Education

Students at Westlake High School in Waldorf, Md., participate in an interactive digital conversation with historian Kenneth C. Davis about late 19th and early 20th century American history on Thursday. The school uses a state of the art "telepresence cent

Teaching 2.0: Is Tech In The Classroom Worth The Cost?

5:05pm March 03, 2013

by NPR Staff

The growth of tech and Internet use in schools has brought one unexpected benefit: Kids can get lectures from high-level scholars via Skype, and interact with them over the Internet. This opens up a larger question, though, of how to measure if the new technologies are improving learning.

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Children eat breakfast at a federally funded Head Start program. Many Head Start administrators are concerned they may have to cut back on the number of enrolled children if the sequester moves ahead.

Sequester Spells Uncertainty For Many Public Schools

5:57pm February 27, 2013

by Claudio Sanchez

Most public schools are unlikely to feel the effects of the sequester before September. But educators and administrators nationwide are worried they may be forced to cut Head Start enrollment, after-school programs, reading coaches and even teachers when those budget reductions hit.

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Cyberbullying Law Shields Teachers From Student Tormentors

12:33pm February 19, 2013

by Lisa Miller

There's a new cyberbullying law in North Carolina — but it's not for students who torment other students. It's one of the first of its kind that punishes students who target teachers online. Teachers groups and free speech organizations are split on what the law hopes to accomplish.

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Is The Call For Universal Pre-Kindergarten Warranted?

6:57am February 18, 2013

Enthusiasm for universal Pre-K education is at an all-time high, and President Obama wants to massively increase the ranks of young children in schools and early learning centers. Some studies have shown significant and long-lasting benefits of early stimulation for children.

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Rise Early And Shine: Teachers And Students Try Out Longer School Days

4:58pm February 10, 2013

by Charles Lane

Kids may not like the idea of extending the average six-hour school day, but some educators and politicians do. They are experimenting with ways to increase enrichment classes and make it affordable for school districts.

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Education

Op-Ed: To Close The Achievement Gap, Don't Lower The Bar

2:12pm January 31, 2013

Florida and Virginia have adopted new academic standards setting different performance goals for subgroups of students in low-performing schools. In a Miami Herald piece, syndicated columnist Leonard Pitts argues that lowering the bar is not the way to fix the education system.

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New education standards place more emphasis on nonfiction reading and writing over fiction works. Some say this could lead students away from a passionate engagement with literature.

New Reading Standards Aim To Prep Kids For College — But At What Cost?

9:17pm January 19, 2013

by NPR Staff

Almost the entire country has signed onto the Common Core Standards Initiative. The standards incorporate more nonfiction texts across all subjects to improve reading scores. But some fear the push for nonfiction reading could lead students away from passionate engagement with literature.

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Parents leading a revolt to take over an elementary school say it has failed their children. From left: Cynthia Ramirez with her son, Mason; Doreen Diaz; Bartola DelVillar; and Kathy Duncan.

In California, Parents Trigger Change At Failing School

3:18pm January 11, 2013

by Claudio Sanchez

Parents in Adelanto have used a "parent-trigger" law for the first time to shut down and take over an elementary school. It's a revolt led by parents who say Desert Trails has failed their children, but others say it's not the school's fault.

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2 Pi: Rhymes And Radii

5:29pm January 10, 2013

by NPR Staff

High school math teacher Jake Scott teaches his students with the help of his hip-hop alias, 2 Pi. By rapping about equations and formulas, Scott helps students remember his lessons and forges a deeper connection with them.

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Top schools like Harvard, seen here in 2000, often offer scholarships and other financial incentives, but they are finding it hard to increase the socioeconomic diversity on campus.

Elite Colleges Struggle To Recruit Smart, Low-Income Kids

6:26am January 09, 2013

by Shankar Vedantam

Top schools often offer scholarships that not only include free tuition, but also free room and board for top students from poor families. Each year, however, colleges are confronted with a paradox: No matter how many incentives they provide, enrollment of highly talented, low-income student barely seems to budge.

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