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<div>May 21, 2013 - In This Issue:</div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/37715-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27472065&seq=2&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK17">Higher-achievement gaps</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;border-bottom:2px dotted #8c8d8d;border-color:#8c8d8d;padding:7px 0px 7px 0px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="left">
<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/37715-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27472065&seq=2&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK45">[Blue] Engine for growth</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/37715-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27472065&seq=2&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK44">College counsel</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/37715-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27472065&seq=2&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK43">Off-track before they're even on</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;border-bottom:2px dotted #8c8d8d;border-color:#8c8d8d;padding:7px 0px 7px 0px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="left">
<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/37715-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27472065&seq=2&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK42">Early grades: Assess with caution</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;border-bottom:2px dotted #8c8d8d;border-color:#8c8d8d;padding:7px 0px 7px 0px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="left">
<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/37715-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27472065&seq=2&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK53">Can a test measure teacher preparedness?</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/37715-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27472065&seq=2&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK55">Winnowing charter enrollment</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/37715-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27472065&seq=2&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK54">Dire projections for NYC</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/37715-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27472065&seq=2&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK46">BRIEFLY NOTED</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/37715-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27472065&seq=2&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK19">GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES</a></div>
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<a name="LETTER.BLOCK17"></a><table id="content_LETTER.BLOCK17" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;padding:8px 25px 9px 25px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="left">
<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b><span>Higher-achievement gaps</span></b></span></div>
<span style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">A
new report from the Education Trust highlights progress and "sticking
points" in moving low-income students and students of color to the
highest levels of achievement. Reading and math trends on the NAEP
indicate that the percentage of students nationally scoring at the
"below-basic" level of performance has declined significantly, but
though the number of white and higher-income students scoring at the
"advanced" level has increased, less progress has been seen with
students of color and low-income students; in other words, gaps at the
advanced level have widened. Some schools are closing gaps at the high
end by: examining their data and setting goals to move all students up a
proficiency level; examining incorrect answers on prior-year exams to
identify students' academic strengths and weaknesses, then devising an
individualized plan for every student; disaggregating data by teacher on
an ongoing basis, allowing teachers to see whether students in
particular classrooms are grasping subject-specific content better than
others; and then having teachers collaborate with colleagues to share
instructional practices that work. Though these practices are an
enormous undertaking, pursued together they are a comprehensive approach
to addressing equity and excellence in our nation's classrooms. </span><a style="font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(240, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017gK6lq34SflbGvhVXSvR0J1r2uwzv2vUJ5nJ0M0FrXxeXaTezMk-YzaIeLxLudmIcJDKmVLAG9EYOMtuC4XqJPN7yRnaUb80jHnvDQ9ceU0sNRlWkgu4x7hbVg5hxLoTlsy9UDEFqj-U0TB1Bp1Hl6M-UusuWAIYLRtxHE91XiVtFJv49Ss8eQ==">More</a></div>
</span></div>
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<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b>[Blue] Engine for growth</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">In
a profile of the Blue Engine Program in The New York Times, David
Bornstein writes that the program -- which recruits and places recent
college graduates as full-time teaching assistants in high schools,
helps teachers shift to a small-group classroom model with a ratio of
one instructor for roughly every six students, uses data tracking to
generate rapid feedback, and provides weekly instruction in "social
cognition" classes -- has "seized the attention of educators and
attracted notice from President Obama." Last year in participating
schools, the number of students who met the "college-ready" standard --
scoring above 80 on their Regents exams in algebra, geometry, or English
language arts -- nearly tripled, from 49 to 140. Katherine Callaghan,
principal of the Bronx Leadership Academy II, says, "Blue Engine has
moved a huge number of our students in a way that nothing else that
we've ever tried has been able to do." Bornstein finds a "refreshing
humility baked into" the Blue Engine model -- particularly in the core
idea that teachers need more support to do what they are expected to do.
