Unemployment rates rose in the District, Maryland and Virginia in January, a shift that economists called a positive sign for the economy because it suggests that discouraged jobseekers are feeling more optimistic about their prospects and have resumed looking for work.

Several states are poised to adopt standards proposed Wednesday for what students should learn in English and math, a crucial step in President Obama's campaign to raise academic expectations across the country.

RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginia will do less for its residents, and expect local governments and private charities to do more, under a new state budget likely to have an impact for years to come.

As lawmakers defeated a renewed effort yesterday to include sexual orientation in state anti-discrimination policies, about 1,000 students and faculty turned out at Virginia Commonwealth University to assail an attorney general's opinion that targets campus diversity policies.

Virginia's failure to protect gays and lesbians against discrimination has become a national embarrassment and could hinder the state's economic development, several lawmakers charged Tuesday on the floor of the House of Delegates.

A company that sells online education programs gave Virginia lawmakers more than $57,000 this past year and then helped develop legislation to regulate and expand virtual schools. The bill passed both the House and Senate this week.

RICHMOND, Va. -- The Virginia Senate on Tuesday passed Gov. Robert F. McDonnell's proposal designed to expand the number of the state's charter schools.

Senators are retreating somewhat on fattened court fees to help balance Virginia's recession-wracked budget, but delegates aren't impressed. Ahead of the General Assembly's scheduled Saturday adjournment, the 13 budget negotiators missed their first deadline to reach a deal -- last night at midnight.

No joke -- Gov. Bob McDonnell wants a deal with Northrop Grumman before April Fool's Day that could mean more money for the beleaguered information-technology contractor.

Videos of hamburgers, scrolling interest rates and flashing Bible study ads would be out. But a City Council proposal floated Tuesday would allow electronic signs that are toned down.

The city spent only 4 percent of nearly $12 million in federal stimulus grants awarded in 2009, according to an internal audit released Tuesday.

A study released on the eve of the 2010 Census has some eye-opening news about the count's importance for Floridians: In a national ranking, the amount of Census-based aid flowing to the state and the three-county South Florida region puts both in the bottom five.

A Montgomery County teacher who told a high school sophomore last week that she was dressed like a prostitute has apologized to the student and her mother, the mother said Tuesday.

Here are illustrative texts identified in the common core standards proposal from the National Governors Association and Council of Chief State School Officers. Those involved with the proposal stress it is neither a comprehensive nor a required reading list. Some of the proposed readings are awa...

Excerpts from the proposal by the National Governors Association and Council of Chief State School Officers:

Montgomery County school officials have not yet closed gaps in their computer system that allowed students at a high-performing Potomac high school to change dozens of grades using a device that can be bought from Amazon.com for $69. And other school systems, including Fairfax County, remain just...

The 15-year-old teen was having fun, hanging out with some friends last month in Northwest Washington. Then, police said, some other teens "faked" on them, or pretended to have a gun.

In Michigan, where many enterprises are struggling to survive, the renowned University of Michigan is in the midst of a construction boom and hiring spree. Michigan State University, on the other hand, plans to lay off faculty and cut programs, blaming state funding that is lower than it was a decade ago. Flagship universities in other states are also prospering, while their lesser-known counterparts suffer from vanishing state appropriations. 

So, why not change the arrangement and require big-name universities to take responsibility for their own financing, leaving more state money to support the other state schools? As legislatures face their toughest budget year since the recession began, the idea of giving a few universities autonomy to control their own finances has some appeal.