Taking Middle Schoolers Out of the Middle
By Elissa Gootman, The New York Times

Middle schools across the country are focused on coming up with strategies to reverse years of abysmal middle school performance. Some schools are going as far as getting rid of middle schools entirely, though not all agree on whether to extend the nurturing cocoon of elementary school or rush students into high school.

Putting the ABCs Into Practice
By Tara Bahrampour, The Washington Post

Three years ago Wendell Byrd, basketball coach and retired second-grade teacher from Fairfax County, VA began the Readers are Leaders program in which high-school basketball players tutor elementary school students once a week in reading. The program not only helps improve the younger students' reading skills, but also pushes the high-school students to focus on their own academics.

After the Last Lap, It's Time for SAT Prep
By Joseph Berger, The New York Times

In New York, a new course funded by a $100,000 federal grant is intended to help poor and immigrant runners prepare for the college admissions process. The students take prep classes after track practice to learn test taking strategies, study vocabulary words, and get advice on the logistics of applying to college.

Higher Ed and the High Schools
By Elizabeth Redden, InsideHigherEd

Speakers at Monday's "Advancing College Readiness" summit outlined the role higher education leaders should play in ensuring that high school graduates learn the right skills and graduate ready for college and the workforce.

Princeton to Hold the Line on Tuition Next Year, but Other Costs will Rise
By Karen Arenson, The New York Times

For the first time in 40 years, Princeton will not raise tuition for the next academic year, the university announced yesterday. Tuition will remain $33,000, but room and board costs will jump. University officials say their strong investment performance, generous alumni donations, and an increase in enrollment helped clear the way for the decision.

Harvard Panel Calls for a Renewed Emphasis on Good Teaching, With Rewards to Promote It
By Lauren Smith, The Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription required)

Harvard University should make changes to improve its quality of teaching, enhance student learning, and reward successful teachers, according to a report released on Wednesday by a committee of tenured professors in the institution's Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

The Rich on the Rise for Endowments
By Paul Thacker, InsideHigherEd

College endowments rose for the vast majority of institutions in the 2006 fiscal year, with an average rate of return of 10.7 percent, according to the National Association of College and University Business Officers. Only 14 colleges saw their endowments shrink.

Two More Public Flagship Universities Start Aid Programs for Needy Students
The Chronicle for Higher Education (subscription required)

Joining the ranks of several other public flagship institutions and elite private colleges, both the University of Texas and the University of Kentucky have announced programs to help low-incme students

China Strains to Fit Migrants into Mainstream Classes
By Howard French, The New York Times

Schools are closing as national and local authorities wrestle with a mandate that they provide a public education for the children of migrant workers.

Lebanon Student Clash; 3 Reported Dead
By Brain Murphy, Associated Press Writer

Students loyal to Lebanon’s government battled Hezbollah opposition supporters armed with homemade clubs and stones around a Beirut university Thursday. The melee depended worries about the country's ability to contain the political and sectarian rivalries threatening to push it toward civil war.

Schools Must Teach Britishness
BBC

A recently issued report states that England should teach "core British values" alongside cultural diversity. The report says pupils should study free speech, the rule of law, mutual tolerance and respect for equal rights.

Universities Face Baby Bust
By Colin Perkel, The Canadian Press

Canadian universities, bulging at the seams with students and worried about finding faculty to teach them, could find themselves with the opposite problem in a few years, says a noted demography expert: empty classes and a glut of professors.

Newfoundland & Labrador Lead Country in Starting Education Savings at Average Age of Three
CNW Group

Newfoundland and Labrador families are leading the country in starting education savings plans for their children at a
younger age, according to a recent report from Human Resources and Social
Development Canada. The province's families are starting education savings
plans at an average age of three, compared to the national average age of 4.3.

Concordia Calls for End to 13-year Freeze on Tuition
By Carline Alphonso, The Globe and Mail

Concordia University president Claude Lajeunesse called on the Quebec National Assembly’s parliamentary commission on education to end a 13-year tuition freeze and deregulate fees. Dr. Lajeunesse claimed that the increase in tuition and fees would allow the school to be more responsive and competitive in the Quebec higher-education market and internationally.

Educating All Children: A Global Agenda
By Joel Cohen, David Bloom, & Martin Malin, The American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Access to education increased dramatically over the past century but 323 million children worldwide are still not in school and efforts to achieve universal primary education by 2015 are likely to fail according to a new study released by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

No Child Left Behind at Five: A Review of Changes to State Accountability Plans
By Naomi Chudowsky and Victor Chudowsky, The Center for Education Policy

This report, issued by the Center for Education Policy, summarizes the changes to state NCLB plans approved by the US Department of Education during 2006, and discusses the changes in and expansion of state testing programs as a result of NCLB.

The Educational Policy Institute is an international non-profit think tank dedicated to the study of educational opportunity. The Week in Review is a weekly publication that highlights the top news stories, reports and statistics related to academic preparation and access and success in the US, Canada, and beyond. The publication also features a commentary written by either President Watson Scott Swail, EdD or Vice-President Alex Usher.

To submit comments, news releases, or submissions, please email Dr. Watson Scott Swail at wswail@educationalpolicy.org or call (757) 430-2200.