PEN NewsBlast 05-26-06
- From: Educational CyberPlayGround <admin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: K12NewsLetters@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 25 May 2006 10:37:37 -0400
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PLEASE ADD YOUR K12 SCHOOL OR SCHOOL DISTRICT
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The registry also includes sites for charter Schools, virtual schools,
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"Public Involvement. Public Education. Public Benefit."
May 25, 2006
70 PERCENT OF VOTERS WANT CONGRESS TO DELIVER ON EDUCATION FUNDING PROMISES
A national poll from the National School Boards Association finds a
majority of likely voters believe that Congress is out of touch with
the public's expectations when it comes to funding federal education
programs and want Congress to fulfill its funding commitment to
schoolchildren. Further, voters say they will be considering
Congressional members' voting record on education funding when they
go to the polls in November. Nearly three of four likely voters think
Congress is not doing a good job setting spending priorities and
needs to make changes in priorities. And nearly 88 percent of those
polled think that if Congress can spend billions on wasteful
pork-barrel projects, then they can afford to fulfill their promises
on funding federal education programs. There is a significant
disconnect between the current federal investment in education
funding and what voters think is spent and want spent. On average,
voters believe that 20 percent of the federal budget is currently
spent on K-12 education, but they want 37 percent of the budget spent
on it. Both are a far cry from the 1.5 percent actually spent on K-12
education. Even Republican voters want 33 percent of the federal
budget spent on education. The NSBA poll indicates there could be a
significant political price for not restoring the promised education
funding. Overall, 59 percent of voters say that they would be less
likely to vote for a member of Congress who voted against restoring
funding. Sixty-one percent of voters would be more likely to vote for
a member of Congress who voted to restore funding to the authorized
and promised levels. This sentiment cuts across party lines as a
majority of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents were in agreement.
<http://www.nsba.org/site/doc.asp?TRACKID=&VID=2&CID=1782&DID=38485>http://www.nsba.org/site/doc.asp?TRACKID=&VID=2&CID=1782&DID=38485
SCHOOL-BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS: SEVEN STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS
School-business partnerships have been flourishing for more than 30
years. Since the 1970s, partnership programs have evolved from
one-sided "Adopt-a-School" efforts to mutually beneficial
partnerships that provide advantages to both schools and businesses.
Partnerships offer business leaders and their employees an
opportunity to contribute to their community as well as an inside
look at today's schools, which in turn increases their knowledge,
understanding and advocacy for public education. Schools and students
benefit from additional human and financial resources. A partnership
between a school and a business can prove beneficial to both partners
if the right components are in place. The Daniels Fund has researched
why some school partnerships are more effective than others. This
report highlights seven strategies for successful partnerships based
on the findings: (1) Ensure student learning and achievement are the
focus of every partnership; (2) Develop a well-defined and
well-managed program that supports school-based partnerships; (3)
Make strategic matches between schools and businesses that advance a
school's improvement goals; (4) Set clear expectations for schools
and businesses; (5) Provide training for school staff and business
employees; (6) Create a meaningful process for communicating about
the program and recognizing the contributions of business partners;
and (7) Regularly monitor and evaluate each partnership and the
overall program.
<http://www.danielsfund.org/sevenstrategies/Strategies/>http://www.danielsfund.org/sevenstrategies/Strategies/
EDUCATION BECOMING TOP VOTER ISSUE
Polls show education surpassing taxes, crime and affordable housing
as the top concern among voters across Washington, DC. Mayoral
contenders are hearing the same message on the campaign trail from
childless couples worried about property values, business executives
struggling to find qualified workers, and parents frustrated by the
poor condition and academic performance of public schools. Pollsters
say long-standing concern about schools has gained fresh urgency
because of the contrast with other aspects of city life. Crime is
down, municipal services are better, the once-destitute government is
flush with cash and the median home price tops $400,000. But the D.C.
school system still ranks among the worst in the nation, reports Lori
Montgomery. To a growing number of voters, the schools represent an
abdication of responsibility to nearly 60,000 students, the majority
of them black and poor.
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/23/AR2006052301628.html>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/23/AR2006052301628.html
WHAT GOOD IS LEGALIZING IMMIGRANTS IF WE DON'T EDUCATE THEM?
