McRel Rural E-News, No. 39, January 2005

1. Wyoming lawmaker to chair Senate education committee EdWeek (free registration)
The Senate education committee is expected to get a new chairman — Sen. Michael B. Enzi of Wyoming — who observers say will bring to the job a blend of pragmatic conservatism and a keen appreciation for the challenges of rural communities. The Republican lawmaker, 60, first elected to the Senate in 1996, is slated to replace Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., at the helm of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.

2. William & Mary to partner with rural schools Press release
Virginia’s College of William & Mary is teaming up with three school divisions in Virginia’s Northern Neck in an effort to improve academic performance in middle schools in the Old Dominion’s rural areas. The Partnership for Improved Leaders and Learning in Rural Schools (PILLRS) will link William & Mary professors and students with challenged middle schools in Northumberland, Lancaster, and King and Queen Counties. The program is an extension of a five-year partnership that focused on improving student performance and leadership in elementary schools of five rural school districts.

3. QCTeach project will train educators in rural Oregon University of Oregon Daily Emerald
The University's of Oregon’s College of Education and College of Arts and Sciences have teamed up for a groundbreaking project intended to help train teachers and enrich lesson plans in Oregon's rural school districts. One of the first programs of its kind in the nation, the Quality Content Teaching Program, or QCTeach, will employ a lesson study model used in Japanese schools to review and revise the teaching style and content in ways that foster a better response from students.

4. ‘I Sing the Body Electric’ program raises rural teens' awareness of risky behavior Mattoon (Ill.) Journal-Gazette
A recent survey found that fewer teenagers from 24 high schools in East Central Illinois which have adopted the ‘I Sing the Body Electric’ substance abuse awareness program reported smoking marijuana, trying methamphetamine, and riding in cars with friends who had been drinking. Among the 4,700 teens surveyed, one in 20 reported currently using meth — a 37 percent drop from two years ago. Overall, 80 percent of students surveyed reported being positively impacted by the ‘I Sing the Body Electric’ program, which invites teens to turn their concerns about substance abuse into creative projects ranging from glass blowing to creative writing.

5. Iowa lawmakers want to eliminate tax for young workers Quad-City (Davenport, Ia.) Times
Concerned about the flight of young people from Iowa’s small towns and rural areas, Republicans in the Hawkeye state have proposed a dramatic shift in the state's economic development efforts — eliminating state income tax for Iowans younger than 30, a group that fled the state at one of the highest rates in the country during the late 1990s. But some, including young Iowans interviewed by the Quad-City Times, wonder whether a $600 tax break is enough incentive to keep young people in the state.

6. Don't knock old one-room schools Aberdeen (South Dakota) American News
Retired educator, coach, pilot and farmer, Gerald Krueger reflects that even after “seven decades of residency on this planet, it seems like I've had to live down the fact that I spent the first eight grades in a school house.” “Why?” he asks. “Well, for one thing these one-room, so-called inferior schools were outlawed years ago and are mostly memories now. If something you were a part of is suddenly illegal, doesn’t that make you wonder what was wrong with it?”

8. The Importance of Schools in Rural Communities
A new Research Brief from ASCD notes that the 20th century saw a great deal of school consolidation in the United States, particularly in rural areas, with the number of schools dropping from around 238,000 at the beginning of the century to 61,000 toward the end, even as the general population more than tripled. Research suggests that the removal of a school can have a significant negative effect on the social structures of the community.

9. Entrepreneurship Education: Learning by Doing
A new report from The Appalachian Regional Commission and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation highlights programs that teach students the basic elements of running a business. The educational programs featured in Learning by Doing range from a high-tech service project in a northern Mississippi middle school that stresses dependability and a strong customer orientation to a faith-based effort in Nashville where children as young as second grade cultivate character and initiative while learning how to make an investment bear fruit. The report underscores the importance of interpersonal and social skills in achieving success.

10. An Evaluation of the Impact of Rural School Consolidation
A new report prepared for the National Rural Education Association examines what challenges a new round of rural school consolidations may bring to the safety, educational performance and social environment of rural communities. The report also takes a look at a few of the challenges that this new round of school closings may present to not only the safety issue — but also the social, political, economic, and educational support environment in rural communities.

RESOURCES & INFORMATION

11. $10,000 to honor outstanding math and science teachers in grades 7-12
The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching is the nation's highest honor for teachers of mathematics and science. The Awards recognize exemplary K-12 teachers for their contributions in the classroom and to their profession. Excellent teachers perform miracles everyday with little or no recognition. The Presidential Awards demonstrate the value and appreciation the nation has for the teaching profession. Deadline: May 2, 2005

12. ASCD Outstanding Young Educator Award
ASCD is sponsoring an awards program to salute a new generation's passion for excellence. ASCD plans to seek out, highlight, and celebrate the accomplishments of a young educator who achieves excellence and equity in teaching and learning. The ASCD Outstanding Young Educator Award (OYEA) is our way of recognizing an emerging educational leader and sharing his or her exemplary practices with the education community. Spring nominations close April 15, with up to two finalists announced in May.

13. 2005-2006 NREA Teacher of the Year Award
The National Rural Education Association is accepting applications for its Teacher of the Year award. Winners will receive a $2,000 honorarium, and the Teacher of the Year’s school district receives $1,000 to purchase instructional materials and school supplies. Competition for the 2005–06 NREA Teacher of the Year has been expanded to let more rural teachers compete for the award. Now, the award is open to all rural teachers. Candidates for the award who are nominated by an NREA State Affiliate Organization shall automatically be the candidate from that state. In the absence of a NREA State Affiliate candidate, any teacher from that state may be a candidate and shall be considered a state semi-finalist. Deadline: May 31, 2005.