Eye on Curriculum

• Does sorting students by ability exacerbate achievement gaps?
  Educators in a New Jersey district are questioning whether grouping students by ability -- called leveling or tracking -- may be perpetuating racial achievement gaps, but teachers and parents are divided on whether embracing mixed-ability classes will solve the problem. Raising expectations in lower-level classes is a goal, says school Superintendent Brian Osborne, but the question remains whether sorting systems undermine students' confidence and send the wrong message. National Public Radio (10/31)

• Denver students shop around to find schools that are the right fit
  Students in Denver are increasingly choosing to attend school outside their neighborhood as part of the district's school-choice program, which allows students to attend a school that best meets their individual needs and learning goals. While there are concerns that low-income students don't have the same transportation options to take advantage of school choice, advocates say it has helped schools. "If there is no choice, then every school and every building has to figure out a way to be everything for everyone who lives in their boundaries," one supporter said. The Denver Post (11/2)

• Pilot software program uses peripheral vision to teach reading
  A Utah district is testing a software program designed to better teach students how to read faster and with better comprehension, using peripheral vision to read more than one word at a time and engage both sides of their brain at once. While some experts remain skeptical, one teacher says she has found success using the eyeQ software with her fifth-graders, particularly building confidence among English-language learners and special-education students. "If they see these big chunks of text, they're not going to be overwhelmed," she said. The Salt Lake Tribune (Utah) (10/31)

NEW! Solving Thorny Behavior Problems. A veteran educator shares practical strategies to help teachers and children solve behavior problems together. Learn classroom-proven techniques that lead to long-lasting change. Click here to read sample chapters.

Professional Leadership

• Texas may link teacher-training programs to student achievement
  A proposed rating system in Texas is aimed at holding teacher-training programs accountable for their graduates' success in the classroom. Given preliminary approval by the State Board for Educator Certification, the rules would use student achievement to help determine which programs are producing the most -- and least -- effective teachers. Final approval could occur in February. Houston Chronicle (11/1)

• Wisconsin should look west for teacher-pay reform model
  Wisconsin can use Denver's ProComp plan as a model as the state considers making changes to long-held policies on the way teachers are compensated, writes education columnist Alan J. Borsuk in this opinion article. While tying teacher pay to student achievement is still barred by Wisconsin state law, he writes that the Denver pay plan has led to more teacher collaboration, an increase in test scores and a greater willingness by teachers to go to high-needs schools. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (10/31)

New from Rick Wormeli! Metaphors & Analogies gives teachers the tools to create those aha! moments when students suddenly understand a difficult concept-across all content areas and grade levels. It will change the way you design lessons and inspire you to dig deep for the right metaphors to reach all of your students. Preview the entire book online!

Hot Topics

Top five news stories selected by ASCD SmartBrief readers in the past week.

• More schools are looking at departmentalizing at elementary level (Harvard Education Letter)

• Researchers look at career patterns, turnover of principals (Education Week (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org))

• Federal data shows a third of states lowered achievement standards (The New York Times (free registration))

• Florida district considers adding Singapore Math curriculum (The Tampa Tribune (Fla.))

• Many students spend years in L.A.'s English-language learning program (Los Angeles Times)

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

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Technology Solutions

• Students learn from new, more interactive generation of video games
  A trend to include gaming in school curricula has students playing a new generation of educational video games that are more social and interactive, allowing students to collaborate and solve problems related to the real world. Video game designers have integrated science, math and language concepts into game mechanics, so they no longer seem to students like schoolwork. The New York Times (free registration) (11/1)

• California districts are using digital math, science textbooks
  Six California school districts are the first in the state to use use digital math and science textbooks -- an option that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced several months ago as a way to improve learning and save money. "We're not going to say that one platform is more effective than the other," said Tom Adams, a state curriculum official. "It will all come down to how effective they are with the student and the teacher." The Press-Enterprise (Riverside, Calif.) (free registration) (11/1)

• Other News

• Nebraska and Apple collaborate on iTunes U site for state educators
  Google/The Associated Press (10/30)

Office Live Workspace: Educational, collaborative … and fun! Teachers at a Pennsylvania middle school found an interesting way to help their students both learn from and team together online to create their school mascot using Office Live Workspace, along with Office and Bing. Check out this video.

