McRel Rural E-News, April 2008

1. Are wired kids well served by schools? CNet News
Researchers from the University of Southern California and University of California at Berkeley presented findings from a large-scale study on children living in digital environments. Today's children are creators of media, rather than consumers of media. But most schools merely present static information to children, leaving them feeling bored and uninvolved. One of the key motivations for children to engage in technology was the ability to be publicly and instantly critiqued, which is a stark contrast to the delayed gratification of education.

2. A good grade for Teach for America The Christian Science Monitor
A new study of Teach for America (TFA), an accelerated teacher-training program, finds that students of TFA teachers outperform students of even veteran teachers. Much of this impact could be due to the selective nature of the TFA program, which only recruits top applicants.

3. Tech encourages students' social skills eSchool News
New reports from University at Buffalo, State University of New York, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign find that well-integrated technology helps students develop key social skills, which lead to improved cognitive skills.

4. How multimedia can improve learning eSchool News
New research supports the idea that multimodal learning (using multiple modes and strategies of teaching) is more effective than traditional learning, which is typically unimodal. When applied correctly, adding visual or other stimulation to the learning environment helps students link the information with visual or sensory cues, improving their ability to recall the information later.

5. Poverty may impair growth of brain News & Record (Greensboro, N.C.)
New studies confirm that poverty can have negative effects on brain development, leading to learning disabilities, behavior problems, and other problems. The problems are linked to the stresses associated with living in poverty and the lack of time parents may have to dedicate to nurturing their children.

6. Studies: SAT writing portion good predictor of grades USA Today
New studies suggest that, despite criticism, the new writing portion of the SAT is a better predictor of grades than the critical reading and mathematics portions of the exam.

7. For children, a better beginning The Washington Post
A new study examining the experiences of children in their first 10 years of life suggests that today's children are better off than previous generations. The study found that sixth graders feel safer at school, reading and math scores are up for 9-year-olds, more preschoolers are vaccinated, and fewer are poisoned by lead. Experts credit changes in government policy, the economy, and in parenting.

8. Balanced Leadership Academy
South Dakota Department of Education
The Balanced Leadership Academy is a series of five professional development sessions designed to help school administrators learn and apply effective leadership practices. It focuses on 21 key leadership responsibilities identified in research compiled by McREL. The program combines proven research with practical applications. School administrators will leave the program with the skills of knowing how to lead, why leadership is important, and when it's critical to provide effective leadership.

9. Balanced Leadership
Kansas Association of School Boards (KASB)
KASB is offering leadership seminars for building administrators based on McREL's Balanced Leadership� model. Applications will be open to building administrators of member KASB districts. Individuals can apply online through the KASB Web site.

10. McREL 2008 Summer Professional Development
Translate research into results
Come to McREL this summer for professional development that makes a difference. Choose from among sessions for both teachers and leaders, held in our Denver facilities.

11. McREL Power Walkthrough� Seminar & Software
June 12�13, 2008
During this 2-day seminar, you�ll gain a practical understanding of the strategies in Classroom Instruction that Works, why they are so powerful in student learning, and how to identify their use in classrooms. Learn how to use McREL�s Power Walkthrough software on your hand-held device to observe, evaluate, and record classroom observations and coach your teachers to higher levels of performance.

12. Classroom Instruction that Works Institute
June 9�11, 2008
This 2-day workshop describes nine categories of effective instructional strategies and shows how to implement them in the classroom. The institute is based on the best-selling Classroom Instruction that Works, one of the most widely-used professional development manuals in education today.

13. Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works
June 16�18, 2008
This 3-day workshop explores ways to use technology with the nine research-based instructional strategies to enhance student achievement using your existing lesson plans.

14. Designing Effective Science Lessons: Building the Framework
June 23�24, 2008
Science teachers will learn how to focus on the right content, deepen students� understanding of science, engage students, and encourage high-order thinking.

15. Balanced Leadership Institutes
Gain knowledge and practical skills from McREL�s research, reported in the ASCD publication School Leadership that Works, to guide your school to higher levels of performance and student achievement. Attend one or all four in a series of 2-day institutes.

16. Designing Effective Science Lessons: Five-day Institute
July 7�11, 2008
Science teachers will learn how to focus on the right content, deepen students� understanding of science, engage students, and encourage high-order thinking.

17. Classroom Instruction That Works with English Language Learners Workshops
July 15�16, 2008
Based on our popular book of the same title, this 2-day workshop applies the nine categories of research-based instructional strategies to five stages of language acquisition. Learn how to successfully engage and raise the achievement of English-language learners in mainstream classrooms.

