Study: Sexual Harassment Prevalent
Posted on November 6th, 2011 by Mary Lord
Nearly half of 7th to 12th graders experienced sexual harassment in the last school year, according to a sweeping new study by the American Association of University Women. The prevalence of such harassment in middle and high school may seem astonishing in part because it rarely is reported. Only about 9 percent of harassed students told a teacher, guidance counselor, or other adult at school.
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Tags: AAUW, American Association of University Women, Education Policy, report, Research, sexual harrassment
When Tennessee snagged one of the first two federal Race to The Top grants, worth $501 million, the state unveiled a new motto: “First to the Top.” However, he rules for evaluating teachers that went into effect this year have translated into mountains of paperwork that keep educators like Will Shelton, principal of Blackman Middle School in Murfreesboro, stuck at his desk for long stretches of the day instead of observing in classrooms.
For years, politicians, business leaders, and educators have made graduating more engineers and teachers with science and math degrees a national priority. Now, the number of college freshmen interested in majoring in a STEM field is on the rise. However, roughly 40 percent of students planning to major in engineering and science end up switching to other subjects or failing to get any degree.
California officials and business leaders want to correct what they say is a failure to invest enough time, money and training to teach science well. Only 10% of elementary students regularly receive hands-on science lessons, a recent survey found. Just one-third of elementary teachers said they feel prepared to teach science, and 85% said they have not received any training during the last three years.
Can cash incentives boost student interest and achievement in science, technology, engineering, and math? The U.S. Navy must think so, for it has signed onto a White House effort to support military families that includes a public-private national STEM initiative that, among other things, pays bonuses to those who score well on Advanced Placement exams.
Most states and school districts strive to raise graduation rates. But does a diploma mean high school students are ready for college and careers? Not by a long shot, the latest school progress reports from New York City’s board of education suggest.
The Senate is moving forward with a draft reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act that includes a major push for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The bipartisan bill to fix No Child Left Behind represents 10 months of negotiations between Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin and his Republican counterpart, Sen Mike Enzi from Wyoming. Hearings are scheduled for November 8.
Are science and math textbooks slated for the scrap heap? In Munster, Ind., they’re already history. The well-regarded school district tossed out the traditional tomes for 2,600 students in grades 5 -12 in favor of video-rich, online science and math content accessed by school-issued laptops. 
Truancy and absences can erode student learning. But bathroom breaks? Borrowing a page from “Urinetown,” that saucy staple of high school musical comedy, Evergreen Park High School in Illinois has instituted a new policy limiting students to three bathroom passes per semester in an effort to curb excessive trips that take away from valuable class time. 