The number of immigrants who have entered the country illegally is
estimated at 12 million. At this point it's impossible to say who
among them will be able to earn citizenship and the right to pursue
their American dreams. The country and Congress are bitterly divided
over the issue. But however many people are eventually able to gain
legal status, there is one thing that should be required for all
seeking to make a new life in this country: education. It is a matter
to which Congress has thus far paid little attention. Any new
immigration bill should require that all immigrants 25 or younger,
before qualifying for permanent resident status, graduate from high
school or earn a GED, writes Elias Vlanton. Further, Congress should
provide an accelerated path to citizenship for immigrant students who
attend college or other postsecondary programs: For every year of
postsecondary education, students could receive their citizenship one
year earlier.
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/23/AR2006052301528.html>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/23/AR2006052301528.html
THE ACTING WHITE MYTH: STOP BLAMING IT ALL ON THE KIDS
Blame for the achievement gap -- overtly in some quarters and perhaps
subconsciously in many more -- falls on an idea that has been
floating around for 20 years: Black students underperform
academically because they fear being accused of "acting white." The
idea was once put forward as an actual educational theory, coined by
two educational researchers in 1986 and embraced by the public. Erin
McNamara Horvat, an associate professor of urban education at Temple,
wants to give it a rest. "Part of its allure is that it has a ring of
truth," says Horvat. "Any parent knows that kids want to be like
their peers." So, for some black kids, fear of "acting white" may
indeed cause their low grades. "However, it's also an attractive
explanation because it lets us off the hook. We don't have to worry
that thousands of kids aren't getting what they need. We can say,
'They're not achieving because they don't try.' "
<http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/news/local/14606908.htm>http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/news/local/14606908.htm
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Educational CyberPlayGround
Achievement and the Arts
Arts in the schools bring higher scores.
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Music/Leroux.html
Music Makes You Smarter Research
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Music/musicsmart.html
The benefits of teaching music to children are well documented.
The effects of music on the brain are proven to foster creativity and
improve development.
Linguistics research on African American Vernacular
<http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Linguistics/DIALECT_READERS_REVISITED.html>
Motivation
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Literacy/whatresearch6.asp
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ATTENTION HYPERACTIVITY DEFICIT OR ADVANCED CREATIVE THINKING?
If you've got an active intelligent, high energy, "ants in the pants"
type of child, watch out! Your child is in danger of being
misdiagnosed by school officials and by medical physicians as having
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). "Don't let this
happen to your child!" says author and educator Elaine Ely, Ph.D.
"You don't want to let school officials require your child to be
placed on a daily regimen of psychotropic drugs such as Ritalin." Dr.
Ely, a certified teacher with over 24 years experience with middle
school students, is part of an ever expanding group of educators, who
believe that most of the ADHD classified students aren't sick with a
real mental illness at all. Instead, they are "Advanced Creative
Thinkers". Dr. Ely and an ever-increasing number of educators are
extremely concerned about the lack of a clear distinction between the
bright, rambunctious, even boisterous children who behave as advanced
creative thinkers, and those who get misdiagnosed with ADHD. Dr. Ely
believes that parents, educational professionals and the medical
community have to learn to recognize that there are real differences
between mental diseases with a real biological and chemical basis,
and normal behavior of bright, healthy and energetic children.
"Advanced Creative Thinkers (ACT) are being victimized," said Dr.
Ely. "They are academically overlooked, emotionally and socially
stunted, physically misdiagnosed with ADHD mostly by teachers who
simply don't want high energy children in their classes." Dr. Ely
says there are simple and reliable tests that can help you determine
if your child has creative gifts. She has developed an informal
inventory of 12 questions that can be used to evaluate whether a
child has advanced creative thinking skills.
http://act4me.com/index2.html
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Find Resources about Gifted and talented students
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/ringleaders/annette2.html
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SCIENCE TEST SCORES FALL FOR HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS
The first nationwide science test administered in five years shows
that achievement among high school seniors has declined across the
past decade, even as scores in science rose among fourth graders and
held steady among eighth graders, reported the Education Department.
The drop in science proficiency appeared to reflect a broader trend,
in which some academic gains made in elementary grades and middle
school have been seen to fade during the high school years. The
science results came from the National Assessment of Educational
Progress, a comprehensive examination administered in 2005 by a
branch of the Department of Education to hundreds of thousands of
students in all 50 states. The science test, which was administered
during the first months of 2005, covered the earth, physical and life
sciences, writes Sam Dillon. Some teachers blamed the decreasing
amount of time devoted to science in schools, in part because of the
No Child Left Behind Law, whose requirements for annual testing in
reading and math during the elementary grades have led many schools
to decrease the time spent on science or to abandon its teaching altogether.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/24/education/24cnd-exam.html>http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/24/education/24cnd-exam.html
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Teaching Intelligent Design vs Evolution in the classroom.
