heart problems with an electrocardiogram before starting medication such as Ritalin to treat hyperactivity and attention-deficit disorder, said the American Heart Association. 04/23/08



• Bullies Taunt Allergic Kids With Peanuts
  Some schools are seeing a dangerous new trend in bullying: Kids deliberately exposing students with peanut allergies to peanut products. Peanut exposure can cause severe reactions in some children, even causing death. 04/22/08



• Teacher Focuses on Copier Over-Usage to Mark Earth Day
  Kenny Luna, a science teacher in North Babylon, New York, is urging schools to reduce the number of photo copies staff members make to help save trees and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. 04/21/08



• School Nurse Forms Anti-Smoking Group
  School nurse and former smoker Donna Pasko created a SWAT team -- Students Working Against Tobacco -- to educate teens at Palmetto High in Florida about the dangers of smoking. 04/18/08



• Funding for School Media Centers Lagging
  Despite research showing that school libraries help boost student achievement, media centers still don’t receive sufficient funding, reports a study by the American Library Association. 04/17/08



• Study: Co-Ed Classes Optimize Learning
  A Tel Aviv University study found that boys and girls perform better academically in co-ed classrooms. The study showed that the pressence of girls improved boys’ grades markedly. 04/16/08



• Schools Reach Out to Hispanic Parents
  Some schools in Texas are offering English and citizenship courses for Hispanic parents so they can become more comfortable speaking English and more involved in their children's education. 04/15/08



• Teachers Ordered to Turn Over E-Mails Written at School
  A circuit court judge ruled that five Wisconsin Rapids School District teachers must turn over the contents of e-mails written while at school. A resident claims the teachers were writing personal e-mail on school time. 04/14/08



• Legos Help Kids With Autism Build Social Skills
  Working together on Lego projects helps to build the social skills of pre-adolescent boys with autism, experts have found. Children are forced to interact to meet a common goal while working on a project. 04/11/08



• Secretary of Ed Cites Writing Gains
  U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced that writing scores for eighth and 12th graders on the 2007 NAEP tests showed gains from 2002 and 1998. More than 165,000 students took the test. 04/10/08



• Cricket Comes to U.S. Schools
  The New York City schools have become the first school system in the U.S. to launch a cricket league. About 600 students from 14 schools are participating; each team is playing 12 matches. 04/09/08



• Judge: Firm Can Store Students' Essays
  A U.S. federal district court judge in Virginia ruled that the plagiarism detection company Turnitin does not violate students' copyrights when it stores copies of their essays to check future submissions for plagiarism. 04/08/08



• Dept. of Ed. Proposing Uniform Graduation-Rate Formula
  U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings plans to propose that states use a uniform graduation-rate formula and publish data on the graduation rates of students from different racial and socioeconomic groups. 04/07/08



• Study: Bullies Have Tough Relationships With Parents, Friends
  Researchers at York University and Queen's University in Canada found that bullies often have troubled relationships with parents and friends, and without intervention, may continue being disruptive into their teens. 04/04/08



• Report: Fewer than Half Graduate from Many Urban Schools
  Seventeen of the 50 largest U.S. cities had high-school graduation rates lower than 50 percent, with the lowest graduation rates posted in Detroit, Indianapolis, and Cleveland, a report noted. 04/03/08



• School Weaning Students off Gossip
  School officials at the private Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls are "weaning" girls off gossiping, starting with a daily school-wide, gossip-free hour. The school encourages a gossip-free atmosphere. 04/02/08



• Free Tutoring Not Far-Reaching, Effective Enough
  Federally mandated public after-school tutoring isn't always reaching the children it's intended to help, researchers note -- and when it does, the tutoring isn't always help as effective as it could be. 04/01/08



• City to Attack School Failure at Multiple Levels
  Washington, D.C., plans to pilot a program that includes in-home substance-abuse counseling, solutions for public-aid problems, and other programs for students' troubled families in an effort to raise achievement. 03/31/08



• Principal Turns to Students to Close Achievement Gap
  Frustrated by the lack of progress in closing the achievement gap at T.R. Smedberg Middle School in south Sacramento, California, the principal began meeting with students to get their input. 03/28/08



• Study: Students Drinking by Sixth Grade
  A study of more than 4,000 sixth-graders in Chicago schools that showed that 17 percent already had tried alcohol, suggests that education programs need to start at the elementary level, researchers said. 03/27/08



• School Stressing Importance of Sleep
  To stress the importance of adequate sleep for learning, officials at Memminger Elementary School in Charleston, South Carolina, are asking parents to sign contracts agreeing to put their children to bed earlier. 03/26/08



• Dropout Figures Worse Than NCLB Data Shows
  Because many states report lower dropout figures to the federal government than they do to state education officials, the magnitude of the high school dropout problem is being hidden, some say. 03/25/08



• Officials Unveil Statewide Chess Program
  Idaho is the first state in the U.S. to approve a chess curriculum for all second and third graders. The state will fund chess instruction for the voluntary program. 03/24/08



• Teacher Absences Could Affect Test Scores
  The more days teachers are absent before high-stakes tests, the more likely it is that students will not perform well on the tests, according to a study by Harvard researchers. 03/21/08



• Do State Test Scores Belong on Transcripts?
  Minnesota state education officials are pushing to add state test scores to high school transcripts that students submit to colleges and universities, in order to get students to take the tests more seriously. 03/20/08



• Training Principals to Be Instructional Leaders
  Officials in the Norwalk-La Mirada school district have hired consultants to transform their 29 principals into instructional leaders rather than building managers. 03/19/08



• Looming Science Test Has Schools Scrambling
  The fall launch of science testing under NCLB should lead to a renewed focus on science instruction, said educators and science advocates, at a time when the U.S. is facing a "crisis" in science education. 03/18/08



