| News for the Education Profession |  |
- Schools increase focus on character education
Support for including character education in schools appears to be gaining momentum, according to some supporters -- a trend that many believe could help improve student achievement. "If kids come to schools where they feel valued, safe, and feel teachers have their best interests at heart, ... they commit themselves," Marvin Berkowitz, a professor of character education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, said. "They work harder, there are fewer distractions, and kids are more motivated. Of course they learn more." Education Week (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org)
(2/27)      
- Understanding the difference between school climate, culture
 There are differences between school climate, which is the immediate condition, and school culture, the ongoing beliefs and traditions developed over time in the school community, writes longtime educator David Jakes, coordinator of instructional technology at Glenbrook South High School in Glenview, Ill. The climate must be changed to improve the culture, he writes in this blog post. "Over time, elements of a school's climate can become part of its culture. Truly successful schools create the conditions that enable this to occur," he writes. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Education
(2/28)
- Technical training finds a new home in high school
While traditional high-school shop classes may be a thing of the past, schools are bringing back hands-on, vocational education in new ways -- with tech classes on campus, as well as opportunities for internships and apprenticeships with local industries. "We're hearing policy makers talk about it more often. Certain districts are looking at career and technical education as a way to reform schools," Stephen DeWitt, senior director of public policy for the Association for Career and Technical Education. "The focus on project-based learning, how to get students engaged more, is something that's caught on." CNN
(2/28)
 | Understand the Role of Oral Language in Reading for your Title I and ELL Students
Oral language is a predictor of future academic success. Learn how researchers suggest approaching oral language instruction, particularly in ELL and Title I populations where socioeconomic status and home experiences result in a growing academic gap. Lexia helps high-risk students close the gap and advance one or more grade levels within one year. Read more. |
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- Why teachers should share their ideas with peers
Sharing success stories allows teachers to get new ideas and to revive the passion of the profession, middle-grades educator Susan Lucille Davis writes in this blog post. Comparing it to Show and Tell in elementary classrooms, Davis offers suggestions to facilitate idea exchanges, such as giving colleagues 5 minutes to present a lesson or a new online tool from their classrooms. "In the end, it also places a high value on self-directed learning by asking us to be accountable for our time and to our colleagues," she writes. Powerful Learning Practice
(2/28)
 | Power the CCSS with assessment that targets real learning
At the Annual Conference on Common Core Standards and Assessment, you'll discover how to unpack the CCSS alongside a few of the experts who helped design them. Create assessments that accurately forecast student learning, analyze the expectations of assessment consortia, and implement equitable, defensible grading practices. Register today!
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| Technology in the Classroom |  |  |
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- Texting your way to parental engagement
Four free, easy-to-use resources can help educators engage with parents via cellphones, writes Lisa Nielsen, a public-school educator and administrator. Among Nielsen's suggestions in this blog post are to use mass-texting services that allow for safe, one-way communication for reminders and announcements and to use Twitter to relay information to parents. Other recommended tools include ClassPager, which allows parents to respond to polls and questions using their own devices, and Poll Everywhere, which gives parents a chance to relay their opinions. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Education
(2/27)
| Managing Budgets | | |
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- San Diego budget plan prohibits teacher layoffs this year
The San Diego Unified School District has decided to balance its budget by selling unneeded properties, raising class sizes for some students and freezing positions left vacant through attrition -- all as an alternative to laying off teachers. The district's school board voted 4-1 Tuesday to prohibit laying off teachers during this budget cycle, but the moves were criticized by trustee Scott Barnett. San Diego Union-Tribune
(2/27)
| Policy Watch | | |
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- Calif. districts seek first-of-their-kind waivers from parts of NCLB
Nine school districts in California, including Los Angeles, are seeking waivers from portions of No Child Left Behind and are pledging to develop their own ways for evaluating the success of schools. The request -- filed jointly by the districts belonging to the California Office to Reform Education -- calls for the evaluation of schools based on standardized test scores, along with attendance, suspensions and graduation data, using district-developed formulas. San Jose Mercury News (Calif.) (free registration)
(2/28)
| Faculty Lounge | | |
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- First lady launches "Let's Move Active Schools"
First lady Michelle Obama on Thursday launched a public-private partnership that builds on her "Let's Move" campaign to provide financial help to schools for programs that improve student fitness. The "Let's Move Active Schools" initiative includes grants to schools from the Department of Education, with organizations and companies such as Nike, GENYOUth Foundation, ChildObesity180, Kaiser Permanente and the General Mills Foundation pledging funding and other resources. Yahoo/The Associated Press
(2/28)
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| The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)
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| ASCD News | | |
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Using Data to Focus Instructional Improvement
The word "data" shouldn't make you cringe, and if it does, ASCD authors Cheryl James-Ward, Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey and Diane Lapp are here to help. They've written "Using Data to Focus Instructional Improvement" to help you use data to empower yourself and your school community. You'll learn how to improve instruction by collecting the right data the right way, never settling for "good enough," and involving all stakeholders in identifying problems, setting goals and analyzing data. Read sample chapters.
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Have you tried the ASCD iPad app?
If you want to access in-depth professional development reads on the move, this app's for you. The free ASCD app for iPad enables you to read ASCD e-books and, if you're an ASCD member, access issues of our flagship publication, Educational Leadership. Members will also be able to access ASCD newsletters, including Education Update and Policy Priorities.
Download the app.
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| Position Title | Company Name | Location |
| Teach Overseas! | International Schools Services | Multiple Locations, International |
| K-12 School Teachers Needed for International Schools | The International Educator | Multiple Locations, International |
| Educational Trainer/Consultant | Confidential | Oklahoma City and Tulsa Metro Areas, OK |
| Independent Sales Representative | USATestprep, Inc. | Multiple Locations, United States |
| Principal at Brooklyn Excelsior | National Heritage Academies | Brooklyn, NY |
| Assistant Professor of Special Education | Saint Joseph 's College | Standish, ME |
| Regional Assistant Director, IL Center for School Improvement | American Institutes for Research | Naperville, IL |
| Founding High School Principal | Charter School for Global Leadership | Camden, NJ |
| Principal / Director of Alternative High School | Taunton Public Schools | Taunton, MA |
| Rosalyn S. Heyman Endowed Chair in Educational Administration | Pepperdine University | Malibu, CA |
| Tenure-Track Position in Policy Development | Pepperdine University | Malibu, CA |
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| Click here to view more job listings. |
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| | Recent ASCD SmartBrief Issues:
- Thursday, February 28, 2013
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