Is intelligent design religion or science?
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Teachers/newteacherevolution.html
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HOW ONE SCHOOL DISTRICT FOUND RELIGION
You might think the last thing school districts would want is to
bring religion into the classroom. Better to play it safe, and avoid
lawsuits and angry parents by limiting any mention of faith to the
private sphere. But school officials in Modesto, in Northern
California, decided not to play it safe. In 2000, the religiously
diverse community took a risk and, in an almost unheard-of
undertaking for a public school district, offered a required course
on world religions and religious liberty for ninth-graders. Bringing
religious beliefs out into the open increased students' respect for
religious liberty for two reasons. First, students not only emerged
from the course far more knowledgeable about world religions, they
also were able to apply the knowledge practically. Second, students
learned that major faiths shared common moral values. Students did
not become relativists or converts. They were no more likely to
disbelieve the truth of their own religious traditions after taking the course.
<http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20060522/opleder31.art.htm>http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20060522/opleder31.art.htm
PEEK INTO A DRAWER OF ITEMS CONFISCATED BY TEACHERS
Love notes, underwear, cologne, a live rooster, and a dead owl are
among the treasured items students have smuggled into class -- and
that teachers have taken away. At the link below you can take a look
at some of these weird keepsakes. Also, you can listen to three
teachers describe their wackiest finds.
<http://www.nea.org/neatoday/0605/confiscated01.html>http://www.nea.org/neatoday/0605/confiscated01.html
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End of the Year Activites
Music Teachers
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Music/endofyear.html
Classroom Teachers
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Teachers/newteacherlastday.html
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MALE PRESCENCE IN PTA IS BLOOMING
For an organization that began as the National Congress of Mothers,
it probably comes as no surprise that the PTA for decades has been
dominated by women. Throughout its 109-year history, women have been
at the helm of the National PTA, and they have been the backbone of
its local and regional associations. But slowly, men are taking PTA
leadership posts at school, district, state and national levels,
reports Helen Gao. So many more men are attending PTA conventions
that women can no longer take over men's restrooms to avoid long
lines. Today, nearly 1 million of the PTA's 6.5 million members
nationwide are men. The transformation comes as the organization is
also trying to reach out to minorities, immigrants and
non-traditional families headed by grandparents and single parents.
<http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/education/20060522-9999-1m22pta.html>http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/education/20060522-9999-1m22pta.html
LAWMAKERS SAY NCLB "NOT GOING ANYWHERE"
Federal lawmakers they are willing to make the No Child Left Behind
law more flexible, but warned there won't be a lot of extra federal
money to help pay for it. And don't expect the law to go away,
members of the House Education & the Workforce Committee said as they
kicked off a series of hearings in preparation for renewing the
sweeping education law next year. Since it was passed in 2001,
teachers, parents and state education officials have complained about
various aspects of the law, which requires schools to meet goals for
student performance or face a variety of penalties. Representative
Howard "Buck" McKeon, a California Republican who chairs the House
committee said he's willing to listen to the complaints, but he's
more interested in how to solve any problems. Democrats have long
complained that the law has not been fully funded, while Republicans
argue that federal spending on education has increased significantly
since the law was passed. Representative George Miller of California,
the education committee's top Democrat, said funding will be a
critical issue as Congress works to renew the law. "Where is
education on the priority list of this government?" Miller asked. The
House narrowly passed a 2007 budget early Thursday that calls for
cutting federal spending on education by more than $5 billion, about
7 percent. Both McKeon and Miller said the committee plans to review
the entire law before reauthorizing it, hearing from critics and
supporters alike. However, Miller said, it would be a waste of time
for critics to argue that the law should be scrapped.
<http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/05/19/no.child.congress.ap/index.html>http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/05/19/no.child.congress.ap/index.html
WORK READY = COLLEGE READY
What do an electrician, construction worker and plumber have in
common with college freshmen? According to a study recently published
by ACT they all need comparable reading and math skills to succeed.
The new report, "Ready for College and Ready for Work: Same or
Different?" compared 476,000 high school juniors' results from 2001
to 2004 on two exams: the ACT college admissions test and WorkKeys,
an assessment of employability skills. ACT determined that similar
reading and math skills are required to pass first-year college
courses as are needed to succeed in entry-level "family wage" jobs.
