The U.S. Department of Education's Gateway to Educational Materials (GEM) Website

This website allows educators to quickly search over 40,000 materials by school subject, grade level, activity type, target audience, stakeholder group, and price. For example, you can look for third grade lesson plans on fractions and decimals. To get started on your search, go to http://thegateway.org/.

Transforming High Schools for All Youth

http://www.hsalliance.org

The National High School Alliance has released "A Call to Action: Transforming High School for All Youth," representing the collective knowledge of the Alliance’s forty-three partner organizations and communicates. The six core principles, are as follows: (1) personalized learning environments; (2) academic engagement of all students; (3) empowered educators; (4) accountable leaders; (5) engaged community & youth; and (6) integrated systems of high standards, curriculum, instruction, assessments and academic supports beyond the school day.

Reaching the Older Reader

Susan Black, American School Board Journal

http://www.asbj.com/current/research.html

8.7 million 4th– 12thgraders read below grade level. Close to 70% of 8th graders read below the proficient level, and 25% fail to read at the most basic level. Almost half of African-American and Hispanic eighth-graders read below the basic level. Most dropouts are poor readers. The Coalition for Juvenile Justice reports that more than one-third of all juvenile offenders -- median age, 15 and a half -- read below the fourth-grade level. And, CJJ adds, 82 percent of prison inmates are school dropouts, and a high proportion are unable to read. Much more research is needed, especially to answer three questions: 1) How should reading be taught in the upper grades? It is still not clear whether tactics used to teach beginning reading apply to older students as well; 2) Which early reading problems best predict problems during adolescence? 3) How can schools motivate failing adolescents to read? Virtually no research has been done in this area.

Seven Stupid Arguments Against Programs For The Gifted

Frances R. Spielhagen & Bruce S. Cooper, Education Week, April 13, 2005

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2005/04/13/31cooper.h24.htm

What does one do with and for students who have already achieved the benchmarks of the current educational standards? How can the school system address their diverse styles and needs when it must funnel so much time, energy, and resources into bringing all students up to a minimum standard of proficiency? Modifying the curriculum to enhance the growth of highly able students can result in vibrant curriculum initiatives that energize the entire school community.

Featured Resource Tool: School Communities that Work

http://www.schoolcommunities.org/resources/APRD/welcome.php

Assessing Patterns of Resource Distribution (APRD) is a free online tool that allows district officials and other stakeholders to compare district spending for schools with different students and programs, pinpointing possible inequities. All you need to do is enter public data on spending and enrollment, and the tool does all the calculations.
 

Snowfall (PDF)

Mark Valenti, March 25, 2005

http://ivalenti.com/Snowfall.pdf

This is the story of what happened to my family after an accusation of abuse was made against us by a mandated reporter. Although no abuse had ever occurred, and no evidence of abuse was ever found, we as a family were almost destroyed.

New Study of Youth Shows It's Boys Who Are in Crisis

Glenn Sacks, NewsWithViews.com, March 23, 2005

http://www.newswithviews.com/Sacks/glenn18.htm

The percentage of boys graduating from high school has now dropped back below 1985 levels. Girls get better grades than boys and are much more likely than boys to graduate high school, enter college, and graduate from college. The vast majority of learning-disabled students are boys, and boys are four times as likely to receive a diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder as girls. Boys are far more likely than girls to be disciplined, suspended, held back, or expelled. Recess time, which research shows is more critical for boys than for girls, has been cut back nationally. Vocational education, also of greater importance to boys than to girls, suffered a sharp decline from 1982 to 1992 and has never recovered.

Building Academic Success on Social and Emotional Learning: What Does the Research Say?

A new publication from the Collaborative on Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, examines the relationships between social emotional education and school success, specifically focusing on interventions that enhance student learning. The book provides both scientific evidence and practical examples in describing the benefits of social emotional learning programs, such as: skill-building linked to cognitive development; improved relationships between students and teachers; school-family partnerships to help students achieve; and increased student confidence and success. To order a copy from Teachers College Press go to http://store.tcpress.com/0807744395.shtml.

