February 6, 2014 | Sign up to receive THE TEACHERS EDITION.
Dr. Jill Biden
meets with the Teaching Ambassador Fellows as part of
her efforts to elevate the teaching profession, in the Vice President's
ceremonial office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White
House grounds, Jan. 30, 2014. (Official White House photo by David
Lienemann). "Teachers are so under appreciated. I want to celebrate them and lift them up," Dr. Biden told the teachers.
TAFS MEET WITH AMERICA'S "FIRST TEACHER"
From the School House to the White House
It's not every day that a teacher is asked to share an opinion about education policy. It's even rarer to be asked at the White House.
Nevertheless, after teaching a full day at an area community college, America's "First Teacher," Dr. Jill Biden hosted Teaching Ambassador Fellows from the U.S. Department of Education to share insights into their work with her and officials from her office and ED. "I want to know what you are thinking, your concerns, and what we can do," Dr. Biden said.
While some teachers expressed concern about how "heavy" the job is getting as they work to sustain the energy to meet increasing demands, others stressed the importance of having more time to collaborate during the day and of getting better professional development that supports their work. "The key factor is teacher voice," said Emily Davis, "having teachers at the table and knowing they are appreciated and listened to." Maddie Fennell asked Dr. Biden to help create a "counter narrative" that lifts up the work of teaching. Following the discussion, one Teaching Fellow said about their meeting with Dr. Biden, "We were heard."
Left to right) Emily Davis, Arne Duncan,
Maddie Fennell and Mauro Diaz.
Teaching Ambassador Fellows and Principal Ambassador Fellows were in
town last week meeting with folks at the U.S. Department of Education to brief officials about what they have learned in their 90+ events with more than 1,000
educators (so far) during this school year. See more pictures.
Double Down on Technology
In his State of the Union speech, President Obama addressed the ConnectED Initiative to equip 99% of our students with next-generation connectivity within
five years. In support of this
initiative, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has committed to wiring 15,000 schools
and getting 20 million kids online by making $2 billion available through E-rate
over the next two years. The goal is for
this immediate down payment to support high-speed broadband upgrades for
schools and their libraries. Other
supports for the initiative include over $550 million in commitments by major
companies such as Adobe, Apple, AT&T, AutoDesk, Microsoft, Sprint and
Verizon for devices, teacher support, software and content, and home
access. Learn more about progress being made.
“Yes, it does matter. All of us would prefer to fix the law and fix
it for the country. That would be our strong preference.”
(Arne Duncan, referring to reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, or ESEA). Following the State of the Union Address, an education reporter asked Duncan if it matters whether or not ESEA is reauthorized and rewritten this year. Duncan said the President has not given up on revising NCLB during the second term. “We’re ready, able and willing — today, tomorrow, next week, next month, whenever. If they want to come together and start to behave in a more functional way, what better place to start than education?” )
In this video from the Teaching Channel, Sarah Brown Wessling uses comic strip templates to help her students identify and map the attributes that they would find in nonfiction texts.
Use Comic Book Templates as an Entry Point into Nonfiction
Watch how Iowa high school English teacher and former National Teacher of the Year, Sarah Brown Wessling, uses a popular medium – comic books – to get her students to tackle the complex task of analyzing the structure of informational texts. While on the Teaching Channel site, teachers can download Wessling's templates and try her techniques for teaching according to the Common Core State Standards.
STATE CHAMBERS STAND BEHIND
CORE. Michele Molnar (EdWeek) reports that state chambers of commerce “in a growing number of states” are
defending the Common Core Standards “against increasingly vocal opposition.” The
article describes how the standards have created a rift in the Georgia GOP, and
quotes U.S. Chamber of Commerce Education, Employment, and Training Committee
Chairman David C. Adkisson saying, “The battle lines are informally drawn nationally
between the business establishment and a more conservative element, a more
politically motivated element.” The article notes that state-level chambers
“are considered to be among the most proactive and highly regarded interest
groups” defending the standards as “essential to business interests and the
long-term economic viability of their states.” Read the story.
MONTANA'S "SIGNIFICANT STEP." A group of award-winning math and science teachers in Montana penned a letter in support of Common Core State Standards implementation. Writing, "Montana was the last of 46 states to adopt the Common Core Standards because the
Montana Board of Public Education wanted to make sure they were right for
Montana students," the teachers throw their support behind the Common Core. Read their letter and reasons why they consider the standards "a significant step forward" (Missoulian).
