[Weekly EdNews Round Up] ACT Will Allow Students to Retake Individual Test Sections

No one knows better than educators about the importance of staying up-to-date. In Edmentum’s Weekly News Round Up, you’ll find the latest and most interesting education news, all in one place.

Students taking the ACT next year will have the option to retake individual sections of the college entrance exam instead of the entire exam, making it easier for students applying to college to submit a higher score. But, some are wondering if this will provide an unfair advantage to students with means to take the exam multiple times and cultivate a higher superscore than their peers who can only afford to test once. Read more on this topic, Harvard’s admission process, the value of homework, and more in this week’s EdNews Round Up.

ACT to Allow Students to Retake Individual Test Sections
U.S. News
The testing company will also create a so-called superscore which uses the student’s best scores from each section. What will this mean for students who take the exam going forward?

Federal Judge Upholds Harvard's Race-Conscious Admissions Process
NPR
A federal judge has ruled in favor of Harvard University in a high-profile court case centered on whether the school's admissions process forces Asian Americans to clear a higher bar to get in.

Is Homework Valuable? Depends on the Grade. Teachers Share their Approaches.
MindShift
Homework in the early years doesn’t do a lot to improve achievement. However, some argue that the goal of giving students some light assignments is to start building a habit around responsibly doing work at home.

Helping Refugee Students Feel Safe
Edutopia
Creating an environment of safety and security is crucial for inclusion of refugee students in the elementary classroom.

Why Is Middle School So Hard for So Many People?
The Atlantic
Tweenhood, which starts around age 9, is horrifying for a few reasons. Not only does the body suddenly begin to change in uncomfortable and awkward ways, but many kids also face new schools and a new set of rules for how to act, both socially and academically. Does it have to be this hard?

CTE programs evolve as tech transforms vocational fields
Education Dive
Districts are weaving high-tech training into vocational classes to ensure students have the technical ability they’ll need before graduating from high school, District Administration reports.

Education policy is often a topic of conversation in state and federal legislatures. Stay in-the-know with this week’s top stories regarding education reform at the state and national level.

Ed Dept allots $71.6M to boost proactive school safety measures
Education Dive
The U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday announced $71.6 million in federal funding to improve school safety and student access to mental health resources, according to a press release.

Teacher Activism is Making Red State Governor’s Races Competitive
The Hechinger Report
Mississippi went big for Trump, but education supporters are threatening a political shakeup. Find out how educators are changing the political scene across the Deep South.

Francis Howell School District sues Juul e-cigarette company, citing harm to students
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The Francis Howell School District claims e-cigarette maker Juul Labs has harmed its students through deceptive marketing and misconduct, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court.

NJ unveils 3-pronged approach to combat lead in school drinking water
News 12 New Jersey
New Jersey officials have unveiled new ways to combat lead-contaminated drinking water in the state’s schools. The governor says that lead in water is a statewide problem and introduced a three-pronged approach to help combat the issue.

Chicago, where the teachers union’s demands extend far past salary, is the latest front for ‘common good’ bargaining
Chalkbeat
If the 25,000-plus members of the Chicago Teachers Union strike later this month as planned, it might not be over salaries, but about a host of other issues union leaders have brought to the bargaining table.