Struggling urban districts -- squeezed by charters, private schools, and suburban districts with open enrollment -- are resorting to radio ads, infomercials, and direct-mail campaigns to win back students and attendant state funding, according to The Wall Street Journal.

As part of an effort to improve the teaching of students of color, the Southern Poverty Law Center's Teaching Tolerance program has launched a new online initiative. The Teaching Diverse Students Initiative (TDSi) offers interactive multimedia tools to help educators improve learning opportunities and outcomes for racially and ethnically diverse students.

A new policy brief from the Alliance for Education brings attention to data use in the classroom, stating "while many policy discussions focus on data-driven decision-making as the answer, too often these conversations do not include how classroom teachers can and should use data to improve instruction."

On its "Room for Debate" blog, The New York Times posed the question to a spectrum of educators about whether an education degree should carry its present weight in teacher pay and promotion decisions.

A new policy brief from Arizona State University, funded by the Great Lakes Center, details the poverty-induced physical, sociological, and psychological effects on students that limit what schools alone can accomplish.

Children exposed to a multi-year program of music involving increasingly complex rhythmic, tonal, and practical skills display superior cognitive performance in reading skills compared with their non-musically trained peers, according to a study published in the Psychology of Music journal.

A new study by the University of Illinois has found that public-school students outperform their private-school classmates on the National Assessment of Educational Progress exam, thanks to certified math teachers and a modern, reform-oriented math curriculum, Science Daily reports.

Part of a new report from the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution has compared large urban schools to rural and suburban counterparts in the same state and found encouraging improvement. The detail is on page 3 of the release.

Teachers at two Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) charter middle schools in New York City have voted to unionize, according to The New York Times. Teachers said the organizing drive came about because they wanted a stronger voice on the job, because the demands on them were so rigorous, and because they wanted to insure a fair discipline and evaluation system.

Research has revealed that for every additional $1,000 the state of Maryland has spent per student since 2002, there's been a corresponding, significant increase in pass rates in reading and math. Read The Baltimore Sun to find out how.

Are achievement gaps widening because teacher training programs lack a key element on diversity - cultural competency? Dr. Donna Y. Ford asks why the gaps persist despite teacher and school expertise.

New research suggests that in addition to rampant achievement gaps, there also is a national opportunity gap in the United States, meaning poor and minority students do not share the same opportunities as their rich or white peers.

Findings from the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) suggest that the actual per-child costs of programs are substantially higher than what is often reported by government agencies. According to the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER), Head Start reported an average per-child cost of about $7,222 per year. However, researchers found that Head Start’s per-child cost for full-time, full-year care was about $21,305. It is important to understand the costs associated with universal pre-kindergarten as it becomes a major issue in presidential campaigns.

The recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that heavy reliance on race in student assignment violated the constitution has created a twilight zone for the 253 school districts still under federal court supervision because of racial inequality. Consequently, federal judges can make completely contradictory decisions for these districts, reports the Associated Press’ Allen Breed. For instance, in Huntsville, Ala., students are allowed to transfer from a school where they are the racial majority, but not the other way around.

The Chicago Board of Education is considering the first ever high school designed to promote the culinary field and encourage dropouts to come back to school, reports Carols Sandovi in the Chicago Tribune. The school would target dropouts and at-risk 11th graders by providing vocational training aligned with a real world career. This opportunity has the ability to change lives by giving students a second chance at high school, a tangible real-world skill and college credits.

A new report from the National Center for Education Statistics shows that, on average, United States fourth-graders scored higher than their international peers on the 2006 assessment of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). A greater percentage of U.S. students reached each achievement benchmark compared to the international median percentage: 12 percent of U.S. students were advanced, 47 percent met the high benchmark and 82 percent met the intermediate level.

Just when you thought music education was out of schools, Steven Van Zandt pulls it back in, reports Mary Beth Marklein in USA Today. Van Zandt, of E Street Band and "The Sopranos" fame, says rock ‘n’ roll saved his life and now he wants to pay homage to the art form as best as he is able. He recently unveiled his Rock and Roll Forever Foundation’s first project, a middle- and high-school curriculum designed to introduce a new generation of teens to the music.

Sometimes groups with similar goals can find themselves diametrically opposed on an issue. To an education system’s detriment, this tends to be no different, as there often exists an adversarial relationship between district officials and the local teachers’ union. In Nevada and Tennessee, school leaders have worked collaboratively with the local teachers’ unions to develop strategies to retain quality teachers and close achievement gaps, according to a recently released report.

The Making Opportunity Affordable initiative has posted state profiles of college access and attainment and also released "Good Policy, Good Practice," which highlights policies and programs that have made strides in increasing the numbers of students graduating from college. The profiles focus on several key indicators associated with post-secondary access and success and seem to indicate that most states face large gaps in degree attainment with top-performing nations.

