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NOTE TO READERS |
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The PEN Weekly NewsBlast will not be published next week as we celebrate Thanksgiving Day. Rise up and be thankful, for health and food, for love and friends, and everything that goodness sends. The next NewsBlast will be published on Friday, November 30, 2007. Thank you for your support of all of our work and public education. |
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URBAN DISTRICTS GAIN IN NAEP MATH, SHOW MIXED RESULTS IN READING |
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In most of the 11 big-city school districts which voluntarily took part in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), continued progress has been made in mathematics, although similar results were not seen in reading. Since 2003, the majority of districts participating in the Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA) had higher percentages of fourth- and eighth-graders scoring at or above "Basic" and "Proficient" in math, and nearly half of all districts saw higher percentages of fourth-graders scoring "Advanced" (the highest achievement level) in math. However, reading scores have been less consistent and not as good, which tends to follow the national pattern. In fact, at grade four, five districts improved the percentage of students at or above "Basic" since 2002, but only two showed significant improvement at the same level compared with 2005. Overall, participating districts performed as well as large central cities across the nation and the performance of low-income and minority students was generally the same or better than similar students nationwide. "In Cleveland, for example, the gap for lower-income students was 15 points less than the gap for all students...and in New York City, lower-income students performed above lower-income students in the nation as a whole," said Mark Schneider, commissioner, National Center for Education Statistics. |
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THE NUMBERS DON'T LIE: INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS BEAT THE U.S. |
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Education experts generally agree that U.S. students do far better in the earlier grades than they do in high school, especially with regard to math. However, a new study finds that when comparing the math skills of students in industrialized nations, U.S. students in fourth and eighth grade perform consistently below the majority of their peers from around the world and continue that trend into high school. According to the American Institutes for Research (AIR), the findings, which came from data from the 2003 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), seem to suggest that current U.S. proposals to strengthen math instruction at the high school level should be expanded to include all grades. In addition, countries that score well on mathematical reasoning items (deemed a higher-level skill) also score well on items requiring knowledge of facts and procedures (a lower-level skill). This may signal that reasoning and computation skills mutually reinforce learning math well. Unfortunately, compared to other countries, U.S. students did not perform well on questions at either skill level. The study presents a perhaps bleaker vision of the TIMSS and PISA results, as it focuses solely on industrialized nations and thereby offers a better comparison between nations. |
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WHAT AMERICAN DREAM? ACHIEVEMENT AND OPPORTUNITY GAPS REMAIN |
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New research suggests that in addition to rampant achievement gaps, there also is a national opportunity gap in the United States, meaning poor and minority students do not share the same opportunities as their rich and white peers. The opportunity gap is far more pronounced in California, as it lags behind most states in providing fundamental learning conditions, according to a report by UC ACCORD and UCLA’s Institute for Democracy, Education and Access. While systematic inadequacies and inequalities leave California students from all backgrounds unable to compete with their counterparts across the U.S., the study shows that obstacles are greatest for African American and Latino students, who are more likely to attend schools with fewer qualified teachers and resources. When looking at math curriculum, California students learn slower than others because of a lack of access to smaller classes, rigorous coursework and well-trained teachers. At one time, the much heralded American dream was attainable by working hard and taking advantage of the vital resources provided by the nation and states, yet the persistent opportunity gap undermines this major tenant of U.S. society. |
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KENTUCKY TO EMPLOY FIRST-EVER RUBRIC TO INCREASE PARENT INVOLVEMENT IN PUBLIC EDUCATION |
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The Kentucky Parent Advisory Council has issued recommendations and a rubric focused on increasing parental involvement in education. In the report issued by the group, six objectives geared to increase a community’s stake in public education, which included relationship building, effective communication, decision making, advocacy, learning opportunities and community partnerships, were outlined. In addition, the rubric allows parents and educators alike to rate the involvement parents and communities have in schools with a focus on the six objectives. The Kentucky Commissioner’s Parent Advisory Council (CPAC) has recommended that the Kentucky Department of Education take major steps to implement the objectives defined by the Kentucky Parent Advisory Council, including adopting a "customer satisfaction" training module for school districts and establishing community involvement councils at the school, district and state levels. CPAC’s goal is to make Kentucky the first state to set standards for family and community involvement that are specifically focused on student achievement. The Kentucky Department of Education has already pledged to incorporate the rubric into its standards-based accountability system. |
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STEM DROPOUTS & HELP AT-RISK KIDS: ADD A DASH OF CULINARY HIGH SCHOOL |
