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April 5, 2007 Sign up Forward Archive Advertise News for the Education Profession   Eye on Curriculum    California high school seen as a model for at-risk students Serving students in trouble or on the verge of dropping out of other schools, tiny Chana High School in Auburn has achieved a 100% pass rate on the California High School Exit Exam. Named one of just 13 model continuation high schools in California, Chana offers five vocational programs and partners with local community and technical colleges to allow students to earn college credits while in high school. The Sacramento Bee (Calif.) (free registration) (4/5) Detroit students, educators see value in Mandarin classes Mandarin classes are springing up across the country, but some Detroit students see the class as something more than academic. "The next main place for jobs is China," said Conor Boran, a seventh-grader who wants to learn Chinese so he can teach his father who may need to travel to China for work. Detroit Free Press (4/4) Indulge Your Spontaneous Spirit—With a Little Planning! The best teachable moments are often unexpected. Prepare yourself! Solution Tree Plan Books make it easy to create a year-long plan that allows time for those spontaneous, creative lessons students love best. All plan books are oversized and spiral-bound for quick reference. Make each day count—for you and your students—with Solution Tree Plan Books!   Professional Leadership    Five urban districts named as finalists for scholarships New York City Department of Education, Long Beach Unified, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, San Antonio's Northside Independent School District and Bridgeport, Conn., public school district are finalists for the Broad Prize for Education, an annual competition awarding scholarships totaling $1 million to districts making the greatest progress improving student achievement. The winning district, to be announced Sept. 18, will receive $500,000 in scholarships, with the four other finalists each receiving $125,000 in scholarships. The Sacramento Bee (Calif.)/Associated Press (free registration) (4/4) Cincinnati-area teachers authorize strike notice Northwest School District teachers voted to give negotiators authority to file a 10-day strike notice, with 96% of teachers voting in favor of the preliminary authority. Teachers have been working without a contract since August and are asking for a 3% increase this year and 2% next year to their base salaries, the second lowest in the county; the superintendent says the district doesn't have enough money as five operating tax levies have failed since 2004. The Cincinnati Enquirer (4/4) Other News Connecticut teachers union threatens lawsuit over nonunion instructors The Hartford Courant (Conn.) (4/4) Use manipulatives to make math instruction more effective with the NEW Hands-On Standards: Deluxe Edition resource books for PreK-Grade 4 teachers from ETA/Cuisenaire. View a sample lesson featuring Cuisenaire Rods —the popular math manipulative celebrating 75 years of use!   Learning and Teaching    Study: Highly qualified teachers only mediocre Students in classrooms led by teachers labeled as highly qualified under NCLB on average received "mediocre" instruction, according to a National Institute of Child Health and Human Development study appearing in the March 30 issue of the journal Science. "This pattern of instruction appears inconsistent with aims to add depth to students' understanding," write the authors of the study. Education Week (4/4) Houston-area educators among best in state Eight Houston-area educators won cash prizes for being Excellence in Education Awards finalists and among the best educators in Texas. Six teachers and two principals received $1,000 each and will compete in May with 31 others throughout the state for more than $500,000. Houston Chronicle (4/3) Montana Middle Schools with Success for All's Reading Edge, Show Outstanding Gains on the Montana Criterion Referenced Test (CRT) - Reading scale. (more on Reading Edge)   Technology Solutions    Study: Educational software makes no significant difference Educational software has no significant impact on student performance, according to a long-awaited U.S. Department of Education study released Wednesday evening. Although embraced by many schools, no significant difference was found in test scores of 9,424 students whose teachers were randomly assigned to use one of 15 different software programs compared to those who used no software; industry officials attributed most of the problems to poor training and execution in classrooms. The Washington Post (4/5) , Education Week (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org) (4/4) Technology turns California school around, officials say Sacramento-area school officials say 400 wireless laptops -- worth about $1 million -- have reduced suspension rates by 50% and brought about a sea change in the scores and behavior of its students, many who are poor and 80% who do not have access to computers at home. "I see enthusiasm for learning and wanting to be in school, and that's powerful," said Rita Phillips, elementary schools coordinator with Sacramento City Unified School District. The Sacramento Bee (Calif.) (free registration) (4/5) Ready to level the playing field for your English learners? You can with Imagine Learning English, a delightful multimedia tutoring system for English learners. With individualized instruction, first-language support and instructive feedback, students progress quickly in a safe environment. Click here for a video demo of Imagine Learning English.   