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Home -- What's New -- Archives -- 2005 Archives
Schools on School
Improvement
2005-2006
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| 12/14/2005 |
12/11/2005 POOR REPORT CARD FOR NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND Nearly four years after the No Child Left Behind Act took effect, the nation's urban school districts have shown little benefit from the law, which mandated annual reading and mathematics tests for all students in grades 3 through 8. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, often referred to as the "Nation's Report Card," over the last two years most fourth- and eighth-graders in 11 city school districts made very modest progress in reading and math. And most continue to perform well below the national average, reports Claudio Sanchez. But the most worrisome trend is that the achievement gap between white and minority students has stayed the same and may even be widening. That's bad news for the Bush administration, which has insisted the gap has been closing under the No Child Left Behind Act. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5034973 |
12/5/2005 New resources from Verizon Literacy Two self-paced online courses have been added: Working with Refugee Families and Phonemic Awareness Instruction for Adult Literacy Learners.They have also added ten resources to the Resource Center Library. The resources include an article on fluency development, a PowerPoint presentation on volunteer recruitment, adult education WebQuests to download, ESL quick guides for the classroom, links to Dave's ESL Cafe, and more! Give yourself a holiday gift and take a few moments to peruse the site. To learn more, go to www.literacycampus.org. |
12/5/2005 Secretary of Education Spellings announces new flexibility for No Child Left Behind Download announcement |
| 11/18/2005 A new resource is available from the U.S. Department of Education on public school choice. A brochure, School Choice for Student Success, provides information on the public school choice option under Title I of the No Child Left Behind Act. The brochure targets parents and answers their questions about what public school choice is and where they can go for more information. Copies of the brochure are available in English and Spanish through ED Pubs (www.edpubs.org), publication EU 0150H for the English version and EU 0151H for the Spanish version. The brochure can also be downloaded at http://www.ed.gov/nclb/choice/schools/success/index.html |
10/21/2005 Description: In this article, "Why Should I Worry About Schools My Children Won't Attend," the author Arthur Levine argues that educational inequity is the greates challenge facing education today and a powerful threat to our country. http://www.tc.columbia.edu/news/article.htm?id=5150 |
10/21/2005 SOME GOOD NEWS ABOUT PUBLIC SCHOOLS (PDF File) U.S. public schools have improved in many ways since the movement to reform education by raising standards first took shape 20 years ago, says the Washington-based Center on Education Policy. In its recent report, "Do You Know the Latest Good News About American Education?," CEP looks at positive trends in five main categories: school participation and course-taking, student achievement, school climate and public support, teachers, and higher education. http://www.cep-dc.org/pubs/LatestGoodNews/LatestGoodNewsAug05.pdf |
| 10/21/2005 The US Dept of Education has published Fiscal Year 2005 Title I allocations by school district. To find your school district, click on Kansas and then look for your school district. http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/titlei/fy05/index.html |
10/21/2005 A Practical Guide to Promoting America's Public Schools: Values, Vision and Performance. The Guide provides practical advice on communicating about public education with parents, the public and others. http://www.learningfirst.org/publications/pubschools/ |
10/21/2005 FOCUSING ON STUDENT PERFORMANCE THROUGH ACCOUNTABILITY States face new challenges as they adapt to the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. This report from Southern Regional Education Board reviews selected states' progress in implementing their accountability systems and in improving student performance in all groups. http://www.sreb.org/main/Goals/Publications/Accountability.asp |
10/20/2005 As parents prepare for a new school year, some may be wondering about special education services for their children. Suzanne Ripley addresses some basic questions parents may have about special education services. http://www.aed.org/Education/US/speced101.cfm |
10/14/2005 The USDE has published an up-to-date 12 page parent publication: No Child Left Behind: What Parents Need to Know, which you can view on-line at http://www.ed.gov/nclb/overview/intro/parents/know.pdf |
9/22/2005 A new monthly electronic newsletter for preK-12 educators of English language learners (ELLs) brought to you by Reading Rockets and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). http://www.colorincolorado.org/newsletter/ |
| 9/16/2005 Read to a Tot, "No Matter What" Kansas Reads….to Preschoolers is a project of the Kansas State Library created to highlight the importance of reading to children, and also to highlight the library as a renewable resource of reading material. The goal is that every Kansas child between the ages of 0 – 5 (all 226,453 of them!!) will be read to during National Children’s Book Week, November 14 – 20, 2005. Governor Sebilius is the honorary chair of the project. A website is currently under construction for the Kansas Reads project at www.kansasreadstokids.org. |
| 9/16/2005 The US Dept of Education has published Fiscal Year 2005 Title I allocations by school district. To find your school district, click on Kansas and then look for your school district. http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/titlei/fy05/index.html |
