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Here are news and opinion stories educators, advocates, policy wonks and makers are talking about today:
News & analysis:
Impact on Waivers, Grants Mulled in Common-Core Pushback
As several states debate whether to continue participation in the common core, a consideration for policymakers is that dropping out of the multistate academic-standards effort could jeopardize federal waivers and competitive grants. (Education Week)
NAEP Faces Budget Ax: Social Studies Exams to Be Scaled Back
Talk about a teachable moment in civics class. NAEP, a.k.a. “the nation’s report card,” for civics, history, and geography is being scaled back as a result of budget cuts required through sequestration, as my colleague Alyson Klein reports over at Politics K-12. The result is that only 8th graders will take the exam for the time being. (Education Week – Curriculum Matters)
States’ Teacher-Exam Bar Set Low, Federal Data Show
Teacher-training exams have been subject to many criticisms: that there are too many of them, that their content isn’t relevant, and that their costs are objectionable. New data open a further avenue for criticism: They’re too easy. (Education Week)
How Could a Sweet Third-Grader Just Cheat on That School Exam?
When Kaci Taylor Avant got caught cheating on a test a few months back, the teacher called her mother, who was nothing less than stunned. After all, Kaci always does her homework and gets mostly As in school. Mother and daughter had already had “the talk” about how cheating was wrong. And then there’s Kaci’s age. (Wall Street Journal)
Dual Language in Early Education Best for Youngest ELLs, Report Says
Young English-language learners who are still developing oral and literacy skills in their home languages benefit most in early-childhood programs that regularly expose them to both languages. (Education Week – Learning the Language)
New York:
Schools Chief Blasts Mayoral Candidates Over Remarks at Education Forum
Dennis M. Walcott, the New York City schools chancellor, lashed out at the Democratic candidates for mayor on Monday, saying that he did not believe any of them had a compelling vision to lead city schools and that they had been pandering to gain the support of the teachers’ union. (New York Times)