High Stakes

How do standards become test scores? What do “proficient” and “grade level” really mean? And how are high-stakes tests dumbing down education? You won’t see these questions on any test, but the answers might surprise you.

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Dropout Prevention
Making it Personal
As the movement to keep kids in school takes on new urgency, NEA Today asked educators across the country to share how they’ve made a difference in the life of a would-be dropout.

Military Recruiting
Uncle Sam Wants...You?
As educators and community members join forces to limit military recruiting in schools, the armed forces redouble their efforts to win the hearts and minds of educators.

Online Connections
I Need My Space!
MySpace, the popular social networking site, has become the modern answer to the ‘50s soda shop. While perils abound, schools focus on making it a safe place for students.

Interview
A Lesson in Miracles
Holocaust survivor Henri Landwirth takes his message of forgiveness to schools across the country.

ESP
Get It in Writing
Updating outdated or inaccurate job descriptions can make a difference in how support professionals are viewed—and paid.

Health & Fitness
What’s Your Real Age?
Forget what it says on your driver’s license. By assessing and improving a host of lifestyle factors, you can be younger and more fit—at any age.

People
Class Size Reduction
A Mississippi teacher’s weight loss lands her on the cover of People, while a Connecticut technology teacher’s projects float in the air.

Last Bell
Who Are You Today?
Substitute teacher or traveling
adventurer? A little bit of both, writes one veteran of changing classrooms.

Editor’s Note
The Stories Behind the Stats
The numbers are staggering: 1 million students fail to graduate
each year. But behind that statistic are real kids with real stories.

President’s Viewpoint
Disappearing Capital - The high cost of high school dropouts
Our 12-point action plan to reduce the dropout rate has drawn acclaim from congressional leaders and progressive organizations since its launch in October.

UpFront
Educational foundations promise big bucks—but with strings attached.

State Report
News reports from North Carolina, Florida, Michigan, Maryland, and New York.

Resources
Grants & Awards, Women’s Leadership Training Program, Drop Everything and Read, Take Note, Books by NEA Members, What's In Print, What's On the Web, Heads Up from NEA Member Benefits, Diversity Calendar, and What's On TV.

That's Funny!