FW: PEN Weekly NewsBlast for April 12, 2002

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PEN Weekly NewsBlast for April 12, 2002

Public Education Network Weekly NewsBlast

" America's Favorite Free Newsletter on Improving Public Education "

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THE TEST MESS

According to Traub, the United States has never had an " educational

system. " What it has had is 15,000 or so school districts, which decide

more or less for themselves how and what to teach and what students need

to learn in order to move from grade to grade, or to graduate. In this

provocative article, Traub outlines the many concerns citizens have over

new mandates for national-testing and examines the difficulties of

implementing standards-based reform.

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/07/magazine/07TESTING.html

CAN YOU PASS A HIGH-STAKES TEST?

In order to receive their diplomas, Massachusetts students will need to

pass the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests before

the time of their high school graduation. How tough are MCAS questions?

How well might you fare on MCAS? Take a ten-question sample test to find

out.

http://www.eyeoneducation.tv/test/

TEACHER REFUSES TO ADMINISTER STANDARDIZED TEST

Read the opinion of one seventh-grade science teacher in Massachusetts who

will not be administering this year's mandated state exam. Having seen the

way test results have been " abused and misused, " he states that he cannot

in good conscience participate in " this faulty educational experiment. " If

you can get past the author's spelling and grammar errors, he will

surprise you with the observation that, " Educational research has, for

over a decade, been explaining that students learn in different ways. In

order to teach all students, teachers must provide a variety of

instruction methods. Similarly, to accurately assess what all students

have learned, we must use a range of assessment tools so that all students

have an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding in the way that

they are best able. "

http://www.townonline.com/northwest/arlington/opinions/35530023.htm

INADEQUATE YEARLY GAINS PREDICTED

A large proportion of schools in every state could be identified as

" needing improvement " under the new federal education law and could

eventually be subject to penalties. Although estimates vary, state

officials who have begun crunching the numbers predict that as many as

three-fourths of their schools could fail to make their annual growth

targets, or " adequate yearly progress, " under the 2001 reauthorization of

the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

http://www.edweek.com/ew/newstory.cfm?slug=29ayp.h21

WHY SCHOOLS CAN'T SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS AND HOW WE CAN

The work of the Yale Child Study Center, and many others, has shown is

that a large group of children, disproportionately urban,

disproportionately minority, come to school unprepared to learn. This

leads to a difficult interaction between home and school that is

troublesome for the children in schools. Staff in many schools are

products of a training model that ignores the importance of child

development. Additionally, organization and management of these schools

prevents the staff from successfully addressing the school challenge. Dr.

Comer writes that families under economic and social stress who

attend schools that are " waiting for a miracle " are hurt the most.

http://www.urbanedjournal.org/articles/article0002.html

NEW POLL SAYS PUBLIC SEES SCHOOLS AS CENTER OF COMMUNITY

Traditionally, local school facilities have not functioned as the center

of local communities. With limited hours of operation and few community

services or events currently located in schools, most school facilities

are not often used evenings and weekends. Survey respondents, however,

expressed significant interest in broadening the use of these facilities.

Increasing the use of school facilities would not only provide additional

community resources, but may also have the added benefit of getting the

community more involved in participating in and improving local schools.

http://communityschools.org/newsletterv.2.7.html#poll

RESOLVING RELIGIOUS CONFLICTS: A GUIDE FOR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS

The old axiom states that as long as there are tests, there will be prayer

in school. But, it is hard to deny that religious tensions impact public

education. According to Wayne son, too many school districts are

ill-prepared to deal with religious conflicts in a way that can enhance

the district's mission and build a greater community support base. This

thoughtful essay outlines seven recommendations for school leaders to use

in devising a strategy to build bridges of understanding in the place of

polarization.

http://www.bridge-builders.org/Conflict.html

REFLECTIONS ON CAPACITY BUILDING

All organizations must confront change successfully in order to grow and

achieve sustainability. Established and experienced organizations are

challenged to increase their efficiency and quality while newer,

inexperienced organizations often struggle for basic survival.

Paradoxically, funders have often failed to recognize and support the

strong two-way relationship between program success and organizational

strength and sustainability. Nonprofit organizations have always found

that it is easier to raise funds for specific projects with tangible

outcomes than to find the resources to develop themselves internally.

