McRel Rural E-News, No. 41, March 2005

1. Many theories, little solace The Denver Post
As residents of the rural Minnesota community of Red Lake sort out raw feelings after a violent shooting rampage that left 10 dead, they also broach some tough issues: too many guns, not enough parenting, persistent alcohol and drug use and not nearly enough for kids to do on a reservation 32 miles from sleepy, small-town Bemidji.

2. Film examines South Carolina rural schools The State (Columbia, S.C.)
Alarmed by crumbling walls, leaky roofs, faulty fire alarms and unheated classrooms, South Carolina philanthropists put up more than $75,000 to produce a 58-minute documentary film on conditions in schools in poor, rural counties. John Rainey, the film’s initiator, hopes the film’s footage — of school officials talking of poisonous snakes and sewage in hallways and photos of unsafe conditions in schools — will shock lawmakers into action. DVDs and videos of the film will be given to the state’s 170 legislators, Gov. Mark Sanford and community leaders.

3. An “alternative” spring break: Helping rural schools The Daily (Univ. of Wash.-Seattle)
While many UW students spent spring break relaxing with family or friends and enjoying the time away from school, others traveled across the state to spend their free time tutoring elementary school children. UW students visited rural elementary schools as part of a program that allows college students to help primary school children, especially those in remote areas.

4. A prairie town downsizes dreams The Wall Street Journal (reprinted in the Denver Post)
With farm jobs disappearing at a rapid clip, almost every small town on the American prairie dreams of getting bigger. But Howard, S.D. has a different plan. Backed by $6 million in foundation grant money, residents here have adapted a survival strategy that will let some of the dying pieces of the economy die and focus instead on niches in which small businesses can compete, like organic beef and wind-turbine repair. Some economists think Howard's approach might be the last best chance for towns that have seen family farms vanish and their economic bases crumble.

5. Third grader commutes to school by mule CNN.com
Saje Beard's half-hour commute to class is the envy of her four classmates at a one-room schoolhouse just south of Bismarck, N.D. Most mornings, the third-grader makes the trek on Ruth the mule. “She’s called many things, but Ruth is what we call her in public,” Saje said of her gray mule. “Actually, that’s my dad’s joke. She’s really nice and gentle. And she sure is smart," said Saje, 9, who has been riding her mule to school since she was in first grade.

7. Physical Science with Mathematical Modeling Workshop for Kansas teachers
McREL, Ft. Hays State University and Emporia State University are teaming up to offer a free summer workshop held July 11-28 at both the Ft. Hays and Emporia State campuses. The workshop will help teachers of grades 6-12 science classes improve instructional pedagogy by incorporating and modeling inquiry methods, critical and creative thinking, and effective integration of technology in instruction. Participants receive a $500 technology package, three hours of university graduate credit, and a $60 daily stipend. Application deadline: May 13. Contact Earl Legleiter (303.632.5630) at McREL for more information or to apply.

8. Leading Learning for the Future
Join McREL in Westminster, Colo., on September 22–24, 2005 to learn from leading-edge research and innovation how to lead successful learning today and anticipate what the future may hold for learning tomorrow. Presenters include Richard DeLorenzo, Superintendent of Chugach School District in rural Alaska, which employs placed-based curricula and individualized learning plans for every student. Other presenters include Cheryl Brown Henderson, President of the Brown Foundation; Milton Chen, Executive Director of the George Lucas Educational Foundation; Bill Driscoll, former instructor at the Navy’s Top Gun academy; and Roger Staubach, Hall of Fame Quarterback and CEO of The Staubach Company. Visit www.mcrel.org/conference to learn more.

9. Come to Montana for a McREL school leadership development workshop
Learn from McREL’s ground-breaking research on school leadership how to become a more effective school leader during a five-day academy hosted by Montana State University-Bozeman. The academy, held on June 20-24 at the Big Sky Resort in Big Sky, Mont. is open to principals from Montana and other states. A $650 registration fee covers lodging, most meals, breaks, and materials. Contact Boyd Dressler (406-994-1819) for more information.

11. McREL’s Online Learning Communities
McREL’s Online Learning Communities offer schools and districts a unique and cost-effective way to create professional learning communities focused on improving student achievement. McREL can provide participating districts with tailored, ongoing professional development based on our popular manuals Classroom Instruction that Works, Teaching Reading in the Content Areas, and our forthcoming publication, Teaching Writing in the Content Areas. To learn more, contact Howard Pitler (303.632.5554, hpitler@mcrel.org).

12. Teacher Working Conditions are Student Learning Conditions
New survey research from the Southeast Center for Teaching Quality finds inadequate teacher working conditions hampering teacher recruitment and retention. Improving these conditions by providing more time, empowerment, professional development, leadership, and facilities and resources significantly improves student achievement and helps stem teacher turnover. Access the report at the link above.

13. Rural districts meet most NCLB requirements, but still struggle with teacher quality rules
A new report from the Center on Education Policy, titled From the Capital to the Classroom: Year 3 of the No Child Left Behind Act, finds that while student achievement on state tests is improving, states and districts report they lack the capacity to reach all of the schools in need of improvement. Also, small, rural districts reportedly consider the new law "a nuisance,” aimed more at larger, inner-city districts and are struggling to meet its teacher quality provisions. Download the report at the link above.

RESOURCES & INFORMATION

14. Books for rural children
The Libri Foundation is a nationwide nonprofit organization that donates up to $700 per award in high-quality, hardcover children's books to small, rural public libraries in the United States through its Books for Children program. Applicants' Friends of Library programs or other local initiatives are expected to contribute up to $350 toward the project, which the Libri Foundation will match on a 2-to-1 ratio. The foundation awards grants three times a year. Application deadlines are March 15, July 15, and Dec. 15.

15. NASA Urban and Rural Community Enrichment Program (URCEP)
NASA’s URCEP program is designed to capture, channel, and enhance the interest of educators and students in science, mathematics, engineering, technology, and geography. During the three-day program NASA’s URCEP specialists explain through lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on classroom activities how basic scientific principles are applied in the exploration of aeronautics and space. For more information, write to NASA Headquarters; Education Division; Attn: URCEP Program Manager; Code N; Washington, DC 20549 or learn more online at the link above.

16. You Can Make a Difference Scholarship program
Microsoft Corp. has launched its second annual You Can Make a Difference scholarship program, which challenges secondary school students to design technology-based projects to benefit charitable organizations. Each of the 10 selected finalists will receive a $5,000 (USD) grant that includes $1,500 to implement the charitable project, $2,500 as a student scholarship, and a $1,000 technology grant to the student’s school. The 10 finalists will also receive a mentor from Microsoft to help them turn their project idea into a working software solution for the charity. Submit entries via theSpoke.net, Microsoft's online community for technology students. Deadline: April 30.

17. National Dairy Council 3-A-Day of Dairy Nutrition Education Grants
This grant program is designed to address America’s low calcium intake and to help empower kids to be advocates for healthy eating, including three servings of dairy a day, and an active lifestyle. Maximum Award: $5,000. Please note California, Wisconsin, Hawaii and Puerto Rico are not participating in the 2005 grant program. Deadline: May 13, 2005.

18. Schools as Centers of Community: A National Search for Excellence
Each year KnowledgeWorks Foundation searches the country for schools that successfully model the growing trend to build schools as centers of community. The top selected school, chosen by a panel of national experts, receives the "Richard W. Riley Award for Excellence" and a $5,000 grant. Submissions will be accepted from March 1 through June 24, 2005. More information is available online at the link above.