Today's paper has pictures of parents drawing encouraging pictures on sidewalks in an effort to alleviate some of the stress students feel about the TAKS tests.  Some schools bring in special music, pencils, dancing bears, etc.  All of it is aimed at getting the kids upbeat and relaxed about taking tests that they hear about all year ...

After my one hour session with Camera Guy yesterday, I now know how to use my camera.  For those of you who don't know about Camera Guy, I responded to an ad in my local paper because my new camera didn't come with a manual.  When I asked for one, I was told that the manual was online.  It was, and boy was it complicated.  It ...

Students are frequently finding themselves under microscopes during testing time.  Leaving their backpacks in front of the room and raising both arms so the teachers can check for hidden notes are just some of the ways students can prove they are not cheating.  With so much emphasis on testing, it's hard to pick ...

Some educators are enhancing test days by passing out peppermints with the hopes that a whiff or taste of the minty snack will help students maintain their focus and concentration.  The idea is not new and does have some scientific backing.  Charlotte Boucher, the principal of Eastern Middle School in Silver Spring, ...

Texas has had its share of headaches when it comes to testing.  Does anyone else remember the TECAT?  That was a test that every Texas teacher had to take to keep on trucking.  It was an absurd, expensive ordeal where teachers were treated like cattle because lawmakers weren't sure that they were educated enough ...

In an effort to help teachers facing problems with low performing students, the state of Rhode Island has placed step by step lesson plans on a Web site available to teachers and everyone else.   The article on boston.com also explains that using the plans is voluntary. The materials include more than 70 lesson plans, ...

In an effort to increase state money flowing to universities, Rick Perry, the governor of Texas, has outlined a plan that ties funds to students graduating from college earlier and willing to pursue high demand engineering and computer degrees. The money, a net increase of $1.7 billion over two years for schools, also would be ...

The U.S. Department of Education threatened yesterday to take ''enforcement action''  against Virginia if any school districts defy a federal mandate to give reading tests to thousands of immigrant students.  An update to this story on washingtonpost.com shows that some districts aren't backing down regardless of possible ...

On washingtonpost.com there is more news about the No Child Left Behind Law.  In Fairfax, a group of educators have put Virginia into a debate about the best way to test kids who speak English as a second language.  They want to see that these kids are treatly fairly.  The Fairfax County School Board last ...

The superintendent for Anne Arundel is making an entire staff of a high school reapply for their jobs.  This includes teachers, administrators, custodians, and secretaries.  Get out the broom, and get ready for a clean sweep.  Annapolis High School has failed to meet No Child Left Behind guidelines for four ...