The school year continues to unravel, so lets get some education news out while we still have time. The Washington Post is concerned that college is getting too easy, as students are spending less time studying than they did in previous generations. More studies into the quality of online education, this time with random trials for public university ”hybrid” online offerings  in comparison [...]

I’m getting a late start, today, but I figure that’s okay seeing as how this is the last week of school for lots of Iowa districts. Anyway, let’s get to the news. There’s been a lot of talk about the student loan crisis in the last few weeks, so USA Today takes a look at five [...]

Several Cedar Rapids schools will see new leadership next year as the district replaces retiring administrators and re-organizes some of its existing buildings. The district named new principals for Metro Alternative High School and Wilson and Harding middle schools, as well as named a leader for the new Polk Alternative Center, which will occupy the [...]

Hello everyone, I hope you had a good weekend. I celebrated in style by hitting the article limit in the New York Times paywall, but don’t worry, that won’t keep them out of today’s Homeroom Period. The Des Moines Register points out that t he new provosts at UI and ISU are both from an engineering background, [...]

   Matt Shankles knows what it’s like to be bullied. The 16-year-old sophomore at Linn-Mar High School endured two waves of abuse in middle school; first after moving to Marion from South Carolina and again after coming out in eighth grade as a gay student. High school has been more positive so far, but those memories [...]

My RSS feeds blessed me with an over-abundance of education articles today. Here’s the cream of the crop. Somebody’s broken the first rule of education fight club. Education Next takes a look at an odd coupling of advocacy organizations that are working together to try and steer the direction of school reform in America . Paying for college is [...]

Hello everyone. Lots of interesting links today, so let’s get down to business: Did you know the College Board , the organization behind the SATS and the AP tests has a new president? The job goes to David Coleman, who previously helped establish the Common Core state standards. The New York Times has an interesting profile on him, [...]

Good morning and here are today’s top links in the world of education news. The headline on this Huffington Post article asks whether or not the new Common Core standards will help improve student literacy . The story to me seems to be more about the top books read by teens in recent years. It’s interesting information either [...]

  MARION — What if an entire high school took a day off from academics to help out in the community? That’s what 400 students at Marion High School set out to learn Monday with their second “One Day in May” day of service. Lots of students volunteer their time around the community, but this [...]

The documentary film “Bully” has been in Cedar Rapids theaters for less than a week, but it’s already inspiring members of the community to reassess and attack the issue of bullying schools. About 100 people turned up for an anti-bullying panel to discuss the movie Wednesday night in the auditorium at Linn-Mar High School in Marion to [...]

Community members are holding a panel this evening to discuss the issues surrounding bullying in the school. The panel coincides with the arrival of the documentary ‘Bully’ in Cedar Rapids theaters.

Follow the panel through the liveblog below.

This is a big week for college-bound Iowa high school students. Across the state, teens looking to get a head start on their college coursework are sitting for their Advanced Placement exams, which determine whether they receive college credit for advanced classes they have taken. Few areas in Iowa can boast as many students taking [...]

DES MOINES — Officials at the U.S. Department of Education said the Iowa’s attempt to get a waiver from No Child Left Behind requirements lacks clarity and contains “low expectations” in some categories. But they also gave the state high marks for “particularly strong” programs that focus on student achievement and a plan for teacher and [...]

  Megan Olson’s eighth grade math class needs to build faster. The Prairie Point Middle School and Ninth Grade Academy students were using 3D modeling software in class Friday for a project to design digital replicas of campus buildings. But some of the students aren’t close to finishing, and Olson is worried she doesn’t have [...]

CEDAR FALLS — If there’s one phrase the anti-bullying experts gathered at the University of Northern Iowa on Tuesday said they are tired of hearing, it’s “kids will be kids.” The saying, and others like it, is frequently uttered by parents, teachers, administrators and community members to turn a blind eye to the serious problem [...]

UNI is hosting “Bully” film director, Lee Hirsch, and Cynthia Lowen, producer and writer, for a panel discussion today at 4 p.m. in the Sabin Auditorium. UNI faculty whose expertise lies in bullying and bullying prevention will join Hirsch and Lowen. Read below for a liveblog of the panel to begin at 4 p.m. Tweet using [...]

It’s a question home computer users have been asking since the 1980s. Do you go with the more expensive, but user-friendly Macs, made by Apple Inc., or a cheaper computer running Microsoft Windows? School districts ask the same question when purchasing computers, and historically have favored Apple. Even during the 1990s, when Macs had a [...]

Iowa City and Cedar Rapids high schools continue to rank among the top in the state for offering Advanced Placement classes. The Iowa AP Index, compiled by the Belin-Blank Center at the University of Iowa, has local schools in four out of the five top rankings, with Washington High School and Kennedy High School in [...]

  CEDAR RAPIDS — The bulk of students who now attend Polk Elementary School won’t have far to travel next year after Polk closes. Families served by the school at 1500 B Ave. NEwere given a choice of 15 other buildings within the district to attend for the 2012-2013 academic year. Out of those 182 [...]