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The Chicago Board of Education is expected to approve plans for the first high school designed to promote the culinary field and encourage dropouts to come back to school in Chicago, reports Carols Sandovi in the Chicago Tribune. The school would target dropouts and at-risk 11th graders by providing vocational training aligned with a real world career. Slated to open in 2008, the school would award high school diplomas, state food-handling certificates and, through a partnership with a culinary institute, 16 college credits. This opportunity has the ability to change lives by giving students a second chance at high school, a tangible real-world skill and college credits. And maybe even the ability to make the perfect Hollandaise sauce. |
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ENTREPRENEURIAL EDUCATION CAN GROW A HAPPY AND CREATIVE WORKFORCE |
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When Congress begins work on the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) re-authorization process, it would behoove those in charge to add funding to certify high school educators to teach entrepreneurship electives, writes Michael Caslin, Porcher Taylor and Catherine Fisher in Diverse Issues in Higher Education. Establishing a program like this would help engage those students who are most likely to be left behind, as this approach complements the rote learning taking place hour after hour to meet NCLB benchmarks. In addition, this type of education could prepare a future workforce to be innovative and competitive and provides goals that students would strive for. This, in turn, would increase their respect and need for higher education. |
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FLYING HIGH NOW: PILOT HIGH SCHOOLS HELP STUDENTS SOAR |
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Boston students who attend Pilot high schools outperform students from non-exam Boston Public Schools (BPS) on every measure imaginable, according to a new report from the Center for Collaborative Education. In fact, this level of achievement holds true for every racial, economic and academic subgroup examined, and Pilot high schools can boast a graduation rate 23 percentage points higher than the rate for BPS students. The study also finds that Pilot schools are somewhat more autonomous, as they exhibit greater control over budgeting, staffing, curriculum, governance and schedules. The Pilot model is being replicated across the country in places like Los Angeles and Aurora, Colo. |
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MOLDING INFORMED STUDENTS: GENOCIDE CLAIMS A LARGER ROLL IN COURSES |
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Thanks to an array of new curriculum resources and sometimes public awareness campaigns, teachers are finding ways to incorporate a more comprehensive historical look at genocide. In fact, in many American classrooms, the mass killings of Armenians has become intertwined with lessons on the Holocaust, reports Bess Keller and Kathleen Kennedy Manzo in Education Week. Teaching historical atrocities in addition to the Holocaust has become important in showing students that these incidents have happened throughout the course of humanity, not in one isolated instance -- no matter what the president of Iran says. In addition to new curriculum tools and increased public awareness, the attention to genocide in schools is in part a function of state policies. Eleven states direct schools to include materials about the mass killings of Armenians in history courses, and 30 recommend or require including lessons on the Holocaust or genocide in general. Whatever the impetus, sobering instruction of past human atrocities is necessary to create a citizenry dedicated to stopping similar incidents in the future. |
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NATIONAL TASK FORCE DESIGNS PRESCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM |
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Since 2005, the National Early Childhood Accountability Task Force has studied the performance of early education programs in order to come up with the best practices states can employ to ensure early education improves student achievement. In studying preschool initiatives, which states have spent $1.9 billion on over the last four years, the task force found that few states have implemented comprehensive assessment systems that would ensure early education returns the expected results. To address the many challenges states face in implementing this type of accountability system, the task force recommends that states do the following: develop a unified system of early childhood education; align high-quality and comprehensive standards, curriculum, instruction and assessments; and, support the full inclusion of all children in programs and accountability systems; and provide programs with adequate resources. From this set of core principles, states can then use different approaches to create an accountability system that fits their particular needs. For the next 18 months, the Council of Chief State School Officers will use these findings to help states strengthen their preschool program performance. |
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QUALITY PRE-KINDERGARTEN IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN YOU THINK |
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Findings from the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) report "Costs Per Child for Early Childhood Education and Care" seem to suggest that cost estimates show dramatic differences in per-child expenditures in programs such as Head Start/Early Start and what is actually reported. The research, which used all available government data, indicates that the actual per-child costs of the programs are substantially higher than what is often reported by government agencies. According to the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER), total state spending in 2004-05 on pre-kindergarten services was about $2.84 billion, with average per-child spending of about $3,551. Since there is a wide variation in what is considered full-time, full-year pre-kindergarten, AEI researchers adopted the NIEER definition, which is 50 hours per week for 49 weeks per year. For 2003-04, the Head Start Bureau reported an average per-child cost of about $7,222 per year. However, when applying the NIEER definition, AEI researchers found that Head Start’s per-child cost for full-time, full-year care was about $21,305. It is important to understand the costs associated with universal pre-kindergarten as it becomes a major issue in presidential campaigns. |
