Only a few CA schools that enter restructuring every year under NCLB pull their test scores up enough to exit the process, according to report
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/02/14/24calif_web.h27.html

Federal Appeals court rules that even if the NCLB law is at odds with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the special education law “must give way” because NCLB is the newer statute
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/02/20/24nclb.h27.html

Advocates of gifted education are worried that a recent government announcement will drain money from the only source of federal funding for gifted and talented education
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/02/20/24gifted.h27.html

School Funding Litigation/Policy

House committee chairman pushes for a bill that would aid school facilities, but Republicans say government should consider other demands for federal education aid before committing to school construction
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/02/20/24facilities.h27.html

CO educators and children's advocates testify in favor of a bill that would tap a portion of a state fund to pump up to $500 million into schools for construction needs
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_8265851

SD House approves a minimum teacher salary
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2008/02/15/news/legislature/2008_stories/doc47b4dae46cb3b330045670.txt

State

TN Speaker and Governor differ on pre-K expansion plan
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080215/NEWS0201/802150422/1009/NEWS02

In the News on February 14, 2008

More students are taking Advanced Placement tests, but the number of students passing them has declined and the mean score is down for the fourth year in a row, according to Education Week
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/02/20/24ap.h27.html

School Funding Litigation/Policy

CA Senate panel votes to cut state expenditures, triggering protests from educators and advocates for the poor
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-cuts14feb14,1,4237909.story

OH education department looks to cut $100 million from its budget
http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/gen/ap/OH_State_Budget_Cuts.html

VA Republicans criticize the Kaine administration for a budget-balancing proposal that would cut aid to public schools
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/13/AR2008021303651.html?nav=rss_education

WA Senate hopes to spend more money on education
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/APWires/wastate/D8UPU0V87.html

State Roundup

CA continues to outperform most states on Advanced Placement test scores; Latino students show strength, but overall state performance dips, and African American students continue to lag
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-ap14feb14,1,4210283.story

CT plans to reshape high schools; Education Commissioner travels throughout the state to present the idea and solicit input
http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-cthsreform0214.artfeb14,0,6565296.story

The US Department of Education will publish two-page reports on each state to give a glimpse of the quality of K-12 schools and the success of NCLB
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/02/13/23dashboard.h27.html

Finding and affording facilities remain big challenges for charter schools, but efforts are growing to assist charter schools in their expansion
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/02/13/23charter.h27.html

Right-leaning researcher, Sol Stern, communicates the shortcomings of the voucher movement
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/13/nyregion/13facebook.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=nyregion

School Funding Litigation/Policy

AK school district officials hope to see forward and early funding for their schools; education package speeds through committee hearings in the House, and task force fears that tinkering with the plan could wipe out any gains
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/313475.html

IL budget boosts school funding
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/02/13/23recap.h27.html

NH governor asks voters to shift control over school funding from the courts to lawmakers in order to improve public education
http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080212/NEWS0201/123280296/-1/fosNEWS0409

NH Senate could vote on a school funding constitutional amendment as soon as next week
http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=School+funding+vote+may+come+next+week&articleId=73520966-2357-42b2-b0a9-3a3fd5177002

NV governor might consider using windfall to reduce the public education budget cuts
 http://www.lvrj.com/news/15581157.html

ME governor rejects an Education Department proposal to cut $36.8 million from next year's budget for state aid to schools
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=169010&ac=PHnws

PA governor reserves one of the few increases in his proposed fiscal 2009 budget for education
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/02/13/23sos-5.h27.html

VA governor asks the General Assembly to cut off state aid for school construction and scale back a proposed pay raise for teachers to help the state overcome its projected budget shortfall
http://hamptonroads.com/2008/02/kaine-asks-cuts-overcome-projected-14-billion-budget-shortfall

Reauthorized Head Start gets a boost in Bush proposal; other programs also see increases as well
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/02/13/23budgetside.h27.html