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires states to test children annually beginning in the third grade and then, based on the results, build systems of accountability and intervene in low-performing schools. Yet research shows that academic success or failure begins before students even enter the third grade. To ensure that NCLB addresses early childhood education programs, Sara Mead, a senior research fellow at the Education Policy Program of the New America Foundation, has outlined several ideas to consider for re-authorization.

New research on brain development suggests brain structure is powerfully shaped by early experiences. According to a policy brief from the Action Alliance for Children, there is a consensus among early childhood professionals that play should be a vital part of any high-quality early education program, because play benefits cognitive, social, emotional, physical and moral development. Play-centered preschool curriculum is a main conduit to reinforcing instruction.

Results from the 2006 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), which measures the performance of 15-year-olds regardless of grade level, found that students in a majority of industrialized nations showed greater scientific understanding than their United States peers, reports Sean Cavanagh in Education Week.

Most school choice proponents believe that choice will generate competition between schools, resulting in the creation of new opportunities for disadvantaged students. But a new research paper finds that for-profit educational management organizations (EMOs) tend to open charter schools in areas with lower concentrations of disadvantaged students.

Fourth-graders at Forest Lake Elementary in Forest Lake, Minn. are learning and loving chess and cribbage. Teachers have incorporated the games into instruction as part of a new program intended to put lessons into practice and thereby reinforce them, reports Ben Goessling in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

A new checklist from After-school Investments serves as a companion to their report, "Promoting Physical Activity and Healthy Nutrition in After-school Settings: Strategies for Program Leaders and Policy Makers." The new toolkit allows stakeholders to gauge how best to improve childhood nutrition and physical activity and summarizes strategies and resources that can guide discussions and planning around policy and program options.

Increased attention to district reform represents a burgeoning recognition that efforts must focus on whole school systems instead of a school-by-school approach, writes Warren Simmons in Voices in Urban Education. Simmons believes that alliances between schools and community groups are key to improving the educational opportunities of all students, particularly the most disadvantaged.

New research on how best to address the challenges associated with youth development are supporting new approaches that indicate a positive correlation between youths who feel safe, valued and connected to caring adults and their feelings about life, emotional health and enjoyment in school. These children are also less likely to take part in risk behaviors, according to a research brief from the West Virginia-based Education Alliance.

A study released by the conservative think tank Wisconsin Policy Research Institute suggests that school choice, or vouchers, are not the powerful tool for righting educational inequities in Milwaukee, reports Alan Borsuk in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The reality of the more than two decade-long school choice movement in Milwaukee is that there has been little change.

Recent national statistics peg the graduation rate at only 69.9 percent - a sobering fact that has astonishing implications for the economy and our ability to compete globally. According to a new report, authored by Kelly Hupfeld, research shows that decreasing the dropout rate can only happen on a student-by-student basis. Resiliency-based programs, which help students develop the skills and relationships they need to succeed inside and outside the classroom, can be incredibly effective in preventing high school dropouts.

Science is something students don't get much of in elementary school, reports Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle. A new survey of elementary school teachers indicates that 80 percent said they spent less than an hour each week teaching science, and 16 percent said they spent no time at all. While science might not be an absolute necessity in elementary, understanding science does help children learn to think and solve problems while questioning the world around them.

For kids with learning disabilities, homework can be exceptionally trying. Homework also has a dramatic effect on parents who watch their children struggle, without knowing how to remedy the situation. The guide "9 Ways to Have Success at School" provides tips for parents to help them steer their children through a successful school year. mong the recommendations are starting a homework group -- having one or two classmates over so kids can work side by side offers dual benefits: a parent can see other children's homework habits, and the child has the built-in incentive of getting to play after homework is completed.

A few years ago, Chicago public schools would have passed over college dropout and teacher candidate Anita Sanders, a 42-year-old mother of three, because she lacked teaching credentials, reports Eddy Ramirez in U.S. News and World Report. But, after growing tired of seeing first-year teachers flee to suburban schools, Illinois is spending $7.5 million to help people like Sanders become teachers in underperforming schools as part of the Grow Your Own Illinois initiative.

Black males have learned that they don't need a good education to be successful, reports Cassie Chew in Diverse Issues in Higher Education. The perception of education being the foundation for economic stability has been challenged by successes in the music and entertainment businesses and the sale of illegal drugs, which has enabled some young black men without diplomas to have nice homes and cars.

When looking at the inordinately high dropout rate of 9.1 percent reported by Boston schools in 2005-06, David Smokler, a Massachusetts high school English teacher, couldn’t help but wonder if a system in which the quantity of education is fixed, while the quality is variable, is a problem. Writing in the Boston Globe, Smokler says grouping students by age is part of the problem because it stigmatizes those who need more time to become proficient in one or more discipline.