• College Offers Online AP, Honors Courses
  The University of California, Irvine Extension, is offering advanced placement (AP) and honors courses online to high-school students nationwide. Courses have been approved by the College Board. 03/17/08



• More High Schools Adding Classes Scripted by Corporations
  Some major U.S. accounting and engineering firms, partly because of fears about labor shortages, are creating free curriculum for high schools to introduce students to careers in engineering and finance. 03/14/08



• Charter School to Pay Teachers $125,000
  The director of a New York City charter school plans to pay teachers $125,000 annually -- more than his own salary -- based on the idea that top teachers are the key to high achievement. 03/13/08



• Ruling Could End Homeschooling
  Parents who lack teaching credentials cannot educate their children at home, according to a California appellate court ruling that is sending shock waves through the state's home-schooling families. 03/12/08



• Students Record Black Residents' Memories
  Students in an education class at Henry E. Lackey High School in Indian Head, Maryland, interviewed some of the area's oldest African-American residents and are preserving the stories on a DVD. 03/11/08



• Underachievers May Have Poor Working Memory
  Not all underachieving students are slow; some may have poor working memories, according to a study by researchers in the United Kingdom. Working memory is the ability to retain information and manipulate it mentally. 03/10/08



• Teachers Complain About 'Hovering' Parents
  For the past two years, 60 percent of Howard County (Maryland) teachers said in a job satisfaction survey that they have been subjected to harassment -- and parents were the offenders 60 percent of the time. 03/07/08



• Schools Try New Ways to Curb Cheating
  With cheating and plagiarism rampant in many U.S. high schools, some administrators are trying new strategies to curb cheating, such as allowing accused students to be judged by a panel of their peers. 03/06/08



• Parents Push for School Defibrillators
  Two families whose sons might have survived cardiac problems if defibrillators had been available on school fields have teamed up with a cardiologist to lobby Congress to require all schools to have defibrillators. 03/05/08



• Students Do Better in 'Green' Schools
  Students in schools with clean air, natural light, wastewater recycling, renewable power, and other "green" features show improved academic performance and have fewer cases of asthma, colds, and flu, a study says. 03/04/08



• Good Students Earn Cell Phones, Minutes
  About 2,500 students in seven New York City middle schools received cell phones for good grades and good behavior. Students now can earn additional rewards such as more minutes, ring tones, and text messaging options. 03/03/08



• Bill Would Expand Crimes to Decertify Teachers
  A bill in the Washington state legislature would require districts to report innapropriate behavior by teachers and expand the list of crimes for which a conviction could result in the termination of a teacher and/or the revocation of credentials. 02/29/08



• Math Teachers, Students Can Be Bad Match
  Miscommunication between math teachers and students may compound the struggles some students have with the subject. Teachers who are math experts sometimes assume students know more than they do. 02/28/08



• Educators Fighting Back against Online Insults
  Teachers and principals are retaliating against students who post insulting messages or images about them online. Students have faced criminal charges, civil lawsuits, long-term suspensions, or permanent expulsions. 02/27/08



• Beef Recall Puts Schools on Alert
  School districts around the U.S. are trying to determine if any of the meat involved in the biggest beef recall in the nation's history announced this week is still headed for school lunches. 02/26/08



• Eating Better Could Earn Kids Cash
  Children who eat more healthful food at school and exercise regularly could receive taxpayer-funded financial bonuses in their state savings accounts, a health adviser to the British government suggested. 02/25/08
  
  
• School Turns to Business Management Model
  Children at Mt. Lebanon (Pennsylvania's) Washington Elementary School are learning under the "continuous improvement" management model that made Toyota a powerhouse. The approach's mantra is: plan, do, study, act. 02/22/08



• Computer Program Shows Living Costs
  Eighth-graders at Bernardo Heights Middle School in California got a look at real-world living expenses through a computer program that provided figures for housing, utilities, and other costs based on their location and lifestyle. 02/21/08



• Students Set to Learn about Young Holocaust Victims
  France's president Nicolas Sarkozy set off a debate when he announced that next year every fifth grader will learn about the life of a French child who died in the Holocaust. Some argue the information is too grim for young children. 02/20/08



• Sixth Graders to Learn About Contraceptives
  Under a new sex education curriculum beginning in April, Palm Beach (Florida) sixth graders will learn about contraceptives. Florida has the sixth-highest rate of teen pregnancies in the U.S. 02/19/08



• More Students Taking, Passing AP Exams
  A higher percentage of students in public high schools are taking and passing Advanced Placement exams, a report from the College Board notes. The performance gap between black and white students, however, remains large. 02/18/08



• State Passes Anti-Bullying Measure
  Nebraska lawmakers have passed a bill intended to prevent bullying in schools. The measure doesn’t dictate specific actions that school districts must take, but it does require them to set antibullying policies by next summer. 02/15/08



• Bullying Harms Kids' Mental Health
  Being bullied can negatively affect children's mental health, according to a recent study. Bullied children are more likely to have anxiety, depression and thoughts of suicide, study authors note. 02/14/08



• Rallies, Prayers Pump Up Students for Tests
  Schools and communities in Florida are rallying around students who are taking the state assessment tests with pep rallies, academic boot camps, exercise programs, and prayer meetings. 02/13/08



• National PTA CEO to Retire
  Warlene Gary, who has served as the chief executive officer of the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) for five years, plans to retire in June. Gary has been active in the PTA for 35 years. 02/12/08



• In Some Schools, 50 is the New 0
  Some schools in Clark County, Nevada, are experimenting with making 50 the lowest grade a student can receive on a report card -- even if a student turned in no homework and scored 0 on every test. 02/11/08



• "Green Team" Keeps School Eco-Conscious
  Student members of the Green Team at Julius West Middle School in Rockville, Maryland, promote energy conservation and recycling among the school's students and faculty. 02/08/08



