On The Ground

The chairman of the world's biggest computer chipmaker has said the US "education system is in crisis and failing the youth of today."

In an editorial, the Des Moines Register writes, "All that would be outweighed by knowing where Iowa stands compared with countries that score highest on the assessment. It's easier to shrug off dismal rankings for the United States if you think your state has done well. If you know otherwise, it should motivate change."

Half of Americans say U.S. schools are doing only a fair to poor job preparing kids for college and the work force. Even more feel that way about the skills kids need to survive as adults, an Associated Press poll released Friday finds. (Associated Press)

One of the most ambitious pay-for-performance initiatives in Washington area schools is drawing strong teacher interest and local union support even though many national labor leaders have long asserted that it is unfair to link teachers' paychecks directly to their students' test scores. (Washington Post)

Middle schoolers need longer school days, specially trained teachers and more challenging academics if school officials hope to reverse a decades-long trend of sagging achievement rates, according to a report presented Tuesday to the State Board of Education. (Baltimore Sun)