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LOCAL EDUCATION FUND (LEF) LEADERSHIP: BASELINE SURVEY FINDINGS
Many nonprofit organizations seek to make change. To that end, much needed
"capital"--variously described as social, public, professional, and
human--is being brought to bear upon pressing social issues. Researchers
across the country are attempting to understand how these resources are
being generated, deployed, and administered, and to what avail. Of
particular interest are local education funds (LEFs) and their leaders.
LEFs are a set of voluntary, intermediate, and mission-driven
organizations, conceived by the Ford Foundation in 1983, which sit
strategically at the nexus of educational and civic capacity building.
This report provides the results of the first phase of the Public
Education Network (PEN) leadership study, a baseline survey administered
to 59 LEF executive directors. The survey had two purposes: to provide a
snapshot of leadership characteristics and perceptions of executive
directors--information never before compiled and examined--and to gather
contextual information on the LEFs and the communities they serve. The
results will be used as a foundation for subsequent research on LEF
leadership. In time, the findings from this research will assist PEN in
its efforts to nurture and sustain LEF leadership.
http://www.urban.org/education/LEF-Leadership.html#execsum
TEST DRIVE
A new law has made test-prep firms the hottest teacher's aid. But are
students really getting better? By now, state high-stakes exams have
become a fact of life in the American classroom. Less noticed is the
growing presence--and power--of firms like Kaplan that teach students and
their teachers how to master them. The companies, which have spent decades
deflating the mystique of the SAT, take a similar tack with the
grade-school exams. They maintain that test taking, like telling time or
double-knotting a shoelace, is a "life skill" that every child can learn
and no youngster should go without. Critics, including some classroom
teachers, contend that many test-prep activities--such as skimming instead
of reading passages or speedily filling in bubble sheets--do nothing to
really expand brainpower or knowledge. For example, a Kaplan guide to the
writing section of the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills counsels
students not to dwell on spelling and punctuation: "If you write a deeply
moving essay with atrocious grammar, you might still get a...passing
score." Says Walt Haney, a testing expert at Boston College: "My main
worry is that students will learn how to take tests but not how to think."
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101020204-197647,00.html
PHILADELPHIA EDUCATION FUND DISHEARTENED BY UNCERTIFIED TEACHERS
Even as President Bush this week called for "a quality teacher in every
classroom," at least 30,000 Philadelphia public-school students have
teachers with emergency certifications, meaning they are not fully
qualified to teach their specialties, an analysis of city and state data
shows. Counted separately, those students would constitute Pennsylvania's
third-largest school district, underscoring the enormous challenge facing
the School Reform Commission now charged with raising achievement for the
city's 200,000 students. While some of those with emergency certifications
may be good teachers, "the pool Philadelphia is left with is very
disheartening," said Elizabeth Useem, a researcher with the Philadelphia
Education Fund, a local education fund, who recently analyzed
teacher-certification data. She found, for instance, that more than
two-thirds of 26 new math teachers in the city schools who took their
certification tests last year failed. Also failing were 65 percent of 262
new teachers who took the basic writing test required for certification.
http://inq.philly.com/content/inquirer/2002/01/31/front_page/teach31.htm
DO NATIONALLY CERTIFIED TEACHERS MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
It's no small change. Since 1987, the National Board for Professional
Teaching Standards has reaped more than $109 million in federal money to
design the assessments it uses to identify highly skilled teachers.
Meanwhile, 33 states and some 280 school districts have invested in
financial incentives to encourage teachers to seek the group's seal of
approval. Now, the question is being asked: What difference does the board
make? "We see value in the rigor [of national certification]," said
Richard Laine of the Illinois Business Roundtable. "But my members keep
coming back saying, 'Show me that direct line back to student
achievement.'"
http://www.edweek.com/ew/newstory.cfm?slug=20board.h21
LINKING COMMUNITY SERVICE TO CURRICULUM BUILDS BETTER STUDENTS & CITIZENS
Service learning stands at the intersection of civic and academic
engagement. Studies show that large numbers of young Americans are not
fully engaged--intellectually or otherwise--in the teaching and learning
enterprise. As many as half of all high school students find their classes
boring, and substantial majorities see no particular reason to get good
grades in school or to refrain from cheating on tests. Disengagement also
extends to activities fundamental to democratic society, such as voting
and keeping up with current events. Service learning has proved to be a
powerful antidote to student disengagement.