• Many Sex Ed Teachers Don't Cover the Basics
  A study of sex education teachers in Illinois showed that one-third did not give comprehensive instruction -- defined as covering abstinence, birth control, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. 02/07/08



• Government to Fund Auschwitz Visits
  To impress on young people the horrors of the Holocaust, the English government will pay for two students from every secondary school to visit the Auschwitz death camp in Poland. 02/06/08



• Board Approves Afro-Centric School
  The Toronto District School Board narrowly approved a proposal for an Afro-centric school that opponents charged was tantamount to segregation. The school is slated to open in September 2009. 02/05/08



• Kids With ADHD May Be More Likely to Bully
  Children with ADHD are almost four times as likely as others to be bullies, a study shows. Also, children with ADHD symptoms were almost ten times as likely to have been bullied prior to the onset of ADHD symptoms. 02/04/08



• Rocker Composing Curricula
  Steven Van Zandt, lead guitarist for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, is writing Little Steven's Rock and Roll High School, a music education program that traces the history of rock 'n' roll in the U.S. 02/01/08



• Computer-Savvy Kids Still Lack Research Skills
  Today's children may have grown up using the Internet, but that doesn't mean they are better researchers, a British study says. Easy access to data has not improved kids' ability to assess information. 01/31/08



• School Holds "No Place for Hate" Week
  Memorial Middle School in Houston, Texas, recently held a No Place for Hate Week, featuring activities and discussions designed to reduce bullying and teasing and help students appreciate differences. 01/30/08



• Bounce Back School Gives Dropouts Last Chance
  The Bounce Back School in Chula Vista, California, is a last chance for high-school dropouts to earn a diploma. Students attend classes for three hours a day, and teachers track them down if they are missing. 01/29/08



• Mandatory Cooking Classes Proposed
  A new mandate requires all students between the ages of 11 and 14 in English public schools to take a cooking class, as part of an effort to teach students about nutrition and reduce obesity. 01/28/08



• Intensive Remediation Program Shows Results
  A promotion with intensive remediation program has allowed some Louisiana youngsters who struggled in eighth grade to move from middle school to high school and handle the demands of high school work. 01/25/08



• School District Gives Teachers Money for Houses
  The Palm Beach County (Florida) School District is offering $10,000 housing subsidies to 50 teachers who purchase homes in a specific development, which gives qualified buyers more than $43,000 for homes. 01/24/08



• H.S. Offers Homeland Security Courses
  Joppatowne High School in Joppa, Maryland, is the first high school in the U.S. to offer a homeland security program. Students take courses to learn about protecting the country against terrorism. 01/23/08



• School Board Weighs Maternity Leave for Students
  Two pediatricians, a counselor, and a pregnant teen asked the Denver School Board to consider granting four-to-six weeks of maternity leave for students who have babies, so the teens can recover and bond with their children. 01/22/08



• Teens Brainstorm Ways to Keep Peers in School
  At Mississippi's first Teen Graduation Summit, high school students from across the state talked about reasons why their peers drop out of school and what could be done to keep them in school. 01/21/08



• 'Dashboards' Give School Snapshots
  The U.S. Department of Education has unveiled an online tool called Dashboards to show the public how schools fare in reading and math achievement, graduation rates, and participation in Advanced Placement exams. 01/18/07



• Teacher Stress Impacts Pre-K Expulsions
  The level of stress experienced by a preschool teacher directly impacts the number of children who are expelled, a Yale University study says. Preschoolers are three times more likely to be expelled than K-12 students. 01/17/07



• Student Artwork on Display in DC
  Artwork by 30 students created in 2006-2007 for the national PTA’s arts program, Reflections, has been selected for display at the U.S. Department of Education. The theme for last year's program was "My Favorite Place." 01/16/08



• Education Funding System Gets Overhaul
  The New Jersey state legislature approved a bill overhauling how the state allocates funding for public schools. Gov. Jon Corzine said the changes will more fairly distribute more than $8 billion in annual education aid. 01/15/08



• School Principals Get More Authority
  The Hartford (Connecticut) school district is on the verge of making a dramatic shift in the way school budgets are prepared to give principals control over hiring, the length of their school days and years, and more. 01/14/08



• Teacher's Songs Inspire Students
  Virginia music teacher Linda White helps her students learn about history, science, and other subjects through the musicals she writes for students to perform. 01/11/08



• Bush Gives NCLB Ultimatum
  President Bush has warned that if Congress doesn't reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act soon, he'll make as many changes as he can on his own. Bush added if Congress acts and weakens the law, he will veto it. 01/10/08



• Court Ruling Revives NCLB Challenges
  A federal appeals court decision has revived a lawsuit filed by three states and the National Education Association challenging the funding of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. 01/09/08



• More Schools Drafting Breathalyzer Policies
  More schools are creating policies on the use of breathalyzers, now that the cost of the devices has fallen and schools are seeking better ways to keep intoxicated students from attending school functions. 01/08/08



• Parents of Disabled Students Seek Separate Classes
  As mainstreaming students with disabilities becomes common, more parents of disabled students are opposing the practice, saying their children don't get the specialized attention they need in regular classes. 01/07/08



• Tutors Help Boys Get Organized for Success
  A growing number of families are hiring tutors to assist their sons with organizational, time management, and study skills to help them succeed in school and prepare college applications. 01/04/08



• Foundation Creates Fellowship for Teachers
  The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation plans to award hundreds of future teachers $30,000 starting in 2009 to attend graduate school. The fellows agree to teach for three years at high-needs schools. 01/03/08



• Fifth of U.S. Dropouts May Be Gifted
  As many as 20 percent of the high-school dropouts in the U.S. could be considered gifted, studies show, an indication that these students are bored and frustrated with school. 01/02/08




Edscoops 2007

• More Class Time Equals Better Math Skills
  A study by the Brookings Institution may show that more class time does pay off. The study found that adding just ten minutes of math instruction to an eighth-grader's day translated into a jump in math skills. 12/13/07



