School Integration

The use of race becomes a concern for magnet schools: The recent Supreme Court ruling has made it more challenging for a program whose central goal is to help desegregate schools to take race into account
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2007/10/31/10magnet.h27.html

Federal/NCLB

Editorial – Get serious about bad schools: The No Child Left Behind law ought to take a bite out of persistently poor schools, instead, it merely growls at them
http://www.cleveland.com/editorials/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/opinion/119330504260930.xml&coll=2

Other News

Opinion: NJ should change its STAR Programs, which offer free college tuition – a case study in how some programs, born with the best of intentions and worst of financial underpinnings, can grow exponentially
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/opinion/editorials/story/7511466p-7409849c.html

Opinion: Sharing the blame for school failures – Teacher unionism and the collapse of public education in Newark and other cities are inextricably entwined
http://www.nj.com/columns/ledger/braun/index.ssf?/base/columns-0/1193301967268800.xml&coll=1&thispage=1

School Funding Litigation/Policy

Tentative new budget for MI’s K-12 schools aims to close gaps in state aid by giving lower-funded districts twice the funding increase of wealthier schools
http://www.mlive.com/news/statewide/index.ssf?/base/news-0/119332092357880.xml&coll=6

NJ’s Corzine administration is poised to present a funding formula designed to focus on individual students rather than districts, but districts worry because they haven't heard the details
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-0/119337847171790.xml&coll=1

State Roundup

Ideas begin to emerge for an overhaul of CA’s school governance and financing systems, and everybody has a say
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2007/10/31/10facts.h27.html

IA Gov. says he wants every school district to adopt additional curriculum standards within the next two years
http://www.radioiowa.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=DC92568E-F1CA-7E72-98732369DD720AD6

LA superintendent of education visits low-performing schools to share his ideas for changing education and to hear suggestions and concerns
http://www.thenewsstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071026/NEWS01/710260317

Gov. of UT, the state with the largest classes and the lowest per pupil spending, says the state’s strong economy should provide the financial support to accommodate 155,000 additional students over the next decade, but his statement contradicts previous claims
http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2007/10/25/utah_good_economy_buoys_schools/?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+News+%2F+Education

In the News on October 25, 2007

School Funding Litigation/Policy

IL school districts expect fund cuts if the budget implementation bill that authorizes spending money isn't passed by Nov. 1; school officials fear that if the approved money is not released soon, the districts never will see the money
http://www.dailysouthtown.com/news/619749,102507schoolfunding.article

In light of recent controversy over the state’s consolidation law, MD’s DOE promises to address the school funding formula problem
http://www.sunjournal.com/story/235564-3/MaineNews/DOE_promises_to_address_funding_formula_problem/

State Roundup

Study shows that science courses are nearly extinct in the elementary grades of CA schools
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/10/25/MNNKSVFOH.DTL&feed=rss.education

Report finds that high school dropouts in NC cost tax payers $169 million per year, and there is sharp disagreement over the best way to solve the problem
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/education/story/748683.html

The Education Policy and Leadership Center and several educators testify at a public hearing that the legislature needs to provide more funding for public schools in PA
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/state/s_534472.html

Even if approved, UT vouchers will be limited – $3,000 could cover less than half of the state’s typical private school tuition
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695221692,00.html

WY students increasingly opt out of more difficult high school classes to boost their grades and be more competitive for the Hathaway Scholarship awarded based on GPA and ACT scores
http://www.casperstartribune.com/articles/2007/10/24/news/wyoming/b112f117ddaccac28725737d0082ed07.txt

IL school districts expect fund cuts if the budget implementation bill that authorizes spending money isn't passed by Nov. 1; school officials fear that if the approved money is not released soon, the districts never will see the money
http://www.dailysouthtown.com/news/619749,102507schoolfunding.article

In light of recent controversy over the state’s consolidation law, MD’s DOE promises to address the school funding formula problem
http://www.sunjournal.com/story/235564-3/MaineNews/DOE_promises_to_address_funding_formula_problem/

State Roundup

Study shows that science courses are nearly extinct in the elementary grades of CA schools
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/10/25/MNNKSVFOH.DTL&feed=rss.education

Report finds that high school dropouts in NC cost tax payers $169 million per year, and there is sharp disagreement over the best way to solve the problem
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/education/story/748683.html

The Education Policy and Leadership Center and several educators testify at a public hearing that the legislature needs to provide more funding for public schools in PA
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/state/s_534472.html

Even if approved, UT vouchers will be limited – $3,000 could cover less than half of the state’s typical private school tuition
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695221692,00.html

WY students increasingly opt out of more difficult high school classes to boost their grades and be more competitive for the Hathaway Scholarship awarded based on GPA and ACT scores
http://www.casperstartribune.com/articles/2007/10/24/news/wyoming/b112f117ddaccac28725737d0082ed07.txt

