Research shows that teacher retirement is more influenced by the early-retirement incentives built into state pension plans than by educational considerations
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2007/11/28/13pensions.h27.html

Obama calls for $18-billion boost in education spending and outlines his broad education agenda
http://www.latimes.com/news/education/la-na-obama21nov21,1,1574128.story?track=rss

School Funding Litigation/Policy

Education advocates are expected to file suit today against the state of CA for shortchanging school districts $1 billion; they seek reimbursement for programs they say the state required and should have paid for
http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/507822.html

D.C. officials explain how they plan to spend the $81 million requested
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/19/AR2007111901599.html?nav=rss_education

State Roundup

AL Gov. Bob Riley announces plans to "significantly expand" voluntary pre-kindergarten for 4-year-olds
http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1195636817119480.xml&coll=2

CA schools make Herculean efforts to close the achievement gap
http://www.mercurynews.com/politics/ci_7521957?nclick_check=1

ME’s school consolidation law raises questions and concerns about increased costs
http://bangornews.com/news/t/news.aspx?articleid=156786&zoneid=500

More power to schools: NYC’s new accountability system is freeing schools to run their own affairs
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2007/11/28/13nyc.h27.html

NY dual enrollment program meant to reach out to kids in high-poverty situations faces fiscal hurdle
.http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2007/11/28/13scholars.h27.html

TN Gov. plans to funnel more money into pre-kindergarten programs despite a "tight" budget year
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071121/NEWS04/711210442/1018

In the News on November 20, 2007

PA’s school experiment, the Penn Alexander School, a public school run in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania, becomes a success story in its neighborhood and a model for school reform in other cities
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2007/11/19/13appacollaboration_web.h27.html

Editorial – What the rest of the country can learn from Denver’s performance-pay plan
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2007/11/19/13teske_web.h27.html

Core subjects might be axed from the National Assessment of Educational Progress if funding remains flat, as is projected
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2007/11/28/13nagb.h27.html

U.S. Secretary of Transportation proposes new rules to improve school bus safety, but she promises no new money to cover costs
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2007-11-19-school-bus-safety_N.htm

Commentary – Time to think global in testing U.S. students
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=258849

School Funding Litigation/Policy

Task force works to overhaul the way GA public schools are funded, but the state Department of Education feels it hasn't been involved enough in the crafting of the standards for agreements between the state and the local districts
http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/112007/met_153131.shtml

NY Gov. Spitzer provides more money to school systems that need it, but with guidance and a higher level of accountability to ensure the money isn't wasted
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=640546&category=STATE&newsdate=11/20/2007

State Roundup

D.C. charter leaders seek a 'gold standard designation' to identify which charters are doing the most to raise teaching quality and academic achievement for low-income students
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/18/AR2007111801240.html?nav=rss_education

Every D.C. classroom will have a desktop computer by February under a $4 million technology initiative
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/19/AR2007111900916.html?nav=rss_education

ID state officials examine the dual credit system, which allows high school students to earn college and high school credit at the same time, to make sure that it is applied fairly and consistently across the state
http://www.idahostatesman.com/531/story/215542.html

Group of NC educators recommends dropping several tests and not counting others in the state testing program, as they argue that “testing isn't aligning with excellence”
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/education/story/781272.html

Countdown in the works: Public kindergarten would be in place in every NH school district by September 2009 under a plan that wins committee endorsement
http://www.theunionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Mandated+kindergarten%3a+countdown+in+works&articleId=9db034a7-4bc4-467e-9a45-18f2f358c6f8

Opinion – NJ’s easy diploma deprives kids of skills
http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007711180339

NYC Department of Education yields to state officials by agreeing to shift more money to reduce class sizes and to spend more on low-performing schools
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/20/nyregion/20schools.html?_r=1&ex=1353214800&en=624e6da1bdc2d646&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

In the News on November 19, 2007

Chinese parents are expected to file a federal lawsuit today challenging a popular NYC tutoring program on the grounds it discriminates against Asians
http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/print.php?url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/11192007/news/regionalnews/in_wrong_minority_970467.htm

Study says that English proficiency is the biggest predictor of the academic achievement of immigrant students
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2007/11/28/13immig.h27.html

Audits find that the NCLB provision requiring states to identify "persistently dangerous schools" is hampered by widespread underreporting of violent incidents and by major differences among the states in defining unsafe campuses
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/17/AR2007111701479.html?referrer=emailarticle

New report says that Americans are reading less and their reading proficiency is declining at troubling rates and it also predicts the trend will have a profound negative effect on the nation's economic and civic future
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/18/AR2007111801415.html?nav=rss_education

School Funding Litigation/Policy

CO democratic leaders propose a $1 billion plan to bail out districts that can't afford to replace decrepit and unsafe buildings
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_7501542

State Roundup

Education panel suggests reforms for CO schools
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2007/nov/17/ed-panel-suggests-reforms/

D.C. Schools Chancellor Rhee considers turning over the management of failing public schools to nonprofit charter education firms, but experts and school advocates are uncertain about her idea
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/17/AR2007111701410.html?nav=rss_education

GA’s 2005 initiative to increase both the number of teachers graduating from state colleges and the number of minority students getting those degrees has proved successful, but the state needs to step up some more to meet its original goals
http://www.savannahnow.com/node/401115

Several KS school districts rely on overseas educators as it becomes increasingly difficult to find certified teachers in the state, but school board members say they are not yet comfortable with the policy
http://www.kansas.com/news/state/story/232001.html

Education official warns that a new state law could lead to a mass exodus of NV’s most experienced teachers and administrators
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/N/NV_TEACHER_EXODUS_NVOL-?SITE=NVCAP&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-11-17-18-19-59

American Indians demonstrate at the state capitol to urge OK educators to do a better job of teaching tribal histories
http://newsok.com/article/3170420/1195309157

Federal teacher quality measure doesn't tell all, but TN schools try hard to reach it
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071119/NEWS04/711190355/1018

Published Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007