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COMMUNITIES PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN
DETERMINING CHILDREN’S VERBAL SKILLS
A recently published study examines disparities in the verbal
abilities (major life outcome predictors) of children by isolating
neighborhood-level effects on development. The researchers from
Harvard University, New York University and the University of
Chicago began with the premise that a disproportionate number of
African American children live in at-risk communities, making
comparisons between them and white and Latino children unreliable,
i.e., calling into question traditional research strategies.
Consequently, the study focused on trajectories of verbal ability
among African-American children and found that living in a severely
disadvantaged neighborhood reduces later verbal ability on average
by four I.Q. points, which is tantamount to missing a full school
year. The findings hold true for low- and middle-income children
alike, signaling that a chief determining factor in low verbal
scores is community quality. In addition, the study suggests that
children who moved into at-risk communities saw any progress they
made up to that point slip. As Stephanie Banchero reports in the
Chicago Tribune, the study notes that children who live in
depressed, segregated communities for long periods of time have more
exposure to violence and less access to good schools and safe places
to play. To combat this, families typically "hunker down" where it
is safe, but in so doing, they provide their children with less
exposure to formal English. The study is one of the first to tie
poor childhood development to the corrosive nature of at-risk
communities and not to "poverty," in general.
CONTROL YOURSELF: IT WILL HELP YOU DO
BETTER IN SCHOOL
Research, from the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional
Learning tabbed for release in early 2008, suggests that a less
rigorous focus on curriculum may help student achievement, reports
Debra Viadero in Education Week. The key is to take time out of the
curriculum to teach students to manage their emotions and practice
empathy, caring and cooperation, and, as a by-product, achievement
could improve. These findings and similar results from other
research-based fields (like brain science) seem to be converging on
the benefits of such instruction, and programs based on the concept
have experienced a growing presence in schools. Illinois, for
instance, has adopted standards for the social and emotional skills
that K-12 students should be taught. When researchers investigated
Illinois’ programs, they found that students were better behaved,
more positive and less anxious than students not participating in
the programs. In addition, program students earned better grades and
had higher tests scores. According to Roger Weissberg, professor of
psychology and education at the University of Illinois at Chicago,
"the impact here is almost twice that of studies on class-size
improvements."
NOT YOUR TYPICAL MODEL UNITED NATIONS
Millicent Orondo Atieno spoke determinedly and eloquently -- on
behalf of 90 young people from 51 countries -- at a recent
high-level United Nations General Assembly session. In her speech,
Atieno, so wise yet just 15, urged world leaders to make children
their number one priority and discussed implementing a blueprint
first adopted at the 2002 U.N. Children’s Summit, reports the
Associated Press. The blueprint focused on improving health,
protecting children against abuse, violence and exploitation and
fighting HIV/AIDS. It also included goals like increasing the
percentage of children who receive a primary education to at least
90 percent of the world’s children by 2010 (now that is a real
universal pre-K benchmark). While many children across the globe
miss out on necessary resources, Atieno and her colleagues remain
unwavering in their support for quality education, with a special
focus on life skills. In addressing the world’s leaders, Atieno said
"you often ‘consider’ the best interests of the child, but just
talking about it is not enough...it should be the guiding principle
that should steer all your decisions and all your actions." "We
don't want to hear any more good intentions," Atieno added. "We want
to see more actions." It is awe-inspiring when a teenager can
clearly and forcefully articulate the importance of an issue. We can
only hope that the world’s leaders will take notice.
LEVINE, FOUNDATIONS TRY TO BRING LAW
TO EDUCATION’S DODGE CITY
The provider of the most memorable sound-bite on teacher preparation
programs, Art Levine, is spearheading a new movement to overhaul
teacher education and encourage more college graduates to work and
stay in high-needs schools. As part of the initiative, Levine and
his organization, the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation,
launched a state-level teaching fellowship program beginning in
Indiana, in which participants receive a $30,000 stipend to complete
a year-long master’s program with the requirement that they teach
three years of math or science in a high-needs Indiana school. Ohio
and other states are expected to launch the program beginning next
year. In addition to the state initiative, the foundation is
creating a national "Rhodes Scholarship" for teaching, funded by the
Annenberg Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation, which provides a
$30,000 stipend and a year of graduate education at one of the
nation’s top teacher-education programs (Stanford University and the
universities of Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington). To be
admitted to the program, candidates must agree to teach for three
years in low-income schools. The dual initiatives aim to: transform
teacher education for both the fellows and the preparatory
universities; get strong teachers into high-needs schools; attract
the very best candidates to teaching; and, cut attrition rates for
top teachers through clinical preparation and ongoing in-school
mentoring. Just a few years ago, Levine called teacher education
schools "the Dodge City of the education world...like the fabled
Wild West town, it is unruly and chaotic" (click
here). Hopefully teacher education is finally nearing the right
path as this initiative pairs with others around the country,
including the Boston Plan for Excellence Teacher Residency program
that trains aspiring teachers under the supervision of experienced
mentors.
SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN -- FOR
34 MICROSECONDS
The holiday season can be a hectic time for all, especially those
attempting to travel from festive gathering to festive gathering.