While focused on public health organizations, this report examines lessons

learned from five capacity-building and implementation efforts.

http://www.tcwf.org/reflections/2001/april/pages/definition_of_capacity_buil

ding.htm

RESOURCE PROVIDES NEW INSIGHTS INTO HOW NONPROFITS WORK

A new resource released by Independent Sector and the Urban Institute

provides a one-stop reference on nonprofit organizations and their

expanding role in the nation's economic and civil life. The New Nonprofit

Almanac & Desk Reference provides managers, researchers, volunteers and

the press with the essential facts and figures needed to understand the

size, scope and nature of the sector and its contributions to American

society. The Almanac documents the growth and diversity of the more than

1.2 million organizations that comprise the independent sector in America.

http://www.pnnonline.org/foundations/sector032502.asp

NATIONAL SUBSTITUTE TEACHER RECOGNITION WEEK

SubWeek is a national effort to recognize the approximately 270,000 women

and men that fill in for absent permanent teachers every day in the United

States. Click below for more information on activities schools, districts,

and communities can create to recognize SubWeek.

http://subed.usu.edu/subweek

LOOKING AT TEACHER WORK: STANDARDS IN PRACTICE

" Students can do no better than the assignments they are given. " This is

the premise of the new video from Collaborative Communications Group and

the Edna McConnell Foundation. " Looking at Teacher Work: Standards

in Practice " demonstrates the six steps of SIP -- a powerful, job-embedded

professional development model developed by The Education Trust. In the

31-minute, how-to video, middle grades teachers work together to look

critically at assignments and student work against standards. It's easy to

use and available for a $10

shipping fee.

http://www.publicengagement.com/tools/standards/changing/ch_SIP.htm

THE CORE BUSINESS OF PRINCIPALS

School principals have a primary role in shaping the instructional culture

and academic performance of students, says this report by the Consortium

for Policy Research in Education. " Instructional Leadership in

Standards-based Reform " examines the shifting responsibility of school

principals from managerial tasks to the core business of schooling, based

on research among principals implementing the America's Choice reform

model. The standards-based model emphasizes organizational support for

instructional improvement and the building of instructional capacity

through ongoing school-based professional development. (PDF File)

http://www.cpre.org/Publications/ac-02.pdf

HELPING COMMUNITIES CLOSE THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP

For communities trying to close the achievement gap, study circles provide

a process to build the trust and relationships necessary for long-term

change. Community-wide study circles help bring people from diverse

backgrounds and experiences together so they can develop trust, understand

each other's experiences, and find ways to work together. " Helping Every

Student Succeed, " is a four-session guide for use in small-group,

face-to-face discussions. Through this discussion guide, participants get

to know each other, understand the issue, find common ground, and develop

steps for action and change.

http://www.studycircles.org/pages/studentachievementhome.html

HOUSTON PROMOTES TOLERANCE OF GAY TEENS

Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays of Houston (PFLAG) and

Houston Area Teen Coalition of Homosexuals (HATCH) recently shared their

experiences of harassment with local principals at a two-hour training

session called " Healing the Hurt. " Top school officials said the Houston

Independent School District is among the first major districts in the

nation to host such an event. The session covered a variety of

school-related issues involving gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender

students.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/metropolitan/1340148

MOMS MASTER LANGUAGE OF LOBBYING

Parents and citizens who feel powerless to make a difference probably

haven't met Steindorf and her friends. When the foreign language

program at her local school was threatened by budget cuts, she mobilized

hundreds of teachers, parents and students and began letter-writing and

e-mail campaigns, called and visited the offices of legislators and

attended legislative committee meetings where the program and the budget

were discussed. One day, they brought about 120 elementary school students

to the Capitol. As a result the funding was restored to the state budget.

