MARCH 2002 HIGH SCHOOL E-NEWSLETTER
MARCH 2002 HIGH SCHOOL E-NEWSLETTER
1. CAHSEE Item Analysis Reports
2. CAHSEE Results Reports
3. ETS CAHSEE Administration Training Video Available
4. STAR Updates
5. CELDT Changes
6. ELL Reclassification Process
7. Testing Irregularities
8. Report on Service-Learning
9. Examination of “No Child Left Behind” Legislation
10. Six Key Teacher Skills Linked to Student Achievement
11. High School At Attention
12. Black Ministers Start Inner-City Schools
13. State-by-State Comparison of H.S. Exit Exams
14. CDE 2002 Fact Book Available Online
15. “Setting High Academic Standards for Alternative Education”
16. Case Studies on High School Restructuring
17. The Limits of Change
18. Federal Law Allows Students to Opt Out of NAEP
19. Effects of Whole School Reform Questioned
20. “Take Our Daughters To Work Day” Pays Off
21. Teen Online World Explored
22. Youth Websites Serve the Public Good
23. Resources for Cesar Chavez Day
24. Earthwatch Education Awards Program
25. Youth Service Action Fund
26. Oracle Help Us Help Foundation
27. Grant: Family Empowerment Centers on Disability Grants
28. Grant: Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program
29. Grant: Safe Schools Plans for New Schools
30. National Gallery of Art: Teacher Institute 2002
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1. CAHSEE ITEM ANALYSIS REPORTS
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State-level items analysis reports for the March and May 2001
administrations of the CAHSEE are now available on the CDE Website.
Item analysis reports at the local level were distributed to districts and
county offices in September of 2001. These reports, used in combination
with the released items, are superb tools for assessing strengths and
weaknesses in student learning, designing focused intervention
approaches, and developing professional development plans.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/statetests/cahsee/itemstatistics.html
The corresponding released items can be found at
http://www.cde.ca.gov/statetests/cahsee/
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2. CAHSEE RESULTS REPORTS
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Aggregate reports of CAHSEE 2001 results can be accessed for schools,
districts, counties, and the state. These reports display results
for all students and subgroups including gender, race/ethnicity,
language fluency, economic status, and special education program
participation. The mathematics and English/language arts results are
reported separately. No individual student results are reported.
The information on this Web site will be updated with each
administration of the CAHSEE.
http://cahsee.cde.ca.gov/2001/availablereports.html
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3. ETS CAHSEE ADMINISTRATION TRAINING VIDEO AVAILABLE
=============================
A one-hour training video for the administration of the 2002 CAHSEE,
developed by Educational Testing Service (ETS), is available for
district and school testing coordinators. The video incorporates
portions of the training sessions conducted by ETS at six sites
across California in January. This training video is intended for
district and school testing coordinators who did not attend the
testing sessions, including those at charter schools or at non-public
schools that serve special needs students. Addressing key
procedures involved in a successful test administration session,
the video is intended as a supplement to the CAHSEE administration
manuals. Topics covered in the video include handling test
materials, maintaining test security, choosing testing facilities,
and dealing with emergency situations. To order a free copy of the
video, contact the ETS CAHSEE Customer Service at 800-241-5687
(toll-free telephone) or send an order request with your name, phone
number, mailing address, and district to CAHSEE-Support@ets.org
(e-mail). The CAHSEE administration manuals are available on the
ETS website.
http://www.ets.org/cahsee.
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4. STAR UPDATES
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The 2001 STAR Staff Development Guide has been approved by the SBE
and is now posted on the STAR Web site. This document is in three
sections for easier downloading, and includes new assistance
materials for working with English language learners. Check the
STAR Web site for a soon-to-be-posted Q&A document containing
answers to frequently asked questions about the administration of
the STAR.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/statetests/star/star.html
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5. CELDT CHANGES
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In the February meeting, the SBE approved changes to the CELDT
designed to improve the administration and reduce the burden to local
schools and districts. Students who perform at the proficient level
(Early Advanced or higher) on the Listening and Speaking portion of
the test in 2001-2002 will not take that component of the test in
2002-2003 provided they are within the same grade-level span.
