What We Know
Twenty-one states still allow corporal punishment in school. Illinois is not one of them, but the Chicago Tribune reports paddling is an accepted part of the culture of some school basketball programs. Even Arne Duncan was paddled….Black and Hispanic third-graders in Florida are more likely to be held back than white students with similar scores. But Jay Greene’s research shows the retained students are soon scoring higher on the FCAT than those promoted through exemptions….A major breakthrough in pest control could come from a California 6th grader’s science project.
What We Want to Find Out
Why is it so hard to make sure the school bus is empty at the end of the day? The National Association for Pupil Transportation estimates there are 75 school bus strandings every year nationwide….Would concerns about the sheer number of standardized tests children take in some states diminish if formal test prep, not testing itself, was discouraged?
What We Learned
Heisman trophy winner Tim Tebow, was homeschooled by his missionary parents in the Phillipines….Over one dozen states now have laws on the books against “cyber bullying.” California is the latest…Children in Germany will required to visit concentration camp sites as part of their school curriculum–a response to concerns over neo-Nazi extremism….Utah may ban school bus drivers from talking on cell phones. Hopefully while they’re checking to make sure the bus is empty after a run.
How We Can Learn More
We’re seeing a big increase in myopia (short-sightedness) among children world wide. Researchers in Australia say playing outdoors dramatically cuts the risk….University of Missouri researchers found links among students’ weak academic performance in the first grade, self-perceptions in the sixth grade, and depression symptoms in the seventh grade….The first three blogs in my Google RSS reader are Joanne Jacobs, Flypaper and This Week in Education. All three are up for Best Education Blog in the 2008 Weblog Award. Voting ends tomorrow.
