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Headlines
Association & Related News
CCSSO Launches Committee to Update its INTASC Model Core Teacher Standards
New Report by The Wallace Foundation Offers Insight, Direction On How to Improve Assessments of Education Leaders
Online Writing Instruction Favored by Teachers and Students
Advocacy in Action
Initial ARRA Funds to be Available
Education Newsbriefs
"Md. Kindergartners Are Improving" (MD)
"NJ Program Turns Traders to Teachers" (NJ)
"Oklahoma Seeks Ways to Keep Kids in School" (OK)
"Oregon DATA Project Receives National Attention" (OR)
"Report: S.C. Schools Make Good Use of Technology" (SC)
"Teacher Training: What's the Best Way?"
Association & Related News
CCSSO Launches Committee to Update its INTASC Model Core Teacher Standards
By Paul Ferrari
CCSSO is pleased to announce that through its Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC), it is launching an initiative to update the INTASC Model Standards for Beginning Teacher Licensing, Assessment and Development: A Resource for State Dialogue (Model Core Standards), which were released in 1992 and are in use by 38 states. The goal is for states, the teaching profession, and the public to come to consensus around what a 21st century teacher should know and be able to do. The committee will meet four times over the next 12 months to update the standards and address the question: What have we learned from research about best practice, how children learn, and the learning context that should be included in this vision? At each meeting experts will present on key topics to inform deliberations of the Committee.
“The teaching profession is evolving and we must upgrade and align our teacher standards with student expectations,” said CCSSO Executive Director Gene Wilhoit. “Ensuring our teachers are prepared to lead today’s—and tomorrow’s—students to succeed is absolutely key.”
“CCSSO is actively engaging stakeholders in the standards development process,” said INTASC Director Kathleen Paliokas. “We are encouraging teacher leaders, state leaders, and anyone with vested interest in teacher standards to visit the Committee’s webpage and blog to keep up-to-date on the Committee’s work and to provide us with ongoing feedback.”
The INTASC Core Standards Update Committee by clicking here. For more information contact Kathleen Paliokas at kathleenp@ccsso.org. Generous funding from the Evaluation Systems group of Pearson, Educational Testing Service and the National Education Association is supporting this work.
New Report by The Wallace Foundation Offers Insight, Direction On How to Improve Assessments of Education Leaders
A new report by The Wallace Foundation discusses a possible new direction in leader assessment – what should be assessed, and how. The report, Assessing the Effectiveness of School Leaders: New Directions and New Processes, highlights several newly developed instruments and examines the potential, the challenges and the unknowns of using assessment to pro¬mote system-wide improve¬ments that benefit children.
The report is part of the Wallace “Perspective” series that provides ideas and recommendations in the areas that the foundation is engaged with: strengthening education leadership to improve student achievement; enhancing out-of-school time learning opportunities; and building appreciation and demand for the arts.
For research and other resources on education leadership, visit the Knowledge Center at www.wallacefoundation.org. For more information, contact Jessica Schwartz at 212-251-9711, or jschwartz@wallacefoundation.org.
Online Writing Instruction Favored by Teachers and Students
By Carrie Heath
Web-based instructional tools have opened up a new world of opportunities for both teachers and students. Writing instruction, using automated essay scoring, is now in use in schools around the country. Two examples are Missouri and West Virginia, both of which are using Writing Roadmap™, CTB/McGraw-Hill’s online essay scoring system.
Bayless School District, in South St. Louis, Missouri, has over 1,500 students enrolled in grades K-12.
“We selected Writing Roadmap because it assesses using the Six Traits of Writing, which our district was in the process of implementing when we made the selection,” said Stephanie True, Bayless Schools Literacy Coordinator. “We especially like its scoring capability, which allows our teachers to get to the heart of their students’ needs much more quickly, so instruction can be planned accordingly.”
“Writing Roadmap is extremely easy to use, continued Ms. True. “I can assign assessments to the entire district, add or delete students, add teachers and new class groups, and pull a variety of useful reports. For students, a brief explanation of the features and how to navigate them is necessary, but even our third grade students pick it up quickly.”
In West Virginia, the Ohio County School District serves approximately 5,400 students in grades pre-K-12.
“Children are becoming digital natives”, said Sue McGuier, Ohio County School District’s Coordinator of Assessment. “Keyboards and computers are their preferred method of writing. With Writing Roadmap, I’ve seen tremendous engagement of students. They are more willing to spend time performing revisions and expanding on topics.”
“Teachers are absolutely delighted with Writing Roadmap,” added Ms. McGuier. “The feedback is immediate – papers are scored in six seconds. Teachers can rescore papers, make comments, and suggest corrections. They also have the ability to generate reports quickly so students can see progress and achievement.”