9/15/2005 THE METLIFE SURVEY OF THE AMERICAN TEACHER 2005 "The MetLife Survey of the American Teacher: Transitions and the Role of Supportive Relationships" examines the experiences of teachers, principals, and secondary school students entering a new school; the degree to which personal connections affect their attitudes toward work and school; and the importance, and challenges of, parent involvement. http://www.metlife.com/teachersurvey |
9/15/2005 Hurricane Help for Schools Providing Supplies for Schools Serving Students Displaced by Hurricane Katrina http://www.projectappleseed.org/ |
5/31/2005 NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND: A PROGRESSIVE RESPONSE New Politics (NP) journal has published the contributions of researchers and activists who were invited by NP to analyze the origins and impact of NCLB, as well as the contours of a genuinely progressive response. All of the contributors identify critical problems with NCLB, but they differ on whether progressives should press to eliminate or reform the legislation. http://www.wpunj.edu/newpol/issue38/edintro38.htm |
5/31/2005 THE INEVITABLE CORRUPTION OF INDICATORS & EDUCATORS THROUGH HIGH-STAKES TESTING America's public schools are setting goals and making harmful, irreversible decisions based on test results that in an increasing number of cases can't be trusted, said an independent study from the Education Policy Research Unit at Arizona State University. The report, made possible by a grant from the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice, determined that the pressure of high-stakes tests is forcing school districts to take short cuts to avoid being labeled as failing for not meeting certain benchmarks. http://www.greatlakescenter.org/pdf/EPSL-0503-101-EPRU.pdf |
4/18/2005
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| 4/18/2005 IMPROVE STUDENT PERFORMANCE Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative The U.S. Department of Education’s Teacher-to-Teacher initiative is continuing to support teachers throughout the country by offering free online professional development opportunities. Thousands of teachers have now viewed the Department’s free online professional development sessions, which focus on improving teachers' content knowledge and teaching skills in reading, math and science. http://www.ed.gov/teachers/how/tools/initiative/index.html |
4/11/2005 http://fitness.nekesc.org |
4/8/2005 Secretary Spellings announced today a more workable, "common sense" approach to implementing No Child Left Behind. Under the new approach, states will have additional alternatives and flexibility if they can show they are raising student achievement and closing the achievement gap. Raising Achievement: A New Path includes the four key principles of No Child Left Behind. http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2005/04/04072005.html |
| 4/8/2005 The White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, along with the Centers for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives-located in 10 federal agencies-are working to support the essential efforts of these important organizations. Their goal is to ensure that grassroots leaders are able to compete on an equal footing with other organizations for federal dollars, receive greater private support and face fewer bureaucratic barriers. http://www.ed.gov/about/inits/list/fbci/index.html |
4/8/2005 The Public Education Network (PEN) recently released "Open to the Public: Speaking Out on 'No Child Left Behind'," a report on public hearings PEN held around the nation and an online survey it conducted on the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The purpose of the hearings and survey was to hear from parents, students, and community members about their experiences with NCLB. http://www.publiceducation.org/portals/nclb/hearings/national/Open_to_the_Public.pdf |
4/6/2005
How to Help Your Child Become a Better Reader Download PDF 309 KB (All Color Version) Spanish Version PDF 340KB Order Now This 14-page booklet is a guide for parents on how they can listen to their children read, with suggestions on how to help their children with difficult words, while not stepping in and doing the reading for them. |
3/8/2005 Robert Freeman, for Common Dreams, writes that public education is the most important democratizing institution in America today and shares the success of public schools, that often gets overlooked and underemphasized in this era of increased privatization and accountability in the United States. He presents the controversy and dilemmas facing public schools for the public good. http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0103-22.htm |
| 3/8/2005 THE NEXT FOUR YEARS President Bush's education centerpiece, NCLB was hailed as a bipartisan benchmark when it was signed into law three years ago. The legislation has resulted in the greatest level of federal involvement in education in history, and its implementation has prompted questions about testing, accountability, funding, and the future of local school control. As Bush takes office for his second term, with a Republican-controlled Congress and a new education secretary in place, American School Board Journal decided to conduct a virtual roundtable on what the next four years might hold for education. Managing Editor Glenn Cook posed questions to seven respected education observers -- with views representing the political and ideological spectrum -- who responded in writing. http://www.asbj.com/current/coverstory.html |
