Policy Issues


What Value-Added Assessments Won't Tell You About Effective Teachers

There's more to being an effective teacher than raising standardized test scores, yet test scores have gained widespread acceptance among the public as the key indicator of performance.

NGLC Pumps Funding into Ed Tech Focused on Common Core

The Next Generation Learning Challenges initiative has awarded $7 million to education technology programs focused on Common Core State Standards.

CoSN Calls for Conference Presenters

The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) is soliciting presentations for its annual education technology conference.

The Arkansas Intervention

One state shows how cloud-based learning can provide continuity of instruction to help juvenile offenders stay on track for graduation.

Measuring Teacher Effectiveness: Are We Creating an Education Nightmare?

In our ongoing effort to overhaul teacher evaluations, we're creating a potential disaster for education by adopting value-added models to rate the effectiveness of individual educators.

i3 Grant Program Opens with New Priorities for 2011

The Investing in Innovation (i3) grant program for schools has received a major facelift. Based on "substantial feedback from prior applicants and other stakeholders," the United States Department of Education has revamped the rules and made it easier for schools to obtain matching funds.

Ed Tech Not Immune from Civil Rights Obligations, Feds Advise

As technology increasingly permeates classroom learning, school leaders need to be increasingly active in meeting the needs of students with disabilities. That was the word out of Washington May 26 as the Obama administration issued guidance on school compliance with federal anti-discrimination law.

Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge

RttT To Award $500 Million To Boost Early Learning Programs

The Obama administration today revealed a new federal funding program designed to bolster early learning programs with $500 million in federal Race to the Top grants.

Principals Call for Mobile and Social Technologies in Schools

The National Association of Secondary School Principals is looking to change the conversation about mobile computing and social media in schools.

How To Build an Online High-Stakes Assessment System

As one of the pioneers in instituting statewide online assessments, Delaware provides an excellent case study in how to plan and implement such an ambitious initiative.

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