TOP NEWS WHTM A state task force says Pennsylvania's existing schools and new construction should consider designs that promote security just as they have historically considered factors such as fire safety. Participants recommended metal detectors, locks on classroom doors, and more school resource officers. Read more>> Sponsored Sponsored by Voyager Sopris Learning Don’t miss this real-time, interactive, online professional development event on July 9-10 linking you with current researchers in the science of literacy. Read more>> KHON2 The act, goes into effect July 1, provides extra funding which schools could use a portion of to train educators how to teach computer science. By the 2021-22 school year, each public high school will need to offer at least one computer science course during each school year. Read more>> Louisville Courier Journal Gov. Matt Bevin said that efforts to prevent school shootings are laudable but do not address the root causes of the violence: children's access to smart phones, video games and psychotropic drugs. Read more>> From DA Magazine Matt Zalaznick The 45 schools and systems recognized by this year’s District of Distinction program have created homegrown initiatives to support students’ social-emotional development, to provide powerful new opportunities for career-focused STEM learning and to improve the skills of educators. Read more>> KING 5 Seattle City Council passed a measure to provide free ORCA transit passes to all Seattle public high school students and students in the Seattle Promise program, which offers two years of college tuition for Seattle high school graduates. Read more>> NJ Advance Media A new school funding plan approved by state lawmakers has some big winners—so big, in fact, that some districts would see their state aid double in a single year. The schools that will gain the most money have been chronically underfunded by the state, according to New Jersey's school funding formula. Read more>> The Columbus Dispatch Ohio lawmakers are set to protect what is now the state’s largest online charter school from seeing its sponsor’s rating impacted by the large number of ECOT students enrolled after that school shut down. One provision would ensure Ohio Virtual Academy will not be punished for the poor academic scores of the 4,200 students it accepted from ECOT. Read more>> Chalkbeat Indiana Decatur Township will join six other Indiana districts in a coalition that allows them to bypass certain state rules so students get more practical experience and share ideas to form more work-based study opportunities with local employers. Read more>> OPINION The New York Times Instead of just helping disadvantaged students to catch up with peers, educators are looking for ways to give them more chances to shine in advanced classes and selective schools. Read more>> The Hechinger Report Parents should think about what matters in the long run and reflect on whether their actions might be contributing to greater inequality. Affluent parents bring powerful resources to schools. They should also model thoughtful civic engagement that considers collective, rather than simply individual, benefits. Read more>> La Cañada Valley Sun Once upon a time, summer school was only for kids who were in academic trouble and needed remediation. You will now find a mix of students with a variety of motivations in summer school classes. One of the primary reasons now is for the opportunity to explore skills and interests that can’t be accommodated in the regular school year. Read more>> INDUSTRY NEWS Google Google is updating Classroom to give teachers more control over how they organize everything from assignments and announcements to class rosters. This fall, they’re also adding a new feature to Quizzes that lets teachers control what students can see when taking assessments in Forms. Read more>> Education Networks of America/CatchOn Education Networks of America announced that CatchOn, Inc has joined the ENA family of companies. CatchOn is an administrative tool that provides real-time evidence about application utilization, implementation fidelity, cost and return on investment. Read more>> AdvancED/Measured Progress Measured Progress’s psychometric research, summative assessment, and district and classroom assessment solutions will be combined with AdvancED’s expertise in working with educators to make systematic changes in school quality to bolster student success. Read more>> ✭ Visit the District Administration's PR Portal ✭ | 