AZ Senate OKs Junk Food Ban

Anne Ryman, The Arizona Republic, April 15, 2005

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0415junkbill15.html

Starting next year, Arizona's elementary and middle school students could be eating healthier. A bill expected to land on the governor's desk shortly would ban the sales of soft drinks, candy and gum during the school day beginning in July 2006. High schools would be exempt.

Cover The Uninsured Week: April 30-May 8, 2005

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and a diverse group of national organizations present the third Cover the Uninsured Week. The Week is a nationwide effort that features nonpartisan community town hall discussions about specific proposals for making health care more affordable and stable for all Americans, including the 45 million who are uninsured. For more information, visit http://covertheuninsuredweek.org/.

Charter School "Advantage" Proves Illusory (PDF)

Economic Policy Institute, April 15, 2005

http://www.epinet.org/newsroom/releases/2005/04/050413_JR-charters.pdf

Last year, a widely-cited study that said charter schools do better than traditional public schools at educating students drew praise from charter school advocates and at the Department of Education. But a new Economic Policy Institute shows that the charter advantage reported in last year’s study disappears when there are direct controls for the income and racial differences of students. The EPI report also shows that charters do not have a significant positive impact in either math or reading overall, and students in charter schools are less likely to be minorities.

CA Dropout Numbers Called 'Crisis'

Gretchen Hoffman, Pasadena Star News, March 23, 2005

http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/Stories/0,1413,206~22097~2778983,00.html

A study by the Harvard Civil Rights Project and the Urban Institute found that California's reported graduation rate of 87 percent dramatically underestimates the actual number of dropouts. Researchers found that the actual graduation rate is probably closer to 71 percent. Rates for minority students were even lower: 57 percent for African Americans, 60 percent for Latinos and 52 percent for Native Americans. Rates for minority males dropped even further, according to the study.

Who's Afraid of Intelligent Design?

Jay Mathews, Washington Post, March 23, 2005

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58465-2005Mar22.html

My favorite high school teacher, Al Ladendorff, conducted his American history class like an extended version of "Meet the Press." Nothing, not even the textbooks other teachers treated as Holy Writ, was safe from attack. I looked forward to that class every day. My biology class, sadly, was another story.

My Mercury Poisoning

Daphne Zuniga, O Magazine, April 2005

http://www.oprah.com/health/omag/health_omag_200504_mercury.jhtml

Every time I grilled fish or ordered it at a restaurant, I felt I was making a healthy choice. Then late last year, after learning about the risk of mercury poisoning with a high-fish diet, I got tested. Just for the heck of it; I didn't expect problems. When the doctor told me my numbers were double the normal, "safe" level of mercury, I thought there was a mistake—didn't she know how healthy I was? I asked about the symptoms of mercury poisoning. Muscle aches, I was told, plus blurred vision, depression, inability to concentrate, memory loss, skin rashes. As I listened, I thought, check, check, check.

VA Job Opportunity: National Mental Health Association Seeks Prevention and Public Education (Adults) Program Director

Manages day-to-day operations of national educational programs that address the mental health needs of the public, workplace and adults/older adults living with mental illness. Develops program plans, proposals, reports, and educational materials in all media. Manages relationships with relevant partners. Helps disseminate, promote, and apply prevention research. Conducts research on relevant topic areas. Provides technical assistance and participates in training for affiliates. Plans and executes special events and other activities, and performs other projects as needed. Responds to relevant media inquiries, upon request. Utilizes cultural competence and health literacy techniques in all efforts. Requirements: 3-5 years experience in consumer health communications, social marketing, or public relations a must. Masters degree in public health, psychology, social work, or related field preferred. Candidate must have thorough understanding and expertise in the field of prevention. Excellent starting pay and benefits offered. Send resume and writing sample to: NMHA, Attn: JR, P.O. Box 16810, Alexandria, VA 22302-0810, or fax: 703-684-5968, or email: jobs@nmha.org No phone calls please. EOE.