U.S. Supreme Court declines appeal from NY school district about private school placements under federal special education law in its current term
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2007/10/24/09scotus.h27.html

As consolidation plans make way in some states to help shave costs and establish more efficient school districts, those states begin dealing with complications over funding, resistance from residents, and criticism that the plans may not save as much money as promised
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2007/10/24/09consolidate.h27.html

Commentary – Stop the narrowing of the curriculum by ‘right-sizing’ school time: Expand learning time to match our significantly expanded 21st-century learning goals
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2007/10/23/09reville.h27.html

Legal loopholes, fear of lawsuits and inattention all have weakened the safeguards that are supposed to protect children in school, but state efforts to strengthen laws against sex abuse by teachers have run into opposition from school boards and teachers unions
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071023/NEWS/710230336

What works in education: the lessons according to McKinsey
http://economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9989914

School Funding Litigation/Policy

OR school districts were clear victors in the 2007 legislative session with the K-12 education budget up 18 percent, but increased funding comes with strings attached
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071023/STATE/710230319

Los Angeles school district officials consider using more than $1 billion in bond money allotted for different purposes to close a staggering deficit in the school-construction program
http://www.latimes.com/news/education/la-me-lausd23oct23,1,1106193.story?track=rss

Superintendents of NJ's poorest school districts worry that the state's fiscal woes will leave them grappling with little or no increases in state aid in the upcoming state budget, after a special meeting with Gov. Corzine
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1193117659186360.xml&coll=1

NY Board of Regents calls for an additional $1.94 billion in next year's school aid package, with most of the proposed increase going to low-income districts
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=632371&category=STATE&newsdate=10/23/2007

TX program that allows school districts to sell bonds at lower interest rates could be tapped out if voters approve the slew of school bonds on the Nov. 6 ballot — meaning districts may need to spend millions more to finance construction
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5236349.html

Over 200 Wimberley residents packed a school gym Monday night to give their state representative a piece of their mind on TX school finance laws
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/10/23/1023wimberley.html

State Roundup

AZ high school students are one step closer to tougher graduation requirements, as the State Board of Education gives preliminary approval to mandating an additional year of math and a half-year of economics to earn a diploma
http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/207706

Child advocates hope that student testimonials at the state Capitol will help strengthen CT’s four-year-old anti-bullying statute
http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-ctbullyrap1023.artoct23,0,1444315.story

No child left untested: As federal school reform law comes up for review, some Idahoans want changes
http://www.idahostatesman.com/localnews/story/189429.html

Opinion – If policymakers want to move America's children along the road to success, they should remake "No Child Left Behind" into "A College Diploma in Every Hand"
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/10/22/EDN6ST7O7.DTL&feed=rss.education

Other News

Knowing state tests' 'cut' or passing scores, one of the  most influential but cryptic factors driving results used to rate schools for NCLB and enforce state graduation standards
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/21/AR2007102101378.html?nav=rss_education

A widespread problem in American schools: sexual misconduct by the very teachers who are supposed to be nurturing the nation’s children
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2007/10/24/09ap-abuse.h27.html

School Funding Litigation/Policy

President Bush and Democratic leaders in Congress are facing off over spending on federal education programs, and the renewal of NCLB could get caught up in the clash
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2007/10/24/09budget.h27.html

State Roundup

ID Gov. will back pay raise plan for teachers, but at the cost of job security
http://www.idahostatesman.com/531/story/189050.html

MD parents and advocates are deeply divided about whether special education students should have to pass state graduation exams
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/bal-te.md.special22oct22,0,707357.story

ME Education Commissioner proposes a requirement that high school seniors apply to college before becoming eligible for a diploma
http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2007/10/20/plan_requires_high_schoolers_to_apply_to_college_to_get_diploma/?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+News+%2F+Education

NYC program, modeled in different states, gets kids up and running; one principal says “the research is very clear that when children are healthy, when you provide opportunities for them to get healthy, it raises their achievement level”
http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2007/10/21/nyc_program_gets_kids_up_and_running/?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+News+%2F+Education

OH officials fund effort to start teaching Arabic, Chinese and Spanish to children as young as preschoolers, in the hope that the state will set a national example of the benefits of having residents interested in other languages and cultures
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2007/10/22/bilingual.ART_ART_10-22-07_B1_VT88EKT.html?sid=101

Opponents of PA’s school exit exam hope to persuade the State Board of Education to come up with another way to measure students' readiness for college or work
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/breaking/news_breaking/20071022_School_exit_exam_draws_opposition.html

PA Department of Education tells district: “No data, no money,” after it fails to complete a finance report on time
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20071019_State_tells_district__No_data__no_money.html

Published Friday, Nov. 9, 2007