A recent analysis of the world’s top education systems by McKinsey & Company concluded, “Of all the controllable factors influencing student achievement, the most important by far is the influence of the classroom teacher.” The study also finds that more than 30 percent of new teachers leave the profession after five years. The U.S. is heading toward a teacher shortage, because there are fewer teachers to fill slots as baby boomers reach retirement age.

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Comcast has created an “Internet Essentials” program that offers home Internet service for $9.95 a month, low-cost computers ($149.99) and support classes. The program is being offered to families whose children qualify for the National School Lunch Program. Information for families about this program (endorsed by the American Association of School Administrators) is available at: http://www.internetessentials.com.

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Speaking of technology to support schoolwork, Learning Ally is a great resource if your child needs access to audio versions of textbooks or reading materials. Learning Ally (www.learningally.com) serves more than 300,000 K-12, college and graduate students, veterans and lifelong learners who can’t read standard print due to visual impairment, dyslexia, or other learning disabilities. Their collection of more than 65,000 digitally recorded textbooks and literature titles – downloadable and accessible on mainstream as well as specialized-assistive technology devices – is the largest of its kind in the world.

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I guarantee that the next time you are at a dinner party and the topic turns to education, someone is going to bring up Khan Academy. If you haven’t checked it out yet, take a second now to go to http://www.khanacademy.org. This nonprofit resource offers more than 2,400 videos covering every possible K-12 academic subject. Their mission: “We’re a not-for-profit with the goal of changing education for the better by providing a free world-class education to anyone anywhere.”

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The buzz continues about Paul Tough and is you don’t have time to read his book, his theories are well summarized in the New York Times article, “What if the Secret to Success is Failure.” Tough contends that character is a far greater measure of future success than test scores. In particular, he cites: grit, zest, self-control, social intelligence, gratitude, optimism and curiosity as better measure of success. I think he is right, but can you teach “grit” or are you just born with it or without it?

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Another hot topic recent article in the The Economist (www.economist.com/node/21529014) contends that after a global examination of education practices, good schooling isn’t about spending money on education: “Though there is no one template, four important themes emerge: decentralization (handing power back to schools); a focus on underachieving pupils; a choice of different sorts of schools; and high standards for teachers.”

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I have heard good things about the SEA program in Woods Hole, Mass., 17-day resident program studying marine science and nautical science, onshore and aboard a 134-foot research sailing vessel in the Atlantic. Days include three-hour marine science classes and labs. One of the best parts is bonding with the 25 other like-minded students and watching the sunrise aboard the ship, as they crewed the early a.m. watch.” This program is pricey but financial aid is available. http://www.sea.edu/academics/high_school_programs.

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There is a great program in International Diplomacy held at American University in Washington, D.C., every July. Sponsored by the National Student Leadership Conference (www.nslcleaders.org), the program choices include engineering, education, entrepreneurship, forensic science, journalism, law and more, ranging from eight to 13 days at a cost of around $1,700-$2,500 (though scholarships are available). There are about 100 students – about 30 percent from overseas – a busy schedule of classes, lectures and visits from State Department dignitaries, an overnight trip to the United Nations and visits to the State Department and various embassies.

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While all rankings should be taken with a grain of salt, the George Bush Presidential Center has just released an interactive “Global Report Card” which attempts to rank every school district in the world by common metrics so you can see how a particular district stacks up against others nearby, in the state, in the United States and around the world. (www.globalreportcard.org/map/html#.) But you can’t be sure they are comparing apples to apples, particularly with schools overseas.

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The National Academy of Sciences has kicked off a multi-state campaign to increase the emphasis on analytical and conceptual thinking in science instruction. California is one of 20 states that will help write new science standards that determine what is taught in K-12 schools across the country. The new standards will encourage students to examine concepts that cross the boundaries of physics, biology and chemistry, according to the nonpartisan/nonprofit organization that is coordinating the effort. There will also be a greater emphasis on engineering. In Sonoma, our K-5 schools received a prestigious federal Investing in Innovations grant in 2010 (out of 1,700 applications, Sonoma was one of only 49 applicants to have received the award). The focus of the exploratorium grant is to emphasize analytical and conceptual thinking so the district here already has this type of change well on their radar. I’ll be keeping on eye on how national science curriculum changes will affect Sonoma students and will keep you informed.

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I just started “The Geeks Shall Inherit The Earth: Popularity, Quirk Theory and Why Outsiders Thrive After High School” by Alexandra Robbins. It is a very interesting (and quick reading) look at the psychology and science behind popularity and “outcasthood.” I recommend it to anyone who works with teenagers, has a teenager or ever was a teenager.