• Before-School Reading Program Draws Parents
  Moore Elementary School in Ft. Collins, Colorado, has started before-school reading programs called "Doughnuts with Dad" and "Muffins with Mom" to encourage parents to read with their children. 12/12/07



• Parents Protest Report Card Ads
  Some parents in Orlando, Florida, are complaining about McDonald's ads on report card covers. Some of the ads promise children free Happy Meals for good grades, attendance, and behavior. 12/11/07



• Province Plans to Ban Trans Fats in Schools
  Ontario (Canada) Premier Dalton McGuinty has introduced legislation to ban all trans fats and junk food in school cafeterias and vending machines. The ban will apply from pre-K to grade 12. 12/10/07



• H.S. Students Try Teaching
  Students from Agua Fria Union High School in Avondale, Arizona, are helping in elementary school classes twice a week to get a taste of the teaching profession. 12/07/07



• Union Proposes More Teacher Authority
  A proposal from the Los Angeles teachers' union calls for more local, grass roots control over schools and hiring principals and would allowing instructors more flexibility to develop curricula. 12/06/07



• Teachers' Union Pulls Out of Affordable Housing Plan
  The New York City teachers' union plans to pull out of a development project that would have built moderately priced housing for teachers because the developers would not promise to use union labor. 12/05/07



• H.S. Educator Lives for Science
  West Salem (Oregon) High School teacher Michael Lampert keeps his students enthralled with demonstrations that show different types of propulsion and the effects of liquid nitrogen on substances. 12/04/07



• Teen's Suicide Spurs Anti-Cyberbullying Law
  The town of Dardenne Prairie, Missouri, passed a law to prevent cyberbulling in response to the suicide last year of a 13-year-old girl. The child killed herself after receiving hurtful messages on MySpace. 12/03/07



• Parents Rank Student Satisfaction Over Teacher Performance
  When it comes to choosing teachers, parents often are more concerned with a teacher's ability to satisfy their children than to raise academic achievement, according to a new study. 11/30/07



• Reading Screenings Often Misapplied
  Popular screening tests used to identify children with reading problems are being misapplied, landing students in the wrong instructional level and delaying interventions for their actual difficulties, a study says. 11/29/07



• A New Recipe for Dropouts: Cooking
  A new school scheduled to open in the Chicago school district in fall 2008 is being designed to teach at-risk 11th and 12th graders to become chefs or hotel and restaurant managers. 11/28/07



• Three-Year Brain Lag Found in ADHD Kids
  The brains of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) develop more slowly than those of other children but eventually catch up, according to a new study. 11/27/07



• Parents Ordered to Court for Not Vaccinating Kids
  The Prince George's County (Maryland) school system ordered hundreds of parents who had failed to have their children vaccinated to appear in court. More than 2,000 students lacked the required immunizations. 11/26/07



• Teens Reading Less Often, For Shorter Periods
  Teenagers are reading less often and for shorter periods of time, according to a report from the National Endowment for the Arts. Less than one-third of 13-year-olds are daily readers, the report noted. 11/21/07



• Harry Potter Theme Turns School Around
  A British primary school that had been struggling posted higher scores and had fewer behavior problems after it adopted a Harry Potter theme that covers everything from how classes are set up to the curriculum. 11/20/07



• Pharmacy Students Deliver Meth Warning to Middle-Schoolers
  Some pharmacy students from the University of Montana are developing a course for middle-school students about the dangers of methamphetamine. The course includes scientific information and true-life stories. 11/19/07



• Web Site Helps Educators Use Research-Based Methods
  The U.S. Department of Education has launched a new Web site called Doing What Works designed to help educators apply research-based strategies to their teaching. 11/16/07



• Agriculture Education Goes High-Tech
  Students at Oconomowoc High School in Wisconsin interested in agriculture can take courses in greenhouse production and management, for which college-bound students can receive technical-college credit. 11/15/07



• Study: Early Bad Behavior Does Not Hurt Pupils Later
  A new study shows that poorly-behaved young children will not necessarily struggle in school as they get older. Children who had behavior problems in kindergarten did as well academically in elementary school as their peers. 11/14/07



• Students Join Fight Against Global Warming
  Teachers, parents, and volunteers helped organize assemblies and participated in skits at Rancho Elementary School in Novato, California, to help raise student awareness about global warming. 11/13/07



• Report: Abstinence Education Not Curbing Teen Sex
  Although sex education programs that focus on abstinence are eligible for federal grants, they have not affected teen sexual behavior, according to a study by a nonpartisan group seeking to reduce teen pregnancies. 11/12/07



• Voters Defeat Voucher Measure
  More than 60 percent of voters in Utah rejected a comprehensive education voucher program. The Utah program would have provided tax-funded subsidies to any student, rich or poor, to enroll in a private school. 11/09/07



• Teachers Use iPods in Class
  Eighteen staff members at Ervin C. Whitt Elementary School in Grand Prairie, Texas, including the principal and librarian, are using iPods to teach students subjects they might otherwise find unappealing. 11/08/07



• Teacher Protests Testing for NCLB
  Wisconsin middle-school teacher David Wasserman refused to administer the first part of a required standardized test because of moral objections. He reluctantly was at his desk for the second round to save his job.11/07/07



• District Plans to Install Face-Recognition Cameras
  The Nashville, Tennessee, school district plans to become the first in the U.S. to install security cameras with face-recognition software to spot intruders. The program will start in three schools and an administration building. 11/06/07



• 12 Percent of U.S. High Schools Are 'Dropout Factories'
  At more than one in ten high schools across the U.S., no more than 60 percent of the students who start as freshmen make it to their senior year, according to a study by Johns Hopkins University. 11/05/07



