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This article looks back at the beginnings of "Education Week," in light of its 25th anniversary. In its first issue 25 years ago September 2006, Education Week disclosed details of a 91-page Ronald Reagan administration memo that called for downgrading the year-old U.S. Department of Education to sub-Cabinet status and shifting key federal responsibilities to the state and local levels. Various people involved with the journal's beginning share their views of the journal's history.

Reports on the campaigns of union members of the San Diego Education Association to tilt the balance of power on the San Diego school board in the October 2002 elections. Factor contributing to the campaign efforts of the members; Possibility of a change in the political equation of the board after the elections; Possible impact of a favorable outcome in the election from the teachers' perspective on the administration of schools.

Focuses on the advancement of teaching in the U.S. Role of teachers in public school student; Controversy of bilingual education; Effect of school resources on student achievement.

Focuses on the emergence of home schooling research in the United States. Information on home schooling research; Findings of researcher Brian D. Ray on home schooling; Other approach to home schooling research; Details on other studies and researches.

Provides a historical account on schools and education in the United States. Proportion of Catholic children in parochial schools in 1960; What the privately organized and operated schools represented in the nation's early years; Founders of schools in the 19th century; Growth of Catholic education between 1900 and 1960.

Reports on the growing number of teachers in the United States who are teaching outside their field of expertise. Causes of the problem; Projected demand for teachers from 2000 to 2010; Percentage of `out-of-field' teachers in English, mathematics, science and social studies; Steps taken to boost teachers' credentials. INSET: Help wanted: 2 million teachers..

Looks at the effectiveness of technology in education in the United States. What was confirmed through research on the effectiveness of technology; Comments from associate research scientist at the Princeton, Educational Testing Service, based in New Jersey, Harold Wenglinsky; Basis of the study entitled `Does It Compute? The Relationship Between Educational Technology and Student Achievement in Mathematics'; In-depth look at the study.

Deals with the accountability of school boards to charter schools in the United States to help the deliver quality education to students. How charter schools' performance are evaluated; Difficulties in developing accountability plans; Responsibilities of parents and school regulators so that charter schools can deliver quality education to students.

Part II. Reports on the attrition problem among younger teachers in the United States as a cause of teacher shortages. Number of new teachers that must be hired annually in California; Diversity of student populations; Increased teacher responsibility; Teacher' lack of preparation; Features of California's Teacher Support and Assessment Program; Induction as an attrition-reducing strategy. INSET: Help wanted: 2 million teachers..

Reports on the rejection of ballot measures in the United States that would have changed the way the schools are financed and governed. Rejection of the proposed tax credits for private school institution in Colorado; Support for school bond package in California; Comments from Mary Elizabeth Teasley, director of government relations for the National Education Association.

The article reports that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has released a "report card" on the effectiveness of state education systems, titled "Leaders and Laggards." The report offers a business perspective and prescriptions for more innovative, efficient, and better-performing schools. It rates states in areas such as student achievement, teacher quality, and school management.

This article reports that a survey of school district budget officials in the U.S. shows that employee health care now costs their districts nearly $900 per pupil on average, an expense that they say seriously affects their ability to pay for instructional services. Pressed for their views on possible solutions, 70 percent said they considered shifting insurance costs to employees to be "promising." Fifty-three percent saw merit in "wellness" programs aimed at encouraging healthier lifestyles. About half saw value in "educating employees about benefits."

This article presents information on the education system and standards in the U.S. Most university-based preparation programs for administrators range in quality from "inadequate to appalling." The critique is part of a larger study of education schools spearheaded by Arthur E. Levine, a nationally known expert on improving higher education who became the college's president in 1994. Despite such moves, Levine's study found that more than 80 percent of education school deans believed that their administrator-preparation programs were good or excellent. But his report reserves its highest praise for the National College for School Leadership, launched in 2000 in Nottingham, England.

After years of complaining about interest groups that oppose charter schools run by profit-making companies, six of the United States' largest school-management businesses have formed a special-interest group of their own. The National Council of Education Providers in Washington will seek more public money for charter schools, along with more charter-friendly regulations, at both the state and federal levels. The council made its debut in a series of meetings, when representatives of its member companies rubbed elbows with federal policymakers.

Reports on the appointment of Tom Carroll as executive director of National Commission on Teaching and America's Future in the United States. Assessment of the state of the teaching profession; Growth on the number of schools and college education approved by the National Council for Accreditation of Education Teacher; Creation of alternative system for evaluating teachers.

Highlights the role of computer technology in the learning abilities and achievements of students in the United States. Details on the study conducted by researcher Harold Wenglinsky, to determine the educational benefits offered by the technology; Relationship between technology use and the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), a program that was used to track achievements of students; How to enhance the educational benefits of computers.

Focuses on the predictions of governors about the state of education in the United States in 1999 according to the time capsule that was sealed at the National Education Headquarters in 1959. Ceremony for the sealing of the time capsule; Predictions on school finance and governance; Technology and teaching methods. INSET: Before Their Time.

Focuses on A Better Chance's (ABC) College Preparatory Program, which gives educational opportunities for talented students of color in the United States. Aims of ABC; Sources of the funding; What the program offers; Comments on the issue.