The biggest factors determining a student’s academic success are whether their parents take part in their education, earn enough money to offer enriching experiences and have high aspirations for their kids, according to a new study released by the Center on Education Policy. The study found that while SAT scores of students in private schools are higher than those of their public-school peers, their overall performance was no better, reports Greg Toppo in USA Today.

The latest data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress -- the richest source of American education information -- shows that student achievement in mathematics and reading is on the rise. Meanwhile, the average reading scores for 4th-graders was the highest in 15 years, even though the overall gains since 1992 have been more modest than those seen for math.

In an era when some parents seem unwilling or unable to draw the "clothes" line with their children, where pop culture influences kids’ clothing choices as never before and school safety is a priority, school uniforms and dress codes can play a significant role. But what that role should be is open to interpretation and can be a source of frustration -- and some skirmishes, reports Marsha Boutelle in California Schools Magazine.

The prison system, which costs $60 billion a year, stigmatizes men with limited education and job skills in such a way that makes it hard for them to find jobs and slashes their wages once they do find employment, reports Christopher Shea in the Boston Globe. Ex-convict whites, Hispanics and blacks can expect to earn one-third less pay than their peers. According to recent sociological studies, prisons have become "engines of inequality," actively widening the gap between the poor, especially poor black men, and everybody else.

The latest issue brief from the National Center for Education Statistics examines the prevalence of formal practices within public schools that are designed to prevent or reduce school violence, finding variety among school violence prevention and reduction practices nationwide.

The Science Club for Girls, an after-school program at five Cambridge, Mass., elementary schools, debuts in Boston and Lawrence this fall when 25 girls in grades one to three dissect cow hearts and draw life-size human anatomy maps, among other things, reports Janice O’Leary of the Boston Globe.  The Science Club starts young to "nurture the natural curiosity children have," and build an interest in science that can last throughout a child’s education. Established in the 1990s, 100 percent of the club’s graduates have gone on to college.

The new education reform report called "Tough Choices or Tough Times" is the first national report of its kind in recent years to truly address and challenge the deeply entrenched and systemic factory-model nature of our educational system. But the changes needed in education should be far broader than the report's focus on math, technology and literacy, writes Bill Spady in the Denver Post. Educators of all stripes should support a vision for educational outcomes that include abilities to synthesize, creative imagination, motivation, social skills, leadership abilities, decision making, teamwork, and what is generally called "emotional intelligence."

The National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts has released the Creative Communities Initiative Summary Report, summarizing strategies for successful arts education partnerships with public housing communities. The Initiative was successful in delivering high-quality arts instruction to more than 7,000 children and youth. Of these students, 94 percent reported feelings of safety and belonging in their classes, more than 90 percent reported wanting to learn more about the arts, and more than 75 percent felt that their capacity for self-expression increased.

While poring over the data from the latest Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools, analysts were amazed at the public’s ability to separate myth from reality and arrive at accurate assessments of their public schools. When asked how to improve public education in America, seven of 10 Americans said "reform the existing public school system" rather than "find an alternative system."

Under attack from the left and right, is the coalition that enacted No Child Left Behind now history? In 2007, when the law is before Congress for reauthorization, will its key provisions be rolled back or significantly modified? In a look at the law’s political prospects and at public opinion, Rick Hess and Mike Petrilli suggest that a radical reversal is unlikely.

Six years and a steep learning curve later, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation sees just how intractable are the many ills plaguing America's worst schools. Research points to a clear lesson: Creating small schools may work sometimes, but it's no panacea. Read about their difficult, even humbling experience.

Parents, students, teachers and administrators see high standards as necessary components of school reform, but not enough. New research from Public Agenda indicates school environment and adequate funding are bigger priorities.

Charter school supporters claim that choice leads to increased competition that raises student performance. But a new paper by Richard Buddin and Ron Zimmer shows that the existence of charter schools did not raise student achievement in public school districts.

Is it logically impossible for a school to be both "outstanding" and "in need of improvement" at the same time? It's estimated that thousands of American public schools fall into this bizarre category, thanks to the nuances, complications and contradictions of the federal law known as "No Child Left Behind." John Merrow and Tira Grey use a video podcast to explore this issue.

Ken Stevenson reviewed eight school size studies performed by doctoral students and graduate faculty at the University of South Carolina. These studies examine the relationship of South Carolina school size to academic achievement and to costs per student at all grade span groupings. See what he found.

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to consider an issue of enormous importance to parents and educators across the country: the extent to which public school administrators can use racial factors in assigning children to schools. "Looming in the background of this is the constitutionality of affirmative action," Davison Douglas, a law professor at William and Mary, told The New York Times. The court ruled three years ago that colleges and universities can take race into consideration when selecting their student bodies. Now it will decide whether the same logic ought to apply to public elementary and high schools.

