NOVEMBER 2002 HIGH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
1. Corrected CAHSEE Passing Rates
2. Changes to the Star Program
3. New CST Blueprints
4. Case Study on Urban School Systems’ Success
5. “Time for Learning”
6. Inviting Students to Learn
7. High School Students as Researchers
8. Early College High Schools
9. “(Re)Designing Learning Environments”
10. Web Sites Highlight Ways to Motivate Students
11. “Teaching as a Clinical Profession”
12. Lessons Learned on the Effective Use of Technology
13. Handling Chronic or Life-Threatening Student Illness
14. Grant: NEA Foundation
15. Grant: Specialized Secondary Programs
16. Grant: Teaching as a Priority (TAP) Program
17. Grant: Tobacco Use Education Programs
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1. CORRECTED CAHSEE PASSING RATES
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The cumulative passing rates for the Class of 2004 are higher than
first reported. Based on the results from the spring administrations
for both 2001 and 2002, an estimated 73% of students have passed
the ELA section and 53% have passed the mathematics section.
Overall, about 48% of the students have passed both sections of the
CAHSEE.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/news/releases2002/rel31.asp
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2. CHANGES TO THE STAR PROGRAM
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The 2003 STAR program reflects a number of significant changes,
including the following: the CAT-6 replaces the SAT-9 as the norm-
eferenced test; a Grade 8 History/Social Science California Standards
Test (CST) will be administered while the Grade 9 History/Social
Science CST will no longer be administered; and test booklets will
be configured with all CSTs first followed by the norm-referenced
test, or CAT-6 (in the past the items for the two tests were
interspersed in the booklets). For information about all of the
changes in the STAR program, including guidelines for matching
students to appropriate tests and a description of the policy on test
preparation, please review resource material available on the
Web site.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/statetests/northsouth/nsstar.html
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3. NEW CST BLUEPRINTS
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New blueprints for all of the STAR California Standards Tests (CSTs)
have been posted on the Internet. These revised documents highlight
the standards tested and the numbers of multiple-choice questions for
both the previous and new versions of the blueprints. Standards not
assessable in a multiple-choice format are clearly identified with the
notation "NA." The revisions to the blueprints vary by content area.
Summaries of the revisions for each content area are provided in a
preface to each set of blueprints.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/statetests/star/resources/blueprints.html
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4. CASE STUDY ON URBAN SCHOOL SYSTEMS’ SUCCESS
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“While there are 16,850 public school districts in the United States,
one hundred of those districts serve approximately 23 percent of the
nation's students. These districts, many of which are located in
urban areas, also serve 40 percent of the country's minority students
and 30 percent of the economically disadvantaged students.” The
Council of Great City Schools has released a long-term study that
examines actions that urban districts have taken to impact student
achievement. In the report, “Foundations for Success” (September
2002), researchers found that the challenges of urban schools and
districts included: unsatisfactory student achievement; political
conflict; inexperienced teaching staff; low expectations and lack
of demanding curriculum; lack of instructional coherence; high
student mobility; unsatisfactory business practices. The key
findings highlighted the need to establish preconditions to reform.
These preconditions included: focusing on specific student
achievement goals; establishing accountability systems; focusing
on the lowest-performing schools; providing central office support
through professional development programs; promoting the role of the
central office to guide and support the improvement of instruction;
data-driven decision-making; beginning reform at the elementary level
and moving through the grades; providing intensive math and reading
instruction at the middle and high school levels.
http://www.cgcs.org/reports/Foundations.html
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5. “TIME FOR LEARNING”
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Susan Black examines the research regarding instructional time in
“Time for Learning” (American School Board Journal, September 2002).
Many teachers report feeling pressured by curricular demands,
non-instructional classroom responsibilities, and school schedules.
Scheduling pressures and classroom interruptions can interfere with
academic learning time and make it difficult to teach important
content in depth. Black shares strategies that can help educators to
use existing time more effectively.
http://www.asbj.com/2002/09/0902research.html
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6. INVITING STUDENTS TO LEARN
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“Students care deeply about learning when their teachers meet their
need for affirmation, contribution, purpose, power, and challenge,”
writes Carol Ann Tomlinson in her article, “Do Students Care About
Learning: Invitations to Learn” (Educational Leadership, September
2002). When students believe they are accepted, safe, and cared about
in their classrooms, they think of themselves as contributors to the
learning community. When they (students) feel they make a
difference, they are not afraid to share their unique talents and
abilities with the group. Excellent teachers continually engage
students and extend learning invitations to their students through
their words and their actions. When teachers are able to make the
environment and instruction work in tandem, they invite, inspire,
and sustain student learning.
http://www.ascd.org/readingroom/edlead/0209/tomlinson.html
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7. HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AS RESEARCHERS
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In “Critical Voices” (Education Week; September 11, 2002), Lynn
Olson discusses efforts around the country to engage students in
conducting research that directly affects their lives. “By teaching
young people to become critical investigators of their own
circumstances, researchers hope to enhance the accuracy of
information collected on schools and give students a voice in
shaping educational decisions,” explains Olson. Olson describes
a research project by the Graduate Center of the City University of
New York in which students are examining “the possible causes and
potential solutions to the achievement gap between minority and
nonminority students and those from rich and poor families, as viewed
by young people.”
http://www.edweek.org/ew/ew_printstory.cfm?slug=02fine.h22
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8. EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOLS
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Middle College High School in Queens, New York, and International
High School are working together with LaGuardia Community College to
provide an “early college” program for students. In “Middle College
Morphs Into Early College” (Ford Foundation Report, Fall 2002) author
Ron Feemster describes efforts that a small number of high schools
and community colleges around the country are using to create “high
school-college hybrids that graduate public school students with
associate degrees.”
