MARCH 2002 MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
MARCH 2002 MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
Welcome to the premiere edition of the electronic Middle School
Newsletter, which is sponsored by the California Professional
Development Consortium at the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office.
This newsletter is dedicated to middle grades educator professionals
and is designed to bring you news and current events that impact
grades 6, 7, and 8. An added feature to this publication will be the
focus on “Taking Center Stage: A Commitment to Standards-Based
Education for California’s Middle Grades Students,” our new
California grade-span document. Each month will spotlight one of the
seven key elements highlighted in the document and “hyperlink”
readers to articles, activities and best practices that directly
relate to the theme. This month’s “Taking Center Stage” (TCS) theme
is using “Rigorous Academic Content and Performance Standards” to
ensure student success.
1. “Taking Center Stage”
2. Using “Taking Center Stage” to Improve Achievement
3. California Content Standards Online
4. How Standards Can Improve Student Achievement
5. Links From U. S. Department Of Education
6. Building A Culture for Standards-Based Reform in the Middle Grades
7. Standards: Here Today, Here Tomorrow
8. Standards Library from Eric
9. Education Week Covers the Standards Story
10. Technical Guide for Developing Standards
11. CDE 2002 Fact Book Available Online
12. STAR Updates
13. CELDT Changes
14. ELL Reclassification Process
15. Testing Irregularities
16. Examination Of “No Child Left Behind” Legislation
17. Six Key Teacher Skills Linked To Student Achievement
18. Ten Great Sites Every Middle School Educator Should Know!
19. Report on Service-Learning
20. California Middle Grades Partnership Networks
21. National Middle School Association
22. California League of Middle Schools Annual Conference
23. Youth Websites Serve the Public Good
24. National Gallery of Art: Teacher Institute 2002
25. Grant: Safe School Plans for New Schools
26. Grant: Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program
27. Youth Service Action Fund
28. Oracle Help Us Help Foundation
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1. “TAKING CENTER STAGE”
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The California Department of Education (CDE) has released “Taking
Center Stage: A Commitment to Standards-Based Education for
California’s Middle Grades Students.” This document 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. "Taking Center Stage”
identifies seven key elements and makes sixteen recommendations
designed to ensure each student’s academic success at the middle
level. Copies of this document should already be on bookshelves in
each middle school classroom, however, 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/middle/tcs.html
http://www.cde.ca.gov/cdepress/pubs/ed_reform.html
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2. USING “TAKING CENTER STAGE” TO IMPROVE ACHIEVEMENT
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The California Department of Education (CDE), Middle Grades Office,
provides the following four suggestions for improving student
achievement from “Taking Center Stage,” Chapter 2, pages 19-52:
* Some teachers are farther along than others in implementing a
standards-based classroom. Have the teachers at your school use
the “Classroom Checklist for Implementing Standards”
to self identify where they are. Determine what one area most
teachers need help in. Plan site-based professional development
that helps in this area. (See “Taking Center Stage” page 52)
* Look at the professional reflections at the end of Chapter 2,
especially the second reflection on page 41. With your grade-level
team, review your progress in developing and using benchmark
assessments that parallel and extend the state assessments. What do
you need to know (in your own classroom) to ensure all students are
meeting standards? (See “Taking Center Stage” pages 40-41)
* “Curriculum slippage” often prevents students from learning what
they must learn during their current grade. What can you do to keep
slippage from happening and to provide all students with the
instruction they will need for success in the future? (See Taking
Center Stage, Appendix 2C, page 48-50)
* When the California Standards Tests were added to the API, the API
scores for 64% of the middle schools went down! That means that
many schools were teaching to the SAT 9 tests and not to the
standards. What can you do to ensure that all of the standards are
covered, not just what is measured on the state’s norm-referenced
tests?
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3. CALIFORNIA CONTENT STANDARDS ONLINE
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Electronic versions of the California content standards adopted by
the State Board of Education are available on the California
Department of Education website. The standards are the basis for
curriculum frameworks, K-8 instructional materials adoptions, and
the standards-aligned tests in California's accountability system.
English-Language Arts, English Language Development for English
Learners, Mathematics, History-Social Science, Science, and Visual
and Performing Arts Standards are all available in PDF files on the
website.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/standards/
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4. HOW STANDARDS CAN IMPROVE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
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"How and Why Standards Can Improve Student Achievement: A
Conversation with Robert J. Marzano" appeared in the September 2001
Educational Leadership professional journal published by the
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Marzano
outlines practices that he believes are critical to maximizing the
impact of standards on student learning.
http://www.ascd.org/readingroom/edlead/0109/scherer.html
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5. LINKS FROM U. S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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The United States Department of Education provides links to many
resources in the area of standards-based practice.
http://www.ed.gov/topics/topicsTier2.jsp?&top=Education+Resources
&subtop=Accountability%2C+standards+%26+assessment
For those who could not open this link, copy the entire URL and
paste it into your browser address window.
