Formula to Grade Teachers’ Skill Gains Acceptance, and Critics

How good is one teacher compared with another? A growing number of school districts have adopted a system called value-added modeling to answer that question, provoking battles from Washington to Los Angeles — with some saying it is an effective method for increasing teacher accountability, and others arguing that it can give an inaccurate picture of teachers’ work. ...

Charter Schools Being Urged to Serve ELLs

With support for charter schools growing across the country, some education and advocacy groups are calling on policymakers and educators to give more consideration to how charter schools can do a better job of serving the nation’s increasing population of English-language learners. Just this month, two such Washington-based groups — The National Council of La Raza and the Center for American...

Florida State Parks Promoting Literacy

In conjunction with International Literacy Day on Sept. 8 and National Library Card Sign-up Month, gate entrance to all of Florida’s state parks will be free on Friday, Sept. 10 through Sunday, Sept. 12 for visitors who bring a library card, library book or who donate a new or gently used family book. "Florida Literacy Month is a perfect reminder that reading and writing can be enjoyed in many settings,...

Scottish School Becomes First in World Where All Lessons Take Place Using Computers

Welcome to the world’s first iSchool — where pen and paper have been pushed aside in favor of computers. At Cedars School of Excellence, in Greenock, all the lessons are now taken using iPads. The pupils, aged from five to 15, will even do their homework on their new Apple handhelds. And the days of blackboards and chalk are gone too, as teachers use projectors and online lesson plans. ...

In Washington, D.C., Public School Teachers Put to New Test

Teachers in the District of Columbia are being reevaluated. Special correspondent John Merrow looks at a new test for teachers in the Washington, D.C. school district as part of his ongoing reporting on education. ...

A Promising Future for Preschoolers

When Flossmoor resident and University of Chicago economics professor John List sells his pet project, he spares little fanfare. "The world is watching Chicago Heights on a big stage," List said. "They want to know what works." List is referring to the Griffin Early Childhood Center, an all-day preschool in Chicago Heights School District 170. A $10 million grant from the Griffin Foundation will...