McRel Rural E-News, No. 48, October 2005

1. Small-school issue headed to ballot; Gov. supports delaying implementation of merger law Scottsbluff (Neb.) Star Herald
Nebraska voters will get a chance next year to decide whether to repeal a law forcing elementaryonly schools to merge into larger districts. But the vote outcome may not matter unless a judge first decides to suspend the law. That's because the mergers will take effect five months before the vote. Gov. Dave Heineman, who vetoed the bill passed earlier this year and signed the petition, supports suspending the law until the vote.

2. States may get teacher quality extension Associated Press
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings has told states that she won't strip their federal money if they fail to get all teachers qualified by the end of the school year — as long as states show they are making a serious effort to meet the law. Spellings has acknowledged the challenge of getting top teachers in some small, rural schools and in hardto-fill subject areas, but has warned she has real concerns that some states have not set appropriate definitions of quality or kept parents informed.

3. Online purchases save schools money Wichita (Kan.) Eagle
Darlyn Hansen figures he has saved the rural Tonganoxie school district more than $100,000 on roughly 50 large items he purchased over the Internet in the past few months. Hansen's company, Micro Resources, was hired last summer to buy equipment for the district. He got the job after telling school board members there were less expensive ways to buy equipment for the schools than through a general contractor. The district has budgeted $10,000 to pay Micro Resources a $40-an-hour consulting fee to make those purchases. So far, the move appears to be paying off.

4. Rising tuition? Not in South Dakota Christian Science Monitor
While the nation's public and private colleges keep boosting tuition in a seemingly relentless upward spiral, South Dakota has a different idea. It's cutting the cost of college for out-of-state residents. Starting next fall, the state will slash tuition for all new out-of-state students by slightly more than half. The reason for the change is demographics. Like many Plains states, South Dakota faces a dwindling number of high school graduates.

5. McREL Technology Solutions Coordinator’s Training February 15-17, 2006
McREL Technology Solutions (MTS) is a three-year, research-based professional development program that develops the capacity of teachers to use technology to improve student learning. McREL offers this site coordinator’s training session for schools that have a staff member with sufficient knowledge and skills to coordinate the program. During this three-day training session, participants receive a MTS Site Coordinator's Manual and guidance that will help them coordinate this comprehensive, intensive program in their school or district.

7. DMNS Distance Learning Survey
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is conducting a survey of current activity in distance learning to take a snapshot of recent distance learning experience, interest, and technical capacity in the museum’s region (CO, WY, western NE & KS). Please contact Jerry McCarthy, Project Editor with comments, suggestions, or contact recommendations at fairhill@gmail.com or 303-733-4020. DMNS hopes to repay response to the survey with new and affordable content services.

8. Examining the meaning of accountability McREL
A new issues brief from McREL suggests that parents appear to have different expectations than lawmakers for what it means to hold schools accountable for student success. The brief reports on the results of an ongoing research project McREL conducted in partnerships with the Kettering Foundation. The purpose of the project was to uncover what parents and other community members, particularly those in underrepresented populations and rural areas, think “education accountability” means — that is, to whom and for what do they believe educators should be held “accountable.” Among the key findings reported in the brief are community members in rural areas demonstrated resistance to imposed standards and lack of faith in the quality of statewide assessments.

9. Preparing rural preservice teachers for diversity Journal of Research in Rural Education
A 2-year evaluative self-study of a cohort teacher preparation program in rural eastern Oregon explored preservice teachers’ perceptions of their preparedness to teach diverse students. Using qualitative methods, teacher educators examined preservice teachers’ assumptions about student diversity in rural schools where they planned to teach. Characteristics of experiences that preservice teachers found helpful and unhelpful in their preparation to teach linguistically and culturally diverse students are described. Data suggested that the cohort model used was important in supporting inquiry that sensitized rural preservice teachers to diverse learners’ funds of knowledge.

10. Similar students, different results EdSource
What schools do and what resources they have for doing it can make a powerful difference in the achievement of students from low-income backgrounds, according to the initial findings from a new EdSource study. Based on a large-scale survey of principals and teachers in 257 California elementary schools serving many low-income students, the analysis identified four interrelated practices associated with higher API scores and suggested implications for district and principal leadership. The study was conducted by EdSource and researchers from Stanford University, the University of California at Berkeley, and the American Institutes for Research.

RESOURCES & GRANTS

11. Foundations of American Political Thought: National Student Essay November 15, 2005
High school students are invited to write an original 1,200-1,500 word essay on the need of a free society to balance "order and liberty." Cash prizes will be awarded for the top 10 essays.

12. EPA Environmental Education Grants Program November 23, 2005
The EPA supports environmental education projects that promote environmental stewardship and help develop responsible students, teachers, and citizens. This grant program provides financial support for projects which design, demonstrate, or disseminate environmental education practices, methods, or techniques as described in this notice. A school district, a nonprofit organization, or a college or university may apply, but an individual teacher or faculty member may not apply. Maximum Award: $79,000.

13. We the People Bookshelf January 17, 2006
The American Library Association’s “We the People Bookshelf” program encourages young people to read and understand great literature while exploring themes in American history. Public and school (K-12) libraries are invited to apply to be among the 1,000 libraries selected to receive free books.

14. Improving Students’ Understanding of Geometry November 4, 2005
This grant program encourages the development of activities that will enable students to better appreciate and understand some aspect of geometry that is consistent with the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics of NCTM. Maximum Award: $3,000. Eligibility: Applicants must be current NCTM members or teach at a school with a current K–8 NCTM school membership.