In order to waive the Listening and Speaking portion of the CELDT,
schools will be required to provide the student’s 2001 score on this
component of the test. A simplified scoring sheet will also be
developed and administered. Check the CELDT Web site for updates
on this test prepared by the CDE Standards and Assessment Division,
and a Q&A document containing answers to frequently asked questions
about the administration of the CELDT.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/statetests/celdt/celdt.html
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6. ELL RECLASSIFICATION PROCESS
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Districts are expected to design and operate a plan for
reclassifying English language learners that reflects state law and
the regulations adopted by the SBE. District plans must incorporate
the following criteria in the reclassification decision:
1)Assessment of English language proficiency using the CELDT,
2) teacher evaluation, 3) parent option and consultation, and
4) comparison of performance in basic skills. Additional criteria
may be used to evaluate students for reclassification. It is
recommended districts prepare all the preliminary paperwork needed
to reclassify students and finalize it when they receive the CELDT scores.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/regulations/
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7. TESTING IRREGULARITIES
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With spring testing around the corner, districts are reminded of
their responsibilities regarding testing irregularities. A testing
irregularity that should be reported is considered any situation that
deviates from the testing administration requirements.
Irregularities for any of the California assessments such as STAR,
GSE or CELDT must be reported to the CDE via e-mail at
star@cde.ca.gov or in writing to Phil Spears, Director, Standards
and Assessment Division, CDE, 721 Capitol Mall, 6th Floor,
Sacramento, CA 95814. The CDE will evaluate all reports to determine
what action, if any, should be taken. With respect to irregularities
on the CAHSEE, testing administrators should complete the
Irregularity Report form found in the District or School
Coordinators’ Manuals, and return it with the scorable materials
to ETS. ETS will review and forward reports to the CDE, if
appropriate. Testing irregularities involving voluntary, private
tests such as AP or SAT should be directed to the respective testing
company.
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8. REPORT ON SERVICE-LEARNING
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The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, long an advocate of service-learning,
appointed and funded the National Commission on Service Learning to
study the state of the practice of service learning in schools. The
Commission’s report, “Learning in Deed: The Power of Service-Learning
for American Schools,” has recently been published and is available
on the website. The Commission sees service-learning as a means to
increase academic and civic engagement of students.
http://www.servicelearningcommission.org/report.html
Other service-learning websites that provide training and technical
assistance in service-learning are:
The Learn and Serve website from the Corporation for National and
Community Service
http://www.cns.gov/learn/index.html
National Service-Learning Clearinghouse
http://www.servicelearning.org
National Youth Leadership Council
http://nylc.org/
CalServe K-12 Service-Learning Initiative
http://www.cde.ca.gov/calserve/
The Constitutional Rights Foundation
http://www.crf-usa.org/
Youth Service California
http://www.yscal.org/
Close Up Foundation
http://www.closeup.org
Higher Education National Service-Learning Clearinghouse
http://csf.colorado.edu/sl/index.html
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9. EXAMINATION OF “NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND” LEGISLATION
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Just one month after President Bush signed the “No Child Left Behind”
educational initiative, the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation has
published a series of conference papers posing questions about the
legislation and offering an analysis of difficulties that national,
state, and school leaders will have in implementing the law. The
testing and accountability features are a particular focus of the
papers. The papers offer suggestions about ways in which these
problems may be overcome.
http://www.edexcellence.net/NCLBconference/NCLBconferenceindex.html
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10. SIX KEY TEACHER SKILLS LINKED TO STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
=============================
University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY)
researcher, Judith Langer has identified key effective teaching
skills that educators need to insure higher student performance in
reading, writing and English among middle and high school students.
As reported in a news release by the American Educational Research
Association (1-21-02), the study evaluated 88 classes in
Florida, New York, California and Texas over a two-year period, and
identified six approaches that would increase student achievement.
http://www.aera.net/communications/news/020121.htm
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11. HIGH SCHOOL AT ATTENTION
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An MSNBC Newsweek article (2002), “High School at Attention” examines
the growing development of military-style public schools. Both the
pros and cons of this new development in schools are explored.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/686928.asp
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12. BLACK MINISTERS START INNER-CITY SCHOOLS
=============================
A Christian Science Monitor article (1-29-02) reports on the
frustrations surrounding the “slow pace of school reform and the
widening gap in educational achievement between cities and suburbs.
African-American families in major urban areas are turning to what
has long been the institutional cornerstone of inner-city communities
--the churches--as their last, best hope for change.” Examples of
both private and private-public school efforts are noted.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0129/p17s01-lecs.html
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13. STATE-BY-STATE COMPARISON OF H.S. EXIT EXAMS
=============================
The National Governors’ Association has published a matrix of the
states that require high school graduation examinations as of
January 1, 2002. Twenty-three states now require some type of
standardized assessment as part of their educational accountability
ystem. A second matrix lists the three states that allow waivers to
the assessment. Listed on both matrixes are the telephone and
website contacts for each state.
