Fewer Public Schools Selling Sugary Drinks

"Fewer elementary school students can buy soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks at school than could a few years ago, according to a new study."

Top 10 High Schools

"U.S. News analyzed data from nearly 22,000 public high schools to calculate the 2012 Best High Schools rankings. The top 500 schools earned a gold medal distinction, and the following 10 schools are the best of the best."

Report Calls Education a National Security Issue

"The U.S. educational system is facing 'a national security crisis,' an independent task force from the Council on Foreign Relations warned in a report Tuesday."

Number of 'Dropout Factory' High Schools in the U.S. Drops, Reports Says

"The number of 'dropout factory' high schools in the United States is decreasing, according to a report from the Building a Grad Nation Summit being held this week in Washington."

Teacher Survey Shows Morale Is at a Low Point

"More than half of teachers expressed at least some reservation about their jobs, their highest level of dissatisfaction since 1989, the survey found."

Crime at US Schools Dropping, Report Says

"Crimes and homicides in public schools nationwide have declined, part of a downward trend seen over the past several years. Data released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Justice show declines across a number of indicators, including thefts, violent crimes, bullying and gang activity."

Study: U.S. Schools Better Than Rankings Suggest

"The idea that U.S. public schools are falling behind the rest of the world is widely accepted, but a new analysis of international data suggests that using rankings to sort global winners from losers is often misguided, exaggerating tiny differences between countries that may be producing nearly identical results."

Home-Schooling Demographics Change, Expand

"Secular organizations across the country report their numbers are growing. Though government records indicate religion is still the driving force in home schooling, members of these organizations say the face of home schooling is changing, not because of faith, but because of what parents see as shortcomings in public and private schools."

Record Decline in Spending by States, Cities, and School Districts

"States, cities and school districts trimmed spending at the end of 2011 by more than any time in a decade, a USA TODAY analysis finds."

Spanking Kids Can Cause Long-Term Harm: Canada Study

"Spanking children can cause long-term developmental damage and may even lower a child's IQ, according to a new Canadian analysis that seeks to shift the ethical debate over corporal punishment into the medical sphere. The study, published this week in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, reached its conclusion after examining 20 years of published research on the issue."

Are Depressed Kids Bully Magnets?

"A new study, published this week in the journal Child Development, provides some of the strongest evidence to date for a third theory: Kids who cry easily, express negative emotions, and show other signs of depression ultimately suffer socially because they are shunned by their peers and attract the attention of bullies."

Snack Bars and Junk Food Common in Schools: Study

"About half of all elementary school students can buy potato chips, ice cream or similar snacks in vending machines and at snack bars during school, suggests a new study."

US Economy Losing Competitive Edge: Survey

"The United States is becoming less economically competitive versus other nations, with political gridlock and a weak primary education system seen as the main drag, according to a survey released on Wednesday."

States Weaken Tenure Rights for Teachers

"America's public school teachers are seeing their generations-old tenure protections weakened as states seek flexibility to fire teachers who aren't performing. A few states have essentially nullified tenure protections altogether, according to an analysis being released Wednesday by the National Council on Teacher Quality."

iPad a Solid Education Tool, Study Reports

"In a partnership with Apple, textbook publishers Houghton Mifflin Harcourt performed a pilot study using an iPad text for Algebra 1 courses, and found that 20% more students (78% compared to 59%) scored 'Proficient' or 'Advanced' in subject comprehension when using tablets rather than paper textbook counterparts."

The Value of Teachers

". . .a landmark new research paper underscores that the difference between a strong teacher and a weak teacher lasts a lifetime."

Big Study Links Good Teachers to Lasting Gain

"Elementary- and middle-school teachers who help raise their students’ standardized-test scores seem to have a wide-ranging, lasting positive effect on those students’ lives beyond academics, including lower teenage-pregnancy rates and greater college matriculation and adult earnings, according to a new study that tracked 2.5 million students over 20 years."

Students of Online Schools Are Lagging

"The number of students in virtual schools run by educational management organizations rose sharply last year, according to a new report being published Friday, and far fewer of them are proving proficient on standardized tests compared with their peers in other privately managed charter schools and in traditional public schools."

Report: Half of U.S. Schools Fail Federal Standards

"Nearly half of America's public schools didn't meet federal achievement standards this year, marking the largest failure rate since the much-criticized No Child Left Behind Law took effect a decade ago, according to a national report released Thursday."

National Report Praises School-Choice System for New York City Students

"New York has the most effective school-choice system of any of the nation’s largest school districts, allowing students and parents the most freedom and providing them with the most relevant information on educational performance, according to a new Brookings Institution report scheduled for publication online Wednesday."