• Most Public School Students in the South Are Poor
  For the first time in more than 40 years, the majority of children in public schools in southern states in the U.S. are poor, according to a report from the Southern Education Foundation. 11/02/07



• School Board Mulls Report Cards for Parents
  A school board member in Manchester, Connecticut, has proposed that schools evaluate parents and guardians on whether their child gets to school on time, with homework completed; and is well-fed and dressed for the weather. 11/01/07



• Law Denies Truants Learner's Permits
  A Maryland state law that took effect October 1 prohibits students younger than 16 who have more than ten unexcused absences during the prior school semester from receiving a permit to learn to drive. 10/31/07



• Elementary-School Science Almost Extinct
  Most elementary-school students in the San Francisco, California, area are spending less than an hour a week learning science, according to a recent study. Teachers have been focusing more on math and reading skills. 10/30/07



• Schools' Environmental Efforts Prompt Criticism
  While many schools across the U.S. are involving students in environmental programs, some critics say these efforts are a distraction at a time when many students struggle to master basic skills. 10/29/07



• Marching Bands Could Cause Hearing Damage
  Marching band, which exposes young ears to loud sounds, can cause irreparable hearing damage, according to Brian Fligor, director of diagnostic audiology at Children's Hospital in Boston. 10/26/07



• Good Behavior Can Earn Students Laptops
  Sixth graders in the Miami-Dade County (Florida) Public Schools with above-average attendance, good grades, and excellent manners can expect to be rewarded with their own laptop computers. 10/25/07



• Students May Have to Apply to College to Get H.S. Diploma
  Maine's education commissioner is proposing that high school seniors be required to apply to a college in order to get their diplomas. The change could take affect with the class of 2009. 10/24/07



• Report: Only States With Low Standards Will Meet Proficiency Goals
  Some education experts fear that allowing states to set their own proficiency standards for reading and math tests will mean that only the states with the lowest standards will meet NCLB proficiency goals by 2014. 10/23/07



• Vocal Cord Injuries Plague Teachers
  Teachers make up only 4 percent of the U.S. workforce, yet have the highest percentage of voice box injuries, according to leading vocal researchers. Experts are calling for more research into vocal cord injuries. 10/22/07



• Middle School to Offer Birth Control to Students
  The Portland, Maine, school board voted to allow pupils at King Middle School to get birth control pills and patches at their student health center. Condoms have been available since 2002 to King students. 10/19/07



• Failing Schools Struggling to Make the Grade
  With the No Child Left Behind Act now in its fifth year -- the one in which more severe penalties are scheduled to take effect -- many failing schools see no way to prevent restructuring. 10/18/07



• Study: Teachers Spend about $475 on Supplies
  A recent study shows that on average, U.S. K–12 teachers spend $475 of their own money annually for classroom supplies. About 12 percent of teachers spend $1,000 annually on supplies. 10/17/07



• Student's Free Speech Case Draws Supporters
  Friends and family have rallied around Avery Doninger, a Burlington, Connecticut, student barred from running for senior class office after calling district officials names on a personal blog. 10/16/07



• High Court Rules Public Schools Liable for Special Ed Costs
  The U.S. Supreme Court let stand the right of parents to be reimbursed by their local school districts for the costs of placing children with disabilities in private schools. 10/15/07



• ACLU: Banning T-Shirt in School Not Censorship
  Banning a Smyrna (Tennessee) High School student from wearing a "Free the Jenna 6" T-shirt did not qualify as censorship, because school officials had reasonable concerns about disruptions to school, the ACLU said. 10/12/07



• Suspended Student Shoots Five at High School
  A 14-year-old suspended student, dressed in black, opened fire in his downtown Cleveland, Ohio, high school Wednesday, wounding four people before killing himself. The student had been suspended for fighting. 10/11/07



• Students Try to Set Twister Record
  About 450 North Dakota high school students at a conference played Twister on 180 mats in an attempt to set a world record for the largest Twister game board. The mats formed a Twister board measuring 4,699 square feet. 10/10/07



• More Parents Deciding Class Placement of Siblings
  A new Texas state law allows parents of multiple-birth siblings to decide whether or not they are assigned to the same class. The law also allows school officials to voice their opinions on parents' decisions. 10/09/07



• School Buses to Get GPS Tracking Devices
  New York City school buses soon will be outfitted with Global Positioning System (GPS) devices as part of a pilot program aimed at tracking their routes and stops, leading to more efficient routes. 10/08/07



• School Bans Hugging
  Administrators at Oak Park's (Illinois) Percy Julian Middle School have banned hugging among students within the building. Hallway hugging was creating bottlenecks and making students late for class, the principal said. 10/05/07



• Text Messages Spread Word on Teen Dating Violence
  Students at Arizona's Coronado High School took part in a regional "textathon," using their cell phones to raise their peers' awareness about dating violence. The messages included a link to a supportive Web site. 10/04/07



• Teacher Blows Whistle on Public Displays of Affection
  Michigan math teacher Colin Nelson got tired of the student make-out sessions in the hall outside his classroom, so now every time he spots a public dispaly of affection, he breaks it up with a blast from a whistle. 10/03/07



• Students Go to the Mat for Yoga
  Students at Colfax Elementary School in Denver, Colorado, now practice yoga twice a week in their gym classes, learning to stretch, balance, and relax. A non-profit group gave the yoga curriculum to the school. 10/02/07



• H.S Principal Tackles Summer Reading List
  Cherry Hill High School West (New Jersey) principal Joseph Meloche had his summer reading mapped out. He read all the selections on the summer reading list for every grade, a total of more than 15 books. 10/01/07



• More Schools Consider Supervised Recess
  A recent report puts school recess at the top of the class among opportunities to make students' school days more active, and urges adults to supervise fun recess activities that involve all children.
  09/28/07



