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Public Education Network Weekly NewsBlast
"Public Involvement. Public Education. Public Benefit."
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TEST SCORES & SCHOOL RATINGS DRIVE HOME PURCHASE DECISIONS
The house on Dapplegray Lane in south Walnut Creek (CA) is charming,
but
it's small and nearly 40 years old. There's no shopping and no subway
close by. But it sold last month for top dollar in just eight days --
and
with multiple offers. The reason: It sits in a primo school district.
In
an area where one home lies in one city but happens to be in a higher-
or
lower-rated school district than one a few houses away, the price
difference can be 25 to 30 percent, say agents. It's a suburban
phenomenon
around the state. According to Marsha Ginsburg, fewer family home
buyers
are seeking public schools in urban centers like San Francisco and
Oakland, where test scores are dismal, where per capita spending is
among
the nation's worst, where residency does not guarantee acceptance in
the
nearest school and where homeowners with a choice often pick private
education. Public schools, of course, have long been a priority for
parents trying to move into their dream community.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/02/15/REGBG50OIJ1.DTL
HITS & MISSES OF TEACH FOR AMERICA
Teach For America brings bright, energetic college graduates into
tough,
inner-city schools to fill teaching positions that otherwise might be
vacant, but it has its shortcomings, writes Susan Snyder. The national
program, which is new to the Philadelphia School District this year,
encourages turnover in schools that can least afford it by asking its
recruits to commit to stay for only two years, according to a new book
on
the program. And it suffers from a "cultural divide" because few
members
come from low economic backgrounds like those of their students. Molly
Ness, author and former corps participant, says that despite some
weaknesses, Teach For America overall was positively affecting the
nation's education system. Most members have college degrees in areas
other than education and have little to no teaching experience before
enrolling in the program. Teach For America was started in 1989 by
Wendy
Kopp, a Princeton grad who created a national teacher corps to help the
nation's poorest urban and rural schools. Ness added that many corps
alumni go on to other education-related jobs, carrying with them the
group's message on closing the achievement gap among racial and
economic
groups. One former member successfully organized a slate of candidates,
including himself, to take over a school board. Others have opened
charter
schools, worked in medical clinics, and established credit unions in
low-income areas. "TFA is affecting systemic change from all these
different areas of society," she said. "We're just starting to see this
trickle-down effect."
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/7923633.htm
HARVARD ANALYSIS IS CRITICAL OF NCLB
Federal accountability requirements have derailed state education
reforms
and assessment strategies, according to an analysis released last week
by
the Civil Rights Project at Harvard University. According to Lisa
Goldstein, the four-part report contends that the mandates of the No
Child
Left Behind Act have no common meaning across state lines, and that the
law's sanctions fall especially hard on minority and integrated
schools,
requiring much less student progress from affluent suburban schools.
The
report, "Inspiring Vision, Disappointing Results: Four Studies on
Implementing the No Child Left Behind Act," examines the law's impact
on
the 2002-03 school year, the first year of implementation. Parts of the
report examine the law's provisions on school choice and supplemental
education services. Those provisions, which are potentially available
to
parents whose children attend schools labeled "in need of improvement"
under the law, have had little impact on schools and have not been
seriously evaluated, the reports maintain. The report's federal section
notes that only 11 states had accountability plans that were fully
approved by the Education Department as of June 2003, despite the
department's claim that all states were in compliance with the law. It
also notes that even states run by Republican lawmakers have not
necessarily been eager to carry out the provisions championed by the
Bush
administration through the law, especially when they have conflicted
with
local priorities. In the state-focused section of the report, the
authors
conclude the federal requirements have complicated state efforts to
build
their own coherent accountability systems. Having dual state and
federal
accountability systems has meant that schools are receiving conflicting
signals about their performance, the report says.
http://www.edweek.com/ew/ewstory.cfm?slug=23Harvard.h23
VOCABULARY CLUB COMBINES FUN & LEARNING
Marie Anderson is familiar with the sentiments of students like Zaccary
Fogerson who are initially hesitant to learn new vocabulary words. She
launched the club more than a decade ago, while teaching at another
Seattle school, as a way to help struggling readers. Realizing that
those
students aren't typically the ones itching to pick up a dictionary,
Anderson created an elaborate system of incentives. She gives trophies
and
plaques, holds a raucous "ceremony" at the end of each meeting to
recognize students, and every May awards money to the school's
"Vocabulary
Olympian," the student who learns the most words that year. Anderson
said
the club, now in its fourth year, fosters benefits other than a
confidence
boost. Students enjoy reading more as their vocabulary improves, and
Anderson occasionally slides in grammar lessons -- for example, finding
conjunctions in word definitions. And though the school's scores on the
Washington Assessment of Student Learning remain low, there have been
gains among seventh-grade students the past couple of years on the
reading
and writing portions of the annual test, reports Deborah Bach.