3/8/2005 IS IT ETHICAL FOR TEACHERS TO REFUSE TO TEACH IN HIGH-POVERTY SCHOOLS? There's an ethical debate coming your way. It's based on the following facts: (1) Better teaching causes more learning; (2) Experienced teachers are usually better than inexperienced teachers; (3) The gap in student achievement explained by race and class is large; (4) Leaders across the political spectrum, including teacher union leaders, agree that this gap is unacceptable and must be reduced; (5) Districts have had limited success using incentives to convince their best teachers to teach in high-poverty schools; (6) seniority provisions in union contracts generally forbid districts from assigning experienced teachers to high-poverty schools; and (7) Some districts now want to require their best teachers to teach in high-poverty schools. Rob McMahon and Doug Tuthill reviewed these facts with some key union and district leaders, and then asked this question: Is it ethical for teachers to refuse to teach in high-poverty schools? The authors integrated their responses into a fictional exchange between a local union president and a district superintendent. http://www.teacherleaders.org/misc/HTSethics.html |
3/8/2005 National PTA Survey on Local Impact of the No Child Left Behind Act The National PTA surveyed its members about the impact of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) on local schools and districts. Eighty-five percent of respondents believe that NCLB is having a positive impact on student achievement. Fifty-five percent of respondents said that parent involvement provisions of NCLB are being implemented in their school or district, but 32% were unsure of the level of implementation and 13% believed that no provisions were implemented in their school. http://www.pta.org/aboutpta/pressroom/pr050217.asp |
3/8/2005 Parent Involvement in Education Grants General Mills' Box Tops for Education will distribute $2,000 Parental Involvement in Education grants to school-sponsored parent groups across the country. Grant applicants should explain how they would use the grant to establish a new family involvement program or enhance an existing program in an innovative and creative way. Applications are due April 1st. www.boxtops4education.com/how/news_article.asp?ART=119 |
| 2/2/2005 New Education Secretary Margaret Spellings Sworn In Secretary Spellings’ remarks are available online at: http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2005/01/01312005.html |
2/21/2005 The Anti-Defamation League(ADL) and the We Are Family Foundation (Foundation) have come together and developed a video bringing together all the cartoon and puppet characters seen on TV to showcase diversity, tolerance, cooperation and a sense of unity and ADL has developed a teaching guide to accompany the video. This is to be mailed out to every elementary school in the country (61,000) on March 11th 2005, courtesy of FedEx. The video and teaching guide are free. http://www.wearefamilyfoundation.org/Article_PR_ChildDVD.htm |
2/2/2005  http://swp.ou.edu/ |
| 2/2/2005 KPIRC Power Point Presentation at the National Title I Conference Atlanta, GA, January 30, 2005 Download PowerPoint 274 KB |
1/28/2005 PROMOTING FAMILY INVOLVEMENT IN CHILD LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT Harvard Family Research Project has just released the Winter 2004/2005 issue of "The Evaluation Exchange." The latest issue's topic is evaluating programs that promote families' involvement in children's learning and development. The new issue compiles the current knowledge base on family support and involvement programs and provides a continuous perspective on family processes surrounding children's learning and development, from a child's early years through adolescence. Articles in the issue address the challenges of evaluating family programs, including the need for conceptual clarity, methodological rigor, accountability, and contextual responsiveness. In an interview with Jeanne Brooks-Gunn she reflects on breakthrough findings and new directions for research, evaluation, and practice in family-focused interventions. Rounding out the issue are examples of ongoing evaluations of parent leadership and organizing programs that are working to ensure that schools serve all children at high standards. http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/content/eval/issue28/winter2004-2005.pdf |
1/28/2005 Bush Outlines High School Students Plans FALLS CHURCH, Va. Jan 12, 2005 — President Bush on Wednesday began his push to require high school students to take the math and reading tests now required of younger students under the No Child Left Behind law, the most ambitious item on the president's slate of second-term education proposals. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=405992 |
1/28/2005 QUALITY COUNTS 2005: FOCUS ON SCHOOL FINANCE Quality Counts 2005, the ninth annual report card on public education in the 50 states, focuses on changing school finance systems and the growing push to link funding to student performance. Education Week's study of the 50 states and the District of Columbia finds that 31 states are considering major changes in how they pay for education or allot money to school districts. The report includes finance snapshots for each state. It also examines how states raise revenue for education, support their "at risk" students, and compensate their teachers. The report also highlights the shift in focus from questions of "equity" to "adequacy," as states begin to explore what it would cost to meet the education goals spelled out in state constitutions. http://www.edweek.org/qc05 |
1/28/2005 Read Across America Day is March 2 The nation's largest reading event is coming soon! Reading Rockets is pleased to be a national partner of NEA's Read Across America. To help your class or school mark this special day, we've created some resources you can download and print. Join in the celebration and encourage kids to read on Read Across America Day and every day. http://www.readingrockets.org/readacross.php |
1/28/2005 2005 KASB Governmental Relations Bulletin. The Bulletin can be found on the KASB Web site at: http://www.kasb.org/05bulletins/grbn101.14.05.pdf |