Policy Watch

• Schools look at effectiveness of zero-tolerance policies
  Many communities and schools nationwide are rethinking zero-tolerance policies as an effective way to reduce violence and ensure school safety. While some say strict across-the-board disciplinary policies send a strong message about what is acceptable at school, others contend the policies -- which have recently led to students being expelled or suspended for having camping tools or eyebrow clippers at school -- go too far. USA TODAY (11/2)

	The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS) ONLINE CONFERENCE: Building Emotionally Literate Schools: Prevention vs. Intervention — NYC Dept. of Education's Dist.75 serving 23,000 special needs students in collaboration with Dr. Marc Brackett, Associate Director of Health, Emotion & Behavior Laboratory at Yale University presents this webinar for school administrators and teachers. Date: Nov. 19th & Dec. 3rd, 2009 Time: 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm Registration: $95.00 Click here to register. Singapore Math strategies raise test scores! SDE's MathWithMeaning workshops use proven mathematical methods adapted from techniques used in Singapore to help your teachers effectively teach every student, regardless of your school's math program. Here's the proof. Call 1-877-388-2054 today to begin boosting test scores at your school! The Novel Experience is a handy 32-page flipchart that helps teachers and students in grades 4-9 organize a novel program; choose books that match interests and abilities; foster comprehension; process information; and share responses. Includes over 100 categorized book suggestions. Just $11. Click here to order! Starts tomorrow: FREE LIVE WEBCASTS for educators, featuring experts on assessment strategies, using data to improve student learning, gender-responsive education and setting the stage for student learning. Join the Education Quality and Accountability Office's symposium in Canada on November 3 and 4. Click here to view the webcast schedule and register. Interested in learning more about advertising in ASCD SmartBrief? Contact Joe Riddle at (202) 737-5500 x228 or jriddle@smartbrief.com.

In the Field

• Character education is incorporated into school day
  Character Counts! -- a free, national program -- is aimed at building character through daily homeroom lessons and throughout the school day. "We've done self-esteem programs, drug-prevention programs. What's nice about Character Counts! is you can tie it into what you're actually teaching," one Arizona teacher said. The Arizona Republic (Phoenix) (11/1)

• Ex-engineer father writes math textbooks for struggling students
  Frustrated by watching his two sons struggle to learn math, Michigan engineer Nicholas Aggor began writing math textbooks. Aggor, who is originally from Ghana, says he hopes his textbooks will help struggling students reach their full potential. "When students are given effective math textbooks, they can excel. No student is unsalvageable, and ... there are gifted learners even among the poorest-performing students," Aggor says. The Detroit News (11/2)

Association News

• I Do It, You Do It, We Do It
  At ASCD's Conference on Teaching and Learning, author Doug Fisher spoke about the importance of integrating productive group work into structured instruction. Fisher provided evidence for why an effective teacher should provide all levels of effective instruction by moving from focused to guided to collaborative, and finally, to independent work. He disapproves of classrooms where students are expected to sit down and complete an assignment on their own without help from the teacher and without interacting with classmates. In his new book, "Productive Group Work," Fisher and co-author Nancy Frey expound group work as a powerful, sometimes incorrectly used, learning strategy.
  
  • Learn more about the session.
  • Learn more about Fisher's upcoming member book, "Productive Group Work."
  

• 21st-Century Skills to Revolutionize High-Stakes Tests?
  At ASCD's recent Fall Conference, Paige Johnson, global manager of K-12 education for Intel's Corporate Affairs Group, talked about the buzz around teaching 21st-century skills and why it's a worthy topic. An ASCD blog post highlights a development she shared during her presentation about Denmark's pilot of a high-school exit exam in which students will be fully online while taking the test. Read the post for Johnson's thoughts about the implications of this assessment model.
  
  • View the post.
  

K-12 School Teacher The International Educator Int'l Schools Worldwide K - 12 Teachers and Administrators International Schools Services Worldwide Associate Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction Baltimore County Public Schools Towson, MD - Baltimore suburb Director of Accountability National Heritage Academies Grand Rapids, MI Principal- Apex National Heritage Academies Cleveland, OH Executive Director Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy Chattanooga, TN Founding Principal - College Prep Academy Lighthouse Academies Indianapolis Executive Director Primary Source Learning, Inc Arlington, VA Elementary School Principal MEP Services Huron Academy High School Principal East Lyme Public Schools East Lyme, CT Asst. Supt. for Sp. Ed. and Pupil/Personnel Services East Lyme Public Schools East Lyme, CT Principal- Atlanta Heights National Heritage Academies Atlanta, GA Principal- Capstone National Heritage Academies Denver, CO Principal- East Chicago National Heritage Academies East Chicago, IN Prinicipal- Legacy National Heritage Academies Detroit, MI Principal- Brooklyn Bay National Heritage Academies Brooklyn, NY

SmartQuote

Accept the challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory." --George S. Patton Jr., World War II general