August, 2004

Week of August 29th - September 4th

TEACHER COMPENSATION is substantially lower than that of workers with similar education, experience and skills, according to a new book from the Economic Policy Institute. The findings held true even when paid leave and benefit packages were taken into account.

Poll: Public Still on Learning Curve for Federal School Law
Most Americans remain largely in the dark about the No Child Left Behind Act some 21/2 years after its enactment, despite a steady stream of media coverage and intensive efforts by the Bush administration and others to raise awareness about the federal law, according to an annual survey of public attitudes on education.

Study Finds Teachers Are Losing Ground on Salary Front
Teachers' salaries have slipped over the past decade to well below those of comparable professions, a trend that is certain to complicate efforts to recruit and retain highly qualified educators for the nation's public schools, asserts a report released last week by the Economic Policy Institute.

Public's Views on Schools a Moving Target, Poll Finds
From USA Today: August 25.

NEW YORK TIMES (free registration required)
"School Achievement Reports Often Exclude the Disabled"
Around the country, states and school districts are sidestepping the spirit, and sometimes the letter, of No Child Left Behind when it comes to recording their successes and failures in teaching disabled youngsters. Federal officials have premitted a growing number of states to exclude many special education students from reports on school progress, on the grounds they account for only a small portion of enrollment. But a review of state education records shows some states and districts are going far beyond this measure. Some exempt schools for disabled students. Still others simply do not disclose basic information required by the federal law, for example, the percentage of disabled education students who graduate from high school. About 10 states have not been fully reporting how students do on achievement tests tailored to disabled students.

NEW YORK TIMES (free registration required)
"U.S. Cutting Back on Details in Data About Charter Schools"
The U.S. Department of Education is sharply cutting back on the information it collects about charter schools for a periodic report that provides a detailed national profile of public, private and charter schools. Last week, the first national comparison of test scores showed students in charter schools largely trailing comparable students in traditional public schools. The federal report, known as the Schools and Staffing Survey, provides a wealth of information about charter schools. In the future, however, the National Center for Education Statistics, which conducts the survey, will cover only a random sample of about 300 charter schools, down from over 1,000 in the most recent report.

SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS
"Flaws Mar Efforts To Hold Schools in State Accountable"
The keystone of California's recent education reform was the notion of accountability. Educators who raised student performance could expect cash rewards. Those who didn't could ultimately lose their jobs. But as parents await yet another round of reports on whether schools are improving, the rewards-and-sanctions system is already badly frayed. There is doubt that many of the most serious sanctions can ever be enforced, and California's rewards program, mired in budget woes, has dried up with no hint of replenishment.

Week of August 1st - August 7th

CHARLOTTE OBSERVER (free registration required)
"About Half of Teachers Say Classes Are Too Big"
About half of North Carolina educators believe they have too many students in their classes, according to the N.C. Teacher Working Conditions Survey of teachers and administrators. The online survey, labeled the first of its kind in the nation, is designed to assist public schools in improving the environment for both teachers and students in school. It also could help administrators improve teacher recruitment and retention efforts.

"Hispanic Students Lead Gains in Reading, Math"
Almost every grade in Illinois showed statewide gains this year in reading and math -- the two subjects under increased pressure due to No Child Left Behind. To a large degree, Hispanics fueled the increases, posting generally bigger gains than blacks or whites on state tests taken in April.

CNN.COM
"Survey: More Teens Fear Going to School"
The number of U.S. teenagers skipping school for fear of getting hurt climbed over the past decade, even though violence in schools actually declined. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention attributed the increase in part to a rise in schoolyard threats and lingering fear from school shootings in the 1990s. More than one out of every 20 high school students -- 5.4% -- skipped at least one day of school because of safety concerns in 2003. That is up from 4.4% in 1993.

EDUCATION WEEK (free registration required)
"Imig To Step Down from Teacher-Colleges Group"
After almost 35 years at the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education -- with most of that time in the top job -- David G. Imig has announced he is retiring.

EDUCATION WEEK (free registration required)
"Indian Schools Struggling with Federal Mandates"
Despite the latitude provided to them under No Child Left Behind, Bureau of Indian Affairs schools face a daunting task in meeting the law's mandates -- particularly the requirement that all students be proficient in mathematics and reading by 2014. Schools overseen by the federal bureau are not required to offer students the right to transfer out of low-performing schools or offer tutoring to struggling students. In addition, tribes and boards that oversee BIA-financed schools can apply to the federal government for waivers that allow them to set their own definitions of "adequate yearly progress," different from those used by the states in which they are located.