Policy Watch  More students with special needs now eligible for simplified tests More children with disabilities would be eligible for simplified tests under NCLB, the Bush administration said in final regulations issued Wednesday. About 10% of students with the most severe special needs are currently eligible for simplified tests that still count toward school goals; under the new regulations, an additional 20% would be eligible for new alternative tests that are considered more difficult than the special tests. San Francisco Chronicle/Associated Press (4/4) Florida bill extends vouchers program Under a new Florida bill, 20,000 foster children and 45,000 juvenile delinquents would be eligible for $3,750 in corporate tax-credit scholarships annually to attend private schools. An existing voucher program for low-income students has been praised by some for doling out less in scholarships than would have been spent on educating each student in public schools; critics say vouchers undermine public schools. The Miami Herald (4/5) The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS) 50% Off NSDC Memberships--10+ schools in your district can join the National Staff Development Council for $59 each, 5+ schools for $79 each. Membership includes publications, web site access, resource discounts, and more. Join by 4/30/07 and get free CDs of annual conference keynotes and lectures. Call 800-727-7288 or visit www.nsdc.org/benefits.pdf today. Free K-12 class resources, customized to what you teach, delivered to you personally. TeachAde is the first Web 2.0 site to send you daily resources from trusted content providers matched to your specific teaching interests. No more sifting through multiple websites - TeachAde does the work for you. To begin receiving relevant resources, visit www.teachade.com. Exit Exam Preparation - Diagnostic Math Solution. Carnegie Learning Math Prep is a research-based course specifically developed to improve performance on high stakes exams. Math Prep incorporates content from multiple curricula and is available in several custom state editions and a National Edition. See how Math Prep can improve test performance. Partner with a proven leader in education. Walden University is ranked the No.1 largest online graduate school by enrollment for education by U.S. News & World Report's Special Annual E-Learning Guide. Enhance your leadership skills and achieve your career goals with a Ph.D., Ed.D., or M.S. in Education from Walden. Learn more today. Interested in learning more about advertising in ASCD SmartBrief? Contact Joe Riddle at (202) 737-5500 x228 or jriddle@smartbrief.com.     In the Field  Private providers bank on healthier school lunch demand With some school cafeterias slow to respond to calls for healthier lunches, nearly a dozen private companies are trying to fill the gap by offering fresh fruit, veggies and organic foods without trans fats, additives or preservatives at triple the price of an average school lunch. Most of the companies, such as Brown Bag Naturals, take lunch orders online and make deliveries. USA TODAY (4/4) Oregon Senate votes to replace metal halide bulbs Oregon lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to require schools by July 2008 to install a slightly more expensive bulb that would self-extinguish within 15 minutes should the outer shell be broken after ultraviolet radiation from broken metal halide bulbs may have harmed some Oregon teachers' eyes. An outer glass envelope in the existing bulbs normally prevents the release of UV rays, but when that glass is broken the light keeps burning and may damage corneas or cause rashes. The Oregonian (Portland)/Associated Press (4/4) Other News Foundation commits $500 million to prevent childhood obesity ABC News (4/4)   Association News  Which aspects of UbD are you most comfortable applying? ASCD's homepage is featuring a poll to receive feedback from members, constituents, policymakers and others who care about education. The poll includes related resources to support educators developing curricula and assessments with a focus on developing and deepening students' understanding of important ideas. Take the poll. Have a comment? Share your thoughts on the ASCD blog Strategies for Designing, Implementing and Evaluating Professional Development: An ASCD Action Tool Because the needs of each school or district are unique, ASCD provides an action tool to help educators plan, implement and evaluate professional development to develop a successful and effective program. This toolbox guides educators through the process of identifying the need for professional development, determining the components to include in the plan, and selecting the best tools to accomplish the goals. Learn more. Learn more about ASCD -> Home Page  |  Membership  |  News  |  Store  |  Initiatives Director of Program Development Committee for Children Seattle, WA Program Developer Committee for Children Seattle, WA Principal Baltimore Edison Schools Baltimore, MD Principal---Upcoming Career/Networking Event! Chicago Public Schools Chicago, IL Consultants National Urban Alliance National Principal, Andrew H. Wilson Charter School Edison Schools New Orleans, LA Philadelphia Principals Edison Schools Philadelphia, PA EducationalTechnology Opportunity McREL Denver, Colorado Dean of Instruction YES Prep Public Schools Houston, TX Instructional Coach YES Prep Public Schools Houston, TX Teaching Positions ADVANCE BATON ROUGE Baton Rouge Principal of an Elementary Public Charter School Archimedean Academy Inc. Archimedean Academy, Miami Florida Administrative & Special Ed - multiple postings CSP Mgt. Inc. Howell, Michigan Headmaster/Principal Durham Nativity School Durham, NC Teacher of Biology, Chemistry Our Lady of Lourdes Academy Miami,FL   SmartQuote  Look at all the positives and negatives of a situation, and then go back to one thing -- what your heart tells you." --Chris Weinke, Heisman Trophy winner, professional football player     Subscriber Tools       Print friendly format | Web version | Search past news | Archive | Privacy policy Advertise Sales Account Director:  Joe Riddle 202-737-5500 x 228 Download Media Kit Job Board:  Lee Vanderwerff 202-737-5500 x 248   Read more at SmartBrief.com A powerful Web site for SmartBrief readers including: Readers' Choice Search Archive Who's Hiring? 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