Principal
Bi Hoa Caldwell can't say for certain what role the vocabulary club
might
play, but said, "Anything that encourages students to use their brains
in
terms of academic skills is bound to help on the WASL." Kirsten Yelin,
a
special-education assistant at the school, said Anderson makes learning
words fun, "even though it's holding (students) to a higher standard
and
pushing their limits. Kids at this age are really competitive, and if
you
can get them competitive about vocabulary, it's great to see."
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/160811_vocabulary16.html
INADEQUATE PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS FAIL AMERICAS CHILDREN
Georgia, New Jersey and Oklahoma outpace the nation in providing
high-quality preschool for 3- and 4-year- olds while most states lag in
early education efforts, reports Eric Kelderman. The study, by the
National Institute for Early Education Research, ranked the umber of
children in state-funded preschools, the amount spent per preschooler
and
a checklist of 10 benchmarks. Forty states provide some preschool
program, enrolling 14.8 percent of the nations 4-year-olds and 3
percent
of 3-year-olds, according to the study. Only two states, Massachusetts
and
New Jersey, enroll more than 10 percent of their 3-year-olds. Twenty
states enroll fewer than 10 percent of their 4-year-olds in public
preschool programs. Florida and Rhode Island did not provide
information
on their public preschools. The report looked at standards such as the
minimum level of teacher training, maximum class size, whether the
program
provides family support services and health screening, and whether it
has
a statewide curriculum.
http://www.stateline.org/stateline/?pa=story&sa=showStoryInfo&id=351547
TEST GLUT A BURDEN TO PRESCHOOLS
Three times last year, teachers at the Chinese American Service League
had
to administer two very similar student assessments in its blended
preschool program, sending the results either to the Chicago Public
Schools or the Chicago Department of Human Services. And yet, no one
can
tell the League -- or any early childhood program in Chicago -- how
well
it is doing, writes Alexander Russo. "Its such a waste of time from a
teachers perspective," says Teri Talan of the Center for Early
Childhood
Leadership at National-Louis University. "You're using information just
to
be able to report to an agency. You're wasting the teachers time with
the
child." The Chicago Public Schools recently decided to exempt such
centers
as the Service Leagues from one set of tests. However, the federal
government is introducing another set, with the potential for still
more
on the horizon.
http://catalyst-chicago.org/02-04/0204skills.htm
STUDENT WON'T GET CREDIT FOR JOB AT HOOTERS
A high school senior's choice for a work-study job was a little too
racy
in the eyes of her superintendent. Laura Williams, 17, took a job about
a
month ago as a hostess at a Hooters restaurant, the national chain
known
for its scantily clad waitresses. Superintendent Michael Moore has
asked
Williams to quit, saying the job is not appropriate for a work-study
program. "I have questions in my mind because of the advertising and
sexual connotations," Moore said. Vocational education programs at the
high school allow students to leave the campus early each day to work
at
retail, administrative, service and other jobs. Students earn credits
for
the courses based on their supervisors' evaluations of their work ethic
and performance. "A lot of people have misperceptions about Hooters,
but
we try to appeal as a fun place for everyone," said Aaron Sharp, the
restaurant's manager. "We give balloons to children; we have a kids'
menu."
