DECEMBER 2002 MIDDLE GRADES NEWSLETTER
1. Aligning Curriculum
2. "Missing: Top Staff in Bottom Schools"
3. Special Education Accommodations/Modifications Matrix
4. California Alternate Performance Assessment
5. California’s Fiscal Outlook: Five Year Projections
6. “The Mythology of School Reform”
7. “Do Teenagers Care About Learning?”
8. “Education News Parents Can Use”
9. Desktop Reference: No Child Left Behind
10. Step-By-Step Guide to Comprehensive School Reform
11. Resources: Reading and Writing In The Content Areas
12. School Action Kits
13. Trust Linked to Student Achievement Gains
14. “Managing Anxiety in Times Of Crisis”
15. Resources for Teaching About The World
16. Disability Information Web Site
17. Impact of High Stakes Accountability Strategies
18. Chinese/English E-Language Project
19. Grant: School Library Act (Public Schools)
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1. ALIGNING CURRICULUM
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The Middle School Partnership Web site features an article that
suggests tips for aligning curriculum to ensure that “material taught
in school conforms to standards established by the state or district for
specific grade levels.” “Standards-Based Curriculum Planning for
School Leaders” by Howard Johnson (2002) offers nine strategies for
accomplishing the task without “killing the faculty.” These include
creating time to get the task done; keeping standards simple and
focused; making instructional materials realistic, not abstract; being
continually aware of the standard, topic and content to be taught;
deciding when, where, how much and how often to teach the standards
content; thinking interdisciplinary, sharing ideas, tips and practices;
remembering mastery items to be tested on state assessments; and
creating a learning community with a “we’re all in this together” mentality.
http://www.middleschool.com/administrators/archives/2000_03.html
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2. "MISSING: TOP STAFF IN BOTTOM SCHOOLS"
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Author Cynthia Prince acknowledges that closing the achievement gap
between the rich and the poor might be the “most complex and most
intractable problem that school leaders face” today. In her article
“Missing: Top Staff in Bottom Schools," (American Association of
School Administrators, August 2002) the question is asked: “Why
don’t school districts simply assign the most effective educators to
the schools that serve children with the greatest needs?” In a
narrative that discusses disparities, dysfunction, conflict and
political realities of putting the best-qualified teachers in low
achieving schools, Prince attempts to identify remedies for each
challenge.
http://www.aasa.org/publications/sa/2002_8/prince.htm
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3. SPECIAL EDUCATION ACCOMMODATIONS/MODFICIATIONS MATRIX
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The State Board of Education approved a matrix that identifies
allowable accommodations and modifications to be used by special
education students for all of the California assessment programs
including STAR, CAHSEE, GSE, CELDT and Physical Fitness.
Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams should check with the
CDE about the use of any accommodations or modifications that are not
listed in this matrix.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/statetests/accommatrix.pdf
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4. CALIFORNIA ALTERNATE PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT
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The California Alternate Performance Assessment, or CAPA, has been
added to the STAR program. The CAPA is for students with severe
disabilities who are not able to participate in the regular STAR program,
even with accommodations or modifications. Important information
about the administration of CAPA, including guidelines for determining
eligibility for participation in CAPA, is now available.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/spbranch/sed/capa/asesmnt.htm
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5. CALIFORNIA’S FISCAL OUTLOOK: FIVE YEAR PROJECTIONS
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For the second year in a row, the California Legislative Analyst’s
Office (LAO) is projecting budget shortfalls of more than $20 billion.
With the majority of public school funding coming from the state,
this shortfall has major implications for schools. A complete text
of the LAO’s analysis is found on this Web site.
http://www.lao.ca.gov/
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6. “THE MYTHOLOGY OF SCHOOL REFORM”
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Paul Houston, Executive Director of the American Association of
School Administrators, writes on the “Mythology of School Reform”
(The School Administrator Web Edition, August 2002). Houston
argues that six myths are driving the school reform agenda: “Schools
are worse today than they used to be;” “Student achievement and
test result are synonymous;” “If you test them, they will learn;”
“Coercion is the best management tool;” “You can 'educator proof'
school reform;” and “If you brag loud enough about it, it becomes
real.” If we are to truly improve schools, says Houston, we must
move away from the mythology and focus on the real problems.
http://www.aasa.org/publications/sa/2002_8/execper.htm
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7. “DO TEENAGERS CARE ABOUT LEARNING?”
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“Do Students Care About Learning? A Conversation with Mihaly
Csikszentmihalyi” (Educational Leadership, September 2002) explores
ways to “help students seek out the challenging and engaging
activities that will propel them on their way toward becoming
productive adults.” The article highlights approaches that parents
and teachers can use to support teenagers and assist them in
being engaged learners who lead productive lives.
http://www.ascd.org/readingroom/edlead/0209/scherer_3.html
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8. “EDUCATION NEWS PARENTS CAN USE”
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As part of a yearlong effort to support No Child Left Behind, the
U.S. Department of Education has initiated a television series on
public television that highlights ways in which parents can impact
their child’s school success. “Education News Parents Can Use”
is broadcast by some PBS stations, by The Learning Channel and
Channel One, and is available free of charge to television and
cable outlets. Schools and districts are invited to downlink these
satellite transmitted programs. Live and archived Webcasts of
shows are also available online. For more information about
programs and availability, consult the Web site.