Focuses on the problems in making meaningful comparison of the progress of education in various states. Data from the US Bureau of Census; Comparison of states' graduation rates; Dropout statistics; Comparison of examination results.

The article reports University of Minnesota-Twin Cities education professor Scott C. McLeod, a self-taught "techie," offer to create Web logs, or blogs, for 100 school principals in 100 days. McCleod, who also is the founder of the University's Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education, worries that school leaders are being left behind as blogging gains popularity as a means of informing stakeholders, gathering input, and building a sense of community.

The article describes the Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North Carolina, school district's plan to divide the district into smaller parts. By fall of 2007, Superintendent Peter Gorman plans to have the district organized into seven zones, each with its own administration, with the goal of having districts more responsive to local conditions. District-wide curriculum and standards will not change.

This article reports on a study of state requirements for administrator-candidates, which states that few licensing rules for principals reflect the knowledge and skills needed to lead instructional improvement. While today's school leaders are expected to diagnose, monitor, and plan for raising student achievement, the study reports that most states license principals largely on the basis of such background characteristics as their degrees and work experience. Co-author of the study Jacob Adams, a senior fellow at the Center on Reinventing Public Education at the University of Washington, in Seattle, said that the report reveals a troubling disconnect, given that licensing rules determine who can become a principal.

The article presents information on the Doctor of Education (Ed.D) degree and Doctor of philosophy degree (Ph.D) in the U.S. Universities. At colleges that offer both degrees, the Ph.D program is for budding academics and Ed.D is for practitioners and aspiring superintendents. However the trend is of concern to educators. They believe that market pressures are leading some universities to create convenient programs for their candidates.

The article presents information on the book "Good to Great and the Social Sectors: Why Business Thinking Is Not the Answer," by Jim Collins. The book is one of the most widely read books among K-12 administrators. Collins translates his business-world lessons to the social-services sector, concluding that the book's key principles look different when applied to school systems, nonprofit groups, and other non-business enterprises. He said, his research on social sectors since the publication of the book in 2001 has convinced him that the book's underlying theories about success hold true for all organizations.

The article reports that the successful accelerated programs that prepare new principals share many of the same practices, a report from the U.S. Department of Education's office of innovation and improvement concludes. The agency's report describes six preparation programs that train prospective administrators largely through real-world experience rather than traditional university-based coursework.

The article reports that in an unusually hands-on approach to state intervention, Rhode Island's top education official has ordered big changes at a high school in the state's largest district, including the reevaluation of all teachers and administrators there to decide who should be transferred from the building. Rhode Island Commissioner of Education Peter McWalters has given educators at Hope High School in Providence to say if they want to be considered for continued employment at the school. Among those that have, Rhode Island stands out for its detailed plan.

The article reports that leadership is the key to school improvement. To begin to fill that void, the Education Commission of the States is working on a how-to guide on effective leadership. Denver-based group plans to examine leadership practices in successful districts and turn them into a set of practical lessons. It also will include suggestions of state policies that can help local education leaders meet their improvement goals. MetLife also has awarded grants of $3,000 each to 36 elementary and secondary school leaders to help them build stronger ties with parents and students.

The article focuses on the study that revive debate on value of after-school programs. Researchers who drafted a hotly debated report last year that the U.S. government under President George W. Bush administration used to justify proposed cuts in federal aid for after-school programs have released further study results suggesting that such programs have little academic benefit. Carried out by the Princeton, New Jersey based Mathematica Policy Research Inc., the new report again examines the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, a $1 billion federal initiative that finances after-school programs in some 7,000 schools nationwide.

This article reports that campaign contributions in support of a school tax levy in Cleveland are being tapped to help pay for the personal security of the district's chief executive officer, after her home was burglarized and she said she received death threats. The break-in at the home of Barbara Byrd-Bennett on August 2, 2004 — in which a CD player and some wine were stolen — took place amid rising tensions over the 72,000-student district's financial woes. This past summer, the system laid off some 1,000 employees to help close a $100 million gap in its $600 million annual budget. District officials said last week that Ms. Byrd-Bennett's security detail had racked up about $10,000 in overtime since the time of the break-in. In the days after the incident, the district CEO was provided round-the-clock protection.

This article reports that Louisiana could become the first state to hold its teacher-preparation programs accountable for their graduates' ability to improve student achievement. Once further analyses with more data can be carried out, Louisiana officials plan to use the results in determining which preparation programs meet state approval and which are in need of restructuring. The new focus on results comes amid calls nationwide for better ways to gauge the quality of teacher preparation. Louisiana officials say they are able to make the link between student achievement and teacher preparation because the state has established an extensive system for tracking performance data.

State officials in Minnesota are telling districts to proceed with caution when making deals with a group that offers schools across the country a way to get new fitness programs for students at no cost. The warnings issued in recent weeks by both the state auditor and the attorney general of Minnesota relate to the National School Fitness Foundation, a 4-year old organization based in American Fork, Utah. At issue is the unusual financial arrangement by which the foundation helps schools acquire its trademark program for improving physical fitness, called L.I.F.T. America, which stands for Leadership in Fitness Training. National School Fitness Foundation officials agree they cannot assure districts that the group will be able to raise ample funds to offset the full cost.