http://www.fresnobee.com/24hour/nation/story/1139438p-7935109c.html
DEFENDING NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION FOR TEACHERS
A recent article in Teachers College Record, "National Board
Certification
for Teachers: A Billion Dollar Hoax," has generated numerous replies
from
educators and advocates who question its methodology, central thesis
and
conclusions. Join in the debate at:
http://www.tcrecord.org/DiscussionContent.asp?ContentID=11266
SEEKING ALTERNATIVES TO STANDARDIZED TESTING
Is there some other way to make low-income neighborhood schools better
than through the annual standardized testing required by the new
federal
No Child Left Behind law? Jay Mathews points to Deborah Meier as
holding
numerous answers to that query. In 1974 she created the Central Park
East
School in the East Harlem neighborhood of New York City. That school
showed, through its students' success in college and the workplace,
that
the children of day laborers, garment workers and welfare recipients
could
achieve academic success by being treated in public school as if they
were
graduate students. Instead of being given regular standardized
multiple-choice tests, they were evaluated through reviews of their
written work and interviews with experts in the subject matter they had
studied.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A47699-2004Feb17.html
WIRED SCHOOLS HELP KEEP PARENTS INFORMED
Every year, more schools across the United States, both public and
private, are joining the online world with websites that post news
about
school events and also allow parents and students, via confidential
passwords, to access teacher comments, test results, and grades. As
this
phenomena is still relatively new, statistics about how many schools
are
wired for parental access are hard to come by, says Don Blake from the
US
Department of Education. But the National Center for Education
Statistics
did determine in 2002 that 99 percent of public schools have access to
the
Internet, 86 percent of those schools host a website, and 68 percent of
those update this website at least once a month. Interviews reveal
generally positive reports about American's increasingly wired
classrooms,
reports Jennifer Wolcott. Even teachers, for whom frequent updates
about
students' work means more recordkeeping, are enthusiastic. For them, it
can also mean less phone tag with parents, fewer surprises when it
comes
time for parent-teacher conferences or report cards, and the ability to
deal with problems faster.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0217/p11s01-legn.html
ROLE OF PRINCIPAL LEADERSHIP IN INCREASING TEACHER RETENTION
National and local research indicates a teacher's decision to stay at a
school largely depends upon the principal and his or her leadership in
the
school. Therefore Charlotte Advocates for Education (CAE), a local
education fund, sought to understand the relationship between
principals
and teacher retention by studying local principals, particularly those
in
high needs schools, who have been more successful in retaining teachers
while also increasing student achievement. Key finding can be found at
the
link below. In addition, the report includes specific recommendations
for
addressing principal recruitment and hiring, principal preparation and
support, as well as the recommendation to re-examine the traditional
leadership structure within our schools.
http://www.advocatesfored.org/principalstudy.htm
COLORADO SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS SPEAK OUT ON LEADERSHIP CHALLENGES
A shortage of fiscal resources, conflicting state and federal school
reform mandates, and strained relationships with school boards impact
the
effectiveness of current superintendents, a new Colorado survey shows.
These factors are contributing to high turnover and a perceived
shortage
of qualified candidates seeking the job, according to a new study of
Colorado school superintendents just released by the Colorado
Association
of School Executives (CASE). Thirty percent of superintendent positions
turned over this past school year, significantly higher than in
previous
years. Of Colorados 178 school districts, 53 have new district leaders
this school year. CASE Executive Director Bob Tschirki said the study
reveals increasing concerns about the demands on school district
leaders.
"At a time when strong leadership is needed for improving our education
system, we should be supporting our quality leaders instead of creating
barriers to their success," he said. Furthermore, Tschirki said, "The
habitual addition of new regulations and the corresponding paperwork is
increasingly suffocating for superintendents. This is particularly
true
for the majority of our superintendents in rural areas where they have
little or no help in these areas. The result is less time to do the
things that are important to the district, particularly focus on the
education of our children." The study looked at four areas:
superintendent
effectiveness, recruitment and retention, school board relations, and
professional development.
http://www.co-case.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=191
THREE PITTSBURGH FOUNDATIONS RESUME FUNDING FOR CITY'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS
After suspending their funding for nineteen months, three
Pittsburgh-based
foundations have announced that they will resume their support for the
city's public schools, Maggi Newhouse reports. As a result, the schools
will receive about $3.5 million in suspended payments over the next few
months. In July 2002, the Pittsburgh Foundation, the Heinz Endowments,
and
the Grable Foundation suspended their funding to the Pittsburgh Public
Schools, citing an "increasingly dysfunctional" relationship between
the
school board and superintendent John Thompson. A month later, Mayor Tom
Murphy established a panel to look at ways to improve the schools. The
panel, which released its report in September 2003, recommended
replacing
the elected board with one appointed by the mayor; reducing taxes;
consolidating schools and other district facilities; improving
communication with the public; and creating a citizens group to monitor
the district's progress.