PARCC GOES NON-PROFIT. Management of the multi-state
assessment consortium Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College
and Careers (PARCC) has moved to a new non-profit with some familiar names and faces. PARCC, Inc. spun off from Achieve, Inc., on Jan. 1 and assumed
responsibility for management of the PARCC consortium, as well as the
development and implementation of PARCC assessments in 17 states and the
District of Columbia. A former high school English teacher, Laura Slover, previously served as senior vice president at Achieve, and she is now
chief executive officer of the new PARCC, Inc. Learn more.
A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME. Lyndsey Layton of the Washington Post reports that in the face of pressure from opponents of the Common Core, Arizona, Iowa,
and Florida have all moved to rebrand the standards, giving them new names or
removing references to them, but leaving their content intact. Learn more. Arne Duncan has said that he does not consider it important for the standards to have the same name, or even that they be common, but that they should be rigorous.
Did You Know?
President Obama recently signed into law an omnibus
appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2014, increasing Department of Education funding
by $1.6 billion over FY 2013. While not restoring the full $2.3 billion
in discretionary funding cut by the 2013 sequestration, this bipartisan act
adds funds to a dozen large elementary and secondary formula programs and
several higher education and student loan programs.
For early learning, the act provides $250 million for another Race to the Top early learning competition and a $1 billion increase for Head Start. For K-12 education, the act has $14.4 billion for Title I (+$624 million over FY 2013) and $11.5 billion for special education state grants (+$480 million over FY 2013), allows five-year awards under the School Improvement Grants (SIG) program, and makes funding available for school safety proposals. Under higher education, the act provides $75 million for the First in the World initiative aimed at college access and affordability. Meanwhile, the President will release a summary of his FY 2015 budget proposal on March 4.
MINING FOR GREAT RESOURCES?
Strike It Rich!
To strengthen teaching in public schools, the Yale
National Initiative offers
teachers a rich array of thousands of free curricular units
written by public school teachers who have participated in their summer local
and national Teacher
Institutes. The units are well done and have been vetted in the classroom. They include inspiration for teaching each unit, detailed objectives, analysis, plans,
and resources on a wide range of topics in the humanities.
Under the topic Interpreting Texts and
Making Meaning: Starting Small, we found a unit written by Jo Stafford, a teacher in Tulsa, Okla., who introduces students to Conrad’s Heart
of Darkness. California teacher Wm. Miles Greene offers a
unit designed to reach the learner's head and heart in Teaching
Tone, Mood and Purpose through the Interpretation of Activist Poetry.
To find other lessons written and
used by language arts, math, science, art, music, and history teachers, check out the
topics offered by year. If you dig a little, no telling what you may find.
Why We Work
Arne Duncan received this letter from a student in Florida. His letter is a testament to the educators and community who taught him the value of education and nurtured his dreams.
I decided to write to you to
bring to your knowledge something of good. I want to thank you for everything
great that the Department of Education has done. Thanks to all this, I received
the Pell Grant and I am going to a community college.
My goal is to become
a doctor and help those in need. It has been my life dream ever since I moved
to America, and thanks to the Department of Education, it will be a reality. I
give you my word that every penny I receive, I will donate back, so that others
can continue to attend college, and for some, achieve their dreams.
[Student planning to attend community college in Florida]
ED Offers States Options for Using Tests and Test Scores
Michele McNeil (EdWeek) reports on ED's offer of testing flexibility to states seeking to avoid double
testing students as the Common Core State Standards are rolled out. She also examines the department's one-year
extension, to 2015-16, for tying personnel decisions to new teacher
evaluations and updates readers on which states have applied for and received testing flexibility waivers. Learn more. Read Arne Duncan's thinking behind offering states flexibility around testing.
PRINCIPAL MENTORING. Read about Mary Kay Scharf, principal at Oakland Elementary School in Bloomington (Ill.) District 87, who has
been tapped to lead one of three principal training programs in her state. The article spotlights innovative approaches to training school
leaders, while making good use of the talented, effective leaders that have been
in schools for decades. Read her story in Pantograph (Nagle). Scharf's principal training program is funded by a School Leadership Program grant from ED's Office of Innovation and Improvement.