<http://www.partnership4learning.org/eBriefing/May06/>http://www.partnership4learning.org/eBriefing/May06/
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"An Educated Workforce is an Issue of National Security"
<http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Teachers/admin2.html>
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LADDERS OF LEARNING: FIGHTING FADE-OUT BY ADVANCING PK-3 ALIGNMENT
A new issue brief by Kristie Kauerz, published by the New America
Foundation Education Policy Program, argues that alignment of
standards, curriculum and assessment from Prekindergarten through
Third Grade can reduce fade-out and improve academic achievement. The
brief discusses three types of curriculum alignment: horizontal,
vertical and temporal. For PK-3 initiatives to expand, Kauerz
believes the federal government must support states' and local school
districts' efforts. She recommends that the federal government
convene a National PK-3 Commission to establish common strategies and
goals for federal PK and primary education programs. For alignment at
the state level, she calls for federal government support of state
PK-16 Councils to create the infrastructure needed to encourage
school districts to implement PK-3. For alignment at the local level,
she calls for the dedication of new Title I funds to support PK-3 efforts.
<http://www.fcd-us.org/LaddersLearning.html>http://www.fcd-us.org/LaddersLearning.html
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Fun Learning Games - play's the thing:
research shows learn the importance of laughter
and play to avoid teenage depression and burn out.
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Literacy/play.asp
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PUBLIC EDUCATION: LESSONS FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR
Public schools are suffering from both an image problem and a decline
in funding. Michael J. Manafo believes that they should take a page
from the private schools' book and consider some proven techniques
for image enhancement and institutional advancement. Strategies he
promotes include: (1) Move beyond event fund-raising into
institutional advancement; (2) Create a dynamic school website; (3)
Carefully consider, define, and refine your brand; (4) Publish a
multipurpose viewbook; (5) Work to integrate the school and
community; (6) Cultivate local linkages and partnerships; (7) Create
a strong alumni base; (8) Define what you are raising money for; (9)
Solicit major gifts and endowments; (10) Invest in technology; (11)
Learn from your competition; (12) Start at the beginning and develop
a realistic action plan; (13) Hit the ground learning, not running.
Information from all constituencies is crucial to placing important
issues in their proper context; (14) Develop a realistic action plan
based on input from your constituencies: weigh your priorities, go
back to your constituencies for feedback, and seek consensus on where
to actually begin the change process; (15) Implement with care and be
prepared to be flexible, to compromise, and to refine your proposals;
(16) Evaluate your outcomes, and make the results public; and (17)
Celebrate success, recognize good work, and learn from your mistakes.
<http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/k_v87/k0605man.htm>http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/k_v87/k0605man.htm
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Superintendant's Salary same as a CEO
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Teachers/admin.html
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EIGHTH GRADE RITE OF PASSAGE
For some years, eighth grade teachers at Wellwood Middle School in
Manlius, New York, have challenged their students to go through a
"rite of passage" by creating memorials around significant persons or
events. One intent, obviously, is to help the rising ninth graders
focus some attention on what it means to live a memorable life. The
project requires students to: Select a person or event deserving of
remembrance; explore the facts surrounding the person or event;
publicize facts and anecdotes in an original paper; design and create
a tangible memorial, and present the work through a formal speech. If
you think this might be a good idea for your school, you'll find all
you need to know at these pages on the Wellwood website, including
examples of student work:
<http://www.fmschools.org/wellwood.cfm?subpage=2246>http://www.fmschools.org/wellwood.cfm?subpage=2246
CONDUCTING A SCHOOL X-RAY
Schools are faced with tough decisions all the time: if and when to
advance a struggling student, what to do with the somewhat gifted,
how to arrange teachers' schedules to accommodate teacher needs and
still serve student learning needs at the same time. Chris O'Neal has
worked with lots of districts, and observes that few of them take the
time to sit down and really, concretely look inward. By creating some
short-term, concrete goals, schools are able to quickly see
schoolwide achievement, which helps foster a sense of commitment to
reach longer-term goals. Click the link below to view a sample school
improvement plan grid.
