“Directed” not “distributive” leadership works best in low-performing schools, according to an organization that trains school principals
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/03/19/28leaders.h27.html

School Funding Litigation/Policy

WY governor signs a bill intended to help clear up a long-running school finance dispute, but wealthy school districts say the bill is unlikely to resolve their lawsuit
http://www.trib.com/articles/2008/03/13/news/wyoming/2bdfe549d50b86e88725740b00087059.txt

State Roundup

AZ House approves plan that would allow the state Department of Education to take over districts in which at least half the schools are underperforming or failing
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/229483.php

CA appeals court ruling draws backlash; home-school advocates scramble to reverse or blunt the impact
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/03/19/28homeschool_ep.h27.html

A presidential candidate's position on education could be a deciding factor on who gets their votes, according to DE citizens; they also report they are willing to spend more to improve the state's schools and change the way teachers are paid
http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080313/NEWS03/803130381/1006/NEWS

FL lawmakers move ahead with some of the most significant changes to former governor Bush’s education reforms, including revisions to the state’s high-stakes test
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/454667.html

Report says IL does not do enough to motivate students who "sell themselves short" by attending two-year colleges or vocational schools when they could attend four-year colleges
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-college-admissions_13mar13,1,5005167.story

S.C. considers legislation that would create a trial GED program designed for students that are a couple of years behind in school and don't expect to graduate
http://www.goupstate.com/article/20080312/APN/803120796

TX Board of Education may be just weeks away from approving a new English and language arts curriculum, if politics don't get in the way
http://www.star-telegram.com/state_news/story/527507.html

Nest year, the WA exit exam will be shorter, it will have fewer open-ended questions and it will be available to students who don’t speak English, but if students don’t pass a summer program designed to help them succeed the second time around won’t be there
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/307735.html

WA lawmakers are phasing out the state exam's math section as a high school graduation requirement, and replacing it with tests on individual math courses in 2014
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004278926_apwaxgrbudgetwasl1stldwritethru.html

In the News on March 12, 2008

A select group of states is expected to take part in a 12th grade version of the National Assessment of Educational Progress in reading and mathematics, a move that could result in even greater state participation on the heavily scrutinized test
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/03/11/27naep_web.html

Analysis defends Reading First program
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/03/12/27report-2.h27.html

School Funding Litigation/Policy

AZ judge gives the state Legislature until April 15 to properly fund English-language-learner programs or face fines of $2 million a day that could climb to $5 million daily
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0311english-learning0311-ON.html

IL lawmakers take another stab at giving two dozen school districts millions of dollars in promised construction money that’s never been paid
http://www.sj-r.com/News/stories/26781.asp

GA corporations that give money to nonprofit groups that send children to private school could get a 75 percent tax credit on their overall income tax bills under new legislation – a “plan to help lower-income schoolchildren get out of shoddy public schools”

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2008/03/11/vouchers_0312.html
LA Board of Elementary and Secondary Education asks lawmakers to increase basic state aid to public schools by $109 million - 37 percent more than requested by the governor
http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/politics/16587146.html

LA Senate approves proposal to grant a state income tax deduction for private school tuition
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/capital/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1205299256221150.xml&coll=1&thispage=1

State Roundup

In light of the appeals court decision that bars parents from educating their children at home if they lack teaching credentials, CA Superintendent of Public Instruction affirms families' right to home school and tells parents “there's no cause for alarm”
http://www.latimes.com/news/education/la-me-homeschool12mar12,1,7272487.story?track=rss

Education council insists TX will not use private school vouchers to educate high school dropouts, but voucher opponents remain critical of their strategic plan to increase graduation rates
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5611782.html

In the News on March 11, 2008

Education won’t be any more prominent in the general-election campaign than it has been during the presidential primaries, according to panelists
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/03/12/27fedfil.h27.html

Commentary – Beyond system reform: The need for greater innovation in school and schooling
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/03/12/27kolderie.h27.html

School Funding Litigation/Policy

Once again, CA debate about deficit-riddled budget morphs into a fight over how much money the state is spending on public schools and how that money should be spent
http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/775538.html

Fewer PA school districts will be able to raise property taxes above the inflation rate for the 2008-09 school year without seeking voter approval
http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/state/all-a6_schooltaxes.6306880mar11,0,1440823.story

UT Lawmakers approve a $2.5 billion education spending plan that would increase teacher pay and steer more money toward programs despite lower-than-expected revenue
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_8472462

State Roundup

AR has become an example for other states to follow in reforming their public education systems, according to http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2008/03/11/News/345559.html

GA and TN’s work to align high school standards with work and college expectations is recognized
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2008/mar/11/georgia-tennessee-recognized-work-high-school-grad/

PA data system examines growth, not just test-results
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08070/863898-298.stm

VT students score low on math and writing tests
http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080311/NEWS01/803110351

Agreement to keep public virtual charter schools operating in WI has been worked out and should be approved by the end of the week, according to lawmaker
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/03/10/63124wixgrvirtualschools_ap.html

In the News on March 10, 2008

Federal/NCLB

VA House and Senate pass bill to allow the state to opt-out of NCLB
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/08/AR2008030802333.html?nav=rss_education

State Roundup

Salary gap between AR public school teachers and people with jobs in the public sector continues to grow, according a national study
http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2008/03/08/News/345537.html

AZ bill may help more students receive high-school diplomas without passing the AIMS test required for graduation
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0310phxaimsbill0310.html

CA governor denounces state appeals court ruling that severely restricts home-schooling and promises to change the law if necessary to guarantee that parents are able to educate their children at home
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/08/MNCHVG0SD.DTL

KY senate approves a controversial bill to overhaul the state's student testing program
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080308/NEWS0101/803080453/1008/ARCHIVES

PA hearing focuses on racial achievement gap
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08068/863501-85.stm

Over 100 school districts drop out of TX's new merit pay plan for teachers
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/031008dntexmeritpay.3b2de6e.html

VT’s poor test results in math are another sign that public schools need to rethink how they educate students, according to education commissioner
http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2008/03/10/test_results_only_30_percent_of_students_proficient_in_math/?rss_id=Boston.com+--+Education+news

Published Wednesday, Apr. 2, 2008