Advocacy in Action
Initial ARRA Funds to be Available
In the coming days, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) is expected to follow-up on several initial issues involving the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Primarily, ED will make nearly $44 billion of ARRA funds available to states, including $32.5 billion for State Fiscal Stability Fund (SFSF), $6.1 billion for IDEA, and $5 billion for Title I. In addition to making these monies available, it is anticipated that ED will be releasing a number guidance documents to accompany the newly available funds. The final version of the SFSF application and letter on metrics is expected to be a part of this guidance. CCSSO’s advocacy team will continue to monitor these happenings and will be following up with more information as appropriate.
Education Newsbriefs
Md. Kindergartners Are Improving
ABC2 Baltimore (03/26/09) Johnson, Sherrie
A recent Maryland Department of Education report reveals that all children entering kindergarten in the state are improving in the classroom, with 73 percent of students fully prepared for learning. This marks an increase of 24 percent over 2001 levels. The study examined readiness levels in social and personal areas, language, literacy, social studies, and math. Maryland Superintendent of Schools Nancy Grasmick says, "All young children have the potential to be active learners and a great start before they enter the kindergarten classroom sets the stage. This has been a high priority for parents and the Maryland State Department of Education. We are pleased with the progress taking place."
NJ Program Turns Traders to Teachers
Fox News (03/27/09) Fu, Lily
In New Jersey, lawmakers recently approved an 18-month pilot program aimed at speeding up the certification process for public school math and science teachers as the state aims to recruit laid-off Wall Street day traders. Many of those displaced workers majored in economics or business and used math consistently in their work. The 18-month program will require candidates to complete 30 college math credits. New Jersey Commissioner of Education Lucille Davy says, "These programs will be rigorous. It's not like a back door to teaching, but they will allow us not to lose people with great potential."
Oklahoma Seeks Ways to Keep Kids in School
Oklahoman (03/26/09) Marks, Dawn
At the Oklahoma Department of Education's Dropout Summit on March 25, State Superintendent Sandy Garrett said the department is looking to establish dropout intervention teams in all communities statewide to reduce the high school dropout rate. "This work has to be done here in Oklahoma and more importantly on the local level and your school districts," Garrett stated. She noted that the State Superintendent's Student Advisory Council provided up to 50 student representatives the chance to express ideas for dropout prevention, which included hands-on classes, smaller class sizes, more engaging teachers, and increased involvement from parents. "All of the (students') reports said, 'A caring adult is what we need,'" remarked Garrett.
Oregon DATA Project Receives National Attention
Bend Weekly (Ore.) (03/24/09)
The national Data Quality Campaign recently recognized the Oregon DATA Project, which is funded by a $4.7 million federal grant and provides training to teachers about how to effectively use data. The campaign's "The Next Step: Using Longitudinal Data Systems To Improve Student Success" report applauds the state's efforts to incorporate professional development into its data systems for educators and district data submitters. Oregon Superintendent of Public Instruction Susan Castillo says, "During these tough economic times, professional development is especially vital. We are asking our schools and teachers to do more with less, to survive on fewer resources but to continue to raise the quality of education offered to our youth. Training in how to fully utilize data is one way to improve educational outcomes without increased spending." The Oregon DATA Project has trained more than 1,000 teachers across 110 Oregon school districts, and the program is in its second of three years. For more information about the Oregon DATA Project, click here.
Report: S.C. Schools Make Good Use of Technology
Sumter Item (03/26/09) Wermers, Jason
South Carolina earned a perfect grade for the use of technology in schools in Education Week's latest "Technology Counts" report. The inclusion of technology in academic standards, student tests on technology, the creation of a virtual school, and the availability of computer-based testing helped the state earn an "A." The state's technology achievements in schools include the use of portable SMART boards in K-2 classrooms and the jump in the number of students served by the South Carolina Virtual School program to more than 13,000 in the current school year. According to State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex, "Technology is an area where we've been recognized as a leader. It's driving improvements in learning and in teacher training, but we have to keep moving ahead. The computer skills our students develop now will carry over into their jobs and daily lives after graduation." To view the entire "Technology Counts" report, click here.
Teacher Training: What's the Best Way?
Christian Science Monitor (03/27/09) Paulson, Amanda
Experts agree that student achievement will rise when highly trained teachers are in the classroom, but there is much debate about the best way to train educators. Some are calling for improvements in traditional teaching schools, while others are pushing for alternative models that make it possible for talented students and mid-career professionals to more quickly enter the teaching profession. Another model is the urban teacher residency, which requires new teachers in urban areas to work with a mentor for a year before receiving their own classroom. In Chicago, the Academy of Urban School Leadership (AUSL) requires participating educators to commit to four years working in urban schools, with coaching and support made available during their first two years. Research from AUSL shows that over 80 percent of graduates continue teaching in Chicago's urban classrooms. According to Debbi Thompson, mentor teacher at Dodge Renaissance Academy, one of AUSL's teaching academies, "The university does a good job of giving them content. We give them the hands-on experience of how to deliver it."
Education Newsbriefs © Copyright 2008 INFORMATION, INC.
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