Sixty Day News Digest

For the first time, real dropout data is in hand, and educators are scrambling to explain it. (Sac Bee) (7/20)

Sen. Alquist's bill would allow districts to reward students for test scores. (Sacramento Bee) (7/19)

Will schools soon enter the accountability Olympics? (LA Daily News) (7/4)

The state Senate fails to pass a bill by one vote that would send millions to districts on the federal watchlist. (Desert Sun) (7/3)

The city of San Francisco is giving a little less money but a few more services as a gift to the district. (SF Examiner) (7/2)

Budget cuts force many districts to cancel summer school. (SD Union-Tribune) (7/1)

Four North Sacramento districts merge on Tuesday. (Sac Bee) (6/30)

Supt. Brewer at LAUSD wants principals to have more power. (LA Times) (6/29)

San Francisco's school assignment system is slammed by the grand jury. (SF Examiner) (6/28)

Declining enrollment makes for less crowding in LA Unified's schools. (LA Times) (6/27)

When principals or teachers are downright incompetent, their work future is often secure. (LA Daily News) (6/27)

Voters recall trustees at Capistrano’s district, demanding honesty and openness. (OC Register) (6/26)

Home schooling gets another day in court. (SJ Mercury News) (6/23)

Ventura's grand jury orders improved counseling and security at middle schools. (Ventura County Star) (6/23)

Graduation rates in LA Unified are declining. (LA Times) (6/22)

Community college leaders ask why they pay to reeducate underprepared freshmen. (CC Times) (6/17)

A bill by state senator Don Perata could jeopardize $47 million in federal funds. (Sac Bee) (6/12)

A new study shows how to predict which fourth-graders are likely to fail the high school exit exam. (LA Times) (6/11)

English learners in Will Rogers Middle School make it hard for the school to meet its AYP goals. (Sac Bee) (6/9)

Charter schools in LA could look better than other public schools. (LA Times) (6/7)

New teachers in San Francisco are about to get a big raise. (SF Chronicle) (6/5)

Santa Ana Unified rescinds some teacher layoffs. (OC Register) (6/5)

Some Los Angeles districts win local funding. (LA Times) (6/5)

Most Bay Area districts celebrate parcel tax victories. (SF Chronicle) (6/4)

Santa Clara voters okay bond measures for schools. (SJ Mercury News) (6/4)

Teachers in LA Unified prepare for a one-hour protest on Friday. (LA Times) (6/3)

Middle schools in LA Unified feel lost in the shuffle. (LA Daily News) (6/1)

Sacramento area schools feel the region's economic pinch. (Sacramento Bee) (6/1)

Leadership at LA Unified seeks to block teachers' budget protest. (LA Times) (5/29)

Bakersfield kinder-garteners will find largest class sizes in twelve years. (Bakersfield Californian) (5/29)

Schools still come up short in the Governor's new budget. (Sacramento Bee) (5/26)

San Francisco schools are running in the red, despite a boost from the city. (SF Chronicle) (5/23)

Suspension data shows which schools are rougher. (SF Chronicle) (5/21)

Lottery funds are expected to fall. (Sacramento Bee) (5/21)

Students wrap-up a torrent of test-taking. (LA Times) (5/20)

The state budget analyst calls the governor's reliance on lottery money too rosey. (SF Chronicle) (5/18)

School funding cuts are reduced by the governor, and Prop. 98 guarantees are protected. (SF Chronicle) (5/15)

Other states woo California teachers who are losing their jobs. (LA Times) (5/14)

Two big districts in Sacramento are looking for new supes. (Sacramento Bee) (5/8)

Lawyers at Public Advocates sue the U.S. Dept. of Education for calling teacher interns highly qualified. (SF Examiner) (5/5)

New Yorkers still wonder what portion of the city's high school students graduate. (NY Times) (7/16)

New York City's parents, students and teachers respond in droves when asked their thoughts about schools. (NY Times) (7/3)

