best practices

The results for international assessments on math, science, and reading are in: Students from East Asian countries, along with a select group of European countries, outperformed those in the United States, according to the results for the 2011 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), released Dec. 11.

The Technology Committee at Minnesota's North Branch Area Public Schools has been named the 2012 TIES Technology Leadership Team award winner. The committee was chosen for the prestigious award for its leadership in bringing technology to the classroom, efforts in building community around technology in the classroom within the school district and the community, and the wide variety of technologies and practices it encourages in the school district.

The accidental deaths of two special needs students from Hillsborough County Public Schools in Tampa, Fla. this year are shedding light on the need for comprehensive, mandatory emergency preparedness training for paraeducators.

Perhaps play is not the opposite of work, but synonymous with it. This theory is emerging from a growing body of scientific evidence, reviewed here by the University of Georgia, showing education is not the same as disinterested drudgery: For children and adults, "play is an important mediator for learning and socialization throughout life."

District officials at Ann Arbor Public Schools have started to explore options for coach professional development through the Michigan High School Athletic Association in the wake of an on-field football brawl between Huron and Pioneer.

A national report released this week shows charter school enrollment continues to grow in Detroit, Michigan and across the nation. The seventh annual report by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools shows that Detroit now ranks No. 2 nationally when it comes to the percentage of students enrolled in charter schools.