http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/pittsburgh/s_179162.html
THE EVALUATION EXCHANGE
Harvard Family Research Project is proud to announce the tenth year of
publication of "The Evaluation Exchange." In commemoration, their
newest
issue features reflections on some of the trends (both good and bad)
that
have occurred in the evaluation field over the past decade. Authors
consider the "best of the worst" evaluator practices, changes in
university-based evaluation training, and the development of evaluation
as
a discipline. In recognition of the need to look ahead, other articles
introduce themes we will address in greater depth in the future, such
as
international evaluation, technology, evaluation of the arts, and
diversity.
http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/eval/issue24
WHAT IMPACT DO CHARTER DISTRICTS HAVE ON COLLECTIVE BARGAINING?
As districts and states create charter districts to improve student
achievement, collective bargaining agreements with teachers are coming
under intense scrutiny. A new publication from the Education Commission
of
the States (ECS) examines what happens to these often untouchable
arrangements when district, union and school leaders decide to head
down
the charter district path. The increasing popularity of charter schools
is
leading some states to create new districts in which they allow
entities
other than traditional school districts, such as public universities,
to
grant charters. In other states, school districts are converting all or
most schools to charter schools. In most new charter districts,
collective
bargaining arrangements are going out the window. State requirements
are
split when it comes to traditional districts converting their schools
to
charters. "Collective Bargaining and Teachers' Unions in a Charter
District" looks at the challenges that arise in charter districts
around
work rules, compensation, job security and benefits, and offers options
for dealing with them.
http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/49/71/4971.pdf
SURVEY: PARENT SUPPORT FOR "NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND" IS THIN
Most American parents who know about "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB)
school
reforms like the concept, but they also would oppose implementation of
any
of its punitive terms in their own childs school, according to the
first
national opinion survey since NCLB implementation to zero in
specifically
on what the parents of school-age children think about the two-year-old
initiative. According to the RFA Survey, a third of all parents (34
percent) who have heard of NCLB see the school reforms as "punishing
schools for failure instead of rewarding them for success," a quarter
view
it as "limiting learning by students" (25 percent), while fewer than
half
(46 percent) associate NCLB with "improving learning." The RFA survey
also found almost no parental support (10 percent) for increased
spending
on the increasingly controversial school reform plan. This is true
even
though there is widespread awareness (78 percent) of NCLB among
parents,
with two-thirds (68 percent v. 22 percent) of the NCLB-aware parents
expressing support for the concept of the school reforms. Click below
for
detailed findings: http://www.resultsforamerica.org/education/
TEENS PROMOTE ABSTINENCE WITH "DAY OF PURITY"
Melissa Millis feels bombarded by everyday messages of sexual
promiscuity,
whether it's Janet Jackson's bare breast during the Super Bowl or her
classmates' casual sex talk. So Millis, a high school senior in
Michigan,
and thousands of other students across the nation plan to wear white
T-shirts to school Friday, the day before Valentine's Day, to publicly
show their commitment to not having sex outside marriage. They're
calling
their effort the "Day of Purity," and they will distribute
pro-abstinence
pamphlets to their peers.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/02/13/day.of.purity.ap/index.html
BRIGHT FUTURE IN SPORTS AND RECREATION FOR DISABLED CHILDREN
The Cure Our Children Foundation, a nonprofit foundation dedicated to
children, announced the publication of its extensive research showing
that
full integration of disabled children into existing school and
community
sports and recreation teams is feasible and helpful for all children.
In
addition to a wide-range of original research, interviews were
conducted
with prominent disabled sports experts and healthcare professionals.
And,
in determining the positive aspects of integration, the research also
reveals many diverse, little known options for disabled participation
in
sports and recreation activities.
http://www.cureourchildren.org/sports.htm
EDUCATION REFORMERS HALT EVALUATION
George Archibald reports that the pro-Bush Education Leaders Council
has
canceled a contract for an independent evaluation of its $23.5 million
federally funded computerized school instructional project, called
Following the Leaders, just as the study was to get under way in 11
states. Lisa Graham Keegan, the council's $235,000-a-year chief
executive,
canceled the contract with the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation after its
president, Chester E. Finn Jr., warned Mrs. Keegan and William J.
Moloney,
who was chairman of her board of directors, that the Education Leaders
Council (ELC) was losing its influence as a leading education reform
group
because of overdependence on federal project money.