18. Designing a School or District Curriculum Audit in Science
August 4�5, 2008
Develop a step-by-step process for creating an alignment matrix, mapping assessments to standards, identifying gaps in instruction and achievement, and evaluating a school or district curriculum framework for appropriateness.

19. Doing the Right Things Right in Mathematics
August 7�8, 2008
Learn practical, research-based strategies for differentiating instruction, creating classrooms that build on students� prior knowledge, and motivating students to learn.

REPORT ROUNDUP

20. Study Shows Brain Power Can Be Bolstered�Maybe
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor (U.M.) researchers report that a specific memory exercise may improve learning and increase a person's ability to transfer the learning to other, non-related tasks. This is the first time scientists have been able to demonstrate that specific training leads to improvement on an unrelated task. Further studies are needed to verify the effectiveness of the exercise, however.

21. Evaluation of Citizen Schools
Policy Studies Associates, Inc.
A seven-year study shows public school students in Boston who enrolled in after-school programs outperform their peers who are not involved in the programs. The programs have been effective in boosting student engagement and participation during regular school hours.

22. Characteristics of the 100 Largest Public School Districts in the United States: 2004�05
National Center for Education Statistics
This report provides a summary of information about the numbers of students and teachers, high school completion rates, freshman graduation rates, and financial information from the Common Core of Data about the nation's largest public school districts in 2004�05.

23. Study Finds New School Staffing Policies Benefit New York City Teachers, Urges Schools and Teachers Union to Address Costly Problem of Salaried Teachers Who Cannot Find Jobs
The New Teacher Project
A report from The New Teacher Project analyzes 18 months of data on a school staffing policy adopted by New York City in 2005. The policy was meant to give teachers and schools more control over the teacher hiring process. The report found that the new policy has several benefits, although some work remains to be done to address funding for the program, which pays full salaries and benefits to teachers searching for placement in the system. These costs are anticipated to reach $81 million by this summer.

24. Teacher Career Choices: Timing of Teacher Careers Among 1992-93 Bachelor's Degree Recipients
National Center for Education Statistics
This report analyzed the teaching career choices of 1992-93 bachelor's degree recipients. By 2003, 87 percent of the graduates were not teaching. Of those who chose teaching as a profession, 31 percent taught consistently, 41 percent started their teaching careers later, and 16 percent left the profession.

25. Parent Expectations and Planning for College: Statistical Analysis Report
National Center for Education Statistics
This report examines data from the 2003 Parent and Family Involvement Survey to identify expectations parents had for their children and the family and school postsecondary education planning practices. Parents of nine out of every 10 students in grades 6�12 expected them to continue their education beyond high school, and two thirds expected them to earn a degree. More than 80 percent of the families were planning to help their students pay for college.

26. Reviewing the Evidence On How Teacher Professional Development Affects Student Achievement
REL Southwest
A meta-analysis of studies addressing the effect of teacher professional development on student achievement found that teachers who receive strong professional development can raise student achievement by as much as 21 percentile points.

27. The Nation�s Report Card: Writing 2007
National Center for Education Statistics
This report contains results of the 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) writing assessment, administered to a representative sample of 165,000 eighth- and twelfth-grade students. In addition to the main report, two related summary reports are available, containing state snapshots and district snapshots of the data.

28. Reading First Impact Study: Interim Report
National Center for Education Statistics
This interim report, part of an ongoing evaluation of the Reading First program, found that Reading First positively impacted the total class time spent on the essential components of reading instruction. The change in class time, however, did not have a significant impact on student reading comprehension in grades 1�3.

29. Cities in Crisis: A Special Analytic Report on High School Graduation
America's Promise Alliance
This report finds that the largest U.S. cities are struggling to keep students in school. Urban schools are finding it harder to keep children in school through graduation than their suburban neighbors.

NEW FROM McREL

30. Take Your Pick: FaceBook, Pownce, Twitter, Vox...
The Future of Schooling: Trend of the Month
Choice is ubiquitous in our lives. From on-demand TV programs to music downloads to �fast� gourmet restaurant chains that let customers build their ideal burrito, we like �having it our way.� This trend toward using technology to support individualization and customization has come with fears that such technologies would isolate us from one another. Now, however, our fears are subsiding as another trend emerges � the rise of dozens of new voluntary communities, or social networks that are bringing us together in unique, technology-driven ways.

31. Remove Limits to Learning with Systematic Vocabulary Instruction
McREL
This booklet sets the stage for creating and implementing a systematic approach to vocabulary instruction and describes the positive outcomes you can expect when vocabulary becomes an essential part of classroom instruction.