http://www.servicelearningcommission.org/pressrel.html
MINORITY STUDENTS IN SPECIAL & GIFTED EDUCATION
There are few topics in education that are as politically and emotionally
charged as the education of children with disabilities. To ensure that
minority students who are poorly prepared for school are not assigned to
special education for that reason, educators should be required to first
provide them with high-quality instruction and social support in a general
education classroom, says a new report. The report also called for
rigorous research on ways to identify talented students who excel in
verbal, mathematical, or other skills. Historically, disproportionately
low numbers of African-Americans, Hispanics, and American Indians have
been placed in K-12 gifted classes--the opposite of demographic trends in
special education.
http://www4.nationalacademies.org/news.nsf/isbn/0309074398?OpenDocument
PROVIDENCE TEACHERS CAST "A RECKLESS VOTE"
How shortsighted can 900 Providence teachers be? Their rejection of a
mediated contract proposal a week ago--one that would have made them the
highest-paid teachers, with the shortest workday, in the state--was an act
of defiance against local children and the reforms that Providence schools
desperately need. It threatens crucial state and private foundation
support for those struggling schools. And it couldn't have come at a worse
time. At a moment when political and business support is coalescing around
Providence schools, and the weak economy is putting a sharp crimp in the
state budget, it is dismaying that these teachers rejected a more than
generous 11.5 percent wage hike, preferring to carry on a destructive
crusade against Diana Lam, a superintendent who had the gall to be serious
about reforming city schools. The union made it clear: This is not only
about money. This is about power.
http://www.projo.com/report/html/06942951.htm
INSERVICE TEACHER EDUCATION HELPS IMPROVE CLASSROOM PRACTICE
Each day, hundreds of math and science teachers throughout the United
States stand before eager students to help them meet the high standards
that states and school districts have adopted. But how do teachers
themselves deepen their own knowledge and skills. Read about the six
features that make professional development effective and improve
instruction in math and science: form, duration, collective participation,
content, active learning, and coherence.
http://www.aera.net/communications/news/020128.htm
EDUCATOR PENSION FUNDS LOSE BIG IN ENRON COLLAPSE
Read about the effect that the collapse of Enron has had on public pension
funds. Many teacher and educator pension funds nationwide have lost
hundreds of millions in the Enron debacle. TIAA-CREF is among those who
have suffered significant losses. To compound TIAA-CREF’s investment woes,
multi-billion dollar investments in Argentina have also gone down the
drain.
http://irascibleprofessor.com/comments-01-28-02.htm
also check out: http://www.edweek.com/ew/newstory.cfm?slug=20briefs.h21
LAST RESORT AGAINST TRUANCY: JAILING PARENTS
Most Tampa Bay area counties have jailed a handful of parents for
educational neglect of elementary-age children. Dozens more have been
placed on probation. Last year in Hillsborough County, 37 parents were
prosecuted, and four went to jail. The year before, of the 42 parents
charged, two ended up behind bars. Numbers are similar in Pinellas County,
where 62 parents were charged and two were jailed last year. Thirty-six
were charged and 14 jailed the year before. School officials and
prosecutors say charging parents is a last-ditch effort in a long process
of getting problem parents to make school a priority. "It's important for
every child in America to have an education," said Sandra Spoto, a bureau
chief with the Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office. "Not only
that, but it's the law."
http://www.sptimes.com/2002/01/28/news_pf/TampaBay/Last_resort_against_t.shtml
WHITE STUDENTS LEAVING BOSTON SCHOOLS IN LARGE NUMBERS
Thousands of white children left Boston public elementary schools during
the past decade, leaving the student body just 14 percent white, according
to a new study that suggests efforts to keep schools racially balanced are
becoming futile. Boston's elementary schools are now 86 percent nonwhite,
compared with 76 percent in 1990, according to figures analyzed by
researchers at the University at Albany. Beyond white families leaving the
city for the suburbs, these numbers also reflect Boston's middle-class
families sending their children to private and parochial
schools--increasingly making Boston's public schools a place for the poor,
regardless of race. In Boston the rate is much lower than in many other
cities, notably Detroit and Gary, Ind., which have the highest segregation
rates in America.