State Roundup

HI public schools welcome a federal judge's order to improve how they enroll, track and transport homeless children
http://starbulletin.com/2008/02/13/news/story04.html

Chicago Latino parents threaten to keep their kids home on test day if IL education officials insist on giving English language learners an achievement test in English
http://www.suntimes.com/news/education/790858,CST-NWS-isat13web.article

MN education officials do not expect schools to rank high among the Legislature's priorities this session
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/02/11/legeducation/

NE small-school supporters who wanted lawmakers to make it easier to reopen elementary-only schools suffered a major setback at the hands of a legislative committee
http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2008/02/13/news/politics/doc47b1ccd2be284180422055.txt

In the News on February 12, 2008

Initiative supports hiring “school administration managers” to help improve school leaders’ effectiveness
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/02/13/23sam_ep.h27.html

School Integration

Sleepless after? Michael Rebell explains why there’s still hope for equal educational opportunity
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/02/13/23rebell.h27.html

School Funding Litigation/Policy

School board members from across the country brace for leaner times in school budgets forced by the nation's economic downturn
http://www.lvrj.com/news/15538812.html

NE Education Committee chairman testifies in favor of a Legislative Bill that would significantly alter the state’s school funding formula
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10256517

NH business coalition throws support behind a constitutional amendment as a way to solve education funding problems
http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Businesses+urge+action+on+education+funding+constitutional+amendment&articleId=7af246bb-5788-4ea0-9518-c795e93b43ce

NJ Abbott districts brace for new funding formula
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/12/nyregion/12abbott.html?ex=1360558800&en=2df872a6d8469e41&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

State Roundup

Department of Education plans to retool graduation requirements for ME students, and educators offer cautious praise wondering how the changes will be implemented
http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/news/local/4757804.html

IN Department of Education says state accreditation could be revoked for high schools giving out unwarranted waivers that allow students to receive diplomas without passing the state graduation exam
http://www2.indystar.com/articles/3/254620-9983-127.html

NE Legislature's Education Committee kills two bills that would encourage small schools in rural areas
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10256298

Chairman of the TX Board of Education hopes to replace a new rewrite of state English and reading curriculum standards, with an update of another plan originally rejected by the board
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/021208dntextextbooks.351c883.html

In the News on February 11, 2008

Does class size really matter? Opinions vary, and experts agree on one thing: There isn't a lot of scientific research on the subject
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/350769_classes11.html

Commentary – How networking best practices may revolutionize the charter school movement and reshape urban education
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/02/13/23whitmire_ep.h27.html

School Funding Litigation/Policy

Proposed cuts to threaten to derail key reforms already under way by RI school districts, including efforts to adopt more rigorous graduation requirements and improve struggling schools
http://www.projo.com/news/content/regents_ed_cuts_02-10-08_M78U6JV_v94.31eafa1.html

State Roundup

Report touts preschool as vital for poor kids in HI
http://starbulletin.com/2008/02/11/news/story01.html

District warns of state exam’s impact for IL English language learners
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-nwschools_11feb11,1,4612967.story?ctrack=2&cset=true

IN will scrutinize exemptions from exit exam, and crack down on schools that allow more than 20 percent of their students to receive diplomas without meeting requirements
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080211/LOCAL/802110362

Report says requiring MD students to remain in school until they turn 18 could drastically reduce dropout rates but would cost the state $200 million a year and worsen the existing shortage of teachers, classroom space and other resources
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/bal-md.ar.dropout11feb11,0,1685805.story

MI proposal to raise mandatory school attendance age sparks debate
http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/02/proposal_to_raise_mandatory_sc.html

Legislators in TX, one of special education’s fastest growing areas, make changes that spell out strategies for teaching autistic students
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5530107.html

Officials with WV’s School Building Authority want to encourage efficiency in design, so the state can build more schools and stretch your tax dollars even further
http://wvgazette.com/News/200802091999

New graduation requirements will go into effect in WA this year; parents, students, and school administrators worry about graduation prospects
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/APWires/wastate/D8UNKVF03.html

Published Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008