A plan to fix Seattle student achievement gaps

An advisory group has released a list of 18 recommendations to improve the academic achievement of students of color and those from low-income families. Among the recommendations: Expand and enhance before- and after-school and summer programs and add more international schools and dual-language immersion programs. Read more>>

The Tennessee Supreme Court has ruled that the Drug-Free School Zone Act does not apply when a defendant is convicted of facilitating the sale of drugs in a school zone. Read more>>

A federal judge delayed ruling on whether to impose sanctions on former Philadelphia School District officials and the lawyers who represent them for failing to produce documents in a suit stemming from a $7.5 million no-bid contract for security cameras that was awarded to a small minority-owned firm in 2010. Read more>>

Angela Pascopella

Have recent cultural events and intense political debate changed policies in your district regarding civic discourse and instruction? If so, please share with us how your district is now addressing these issues. Please contact Angela Pascopella at [email protected]. Read more>>

Louisiana's overall school performance score dipped this year. The state released the annual capstone results. Louisiana as a whole fell from a B to a C, losing about 6 points on a 150-point scale -- not a good direction in a state that's already well behind the nation. Read more>>

A year after student suspension rates fell sharply under new statewide disciplinary regulations, the number of Massachusetts pupils suspended from school ticked up slightly in the 2015-16 academic year. Read more>>

Eighteen schools across King County gathered to develop a plan for better sportsmanship. The forum brought together student leaders from a variety of areas including athletics, student government and mentorship programs. The idea was for the students to create a plan that the student leaders take back to the communities that they represent. Read more>>

School budgets are up but class sizes are down, presenting a pressing problem to school boards here in Connecticut and nationwide: With school enrollment declining, what can be done to repurpose school buildings, cut spending and maximize the use of facilities? Read more>>

Washington students’ health is protected unevenly. The state needs to find a way to cover the $45 million it would cost to do a series of environmental tests, including testing for lead, recommended by Washington’s Department of Health. Read more>>

It’s good when you can learn from your own mistakes, but even better when you can learn from the mistakes of others. Such a learning opportunity has been presented to every Maine school district by the Brunswick School District, which has paid $125,000 to settle a human rights lawsuit filed by the family of a former student who had been bullied. Read more>>

The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility launched a seven-part animated series and corresponding lesson plans designed to teach kids about the negative effects of alcohol on the developing brain. The free alcohol education tool is being released through Responsibility.org’s alcohol education program, Ask, Listen, Learn: Kids and Alcohol Don’t Mix. Read more>>

The SQL-based platform, Qmlativ Education Management System, features preemptive support measures and a focus on the growth and development of every user. Among other upgrades, Qmlativ’s built-in report writer allows users to easily generate customized reports without requiring additional programming skills. Read more>>

The goal of Student Assessment Inventory for School Districts National Network will be to support up to 12 school districts across the country to use the program to take stock of their assessment system, streamline the number of assessments, and ensure all remaining assessments are of high quality and aligned to state learning standards. Read more>>

The Nebraska school district's board of education appointed Assistant Superintendent Bary Habrock as the next superintended for the district. Former Superintendent Steve Baker announced in September that he would be retiring in June. Baker came to Elkhorn in 1975 as a band director and worked his way up to become superintendent eight years ago. Read more>>

The Smyth County School Board appointed Dennis Carter as its new superintendent. He has been serving as interim superintendent since August after Michael Robinson left to take on the job of director at A. Linwood Holton Governor’s School. Read more>>

West Seneca School Superintendent Mark J. Crawford, one of Western New York's longest serving educators and school superintendents, is retiring after nearly 43 years in education throughout the region, 16.5 of them at West Seneca schools. Read more>>