While the No Child Left Behind law requires all students to be "proficient" in math and reading by 2014, the federal law allows each state to determine its own level of proficiency. It’s an odd discordance at best that has led to the bizarre situation in which some states achieve handsome proficiency results by grading their students against low standards. An assessment by Paul Peterson and Rick Hess determines whether state-announced proficiency levels mean what they say.

A new issue brief by Kristie Kauerz, published by the New America Foundation Education Policy Program, argues that alignment of standards, curriculum and assessment from Pre-kindergarten through third grade can reduce fade-out and improve academic achievement.

What do an electrician, construction worker and plumber have in common with college freshmen? According to a study recently published by ACT they all need comparable reading and math skills to succeed. The report, "Ready for College and Ready for Work: Same or Different?” determined that similar reading and math skills are required to pass first-year college courses as are needed to succeed in entry-level "family wage" jobs.

A nationwide science test shows that achievement among high school seniors has declined. The New York Times reporter Sam Dillon writes that some teachers blame the decreasing amount of time devoted to science in schools, in part because the No Child Left Behind law requires annual testing in elementary reading and math, leading many schools to decrease the time spent on science or to abandon its teaching altogether.

Active intelligent, high energy children are in danger of being misdiagnosed by school officials and by medical physicians as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Author and educator Elaine Ely, Ph.D., is concerned about the lack of a clear distinction between the bright, rambunctious, even boisterous children who behave as advanced creative thinkers, and those who get misdiagnosed with ADHD.

A National School Boards Association poll finds a majority of likely voters believe that Congress is out of touch with public expectations and they want Congress to fulfill its education funding commitment to schoolchildren. Further, voters say they will consider Congressional members’ voting records on education funding when they go to the polls in November.

A California judge recently struck down a state law requiring high school students to pass an "exit exam" before graduating. A group sued the state to suspend the exam requirement after thousands of students failed. The fight over this issue mirrors a larger nationwide debate over how to make a high school diploma more meaningful. Elaine Korry reports.

For decades, Congress has never come close to its promise to fund 40 percent of the annual cost of student services associated with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Instead, writes Joe Batory, school districts and state governments have had to pay huge sums of their
locally generated tax revenues for a federal law that has never been properly funded.

As the role of immigrants in American society is under examination, we need to recognize the resources that immigrant students bring into our classrooms, writes Eileen Gale Kugler. Recent immigrants bring firsthand knowledge of life in distant lands, illuminating classroom dialogues. Skilled teachers in diverse classrooms know how to create vibrant discussions using the resource of students with varying frames of reference.

The charter school movement began with the tantalizing promise that independently operated schools would outperform their traditional counterparts -- if they could only be exempted from state regulations while receiving public money. It hasn't quite worked out that way. An editorial in The New York Times recently blamed too little state oversight. And several studies have shown that on the whole, charter schools perform no better than other public schools.

A judge is likely to prohibit the state from requiring that high school seniors pass a new exit exam to graduate, siding with attorneys who say the test discriminates against the poor. CNN reports that Alameda County Superior Court Judge Robert Freedman said in his tentative ruling that he agrees that all California students do not have access to the same quality of education.

Large demonstrations on immigration policy are taking place nationwide. But what resources are available for teachers who want to tackle the issue of immigration in their classrooms? The spring issue of Rethinking Schools includes a special section about how teachers across the country are addressing the vexing issue of immigration.

"The State of America’s Children," an annual report from the Children’s Defense Fund, takes a close look at 37 million people living in America who are poor (including 13 million children) and the growing numbers of families struggling to survive. Chapter Four of the 2005 edition, which can be downloaded for free, is full of analysis of pressing education issues and powerful statistics.

About 1,700 low-income, mostly minority students in Washington, D.C., are attending 58 private and parochial schools at taxpayer expense through the nation's first federal voucher program. The interest in school choice is strong, reports The New York Times’ Diana Jean Schemo, even without consistent evidence that low-income children do better in charter or private schools.

Students in urban school districts have made steady gains on state tests in the past four years, in many cases outpacing their states' average rates of improvement, a Council of the Great City Schools study concludes. Read the study…

Beginning teachers are more likely to remain in the profession if they are satisfied with the principal's leadership and school climate, according to a new Duke University study. Yet, many school districts focus on mentoring programs and salary hikes to keep teachers. Read more…

A new study found that professional development for teachers can raise student achievement if it focuses on instructional strategies, aligns with school and teacher goals, and provides opportunities for teachers to practice. But, in general, teacher professional development does not reflect these characteristics. Read more…