[Weekly EdNews Round Up] Rollout of ESSA Report Cards Frustrates School Leaders

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.

As the rollout ESSA report cards continues, many are beginning to worry that the whole story is not being told when it comes to state accountability systems and question the accuracy and reliability of the new report cards. Read all about this story, the education research highlights of 2018, TEACH grants, and more in this week’s EdNews Round Up.

Rollout of ESSA Report Cards Frustrates School Leaders
EdWeek
The rollout of states' redesigned school accountability systems in recent weeks has reignited tensions between policymakers, practitioners, and parents over how best to define and incentivize school success.

2018 Education Research Highlights
edutopia
Researchers studied students’ brains as they learned and took another look at the marshmallow test, learning styles, and growth mindset.

Were Your TEACH Grants Converted To Loans While Teaching At A Qualifying School?
npr
If you're one of the thousands of teachers who had grants converted to loans even though you were meeting the teaching requirements of the TEACH Grants program — we want to hear from you.

Teachers Came Together to Strike. What Will Happen Next?
EdWeek
After the election, the teachers who organized the walkouts have a challenge: How will they continue to motivate and sustain the energy of teachers across the state now that there's no big event to organize around? What will be their next step?

Dungeons & Dragons Storms K12 Education
District Administration
A group of educators has revived the nondigital adventure game to teach students the critical thinking, math, reading and interpersonal skills that have become a top priority in modern-day education.

A Guarantee of Tuition-Free College Can Have Life-Changing Effects
The Atlantic
A mailer sent to low-income students with that promise led to a major jump in enrollment at the University of Michigan, according to a new study.

Too Much Screen Time May Affect Children's Brain Development, Early Findings Show
EdWeek
Children who use smartphones, tablets, and video games more than seven hours a day are more likely to experience premature thinning of the cortex, the outermost layer of the brain that processes thought and action, according to a new study released by the National Institutes of Health.

Millennials Join the School Board
The Washington Post
It's not happening everywhere, but in one Maryland school system, millennials make up a majority of elected board members.

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.

Tentative deal struck in Chicago charter school strike
Chalkbeat
Teachers and management of Chicago’s Acero Schools reached a tentative deal, putting an end to the nation’s first-ever charter school strike. The agreement includes wage increases for paraprofessionals, caps on class size at 30 students, a shorter school year and more.

Kentucky court nixes pension law that prompted teacher protests
NBC News
In April, Republican Gov. Matt Bevin signed a law that moved all new teacher hires into a hybrid pension plan.

Virginia Governor Proposes Pay Boost for Teachers
EdWeek
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam outlined parts of his upcoming state budget proposal Tuesday that—if passed—would include a historic pay boost for state teachers.

Trump Relaxes National Obama-Era Lunch Guidelines
U.S. News
The Trump administration has officially rolled back Obama-era lunch guidelines that promoted heightened nutrition standards for the national school lunch program.

Utah School Board OKs $600K budget for public relations
Associated Press
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam outlined parts of his upcoming state budget proposal Tuesday that—if passed—would include a historic pay boost for state teachers.

Release of Oklahoma School Grade Cards Delayed
Tulsa World
The Oklahoma State Department of Education notified school districts across the state on Monday evening that the release of brand-new school report cards set for this month will be delayed.

IDOE Proposes ESSA Change To Eliminate Federal Letter Grades
WFYI
State officials in are proposing a change to Indiana’s federal education, or Every Student Succeeds Act plan, to prevent schools from receiving two accountability letter grades again next year.