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OIIA/television/
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9. DESKTOP REFERENCE: NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND
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The U.S. Department of Education has published a Desktop
Reference to assist in understanding the No Child Left Behind
Legislation. The Desktop Reference explains the major themes
of No Child Left Behind and gives specific information about
each section of the legislation.
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/reference.html
A limited number of copies of the Desktop Reference may be
obtained by calling 1-877-4ED-PUBS or by ordering online at
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html
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10. STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL REFORM
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The National Council for Comprehensive School Reform offers
a systematic guide and references for schools interested in
systemic reform. The Council has integrated its efforts with the
requirements of the Federal No Child Left Behind legislation.
http://www.goodschools.gwu.edu/sbs/main.html
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11. RESOURCES: READING AND WRITING IN THE CONTENT AREAS
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The November 2002 issue of “Educational Leadership” includes a
series of articles related to content literacy issues. The issue
stresses the importance of teaching of reading and writing skills
during secondary school. Content literacy instruction assists
students in gaining the most from content areas instruction and
textbooks; this professional journal presents a variety of resources
for planning and implementing content literacy instruction. In
“Efficient Decoders to Strategic Readers, “ Richard T. Vaca offers
strategies to support struggling readers. “You Can’t Learn Much
from Books You Can’t Read” by Richard L. Allington, offers strategies
for teachers to use when the reading level of textbooks is beyond
the skills of the student. John H. Holloway summarizes related
research in “Research Link/Integrating Literacy with Content.”
http://www.ascd.org/readingroom/edlead/0211/frame0211el.html
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12. SCHOOL ACTION KITS
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The National League of Cities is making available five action kits
that will assist schools to connect with the family and the business
community. The kits are:
Expanding Afterschool Opportunities
http://www.nlc.org/nlc_org/site/files/reports/afterschool.pdf
Promoting Youth Participation
http://www.nlc.org/nlc_org/site/files/reports/promoting.pdf
Improving Public Schools
http://www.nlc.org/nlc_org/site/files/reports/waterfall1.pdf
Helping Working Families
http://www.nlc.org/nlc_org/site/files/reports/helpingworking.pdf
Protecting Children and Youth
http://www.nlc.org/nlc_org/site/files/reports/protecting.pdf
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13. TRUST LINKED TO STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT GAINS
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Education Week (October 16, 2002) reports on a book “Trust in
Schools: A Core Resource for Improvement,” co-authored by
University of Chicago professors Anthony S. Bryk and Barbara
Schneider. According to the researchers, without trust among
members of the school community, schools have little chance of
improving. Respect, competence, integrity, and personal regard
for others were present in trusting relationships. In the schools
studied by the researchers, higher-trust schools generally had
higher student achievement than lower-trust schools.
http://www.edweek.com/ew/ewstory.cfm?slug=07trust.h22
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14. “MANAGING ANXIETY IN TIMES OF CRISIS”
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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has prepared a
number of resources to assist schools and individuals in times of
crisis. The Department reminds readers that it is also important to
find ways to handle one’s own emotions during difficult times.
http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/cmhs/ChildrenAnxiety/
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15. RESOURCES FOR TEACHING ABOUT THE WORLD
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The Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development has
developed a list of organizations and resources to help teachers
incorporate information about the world in their instruction. “Web
Wonders: The World in the Classroom,” (Educational Leadership,
October 2002), provides information on professional networks,
curriculum materials, professional development resources,
opportunities for teacher or student collaboration, student programs
and regional resources.
http://www.ascd.org/readingroom/edlead/0210/23.html
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16. DISABILITY INFORMATION WEB SITE
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The Federal government has launched DisabilityInfo.gov, a
comprehensive list of disability-related resources. Areas covered
on the Web site are employment, education, housing, transportation,
income support, technology, community life and civil rights.
http://www.disabilityinfo.gov/
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17. IMPACT OF HIGH STAKES ACCOUNTABILITY STRATEGIES
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“Twenty-seven states now rate schools primarily or solely on the basis
of student test scores. Almost half of the states use test scores to
determine whether students will be promoted to the next grade level
or receive a high school diploma. Twenty states reward schools with
money for high or improved test scores; in 15 states, the state has
the authority to replace individual teachers or administrators, or to
close, reconstitute, or take over schools deemed failing on the basis
of test scores.” Heather Voke explores the research and rationale
behind this widespread accountability movement in “What Do We
Know About Sanctions and Rewards?” an Association of
Supervision and Curriculum Development Infobrief (October 2002).
http://www.ascd.org/readingroom/infobrief/issue31.html
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18. CHINESE/ENGLISH E-LANGUAGE PROJECT
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The U.S. Department of Education has announced a joint project with
China to teach English and Chinese as a second language through the
use of the Internet. The eLanguage Learning System (ELLS) will
initially teach English and Chinese as a second language; however
there are plans to expand this project to other languages as well.
The Web site is intended to help high schools teach languages that
may not be readily available in the curriculum.
http://ott.educ.msu.edu/elanguage
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19. GRANT: SCHOOL LIBRARY ACT (PUBLIC SCHOOLS)
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“The California Public School Library Act of 1998 improves public
school library resources, K-12. It may be used for library resources
and equipment in public schools.” The application deadline is
January 17, 2003.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/funding/profile.asp?id=275
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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