Six states design their own plans for improving schools on the federal watchlist. (A.P.) (6/30)

New York educators are pulling potential dropouts back from the brink. (NY Times) (6/29)

Across the country, schools are cutting back and closing down due to rising costs and diving funding. (Christian Science Monitor) (6/28)

A huge jump in reading and math scores has New York City leaders puzzled. (NY Times) (6/23)

A federal judge rules that highly qualified teachers can be two years away from a full credential. (SF Chronicle) (6/18)

Democrats offer their own plan to counter NCLB. (NY Times) (6/11)

Obama and McCain don't see eye-to-eye education. (Education Week) (6/7)

See how states compare in graduating kids from high school. (Ed Week) (6/5)

Opponents of evolution adopt a new strategy. (NY Times) (6/4)

Parents in New York City are puzzled by the pre-kindergarten assignment game. (NY Times) (6/2)

High schools are reexamining the value of AP courses. (Christian Science Monitor) (5/30)

Two colleges stop requiring applicants to take the college entrance exams. (NY Times) (5/27)

Georgia throws out social studies tests for middle schoolers. (AJ Constitution) (5/22)

New York's most popular schools face even more parent demand. (NY Times) (5/18)

Even teachers agree that bad teachers with tenure should face a faster exit path. (Associated Press) (5/4)

Reading First gets a thumbs-down from the U.S. Dept. of Education's research arm. (NY Times) (5/3)

Peter Fortenbaugh argues that dropout problems are triggered outside the school day. (SF Chronicle) (7/21)

Jay Matthews explores the KIPP schools’ effort to track down where their kids go next. (Washington Post) (7/1)

Peter Schrag untangles a complex story about the 8th grade algebra test and math standards. (Sac Bee) (6/26)

Dan Walters wonders why so many community college freshmen aren’t prepared to read, write or do arithmetic. (Sacramento Bee) (6/25)

John Fensterwald covers the state board's hesitation to change the 8th grade algebra math standard. (SJ Mercury News) (6/19)

John Fensterwald shares the back story on Perata's challenge to Schwarzenegger and O'Connell. (SJ Mercury News) (6/12)

Walt Gardner asks if new teachers mean a new era in education? (SF Chronicle) (6/7)

John Fensterwald discovers a success story in the Bay Area, with 8th graders passing the high school math exit exam. (SJ Mercury News) (5/31)

This editorial board urges leaders to take bigger steps toward a capable student and teacher data system. (Sacramento Bee) (5/22)

Peter Schrag calls the state budget system is made of "shreds and patches." (Sacramento Bee) (5/21)

Steve Lopez invites Supt. Brewer of LAUSD to return to the Navy. (LA Times) (5/13)

This editorial board supports Sen. Romero's bill to pay math and science teachers more. (Riverside Press-Enterprise) (5/12)

This editorial board supports Sen. Romero's bill to pay math and science teachers more. (Riverside Press-Entperise) (5/7)

This editorial board calls for fairness in deciding how much money districts get. (LA Times) (5/5)

Meet the Silicon Valley teens who are building bridges through philanthropy. (SF Chronicle) (7/18)

Meet the San Jose teacher who rescued 678 classic books from a school's trashcan. (SJ Mercury News) (6/29)

Meet English teacher Phil Holmes, who has moved to a hard-scrabble charter high school in Los Angeles, leaving behind Harvard School for Boys. (LA Times) (6/25)

Cynthia Rodriguez graduates from high school despite the challenges of living the migrant farmworkers life. (Ventura County Star) (6/18)

Teachers are tutoring foster kids in San Diego. (SD Union-Tribune) (6/5)

Chicago students find Obama vs. Clinton a hot topic for social studies discussions. (USA Today)

Compton's young students polish their etiquette preparing for a visit to a Beverly Hills restaurant. (LA Times) (5/15)

In Los Angeles, parent-teacher conferences can get heated. (LA Times) (5/2)