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California’s 2013-14 grad rate increased from year before
The state’s graduation rate mirrored the previously announced national average of 81 percent.
EdSource, by Theresa Harrington

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Final budget report notes big school spending upturn
The Proposition 98 minimum school funding guarantee has jumped almost 32 percent from the depth of the recession to surpass $68.4 billion for the 2015-16 fiscal year.
Cabinet Report, by Tom Chorneau

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Keeping black men in front of the class
Of all the teachers in the U.S., only 2 percent are black and male. That news is bad enough. But it gets worse: Many of these men are leaving the profession.
NPR, by Elissa Nadworny

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High-school diploma options multiply, but may not help for college success
For too many students, high-school diplomas are “tickets to nowhere” that offer “false assurances” that graduates are ready for college or a job, according to a report.
The Chronicle of Higher Education, by Katherine Mangan

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Robots that teach: Using sphero in class
The company that inspired Star Wars’ BB-8 droid has already won the hearts and minds of K–12 students.
Ed Tech Magazine, by Sam Patterson

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The Thresholds of Violence: How school shootings catch on
School shootings mostly involve young white men. And, not surprisingly, given the ready availability of firearms in the United States, the phenomenon is overwhelmingly American. But, beyond those facts, the great puzzle is how little school shooters fit any kind of pattern.
New Yorker, by Malcolm Gladwell