Reports developments in education in the United States as of December 2001. Emphasis on student achievement in the staff development guidelines issued by the National Staff Development Council; Innovations in the monetary policies addressing student needs; Plans for virtual trips to Mars celebrating space exploration.

Presents news briefs related to education in the United States, as of April 25, 2001. Strides made in integrating national science education standards into current editions of high school biology textbooks; Latin American school children's enrollment in advanced courses in Massachusetts; New Mexico teachers' success in their calls for improvements in state licenses issued by the state.

Presents news briefs related to education in the United States, as of April 25, 2001. Reinstatement of ousted school board officials in Kansas City, Missouri, by a federal judge; Survey of the leadership roles of master teachers; Settlement of the lawsuit filed by former Beverly Hills Unified School District superintendent Robert Pellicone against the California district.

Examines the implementation of academic standards to design professional training of districts in the United States. Use of state performance standards as basis for designing staff training; Intention of textbook publishers to improve curriculum materials; Efforts of the Center for Arts Education to make arts education available in public schools.

Reports developments related to education in the United States as of January 2001. Includes ruling of the Ohio Supreme Court giving the mayor of Cleveland control over the city's public schools; Election of Janna K. Garrison as president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers; Donations of three foundations for the redesign of schools in New York City.

Presents news items related to education in the United States as of December 6, 2000. One-day teacher strike being planned in Utah; Revamp of the Web site of the Education Commission of the States; Scores on Maryland's mandatory tests.

Presents news items related to education in the United States as of December 6, 2000. School officials' reliance on scores on a single high-stakes test to make promotion, graduation or tracking decisions; Display of teacher licenses in classrooms; Web site of the National Science Teachers Association.

Focuses on developments related to education in the United States, current as of November 15, 2000. Georgia-based teachers' groups' efforts to block the release of information about their members; Possible expulsion of two students in Lexington, Kentucky after hacking into teachers' workstations.

Presents updates on teaching in the United States as of September 2000. Improvement of lowest-performing 4th graders on reading scores; Support of the public on standards-based education and high-stakes tests; Infusion of several board-certified teachers into a K-6 school; Rank of the teaching profession in the Jobs Rated Almanac.

Presents a roundup of articles relating to education in the United States as of September 20, 2000. Inclusion of the withdrawal of a lawsuit against the state of Florida over its admission criteria for gifted programs; Damages won by Valerie Bennett, a black substitute teacher in Chicago, Illinois, who claims that she was barred from a full-time teaching position because of her color.

Discusses the report, commissioned by the Education Trust, which showed that the failure to bridge the gap between rich and poor students in the United States is due to the lack of fully qualified teachers in schools serving high numbers of low-income children. Percentage of high school students who are handled by teachers who lack the proper licenses in their subjects.

Presents news briefs related to education in the United States (U.S.) as of June 21, 2000. Food-safety standards on school lunches announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture; Strike staged by teachers in Pittsburg, California; Investigation into the act of vandalism at Palm Springs High School in California.

Presents news briefs on education in the United States as of May 31, 2000. Extension of a contract for Hartford, Connecticut school superintendent Anthony S. Amato; Repair of Miami-Dade County public schools in Florida; Expiration of temporary working permits for Filipino teachers in public schools in Dallas, Texas.

Presents news and information concerning education in the United States (US) . Details on the launching of the report `The Survey of American School Leadership,' which represents the number of school superintendents who believe that investments in the school will offer educational benefits; Efforts of the US Department of Education to renovate its computer systems in preparation for the year 2000 problem.

Presents news briefs on education-related issues in the United States as of October 1999. Purpose of the teachers in Waterbury, Connecticut in giving back part of their salary increase; Percentage of New York state's high school seniors that have passed the state English test; Campaign against violence in school launched by the Family Career and Community Leaders of America.

Presents several articles concerning issues related to teachers and education in the United States in 1999. Information on the survey made by Recruiting New Teachers Inc.; Reaction on the book `Better Teachers, Better Schools' released by the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation; Arguments raised by the American Federation of Teachers concerning labor agreements.

Provides information on several reports related to education in the United States. Analysis by Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government on parent participation in the Cleveland, Ohio voucher program; Features of the report from Citizens' Commission on Civil Rights; Report from the National Center for Family Literacy about the support utilized by most successful family-literacy programs.

Focuses on `The Teachers We Need and How To Get More of Them,' a manifesto signed by scholars, education officials and state policymakers in the United States proclaiming that deregulation holds the key to improvement in education. Comments from Chester E. Finn Jr., president of the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation; Highlight of the manifesto.

Presents education-related news items in the United States as of March 31, 1999. Includes criticisms against the use of corporate logos in mathematics textbooks; Status of the teachers' back-pay controversy in Arkansas; Settlement of a sex-abuse case in Boulder, Colorado. INSET: Death (Elizabeth Paisley Huckaby), by Marnie Roberts..