http://www.nga.org/cda/files/2001EXITEXAMMATRIX.pdf
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14. CDE 2002 FACT BOOK AVAILABLE ONLINE
=============================
The California Department of Education (CDE) has made its 2002
Fact Book available online. This 119-page document is a “collection
of statistics and information on a variety of subjects and issues
concerning education in California. It is designed to aid reporters
covering education and to serve as a reference for educators,
legislators, and the general public.” Printed copies are not
available.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/resrc/factbook/factbook02.pdf
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15. “SETTING HIGH ACADEMIC STANDARDS FOR ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION”
=============================
The December, 2001 Issues Brief from the National Governors’
Association Center for Best Practices notes that “given the growing
importance of alternative education in the K-12 system, states must
now begin to consider the impact that high academic standards and
high-stakes assessment will have on (students.)” The Issues Brief
states that for students to be successful in the new economy they
must attain a high school diploma; must demonstrate achievement
at higher academic levels; and must exhibit clear reasoning,
problem-solving and communication skills.” Citing national
statistics, the Issues Brief further notes “nearly 25 percent of all
students drop out of the ‘traditional’ K-12 education system before
receiving a high school diploma. For many of these young people,
alternative educational programs (nontraditional diploma or
GED-seeking academic programs) provide the ‘last best chance’ to
attain academic success and students are entering these programs at
record rates. In fact, although graduation rates from traditional high
schools have actually decreased over the last 10 years, the rate of
individuals obtaining alternative academic credentials has more than
doubled.”
http://www.nga.org/cda/files/ACADEMICSTNDS.pdf
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16. CASE STUDIES ON HIGH SCHOOL RESTRUCTURING
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“Principal Leadership” (February 2002), a publication of the National
Association of Secondary School Principals, reports on two different
efforts to address the issue of students achievement.
In the article, “Thoughtful School Restructuring,” Junction City
High School (Kansas) records its efforts to turn around a low
performing comprehensive high school. Plagued with most of the
problems facing large high schools in urban and suburban areas, the
high school has taken a systematic approach to changing the culture
and academic performance of its students.
http://www.principals.org/news/pl_thougtful_sr0202.htm
In the article, “One Size Doesn’t Fit All,” the efforts of two very
large Houston (TX) high schools are reported as they work to create
a third smaller high school that will address students who were not
succeeding in the traditional setting. Noted in the article are the
components of the learning structure of the new school as well as
the collaborative efforts that took place to make the school a
reality.
http://www.principals.org/news/pl_onesize_0202.htm
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17. THE LIMITS OF CHANGE
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Richard F. Elmore, writing in the Harvard Education Letter:
Research Online (January-February 2002) reports that
“changing the structure of a school does not change practice. In
fact, the schools that seem to do the best are those that have a
clear idea of what kind of instructional practice they want to
produce, and then design a structure to go with it.” Looking at
the problems with change in schools, the author notes, “We put
an enormous amount of energy into changing structures and usually
leave instructional practice untouched.” He also notes, “The
pathology of American schools is that they know how to change…
What schools do not know how to do is to improve, to engage in
sustained and continuous progress toward a performance goal over
time. So the task is to develop practice around the notion of
improvement.”
http://www.edletter.org/current/limitsofchange.shtml
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18. FEDERAL LAW ALLOWS STUDENTS TO OPT OUT OF NAEP
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Education Week (2-6-02) reports that parents and students will have
the ability to opt out of taking part in the National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP). This option was added to the Federal
K-12 education legislation just before its passage. Education Week
reports that “students, acting on their own, may pick and choose the
questions they answer or even walk out of the test-taking at
any time.” This latest legislation brings into question the
reliability of the NAEP test scores.
http://edweek.org/ew/newstory.cfm?slug=21naep.h21
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19. EFFECTS OF WHOLE SCHOOL REFORM QUESTIONED
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Education Week (1-30-02) reports the concept of “whole school reform”
touted as a federal model to improve public education is coming under
questions. At the same time that the federal budget increased
funding for “comprehensive school reform” in the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 2002, many are questioning a
“one-size-fits-all” model of school reform.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/newstory.cfm?slug=20whole.h21
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20. “TAKE OUR DAUGHTERS TO WORK DAY” PAYS OFF
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Take Our Daughters to Work Day celebrates its 10th anniversary
in 2002. In order to quantify and measure the effect of the
program the Ms. Foundation for Women commissioned a research
study to examine how the day impacts girls' lives. The study shows
that “Americans clearly believe that Take Our Daughters to Work
program increases girls’ interest in education, helps girls retain
their confidence and self-esteem through adolescence, and strengthens
girls’ personal relationships with adults.”