This grassroots effort by parents offers a civics lesson in how to

influence decision-makers who can seem remote to most citizens.

http://m1e.net/c?5168660-oVI6Yvuhc6C7Y%4019899-gedsglVEEIAVw

FAMILIES AND ADVOCATES PARTNERSHIPS FOR EDUCATION

This resource-rich site aims to inform and educate families and advocates

about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 and

promising practices. The FAPE Partnership links families, advocates, and

self-advocates to communicate the new focus of IDEA '97. The FAPE

Partnership has developed family-friendly curricula and materials

addressing the requirements of IDEA '97, positive behavioral supports, new

research and other issues of concern to families. These resources are also

available in multiple languages through the FAPE website.

http://www.ideapractices.org/about/index.php

FORGING 21st CENTURY PARTNERSHIPS

In today's high-stakes educational environment, public school partners may

be less interested in our social, cultural and recreational programs than

in educational enrichment. Most educators believe, as youth workers do, in

meeting the needs of the whole child. According to Jane Quinn, our

approach should advocate balance: making sure that young people have

access to expanded opportunities in all areas, including the social,

emotional, physical and moral, as well as cognitive arenas. Schools may

also be interested in partnering with youth organizations that offer

skills in preventing substance abuse, adolescent pregnancy and violence.

By joining forces with youth agencies and building on their strengths,

public schools can address documented student needs while maintaining

primary focus on their central mission of academic learning.

http://www.youthtoday.org/youthtoday/quinn.html

TOTAL TEACHER WELLNESS

Teachers are a precious resource in this world, and if they are to

function at a high level professionally they need to practice high-level

wellness. The reality is that teaching is one of the world's best jobs if

you like it and one of the worst and most stressful if you don't. This

article suggests a number of simple things teachers can do to avoid stress

and burnout.

http://www.speakwell.com/well/2000_fall/articles/total_teacher_wellness.html

|---------------GRANT AND FUNDING INFORMATION--------------|

" Teaching Tolerance "

Grants of up to $2,000 are available to K-12 teachers from the Teaching

Tolerance project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit group

that fights discrimination. The grants are awarded for activities

promoting diversity, peacemaking, community service, or other aspects of

tolerance education. Requests should include a typed, 500-word

description of the activity and the proposed budget. Application

deadline: open.

http://www.tolerance.org/teach/about/index.jsp

" ASM International Foundation "

The ASM International Foundation, a society of metals and materials

scientists, awards 10 grants of $500 each to K-12 teachers. Applicants

submit two-page proposals describing curriculum-based, hands-on projects

that enhance students' awareness of the materials around them and involve

observation, communication, and math and science skills. Application

deadline: May 25, 2002.

http://www.asminternational.org/content/Foundation/LivingintheMaterialWorld/

Living_Material_World.htm

" Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. "

Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. (RIF) develops and delivers children's and

family literacy programs focused on three basic principles: books for

ownership, motivational activities, and family and community involvement.

RIF is currently expanding its services to children and families through

two family literacy programs: Family of Readers and Shared Beginnings.

Both of these family literacy programs provide free books for ownership to

the children and workshops to involve parents in their children's early

language and literacy development. For more information, visit:

http://www.rif.org

" Teaching American History Grant Program "

This Department of Education program is designed to raise student

achievement by improving teachers' knowledge, understanding, and

appreciation of U.S. history. Grant awards will assist LEAs, in

partnership with entities that have content expertise, to develop,

document, evaluate, and disseminate innovative, cohesive models of

professional development. Application deadline: June 3, 2002.

http://web99.ed.gov/GTEP/Program2.nsf/a5b8d6c38fdd4ca08525644400514f2c/6fa6f

67573e3f02685256a56006da269?OpenDocument

" 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/

" 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 2002 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 the Department

has previously announced, as well as those it plans to announce at a later

date. Note: This document is advisory only and is not an official

application notice of the Department of Education.

http://www.ed.gov/offices/OCFO/grants/forecast.html

" 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-K-12 Funding Opportunities "

K-12 Funding opportunities with links to grantseeking for teachers,

learning technology, and more.

http://fdncenter.org/funders/

" 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

" Teaching is about loving questions and moving kids to search for answers

in science, literature, and other subjects. A great teacher gets excited

about these unanswered questions and becomes an example of quest and

curiosity. I admire teachers, but if they act like clerks, the kids won't

get anywhere. "

-Dr. Maxine Greene (educator/author/philosopher)

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