http://www.fordfound.org/ffreport/fall2002/
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9. “(RE)DESIGNING LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS”
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The Fall 2002 edition of “Edutopia,” a publication of the George
Lucas Foundation, "explores the opportunity for creating 21st-century
learning environments that focus not only on different kinds of
educational architecture, but on how time is used, teacher and
student relationships, collaboration, the benefits of real-world
projects, and community involvement."
http://www.glef.org/EdutopiaPDF/fall02.pdf
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10. WEB SITES HIGHLIGHT WAYS TO MOTIVATE STUDENTS
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The Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development has
compiled a list of organizations that offer strategies to motivate
students. The article “Engaging Students” by Heather Voke
(Educational Leadership, September 2002) provides Web links
directly to featured resources.
http://www.ascd.org/readingroom/edlead/0209/voke.html
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11. “TEACHING AS A CLINICAL PROFESSION”
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A new Carnegie Challenge Paper, "Teaching as a Clinical Profession:
A New Challenge for Education," summarizes the challenges facing the
teaching profession and offers a conceptual answer – “treat teaching
as a modern clinical profession.” Studies confirm that the quality of
teaching is the single most important factor influencing student
achievement. Calling for an “informed discussion” into the challenges
facing the American education system, author Michael deCourcy Hinds
explores “remaking one of the nation’s largest, most neglected and
under-appreciated occupations into an elite, research-based
profession capable of providing all children with a first class
education.”
http://www.carnegie.org/pdf/teachered.pdf
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12. LESSONS LEARNED ON THE EFFECTIVE USE OF TECHNOLOGY
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"Computer-based technology is a means, not an end. It is a tool that
can be used to achieve instructional goals, not a goal in itself. Yet many
schools and districts invest time and money in acquiring technology
without clarifying their goals for how best to use this important
tool." "Getting the Most from Technology in School" (WestEd, 2002)
"is for educators and policymakers who want to know how to make the
most of their investments in computer-based technology for schools.
The brief draws on recent reviews of research on technology use in
schools and addresses the question: 'Under what conditions does this
technology have the most benefits for students?'" The report also
provides guidance for developing effective district or school
technology plans.
http://www.wested.org/online_pubs/kn-02-01.pdf
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13. HANDLING CHRONIC OR LIFE-THREATENING STUDENT ILLNESS
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Author Steven C. Schlozman provides suggestions for teachers who
have students with chronic and/or life-threatening illnesses. In the
article, “When Illness Strikes” (Education Leadership, September
2002), Scholzman highlights the psychosocial issues that students
face, and ways in which teachers can support students.
http://www.ascd.org/readingroom/edlead/0209/schlozman.html
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14. GRANT: NEA FOUNDATION
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The National Education Association (NEA) Foundation for the
Improvement of Education (NFIE) offers more than 300 small
grants of $1,000 to $3,000 each year to fund public educators'
"big ideas” in classroom innovation and professional development.
Past recipients have developed resource tools for reluctant learners,
involved community members in teaching about local history, taught
students how to care for butterflies, and developed programs to help
special needs students improve their social skills. For more
information visit the Web site or call 202-822-7840.
http://www.nfie.org/programs/howtoapply.htm
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15. GRANT: SPECIALIZED SECONDARY PROGRAMS (SSP) FUNDS
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From the California Department of Education (CDE): “Specialized
Secondary Programs (SSP) funds are used for new programs serving
students in at least grades ten through twelve with advanced learning
opportunities . . . Each district may submit one SSP application for
one comprehensive high school that is not currently receiving SSP
funds. The proposed program must be new to the school, serve students
in at least grades 10-12, and commit to using technology as an
implementation tool. Students enrolled in an SSP should reflect the
demographics of the school. Faculty members in SSPs must develop
instructional materials and methodologies that will be available to
other schools in the state.” An Intent to Submit form must be sent
to the High School Initiatives Office, postmarked by Friday,
November 8, 2002. The due date for applications is
December 14, 2002. See the Web site and application forms available
online for additional guidelines and requirements.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/funding/profile.asp?id=268
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16. GRANT: TEACHING AS A PRIORITY (TAP) PROGRAM
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From CDE: "The Teaching As A Priority (TAP) program provides funding
to local educational agencies (LEAs) to recruit and retain fully
credentialed teachers at low-performing schools. Districts apply on
behalf of their eligible schools. Eligible schools have Academic
Performance Index (API) rankings in deciles 1-5. Funding varies by
enrollment and API rankings." An annual grant application is
required. Proposals are due on November 29, 2002.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/funding/profile.asp?id=263
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17. GRANT: TOBACCO USE EDUCATION PROGRAMS
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The CDE awards and administers grants for projects directed at the
prevention of tobacco use among students in grades 9-12, and at
grade levels 6-8. Grant applications are due on January 15, 2003.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/healthykids/
http://www.cde.ca.gov/funding/profile.asp?id=273 (6-8)
http://www.cde.ca.gov/funding/profile.asp?id=272 (9-12)
This electronic newsletter is sponsored by the Region 8 California Professional Development Consortium (CPDC) administered by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office.
To subscribe or unsubscribe from this newsletter, or to subscribe to our other our free electronic Newsletters for Middle School or Professional Development issues, email call or fax Christina Doyle: email - cdoyle@kern.org, phone (661) 636-4331 or fax (661) 636-4135.
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