TOP NEWS New Hampshire Public Radio A controversial school choice bill cleared a major hurdle in the New Hampshire State House after the House Education Committee voted in favor. But the bill looks considerably different than when it was originally introduced. There are now restrictions on which students would be eligible for the money. Read more>> From DA Magazine Deborah Yaffe The zero-out-of-100 is just one of the traditional grading practices schools are rethinking as they seek to report student performance more accurately. Read more>> KWQC Almost half way into the school year, districts in Iowa and Illinois are struggling to find substitute teachers. In the midst of cold and flu season, many schools fear the problem will only worsen. A recent survey showed schools have to cover more than 16,500 absences each week. Read more>> WBUR For one particular school affected by the crisis, staff sweep the grounds before classes begin every morning for needles. The school puts up posters in the hallways warning students not to touch needles. And the city doubled the staff of its Mobile Sharps Team, which picks up discarded needles throughout the city. Read more>> Chalkbeat New York New York’s top education policymakers voted to approve five new charter schools in New York City—but, for the first time, rejected two proposed charters. While state Board of Regents have approved more this year than at any point since 2013, the rejections suggest they won’t rubber stamp applications. Read more>> AL.com In seeking an additional $144 million, Chief State Financial Officer Andy Craig said $135 million of the money will go straight to local school districts to pay for materials and teachers. Read more>> The Atlanta Journal-Constitution A southwest Georgia sheriff’s order to conduct a massive, invasive drug search of hundreds of students at Worth County High School will cost the county $3 million under a proposed settlement announced in a federal civil rights lawsuit. Read more>> OPINION Hechinger Report One of the conclusions from this study is that you can’t expect the high-stakes test itself to be the sole driver of change. Some people think if you get rid of the test, then instruction improves. The findings suggest that tests on their own are unlikely to improve instruction or to change what happens in the classroom. Read more>> The Columbus Dispatch Faced with a host of students who might not get their diplomas, Ohio’s state school board backed off tougher graduation requirements for this year’s high school seniors. But what happens now? Read more>> American Press Louisiana’s public high school students have been passing up millions of dollars in potential financial aid they could use to attend college, but no longer. The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education is requiring all seniors to complete a federal aid form before they can graduate. Read more>> INDUSTRY NEWS CDI CDI Computer Dealers has launched its Chromebook Trade-In Program to provide a hassle-free, environmentally friendly way for schools to dispose of their aging Chromebooks and obtain a free two-year premium extended warranty on a new one. Read more>> SchoolMint Houston’s Families Empowered is the latest organization to partner with SchoolMint, a provider of cloud-based strategic enrollment management software, to debut a common online application for more than 50 of Houston’s charter schools. Read more>> EcoRise/Collaborative for High Performance Schools EcoRise, Google and the Collaborative for High Performance Schools are developing a project-based learning sustainability curriculum that will enhance STEM instruction in public education. The project will also be put into use with Google's Science Journal App and Google Classroom platform. Read more>> ✭ Visit the District Administration's PR Portal ✭ |