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OPPORTUNITIES
1. Deadline Extended for Rural Education Research
Design Proposals
The deadline for submitting
proposals to develop rural education research designs has been extended to
May 8, 2004. McREL will fund small grants to develop detailed research
designs that will expand and enhance the state of rural education research.
The purpose of the program is to stimulate research addressing educational
issues specific to schools in rural settings, especially as they relate to
the implementation of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. To download a
copy of the RFP, go to
http://www.mcrel.org/programs/rural/opportun/index.html
2. Colorado Rural Elementary School Principals: Math
Matters in School Leadership Institute
Colorado principals of elementary
schools who have low-performing students in the area of mathematics are
invited to join Math Matters in School Leadership, a two-year program of on
going support for principals of low-performing schools. The institute is
co-sponsored by Eisenhower Regional Consortium at Mid continent Research for
Education and Learning (McREL) and the Colorado Department of Education (CDE)
Office of Professional Development. It is designed to define the role of the
principal and provide assistance to principals in leading the implementation
of high-quality, research-based mathematics instruction in order to increase
student achievement. Deadline for registration is May 15, 2004. For more
information, contact Susan Adams at 303-632-5553 or
mailto:sadams@mcrel.org
3.
Attention! Rural Curriculum Coordinators and Middle School Teachers
Are you interested in being a
Dawn field test site? NASA's Dawn mission will provide new answers about the
formation and evolution of the early solar system. The Dawn Mission marks
the first time that a spacecraft will orbit two large main belt asteroids,
Vesta and Ceres. Dawn Education and Public Outreach is conducting an
evaluation study with 8th-grade teachers in an estimated four to eight
middle schools during the Fall of 2004. Participating eighth-grade science
teachers within a school will be randomly selected to field-test the first
Dawn content module "History and Science of Dawn." For more information and
to sign up, go to
http://www.dawn-mission.org/DawnClassrooms/index.asp
4. Rural
Teachers: Genesis Summer Academies
The Genesis mission Education and
Public Outreach team at McREL is offering Summer Academies for teachers at
locations across the country. The Academies will be offered to middle and
high school teachers, with Genesis education modules serving as the
real-world link to the classroom. All materials are available as PDF files
online at
http://genesismission.jpl.nasa.gov/educate/scimodule/moduleoverview.html
day-long workshops, locations and
fliers are available online at
http://genesismission.jpl.nasa.gov/product/conferences&events.html
5. Stanley
A. Brzezinski Memorial Rural Education Research Award Applications
In order to promote high quality
research in the field of rural education, the National Rural Education
Association sponsors the Stanley A. Brzezinski Memorial Rural Education
Research Award. This $500.00 award, funded by the Brzezinski Family, will be
given for completed research that makes a significant contribution to the
knowledge base of rural education and addresses issues of current interest.
A body of research completed over several years may also be submitted. The
award winner will be recognized at the 96th Annual NREA Convention in
Indianapolis, Indiana, on October 19-22, 2004. Application deadline is June
15, 2004. For more information about the award, go to
http://www.nrea.net/awards%20&%20other/2004%20Awards.pdf
6. Edward
W. Chance Memorial Rural Education Dissertation Award Applications
The Edward W. Chance Memorial
Rural Education Dissertation Award recognizes doctoral research that makes a
significant contribution to rural education and addresses issues of current
concern. Topics could include, but are not limited to, issues of rural
school leadership; rural school finance; student/rural community
expectations; rural educators; recognizing diversity in rural schools;
