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Here are news and opinion stories educators, advocates, policy wonks and makers are talking about today:
News and Analysis
Graduation rates are on the rise again. According to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education, the on-time graduation rate for the nation’s public high schools has reached another all-time high. (Education Week)
Have you ever seen a school data wall? In a struggling Newark, N.J., public school, I’ve seen bulletin boards showing the test scores of each grade compared with state averages. And in one in affluent Silicon Valley, I’ve seen smartboards that track individual students’ math responses in real time. (NPR)
Hundreds of colleges are offering programs that simply aren’t worth the expense. And while it’s difficult for families to figure out which schools are a good deal, a new report from Third Way suggests the reality is: depressingly few. (The Atlantic)
The next several months could prove crucial to the future of Georgia’s children, in ways that have nothing to do with Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. First is a measure that’s also on the ballot this November: the Opportunity School District sought by Gov. Nathan Deal. That referendum will be followed in January by the governor’s long-awaited package of education reforms, including changes to the way the state distributes money to schools. (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
A bailout of Detroit’s debt-ridden school district is advancing in the Michigan Legislature. The House passed legislation Thursday night that would restructure Detroit Public Schools and retire $467 million in debt over roughly 8 ½ years. (Associated Press)
Don’t bite the hand that feeds you, lawmakers repeatedly warned the Mississippi Association of School Superintendents. But after a contentious political battle over school funding and the state’s constitution last fall, the association’s leaders apparently bit a little too hard. The lobbying organization launched a vigorous campaign to change the state constitution’s language to make it easier for districts to sue the state for more tax revenue. (Education Week)