Blue Engine's model is still in its early stages: While its overall
trend is upward, considerable variation among classes remains. One thing
limiting expansion and improved outcomes, according to Blue Engine
founder Nick Ehrmann, is our current classroom model. "That model will
be radically transformed over time," says Ehrmann. "It's going to become
a combination of strong teachers at the center, new forms of human
capital, and the right technologies. I don't think anyone knows what
environments will be best for kids. We're in the process of inventing it
right now." </span><a style="font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017gK6lq34SflkAc2oafmAr0Jys3EkZ-jgvjJSGitsQhLDQAy05WrqIk9tzWOoZYYarZq1a6ircZetcsUymZC9JsvpJa4Gs-DTF_vhwY34tjJ0u6l9pEkjmHR6AQfw69FDXW99BLIct0rk8yz-BjcGXp5Y2viLkh42XnXbDK-BCev0oH9tQFvYk6MqxGIBdKAw553eWIW83oHY3gFbfrCvzAbOnUwwkg2twtgk0efHK44=">More</a></div>
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<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b><span>College counsel</span></b></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">A
new report from the National Association of College Admission
Counseling analyzes data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009
to determine how high schools are helping students transition to
post-secondary education. In 2009, 50 percent of all high schools had
student-to-counselor ratios of more than 250 to one, with a larger
median caseload for counselors at public schools than at private.
Forty-eight percent of counselors asserted that helping students
"prepare for post-secondary schooling" was their primary goal, though 13
percent agreed, "counselors in this school have given up on some
students." Eighty percent of high schools required student career and/or
education plans, with public schools more likely to require these;
schools with higher four-year college-going rates were more likely to
insist such plans had a parent's signature. Only 18 percent of
ninth-grade students reported speaking with a counselor about college --
fewer than had spoken with a teacher, friends, mother, or father. This
percentage did not differ by type of school or four-year college-going
rate. Nevertheless, ninth-graders attending schools with a student body
more than 50 percent black were more likely to have spoken with a
counselor about college. The report recommends counselors devote more
time to college readiness, selection, and applications, since doing so
affects ninth-grader perceptions of college affordability. Counselors
should also initiate discussions with ninth graders about college, since
students who reported having them had greater odds of planning to take
the SAT or ACT and enrolling in a bachelor's degree program. Finally,
counselors must initiate discussions with parents about college.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><a style="font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017gK6lq34SfmUKdAazQVDGlM_n-rz7VyzhiEhhHRxk2zIQIbi95T54lsyLnZ_NUS8wHxPj9Ga2OWWlMlceaKEbrcADAaOatuHCrPbO_-rsvUs9N1F6srdaGq3WK2B1V4y_eMLohrl6iPQj41HQ61uF_mgyTc1vkszscKozZdJaf5aiz8scCN2SQ4P5BHDz_3HRohgQVX7yBS2gZYyePUA_cethkGUV78n">More</a></div>
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<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><b><span>Off-track before they're even on</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">A
new report from the National Center for Learning Disabilities finds
that of the 2.2 million American students with Specific Learning
Disabilities (SLD), only 68 percent graduate with a regular high school
diploma. In Louisiana, Nevada, and South Carolina, more students with
learning disabilities drop out than graduate. An examination of national
policies finds that many schools make decisions as early as elementary
school that take students off-track. States that offer multiple diplomas
in particular can result in fewer students with SLD graduating. The
Four-Year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) -- now required by the
U.S. Department of Education (ED) to be used by all states and reported
for all student groups -- is a critical accountability tool for ensuring
students with disabilities are on track to graduate. The report makes
key recommendations at the federal and state level that include
maintaining and improving current requirements for use of the ACGR,
which should be analyzed by disability type for additional information;
Congress and ED incorporating use of the ACGR into all monitoring and
compliance activities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act; states requiring evidence-based early-warning systems in all high
schools with significant graduation-rate gaps between general education
students and those with disabilities; states closely examining the
impact of multiple diploma options, graduation requirements, and
exit-exam policies; and finally, states eliminating policy decisions
that early on put students on an alternate route to exiting high