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COMBINE 17TH CENTURY LITERATURE WITH ROBOTICS TO WIN A GLOBAL AWARD |
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A rural Irish school has taught the world a lesson on how best to integrate new high-tech innovations into the classroom of the future, reports Katherine Donnelly in the Irish Independent. Co Kilkenny, a school with only three teachers and 58 students, won a global award from Microsoft for their innovation in integrating technology into education. The school impressed judges by bringing literature and science together, culminating in a fun and well rounded learning experience. The experience centered on the tale of Don Quixote and his windmills, but included 21st century robotics and real-life lessons in wind and solar energy. One of the greatest advantages of this type of learning was that the pupils collaborated and learned from each other while enjoying a centuries-old classic. |
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THE TWILIGHT ZONE OF SCHOOL DESEGREGATION |
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The recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that two districts’ heavy reliance on race in student assignment procedures violated the constitution, in particular the equal protection clause, has created a twilight zone for the 253 school districts still under federal court supervision because of racial inequality. Consequently, federal judges can make completely contradictory decisions for these districts, reports the Associated Press’ Allen Breed. For instance, in Huntsville, Ala., students are allowed to transfer from a school where they are the racial majority, but not the other way around. Also, in Tucson, Ariz., students could move from one school to another only if the move improved "the ethnic balance of the receiving school and (did) not further imbalance the ethnic make-up of the home school." The twilight zone is the anomaly of demanding that districts work diligently toward racial integration, but once it is achieved, mandating that race be ignored, i.e. what is constitutional one day ceases to be the next day. |
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PRINCIPALS: MASSAGE AND SMOOTH AWAY THE CHORDS OF RESISTANCE |
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When school leaders face resistance, they should ignore the temptation to batten down the hatches, damn the torpedoes and go full steam ahead. Instead, they should relax and ascertain why and who is opposing their improvement efforts. When looking at the resistance this way, one understands that change can be perceived very differently by each person in the school. Some may view it as a routine "first-order" change, while others may see it as complex or "second-order" change. According to McREL research, teachers who view a change as "second-order" are more likely to think that their principal is failing to communicate well or provide them with opportunities for input, and as a result, will likely resist those efforts. To overcome resistance, principals should engage their staff to understand why change is necessary, but also adjust their leadership styles to fit the mold. |
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IDEA: FOCUS ON THE WORST SCHOOLS TO REVOLUTIONIZE EDUCATION REFORM |
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A major issue that has plagued education is how best to reform failing schools, as pursuing incremental change has produced startlingly little results. According to a new report from Mass Insight Education, lessons can be learned from a group of high-performing urban schools that are having success with disadvantaged students. The report notes that these districts are thriving because key stakeholders have adopted a "partnership framework." Within this framework, schools have created zones with flexible operating conditions, assembled and trained leadership teams with turnaround skills and focused on clusters of needy schools. It might be best to begin reforms in the indefensibly poor schools, or the bottom five percent, as they represent an access point for states and districts to break from the norm and implement revolutionary reform ideas. In so doing, these reform initiatives could gain a foothold that benefits not just the transformed schools but other failing schools that learn of the new approaches. |
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CLEANING UP: CUSTODIAN TEACHES ENGLISH TO ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS |
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Through hard work, patience and help from school custodian Dorothy Montano, five-year-old Arleth Heras Marquez can now recognize the numbers in English up to 20. Montano, who is bilingual, impressed teachers so much at Mesa Verde Elementary School in Farmington, N.M., with her work with Marquez that she has been given the responsibility of working with at least 15 kids a day, reports Cory Frolik in the Farmington (N.M.) Daily Times. While Montano’s classroom is actually a supply closet outfitted with eight chairs in a semi-circle, students are making strides by focusing on large sight cards including numbers and letters. Montano is not creating the results on her own, as the school’s kindergarten teachers spend far more time teaching in large groups, small groups and one-on-one. Still, the support Montano provides is invaluable, and perhaps provides a lesson on how best to integrate English language learners into instruction. |
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$300 IN DEBT, MUST HAVE BEEN THAT $4,000 PLASMA SCREEN TV |
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Recently, more than 160 Somerset County, N.J. ninth graders participated in Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (Gear Up) II, reports Candice Evans in the Delmarva (N.J.) Daily Times. For Gear Up II, students received a random education level life situation tied to a monthly income and then they had to balance real life situations. Shadae Williams lucked out as she made more money because she was a college graduate, which gave her benefits when looking at amenities. During the process, students were asked to weigh the importance of real estate, cars, all brands of insurance, college degrees and other such living expenses. At the beginning of the program, many students caved and purchased several luxury items including a red convertible. Later, nearly as many were forced to trade it for something more affordable. The event hopefully instilled some practical knowledge in students, a value in higher education and an understanding that the $4,000 plasma TV (with monthly payments) isn't always the best option. |
