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Education

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Education policy, school choice, local control in education and homeschooling

School Choice Bill for Special Needs Students Advances in Iowa Senate

The Iowa Senate Education Committee passed a bill creating education savings accounts for special needs students enrolled in an accredited nonpublic school or denied open enrollment.

Education Deregulation Bill Moves Forward in Iowa Senate

A, bill, sponsored by State Senator Amy Sinclair (R-Allerton) designed to return more control to Iowa’s locally elected school boards advanced in the Iowa Senate.

Iowa House Bill Requires “Health and Wellness” Checks of Homeschoolers

HF 272 sponsored by State Representative Mary Mascher (D-Iowa City) requires school districts to perform quarterly home visits of their homeschooling families.

A Look at K-12 Education Funding in Iowa

Jason Schultz: Since FY 2011 funding for kindergarten through 12th grade in Iowa has increased $845 million.
  • Jason Schultz
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Iowa House Democrat Bill Would Roll Back Homeschooling Freedom

State Representative Mary Mascher (D-Iowa City) introduced a bill, HF 182, that would roll back every gain made by Iowa’s homeschooling community in 2013.

Iowa Earns “D+” on Student Data Privacy Report Card

The Parent Coalition for Student Privacy and Network for Public Education gave the state of Iowa a “D+” for their ability to protect student data privacy.

Ocasio-Cortez Is An Example of Why We Need to Improve Civics Education

Shane Vander Hart: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez botching the three branches of government is not a significant problem, but the lack of civics education she represents is.

Pediatricians ​​​Group: Comprehensive Sex Education Is a Failure

American College of Pediatricians: “America’s young people deserve the best that we can give them; school-based sexual risk avoidance education is the best for children.”

U.S. Dept. of Ed to Investigate Sexual Assault Linked to School’s Transgender Policy

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announced that it will investigate a complaint filed against the City Schools of Decatur on behalf of a kindergartener who was sexually assaulted in her school bathroom by a boy who identified as “gender fluid.”

Is Iowa’s Investment in Pre-K Education Worthwhile?

The Iowa Department of Education released revised standards for the state’s voluntary pre-K program, but skeptics point out studies show no long-term benefits.

School Leaders Weigh In on Civics Education

An Education Week Research Center report on Civics Education based on a survey of 524 school leaders paints a dismal picture.

How Bad Is The Gender Gap in K-12 Education?

How much of a gender gap do we have in K-12 education in the United States? Are girls experiencing a significant disparity? Some researchers believe so, and they are all about STEM, but they neglect a greater disparity between boys and girls in reading and college attendance.

Update: Reynolds Signs Bill Changing Iowa’s Statewide Assessment Developer

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed a bipartisan bill rejecting the Iowa Department of Education’s choice for a statewide assessment in favor of one developed by the University of Iowa’s Iowa Testing Program.

Iowa’s NAEP Scores Mostly Stagnant, Sees Drop in 4th-Grade Reading

The 2017 results from the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) show that while Iowa students performed better than the national average, their statewide average scores remain stagnant and 4th-graders saw a two-point drop in reading from 2015.

Education Savings Accounts Receive New Life in the Iowa Senate

Education savings accounts were reintroduced in the Iowa Senate’s version of the Iowa Student Opportunities Act (SSB 3206) by State Senator Charles Schneider (R-West Des Moines) as an appropriations bill and passed through an appropriations subcommittee.

When the Federal Government Meddles With School Discipline

Jane Robbins and Erin Tuttle: Deeper scrutiny is needed to uncover how federal involvement with school policies played out in Broward County. But what we do know suggests substantial – and ultimately harmful – efforts to appease the federal government with respect to school discipline.