[Weekly EdNews Round Up] Which Districts are Improving, According to National Report Card

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.

The recently released National Report Card showed almost no growth in US student’s math and reading scores. But there were a few districts that did see growth. Find out where schools are improving faster than the national average in this week’s EdNews Round Up!

NAEP: Urban School Districts Improving Faster Than the Nation
EdWeek
The Trial Urban District Assessment of the Nation's Report Card expanded for 2017, by adding both new districts and a measure of all large school districts. While relatively few districts saw significant gains over 2015, urban districts as a whole seem to be gaining faster than the national average.

Teachers Split on Benefits of Digital Devices in the Classroom
edscoop
As students inherit a world of ubiquitous phones, tablets and laptops, many teachers worry about their effects on mental and physical health, Gallup finds.

Educators Push Teacher Pay Penalty into National Spotlight
neaToday
The widening pay inequities endured by educators for too long are finally front and center. So are the reckless tax cuts that helped create the crisis.

The Myth of 'Learning Styles'
The Atlantic
A popular theory that some people learn better visually or aurally keeps getting debunked. So why do we still believe it?

Puerto Rico to Close Nearly 300 Schools, But Ed. Secretary Pledges No Layoffs
EdWeek
Puerto Rico's Education Department announced that it would close 283 public schools this summer in the face of plummeting student enrollment after Hurricane Maria. The move would leave Puerto Rico with 828 public schools in a system that currently serves about 320,000 students.

For the ACT and SAT, Pencils No Longer Required, but Sometimes Necessary
The New York Times
Long in the works, the digital transition by ACT and SAT is taking a few more cautious steps forward this year. But for the 29 states, the District of Columbia and many of the largest cities giving the standardized exams to all high school juniors, the complexity of the task has never been greater.

Promoting Productive Struggle in Math
edutopia
Michael Giardi was looking for ways to engage his students during his math class. That's when he discovered giving middle school students tough problems in advance of instruction pushes them to work like mathematicians.