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/025/nation/White_student_ratios_falling+.shtml
SCHOOL REFORM PROPOSALS: THE RESEARCH EVIDENCE
To clarify what we know about public schools that are effective for all
children, the Education Policy Studies Laboratory at Arizona State
University invited a group of distinguished education scholars to review
the research on a series of education reform topics. The resulting 13
literature reviews (and 300 pages) will produce headaches or shouts of
joy, depending on your tolerance for academic papers. Among topics of
possible interest to educators and researchers: class size reduction;
small schools; alternative scheduling; grouping and tracking; parent
involvement; teacher quality; effectiveness of staff development; and
alternatives to public schools.
http://www.asu.edu/educ/epsl/Reports/epru/EPRU%202002-101/epru-2002-101.htm
EDUCATION AID LIMITS PRIVACY
A little-mentioned provision of President Bush's new education act could
mean constantly ringing telephones, jammed mailboxes and a loss of privacy
for high school students and their parents. Section 9528 of the No Child
Left Behind Act of 2001, signed into law Jan. 8, says high schools
receiving federal aid must give students' names, addresses and telephone
numbers to any military recruiter or higher education provider who asks
for them. Higher education includes everything from universities to auto
repair, computer and hairdressing schools. "This could be an absolute
nightmare with the amount of mailings," said James Gallagher,
superintendent of south suburban Evergreen Park High School District 231.
He said parents and students "are going to be getting mail coming out the
eyeballs" from schools across the country. "I have concerns about giving
out students' names, addresses and phone numbers. But if it's the law,
there's not much we can do about it. It's another unfunded mandate" that
will cost schools plenty to inform parents of the law, and of their right
to refuse to let their child's information be released.
http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-navy31.html
CHILDREN'S DEFENSE FUND SAYS PRESIDENT'S PLAN DOESN'T GO FAR ENOUGH
Marian Wright Edelman of the Children's Defense Fund reacted to the
President's stand on homeland security by stating, "The Children's Defense
Fund (CDF) understands and supports the need for homeland security. We
also understand the importance of protecting the nation from enemies that
would do us harm. But national security is not just about investing in the
military, it is about investing in children and families…CDF wants every
child and family in America to be safe and secure. But too many families
are threatened by a terror that comes from losing a job, from not knowing
where the next meal is coming from or whether they'll have a roof over
their head. The President's proposals to fight the recession at home do
not go nearly far enough. They do not do enough to help the neediest
Americans."
http://pnnonline.org/people/cdf020102.asp
NATIONAL PTA'S SPANISH RESOURCES
Check out this collection of resources in Spanish to promote parent
involvement in a variety of areas. The National PTA offers Spanish
language publications on: understanding standards, talking to teens about
AIDS, fighting discrimination, and creating healthy children and families.
http://www.pta.org/parentinvolvement/spanish/index.asp
ENGAGING FAMILIES IN ACADEMIC IMPROVEMENT
When families engage in children's education, academic achievement can
improve. A new publication presents various strategies that help parents
understand standards-based education. It features The Education Trust on
using standards to help both parents and teachers take different, but
complimentary steps to improve student achievement. It offers the
perspectives of principals, teachers and teacher unions on best practices
to facilitate parent-teacher communication around academic issues. The
Forum also discusses approaches to address the achievement gap, including
aligning instructional practice with parental support in the home and
mobilizing community assets to enrich students' learning opportunities.
