Return-Path: <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id j5AG4PG04929; Fri, 10 Jun 2005 12:04:25 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2005 12:04:25 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <008901c56dc5$6173c890$6e099b04@air.org> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Mary Ann Corley" <macorley1@earthlink.net> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-POVRACELIT:1510] PEN Weekly NewsBlast for June 10, 2005 X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1409 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 10444 Lines: 190 Dear NIFL-Povracelit List Subscribers: Following are selected articles from this week's Newsblast from the Public Education Network that you may find interesting, particularly the following: STRATEGIES FOR CLOSING ACHIEVEMENT GAPS; MAKING ROOM FOR LITERACY IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS; and TEN WAYS TO MAKE SCHOOLS GREAT PLACES TO LEARN & WORK. You also may find others of interest, if you scroll down a bit. Also included is information about grant writing tips, and there's a good "quote of the week." Enjoy. -Mary Ann Corley NIFL-Povracelit List Moderator ***************************************************** Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2005 11:31 PM Subject: PEN Weekly NewsBlast for June 10, 2005 Public Education Network Weekly NewsBlast "Public Involvement. Public Education. Public Benefit." ******************************************************** QUOTE OF THE WEEK "Stop trying to make schools great schools and take up the task of trying to make teachers great teachers. Never in my life have I heard a friend or colleague say, 'That school changed my life.' Hundreds of times I have heard people I respect say, 'That teacher changed my life.' And it goes without saying that great teachers are doubly precious in lousy schools. So let us work at . helping teachers teach better, and let us succeed at that task before we take up the next one." -Peter Temes (educator/author) STRATEGIES FOR CLOSING ACHEIVEMENT GAPS A new guide from the National Education Association provides a multi-themed approach to closing the achievement gaps -- focusing on Culture, Abilities, Resilience, and Effort (C.A.R.E.). The guide helps educators reflect on the causes of disparity in student achievement and explore ways to improve academic success by using innovative, research-based instructional strategies. By focusing on the themes of cultural, economic and language differences; unrecognized and undeveloped abilities; the power of resilience; and the importance of effort and motivation, "C.A.R.E.: Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gaps" advances the idea that if educators view these qualities of students as strengths, rather than deficits, they can be successful in closing achievement gaps. http://www.nea.org/teachexperience/careguide.html MAKING ROOM FOR LITERACY IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS According to WestEd, more than ever, high school students need an understanding of how to read critically and fluently, translating the meaning and purpose of text. When students reach middle and high school, the demands on their reading abilities undergo a significant shift -- from primarily narrative texts to complex expository material. So how can we explain why so many students cannot crack the nonfiction code? Why do their interest and skills in reading decline precisely when the demands of literacy begin to soar? One solution is to integrate literacy throughout the curriculum and culture of schools by dramatically changing the way educators think about reading instruction. http://www.wested.org/cs/we/view/rs/776 GAY RIGHTS BATTLEFIELDS SPREAD TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS Emboldened by the political right's growing influence on public policy, opponents of school activities aimed at educating students about homosexuality or promoting acceptance of gay people are mounting challenges to such programs, at individual schools, at statehouses and in Congress. The growing conflicts are centering on three issues: whether classrooms are an appropriate venue to explore issues of homosexuality, whether schools should lend sanction to extracurricular activities in which gay culture is a focus and whether textbooks that acknowledge homosexual relationships are suitable for younger children. In many cases, reports Michael Janofsky, the opponents have been successful. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/09/education/09clash.html TEN WAYS TO MAKE SCHOOLS GREAT PLACES TO LEARN & WORK Improving teacher morale can produce enormous benefits for school districts and schools, including reducing costly staff turnover and improving the student learning environment, according to the cover story of the June issue of American School Board Journal, The cover story, by Kathleen Vail, outlines 10 steps designed to improve the work environment in schools: (1) Support new teachers; (2) Clue into climate; (3) Empower teachers and staff; (4) Recognize and reward teachers and staff; (5) Don't ignore administrator morale; (6) Deal with student discipline; (7) Treat teachers like professionals; (8) Ask employees what's going on; (9) Keep facilities tidy; and (10) Develop emotional IQ. The article points out that almost half of all new teachers leave the profession during the first five years and the average cost of recruiting, hiring, and preparing a new teacher is $50,000. Teachers also should be provided professional development and time to collaborate with colleagues. http://www.asbj.com/ CONSERVATIVES SEE LIBERAL BIAS IN