A first look at today's most important education news:
Fordham's latest
"Can bad schools be good for neighborhoods?," by Andy Smarick, Education Gadfly Weekly |
A new analysis of NAEP scores in the country’s five most populous states (California, Florida, Illinois, New York, and Texas, combined, educate 40 percent of the nation’s students) found that Hispanic students’ scores differ widely across states and that “Texas alone beat the national average more than once in any of the three subjects.” (New York Times, Washington Post, and Education Week)
In an hour-long interview yesterday, Education Secretary Arne Duncan implied strongly that he might grant district-level NCLB waivers in states that did not win flexibility. He also discussed the impact that sequestration could have on education, and warned, “There is no fix.” (Politics K–12, Washington Post, and Huffington Post)
A survey released by the Whiteboard Advisors found that a group of Washington policy wonks doubt that PARCC and Smarter Balanced will be successful. (Curriculum Matters)
President Obama and Senator Marco Rubio agree: Washington needs to reconsider which colleges are eligible for federal funding on student grants, loans, and tax breaks. (Wall Street Journal)
In the latest twist in NYC’s teacher-evaluation drama, a judge ruled that Governor Cuomo cannot withhold state aid from the city over the deadlock. (New York Times)