• Schools Adopt Mexican Curriculum
  Some Oregon high schools are adopting Mexico's public school curriculum to help Spanish-speaking students learn math, science, and even U.S. history. The Mexican government provides free textbooks, DVDs, and CDs. 09/27/07



• Education Secretary Cites Gains Under NCLB
  U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings said that gains in reading and math scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) showed that NCLB mandates are working. 09/26/07



• Bookseller Starts Foundation to Benefit School Libraries
  After a retired school librarian told Canadian bookseller Heather Reisman about book shortages in Canadian school libraries, Reisman not only donated books but started a foundation to raise money for school libraries. 09/25/07



• School Surveillance Cameras Rankle Teachers, Parents
  Teachers and parents in many Long Island, New York, schools are protesting the use of surveillance cameras in school classrooms, auditoriums, and gyms. Schools installed them for security purposes. 09/24/07



• NYC Schools Win Top Education Prize
  The New York City public schools won this year's $500,000 Broad Prize for Urban Education, which honors large urban school districts that improve student achievement while reducing the achievement gap. 09/21/07



• Academic Cheating Rampant, Accepted
  Academic cheating has reached an all-time high, and today's cheaters are more likely to be the students with top grades who are feeling the pressure to keep their high grade point averages. 09/20/07



• H.S. Students Create Alcohol Warnings for Middle Schoolers
  A competition called Courageous Persuaders seeks high school students to produce commercials to convince middle school students not to drink alcohol. The Detroit Auto Dealers Association funds the contest. 09/19/07



• School Backpack Awareness Day Sept. 19
  Educators are asked to remind students September 19 of the safe ways to load and carry school backpacks. Heavy backpacks were blamed for more than 7,000 emergency room visits in 2001. 09/18/07



• Professor to Rate Anti-Bullying Efforts
  Twelve Tennessee middle schools are in a program to create "cultures of kindness" to discourage bullying. A Vanderbilt University professor will measure a school's social climate each year to see if efforts are working. 09/17/07



• Schools Fail to Take Restructuring Action
  Schools are reluctant to make major changes even after failing to reach student-achievement targets under the No Child Left Behind Act for five consecutive years, according to researchers. 09/14/07



• Double-Vision in Children Often Undetected
  Convergence insufficiency, an eye condition that causes double-vision at close range, often is overlooked in children, and it can be the source of learning and behavior problems. 09/13/07



• More Merit Pay Going to Affluent Schools
  A study of the distribution of merit bonuses to 3,911 Orange County, Florida, teachers and administrators showed that educators in more affluent schools were twice as likely to get bonuses as those in schools in low-income areas. 09/12/07



• Schools Get Stuck With Lunch Tabs
  Some districts are losing thousands of dollars a year because parents fail to reimburse schools when children without lunch money charge meals. 09/11/07



• Structure, Consistency Help ADHD Preschoolers
  Stressing consistent rules and routines and using more praise for good behavior than punishment for bad has been found in a study to help preschoolers who demonstrate early ADHD behavior. 09/10/07



• Billions Pouring into Public Preschool
  U.S. states now are investing $4.2 billion in public preschool programs that serve almost 1 million children nationwide. Research showing that the programs are cost-effective and may help boost test scores is spurring the investments. 09/07/07



• Schools Offer Bonuses to Cut Teacher Absenteeism
  To reduce the number of teacher absences, some schools in Florida are offering a bonus to staff members if the number of absences is lower than the previous year or allowing teachers to cash in unused sick time when they retire. 09/06/07



• District Pays for School Uniforms
  The Elizabeth, New Jersey, school system not only requires students to wear uniforms -- it buys them. Since January 2006, the district has spend more than $2 million to buy navy blazers, khaki pants, polo shirts, gym shorts, and even socks. 09/05/07



• Study: Up to 2.4 Million Kids Have ADHD
  About 2.4 million U.S. children ages 8 to 15 have ADHD, according to a recent study, but fewer than 40 percent of those children are taking medication for it. But some experts still believe the condition is diagnosed too often. 09/04/07



• ADHD Drug Ads Part of Back-to-School Pitch
  Some critics say that back-to-school-themed ads for ADHD medications for children prey on parents' concerns about their children's school performance. Drug makers argue that they are educating the public. 08/30/07



• SAT Scores Drop for Second Year
  SAT scores dropped for the second straight year nationwide, raising suspicions that students could be suffering "test fatigue" from the expanded, 3 3/4-hour standardized exam. 08/29/07



• School Top Cause of Teen Stress
  Academic performance is the top cause of stress among 13-to-17-year-olds in the U.S., according to a recent poll, and girls feel more stressed than boys. Girls also are less likely to feel safe in their schools and neighborhoods. 08/28/07



• Suit Claims DOE Is Violating Teacher Quality Provision
  A coalition has filed suit against the U.S. Department of Education and Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings for violating the teacher quality provisions of No Child Left Behind by defining teachers still in training as "highly qualified." 08/27/07



• Online Tool Measures School Safety Plans
  An online safety assessment tool gives school leaders a benchmark they can use in comparing their physical and information technology security plans with those of other schools or districts across the U.S. 08/24/07



• More Students Taking Longer to Finish High School
  Faced with 70,000 students or more who are years behind in earning the required credits to graduate from high school, New York City school officials have set up programs to help older students catch up and graduate. 08/23/07



• Districts Offer Bonuses to Subs
  Movie passes, store gift certificates, and cash bonuses are just some of the incentives school districts are offering substitute teachers these days to lure them to their schools. 08/22/07



• Tonsillectomies Could Cure ADHD Behavior
  Doctors are finding that the behavior of some hyperactive children improves after their tonsils are removed. Once the swollen tonsils are gone, children are able to sleep better and so are less irritable and distractible. 08/21/07



• Kids Use Social Networking for Education
  A recent study showed that about 60 percent of students who use online social networking sites discuss education-related topics while online. The study suggests social networking sites could play a greater role in education. 08/20/07



