Bruised by the gubernatorial losses in New Jersey and Virginia, and embattled by the ongoing health care reform debate, President Obama turned his attentions to education reform this week. On Wednesday the POTUS highlighted reforms in 10 states—most notably, moves to allow student data to be tied to teacher evaluations–that came about as a result of the Race to the Top funding incentive. And one day earlier, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan touted new data that showed the federal stimulus spending saved some 325,000 education jobs this year — but that data was quickly disputed in his home state.

Other stories in School Board News Today this week included:

• The Ford Foundation has put up $100 million to transform high schools in seven urban areas, with plans that could both complement and compete against the Obama administration’s reform efforts.
• Student report cards are making the transition from print to online, and NSBA’s own Ann Flynn is quoted in this story from USA Today.
• The largest high school class in history is starting the college application process this fall. And that’s dramatically changing the way colleges are choosing who they will admit.
• Kids today are under a lot of stress—from schoolwork to college admissions to their family’s finances—and often their parents aren’t aware or aren’t able to help them.

Read these stories and more in School Board News Today’s weekly roundup.