http://gseweb.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/Forum/forum1.html
CHANGING BUSINESS AS USUAL
The story of the Oklahoma City Schools is really a tale of two districts–-
the first is a district which has aggressively worked to create new and
exciting programs, enterprise and charter schools, schools of choice and
centers of excellence unmatched in the state – the second is a district
which serves a population of high-need and high-challenge students who
chronically fail to gain the academic foothold which leads to school
success and accomplishment in life. Read about "Project KIDS" a community
plan to rebuild the District to deliver a product that produces students
who are well educated and poised to contribute to Oklahoma City’s success,
and to build public confidence and public accountability for fiscal and
resource management.
http://www.okckids.com/kids%20report.html
ASSESSMENT FOR UNDERSTANDING
Throughout the country, many educators are moving beyond traditional tests
and using performance assessments to give students the experience, as
expert Grant Wiggins says, "of being tested the way historians,
mathematicians, museum curators, scientists, and journalists are actually
tested in the workplace." The result is a deeper learning experience for
the student and a more complete picture of student performance for
teachers, parents, and others interested in what students know and can do.
http://glef.org/assessoverview.html
|---------------GRANT AND FUNDING INFORMATION--------------|
"Drawing the Line on Gun Violence"
The Alliance for Justice's Co/Motion Program is sponsoring a nationwide
art contest to help inspire and encourage a new generation of activists
against gun violence. The "Drawing the Line on Gun Violence" contest will
ask students to create posters that communicate the impact of and
solutions to gun violence in their communities. Students in grades 9-12
are invited to get their creative juices flowing--imagination is the only
prerequisite. Winners receive up to $1,500 in prizes and a trip to
Washington, D.C., for a Congressional reception at the U.S. Capitol.
Entries must be submitted and postmarked no later than February 28, 2002.
http://www.comotionmakers.org/postercontest/
"History Channel Award"
National History Day will present the History Channel Award for
Outstanding Contribution in History Education. The $3,000 award will be
given to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to history
education through service to the National History Day program. To be
eligible, the individual must be a participant in the National History Day
program and may be a teacher, media specialist, district or state History
Day coordinator, judge or other volunteer. Application deadline: May 15,
2002.
http://www.nationalhistoryday.org/
"Public Welfare Foundation"
The Public Welfare Foundation is a non-governmental grant-making
organization dedicated to supporting organizations that provide services
to disadvantaged populations and work for lasting improvements in the
delivery of services that meet basic human needs. Grants have been awarded
in the areas of criminal justice, disadvantaged elderly and youth,
environment, population, health, community and economic development, human
rights and technology assistance. Most first-time grants fall between
$25,000 and $50,000. Application deadline: Open.
http://www.publicwelfare.org/first_time/first_time.asp
"Excellence in Teaching Cabinet Grant Program"
Each year, Curriculum Associates sponsors the Excellence in Teaching
Cabinet grant program in which three educators are chosen to receive a
grant to help fund a creative teaching project for the coming school year.
Projects can span from three months to a full school year and will
reflect educators' abilities to make classrooms creative, quality learning
environments through the use of a variety of teaching tools, including
technology and print. Grants of $1,000 plus a $500 gift certificate for
Curriculum Associates materials will be awarded. Proposals must be
received by March 15, 2002.
http://www.curriculumassociates.com/cabinet/#about
"Department of Education Forecast of Funding"
This document lists virtually all programs and competitions under which
the Department of Education has invited or expects to invite applications
for new awards for FY 2002 and provides actual or estimated deadline dates
for the transmittal of applications under these programs. The lists are in
the form of charts--organized according to the Department's principal
program offices--and include programs and competitions the Department has
previously announced, as well as those it plans to announce at a later
date. Note: This document is advisory only and is not an official
application notice of the Department of Education.
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OCFO/grants/forecast.html
"eSchool News School Funding Center"
Information on up-to-the-minute grant programs, funding sources, and
technology funding.
http://www.eschoolnews.com/resources/funding/
"Philanthropy News Digest-K-12 Funding Opportunities"
K-12 Funding opportunities with links to grantseeking for teachers,
learning technology, and more.
http://fdncenter.org/funders/
"School Grants"
A collection of resources and tips to help K-12 educators apply for and
obtain special grants for a variety of projects.
http://www.schoolgrants.org
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Whoever is most impertinent has the best chance."
-Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (composer), "The Letters of Mozart and His
Family"
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