Students Lack Writing Skills in Test

About one-third of America’s eighth-grade students, and about one in four high school seniors, are proficient writers, according to results of a nationwide test.

Playing a Sport With Balls and Bats, but No Pitcher

Cricket has been inaugurated as the New York City Department of Education’s newest league sport.

A Schools Veteran Girds for a Broader Battlefield

Randi Weingarten, head of New York City’s teacher’s union, is expected to announce her candidacy become the president of the American Federation of Teachers.

Robert F. Goheen, Innovative Princeton President, Is Dead at 88

Mr. Goheen revolutionized the university by admitting its first women, pursuing minority faculty members, and doubling the space in campus buildings.

U.S. to Require States to Use a Single School Dropout Formula

The adoption of a federal graduation formula would correct one of the most glaring weaknesses of the federal No Child Left Behind law.

Elite Colleges Reporting Record Lows in Admission

The already crazed competition for admission to the nation’s most prestigious universities and colleges became even more intense this year.

An Unlikely Obsession: School Auctions

A growing number of people are beginning to view school benefit auctions not as a dreaded social obligation but as a fertile hunting ground for bargains.

A Different Kind of Student Exam

Many schools across the region are requiring students to submit to a Breathalyzer test to gain entrance to school dances as part of efforts to curb under-age drinking.

Students of Virginity

In the Ivy League, abstinence is a) philosophical, b) research-based, c) an outgrowth of feminism, d) sexy and fun, e) all of the above.

Harlem to Antarctica for Science, and Pupils

Eager to be a role model, an African-American teacher plans to travel to Antarctica, where almost all is white.

U. of California Board Picks President

Mark Yudof, the University of Texas chancellor, has been named the next president of the 10-campus University of California system.

Harvard’s $34.9 Billion Endowment Makes Its Choice for New Chief

The Harvard Management Company appointed Jane Mendillo, the chief investment officer at Wellesley College, as its president and chief executive on Thursday.

Skin Deep: Experimenting With Makeup: What Puts the ‘Ick’ in Lipstick?

At a Saturday seminar called Cosmetic Chemistry in Boston, young girls and their parents find out what after-shaves and lipsticks are really made of.

Weaning Teenagers Off Gossip, for One Hour at a Time

A national anti-gossip campaign at Jewish high schools tries to use religious teachings to raise awareness about the power of speech, for good and for ill.

Many Muslims Turn to Home Schooling

Across the United States, Muslims who find that a public school education clashes with their religious or cultural traditions have turned to educating their children at home.

This Land: A Boy the Bullies Love to Beat Up, Repeatedly

The many incidents of bullying against Billy Wolfe seem to blur together into one protracted assault.

On Education: A Do-It-Yourself SAT Class, With No Whining, or Parents, Allowed

A Florida high school student shares his father’s technique for preparing for the SAT with other students, and dropping out is not an option.

Square Feet: Building Dorm Rooms Cheaper, Quicker and Quieter

Modular construction, often associated with prisons and barracks, is increasingly being used to create dormitories and classrooms at colleges and universities.

Majoring in Renewable Energy

As business and industry are taking more interest in renewable energy, academia is not far behind.

Study Finds Record Education Earmarks

Congress set aside $2.3 billion in pet projects for colleges and universities last year for research on subjects like reducing odors from swine and poultry, according to an analysis.