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20040217-095706-2796r.htm
|---------------GRANT AND FUNDING INFORMATION--------------|
"Corporation for National and Community Service"
The Corporation for National and Community Service seeks peer reviewers
and facilitators for AmeriCorps and Learn and Serve America grant
competitions this spring. Participating in a grant competition provides
numerous opportunities for professional development. You will read
about
new and innovative ideas in your field; learn about the grantmaking
practices of the major federal funder of service and volunteer
activities;
and strengthen your grant writing skills. Reviewers and facilitators
receive an honorarium of either $600 or $800 for their work upon
completion of the review. If you or others you know are interested in
serving as a peer reviewer or facilitator, please complete the brief
survey found at:
http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?L2233VK4X6LW1CT0C7XDKQ45
"Thomas Day Education Project"
The North Carolina Museum of History in partnership with the Thomas Day
Education Project is offering a series of workshops for K-12 educators
nationwide entitled, "Crafting Freedom: Thomas Day and Elizabeth
Keckly,
Black Artisans and Entrepreneurs in the Making of America." This is an
expenses paid professional development opportunity to selected
educators.
As there are 200 openings - more opportunities than ever before - they
especially encourage you to apply and/or to share this information with
your colleagues and others in your school system. Applicants must
complete
and submit their applications by March 15th to be eligible.
http://www.thomasday.net/news.html
"Department of Education Forecast of Funding"
This document lists virtually all programs and competitions under which
the Department of Education has invited or expects to invite
applications
for new awards for FY 2004 and provides actual or estimated deadline
dates
for the transmittal of applications under these programs. The lists are
in
the form of charts -- organized according to the Department's principal
program offices -- and include programs and competitions we have
previously announced, as well as those they plan to announce at a later
date. Note: This document is advisory only and is not an official
application notice of the Department of Education. They expect to
provide
updates to this document through July 2004.
http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/find/edlite-forecast.html
"Grantionary"
The Grantionary is a list of grant-related terms and their definitions.
http://www.eduplace.com/grants/help/grantionary.html
"GrantsAlert"
GrantsAlert is a website that helps nonprofits, especially those
involved
in education, secure the funds they need to continue their important
work.
http://www.grantsalert.com/
"Grant Writing Tips"
SchoolGrants has compiled an excellent set of grant writing tips for
those
that need help in developing grant proposals.
http://www.schoolgrants.org/tips.htm
"FastWEB"
FastWEB is the largest online scholarship search available, with
600,000
scholarships representing over one billion in scholarship dollars. It
provides students with accurate, regularly updated information on
scholarships, grants, and fellowships suited to their goals and
qualifications, all at no cost to the student. Students should be
advised
that FastWEB collects and sells student information (such as name,
address, e-mail address, date of birth, gender, and country of
citizenship) collected through their site.
http://www.fastweb.com/
"Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (FREE)"
More than 30 Federal agencies formed a working group in 1997 to make
hundreds of federally supported teaching and learning resources easier
to
find. The result of that work is the FREE website.
http://www.ed.gov/free/
"Fundsnet Online Services"
A comprehensive website dedicated to providing nonprofit organizations,
colleges, and Universities with information on financial resources
available on the Internet.
http://www.fundsnetservices.com/
"eSchool News School Funding Center"
Information on up-to-the-minute grant programs, funding sources, and
technology funding.
http://www.eschoolnews.com/resources/funding/
"Philanthropy News Digest"
Philanthropy News Digest, a weekly news service of the Foundation
Center,
is a compendium, in digest form, of philanthropy-related articles and
features culled from print and electronic media outlets nationwide.
http://fdncenter.org/pnd/
"School Grants"
A collection of resources and tips to help K-12 educators apply for and
obtain special grants for a variety of projects.
http://www.schoolgrants.org
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Let no man tell us that the work of this world is done only by those
persons who have been called by their fellow citizens into seats in the
state assemblies and upon the floor of CongressThe great advantage of
a
system like ours is, that every person -- I do not care if he is a
bootblack on the street -- who has anything to contribute to the public
weal, has the method opened before him, for the contribution of this
opinion and his observation. What follows is, that we get the benefit
of
the wisdom of all the people, and that all the people are so much wiser
than any one of the people."
-Reverend Edward Everett Hale (clergyman/author). Speech at Lyceum
Theater. Rochester, NY. 1890.
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