But perhaps this time of the year is toughest on nine reindeer and a
jolly old man in a red velvet (or is it velour) suit. According to a
news report from Agence France-Presse, Santa and his sleigh can
spend just 34 microseconds at each home, which makes it tough to
really enjoy all that milk and cookies. In addition, Santa will
visit 2.5 billion homes along his route, a route that must begin in
Kyrgyzstan if he is to spend the maximum 34 microseconds per home.
The Rudolph-led reindeer also must be on their game and geared to
travel at speeds of 3,604 miles per second to bring joy to every
child. To be sure you get that Cal Ripken, Jr. rookie card or the
super cool video game, you should address letters to both the North
Pole and Kyrgyzstan (Santa knows the NewsBlast team did).
HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM PUBLIC EDUCATION
NETWORK
The NewsBlast staff is continually amazed by your dedication and the
extraordinary efforts you have expended on behalf of the nation’s
public schools. The Public Education Network remains eternally
grateful for your partnership and commitment to excellence in this
vital field. Click below to view our online holiday card...a small
thank you to our incredibly astute NewsBlast subscribers!
SPREAD HOLIDAY JOY, ONE GIANT THANK
YOU CARD AT A TIME
The National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and National Education
Association (NEA) have partnered to give a great big holiday cheer
to America's hardest working most important (and sometimes maligned)
labor force -- teachers. To that end, the groups created the
"Nation's Largest Teacher Thank-You Card." Participants submit a
card touting their favorite teachers that are compiled into the
mother of all cards, which will be unveiled in spring 2008. It is
easy to participate: either personalize a provided template or mail
in a special one-of-a-kind design. As most teachers will tell you,
the best holiday gift is a simple ‘thank you.’
HELPING AUTISTIC KIDS IS 20 TIMES
BETTER THAN BAND PRACTICE
In order to fulfill a school elective, four students at Dixon-Smith
Middle School in Fredericksburg, Va. volunteer to help teach and
learn alongside autistic students, reports Cathy Dyson in the
Stafford (Va.) Free Lance-Star. To get into the program, students
are required to fill out applications, obtain two teacher
recommendations and have their school records checked. They also
choose to forgo the more mainstream art or music electives that
their peers typically select. Seventh-grader Billy Bolinsky is
convinced he picked the best elective possible -- in his opinion it
is "20 times better than singing in the chorus or playing in a
band," because you are lending a hand to kids who need a little
extra help. According to Judy Basluke, a paraprofessional who works
in the class, "the buddies we get are great. It’s like, where do you
find these rare kids?"
HOME VISITING CAN HELP YOUNG CHILDREN
GAIN DEVELOPMENTAL GROUND
The increasing amount of research into early childhood education
suggests that this period of life is vital to development, as
children up to age five rapidly accumulate fundamental capabilities
on which subsequent development is based. This, in turn, makes
parents and caregivers the best resource children have for starting
off on the right path. According to a policy brief from the National
Human Services Assembly, home visiting has emerged as a core
strategy for enhancing the skills of caregivers and also linking
higher risk families to community resources. Home visiting is an
early childhood intervention strategy that aims to support
caregivers by bringing services directly to them at home and
research has demonstrated that this strategy can improve a focused
set of outcomes (development and reductions in the potential for
abuse, for example). Another important aspect of home visiting is
that the services are often paired with center-based childhood
education, which achieves better outcomes than interventions
targeted at caregivers or children alone. To ensure higher risk
children enter kindergarten at the same level as their more
advantaged peers, it is worth looking into home visiting
interventions.
PEER-TO-PEER TEENAGE DRIVING PROGRAM
ATTEMPTS TO CURB FATALITIES
As far too many teenage lives do, Andrew Lundy’s ended in a car
accident, reports Angela Delli Santi for the New Jersey Associated
Press. To make sure Lundy didn't die in vain and to prevent future
tragedies, friends and classmates began Project Lundy, a peer
driver’s education program aimed at reducing teenage driving
fatalities. The program begins by asking participants to describe a
loved one to the group, with a friend of Lundy’s doing the same.
After everyone has shared, Lundy’s friend asks the group to imagine
losing their loved one, and reveals what happened to Lundy. The
peer-to-peer program stands out as it relies on teenagers to guide
and promote a safe driving message.
SCOTTISH BREAKTHROUGH IN ENDING PUPIL
ILLITERACY
The West Dunbartonshire council in Scotland recently announced that
it had virtually eradicated illiteracy among school-leavers, an
achievement believed to be unique in the United Kingdom, reports
Severin Carrell in the Guardian. The startling results are credited
to a program that began in 1997 after the council found that more
than a fifth of its students remained functionally illiterate after
completing secondary school. The turnaround program is based on
"synthetic phonics," which teach children to read by sounding out
letters and words along with hand gestures and body movements. The
council implemented the new reading instruction with the help of 18
early intervention teachers that worked across the council’s primary
and nursery schools. It is hard to argue with the results, as the
number of children leaving school with significant reading
difficulties is now less than 6 percent. Apparently, this isn't the
only instance that suggests gesturing can help increase
understanding (second link -- mentioned in the November 9, 2007
edition of NewsBlast) -- University of Chicago psychologists have
found that gesturing can help kids accumulate new problem-solving
strategies and that gesturing kids are more likely to succeed on
future math problems. For more information, visit the above
link and click
here.