school. </span><a style="font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017gK6lq34SfmBCu4B-_9zpA9eTq7go88_cdhOZd-i6jpg_2E-d1ZoxBqOrn4_ngESCWBai2l4QB6amhXuOsHTLsCiz0rP0uQBWR8RldL2vCU7CHndqeXc4NCOFCiGMK7WUkXmiN2x2SjJU3ju8iVWbaGOoxDFMIzzVdvD2fwrLVn5XLsa8tT5sLrQqvDKhPKqPIICnvZcGfw=">More</a></div>
</div>
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<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b><span>Early grades: Assess with caution</span></b></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A
report from the New America Foundation looks at the complex task of
measuring student growth in pre-kindergarten through second grade. At
this stage of life, children's developmental growth directly links to
academic growth, so measures of student learning should account for how
young children actually learn in order to obtain an accurate picture of
teacher impact. Most states are using one or more of three approaches
for early-grade evaluation: student-learning objectives, shared
assessments, and shared attribution. The report recommends that in
drafting PreK-3 evaluations, states account for specific attributes of
teachers and reject "shared-attribution" measures from later grades as
the sole measure of student growth. States must also pilot assessments
and provide technical assistance to discover what measures are
appropriate for young children, what skills should be measured, and how
to measure them in accordance with developmentally appropriate
guidelines. Beyond numeracy and literacy in PreK-3, evaluations must
also gauge whether students are developing crucial skills in the other
domains of learning. Since research is limited on the three common
assessment approaches, states should proceed cautiously in designing or
selecting assessments. The report also recommends aligning early-grade
assessments with the Common Core State Standards. <a style="font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017gK6lq34Sfn2bhb3tPAd3c9Obr9ngpdigRVvvs2rR2juZHM4x5YvH5dbuzMqkGsAO7_w-OY3oS32wyUNf3Hg2Be9e1FVAADn8GAXYeTL2odtx7iJNI8VWEabi-sCsEokKCLJTDSrhILoc-hpAqOXtt0GoyLIqgdFri35fXjwS8or7MYDYbBUaUqv70x6yU1y">More</a></div>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<a name="LETTER.BLOCK53"></a><table id="content_LETTER.BLOCK53" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;padding:8px 25px 9px 25px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="left">
<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b>Can a test measure teacher preparedness?</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">In
The Hechinger Report, Jackie Mader looks at the Performance Assessment
for California Teachers (PACT), a teacher-preparation exit exam that was
the model for a national exam, the edTPA, which at least 25 states are
introducing. The multi-part PACT, which often takes a semester to
complete and requires dozens of pages of essay reflections, tries to
assess whether teacher-candidates can teach multiple learners in real
classrooms. Supporters say it presents a complex picture of a
candidate's strengths, weaknesses, and classroom readiness, but many
stop short of saying the assessments are creating better teachers, or
that passing the test signals teaching effectiveness. One study by
Stanford University, which helped design the PACT, found that for each
additional point an English Language Arts teacher scored on the exam,
students averaged a gain of one percentile point per year on California
standardized tests -- but the study only looked at 14 teachers and 259
students. Opponents say that preparation programs, and the state, are
missing the point by relying on a test to determine if teachers are
ready for the classroom. Ann Schulte of California State University,
Chico says that preparation programs should focus on working with and
assessing teacher candidates in the field so they receive frequent
observations and feedback during their student-teaching experiences from
those who know their classrooms and students.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><a style="font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017gK6lq34Sfmx5UYaihAJlxilPFBew4eDPiMUophrsQTTRx1CtO9TXW-atrmfjwhJFdDEip6nzCf4rdx7Rj7PcvYPqd_cjA4mdkrYrsVUjQrF_445WtKlNPiOKB0s9UDseVjU-ePlqhlz2AsHDxRI-ZSC1R_IyOfHrFZHZHsp3Knmx8r-V604mQ0f3ftzvUBqZe4u1Z8_iFWwWOkgZv2kjpCl9Rjqc9ng__vvQb3yPrDpQBlo2BGuCA==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table><a name="LETTER.BLOCK55"></a><table style="display: table;" id="content_LETTER.BLOCK55" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;padding:8px 25px 9px 25px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="left">
<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b>Winnowing charter enrollment</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">A
new article from Kevin Welner of the National Education Policy Center
examines ways that charter schools influence enrollment by discouraging
students with a disfavored set of characteristics, such as those with
special needs, low test scores, who are English learners, or poor.
