| News for the Education Profession |  |
- Massachusetts posts mixed test scores
Massachusetts student scores were up in math, but steady or down in English across most grades, according to statewide results released Tuesday. One in five students of the class of 2010 received failing marks on at least one portion of the standardized exam, compared to 13% of sophomores last year, with the discrepancy largely due to poor performance on the test's new science section. The Boston Globe/Associated Press
(9/16)
, The Boston Globe
(9/17)
      
- Educators attempt to make ninth grade more welcoming
Just when teens' relationships with their peers and parents are shifting and hormones are flooding their bodies, they historically have been moved from more intimate middle schools into huge, often impersonal high schools. But more districts are trying to change that via small learning communities or separate freshman campuses. "We really wanted to make sure our freshmen have a strong, solid foundation and are able to bond with the school," said Edwin Diaz, a Pasadena, Calif., superintendent. "If they don't connect well in ninth grade, they tend to disappear in 10th." Los Angeles Times
(9/15)
 | Looking for a soup-to-nuts resource for creating a middle or high school advisory program? The Advisory Guide: Designing and Implementing Effective Advisory Programs in Secondary Schools from ESR provides hundreds of hands-on activities and strategies for creating and sustaining successful advisories. Click here for this and other advisory materials. |
- Vermont names 2009 Teacher of the Year
Elementary teacher Diana Leddy, an active literacy advocate, was Tuesday named Vermont's top teacher for 2009. "After 27 years, being a teacher still challenges and fascinates me," said Leddy, who received a SMART Board and software for her classroom. "Real growth often involves the painful questioning of long-held assumptions and the ability to let go of old ways." The Burlington Free Press (Vt.)
(9/16)
- New Miami superintendent faces divided board
Alberto Carvalho faces many challenges as the new superintendent of Miami-Dade schools, but working with the fractured school board could be the most difficult, some observers say. After firing superintendent Rudy Crew, the board voted last week to offer the job to Carvalho on a 5 to 3 vote. The Miami Herald
(9/15)
- Facing shortages, schools look abroad for math, science teachers
Increasingly, U.S. schools are looking abroad to fill teacher vacancies, especially in math and science. Comprehensive records aren't kept by the U.S. Department of Education on the number of foreign teachers working in U.S. classrooms, but Visiting International Faculty, a sponsor of such instructors, says it has 1,500 teachers from more than 55 countries placed in various U.S. districts, mostly in the South. The New York Times/Associated Press
(9/14)
 | Wow your staff with a fabulous on-site conference! Last summer, Rankin County School District in Brandon, Mississippi did just that and received rave reviews from all 300 attending staff members. Watch this video to see and hear why SDE should help you plan and deliver your next in-service. |
- Site aims to pique student interest in science
The online community TestToob allows middle-school and high-school science aficionados to post and view science videos and network with like-minded teens. "It's just how human beings interact," said founder Lopa Mehrotra, a mother of two. "We create. We want to share it. And when we see what somebody else has done, we want to imitate it." The Cincinnati Enquirer
(9/14)
 | Complementing Successful Response to Intervention Models
CTB/McGraw-Hill helps educators improve achievement for all students by complementing RTI programs with opportunities for universal screening, multi-tiered interventions, progress monitoring, and resources to help monitor fidelity of implementation. |
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Helping children to cherish literature, not just dissect it
Teaching reading as a series of skills to be checked off a list too often destroys the joy and discovery books are meant to bring, writes sixth-grade language-arts teacher and blogger Donalyn Miller. "It seems that while we fight to teach kids the skills they need to live, we have sacrificed those elements that make it worth living," she writes. "The bland sameness of our days ... leaves little room for examining why life and our place in the world are remarkable gifts." Education Week (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org)/The Book Whisperer
(9/14)
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| Read more from the top education blogs here |
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- Group seeks to show parents how to become more involved at school
Education activist Paulette Wiley, whose Education Brain Trust program focuses on helping parents help their kids at school, paid parents in a largely African-American Iowa school district $25 to attend a meeting to discuss their needs, wants and concerns for their children's educations. Wiley's program conducts seminars showing parents how best to work with teachers, assist with their children's homework and generally be supportive of their kids' academic careers. CNN
(9/15)
- Constitution Day: Gimmick or learning opportunity?
An annual event designed to improve public knowledge about the Constitution, put into effect by a 2004 federal provision stipulating that all schools that receive federal funding provide a program on the Constitution on or around Sept. 17 each year, has gotten mixed reviews from educators and scholars. "If Constitution Day becomes a substitute for people learning about the Constitution more regularly and broadly, that's an outrage," said Stephen Wermiel, an American University law professor. "If Constitution Day adds to people's understanding and gives you a moment to contemplate the Constitution while you are otherwise learning about it, great." The Washington Post
(9/15)
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| The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)
The Poetry Experience is a handy 32-page flipchart that explores all aspects of poetry—from an overview of genres and techniques to top ten lists of favorite poems by grade range and genre. It will give you and your staff strategies for writing, reading, and responding to all forms of poetry. Only $10. Click here to order!
Win National Recognition for Your Character Education Initiative. Be recognized as a leader in character education and share your expertise with other educators. Character Education Partnership gives annual National Schools of Character awards with up to $10,000 grants to exemplary schools and districts. The deadline for applications is December 8, 2008. Learn more at www.character.org/nsoc.
Interested in learning more about advertising in ASCD SmartBrief? Contact Joe Riddle at (202) 737-5500 x228 or jriddle@smartbrief.com.
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| In the Field | | |
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- Overweight children get more headaches
 Overweight children and teens suffer more frequent and disabling headaches than their normal-weight peers, a study found. The causes could include stress, dehydration and low levels of leptin, a hormone that leads to a feeling of fullness. USA TODAY
(9/16)
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November Conference in Turkey to Provide Middle East Educators with Broader Definition of Achievement and Accountability
Schools can be key players in forming a better and more peaceful world for future generations by introducing teaching and learning strategies that allow students to grow personally and academically. An upcoming ASCD Middle East International Conference, "Valuing the Whole Child: Embracing a Global Vision," will connect educators from the region with leading education researchers and school improvement consultants to explore practices and programs that ensure all students are healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. The conference will be held Nov. 8 to 9, in Istanbul, Turkey. Read more
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Joy in School
If the experience of "doing school" destroys children's spirit to learn, their sense of wonder, their curiosity about the world, and their willingness to care for the human condition, have we succeeded as educators, no matter how well our students do on standardized tests? According to the Random House dictionary, joy means "The emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something good or satisfying." Surely our schools can do some of that. The latest Educational Leadership examines why joy and learning do not have to be mutually exclusive. Read more
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