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NEW CAMPAIGN ENGAGES STUDENTS TO LOOK TO THE FUTURE AND COLLEGE |
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Jobs increasingly require college-trained employees, yet many secondary-school students are not aspiring to go to college, much less apply, reports Tim Johnson in the Burlington (Vt.) Free Press. These students are typically from low-income families and their parents haven't attended college. To help inform the more than 17 percent of students who decide before reaching the ninth grade that they will not go to college, it is important to persuade families to consider higher education as a viable option. To help foster this encouragement, Vermont has launched a program called Start Where You Are, which features an interactive website filled with information. Students, trying the website for the first time, are asked a series of questions intended to yield personality profiles associated with possible careers. In the words of one eighth grader, "you get to find out what your life will be like, could be like." |
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PUBLIC EDUCATION NETWORK’S LEADERSHIP SYMPOSIUM |
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The recent Public Education Network Leadership Symposium emphasized the importance leadership qualities play in education reform, and how good leadership can help drive a district and community to transform public education. Leadership, especially in the world of local education funds (LEFs), is imperative at all levels to drive the organization and by extension, the local public schools, to success. The symposium noted how absolutely critical it is that LEF leaders work to create the vision and mission to solve problems, build confidence, and provide a strong culture committed to education and motivate staff. |
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EXECUTIVE ORDER: DEVELOP QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS |
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Governor Joe Manchin (D -W.Va.) has issued an executive order charging the Partner Implementing an Early Child Care and Education System Advisory Council to study early childhood programs in the hope of developing quality standards and discerning funding requirements. The council, which was established to develop a vision for West Virginia’s early childhood care and education system, will deliver its findings directly to the governor next June. Gov. Manchin issued the executive order in response to the Policy Matters Project, a year-long analysis of existing early child development policies, as the governor believes "that the earlier we start with quality education for our children, the greater their chance for success later in life." |
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NEW GRANT AND FUNDING INFORMATION |
"The Terri Lynne Lokoff/Children’s Tylenol National Child Care Teacher Awards"
The Terri Lynne Lokoff/Children’s Tylenol National Child Care Teacher Awards acknowledge the critical role of child care teachers in providing quality early care and education. Applicants are asked to design an enhancement project for the children in their classroom illustrating the educational, social and emotional benefits from the project. Maximum Award: $1,000. Eligibility: teachers of infant, toddler, or preschool age children employed in a home, group, or center-based program that is fully compliant with local and state regulations for operating child care programs. Deadline: December 7, 2007.
"The Honeywell Educators at Space Academy Program"
The Honeywell Educators at Space Academy Program funds 5-day scholarships for middle school math and science teachers at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL. Recipients take part in 40 hours of intensive classroom, laboratory and training time, focusing on space science and space exploration. This includes participation in astronaut-style training and simulations and activities designed to promote life-long learning in a classroom setting. Maximum Award: travel, accommodations, materials and five-day tuition. Eligibility: middle school (grades 6-8) science and math teachers. Deadline: December 31, 2007.
"Captain Planet Foundation Environmental Grants"
The Captain Planet Foundation funds hands-on environmental projects to encourage youth around the world to work individually and collectively to solve environmental problems in their neighborhoods and communities. Maximum Award: $2,500. Deadline: December 31, 2007.
"The National Center for Family Literacy Verizon Tech Savvy Awards"
The National Center for Family Literacy Verizon Tech Savvy Awards recognizes exemplary programs that demystify technology for parents and enable them to better guide their children in the use of new media. Maximum Award: $25,000. Eligibility: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, including community-based nonprofits, libraries and schools. Deadline: January 11, 2008.
"The American Historical Association Beveridge Family Teaching Prize"
The American Historical Association Beveridge Family Teaching Prize recognizes excellence and innovation in elementary, middle and secondary history teaching, including career contributions and specific initiatives. Maximum Award: $1,500. Eligibility: K-12 teachers in groups. Deadline: March 17, 2008.
"Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams Grants"
Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams Grants foster inventiveness among high school students. InvenTeams composed of high school students, teachers and mentors are asked to collaboratively identify a problem that they want to solve, research the problem and develop a prototype invention as an in-class or extracurricular project. Maximum Award: $10,000. Eligibility: High school science, mathematics and technology teachers -- or teams of teachers -- at public, private and vocational schools; intra- and inter-school collaborations are welcome. Deadline: April 25, 2008.
For a detailed listing of numerous EXISTING GRANT OPPORTUNITIES (updated each week), visit: http://www.publiceducation.org/newsblast_grants.asp
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