Originally published in The Teacher College Record, the article
identifies 12 practices that generate differences in traditional public
and charter school enrollment. The patterns are particularly stark
considering that most at-risk charter students are disproportionately
enrolled in a small subset of "mission-oriented" charters dedicated to
serving that type of at-risk student. Welner's article builds on an
earlier article by Stephanie Simon of Reuters, and lists the practices:
1) cultivating a niche identity; 2) being sited in an affluent
neighborhood; 3) advertising to a particular population; 4) lengthy and
complicated application processes; 5) requirements for documentation
that may or may not be legal; 6) conditions placed on enrollment, such
as a specific G.P.A., or parent contracts; 7) steering away unwanted
students; 8) failing to offer specialized services; 9) counseling out
struggling students; 10) threatening grade retention; 11) stringent
discipline policies; and finally, 12) inaccessibility to populations
with high mobility (i.e., impoverished students). </span><a style="font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017gK6lq34SfmPhAYnWv40GsCcwCQo67lkuNCMmK6RlWCNHyfOdkd7qymsCGpNmZvd-bF52dOzchTLLEVlw2fR0tk11hxjEvRucd-6fCv8VPwopmawaUkhvAUmrITI6sI92SXZAEYhC6EEsWfmiSoDgCrfWdCstlBppF-ULwSGsFr_ChHcW9KOjQ==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
</div>
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<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b>Dire projections for NYC</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Warning
that the fate of New York City schools was "hanging in the balance,"
Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott suggested in a recent speech before
1,100 principals that the system could fall into disarray in the hands
of a new mayor, writes Javier Hernández in The New York Times. In his
latest salvo against Democrats running for mayor, Walcott said that
chipping away at Mayor Michael Bloomberg's 11-year reform effort would
be misguided. The Democratic candidates have vowed to reverse such
signature Bloomberg policies as closing low-performing schools and
providing space to charters. The Department of Education's chief
academic officer, Shael Polakow-Suransky, also waded into the fray,
urging principals to support efforts to overhaul the school system.
Polakow-Suransky said he was so upset by the campaigning attacks that he
called D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson for advice. According to
Polakow-Suransky, Henderson offered a variation on an African proverb:
"The elephants are going to be fighting, but don't forget to tend the
grass." Though Walcott's remarks were a rallying cry before a friendly
crowd, response was muted, Hernández reports. As for candidates, John
Liu, currently city comptroller, said he was puzzled by Walcott's
accusations of pandering to the teachers' union. "Candidates respond to
complaints and concerns about the status quo," Liu said. <a style="font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017gK6lq34SfmBg4rEsHWX6_xX6pUh-yQ1nbqTkkkQcS7wmLYSJurPphsmWiniWykiIcadWzPL_gR5bE95AMCIN2ZPkS1kmmbhb_vU4UPynRvDqpUuJOXPB25S-aRtOxjizslr2iRWxoWBM-ACy70vtStLMckuw_wciqTkK6He4F-lDdxy8oUaX8okwGrnwaAmhtdNSGpiJ40gwpp1CptI4ea3_QxIUgf4sYcdh58g0x4g9kcF7Lj9TDY34nvmGfay">More</a></div>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table><a name="LETTER.BLOCK46"></a><table style="background-color:#ebf5f6;" id="content_LETTER.BLOCK46" width="100%" bgcolor="#ebf5f6" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:25px 25px 0px 25px;font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(240, 79, 35);" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="left">
