[Weekly EdNews Round Up] Should America Switch to a 4-Day School Week?

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.

Starting next academic year, schools in one Denver, Colorado, school district will no longer have classes on Monday, and instead have longer school days Tuesday through Friday. Could a shorter week be better for students? Read all about this and more in this week’s EdNews Round Up!

Are 4-Day Weeks the Answer to Problems Facing America's School Districts?
Newsweek
As funding questions persist and states face the possibility of West Virginia-style teacher strikes, more school districts across the country are asking whether changing to a four-day week could answer a number of their problems—or even prove beneficial to students.

The 5 Biggest Announcements from the Apple Education Event
The Verge
Apple took its annual spring event out of California and hosted it at a high school in Chicago this year, promising to focus its newest products toward the education market that’s been dominated by Google and Microsoft.

The Epidemic of Anxiety Among Today’s Students
neaToday
By high school and college, many students have run out of steam. Anxiety—the mental-health tsunami of their generation—has caught up with them.

Schools Struggle to Use Data to Spark Improvement
EdWeek
While K-12 schools focus primarily on using student achievement data for accountability purposes, experts contend that it can be a catalyst for daily improvement.

“Tired of fighting that fight”: School Districts’ Uphill Battle to Get Good Deals on Ed Tech
The Hechinger Report
Technology has become a vital component of teaching and learning, and it is considered a classroom requirement to adequately prepare students for life after graduation. Would price transparency keep districts from spending more than they have to?

7 Strategies to Make Grading Easier
edutopia
Grading is time-consuming but necessary, so two teachers share some hacks for making it more effective and efficient.

Education Technology Fares Well in Federal Spending Bill
edscoop
The Student Support and Academic Enrichment Program gets $1.1 billion, bucking the recommendations of the Trump administration.

Using Expressive Writing to Keep Students Grounded and Engaged in Science Courses
MindShift
While it’s expected for humanities classes to incorporate self-reflection, such activities rarely find a place in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) — information-rich disciplines with skills and concepts that build on one another.

What's Your Passion? High School Enlists Businesses to Help Students Decide
EdWeek
For schools nationwide, it’s a frustrating and elusive question: How can we help students find a passion that lights up their high school years and guides them into a career? A school in Minnesota thinks it might have found an answer.