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Speaking of books, if you have a child who loves to cook but hates studying vocabulary lists, check out “Cook Your Way Through the S.A.T.” Charis Frieman-Mendel, a 14-year-old in Newport, R.I., got the idea to create her own cookbook by combining her love of cooking with the need to fulfill an art requirement and study for the SSAT – the Secondary School Admission Test, which resembles the SAT and is used for admissions into independent junior high and high schools. She developed 99 recipes into which she incorporated 1,000 SAT vocabulary words. Pretty creative idea. You can get it online for $14.99: http://www.createsspace.com/3614473 or at amazon.com.

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Teenagers, teenagers, teenagers … a recent issue of National Geographic has a story titled, “Beautiful Brains: Why Do Teenagers Act The Way They Do” which discusses the science behind teenage behavior and brain development. It is an interesting read: http://www.nationalgeographic.com.

Welcome to my inaugural “Education Round-Up” column.  Every week, this will be the place to read about new initiatives, programs, teachers, noteworthy students, fundraisers, speakers … whatever is happening, pre-K through college.

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While I hate to urge anyone to spend more time staring at their phones, there is an amazing array of free SAT prep options now available, for free or for a few dollars, for your smart phone. I’m a fan of the SAT question of the day, which comes by email from http://www.collegeboard.org, but check for others by searching for the word SAT. Students who start prepping for these tests freshman year will be way ahead of the game.

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Whether or not college is “worth it” is a hot topic in the news right now. With tuition exceeding $50,000 at some private colleges, the debate is understandable (and important). Georgetown’s Center for Education and the Workforce just released a new study, however, that found that students with a B.A. degree earn 84 percent more over their lifetime than those with just high school only (and that number has increased from 75 percent in 1999).

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There is a very cool new website called Scribblitt (www.scribblitt.com) where students can produce their own (self-published) book. The site features writing contests, word games, an illustration center and more. If your child loves to write, or read writing by others, it is worth a look.

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How can you tell if your child is over-scheduled? Jacqueline Golding of UCSF says, “If you have to schedule a child’s play dates more than a week or two ahead … or if kids have to stay up at night past a reasonable bedtime more than once in a great while in order to do their homework after their after school activities … they’re definitely doing too much.”

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I read an interesting article by Julia Williams on http://www.education.com recently on what teachers really want from parents and her suggestions were:

1.  Start the day smoothly so the transition to school is an easy one.
2.  Get to school on time.
3.  Feed your kids a big breakfast and arrange for a healthy lunch.
4.  Support good homework habits by setting aside the time and place.
5.  Plan time to reconnect at the end of the day to hear from your child.

I’m very interested in Teach for America but don’t think any teachers have ever been assigned to this immediate area. I was surprised to learn that spots with TFA are now very hard to come by – this year TFA only accepted 11 percent of its applicants.

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What do you think about teachers texting or checking their smart phones during class time? This is an issue that just didn’t exist a decade ago. Teachers never would have made calls during class time but some think a quick text or two is OK. Is it disrespectful to their students, or are students so used to it all around them that they are unfazed by it?

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Is it hard to convince your son or daughter to pick up a book on the weekend and read? My son loves good stories but frankly hates to read. We signed up for audible.com and now he downloads the top teen titles onto his iPod and listens for hours while he shoots baskets outside or is falling asleep. Worth a try. Experts seem to agree that listening to books is almost as good as reading them (learning proper spelling is one drawback) but the upside is he sometimes listens for five-plus hours at a time and he could/would never read for that long.

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Did you get a chance to read “Memoir of a Tiger Mother” ?

Opinions on the author – parenting role model or crazy mom – are being debated in pick-up lines around town. Did you hear that her oldest daughter was accepted to Harvard? Hmmmm …

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US News & World Report recently reported that participation in high school sports has increased for the 22nd straight year, with 55.5 percent of high school students playing a sport. The most commonly offered sport nationwide is basketball and football boasts the greatest number of participants. The fastest growing sport is girls lacrosse. Interestingly, a recent study by Brigham Young University found that females who play a sport in high school are 41 percent more likely to graduate from college.

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Oh dear. A recent study by the Institute for Higher Education Leadership and Policy at California State University, Sacramento finds that California is at or near the bottom in affording university opportunities to its high school graduates. According to the study, the state now ranks dead last in total funding per college student … The study also finds that California ranks 41st in the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded per every hundred high school graduates, meaning that fewer Californian are graduating from college.

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A front page New York Times discussed how an increased investment in technology in our schools is not necessarily leading to greater achievement or higher test scores and questions if the U.S. is allocating its education resources the wrong way. What do you think?

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Send me your news, ideas, comments and questions …