Reading this on a mobile device? Try our optimized mobile version here: http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/jigIhMrCCojCkFcwzJ

December 12, 2007 Sign up Forward Archive Advertise News for the Education Profession   Eye on Curriculum    Study: Different elementary math curriculums produce same results A consultant hired by the Pittsburgh Public Schools found no difference in terms of overall effectiveness between the sometimes controversial Everyday Math curriculum used by most of the district, and the more traditional Harcourt Math system used on only a handful of the district's campuses. CBS 21 (Harrisburg, Pa.)/Associated Press (12/12), Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (12/12) Childhood cancer survivors may struggle to find work Increasing numbers of children who beat cancer may have trouble transitioning to the work force, with some 5.6% of survivors never having been employed, almost five times the rate of their siblings, according to a recent study. "We were surprised at the magnitude of the difference," says Debra Friedman, an author of the study. The Wall Street Journal (free content) (12/11) How you talk impacts how children learn. "The Power of Our Words should be a required resource for all K-6 teachers regardless of the number of years they have taught." (Principal, CT) A new book from Responsive Classroom. Click here for details.   Professional Leadership    More new teachers gain experience in student discipline Colleges of education increasingly are offering all students training on handling disruptive students, rather than just those focusing on special education. "We still have more people clamoring for classroom-management training than ever before," said Rosalind LaRocque, an American Federation of Teachers assistant director. "Many teachers don't stay beyond three years, and one of the reasons behind that is you have a behavior problem on the part of the students, and then you have a teacher who is ill-prepared in handling the students." Education Week (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org) (12/11) New teachers more qualified academically than a decade ago Teacher candidates score higher on the SAT than they did a decade ago, and 40% earn GPAs above 3.5, versus 27% who did so previously, according to a new Educational Testing Service study. "I think this is a pretty powerful finding," said Art Wise, president of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, which accredits schools of education. "A new generation of teachers is being formed, and they are, by traditional academic measures, stronger than they were." USA TODAY (12/11) Study: U.S. math teachers lack adequate preparation: U.S. middle-school math teachers are less knowledgeable about algebra, geometry and other advanced math topics than teachers in countries where students score better on international tests, according to a new Michigan State University study. U.S. teachers-in-training studied just 43% of such topics while Taiwanese and Korean future teachers on average covered 79% to 86%. Detroit Free Press (12/11) Michigan special educators' "highly qualified" status uncertain Because Michigan allowed its secondary-school special educators to take certification tests meant for elementary teachers in attaining "highly qualified" status under federal standards, an unknown number of the state's 7,000 secondary special-education teachers likely will lose that designation. The affected teachers have until June 2009 to become highly qualified, a status NCLB requires them to have. Education Week (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org)/Associated Press (12/11) Guided Listening gives you a framework for enhancing read-aloud and other oral language experiences to build comprehension skills and transfer them to independent reading. Includes reproducible graphic organizers, rubrics, and forms for recording student progress. Click here to browse the entire book online!   Technology Solutions    Students flock to classes with high median grades When Cornell University began publishing courses' median grades to give students context for their own scores, students -- especially those with lower SAT scores -- began shopping for classes with higher median grades, according to an as-yet unpublished study. Bloomberg Businessweek (12/11) Other News Kindle not perfect, but may draw new readers, save trees Los Angeles Times (12/9) This Differentiated Instruction reference card from DayOne is jam-packed with strategies, techniques and other best practices. Ideal for any K-12 educator who has mixed-ability classes, this card is also a great resource and training tool for all staff developers and in-service planners. Summarizing the very best of differentiation, this card is an invaluable addition to any professional's plan book! More information.   Policy Watch  N.J. may become first state to mandate flu shots for preschoolers New Jersey preschoolers must be vaccinated annually against the flu and pneumonia, and older students will receive two more shots during their middle-school years, under a New Jersey Public Health Council recommendation expected to be given final approval by the state's health commissioner within a week. "Simply put, implementation of these rules will save lives and prevent disease and suffering in children, their families and the community," said state epidemiologist Dr. Eddy Bresnitz, who is also the deputy health commissioner. NYTimes.com (12/11), The News Journal (Del.) (12/11) Opinion: Mayoral-school board alliances work better than takeovers While mayors may have improved the efficiency and oversight of school system operations in a few large cities, mayors who partner with school boards rather then take over districts are far more successful, writes Anne L. Bryant, executive director of the National School Boards Association. School boards are better equipped to tackle tough educational issues, but partnering with city leaders can certainly help engender community policies that benefit schools, according to Bryant. Education Week (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org) (12/11) Other