<http://www.edutopia.org/community/spiralnotebook/?p=47>http://www.edutopia.org/community/spiralnotebook/?p=47
LEARNING FROM SMALL-SCALE EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATIONS OF AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS
"Learning From Small-Scale Experimental Evaluations of After School
Programs" reviews the evaluation strategies and findings from
rigorous, experimental studies that are smaller or more local in
scope than the national evaluations usually featured. Although they
are often overlooked, these evaluations can provide valuable
information for practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and others
about investing in, conducting, and evaluating after school programs.
<http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/afterschool/resources/snapshot8.html>http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/afterschool/resources/snapshot8.html
GRADE INFLATION: KEEPING AN EYE ON STATE STANDARDS
While No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requires all students to be
"proficient" in math and reading by 2014, the precedent-setting 2002
federal law also allows each state to determine its own level of
proficiency. It's an odd discordance at best. It has led to the
bizarre situation in which some states achieve handsome proficiency
results by grading their students against low standards, while other
states suffer poor proficiency ratings only because they have high
standards. "We are not evaluating state tests, nor are we grading
states on the performance of their students," explain Paul Peterson
and Rick Hess. "We are checking for 'truth in advertising,'
investigating whether state-announced proficiency levels mean what
they say." This year, they assessed a total of 48 states, including 9
new ones. In the good news category, a handful of states have kept
their standards rigorous for a second consecutive year, each
assessing their own performance on a particularly tough curve. The
bad news is that some states that had been in good standing are
letting their standards slide. In the "cream puff" category, states
with already low standards have done nothing to raise them. To learn
your state's grade and how it was graded, go to:
<http://www.educationnext.org/20063/28.html>http://www.educationnext.org/20063/28.html
NEW GRANT AND FUNDING INFORMATION
"The Big Read Program"
The Big Read Program, an initiative of the National Endowment for the
Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library
Services, will engage libraries and other community and school
partners across the country to encourage citizens to read for
pleasure and enlightenment. The program is designed to revitalize the
role of literature in American popular culture and bring the
transformative power of literature into the lives of its citizens.
Maximum Award: $10,000-$20,000. Eligibility: 501(c)(3) nonprofit
organization or division of state, local, or tribal government that
possesses a demonstrated capacity to plan and implement a
well-planned, well-attended, community-wide event with a diverse
range of programming. Deadline: Phase One -- September 12, 2006;
Phase Two -- February 01, 2007.
<http://www.neabigread.org/application_process.php>http://www.neabigread.org/application_process.php
"Verizon Foundation Literacy Grants"
Verizon Foundation is now accepting proposals from eligible
institutions for Literacy Grants. Maximum Award: $5,000-$10,000.
Eligibility: elementary and secondary schools (public and private)
that are registered with the National Center for Education Statistics
(NCES). Deadline: November 30, 2006.
<http://foundation.verizon.com/04008.shtml>http://foundation.verizon.com/04008.shtml
"Connecting Mathematics to Other Subject Areas Grants"
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Connecting Mathematics to
Other Subject Areas Grants will be awarded to create senior high
classroom materials or lessons connecting mathematics to other
fields. Maximum Award: $3,000. Eligibility: The applicant must be a
current member of NCTM and currently teach mathematics in grades 9-12
at least 50 percent of the school day. Deadline: November 3, 2006.
<http://www.nctm.org/about/met/pappas.htm>http://www.nctm.org/about/met/pappas.htm
"Grants for Formal K-12 Education"
RGK Foundation awards grants within education to programs that focus
on formal K-12 education (particularly mathematics, science and
reading), teacher development, literacy, and higher education.
Maximum Award: $25,000. Eligibility: 501(c)3 organizations. Deadline: N/ A.
<http://www.rgkfoundation.org/guidelines.php#programs>http://www.rgkfoundation.org/guidelines.php#programs
For a detailed listing of EXISTING GRANT OPPORTUNITIES (updated each
week), visit:
<http://www.publiceducation.org/newsblast_grants.asp>http://www.publiceducation.org/NewsBlast<http://www.publiceducation.org/newsblast_grants.asp>_grants.asp
Howie Schaffer
Public Outreach Director
Public Education Network
601 Thirteenth Street, NW #710S
Washington, DC 20005
<mailto:PEN@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>PEN@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Copyright statements to be included when reproducing
annotations from K12 Newsletter
The single phrase below is the copyright notice to be used when
reproducing any portion of this report, in any format:
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FREE EDUCATION VENDOR DIRECTORY LISTING
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HOT LIST REGISTRY OF K12 SCHOOLS ONLINE
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Schools/
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