High School E-Newsletter February 2002

The California Department of Education (CDE) has just released "Aiming High: High Schools for the 21st Century." "Aiming High" is designed to support continued implementation of standards-based instruction within the context of California's accountability system, with the goal of raising student achievement. "Aiming High" also reflects the 12 characteristics of effective high schools identified by the U.S. Department of Education. The document includes a "Reflection Tool" that outlines the elements of a standards-based educational system found in effective high schools. Schools can use the "Reflection Tool" to examine the degree to which each of these elements have been implemented at the school site. An "Aiming High" Toolkit will be available to assist districts and schools implement and sustain a standards-based educational system. The CDE will send one copy of "Aiming High" to each district and high school. Additional copies may be ordered from the CDE Press at 1-800-995-4099 for $13.25 each plus tax and shipping. http://www.cde.ca.gov/cdepress/presorder.html http://www.cde.ca.gov/shsd/aimhigh/

2. "NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND": FEDERAL EDUCATION LEGISLATION SIGNED

President Bush has signed the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act entitled "No Child Left Behind." The Act redefines the role of the federal government in K-12 education and includes new mandates for schools receiving federal funds. Information regarding this act can be found on the U.S. Department of Education website. http://www.ed.gov/nclb/

Education Week (1-9-02) reports that the signing of the reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) will set new state and local mandates and increase the role of the federal government in education. Links to a variety of additional resources related to the Act are included in the article. http://www.edweek.com/ew/newstory.cfm?slug=16esea.h21

Education Week (1-9-02) reports that most states are not ready to meet the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) requirement that " will require states to give annual reading and mathematics tests to all students in grades 3-8 no later than the 2005-06 school year. Under the legislation, states may select and design tests of their choosing, but they must be aligned with the states’ respective academic standards. http://www.edweek.com/ew/newstory.cfm?slug=16test.h21

The House Education and Workforce Committee provides an online Fact Sheet summarizing key provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act. http://edworkforce.house.gov/issues/107th/education/nclb/accountfact.htm

3. BACKLASH TO ACCOUNTABILITY AND STANDARDS MOVEMENT In a commentary in Education Week (1-9-02), Marc S. Tucker, President of the National Center on Education and the Economy in Washington, contends that the No Child Left Behind legislation will increase the backlash against accountability. Tucker reviews the political and economic origins of the standards and accountability movement and summarizes the various models that have been used to define the American educational system. He stresses the critical importance of bringing about a broad improvement in educational performance across the country. http://www.edweek.com/ew/newstory.cfm?slug=16tucker.h21 4. HISTORY-SOCIAL SCIENCE INSTRUCTIONAL GUIDE RELEASED The California Department of Education (CDE) has released the "History-Social Studies Framework: 2001 Updated Edition with Content Standards." This Framework is an important resource for Standards-based History-Social Science instruction in grades K-12. The document can be ordered on line or by calling the CDE Press at 916-445-1260. http://www.cde.ca.gov/cdepress/news/guide.html

5. LESSONS IN DEMOCRACY "Lessons in Democracy", an article by Kathleen Vail in the National School Boards Journal (January 2002), makes a case for "translating today’s new patriotism into civic understanding and participation." The author offers three suggestions for what schools can do to help students "grow into informed, engaged citizens who understand and appreciate the rights and responsibilities that come with democracy." http://www.asbj.com/2002/01/0102coverstory.html

Other resources on civics education can be found on the following websites:

The Center for Civic Education specializes in information about civic and citizenship education and law-related education. http://www.civiced.org

The Center for Learning and Citizenship is a project of the Education Commission of the States. http://www.ecs.org/html/projectsPartners/clc/CLCCivicMissionSchools.htm

The Constitutional Rights Foundation sponsors law and government and civic participation materials and programs. http://www.crf-usa.org

Facing History and Ourselves is a curriculum that looks at the historical development and legacies of the Holocaust and other instances of collective violence. http://www.facinghistory.org

The California History-Social Science Project examines approaches for effectively teaching History and Social Sciences. http://csmp.ucop.edu/chssp/ 6. 2001 BASE API RELEASE On January 16, 2002 the 2001 Base Academic Performance Index (API), growth targets, and rankings were released for California schools. For the first time the 2001 Base API includes the results of the California Standards Test in English- Language Arts. Over the next few years, the API will be expanded to include other indicators. For example, the 2002 Base API, due to be posted in January of 2003, is anticipated to include results of the California Standards Tests in Mathematics and the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE). The 2001 Base API reports for schools are posted at http://api.cde.ca.gov/