ISLLC Standards Found Lacking in Practices Related to Student Achievement (PDF)

Tim Waters, EdD and Sally Grubb, PhD, Mid-continent REsearch for Education and Learning, 2004

http://www.mcrel.org/PDF/LeadershipOrganizationDevelopment/4005PI_leadership_we_need.pdf

The Mid-continent Regional Education Laboratory takes a look at the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) standards for licensing school principals and finds that they contain some---but not all---of the leadership responsibilities and practices that are correlated with student achievement. If you’re one of the 40 states that have incorporated ISLLC into their leadership standards, you’ll want to read this report.

Education Commission of the States No Child Left Behind State side-by-side Comparison

To see progress on the states of your choice, visit http://nclb.ecs.org/nclb/ then click on "State Comparisons" on the left-hand menu.

MI Michigan Department of Education's NCLB workbook (PDF)

http://www.bridges4kids.org/pdf/MiAccWorkbook6-10-03.pdf

Michigan Consolidated State Application Accountability Workbook for State Grants under Title IX, Part C, Section 9302 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (Public Law 107-110)

NCLB Parents Guide in Spanish

U.S. Department of Education

http://www.ed.gov/espanol/parents/academic/involve/nclbguide/

"No Child Left Behind: A Parents Guide" is now available on the web in Spanish. It summarizes NCLB, answers questions about the law, & tells what it means for parents.

For more information on No Child Left Behind, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/ESEA.html.

New Guide! Choosing a School for Your Child

U.S. Department of Education

http://www.ed.gov/parents/schools/find/choose/index.html

To help parents navigate the process of choosing a school for their children, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Innovation and Improvement just released Choosing a School for Your Child, a reader-friendly booklet that explains some of the public school choices—from charter to virtual schools—as well as the private school options available. The guide outlines four steps for selecting a school and includes questions that parents may consider when going through the process. For a copy of Choosing a School for Your Child, call the Department's publications center at 1-877-4ED-PUBS with identification number EU0121P for the English version, and EU0122P for the Spanish version.

Summer Reading Tips For Parents (PDF)

Focus on Learning, 2005

http://www.focusonlearning.org/summer.pdf

Summer shouldn't mean taking a break from learning, especially reading. Studies show that most students experience loss of reading skills over the summer months, but children who continue to read actually skills. Efforts should be made during the summer to help children sustain reading skills, practice reading and read for enjoyment.

Higher Bar Urged For High Schools

Tim Martin, Associated Press, April 14, 2005

http://www.detnews.com/2005/schools/0504/14/C07-149859.htm

Reform could curb dropout rates, help state meet goal of doubling number of college grads. Michigan needs tougher academic standards for high schools, Lt. Gov. John Cherry told the State Board of Education on Tuesday. The Board could push the Legislature and local school districts to adopt tougher high school graduation standards, including more math and science classes. Cherry also said he is concerned about the number of high school dropouts and a traditional mind-set that sometimes stifles cooperation between K-12 schools, community colleges and universities.

Superintendent Search Draws Diverse Pool

Gongwer News Service, April 18, 2005

http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/4-05/News4-20-05.html#top

Though only about half of those who applied allowed release of their names, the applicants for superintendent of public instruction represent a wide range of experiences and ages. But those applicants would have to withstand Governor Jennifer Granholm's nomination of Michael Flanagan.

A Citizen’s Guide to Michigan State Government (PDF)

Michigan Legislature, April 2005

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/publications/citizensguide.pdf

Find names and contact information for all Michigan Senators and Representatives, an explanation of how Michigan state government works, and tips on how to write letters to elected officials.

Definitions: Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) and Special Education Services

LRE Coalition

http://www.lrecoalition.org/06_definitionsAcronyms/index.htm

The Benefits of Learning in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)

LRE Coalition

http://www.lrecoalition.org/04_benefitsOfLRE/index.htm

The benefits of learning in the LRE (Least Restrictive Environment) for children with special needs can be great: increased motivation, higher self-esteem, improved communication and socialization skills, and greater academic achievement. While some children with disabilities will require a special class, the LRE for most will be in a general education class with appropriate supports and services – an inclusion class.

For more information on Special Education, IEPs and Section 504, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/Rules.html.