Policy Issues


Levin To Take the Helm at SETDA

Douglas Levin will take the helm at the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), replacing Mary Ann Wolf as executive director.

ED Adopts Learning Point To Launch and Manage Resource Center

The United States Department of Education's Office of Innovation and Improvement has awarded a five-year contract for charter school research and technical assistance to Learning Point Associates, a non-profit education research and consulting organization.

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FOIA Headache Cured at Howell

Howell Public School District in Michigan faces a challenge few districts ever experience: a steady stream of Freedom of Information Act requests. Until recently, the district IT director used a tedious, manual process to fulfill those requests. Now he turns to his spam filtering service provider for help.

2009 Speak Up Survey Opens, Adds Pre-Service Teachers

Project Tomorrow has kicked off Speak Up 2009, the latest in the organization's series of annual surveys focused on 21st century teaching, learning, parenting, and administration. This year it's also added a new survey geared specifically toward pre-service teachers.

online education standards, inacol standards, The International Association for K-12 Online Learning, National Standards for Quality Online Programs

iNACOL Publishes Standards for K-12 Online Programs

The K-12 research and advocacy association iNACOL has published the first-ever standards for K-12 online education programs, National Standards for Quality Online Programs.

school reform funding, Investing in Innovation Fund, i3 fund, grants for education innovation, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in education, arra impact on education

i3 To Fund 'Cutting Edge' School Reforms

The United States Department of Education has proposed its funding priorities and selection criteria for the $650 million Investing in Innovation Fund, also known as i3, a program that was introduced as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The competitive grant program is open to individual school districts, cooperatives, and non-profit organizations in partnership with schools.

Technology's Impact on Effective Teaching Strategies

While technology has changed what is possible in education, the principles of effective instruction never really change. Technology is not what drives learning but simply what mediates and supports the process. What has significantly changed is the way in which effective teaching strategies can be achieved at a higher level using new technologies.

States Look To Raise Reading Proficiency in Title I Schools

The United States Department of Education is awarding $6.61 million in grants to eight states to help improving reading achievement among poorer students. The monies will fund a range of programs incorporating research-based methods and tools, including education technologies, to help deal with "the challenges of poverty and reading below grade level."

North Carolina Schools Join Effort To Boost Graduation Rates

Two schools in North Carolina--South Granville High and Scotland High--have joined a statewide initiative to help bring graduation rates to 100 percent.

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Duncan: NCLB Overhaul Needs To Begin Now

The No Child Left Behind Act has not only failed to improve student outcomes, it's actually contributing to a decline in academic standards in the United States--this according to United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who has issued a call for the immediate overhaul of NCLB.

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