More information about the 2001 Base API results, awards programs, and interventions is available online. http://www.cde.ca.gov/psaa/api

7. 2002 STAR UPDATE The STAR program continues to move toward greater emphasis on the California Standards Tests (CST’s). The new 2002 STAR Student Performance Reports have been revised to highlight the CST results and to include sub-score information for all CST’s. In addition, Spanish-language parent guides have been posted for all grade levels and include sample items. http://www.cde.ca.gov/statetests/star/spanish.html

8. GRADES 8 AND 9 MATHEMATICS CST A California General Mathematics Standards Test will be administered to 8th and 9th graders who are not enrolled in Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II or 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Year Integrated Mathematics. The content of this test will be based on the 6th and 7th grade Mathematics Content Standards. The State Board of Education has not made a determination about the performance standards (levels) for this test.

9. SECONDARY SCIENCE, HISTORY, AND MATHEMATICS CSTs Guidelines have been posted to identify the CST’s required from students in grades 9-11. All students in grades 9-11 are required to take a California History-Social Science Standards Test for their respective grade level. Selected students in grades 9-11 are to take the California Science Standards Test (Earth Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics or one of the four coordinated science tests) based on the highest course completed between 2001 summer school and the end of the 2001-02 school year. Similarly, students in grades 9-11 are to take the California Mathematics Standards Test for the highest course completed by the end of the 2001-02 school year. Students in grades 9-11 who have completed Algebra II or 3rd Year Integrated Mathematics or an equivalent or higher-level course at any time prior to the 2002 STAR administration, including the previous grade, are to take the California High School Mathematics Standards Test. http://www.cde.ca.gov/statetests/star/2002/tested.html

10. STAR DISTRICT COORDINATOR WORKSHOPS OFFERED Harcourt Educational Measurement is conducting STAR District Coordinator workshops during the month of February. The Kern County session is scheduled for February 13, at KCSOS, University Square. Please contact Sandy Cajigas at 619-476-9310 for further information about these and other Harcourt workshops, or visit their website. http://www.startest.com

11. CAHSEE START TIME RECOMMENDATIONS The CDE is recommending that schools and districts begin CAHSEE testing at 9 a.m. each day, and definitely no later than 10 a.m. Please contact ETS at 800-241-5687 if your testing schedule for the March administration cannot be changed to comply with this guideline. 12. CAHSEE STUDENT GUIDE A Student’s Introduction to the California High School Exit Exam is a new Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) publication intended to familiarize students with the types of items found on the CAHSEE. This guide is available at a cost of $1.00/book and is an excellent resource for distribution at upcoming 8th grade orientations. For ordering information please call Pam Post at 562-922-6372.

13. CAHSEE READER RECRUITING The Educational Testing Service (ETS) continues to seek teachers, active or retired, student teachers, graduate students, and non-credentialed holders of Bachelor’s degrees to score the essay portions of the CAHSEE. Online essay scoring sessions are scheduled for March 22-April 15, May 24-June 17, Aug 8-Sept 2, and Nov 22-Dec 16 in 2002. Scorers will work online from their homes using their own equipment, Internet and telephone connections, and phone with e-mail support from trained Scoring Leaders. Applicants who meet the eligibility and technical requirements and successfully certify will become CAHSEE scorers and will be scheduled for scoring sessions based on their availability and need for scorers. Scorers will be paid $14.50 per hour and Scoring Leaders will be paid $18.00 per hour. Participants need not be available for all sessions or 40 hours per week, but must be able to work in pre-scheduled 4-hr blocks of time. To obtain further information about the program, including the hardware, software and telephone requirements, and for an electronic application, please visit the ETS OSN Web site. http://www.ets.org/reader/osn