http://www.takeourdaughterstowork.org/wmspage.cfm?parm1=219
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21. TEEN ONLINE WORLD EXPLORED
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“TeenSites.com: A Field Guide to the New Digital Landscape,”
is a report from the Center for Media Education (CME) that explores
the interactive media and electronic cultures currently in vogue with
today’s teenagers.” TeenSites.com explores the new digital culture
and its impact on both technological and economic forces. The Center
for Media Education is a national nonprofit organization that strives
to build quality electronic media for children and families.
http://www.cme.org/teenstudy/index.html
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22. YOUTH WEBSITES SERVE THE PUBLIC GOOD
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What Kids Can Do (WKCD) is a non-profit organization that promotes
and reports the positive aspects of student efforts. The online article,
“Online Activists” describes how youth from age 9 to their early 20’s
are using their knowledge of the Internet and technology to serve a
civic purpose. Websites and organizations have been formed by youth
to serve all types of public causes.
http://www.whatkidscando.org/studentwork/onlineactivists.html
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23. RESOURCES FOR CESAR CHAVEZ DAY
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The Cesar Chavez Day of Service and Learning will be celebrated on
April 11, 2002. The California Department of Education (CDE) has
published a list of resources available and is currently developing a
model curriculum on the life, work and philosophy of Cesar Chavez.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/cesarchavez/resources.html
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24. EARTHWATCH EDUCATION AWARDS PROGRAM
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Founded in 1971, Earthwatch was established as a “coalition of
citizens and scientists working together to sustain the world’s
environment, monitor global change, conserve endangered habitats,
explore the heritage of our peoples, and foster world health and
international cooperation.” Over 8,000 educators as well as high
school students have participated on Earthwatch expeditions.
Participants work alongside leading scientists. Applications for the
education awards program are accepted on a rolling basis and most
decisions will be made during the spring. Awards to participants
range from partial to full grants.
http://www.earthwatch.org/ed/fellowships.html
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25. YOUTH SERVICE ACTION FUND
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The Youth Service Action Fund (YSAF) is a grant program that helps
underwrite youth service projects for National Youth Service Day 2002
on April 26-28th, 2002, and beyond. The grant program encourages
young people o become involved in their communities through active
service, to recruit ore young volunteers, and to promote the value of
youth service to the American public. Twenty-five $500 grants will be
issued over the next two months to both individuals and organizations
for projects to take place on National Youth Service Day.
Application deadline: March 15, 2002.
http://www.ysa.org/nysd/index.html
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26. ORACLE HELP US HELP FOUNDATION
=============================
The Oracle Help Us Help Foundation is a non-profit organization that
assists K-12 public schools and youth organizations in economically
challenged communities through grants of computer equipment and
software. The Foundation's goal is to ensure that all children have
access to Internet technology and learning opportunities that will
enable them to succeed in the 21st century. Grant packages of 50,
30, or 15 computers and related equipment such as printers and
software are available. 2002 application deadlines: May 31,
August 31, and November 30.
http://www.helpushelp.org/
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27. GRANT: FAMILY IMPOWERMENT CENTERS ON DISABILITY GRANTS
=============================
The California Department of Education (CDE) has announced a funding
opportunity for Centers who meet the requirements of SB511, Ch. 4.3
of the Education Code, Sections 56400-56414 that was “enacted to
ensure that children and young adults with disabilities, ages 3 to 22
are provided a free and appropriate public education in accordance
with applicable federal and state law and regulations.” $150,000
plus an additional amount based on region is available per center.
The application deadline is March 11, 2002.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/funding/profile.asp?id=181
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28. GRANT: COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL REFORM DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM
=============================
The Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) is a “federal
program that provides schools in their districts the opportunity to
implement school wide research-based reform strategies designed to
increase student learning and academic achievement. Participating
CSRD schools are part of a nationwide research based effort, with an
emphasis on basic academics and parental involvement. The program
is linked to the California State Board of Education’s (SBE) content
standards in reading/language arts and mathematics and other SBE
adopted content standards.” The application deadline is May 15, 2002.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/funding/profile.asp?id=184
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29. GRANT: SAFE SCHOOL PLANS FOR NEW SCHOOLS
=============================
The California Department of Education (CDE) announced grants “to
provide funding for new schools to develop required comprehensive
safe school plans.” The application deadline is March 29, 2002.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/funding/profile.asp?id=186
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30. NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART: TEACHER INSITITUE 2002
=============================
During July and August 2002, the National Gallery of Art will host
three-person teams of teachers at a six day technology seminar
devoted to planning new electronic educational programs that can be
offered on the Gallery’s Website. A team stipend is available for
this activity. Applications are due March 15, 2002. For more
information, see the National Gallery of Art website.
http://www.nga.gov/education/cyberworkshop.htm
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.
If you wish to receive our free electronic Professional Development
Newsletter or Middle School Newsletter, email or call Chris Doyle to be added to the list.
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