The Next Generation of Citizens: NAEP Civics Assessments-1988 and 1998
Chester E. Finn, Jr.National Center for Education Statistics
Charter Schools in Action: Renewing Public Education
Chester E. Finn, Jr.Chester E. Finn, Jr., Bruno V. Manno, and Gregg Vanourek
Teachers learn to gamble, massage in order to maintain certification
Teachers in many states must accumulate professional development credits to maintain their certification, but those who pushed hard for a recently-enacted recertification program in Illinois were horrified to learn that some teachers are satisfying this requirement by taking courses in Tai Chi, massage, and gambling (conducted at a racetrack, no less).
Opposition to character education from an unlikely source
In this week's Weekly Standard, former Secretary of Education William J. Bennett and Boston University Ed School Dean Edwin J. Delattre take aim at the character education program included in the education bills now before Congress.
How to keep good principals
Diane RavitchTime magazine and other national media have recently featured the work of a program called "New Leaders for New Schools," which is preparing 15 people to become school principals. This is most certainly a valuable activity and it deserves commendation if, in fact, the 15 people do someday turn out to be not only principals but good principals.
Confusion about commercialism in schools
Pizza Hut offers free pizza to students who read a certain number of books while rival Domino's rewards schools with free books if the school community buys pizza from its outlets. Do these deals harm students by commercializing schools, as critics suggest?
Make ed schools sing for their supper
In a piece in this week's Chronicle of Higher Education, Vartan Gregorian, president of the Carnegie Corporation and former president of Brown University argues that we should stop blaming teachers for their professional shortcomings and start pointing fingers at the universities and colleges that train them.
National Center for Accountability to study achievement data and schools
Just for the Kids-the nonprofit group best known for making school-level accountability data available in an innovative, user-friendly website-is now teaming with the Education Commission of the States and the University of Texas to launch the National Center for Accountability.
Virtual charter schools that don't need to find buildings
In Pennsylvania and Colorado (among other states), parents can now register their children for charter schools that exist only in cyberspace.