• U.S. Turns to Britain for School Improvement Ideas
  Sir Michael Barber, a senior adviser to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, has been talking to school officials in the U.S. about school improvement strategies. Barber's top suggestion: Improve teacher quality. 08/17/07



• Governor Calls for Internet Safety Training for Teachers
  New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine has called for Internet safety training for teachers and has asked the state attorney general and education commissioner to begin the process this school year. 08/16/07



• Teachers Could Earn More for Police Training, Carrying Guns
  Education officials in Nevada have proposed giving bonus pay to teachers -- from kindergarten to college -- who undergo training to serve as armed reserve school police officers. 08/15/07



• Students to Talk With Shuttle Crew
  Twenty students are slated to ask questions during a live downlink scheduled for August 16 with Endeavour mission specialists Barbara Morgan, a former teacher, and Richard Mastracchio. The downlink will be live on NASA TV . 08/14/07



• Unclaimed Property Auction Raises $817,000 for Schools
  An auction in Florida of unclaimed property from abandoned safe deposit boxes yielded $817,000 for the state's public schools. The state's Bureau of Unclaimed Property schedules such auctions periodically. 08/13/07



• Gestures Help Students Learn
  Studies show that teachers who use gestures as they explain a concept do better at getting their ideas across, and students who gesture as they process new ideas tend to remember them longer. 08/10/07



• Teacher Astronaut Blasts Into Space
  Barbara Morgan, the former teacher turned astronaut, blasted into space Wednesday aboard the space shuttle Endeavour. Morgan is scheduled to talk with some students during the mission. 08/09/07



• Four District High Schools Going Green
  In what may be the largest solar power and energy-efficiency program in U.S. K-12 education, the San Jose school district is installing solar panels on four of its high schools and adding environmental studies to the curriculum. 08/08/07



• H.S. to Test Students for Sexually Transmitted Diseases
  Starting this fall, the York City (Pennsylvania) School District will provide sexually-transmitted-disease testing for all students at William Penn Senior High School. 08/07/07



• Schools Urged to Connect Curriculum to Nature
  Spurred by the national group Leave No Child Inside, more school districts are looking to connect their curriculum to outdoor activities, to encourage children to spend time away from the television and computers. 08/06/07



• Program Teaches Parents to Help Children
  Parents in many communities are learning how they can help their local schools and own children excel through a parent leadership institute called Parents for Public Schools. Graduates of the program help to mobilize other parents. 08/03/07



• Kids' Letters Get Green Beans off Lunch Menu
  Second graders from William V. Wright Elementary School in Las Vegas, Nevada, learned the power of the pen when their letters to the school lunch lady asking for different vegetables got green beans off the lunch menu. 08/02/07



• Poll: Schools Spend More Time on Math, Reading
  In response to the No Child Left Behind Act, schools are spending more time on math and reading and less time in elementary schools on social studies, science, art, music, and gym, a poll showed. 08/01/07



• Students Helping to Recruit Teachers
  The Prince George's County, Maryland, school system is using appeals from its students in an ad campaign to lure teachers for the nearly 800 jobs the district needs to fill before school reopens. 07/31/07



• School District Striving to Go Paperless
  Officials in the Dallastown (Pennsylvania) Area School District are moving as many memos, minutes, and notices as possible to the Internet in an effort to save paper and money. 07/30/07



• Boys Face Charges for Slapping Backsides
  Two Oregon middle-school students are facing possible time in a juvenile jail and may have to register as sex offenders for swatting girls on the backside at school. The two boys said the swats were a type of greeting many students used. 07/27/07



• Online Summer School a Hit With Teens
  More school districts are allowing students who failed a course to "attend" summer school online, giving youngsters the flexibility to study as well as work, attend camp, or go on vacation. 07/26/07



• Want to Drive? Stay in School
  An Illinois state law that went into effect July 1 allows the state to revoke the drivers' licenses of students who have more than 18 unexcused absences from school, are expelled, or drop out. 07/25/07



• Father's Math Books Get High Marks
  A Michigan father determined to help his sons' math grades improve rewrote their math textbooks, and then went on to write a math curriculum that has grown to 14 textbooks. 07/24/07



• Kids, Parents Learn Together
  Harborside Elementary School in Chula Vista, California, "enrolls" parents of Spanish-speaking students so parents and children can learn to read and speak English together. 07/23/07



• Fewer Children Walking, Biking to School
  Fewer than half of U.S. children who live close to school regularly walk or ride a bike to classes, a new study says. Safety concerns and the increase in the number of kids commuting by car to school are partly behind the trend. 07/20/07



• Teacher Who Sold Drugs Gets License Back
  A Connecticut teacher who lost his license four years ago for selling a small amount of cocaine was reinstated, after the state's board of education reviewed his record and heard positive testimony from colleagues. 07/19/07



• Student Files Suit Over Blog Entry
  A high school student barred from running for class office after she called administrators a derogatory term on a non-school-related blog is accusing school officials of violating her free speech rights. 07/18/07



• Schools to Give Lessons in Feelings
  Officials in Great Britain plan to offer students lessons in how to manage their feelings and resolve conflicts without fighting as part of broader initiatives to improve classroom behavior. 07/17/07



• Nutrition Education Has Little Influence on Kids' Eating Habits
  While the U.S. government will spend more than $1 billion this year on nutrition education to encourage children to eat better and lose weight, studies show the programs have little effect. 07/16/07



• Former Students Salute Retiring Teacher
  When Jim Burns retired after 40 years of teaching fifth and sixth grades in three Philadelphia schools, more than two dozen former students came to his retirement party to thank him for believing in them. 07/13/07



• 'Pay-to-Plug' Rules Gaining Ground
  Several Michigan school districts are requiring employees who bring in fans, space heaters, refrigerators, and other small devices to pay a fee to offset the electricity those appliances use. 07/12/07