alternative organizational and instructional patterns for rural schools,
including the use of technology; and rural education policy issues. The
dissertation judged most meritorious will receive the award, and the winner
will be invited to present the results at the 96th Annual NREA Convention in
Indianapolis, Indiana, on October 19-22, 2004. The deadline for application
is June 15, 2004. For more information go to
http://www.nrea.net/awards%20&%20other/2004%20Awards.pdf
7. U.S.
Department of Education Teacher-to-Teacher Summer Workshops
The U.S. Department of Education
has brought together some of the nation's most effective teachers and
education experts to share with their colleagues research-based practices
and effective methods of using data to inform instruction that have been
successfully applied in the classroom. Teachers nationwide have the
opportunity to attend one of seven Teacher-to-Teacher Summer Workshops that
will be held in locations across the country. For more information about the
workshops, go to
http://www.teacherquality.us/TeacherToTeacher/Workshops.asp
8. McREL Summer Academies: Classroom Instruction that Works
In today's high-stakes
environment, where all students are expected to meet high standards,
educators need research-based, practical strategies that they can use right
away. At McREL's teaching and learning academies, teachers, principals,
professional development coordinators, and other district personnel can talk
with others who are facing similar challenges, ask questions, and find
answers. "Classroom Instruction that Works" is a three-day workshop that is
filled with fresh techniques for instructional strategies that will make a
difference for your students so that they will be more likely to increase
their learning in all subject areas at all grade levels. To learn more about
"Classroom Instruction that Works" and other McREL Summer Academies, go to
http://www.mcrel.org/topics/academies.asp
9. McREL
Fellows Program
The McREL Fellows Program
provides school leaders with a series of knowledge and skills-building
workshops based on McREL's Balanced Leadership research. Over the course of
a year, participants build their knowledge of effective leadership and
school improvement efforts and develop their leadership skills through seven
days of professional development (provided as two, 2-day sessions and one
3-day session). They also receive ongoing, online support through a tailored
website, as well as resources that help them improve student achievement in
their schools. For more information about the McREL Fellows Program, go to
http://www.mcrel.org/topics/serviceDetail.asp?serviceID=63
RESEARCH & REPORTS
10.
One Out of Five U.S. Rural Children
Living in Poverty
One out of every five children in
the United States lives in rural America, and one out of every five children
in rural America is poor according, to a new report from the Population
Bureau. Authors William O'Hare and Kenneth Johnson found that the 20 percent
child poverty rate for rural America in 2002 was significantly higher than
the 16 percent rate for urban areas. In addition, 48 of the nation's 50
counties with the highest child poverty rates are located in rural America.
To download a pdf version of "Child Poverty in Rural America," go to
http://www.prb.org/Template.cfm?Section=PRB&template=/Content/ContentGroups/...
11. Rural
Student Math Achievement in Different Countries
A study published by the
Appalachian Collaborative Center for Learning, Assessment and Instruction in
Mathematics compares mathematics achievement of rural and nonrural students
in 32 countries. James Williams from George Washington University used data
from the Programme for International Student Assessment to describe the
relationship between rurality and math achievement. To download a copy of
"Cross-National Variations in Rural and Socioeconomic Effects on Mathematics
Achievement: A Statistical Overview," go to
http://acclaim.coe.ohiou.edu/news/whatsnew.asp
12. NREA
Position Paper on NCLB
The National Rural Education
Association has issued a position paper on the No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
Act. The paper reports data from a survey of NREA's 24 state affiliates
about 54 issues related to NCLB. It also identifies actions that NREA can
pursue and successfully achieve in a reasonably short time in response to
the law. To download a copy of "Critical Issues in Rural Education, Position
Paper I: No Child Left Behind," go to
http://www.nrea.net/
PEOPLE, INFORMATION & RESOURCES
13. Rural Teachers: New Science
Materials for Students with Visual Impairments
As part of McREL's efforts to reach all teachers and students
with the very best in research-based educational products and services,
McREL has partnered with the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind to adapt
materials from NASA's Genesis mission for students with visual impairments.
Funded through NASA's IDEAS grant program, the project has developed and
pilot tested "Evolving Universe," a unit of study focused on the origins of
the universe. Science teachers interested in field testing these materials
in the fall should contact Donna Bogner
mailto:dbogner@mcrel.org for more information. To access the Adapted
Curriculum Enhancement (ACE) website, go to
http://www.ace-education.org/
14. Center on Rural Education and Communities
The Center for
Rural Education and Communities is a new center at Penn State University.
The center's mission includes fostering nationally significant
interdisciplinary research and outreach activities that benefit rural
education, and assisting rural schools and their communities in attaining
and nurturing educational excellence. To learn more about the Center on
Rural Education and Communities, go to
http://www.ed.psu.edu/CREC/home.htm
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