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November 2009
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Professional Development @ McREL
Turn your regular classroom observations into "power walkthroughs" by using your handheld device loaded with McREL’s Web-based software.
Webinars:
December 10, 2009
Workshops at McREL:
January 7–8, 2010
April 8–9, 2010
Workshop details (PDF)
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Mid-continent Research for Education & Learning
4601 DTC Blvd., Suite 500
Denver, CO 80237
303.337.0990 (Phone)
303.337.3005 (Fax)
www.mcrel.org
info@mcrel.org
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The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.)
Despite long-standing fears that texting would prevent students from ever learning "proper" English, researchers are finding that texting may be beneficial instead. Concerns remain about when and how often students are texting, but it appears that texting stretches language skills overall.
Research from U.C.L.A., recently published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, reveals that students learn better in situations where they make mistakes. Students who try and fail to answer correctly before receiving an answer are more likely to remember that answer later.
Researchers believe that English-language learners (ELLs), and anyone else with weak verbal skills, need plenty of opportunities to practice speaking English. ELLs, however, are more dependent on schools to provide these opportunities. Recent studies have revealed that as little as 10 percent of class time is dedicated to oral language practice, which is not nearly enough, according to researchers.
The Indianapolis Star (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Although research has shown than experience is crucial in developing quality teachers, alternatively-certified teachers in struggling schools have been found to make more gains than other new teachers there. Opponents claim that alternatively-certified teachers do not have the skills necessary to deal with struggling students. Proponents claim that alternative programs, such as Teach for America, bring in quality teachers due to the selective admissions process.
The Christian Science Monitor
A new study from the Center on Education Policy finds that, since the implementation of NCLB, student achievement is increasing while achievement gaps are closing across all grades and subjects. It sounds great, but researchers caution that the achievement gaps, while narrowing overall, are still very large, and some have even grown larger.
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On October 6, 2009, the Regional Educational Laboratory for the Central Region (REL Central), administered by McREL, hosted a Bridging Research, Policy, and Practice event in Nebraska on structuring out-of-school time to improve academic achievement. The event included a presentation, discussion, and Q&A session led by Danette Parsley, senior director of field services at McREL and a member of the panel of authors for the Practice Guide "Structuring out-of-School Time to Improve Academic Achievement" (NCEE 2009-012).
The Practice Guide is available online at http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/practiceguides/
ost_pg_072109.pdf.
When Northeast High School (NEHS) was named as one of North Carolina's 64 "turnaround schools" in 2007, it came as a wake-up call to the staff.
NEHS implemented McREL's Success in Sight approach to school improvement. Within a year, they made enormous improvements in both school culture and student achievement. The school was recently named one of the county's most improved schools.
Read more about how Success in Sight helped NEHS
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National Center for Education Statistics
This report presents results from the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in mathematics for grades 4 and 8. The average score for fourth-grades in 2009 showed no improvement over 2007, while eighth-graders saw a two-point increase. Achievement gaps were unchanged between 2007 and 2009.
National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance
This study explored the impact of structured acadmic instruction (rather than the less formal instruction provided in many afterschool programs) in afterschool mathematics and reading programs for grades 2–5. The study found that one year of enhanced mathematics instruction had a significant impact on student achievement. However, no significant gains were seen beyond the first year. The enhanced reading instruction did not lead to any academic achievement in the first year, and actually had a negative impact on student achievement in the second year of the program.
This new practice guide teaches educators how to use data to monitor student progress and evaluate instructional practices. The recommendations include:
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Setting a schoolwide vision for how to use data.
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Creating a data-driven school culture.
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Regularly using data in instructional improvement.
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Teaching students to use data to set their own learning goals.
National Center for Education Statistics
The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) evaluated fourth-grade reading achievement and instructional practices. This Statistics in Brief describes the instructional practices in the United States and the 44 other jurisdictions participating in the 2006 PIRLS. Out-of-school support strategies included asking parents to help with reading, assigning homework, and waiting to see if reading proficiency improved with maturation. In-school strategies included individualized instruction, students helping one another, remedial instruction, and working with a reading specialist.
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Fund for Teachers invites educators from across the country to dream big and submit proposals for their own do-it-yourself learning odysseys next summer. Individual teachers can receive as much as $5,000, and teams are eligible for up to $10,000.
Application Deadline: January 29, 2010
Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program supports the recruitment and development of librarians, research on the library profession, and projects to encourage students to consider careers in libraries. Grants of up to $1,000,000 are available for all types of libraries, except federal and for-profit libraries.
Application Deadline: December 15, 2009
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McREL has begun work on a three-year project to design and study the effects of "Cosmic Chemistry"—a two-week summer science program designed to encourage high school students to enroll in chemistry. Cosmic Chemistry will use the real-world context of space science to set high expectations, build background knowledge, and motivate students, with the ultimate goal of increasing their science achievement.
Modern college classrooms are rapidly becoming high-tech wonderlands. New technology offers ways for schools to reach students who live in a connected world. "For kids, the technology is just the environment that they know," says McREL Senior Director Howard Pitler.
KNBN NewsCenter1 (Rapid City, S.D.)
September 27, 2009
Experts in Indian Education held a summit in Rapid City, S.D., to discuss concerns about the graduation rate of Native Americans. McREL Senior Researcher Dawn Mackety, who studies Native American education, emphasized the importance of ensuring all students are given the best chance possible.
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