Oregon's absenteeism problem grows worse

Four years ago, 15 percent of Oregon students missed 11 percent or more of the school year. New state figures show that the state's chronic absenteeism rate got even worse last school year at 20 percent and, more specifically, 28 percent of high school students. Read more>>

The New York State Council of School Superintendents concluded from an annual statewide survey of its members that enhancing services to deal with the emotional well-being of students has become their most widely cited priority. Read more>>

More than a dozen Florida school districts are now challenging a law requiring them to share local construction funds with charter schools. But some of those same districts also getting a portion of the extra funding the new law provides. Read more>>

As the first-ever “next-generation” Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System scores trickle in, school administrators are adjusting to the new standards and refraining from comparing 2017 scores to previous years. Read more>>

Dallas ISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa wants to close down two schools and convert two others to charter schools to avoid harsh punishment from the state for their poor performance. Key to his plan is using a loophole in a new state law aimed at promoting partnerships between districts and independent charter operators. Read more>>

In a bid to jumpstart stalled turnaround efforts, the entire staffs at two troubled high schools will have to reapply for their jobs—an aggressive intervention that in the past has resulted in major staff shake-ups. Both schools are part of the city's “Renewal” program, but have struggled to hit their improvement targets. Read more>>

Illinois has revamped state education funding to provide extra support to economically challenged K12 districts. Read more>>

That the state of New York has one of the most stringent certification structures is evidence of the desire to place the best possible instructors in the classroom. The new certification to allow publicly funded charter schools to hire teacher candidates with only 40 hours of student teaching experience will dismantle this structure. Read more>>

Training kids to give effective critique is one of those teaching strategies that takes some time on the front end, but can save a lot of time once students get good at it. And when kids got feedback from peers, they tend to internalize it more. Read more>>

Teachers talk about how important it is for them to work in a building where there is a shared purpose, collaboration and school-wide commitment to improvement and to excellence. They want smart principals who regard them as partners and who create a safe, welcoming environment for students. Read more>>

The Virtual High School is currently piloting Introduction to Computer Science Principles, a new semester-long course which provides an overview of computer science and technologies, an introduction to computer programming using Scratch, and challenges to use technology to solve problems. Read more>>

The product updates include the integration of Virtual Data Wall into IO Education’s assessment offering, improved parent-teacher communications through integrated and bi-directional SMS messaging, and expanded reporting and dashboarding capabilities. Read more>>

Kaizena announced its time-saving tools for teachers to provide feedback on student work now support Microsoft Office 365. Students who use Microsoft Word or Microsoft PowerPoint for writing, presentations and projects can now receive fast feedback from their teachers and peers. Read more>>

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Jerry Wilson, who currently leads Worcester County Public Schools, was named as superintendent of Shippensburg Area School District. He takes over from Greg Hoover, former superintendent at Greencastle-Antrim School District, who has been the interim superintendent since July. Read more>>

After 14 years at the helm of the Wendell School District, Superintendent Greg Lowe will retire at the end of this school year. Lowe, who has been an Idaho educator for 40 years, started his career as a teacher in the Grace School District, where he spent 15 years. Read more>>

After more than 10 years, the Pennsylvania school district's superintendent, Darla Pianowski, is retiring. In addition, she was the superintendent of record at York County School of Technology for the 2011-12 and 2012-13 school years. Read more>>