STATES’ PERSPECTIVES ON WAIVERS: New CEP Report Finds That States Appreciate Relief from NCLB, Express Concern About Long-Term Solutions Article
March 25, 2013States are optimistic that waivers will help ease some of the unrealistic requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and improve learning for all students, but they also have concerns.
STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESSES: Governors Focus on Digital Learning, College Completion, and Reducing High School Dropout Rates Article
March 11, 2013Believing an investment in digital learning will improve public education in the state and bring it up to date, O’Malley proposed new investments in technology to accelerate the state’s transition to digital learning, including iPads, laptops, and Smart Boards.
HELP ON NCLB: Senators Harkin and Alexander Affirm Need to Go Back to Work on NCLB Rewrite During HELP Committee Hearing on Early Lessons from NCLB Waivers Article
February 25, 2013During a February 7 hearing on “Early Lessons from State Flexibility Waivers” under No Child Left Behind (NCLB), both Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Ranking Member Lamar Alexander (R-TN), said Congress should go back to work on a rewrite of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), currently known as NCLB.
CATCHING UP TO COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS: Performance Gaps Difficult to Close But Not Impossible, New Report Finds Article
December 10, 2012Narrowing performance gaps for low-income students and students of color requires prevention interventions over remediation, a new report from ACT finds.
“A SMALL PIECE OF THE STORY”: Schools Receiving School Improvement Grants Show “Positive Momentum and Progress,” New Education Department Data Reveals Article
November 26, 2012While acknowledging that it is too soon to establish a clear connection between School Improvement Grants (SIG) and school performance, new data released on November 19 from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) shows “positive momentum and progress” in many schools that received funds through the SIG program.
Secondary School Improvement
STEPPING UP: Alliance Launches Major Effort to Inform School District Leaders About Decisions Affecting the Future of Education Article
November 26, 2012While the U.S. Congress must confront crucial economic issues this month, every school, district, and state leader must make critical decisions in the next two years involving digital learning that will shape education for decades, according to a new report from the Alliance for Excellent Education.
RETHINKING POLICY AND PRACTICE IN SUPPORT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS: New Alliance Report Identifies Challenges and Solutions for Helping ELLs Meet Higher Expectations Associated with Common Core Article
October 31, 2012The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) offer great promise for advancing the quality of education and outcomes for all students, but meeting the higher expectations associated with them could prove especially daunting for the rapidly growing population of English language learners (ELLs)—students who must learn grade-level content while simultaneously trying to master the English language.
“EDUCATION DRIVES AMERICA”: Education Secretary Duncan Reports on Cross-Country Bus Tour, Offers Education Reform Goals for the Future Article
October 15, 2012In an October 2 speech at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan reflected on his cross-country bus tour, which included more than 100 events in a dozen states across the country, and outlined education reform goals for the future, saying now is “no time to retreat,” but that it is time to “double down” on what is working.
Middle School Matters: Improving the Life Course of Black Boys Article
October 01, 2012For more information on the challenges that many black boys face in the classroom, access videos and presentations from the ETS symposium, “Middle School Matters: Improving the Life Course of Black Boys,” held earlier this summer during the Children’s Defense Fund’s national conference.
Secondary School Improvement
FEDERAL UPDATE: U.S. Department of Education Receives Requests for NCLB Waivers from Seven More States; Receives Intent from Nearly 900 Applicants Under Race to the Top-District Competition Article
October 01, 2012On September 10, the U.S. Department of Education announced that it received requests for additional flexibility under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.