Federal Education Review

AACTE Weekly News Briefs | August 11, 2009
. . . delivered to your inbox so you can enjoy up-to-date news on colleges of education, teaching and the classroom, legislation, STEM teacher issues, grants, and upcoming events. Please click on linked headlines for full story.

AACTE ANNOUNCEMENTS

AACTE Board Chair Meets U.S. Secretary of Education
During U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan's recent visit to Orlando, FL, on his "Listening and Learning Tour," he met with local educators and leaders including AACTE Board of Directors Chair Sandra Robinson. Duncan toured Lake Nona YMCA Family Center and North Lake Park Community School as part of the visit.

AACTE Web Conference: "Lessons From Practice in Teacher Education: Teacher Residency Models"
September 15-17
Join thought leaders and successful teacher residency program developers as they share their motivations and lessons. Education school deans and their school district and community-based partners will discuss roles, pitfalls, and essential elements of residency programs that prepare teachers for challenging schools. Model profiles, how-to steps, "dos and don'ts," and funding sources will help you on your way.

Registration Now Open for 62nd Annual Meeting & Exhibits
Join us in Atlanta for AACTE's 2010 Annual Meeting & Exhibits! Register by October 30 to receive the Early Bird discount.

NATIONAL NEWS

A Hard Lesson for Teachers
From The Wall Street Journal
When school begins this month, as many as 100,000 of last year's teachers won't have jobs, resulting in an overall drop in education jobs in the U.S. That's a jolt to people drawn to teaching in part for its recession-proof reputation. Aside from losing current teachers, some school officials worry the mounting layoffs could deter students from entering the field.

NAEP Panels Propose More ELL, Spec. Ed. Inclusion
From Education Week
The board that sets policy for the exam known as "the nation's report card" has begun consideration of proposals aimed at setting new, more uniform standards for testing English-language learners and students with disabilities on the widely scrutinized assessment. A pair of draft proposals, unveiled here last week at a meeting of the National Assessment Governing Board, seek to encourage as many of those students as possible to take part in the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

Disabled Students Are Spanked More
From The New York Times
More than 200,000 schoolchildren are paddled, spanked or subjected to other physical punishment each year, and disabled students get a disproportionate share of the treatment, according to a new study. The two watchdog groups that collaborated on the report, Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union, are urging federal and state lawmakers to extend the ban nationwide and enact an immediate moratorium on physical punishment of students with disabilities.

In a Digital Future, Textbooks Are History
From The New York Times
In Vail, Ariz., a Beyond Textbooks initiative encourages teachers to create — and share — lessons that incorporate their own PowerPoint presentations, along with videos and research materials they find by sifting through reliable Internet sites. Textbooks have not gone the way of the scroll yet, but many educators say that it will not be long before they are replaced by digital versions — or supplanted altogether by lessons assembled from the wealth of free courseware, educational games, videos and projects on the Web.

The Next Frontier: Rolling Out RTI Curriculum in Higher Education
From the RTI Action Update
We know from our PK-12 experience that implementation of Response to Intervention (RTI) systems in a school and district requires a knowledge base and commitment from more than one professional discipline. Professional preparation programs must begin to embed in the curriculum, the foundational knowledge and applied clinical experiences that will prepare all professionals working in schools to operate within an RTI framework.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY

Pa. Education Secretary Announces Grants to Increase Quality of Early Childhood Educators
From the Pennsylvania Department of Education
Nine Pennsylvania colleges and universities will share $170,000 in grants to support early childhood professionals as they earn the degrees and certifications necessary for careers in early childhood education. The grants will fund the development and implementation of "Gate Opener Projects" to assist teachers working in Keystone STARS programs, Head Start and Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts in obtaining bachelor's degrees and certification in early childhood education.

Md. Plans to Boost Math, Science Learning
From the Baltimore Sun
All Maryland high school graduates would be prepared for college-level math and science courses, and the state's universities would triple their production of teachers in those fields, under a five-year, $72 million plan unveiled Thursday by a state task force appointed by Gov. Martin O'Malley. The plan also calls for a 40 percent increase in the number of science, technology, engineering and math graduates produced by state universities and for a sweeping effort to convert research and development into job-producing industry.

New CSAP Data Tool Gauges Student Achievement
From the Denver Post
State education officials will introduce a new era in student academic data with today's official rollout of the Colorado Growth Model — a data tool that looks at student achievement over time. Rather than just examining static scores from the Colorado Student Assessment Program, the growth model looks at how much students learn every year.

Frist: State Can Do More for School Districts
From The Jackson Sun
Former U.S. Sen. Bill Frist says the state can do a better job of helping school districts successfully implement new academic standards. Last week the Tennessee State Collaborative on Reforming Education, chaired by Frist, released an interim report outlining target areas for K-12 education. In October a final report will list recommendations for improving the quality of education in Tennessee.

Internships for Teachers Connect Math and Science With Real Life
From the St. Petersburg Times
An internship program for teachers run by the Florida Technological Research and Development Authority sent seven middle school teachers in the Tampa Bay region to work full-time this summer at companies involved in science and technology.

Residency Program Preps Top-Notch Teachers for High-Needs Areas
From The Notebook (Philadelphia Public Schools)
In its inaugural year, the Philadelphia Teacher Residency (PTR) program will guide 10 aspiring math teachers through a rigorous practicum experience and specially designed coursework, ending with a promise to be hired by the District in fall 2010. In return, "residents" commit to teach in Philadelphia public schools for at least three years.

Missouri to Join National School Curriculum Project
From the Tacoma News Tribune
The Missouri Board of Education reversed course and voted Thursday to join a project to form national standards for what students should learn in English and math. The National Governors Association is sponsoring the project to develop more consistent academic standards across the country. But Missouri had resisted participating because of fears the state might be forced to adopt standards below its existing goals.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS/REPORTS

Race to the Top Feedback Due August 28
The U.S. Department of Education seeks public comment on proposed priorities for the $4.35 billion Race to the Top Fund as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Comments must be received by August 28.

Free Online RTI Chat August 20
Thursday, August 20, 2:00-3:00 EDT: "Improving Behavior and Student Achievement"—an online chat sponsored by the RTI Action Network and the National Center for Learning Disabilities. Join Andrew Krugly, principal of Dewey Elementary School in Evanston, Illinois, as he answers your questions about establishing a school-wide behavior management plan that emphasizes prevention and positive modeling in order to improve academic performance among all students.

Final Reminder: NCATE Seeks Comment on SPA Guidelines
An NCATE task force has developed new criteria for Specialized Professional Association (SPA) standards. The new guidelines are designed to ensure that SPA standards are more focused and more consistent, while still maintaining an emphasis on student learning and on candidate knowledge and skills. Comments are due by August 17.

Proposals Due September 1 for 54th ICET World Assembly
The 54th World Assembly of the International Council on Education for Teaching (ICET) will be held December 14-17 in Muscat, Oman. The theme of the conference is Maintaining Strategic Agility: Managing Change and Assuring Quality in Education for Teaching. Paper proposals are due September 1.



Kristin K. McCabe, Editor
American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
1307 New York Ave., NW Suite 300
Washington, DC 20005
(207) 899-1309
kmccabe@aacte.org

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