• Summer Science Attracts Scholars
  About 200 Shelby County (Tennessee) students are immersing themselves in math and science this summer, through the two-week-long Shelby Scholars Summer Institute. 07/11/07



• Cosby Tells Teachers-to-Be: 'You Hold the Key'
  Bill Cosby told aspiring teachers in Philadelphia that molding children in the classroom and giving them the skills to be upstanding citizens helps ensure that they do not get caught up in the city's cycle of violence. 07/10/07



• More Schools Adopt Growth Models
  A movement is growing to amend the federal No Child Left Behind Act to allow alternative assessments of student progress such as growth models. About 24 states have moved to growth models. 07/09/07



• Spellings Calls for Flexibility in Assessing Schools
  U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings has proposed differentiating under NCLB between schools that are close to meeting state standards and those that are "...chronic underperformers." 07/06/07



• Debate Grows about Separating Twins in School
  While assigning twins to separate classes in school was standard practice for years, many educators and parents now are questioning whether separate classes are best for the children. 07/05/07



• Education Department Awards Teacher-Training Funds
  The U.S. Department of Education has awarded $22.1 million for 41 grants through the Transition to Teaching program to increase the pool of qualified teachers in high-need schools by recruiting non-traditional teacher candidates. 07/03/07



• Report: Bullies May Have Sleep Disorder
  Children who bully other children may have a sleep disorder, a study says. The study found that bullies were more than twice as likely to have sleep-related breathing disorder (SRBD), which can disrupt sleep. 07/02/07



• Supreme Court Rejects School Diversity Plans
  A divided U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that race cannot be a factor in the assignment of children to public schools. The ruling could affect existing school-desegregation programs. 06/29/07



• School District Brings College to High Schools
  To encourage more students to attend college and help make it more affordable, the Arlington (Texas) school district will be offering college-level courses in modular centers at each of its six high schools. 06/28/07



• Student Gives Home-Buying Seminar for Teachers
  After hearing some teachers say that they couldn't afford to buy homes in the Oakland, California, area, Huber Trenado, 18, organized a seminar on home-buying tools for teachers as his senior project at MetWest High School. 06/27/07



• Kids Race to NASCAR Math
  Fourth grade teacher Tom Baughman decided to capitalize on his students' interest in racing and developed a program called NASCAR Math. Students "race" to complete tasks involving calculations and measurement. 06/26/07



• Parents, Teachers Want NCLB Fixed
  Despite criticisms, parents and educators would rather fix than nix the federal No Child Left Behind law, which in part requires all children to be academically "proficient" by 2014.06/25/07



• Thousands of 'Failing' Schools Face Restructuring
  About 2,300 U.S. schools are either in restructuring under the federal No Child Left Behind Act or are a year away and are planning for such drastic action as firing the principal and moving many of the teachers. 06/22/07



• Schools to Pay Cash for Good Grades
  Some New York City students could receive as much as $500 a year for good grades, attendance, and behavior next year, as part of a proposed cash incentive program under review by school and city officials. 06/21/07



• Summer Reading Lists Draw Fire
  As schools roll out their summer reading lists, some of the choices are prompting complaints from parents and students, who say that the material in some books is too graphic for teens. 06/20/07



• Backlash Grows Against 'Zero Tolerance'
  Lawmakers in several states are saying that strict "zero tolerance" policies for certain offenses in schools have resulted in many punishments that lack common sense, and they are seeking to loosen the restrictions. 06/19/07



• Middle-School Class Teaches Baby Care
  A six-week class called Crib Notes at Lincoln Middle School in Pontiac, Michigan, teaches students how to keep babies alive through healthful and proper eating, sleeping, and living habits.06/18/07



• Canceled Student Play about Iraq Draws Attention
  After the principal of Wilton (Connecticut) High School canceled a performance of a student- written-and-performed-play about the Iraq war, several professional theater companies offered to host the production. 06/15/07



• Students Fill In for Guidance Counselors
  A shortage of guidance counselors at Oakland (California) Technical High School prompted some students to train as peer counselors. They talk to classmates about the college application process. 06/14/07



• More Schools Adopt Fitness Breaks
  To meet a federal mandate for increased supervised physical activity in schools, more schools are scheduling fitness workouts between lessons. Some students work out to exercise videos. 06/13/07



• Parents Seek Classroom Webcams
  Some parents in the United Kingdom said they wished their children's classrooms had Webcams so they could monitor their children and gain a better understanding of what they are learning. 06/12/07



• Report: State Standards Vary Widely
  What students must learn to be deemed academically proficient varies drastically from state to state, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Education. Critics say common standards are needed. 06/11/07



• Teacher Cleared of Exposing Kids to Porn
  A substitute teacher who faced up to 40 years in jail for not shielding her students from pornography on her computer has been granted a new trial. The computer was infected with spyware that caused pop-up ads to take over the screen. 06/08/07



• Students Denied Diplomas after Graduation Cheers
  Five Galesburg (Illinois) High School seniors who were denied their diplomas because audience members cheered for them during graduation ceremonies are trying to reach an agreement with school officials. 06/07/07



• Mixed Reviews for Early Reading First
  The federal Early Reading First program has had a positive effect on preschooler's print and letter knowledge, but no impact on phonological awareness, according to a recent study. 06/06/07



• Bill Would Ban Sugary, Fatty Snacks from Schools
  A bill in the Massachusetts legislature would prohibit the sale of fatty and sugary foods from school vending machines, bake sales, and fund-raisers. The bill also would ban corporate food and soda advertising in schools.06/05/07



• Students Learn to Plan for Future
  Michigan students are planning for their futures through mandatory Educational Development Plans. The program involves exploring careers, choosing a broad "career pathway" of possible occupations, and working on a portfolio that shows their achievements. 06/04/07



• WiFi in Schools Generates Concern
  The cha