FOUND IN TRANSLATION
The legendary Dr. Seuss is making a foray into Arabic as part of a
project aimed at getting books to Iraqi school children, reports
Kristina Andino in the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gazette. Students and
staff at Washington High School in Cedar Rapids began the project by
pulling together145 copies of "Foot Book" to be translated by
students. When the translations are finished, the books will be
shipped to U.S. soldiers so they can give them to Iraqi school
children. The exercise has helped students create the building
blocks to better understand Arabic. As an added bonus, the mantra
"giving is good" has been reinforced.
HOW TO USE DATA/PERFORMANCE SYSTEMS
TO HELP COMMUNITY COLLEGES
Throughout the education world, the movement to strengthen data
measurement systems is ever-increasing. This also has become a major
goal for community colleges, as they attempt to identify at-risk
students earlier and then provide those students with supports to
help them graduate. To that end, Achieving the Dream: Community
Colleges Count has focused on ensuring this movement becomes a
reality and that community colleges continue to improve. The group
also has begun to develop a set of indicators that states can use to
more effectively track performance over time, evaluate the
effectiveness of intervention strategies and learn from the
strengths of other systems. The hope is to maximize student
improvement and graduation rates especially for those students who
traditionally have not fared well in college.
THE IMPORTANCE OF FANTASY IN
EDUCATING CHILDREN
Vivian Paley’s book, "A Child’s Work: The Importance of Fantasy
Play," delves into classroom situations and explores the original
language of children in their role-playing and storytelling. By
watching children as they play, Paley found that play is indeed
work, that children are constantly deciding who they want to be, who
they want others to be, what the world will look like and how best
to get others to participate and listen to their point of view while
maintaining their make-believe personas. It is her belief that
parents and teachers need to go beyond watching and listening to
their children if children are to become the same original and
creative thinkers they have been in the past. The book also
discusses ways in which teachers might follow students and play
along to improve instruction.
LEARNING ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGES: AN
EDUCATIONAL NECESSITY
A main goal of education is to prepare students for the future,
writes Bill McKibben for Edutopia. In keeping with this vital
mission, students must learn about global warming, as that will
affect the lives of today’s kids more than anything else in the
future. Climate change also is an engaging subject that provides
cross-disciplinary learning options. For example, working to combat
climate issues means, to a certain extent, that one must leave
fossil fuels behind. At the same time, it is necessary to understand
that fossil fuels provided the impetus for the Industrial
Revolution, one of history’s most important developments. According
to McKibben, students need to be seduced by the pleasure of
imagining new futures and creatively solving problems because the
younger you are, the easier it is to envision new possibilities
because kids are not typically indoctrinated in the habits of the
past.
TO BE A GOOD TEACHER, LEARN TO BE A
GOOD MOTIVATOR
The Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) has
released a new research brief that focuses on the complex nature of
learning. The paper asserts that learning as a process must be
redefined and that today’s educational practices require a superior
understanding of the role motivation plays in learning. Broadly, the
paper addresses the challenges educators face when working with
students that are disinterested, reluctant or particularly resistant
to certain tasks. ACEI concludes that learning relies on a range of
key motivational strategies, which include student- and
task-specific rewards. In addition to focusing on the importance of
motivation in promoting learning, the brief provides research-based
recommendations to help teachers improve their ability to reach
students and help them learn.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF ADVERTISING WARS
(HINT: PER-PUPIL FUNDING)
With enrollment dwindling or stagnant, two Minnesota school
districts have begun advertising campaigns to openly poach students
from other districts, reports Norman Draper in the Minneapolis Star
Tribune. The districts, which have seen enrollment declines, are
eager to get new blood into the schools and the $5,074 per-student
state funding that comes with it, as Minnesota has open enrollment
laws and other policies that allow student movement. The advertising
campaigns are working, as both districts report the trend of
decreased enrollment has either slowed or stopped altogether. This
has, in turn, saved perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars per
year and preserved jobs and potentially marginalized programs.
However, some do not view this tactic in the same rosy light. Rolf
Parsons, school board chairman for the White Bear Lake school
district said "I think there are some questions about why would we
spend public dollars on a model where we're trying to take students
from each other." While educators are typically leery about openly
criticizing sister school districts, off the record, many say such
tactics are alarming and can potentially erode the cooperative
spirit that should rule education.
**********THANK YOU
FOR YOUR SUPPORT**********
The staff of the PEN Weekly NewsBlast wants to thank all of our
readers for making this a great year (even if all the education
policy wishes may not have come true). Still, without your support
and tireless work toward improving our country’s education system,
our job would not be nearly as fun or as helpful. We would like to
extend particular thanks to those who have spread a little holiday
cheer to the NewsBlast in the form of tax-deductible donations of
$100 or more. Thank you very much: Macky Hall, Laura Lane and
Michael Ragan. Happy Holidays to all and to all a good next year! |
