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February 28, 2007

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News for the Education Profession

Eye on Curriculum

Magnets not outperforming traditional schools in N.C. county
As parents across North Carolina sign their children up for magnet schools, a Wake County district report shows that test scores among the specialty schools aren't any better than those of typical programs. Wake's magnet schools are nationally recognized. The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.) (2/28)

Kindergartners have fun with Spanish
The parent-teacher organization at Fort Wright Elementary in Northern Kentucky started a Spanish-language program that helps kindergartners learn numbers and vocabulary early. At the end of the program, the creators throw a party to celebrate what the students have learned. NKY.com (Northern Kentucky) (2/28)

Creating & Recognizing Quality Rubrics from ETS authors Judy Arter and Jan Chappuis examines what good rubrics and performance tasks look like and how to use tasks and rubrics as assessment for learning. Comes free with the training DVD Designing Performance Assessments for Learning. Review the Table of Contents and order here.

Professional Leadership

Baldwin-Whitehall teachers to halt weeklong strike without contract
Teachers in the Baldwin-Whitehall district in Pennsylvania will return to classes on Thursday, although a contract agreement has not yet been reached. Under the state's strike limit, "We could be on strike until Friday, but our team felt that this was in the best interest of students," said Tom Healy of the Pennsylvania State Education Association. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (2/28)

Mediator gives Palm Beach green light on bonus pay
Even after teachers in Palm Beach County (Fla.) turned down the school district's proposed $10 million bonus plan, which ties teacher bonuses to students' test scores, a mediator has stepped in and said the school board should adopt the plan. The board has until March 1 to make a decision. The Palm Beach Post (Fla.) (2/27)

Filled with real examples from K-2 students, What's Next for this Beginning Writer? answers the most common questions about teaching writing and presents a series of writing workshop mini-lessons in a step-by-step format, with examples of conference dialogue & suggestions for monitoring progress. Click here to browse the entire book online!

Technology Solutions

IClicker lets students answer questions quickly
Teachers in colleges across Illinois are using a device called an iclicker, which was developed by physicists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It allows students to answer questions much like in an interactive trivia game, with results showing up on a screen. A next step may be to enable students to respond via text message using their cell phones. Chicago Sun-Times (2/28)

Online school gets grant for pilot teacher ed program
In an attempt to help rural school districts recruit highly qualified teachers, an online private school, Western Governors University, is piloting a new online teacher ed curriculum. The school received a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor and will make scholarships available for candidates to teach in rural areas. eSchool News (free registration) (2/27)

Who will coach the literacy coaches? Choice Literacy is your how-to source on the web. Tools, tips, & strategies from top literacy authors, featuring practical & friendly advice. Workshop guides, videos, templates, observation protocols, and more. Click here to sign up for The Big Fresh, our FREE weekly e-newsletter of resources for literacy leaders.

Policy Watch

Prop 300 limits college access
In Arizona, voter-supported Proposition 300 bars immigrants who can't provide proof of legal residency from receiving state financial aid and requires them to pay out-of-state tuition rates. Illegal immigrants are now pinning their hopes on the proposed federal DREAM Act, which would provide in-state rate options for illegal immigrants raised in the U.S. who graduate high school. The Arizona Republic (Phoenix) (2/28)

Many Calif. schools failing NCLB goals
Just 10 of the hundreds of California schools failing under the No Child Left Behind Act have improved enough in recent years to be removed from the list of faltering schools, a new study shows. The state spends about $70 million annually to help schools that fail benchmarks two years running, but so far, it hasn't exercised the federal option to take over any schools, saying it lacks the resources to do so. San Francisco Chronicle (2/28)

The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)

Adding a complete music curriculum for K-12 has never been easier. From composition to conducting, from theory to stage, Sibelius offers all the tools you need to bring today's finest techniques to students of all ages, all around the globe. Find out how Sibelius can bring out the best in your music education curriculum today.

Assessment in Practice: Creating a School Culture of Learning and Assessment. Written by an educational practitioner for educators, Assessment in Practice provides one of the few comprehensive narratives of how assessment of student learning can be ongoing, practical and inspiring to students, teachers, and administrators. Learn more and order the book at www.teachers21.org.

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.

Proven Strategies for Early Reading Success
LeapFrog SchoolHouse has partnered with respected educator Dr. Marcia Davidson to provide you with current, research-based early literacy assessment and intervention strategies to optimize your early literacy program. Join us and learn what's new and what's working in early reading. Register now.

Interested in learning more about advertising in ASCD SmartBrief? Contact Joe Riddle at (202) 407-7857 or jriddle@smartbrief.com.

In the Field

Small feel taken into account during construction
Some school leaders in Minnesota are building their new high schools with an eye toward avoiding the sprawling "mega" layout that characterizes some facilities, and which some teachers say can make it more difficult for students to bond with one another. Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.) (2/27)

Opinion: Advanced courses aim too low
This writer says National Assessment of Educational Progress scores provide "a bleak snapshot of a high school class that, despite taking tougher classes and earning better grades, isn't showing progress and has even lost ground in reading." According to this writer, the NAEP data also suggest the advanced coursework students are given is not rigorous enough, giving students a false impression of their readiness. Journal and Constitution (Atlanta) (free registration) (2/27)

Association News

Discarding the Deficit Model
Can we help students without undermining their self-confidence and stigmatizing them with a label? Does it matter whether we use the word disability instead of need and challenge? The latest Educational Leadership examines the problems with using "proof of intrinsic deficit" as the main criterion for eligibility for special education services. Read more.
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Vice President, Educational Services	Edison Schools, Inc.	HI, AZ, CO, NV, MO, IL, IA, MN, WI, IN, MI, OH, NY, RI, PA, DC, MD, FL, GA, SC
Master Teacher/Specialist	UTeach Natural Sciences/UT Austin	University of Texas at Austin
Upper School Spanish	Collegiate School	Richmond, VA
Coordinator of Mathematics Instruction	Stephen S. Wise Temple Elementary School	Stephen S. Wise Temple Elementary School in Los Angeles, California 90077
Secondary Educational Consultant	National Urban Alliance	National
Early Childhood Elementary Teachers	The UFT Elementary Charter School	Brooklyn, New York
Chief Academic Officer	Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools	Los Angeles, CA
Chief Academic Officer	Los Angeles Unified School District	Office of the Superintendent
Health and Physical Education Department Chair	Collegiate School	Richmond, VA
Managing Director of Program	Teach For America	Flexible Locations
Program Director	Teach For America	Numerous Locations