The next advancement in the grading of standardized tests is already underway with a new initiative to automate the assessment of essays. The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, an organization that offers grants for efforts in education, environmentalism and global development, is planning to award $100,000 to the designers of a software that will accurately and automatically grade student essays for state tests.

This competition will be an effort to streamline the scoring of standardized tests by reducing the costs and mini…

In today’s social media-driven culture, there is ongoing debate as to what is considered appropriate online behavior, particularly on Facebook. While it’s true that everyone has a right to privacy and self expression, there is no denying the that there is no privacy on Facebook. Limitations can be placed on who can see your profile, but there are no restrictions on your friends sharing what you post with their network. This in a way makes Facebook a public forum, and users should have the understanding that everything posted can easily be shared with someone it may not have been meant for.

Appropriate Facebook conduct is necessary for all users -- from job seekers whose in…

Jeff Delp is the principal of Willis Junior High School in Chandler, Arizona. He has worked in the Chandler Unified School District for 12 years, also teaching math and science. Jeff is a strong supporter of incorporating technology and social media into education to expand and enhance the learning experience. He believes technology is important to a well-rounded education and that it can individualize instruction, allowing students to learn in the way that is best for them. Jeff is active on Twitter and publishes a blog, Molehills out of Mountains, which was nominated for an EduBlog award for Best Administrator Blog of the Year.

On Becoming a Teacher…

Despite its impact on various aspects of society, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education have seen an overall decline in the United States during the last two decades. STEM is a pivotal part of the American economy, but student interest and performance in these key subjects is falling. In an effort to ensure that today’s children become tomorrow’s STEM leaders, each state has devised its own initiatives to promote STEM education. To this end, the state of Georgia has enacted several programs that aim to improve STEM instruction…

Between 26 states applying for waivers of federal regulations imposed by the No Child Left Behind Act and the wide release of controversial teacher data reports in New York City, this has been a very busy week in the world of education. Here are a few of the top stories:

NYC Teacher Ratings Incite Controversy

On February 24, the New York City Department of Education released the ratings of approximately 18,000 teachers. These “teacher data reports” attempt to measure the efficacy of educators over three school years ending in 2010. They rate teachers based on the scores of their students on standardized tests and are part of an initiative to improve the quality of education at 140 New York City public schools. The results we…

American STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education has seen an overall decline in student interest during the last two decades. STEM is a pivotal sector of our economy, and it is important that today’s students become tomorrow’s STEM leaders.

Each state has responded to the growing disinterest in STEM education in their own way. The state of Florid…