<div><b>BRIEFLY NOTED CALIFORNIA</b></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;padding:8px 25px 18px 25px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="left">
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><strong>Much needed</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Gov. Jerry Brown has
proposed a revised budget that would send an extra $2.9 billion to
California schools as part of his education funding overhaul, including
$1 billion in one-time funding to help districts implement more rigorous
academic standards. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017gK6lq34Sfmt4iM6GBSlni0gaDCeAOJeqpObVr51-6fmtoV-sLomVTFolQVwtEBfg57-zXHc0Kxq4_dQxd2EFQGIaa7srIQWR_43SHfznyQAkPNP3bRoDkWVlFrTZPvE6GHhzFa3C79I5ZF1Qowi_EIhzGaFSJcFlNDLQ5yfYmCWoHESKp0dSwnTEk6iJ0ls8XTUgIgmOFN9Ka5i6RKqZw==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><strong>Straight outta Compton</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Parents and students
have filed a federal lawsuit against the Compton school district
alleging a pattern of abuse and racial profiling of Latinos by school
police. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017gK6lq34SfnInudJ3pX-ZSMcOHBvRzn11A1qiwi75NjnNtBM2MGIdUyTIimS_itzxeZhfkx5gelKW7vHKgMOvzQmZ37_sf-UNQFhG54fkB00h9E1UwmQYVzfM17mEBonBDa-bfpPUDbutLWdmGgben2rPQT2O30egO5ecm4M_2pn4FkoPYLzHw3LzQJ96KwVa1RNwV5B1LV7pPjcx8OD-A==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><strong>Surgical strike</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A group of parents
appear ready to use the parent-trigger law to force the LAUSD to remove
all administrators at a school, in particular the principal, while
retaining its teachers. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017gK6lq34SfkY8mfUryg2CqzHcS5cmUC3R7hd1ofwK4yruBDKHkUmlPT9bH4w6IRd5j_dD36XyvKx3SJb49DyHA1BwEFNT_AXXu_tGb20Z7uiEIOHVgDZVSY6iROgzsNEruuaQj4Zo76UXYWj8mbl3My12ina9ZX7tVYZbnkVV-YAuaHc845p9L8R3FpMh71L-zhtH3Hgl6H6TLP-6gU0WqTHGHTaWCvn" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><strong>Whose race?</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">As election day looms
for the remaining undecided seat for LAUSD's board, outside groups
continue to pour money into the race on behalf of political newcomer
Antonio Sanchez. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017gK6lq34Sfka1xURvlphRV9LRY4oeBgLE6k9zmrQtR0boC91UugafbhKZJJWBioTJQ7FsrmB7ZgI90NfSd_9HK6lFrLbpC5QpQpYt4o2_5cGfc8EHbMkKF5bsxTi5aitqP_TSPizZiRHc1GMbgFqDRHtT8FMbKKld_yM8iSi_AhKzhhMvyz6DtElbLXcE9kTPS-iTAjCe_J3jHAaFP0F5XSzoVtZAAjQohFzw9j_CwH60bSuQRLGudCgLZh7pYbZYeSAS4bp6C8CnJJmQ9a4UfFrAG1uusbCwALarm8FYeIuFMeTuYLUzHsxO7Sw7pVK0dhnBE7h1BTjL8CkypzLASPdAW8jNmaeOW_BFkOjiZ2giaBzvp5NQ0HU9v46_kDM9YvjQOX9oPeR9ANqRAFBxdyInnIDXG5uT3AnKzDfuktkbMziF0uP4PDfpdJ9TZWhu5q5mpjHZyE=" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div><br>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #f14e23;"><strong>BRIEFLY NOTED</strong></span></div>
<div style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;"><span style="color: #f04f23;"><strong> </strong></span></div>
<div style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;"><span style="color: #f04f23;"><strong>Counter attack</strong></span></div>
<div style="color: #000000; font-size: 10pt;"><span>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The Chicago Teachers'
Union has filed two complaints in federal court to stop the city from
closing 53 elementary schools, arguing the closures disproportionately
affect African-American students and cause great harm to special