PRINCIPALS NEED GREAT LEADERS TOO! Lesli Maxwell reports on the Wallace Foundation’s recent initiative to strengthen the skills and capacity of those who supervise our nation’s principals. The foundation is kicking in $24 million to help bosses of principals to be better coaches and evaluators of school leaders. Read the story (EdWeek). Read the foundation’s report, Rethinking Leadership: The Changing Role of Principal Supervisors.
IT'S ELEMENTARY: BLENDED MATH. EdWeek is offering a webinar, Blending Math Instruction for Elementary
Grades, which will will take place Thursday, February 13, 2014 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time/10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Content will feature an
elementary level math teacher and an elementary level technology specialist
discussing the concept of blended learning. The session will provide successful approaches for
implementing blended learning, including resources, strategies, examples of
instruction, and tips for modeling the
strategy in elementary school math classrooms.
Teaching with Primary Sources
The Library of Congress is now
accepting applications for its summer program for K-12 educators. The week-long
program in Washington, D.C., will focus on strategies for teaching with primary
sources. Educators and school librarians of all grade levels and subject areas
are encouraged to apply. Read more and apply by March 24.
GOOD NEWS FOR THE TEACHING PROFESSION
Satisfaction & Autonomy Improve
James Marshall Crotty reports in Forbes on a new study from the Center for American Progress that finds teachers at U.S. schools are
“reporting higher rates of job satisfaction than many analysts have predicted,”
noting that the 2011-2012 Schools and Staffing Survey indicates “a five-year
high in overall job satisfaction among teachers” and rising perceptions of
autonomy in the classroom. Data from the study are taken from an IES 2011-12 Schools and Staffing Survey. Read the article.
Long Term English Learners (LTELs*)
• The majority (59 percent) of secondary school English learners are LTELs.
• English learners who enroll in kindergarten have a 50 percent chance of becoming a LTEL.
(From A Closer Look at Long Term English Learners: A New Direction, by Laurie Olsen, Ph.D. *Olsen characterizes long-term English learners as students who have been in American schools for six or more years but who are not making significant progress with English proficiency. Visit ED's National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition to find resources to meet the educational needs of English Learners and bring the percentage of LTELs down.)
States Make Progress Improving Teaching
The National Council on Teacher Quality has released its 2013 State Teacher Policy
Yearbook, a 51-volume, 360-degree analysis of every state law, rule and regulation that shapes the effectiveness of the teaching profession, from teacher preparation, licensing and evaluation, to compensation, professional development and dismissal policy.
In the report, NCTQ finds "significant state policy progress to improve
teacher effectiveness." According to the report, 31 states have earned higher grades. Florida earned the highest overall teacher policy grade in the
nation, a B+. Louisiana, Rhode Island and Tennessee earned Bs, and 10 other states earned B-. At the
other end of the spectrum, there are a handful of states falling increasingly
out of step with important teacher reform trends across the nation.
Calling All Students!
The U.S. Department of Education is accepting applications for summer 2014 internships through March 15. ED is a place where students can explore their interests in education policy research and
analysis, or intergovernmental relations and public affairs, or even work with
social media while learning about the role federal government plays in
education. Learn more.
(left) African-American vaudeville performer Aida Overton Walker was known as the "Queen of the Catwalk."
Refresh Your Lessons
African-American History Month, and February 17 is Presidents Day. Teachers who seek fresh material for their lesson plans may want to peruse the Federal Resources for Educational
Excellence (FREE). The FREE website offers more than
1,500 teaching and learning resources from dozens of federal agencies,
including 140 resources specifically highlighted for these events.
Is College Worth It For Me? How Adults Without Degrees
Think About Going (Back) to School examines what adults, ages 18 to
55, who are considering pursuing postsecondary credentials want, need, and
expect from a school, and if these students know how to find the best
institution to meet their needs. Public Agenda is a non-profit,
nonpartisan organization that works to “help diverse leaders and citizens
navigate divisive, complex issues and work together to find sustainable
solutions.” The Public Agenda study was funded with support from the Kresge Foundation.
