Afternoon Announcements: April 12, 2012

From Reuters: in the American drive to boost science and math education, it's science that has all the kid-friendly sizzle: Robots and roller coasters, foaming chemical reactions, marshmallow air cannons. Math has... well, numbers.

From Education Week: a new GAO report argues that the U.S. Department of Education needs to do a better job of making sure that the performance of contractors hired through the School Improvement Grant program is reviewed. And according to the report released by the Government Accountability Office (Congress' investigative arm) the Education Department must also improve on making sure states have the information they need to make grant renewal decisions.

From California Watch: Racial minorities and students with disabilities are suspended at substantially higher rates than their white and non-disabled peers, according to an analysis of discipline data from nearly 500 California school districts. Researchers said the disparities are a civil rights issue and cause for alarm. The data also shows  that suspensions are no longer only used as last resort.

From the Washington Post: District of Columbia School Chancellor Kaya Henderson, nearing the end of her first full school year as leader of DCPS, is committing the school system to a series of academic goals she hopes to reach by 2017. That includes launching a $10 million grant program to help DCPS reach new academic targets.