| News for the Education Profession |  |
- Gates Foundation to support teachers, disadvantaged students
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will focus its largess on improving teacher quality, creating national high-school learning standards, quadrupling the percentage of disadvantaged children who leave high school ready for college and doubling the number who graduate from college or technical programs, Bill Gates said on Tuesday. "Doctors aren't left alone in their offices to try to design and test new medicines," Gates said. "They're supported by a huge medical-research industry. Teachers need the same kind of support." The Seattle Times
(11/12)       
 | Complementing Successful Response to Intervention Models
CTB/McGraw-Hill helps educators improve achievement for all students by complementing RTI programs with opportunities for universal screening, multi-tiered interventions, progress monitoring, and resources to help monitor fidelity of implementation. |
- Recruit more top students into traditional teaching programs
 As the economy plummets, top students who once dreamed of Wall Street jobs are looking to Teach For America and other competitive teaching programs, writes Barbara Beatty, who chairs Wellesley College's education department. This presents an opportunity to boost the quality of all new teachers by offering merit-based scholarships to top students who intend to become teachers through more traditional routes, she says. Education Week
(11/11)
 | Wow your staff with a fabulous on-site conference! Last summer, Rankin County School District in Brandon, Mississippi did just that and received rave reviews from all 300 attending staff members. Watch this video to see and hear why SDE should help you plan and deliver your next in-service. |
- Professor: Internet has triggered "explosion" of student writing
Social networks, blogs, instant-messaging and e-mail may be helping students by exposing young writers to real audiences and creating an interest in creative writing, says Richard Sterling, University of California, Berkeley, faculty member and former National Writing Project director. "Even over the past three years, there has been a difference with my undergraduates," Sterling says. "Three years ago, I would ask how many students have a MySpace or Facebook page and about one-third would raise their hands. Now about 98 percent raise their hands." The Miami Herald (free registration)
(11/9)
 | Lexia Reading software cited in Forbes Magazine as a "true revolution" in student assessment and individualized instruction. Each student works independently to build reading skills at their own level and pace. Lexia reports give teachers a daily snapshot of students' needs and progress. Improve reading achievement in your schools! FREE 60 day Trial |
- Democrats may reshape U.S. education policy
The Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate are still split over NCLB, keeping the law's future murky for now, congressional observers say. But several players are likely to have major roles in shaping education policy in the coming years, including Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., who chairs the House education committee; Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, a Democrat elected to the Senate who has championed high-school reforms; and Larry Kissell, a Democrat from North Carolina who is a high school social-studies teacher and NCLB critic, who will be a freshman member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Education Week (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org)
(11/11)
- Hurricane dries up district's funding
State funding for Galveston, Texas, schools will plummet next year because 30% of its students have not yet been able to return to their homes after Hurricane Ike hit the island in September. As home and business values decline, the schools' tax revenue is also expected to drop just when the district needs more money to repair schools that were not fully insured for flood damage. Insurance Journal
(11/11)
- Study: More green space means less weight gain for children
 Neighborhoods with more green space are linked to lower body-weight increases in children, regardless of other residential neighborhood factors, a study found. "As we think about how we set up communities in terms of density, we don't want to lose places where kids may go out and play," the study's author said. Reuters
(11/11)
 | Math improves when parents are involved.
America's premier math software now gives parents instant updates on how their children are progressing in math. Accelerated Math's new Home Connect feature promotes parental involvement in children's math activities via the Internet. Learn more. |
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| The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)
The Principal Difference gives principals practical suggestions for improving leadership—tackling accountability, building professional learning communities, engaging students and parents, responding to diversity, and more. 128 pp/$19. Click here to order!
Top speakers in educational leadership share their expertise at the Education Quality and Accountability Office's annual conference. Watch FREE LIVE WEBCASTS on November 13 and 14 exploring the theme of Balanced Assessments. Click here to register and view the full webcast schedule.
Interested in learning more about advertising in ASCD SmartBrief? Contact Joe Riddle at (202) 407-7857 or jriddle@smartbrief.com.
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| In the Field |  | |
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- Obese teens have middle-aged arteries
Adolescents who are obese have arteries similar to those of people in middle age, researchers found. The thickness of the inner walls of the carotid arteries, an indicator of fatty buildup that can lead to heart attacks or strokes, was measured by ultrasound. HealthDay News
(11/11)
| Association News | | |
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Research-Based Strategies to Engage Students in the Classroom
Drawing from the ASCD book, "The Art and Science of Teaching," by Robert J. Marzano, this Web seminar allows educators to explore techniques and strategies for promoting high levels of student engagement and energy in the classroom. The seminar will include specific action steps you can take to promote increased achievement and understanding. Find out more.
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Following Grades Like the Stock Market
Numerous schools have started posting grades online so that both parents and students can check them with a few clicks of a mouse. An ASCD blog post highlights how these online "grade books" allow users to receive e-mail alerts when grades are posted; calculate what grade a student needs to get on a future project to achieve a certain overall grade; and perhaps most important, track their children's progress and intervene if one is struggling. The post also asks readers if they think grades will improve if parents have access to them 24/7 online. View the post.
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