Topic: Education Standards

US high school graduation rate inches past 75 percent

The graduation rate rose by 3.5 percent between 2002 and 2009, according to a new report. But 10 states had lower graduation rates in 2009 than in 2002.

Surprise: Teachers crave evaluation

A survey of teachers shows that most say student progress can used to evaluate their job performance, but they're wary of using standardized tests. As for tenure? It shouldn't be used to protect ineffective teachers, they say. 

Five myths about video games

Why they aren’t as scary or one-dimensional as many parents think.

Minority students are punished more than whites, US reports. Is it racism?

Black students are more than three times more likely to be suspended from school than white kids, a Department of Education report finds. Secretary Arne Duncan calls it a violation of civil rights.

Are blacks and Hispanics singled out for punishment in school?

Hispanics and African-Americans are three times more likely than whites to be suspended or expelled, says a new Education Department study. Is discipline being applied fairly in US schools?

No Child Left Behind waivers: five ways education will change

President Obama announced the first 10 states to receive waivers from certain aspects of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) federal education law on Thursday. Here’s a look at some ways they are pushing for progress through the flexibility granted by the waivers.

No Child Left Behind loosens grasp as 10 states freed from requirements

No Child Left Behind has been a contentious law ever since it was passed in 2002. Now ten states have been released of some of the toughest legal requirements of the law.

No Child Left Behind loses bite as Obama issues waivers

Many educators applaud the waivers from some parts of No Child Left Behind, saying the education-reform law has a one-size-fits-all approach. Others worry that minorities could suffer. 

Under education reform, school principals swamped by teacher evaluations

School principals, including some who back more rigorous review of teachers, are balking at education reforms required by Race to the Top. New teacher evaluations are all-consuming, they say.  

State of the Union: What can Obama do about college tuition?

President Obama hit hard on college tuition costs in his State of the Union speech, calling on Congress to extend the tuition tax credit and to stop student loan interest from doubling in July.

Eight ingredients for a peaceful society

What makes for a peaceful society? Hot spots from Congo to the Middle East would benefit from such knowledge. But so would the United States, which, at home, isn’t always so harmonious and abroad, is still at war in Afghanistan.

Michael Shank, vice president of the Institute for Economics and Peace’s US office gives his take on eight ingredients America needs to build a peaceful society.

Election 101: Where the GOP candidates stand on immigration, abortion and other social issues

Social policies are a defining issue in this, or any, Republican race. With the GOP electorate increasingly focused on social issues in recent decades, their leaders' views have shifted in kind. Take a look at where each of the candidates stand. 

Students in big-city schools show gains in latest NAEP 'report card'

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) National Report Card shows clear and positive trend lines for big-city schools, though the progress has been slow. 

Education report card: Flat reading scores are 'deeply disappointing'

Math scores inched up – barely – in the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), otherwise known as the 'nation’s report card.'

A test for America's reading skills in NAEP scores

Latest test scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reveal slow progress in reading skills since 1992. Fortunately, Congress may refocus the No Child Left Behind law on better teaching of literacy.

Senate vote: first step toward dismantling No Child Left Behind

A Senate panel votes to drop a signature provision of No Child Left Behind, the Bush-era education reform. The new law would eliminate the mandate for 'adequate yearly progress.'

Can new No Child Left Behind law pass before 2012 elections?

A new No Child Left Behind bill is finally getting a hearing in the Senate Wednesday – after three years of sitting in limbo. The bill has bipartisan support, and plenty of detractors.

Israel celebrates Nobel Prize, but worries about declining prowess

Dan Shechtman, who won the Nobel Prize in chemistry, is part of a tradition of scientific achievement that's considered a key asset to Israel's military and its reputation as a mini-Silicon Valley.

No Child Left Behind: with waivers, Obama offers states flexibility

No Child Left Behind is under fire, with President Obama offering waivers to some states, allowing them to pursue their own plans for school improvements and accountability.

How one school district won prestigious prize for narrowing achievement gap

The 2011 Broad Prize for Urban Education went to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in North Carolina, which has narrowed the achievement gap for both African-American and Hispanic students.

Back to school: Are we leaving gifted students behind?

Gifted students in US public schools can be overlooked and unappreciated. Parents, looking for better options, have begun to find some.

Can the US compete if only 32 percent of its students are proficient in math?

Among the top-scoring places in the world that participated in a recent exam, math proficiency of 15-year-olds was well above 50 percent. One US state, Massachusetts, cleared that mark, barely.

ACT scores up, more US students ready for college

The class of 2011 showed small gains in ACT scores, according to a new report, but America still has a long way to go before all high school graduates are prepared for college or a career.

US moves to head off states' revolt over No Child Left Behind

With some states in open revolt against education reforms in the No Child Left Behind law, the Obama administration prepares to issue waivers from certain requirements. But states must agree to a different set of reforms to qualify.

Relief ahead for states from No Child Left Behind law, but with strings

States can be excused from some certain requirements of No Child Left Behind, the US education reform law, the Obama administration said Monday. But it wants them to adopt different reforms.