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November 2009
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McREL regularly offers Webinars addressing a wide variety of topics.
Each Webinar costs $49 per connected computer
Upcoming Webinars:
December 2
December 16
McREL's Power Walkthrough training and software help school leaders turn their regular classroom observations into "power walkthroughs" by using a PDA, Tablet PC, Blackberry, or iPhone device loaded with McREL's Web-based software.
Training at McREL:
Online Webinars:
Our district-level Balanced Leadership® program is based on a comprehensive analysis of decades of research on effective district leadership reported in the publication District Leadership That Works: Striking the Right Balance.
February 2, 2010
School District Leadership that Works: An Overview
February 3, 2010
Connecting District and School Leadership to Student Achievement
February 4, 2010
District-Level Leadership: A Systems Perspective
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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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Researchers have found that the Harlem Children's Zone—a program that provides charter schools and community services to minority and low-income students and families—is producing dramatic gains in achievement. Many, including the Obama administration, have touted the program as a model of school reform, but researchers are uncertain whether the gains come from the charter schools, the community services, or the combination of the two.
A new report from Public Agenda, Learning Point Associates, and Education Week finds that 40 percent of U.S. teachers are disheartened with their profession. Most of those who are disheartened with teaching work in low-income schools and do not believe they have adequate administrative support. Of major concern is the finding that teachers who are the most satisfied with their work anticipate leaving the classroom for other professions.
A new report from the National Center for Education Statistics (reported below) found that fifteen states have lowered their standards for what counts as proficiency on state tests while only eight states have raised their standards. The lower standards make it easier for states to meet the increasing demands of No Child Left Behind, but raise concerns that we are lowering the bar at a time when we should be raising it.
In the past few years, many people have expressed concerns that U.S. schools are not doing an adequate job of preparing students for careers in STEM fields. A new study questions that assumption. Since the 1990s, high-achieving students have been choosing non-STEM professions after graduation, but they tend to choose fields that either require a broad education, including STEM subjects, or they choose professions that offer more pay or prestige.
According to a new report from the Council of Great City Schools, districts that provide strong oversight, offer professional development, and use student data in a meaningful way are far more likely to make significant improvements in ELL achievement. The report emphasized that successful programs owed their progress to the whole system, not to any particular curriculum, program, or other factor. Four cities were cited as having ELL programs that have significantly improved ELL achievement: Dallas, San Francisco, New York City, and St. Paul, Minn.
The University of Texas at Austin (News)
Researchers from the University of Texas have found that half of the new principals in the Texas public school system leave within three years, and 70 percent leave within five years. Principal retention rates are strongly tied to student achievement during the principal's first year, leaving struggling schools with the highest turnover rate.
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Phi Delta Kappan, Vol. 91, No. 3 (November 2009)
McREL Principal Consultants Anne Lundquist and Jane Hill discuss the implications of the increasing linguistic diversity of student populations, including the challenge of providing ELLs with academically rigorous instructions. This article explores how incorporating higher-order thinking into the stages of language acquisition can improve the rigor of instruction.
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National Center for Education Statistics
This report compares 4th- and 8th-grade reading and mathematics proficiency standards across each state. By mapping state proficiency standards to the NAEP achievement levels, it provides a common framework among the states, allowing a direct comparison of the relative rigor of each state's proficiency standards.
Education Resources Information Center
This report examines the crucial transition science teachers undergo as they enter their first years of full-time teaching. The report found that teachers' perceptions of teaching do not match their actual experiences. In addition, teachers are heavily influenced by the mentorship and support they receive in the early stages of their career.
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Honeywell Hometown Solutions
The Honeywell Educators at Space Academy scholarship gives science and math teachers the opportunity to attend a five-day astronaut training and simulation program, complete with lessons and activities correlated with the National Science and Math Standards for use in the classroom.
Application Deadline: December 31, 2009
The National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF) is committed to drawing the public's attention to exceptional PreK–12 teachers through a museum, teacher resource center, and recognition program, which honors five of the nation's most outstanding PreK–12 educators each year.
Deadline for nominations: January 4, 2010
The Lemelson-MIT Program is offering grants of up to $10,000 to InvenTeams—teams of students, teachers, and mentors—who can apply lessons from STEM fields to develop inventions to solve real-world problems.
Application Deadline: April 23, 2010
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Jefferson County Public Schools (Louisville, Ky.)
October 29, 2009
Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky, has released a new report that describes the outcomes of a series of reviews it commissioned to guide its future reform efforts. One of those reviews is the Greater Louisville Education Project, which McREL completed in 2009. McREL's review focused on five areas: preparing students for college/careers/civic engagement, curricular reform, the district/community safety net for children, the district’s competitiveness among comparable cities, and funding adequacy.
The Gadsden Times (Gadsden, Ala.)
October 24, 2009
Students and teachers in the Boaz City School System are preparing for "NASA Week"—a weeklong series of classroom visits and hands-on demonstrations led by a team of NASA scientists, educators, and specialists. McREL Principal Consultant John Ristvey and NASA affiliates will spend the week working with both students and teachers, discussing current missions and career opportunities at NASA.
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