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6. BUILDING A CULTURE FOR STANDARDS-BASED REFORM IN THE MIDDLE GRADES
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Author Anne Wheelock’s book, Safe to be Smart: Building a Culture for
Standards-Based Reform in the Middle Grades (1998), challenges
educators to examine the reasons why students become detached from
learning. The author delves into issues that include “the promise and
pitfalls of the standards movement,” “the struggle for common
vision,” and “turning rhetoric into practice.” Recognizing the
intensified efforts to incorporate standards reform efforts into both
practice and policy, Wheelock invites educators to “embrace new norms
and routines” so that schools will become places for all students to
“become smart, work hard, and learn through risk-taking and effort.”
An excerpt from the book is available online.
http://www.middleweb.com/WhlckBk.html
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7. STANDARDS: HERE TODAY, HERE TOMORROW
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Leaders of Achieve provide advice about how to make standards-based
reform a success for the long term. This article appeared in the
September 2001 issue of the Educational Leadership professional
journal published by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development (ASCD).
http://www.ascd.org/readingroom/edlead/0109/gandal.html
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8. STANDARDS LIBRARY FROM ERIC
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The Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) Clearinghouse
on Assessment and Evaluation maintains an online library of
publications. Click on the link below, and then scroll down to the
heading "Standards (Academic) and Standard Setting" for the
downloadable library of resources on standards. There is also
an extensive library of research focusing on the impact of Middle
Schools available at this site.
http://ericae.net/scripts/ft/ftcongen.asp?wh1=EDUCATIONAL+QUALITY
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9. EDUCATION WEEK COVERS THE STANDARDS STORY
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Education Week provides easy access to their recent news stories and
interviews in the area of standards. Links to organizations that
work with standards are also provided.
http://www.edweek.org/context/topics/issuespage.cfm?id=55
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10. TECHNICAL GUIDE FOR DEVELOPING STANDARDS
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"A Technical Guide for Revising or Developing Standards and
Benchmarks" discusses the technical issues that underlie the process
of developing or revising content standards and benchmarks. It is
intended primarily for curriculum directors and others who would
like to understand the standards writing and revision process in
detail.
http://www.mcrel.org/products/standards/benchark.asp
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11. CDE 2002 FACT BOOK AVAILABLE ONLINE
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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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12. 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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13. 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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14. 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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15. 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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16. 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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17. SIX KEY TEACHER SKILLS LINKED TO STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
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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. The study identified six approaches that would
increase student achievement regardless of the schools
characteristics or demographics.
http://www.aera.net/communications/news/020121.htm
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18. TEN GREAT SITES EVERY MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATOR SHOULD KNOW!
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Education World (October 1999) has published major sites that middle level
educators can surf to get what they call “virtual survival kits.”
Although this is the 1999 version, you can still access some good
resources, model programs, and best practices. Also look at the
special archives page for articles, subject resources, and other
special themes.
http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr174.shtml
http://www.education-world.com/archives/
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19. 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 2002 report, “Learning in Deed: The Power of
Service-Learning for American Schools,” has recently been published
and is available on the website. The Commission see
service-learning as a means to increase academic and civic
engagement of students.
http://www.servicelearningcommission.org/report.html
Other service-learning websites that include training and
technical assistance 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/
Higher Education National Service-Learning Clearinghouse
http://csf.colorado.edu/sl/index.html
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
MIDDLE SCHOOLS RESOURCES AND UPDATES
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20. CALIFORNIA MIDDLE GRADES PARTNERSHIP NETWORKS
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California is fortunate to have 41 partnership networks, serving
about 450 schools. The common thread of all of these partnerships is
that schools can help other schools improve student achievement.
Sharing is the key to making it happen . . . sharing information;
sharing best practices; sharing solutions; sharing resources; sharing
successes. Four times a year, the coordinators of the Middle Grade
Partnership Networks come together for a two-day meeting. The next
meeting is in Sacramento, April 11-12, 2002. Anyone interested in
starting (or joining) a middle grade partnership in their area is
welcome to attend. Contact the Middle Grades Office at
916-322-1892 or by e-mail at Midnet@cde.ca.gov
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21. NATIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOL ASSOCIATION
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On Tuesday, March 5, the National Middle School Association (NMSA)
has scheduled an interactive webcast, professional development
seminar with continuing education credit. The sessions will be led
by Rick Wormeli, National Board Certified Teacher and well-known
author. The session will focus on “Powerful Practices: Motivating
and Engaging the Middle School Student.” Details may be obtained
on the NMSA website.
http://www.nmsa.org
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22. CALIFORNIA LEAGUE OF MIDDLE SCHOOLS ANNUAL CONFERENCE
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The California League of Middle Schools (CLMS) annual study
conference will be held in San Francisco on March 7-10, 2002. This
year the conference will feature over 500 sessions and outstanding
presenters.
http://www.clms.net
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23. 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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24. NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART: TEACHER INSTITUTE 2002
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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
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25. GRANT: SAFE SCHOOL PLANS FOR NEW SCHOOLS
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The California Department of Education (CDE) announced grants
“to provide funding for new schools to develop required
comprehensive safe school plans.” Recipients may receive a
minimum of $5,000. The application deadline is March 29, 2002.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/funding/profile.asp?id=186
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26. GRANT: COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL REFORM DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM
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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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27. 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 to become involved in their communities through active
service, to recruit more 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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28. ORACLE HELP US HELP FOUNDATION
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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/
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 High School Newsletter, contact Chris to be added to the list.
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