The National Center for Science Education's news page helps me keep up with the various legal and administrative battles surrounding science education in the US.
The Minnesota Writing Project was something that I participated in this summer. This site has links to resources and ways to be involved as a writer and not just a teacher of writing.
If we want to improve graduation rates we need to move beyond WHAT is being taught to HOW it is being taught. We need to change pedagogy more than content. A shift to student centered learning with caring adults is the change that this nation needs rather than a top-down set of national standards and the ridiculous testing that comes with them.