14. CELDT PLANS In response to concerns expressed by the field, the CDE has developed an improvement plan for the California English Language Development Test (CELDT). Key components of this improvement plan are a reduction in the length of the test, streamlining the scoring process, returning results in a timely manner, and making the test easier to administer. This plan was presented to the State Board of Education (SBE) in January 2002. The SBE heard opposition from seven school districts who advised that the CELDT be left unchanged. No testimony in support of the recommended changes was heard. If you have input regarding the proposed CELDT changes, you may send An e-mail to laxelrod@cde.ca.gov or mmiller@cde.ca.gov. More information about the CELDT program, policies, administration regulations and accommodations is available online. http://www.cde.ca.gov/statetests/celdt http://www.cde.ca.gov/regulations/ 15. SCIENCE IN URBAN HIGH SCHOOLS "Academic Excellence For All Urban Students: Their Accomplishments in Science and Mathematics" a report by Systemic Research, Inc. summarizes the initial findings from the National Science Foundation’s Urban Systemic Initiative (USI) in 22 large urban school districts. "The focus of USI in these districts has been standards-based curriculum and instruction, aligned assessments, policies, professional development, resource alignment, leadership, and partnerships. Overall, the report demonstrates important gains in student achievement, with the largest gains evident in the districts that have been participating in USI the longest." http://systemic.xohost.com/usi/Booklet.pdf

16. THE ART OF PERSONALIZED LEARNING "Principal Leadership" (Nov 2001), a publication of the National Association of Secondary School Principals, includes an article on "The Art of Personalized Learning" by J. Eva Nagel and Patti Smith. The authors make the point that creativity is not simply limited to art education. Creativity can be fostered throughout the high school experience to help students personalize their learning in creative and meaningful ways. http://www.nassp.org/news/pl_prsnlzd_lrng1101.html

17. ABSENCE UNEXCUSED: ENDING TEACHER SHORTAGES IN HIGH-NEED AREAS In a six year study the Urban Institute has documented an innovative teacher preparation program called "Pathways to Teaching Careers." The program draws candidates from nontraditional background such as paraprofessionals and returned Peace Corps volunteers. Training programs produces candidates likelier to teach effectively and remain in the profession longer than traditionally-trained beginning teachers, according to the study. http://www.urban.org/education/absence-unexcused.html

18. CYBERCHEATING The Phi Delta Kappan has an online article by Steve Gardiner entitled "Cybercheating, A New Twist to an Old Problem." In the article, the author lists websites that produce student compositions as well as software and sites that will help instructors match written materials to materials produced by students. http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/k0110gar.htm

19. HELPING STUDENTS SUCCEED AS HIGH SKILLED WORKERS Jobs For the Future is an organization that partners with leaders in education, business, government and communities to "strengthen opportunities for youth to succeed in postsecondary learning and high-skills careers; increase opportunities for low-income individuals to move into family-supported careers; and meet the growing economic demand for knowledge and skilled workers." Its website lists schools and programs that are working successfully in these areas. Click on the area "What We Do." http://www.jff.org/index.html

20. REPORT: TRANSFORMING THE AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL A joint report from the Aspen Institute and Jobs for the Future highlights "key systemic policy issues, large scale change strategies and over-all state and local policy directions" that are necessary to respond to the need for all high school graduates to be highly trained. The new report "Transforming the American High School: New Directions for State and Local Policy" by Michael Cohen is available online. http://www.jff.org/pdfs%20and%20downloads/transforminghs.pdf 21. SCHOOL-TO-WORK INTERMEDIARY PROJECT/NETWORK Jobs for the Future has published a schematic to help schools and districts "strengthen and raise the profile of local organizations that connect schools, workplaces, and other community resources to improve pathways for youth into post secondary learning and careers." This has been done "through research on promising practices, the creation of a 50-member Intermediary Network, peer learning and technical assistance to strengthen leadership and practice among the organizations in the Network, the public information and outreach…" Both the schematic and a brief description of the fifty Network members are found online. http://www.jff.org/pdfs%20and%20downloads/STWIP%20summary.pdf

22. STUDY: LOW WAGE WORKERS AND THE ECONOMY Jobs for the Future has released a study that highlights actions that local, state and national organizations and agencies can take to assist low-wage workers gain skills and play a stronger role in the U.S. economy. The report is available on the website. http://www.jff.org/programs/cluster3/careeradvstrat.html

23. GUIDELINES FOR TEACHING RELIGION IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS The U.S. Department of Education has published guidelines and other resources to assist in teaching about religion in the public schools. http://www.ed.gov/inits/religionandschools/

