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Tennessee Bill Seen as a Challenge to Evolution

EvolutionBritish naturalist Charles Darwin knew his theory of natural selection was controversial. Still, even he might be nonplussed at the uproar over teaching evolution. Last week, Tennessee’s House of Representatives approved a bill that encourages science teachers to explore controversial topics without fear of reprisal. Critics contend the measure will let K-12 teachers present intelligent design and creationism as acceptable alternatives to evolution.

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Online Classes: Quantity v. Quality

Cartoon ComputerMore than 1 million K-12 students take online courses. Advocates say Web-based make-up classes and other offerings allow students to take a richer menu of electives and Advanced Placement courses. Critics call them an effort by school districts to shave costs on buildings and teachers.

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Don’t Weaken Law, Advocates Urge

Student RunningCivil rights, business, and education advocates are urging Congress and the Obama administration not to undermine a key portion of the No Child Left Behind Act in their quest to make the law more flexible—a move they fear will shortchange minority students and other historically overlooked groups in the process.

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Ripple Effect of Teacher Layoffs

ChairSchool districts nationwide are bracing for potentially deep cuts in their teaching ranks. While many may fare better than projected, each layoff causes a chaotic ripple of staff reshuffling as senior educators “bump” more junior teachers from their classrooms, forcing thousands to change schools, grades, or subjects.

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Algebra II for All?

Algebra IIMany students consider Algebra II a complex course with scant real-world value. Yet, of all of the classes offered in high school, it is the leading predictor of college and work success. In recent years, 20 states and the District of Columbia have raised graduation requirements to include Algebra II. Now, researchers wonder if that’s such smart policy.

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Dropout Factories Decline

Sleeping StudentThe number of U.S. schools with such poor graduation rates that they are known as “dropout factories” fell by 6.4 percent between 2008 and 2009, according to a report released at the Building a Grad Nation Summit in Washington, D.C., March 22. The report also included recommendations to help ensure a high school graduation rate of 90 percent for the class of 2020–today’s third graders.

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States Crack Down on Test Tampering

CheatingIn response to cheating, many states and school districts are tightening test security, USA Today reports. Texas distributes 14 steps staff must follow during test administration and warns that state investigators will ferret out cheaters. In other places, educators are experimenting with different ways to test what kids learn.

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Colorado STEM Program Gets VIP Praise

Colorado STEM ProgamSkyline High School in Boulder, Colo., showed Interior Secretary Ken Salazar what a high quality program looks like when he visited the STEM Academy March 21. Students must earn 28 credits for a STEM certificate, instead of the 24.5 needed for a regular high school diploma, and maintain at least a 2.5 GPA. Graduates are guaranteed acceptance in the University of Colorado’s engineering program.

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Cheating to the Test?

Scantron Bubble TestWith the stakes for educators growing ever higher — and the majority of American schools somewhere on the “failing” listUSA Today examined years’ worth of individual student test results from six states and the District of Columbia to investigate the incidence of cheating. The results were disheartening.

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