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Here are news and opinion stories educators, advocates, policy wonks and makers are talking about today:
News and Analysis:
House GOP Lawmakers Want More Information on NCLB Waivers
So far, 34 states and the District of Columbia have been approved for flexibility from provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act, with only a smattering of formal oversight from Congress (mostly in the form of this bipartisan hearing in the Senate education committee and this letter from House Democrats). Now Republicans on the House Education and the Workforce Committee—who haven’t yet held a waiver hearing—have some questions about waiver implementation, many of which pinpoint the political and policy challenges inherent in the waivers. (Education Week – Politics K-12)
A Principled Defense Of Standardized Testing
This month, anxiety is high as students across New York State take the latest round of state tests, the first to be tied to the Common Core Learning Standards. There has been an incredible amount of energy invested in public criticism of the testing program, culminating in parents telling their children to refuse to take the state’s tests because they disagree with either how the test results are used or the impact they are having on schools. Additionally, a public hue and cry has gone up about details of the test that some members of the public deem unfair. But some of the criticism that has been directed toward the tests has been misplaced. Understanding basic principles of test design makes it possible to see that the tests are doing their best to accomplish a steep, socially important task. (Gotham Schools)
Tennessee’s Statewide District Highlighted in Report
As the six Memphis schools in Tennessee’s state-run Achievement School District wind down their first school year, a new report from the Fordham Institute suggests that the model could be a solution for other states looking to help low-performing campuses and improve dysfunctional school systems. (Education Week – District Dossier)
Ed. Companies Exert Public-Policy Influence
The online education provider K12 Inc. —a publicly traded company with $708 million in revenue in 2012—had 39 lobbyists around the country on the payroll last year to work for state and local policies that would help expand the use of virtual learning. (Education Week)