In an effort to reduce the rates of infection in the state of New York, Governor David Paterson signed into law a bill that seeks to increase the availability of HIV testing for state residents.

The new law makes HIV testing a part of routine healthcare. Now doctors will carry out the procedure unless patients specifically ask not to be tested.

Health advocates in the state have applauded the measure. The New York AIDS Coalition said that offering testing to every individual who seeks care would help health officials identify those who are unaware that they are living with the disease,

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As gifted students typically demonstrate college readiness at an earlier age, and may become bored with regular-paced high school curricula, some states are taking steps to make it easier for them to enter the post-secondary education system sooner, according to media reports.

For example, lawmakers in Idaho are working on a proposal that would provide scholarships to high school students who enroll in college early after passing a series of tests, according to the Associated Press.

"There's a fair amount of wasted time," said Representative Steve Thayn, quoted by the news source.

"I think there's a way to keep them engaged and

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A public charter school in Harlem has shown strong academic results on the state’s math and reading assessment tests, even after New York raised the scores required to pass.

At Harlem Success Academy Charter in Manhattan, a total of 97 percent of third graders and 93 percent of fourth graders passed the math test. On the reading test, a total of 89 percent of third graders and 86 percent of fourth graders achieved passing scores.

“Like everyone else in New York State, we saw a difference in the way that the tests were scored this year,” said Eva Moskowitz, CEO of

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In an effort to help blind children improve their college readiness and achieve their educational goals, the National Federation for the Blind recently announced the recipients of this year's scholarships.

A total of 30 scholarships of between $3,000 and $12,000 were awarded to high school students, whose career aspirations included everything from attorney to violin soloist.

President of the federation, Marc Maurer, said that the abilities of blind individuals are often overlooked, but that these scholarships would help students prove that they are capable individuals.

"These students represent academic excellence, and many of them are doubtless future leaders of this nation's blind,"

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Following several recent highly publicized incidences of school bullying, groups across the country are working to raise awareness of the issue and the effect it can have on early childhood learning.

The suicide of Phoebe Prince a teenager from South Hadley, Massachusetts following months of intense bullying has prompted celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres and Tyra Banks to speak out about the issue, and Dr Phil McGraw made an appearance on CNN to talk about bullying.

Students in a California after-school program called THINK Together, recently collected 20,000 signatures from students who pledged not to bully, and to speak up

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Students across the country are falling behind their international counterparts when it comes to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) learning. However, many national programs are trying to increase students' interest in these fields in order to help them improve their college readiness.

NASA recently held a competition that challenged high school students to create a marketing campaign that would get teenagers interested in careers at the space agency. Students had to aim the campaign at one job within a particular STEM-related discipline.

Alotta Taylor, who managed the competition for NASA, said that the real goal was to educate the participants

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Knowledge accrued during the school year that may be lost during summer vacation is now the topic of a new project.

Research that was recently compiled by Johns Hopkins University shows that, during the summer, children may lose between two and two and half months of math skills that they had accrued during the school year.

A new study that is being conducted by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) which will attempt to minimize the summertime loss of learning by using frequent, computer driven exercises during student's time off. This off-season testing is intended to determine whether children can keep their

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Florida Education Commissioner Eric Smith has been asked by several concerned school districts to request a re-evaluation of this year’s Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) results.

The FCAT is used to determine how much money schools should receive, based on overall performance, as well as helping to advance students to new classes and teachers.

Tampa Bay Online reports that Hillsborough County, among other districts, expressed concern at the steep decline in this year’s fourth-and-fifth-grade reading scores.

Fourth-grade scores in Hillsborough dropped four points compared to statewide scores, which fell two points. High-performing schools, as well as districts with help from reading coaches,

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In an effort to improve early childhood educational opportunities, the Arthur M. Blank Foundation recently awarded grants totaling $185,000 to Atlanta area nonprofit groups that are working to educate local children.

The main beneficiary of the grants was the group, Quality Care for Children, which was awarded a two-year, $75,000 grant. The group will use the money to organize schools to pool their resources and strengthen their buying power while cutting costs.

Penelope McPhee, president of the foundation, said that schools in Georgia need more funding in order to operate at their highest potential and educate the future leaders of the

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Despite a growth in popularity among parents in many communities, a new study from Ball State University has found that charter schools still receive a fraction of the school funding as their traditional counterparts.

Charter schools across the country combined to receive $2.2 billion less per year than traditional public schools, and per pupil spending in alternative schools averaged 19.2 percent less, according to the report.

Nelson Smith, president of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, said that the numbers point to an inequality that should not be allowed to persist.

"The charter school funding gap is real, and unfortunately, it's

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In an effort to improve early childhood educational opportunities, the Arthur M. Blank Foundation recently awarded grants totaling $185,000 to Atlanta area nonprofit groups that are working to educate local children.

The main beneficiary of the grants was the group, Quality Care for Children, which was awarded a two-year, $75,000 grant. The group will use the money to organize schools to pool their resources and strengthen their buying power while cutting costs.

Penelope McPhee, president of the foundation, said that schools in Georgia need more funding in order to operate at their highest potential and educate the future leaders of the

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Individuals who have a history of renal disease in their family may want to consider seeking a kidney test, as new research has found that there may be a genetic component to the condition that can be passed through generations.

Researchers from the Translational Genomics Research Institute found a genetic biomarker that is strongly associated with kidney disease. The biomarker is a hormone that regulates blood pressure and fluid balance, but, due to genetic variations, is unable to maintain these functions in individuals with renal disease.

Johanna DiStefano, who led the study, said that testing for this biomarker may result in

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Children with learning disabilities can benefit from new devices as technology becomes more heavily integrated into classrooms. The U.S. Department of Education reports that students enrolled in elementary school are able to develop impressive skills when using computer software.

In a new study produced by the University of California (UC) Berkeley Disabled Students Program, a pen with recording capabilities was used to great effect in the classroom. The study used a smartpen, which was able to store a digital version of students' notes and teachers' lecture. The two forms of media could then be reviewed through the pen or computer

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California children whose families cannot afford private preschool are using iPads to gain balanced literacy before entering kindergarten, according to Golden State news source, The Weekly Calistogan.

The media outlet reports that the experimental two-week session began as an idea by Calistoga Superintendant Esmeralda Mondragon and Chuck McMinn, the president of NapaLeans.

During the program, 16 kids used an iPad application called Footsteps 2 Brilliance to read stories and play games designed to help them improve their English language skills. The iPad also allowed the children to draw pictures with their fingers on the tablet, enhancing their creativity and motor skills.

Superintendent

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