News Minority-student advocates push Congress for high-school reform Education Week (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org) (12/11) The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS) A holiday gift for you: FREE Shipping from Crystal Springs Books! Hundreds of practical resources for grade PreK-12 educators. Free shipping on orders of $35 or more! Hurry—this special, limited-time offer ends 12/18/07 midnight (ET). Shop now at www.CrystalSpringsBooks.com or call 1-800-321-0401. The 2008 schedule for the Mentoring in the 21st Century™ Institutes led by best-selling author Paula Rutherford is now available. You will be able to take what you learn and implement it in your district when you purchase the Mentoring in the 21st Century™ Resource Kit. Click here for more information on the institutes and the resource kit. Classroom Instruction that Works with ELLs workshop, Jan. 17-18, 2008. Come to McREL in Denver, Colorado for a two-day seminar with Jane Hill, co-author of this popular ASCD book. You'll learn practical, research-based strategies for helping ELL students succeed in mainstream classrooms. To view a calendar of other McREL professional development events in 2008, click here. Interested in learning more about advertising in ASCD SmartBrief? Contact Joe Riddle at (202) 407-7857 or jriddle@smartbrief.com.     In the Field  Survey: U.S. teens less involved overall with illicit drugs U.S. teenagers are less likely to use drugs than a decade ago, but ecstasy and prescription-drug abuse are still at worrying levels, according to a U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse annual report. "The cumulative declines since recent peak levels of drug involvement in the mid-1990s are quite substantial, especially among the youngest students," said University of Michigan researcher Lloyd Johnston. Reuters (12/11) Oregon, Kentucky earn top grades for anti-junk-food policies Oregon and Kentucky have the most effective policies in terms of restricting the sale of high-sugar snacks and soda at schools, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest's second annual report card. Oregon raised its grade from an F to an A- this year as legislators acted to restrict portion sizes as well as the quantity of fat and sugar for all snacks sold on school property. Kentucky is the only other state to have an A- grade, the highest mark achieved this year Education Week (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org) (12/11)   Association News  Informative Assessment: Perspectives/An Answer for the Long Term Educators know the skills and knowledge they impart are important for their students' futures, and they know their students could gain so much more if they came to see the value of long-term learning. Formative assessment is at the heart of teaching for long-term learning. This Educational Leadership article describes what formative assessment is, explains the differences between formative and summative assessments, and examines teachers' understanding of assessment and its impact on student learning. Read more Have a comment: Share it on the ASCD blog Congressional Staff Roles Each member of Congress has staff to assist him/her during a term in office. To be most effective in communicating with Congress, it is helpful to know the titles and principal functions of key staff. As a free online service that connects members, constituents and others interested in education with resources and information to help them speak out on education issues, the ASCD Action Center provides information on each of the congressional staff roles, and allows visitors to find their federal and state policymakers, research legislation, register to vote and voice their opinions to policymakers and members of the media. View the Action Center Learn more about ASCD -> Home  |  Membership  |  ASCD EDge  |  Conferences  |  Shop  |  Press Room Elementary/Secondary Principals Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Charlotte, NC Lecturer, Assistant, Associate or Full Professor - Special Education CUNY City College New York, NY Director Of Elementary Education Fairfield Public Schools/Fairfield, Connecticut Central Office/Fairfield Public Schools Online Adjunct Faculty Wilkes University Online Position System Administrator Friendship Public Charter Schools District Office Technology Support Specialist Friendship Public Charter School District Office Principal National Heritage Academies Cincinnati, Oh; Metro-Detroit, MI; Denver, Co; Washington D.C.; Raleigh, NC; Cincinnati, OH Exceptional Education Teacher Lee County Schools Sanford, North Carolina Principal for Middle School Lee County Schools Sanford, North Carolina Lecturer, Asst, Assoc or Full Professor - Educational Foundations CUNY City College New York, NY Chief Academic Officer St. Louis Public Schools St. Louis, Missouri Lecturer - Secondary Science Education CUNY City College New York, NY Assistant Superintendent of Schools School District of Clayton Clayton, Missouri High School Principal Propel Charter School Munhall PA   SmartQuote  There is no personal charm so great as the charm of a cheerful temperament." --Henry Van Dyke, author, educator and clergyman     Subscriber Tools       Print friendly format | Web version | Search past news | Archive | Privacy policy Advertise Director, SmartBrief Education:  Joe Riddle (202) 407-7857 Download Media Kit Job Board:  Celia Rothschild (202) 470-1159   Read more at SmartBrief.com A powerful website for SmartBrief readers including: Readers' Choice Search Archive Who's Hiring? Grab our News Widget Get this RSS Feed Publish your Press Release Download the SmartBrief Android app       Recent ASCD SmartBrief Issues: Tuesday, December 11, 2007 Monday, December 10, 2007 Friday, December 07, 2007 Thursday, December 06, 2007 Wednesday, December 05, 2007     Lead Editor:  Susan Rush Contributing Editor:  Tammy Oseid     Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 1100 H ST NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005     © 1999-2011 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information