CLASS, AND MOBILIZE Concerned that public schools are becoming sites of liberal indoctrination, activists have generated a wave of efforts to limit what teachers may discuss and to bring more conservative views into the classroom. After all, they say, if related campaigns can help rein in doctrinaire faculty on college campuses, why not in K-12 education as well? It's an important battle front, proponents say, because younger students are more impressionable. They are concerned about multicultural lesson plans that go into detail about the Muslim faith, and cite incidents such as a young child being reprimanded by a teacher for writing about wanting to become a soldier. So far this year, at least 14 state legislatures have considered bills aimed at colleges that would restrict professors and establish grievance procedures for students who perceive political bias in teaching. None have become law, but the movement has momentum, reports G. Jeffrey MacDonald. http://www.christiansciencemonitor.com/2005/0606/p01s03-legn.html WHY THE PUBLIC IS LOSING FAITH IN THE NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND LAW In the nearly four years since Congress enacted the No Child Left Behind Act, states have been under considerable pressure to comply with certain requirements, such as implementing standards-based tests in reading and math, disaggregating student-achievement data, and giving parents the option to transfer kids out of failing schools. But another of the law's goals -- increasing parent and community involvement in the public schools -- has received far less scrutiny, even though it was mentioned over a hundred times in the legislation. Explicitly, the No Child Left Behind Act promised to give citizens more opportunities to see what goes on in local schools, to become well informed about how schools work, and to become more involved in education policy debates, decision making, and accountability in general. But policymakers have turned their backs on the promise of increased public and parental involvement in the schools, writes Wendy D. Puriefoy. Having listened to the concerns of thousands of citizens across the country, the Public Education Network can reach no other conclusion. Rather than bringing people closer to their schools, the No Child Left Behind law is causing many Americans to feel increasingly distrustful of and marginalized by professional educators. http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2005/06/08/39puriefoy.h24.html LESSONS FROM TONY BLAIR'S SCHOOL REFORMS According to Paul Hill, although our federal government has less leverage than a British ministry, state leaders can act as aggressively as Tony Blair. State governments have constitutional responsibility for education, and there is almost nothing, aside from breaching separation of church and state, that they can't do. States can set standards that require schools to teach core subjects well. States can track students' progress from kindergarten through age 18. Any state can reform its school finance system so that money follows students to schools and school heads control spending. Any state can require struggling schools and districts to form partnerships with private funders and employers. Within the next few years, states with determined governors could create Third Way reforms on the basis of school-level freedom of action and contestability of provision. To do this, governors would need to take some initiatives of their own, but they could also use the leverage No Child Left Behind has given them. http://www.policyreview.org/jun05/hill.html ****************************************** RESOURCES FOR SUCCESSFUL GRANT WRITING "Show Me the Money: Tips & Resources for Successful Grant Writing" Many educators have found that outside funding, in the form of grants, allows them to provide their students with educational experiences and materials their own districts can't afford. Learn how they get those grants -- and how you can get one too. Included: Practical tips to help first-time grant writers get the grants they need. http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/profdev/profdev039.shtml "Department of Education Forecast of Funding" This document lists virtually all programs and competitions under which the Department of Education has invited or expects to invite applications for new awards for FY 2005 and provides actual or estimated deadline dates for the transmittal of applications under these programs. The lists are in the form of charts -- organized according to the Department's principal program offices -- and includes previously announced programs and competitions, as well as those planned for announcement at a later date. Note: This document is advisory only and is not an official application notice of the Department of Education. They expect to provide regular updates to this document. http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/find/edlite-forecast.html "Information on Grants for School Health Programs & Services" http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/funding/index.htm "Grantionary" The Grantionary is a list of grant-related terms and their definitions. http://www.eduplace.com/grants/help/grantionary.html "GrantsAlert" GrantsAlert is a website that helps nonprofits, especially those involved in education, secure the funds they need to continue their important work. http://www.grantsalert.com/ "Grant Writing Tips" SchoolGrants has compiled an excellent set of grant writing tips for those that need help in developing grant proposals. http://www.schoolgrants.org/tips.htm
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