The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development publication "Religion in American History: What to Teach and How" can be downloaded online from the Freedom Forum website. A variety of related resources can also be accessed online. http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=13553

24. TECHSOUP: TECHNOLOGY RESOURCE NETWORK TechSoup.org offers nonprofits assistance and information resources for meeting their technology needs. A variety of resources are available online. TechSoup is powered by CompuMentor, a nonprofit technology assistance agency. http://www.techsoup.org/sub_resources.cfm

====================================== 25. YOUTH IN ACTION AWARDS The Foundation of America’s 2002 Youth in Action Awards program recognizes young people’s efforts to improve their communities. Nominees may self-nominate or others may nominate a student. Winners will receive $1,000 grants for ongoing youth initiated projects. Submissions are due by March 31, 2002. http://www.youthlink.org/us/awards.php

26. RESOURCE: FOUNDATION FINDER The Foundation Center has a website that helps in a search of a broad base of information concerning foundations and grant makers. http://fdncenter.org/funders/

27. SCHOOL GRANTS RESOURCE The School Grants website is a collection of resources for K-12 educators to help them identify and apply for special grants for a variety of projects. http://www.schoolgrants.org

28. eSCHOOL NEWS SCHOOL FUNDING CENTER This website provides daily updated information on up-to-the-minute grant programs, funding sources, and technology funding information. http://www.eschoolnews.com/resources/funding/

29. GRANT: LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES GLOBAL SCIENCE SCHOLARS PROGRAM The Global Science Scholars Program was established by Lucent Technologies Foundation to encourage the world’s youth to pursue careers in technology. The program recognizes and rewards students in the United States and 17 other countries and regions who have made significant achievements in math and science. Winners of the Global Science Scholars competition receive a one-time financial award of $5,000. In the United States the competition is open to all high school seniors. Application deadline: March 15, 2002. http://www.iie.org/pgms/lucent/usa/

30. GRANT: FIRST AMENDMENT SCHOOLS The First Amendment Project, co-sponsored by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the First Amendment Center, will award 10 grants of $12,000 each. "Project schools will use the grant funds, along with other resources the project provides, to transform how the school community models and teachers the rights and responsibilities that flow from the First Amendment." K-12 public and private U.S. Schools are eligible to apply. The application deadline is March 15, 2002. Application information is available online. http://webserver2.ascd.org/web/firstamendment/FLASHINTRO.cfm

31. GRANT: GIFTED AND TALENTED EDUCATION The California Department of Education (CDE) announced funding that "supports unique opportunities for high-achieving and underachieving students (in K-12 public schools) who are identified as gifted and talented. Special efforts shall be made to include students from economically disadvantaged and varying cultural backgrounds. The Legislature supports the development of a variety of program options and approaches to identification as long as this does not diminish service to identified students." The application deadline is June 15, 2002. http://www.cde.ca.gov/funding/profile.asp?id=158

32. GRANT: GENDER EQUITY TRAIN-THE-TRAINERS GRANTS (AB908) The California Department of Education (CDE) announced a Request for Applications that will be used "to award up to 20 train-the-trainer grants of $5,000 each to LEA’s (Local Education Agencies) to establish a program of professional development in the identification and elimination of gender bias and inequity in California LEA’s." No match is required. The application deadline is February 15, 2002. http://www.cde.ca.gov/funding/profile.asp?id=179

33. CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP BROADCAST SERIES This six part series profiles a different California school in each program that has been successful in their quest to improve the achievement of students typically left behind. KETN is broadcasting all programs at 11-12 noon on Fridays; remaining broadcasts are scheduled for: Program #4 - March 15; Program #5 – April 26, Program #6 – June 7. All programs are also being taped and will be available for check-out from the KCSOS Media Services. Call 852-5846 for more information or do an on line keyword search: http://learning.kern.org/media.

This electronic newsletter is sponsored by the Region 8 California Professional Development Consortium (CPDC) administered by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office. For more information about the CPDC call Christina Doyle at (661) 636-4331 or send a fax to (661) 636-4135. To subscribe or unsubscribe from this newsletter, email cdoyle@kern.org, or send a fax to (661) 636-4135.

If you wish to receive our free electronic Professional Development Newsletter, email Christina Doyle at cdoyle@kern.org or send a fax to (661) 636-4135.

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