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Here are news and opinion stories educators, advocates, policy wonks and makers are talking about today:
News and Analysis
An uncertain future for school standards could damage school improvement efforts. (US News)
States that require students to pass a high school exit exam before receiving a diploma should rethink their policies as the Common Core State Standards are rolled out to avoid confusion and mixed messages about expectations, a New America Foundation report finds. (Education Week)
Principals are sometimes left out of the planning process or brought in at the last minute when education policies are being crafted. They are also often missing in media discussions of those policies once they have been put into action. (Education Week)
Maryland
Student test scores had the largest one-year drop since the Maryland School Assessments began a decade ago — an outcome that many had predicted after officials changed what teachers taught in the classroom but not the annual test. (Baltimore Sun)
New Jersey
Over the past year, the Camden City School District has gone through several changes. It has a new superintendent, it was taken over by the state, and it has laid off 272 employees. Currently, there are plans to incorporate privately-managed schools into the District, though not everyone is happy with increased state and private intervention. The District is also still faced with the distinction of having many of New Jersey’s worst-performing schools. (WHYY Radio Times)