FREE RESOURCES FOR COMPUTER CODING. Code.org is offering a free 20-hour Intro to Computer Science course. The class is
self-guided (with video lectures by stars like Bill Gates and Chris Bosh) and
features artwork from popular games Angry Bird and Plants vs. Zombies. It also
includes “unplugged” activities for students to work collaboratively in groups
with no computer at all.
Teachers whose students take the course can earn money for classroom projects. When
15 students finish the 20-hour course, teachers will receive $750 to
DonorsChoose. If seven or more of those students are girls, teachers will earn an
additional $250 for a total of $1,000.
LEARNING DAY. This
year participants in Digital Learning Day took the pledge to give every child the
“opportunity to learn in a robust digital environment every day.” Digital Learning Day is a celebration of effectively using technology within
the classroom to create authentic educational experiences for
students. And while the event happened February 5, we celebrate digital learning all year. Watch videos, access free tools, attend events
and make every day a Digital Learning Day with the Tip
of the Day.
• EXERCISING GOOD JUDGMENT. Schools considering cutting back on PE classes to make room for test prep should think again! A new study of Kansas elementary and middle school students found a link between
physical fitness and better performance on math and reading exams. Learn more in the Washington Times (AP). Meanwhile, in West Virginia, the state senate is considering a bill that would require students to participate in physical exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. Read the story in the Charleston Daily Mail (Burdette).
• HOW MUCH SNOW DOES IT TAKE TO CANCEL SCHOOL? For educators who find themselves driving to a teacher work day wondering why school has been cancelled, this article quantifies the amount of snow it typically takes to cancel school across the country. While any snow at all will typically close school in places like North and South Carolina, school closings in the Midwest and Great Plains depend "more on wind chill and temperature than on snow accumulation." Read more.
• EXPANDING YOUR WORLDVIEW. International Matters is a quarterly newsletter from the International Affairs Office at ED that highlights important events, articles and topics related to international education. Educators can sign up for International Matters here.
• INNOVATE NYC. Read about how Innovate NYC Schools is using a grant from the Office of Innovation and Improvement to solve alignment challenges using an ecosystem approach.
2014 CALDER CONFERENCE
A number of interesting research reports were presented at the 2014 Annual CALDER Education Conference held at the American Institutes for Research last month. All of the papers and the presentations can be found on the conference site, but here are a few of our favorites:
BUSTING THE "OLD DOGS/NEW TRICKS" ADAGE. According to Helen "Sunny" Ladd and Lucy Sorensen (Duke), middle school teachers in N.C. continue to learn and grow on the job as they progress through the years. From Returns to Teaching Experience, Ladd presented research about middle school teachers that indicates most teachers continue to improve their effectiveness with experience, though their growth fades after about 15 years. The research also indicates that teachers with more experience tend to be absent from school less and have fewer problems with student behavior.
THE LONG AND SHORT OF LEARNING. From Learning that Lasts: Unpacking Variation in Teachers’ Effects on Students’ Long-Term Knowledge, Ben Master (Stanford) presented findings that show 20% of what students learn from a teacher is long-term knowledge, not facts that are memorized and easily lost. Also the long-term knowledge that students gain in an ELA class affects student learning in other subjects, including math.
RIGHT SIZING THE CLASSROOM. In this study, Michael Hansen (CALDER/AIR) presented findings from New York that suggest students learn more with a great teacher, even if that great teacher has more students in his or her class. His results are compelling and raise questions such as whether or not there is value in shifting more students into classes with better teaching and allowing teachers who need help to work with smaller numbers of students.
Top 5 Teacher Quotes
Wisdom from educators heard by ED
5. Reflecting on the relationship between a school and the school district: "Who works for who? Are you there to support me, or am I there to support you?'” (Principal, Philadelphia, Pa.)
4. "PD seems to be the common factor in teachers' satisfaction with the Common Core. Teachers are okay with it if they have had the professional development and pretty angry if they haven't." (Teacher, Brooklyn, N.Y.)
3. "If I am a real leader in my school, my primary job is [as a] talent scout." (Teacher, Omaha, Neb.)
2. "Teachers aren't really worrying about the Common Core. They are just feeling overwhelmed. They tell us: 'Back Off.'" (Teacher, Zanesville, Ohio)
1. "Successful principals aren't compliance driven." (Principal, Washington, D.C.)