education students. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017gK6lq34SflwYiCX61VTkqUtlF6R4zqw1N6DMEW4OOPpwinYWIhSu6IcigFYYBAJggGNqUw_-lcFVb8WUjZ9x9vS9N86zDDxUpucDgcjkvKRt9p-vi0aJ8t--MrrzRbB1dVbBbd5Aya6KFV3qtRPOrMoUvisXA3rWddyx3u4aSrNeQPd3FLau6YaiYjtdS6gZmWIS5FCAzzBRb-DmTyJ9HQ-VHR4ywy9LUDKbfoLM1rPvhRZxatAXMvTFfQ0k7VzaPcsw_MVbTZvEd0M9hrrHZWLRtXpSex9kb1JSpu43Gcy6UHKcEe_FGviA7osa3XUyrbVn0VcuqQ=" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><strong>Blended dollars</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Microsoft has donated $1
million to help D.C. teachers redesign their classrooms using a
"blended learning" approach that combines online learning with
face-to-face instruction. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017gK6lq34Sfkh4DcuZkiOsB3Y3zW_G-6KzOLgsC9ax42yyYiHojn54yYKlHw4OCXytBSbgELl-j2QQdxkhl8TA1O3QQIdu9WCJZ2yLW2jJB1xClv6P2-ukGpwOUyvQNidr3lts5hBq84ztMnDb-ZDWa2Xdpo8DifoewHiyyPffQLBH1ZuNIHR2B0J8NBvol3opkkMtvgxgfRFVEuL3UdYlGnmbZuv1iRqGWRPFdvmvYxy5xUjyWmenhNtfRaQ-Pd-clcctPdeWrXkkGTe6GYk_B0PoHeHuaNI4pgmbItQzULpfWW8PO41UBSgkRraQvtiEDC-mmwJWB0=" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><strong>Access is power</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A recent change in the
federal law governing access to student test scores is giving more
information to tribal nations, which should boost efforts to improve the
educational opportunities for their children, who often live in rural
areas. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017gK6lq34SflqGte7Ei5jCCKl-THqHqNl244ntLAQLH6iks_IteeIqWFRW0fy4FlI6n1B0iaeKWpAfd-U4SWNOHjxKXc5K73yiaWvOloMIWS7-Y_Bu7IxWAnBufusJJ3YjYugQMhXv4rdwZq26FDOBHkOTaMLUutUFORrwi8DbhRyIHFbIOLc8JFWCp3H3qV3h1K6fqhkB0E6j8jzkgdAbHs6BU7L6P7bXT2LuNBTk2fCrg_s3ZTLSoxpuNyLJC5iRFATsVgSbXqOahoHEHvfbZVkmSgcS7ac" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><strong>Throwing out the MAP</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Teachers protesting the
Measures of Academic Progress tests in Seattle won a big victory when
Superintendent José Banda announced that high schools don't have to give
the tests after this spring. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017gK6lq34SfmPEPgWCNCit5bkeHSiW3E-La5nKCF_g7HHq_95o5cc3FfYhML16RJOkaNW8VJeSkOZWxtWWaisI1ve9Seki6o-8YPB45R98lSRTLUNMicQmqPEdrTZsUISIzelaBtNspCTpuxVCtm01onpzRFUq1E5ae9xsN_OggS98pocKk6tSe8wGCAisxQ4" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><strong>Problems at their Core</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal
has signed an executive order that places restrictions on the Common
Core State Standards, which have faced growing opposition in recent
months by Tea Party and conservative groups. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017gK6lq34SfmE-yXg55lSE5OjQn4zrYE8Gx00ZBmnc8np1Ez5VJqbPfYMKxOYf4a3sDeXtkRECdyi8hWgFfmQMHa2HXUyU--qWcyjt_TYFV14_gpYwSXt7OF882smHCRCAozRQEiWsP2SS-ovpeDxNQHew890tfu52AnmeOT82iaCbNETzgZP2zcxbj1TInCCS83WaG4GE-R1Dz4d-HDMXb3Hx4yFEVKg" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><strong>Estimable action</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Nevada Gov. Brian
Sandoval is proposing to allocate $60.5 million in increased tax revenue
to public education priorities, upping the total added spending to K-12
in the new budget to $484 million. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017gK6lq34SfktPjhpNJw19GUMXeFbXjJ7Tq94xRgwXqIAV5_h0kbXm4NmZgDgFQLHV352GWhIcVdDvm2_RX8weVa6Oa-OyRGQn2kWzFJTFz4Ak-_Bbw4mkcaVdC-1TDCA4ohyIbUl6nd3TZ1bM4MoyIy5p1uUoM-WQdR652LtgxVFzAgfkTysEBhIzpHPQjTmO_dyqQOBsLG6DaljhlqnfR9TTCOd64ZAucLOKCHsXbpAH4CLjm4HX68mRCRVnMNf" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><strong>Exposed</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">An experiment by
Massachusetts education officials to better manage student records and
software teaching tools has privacy advocates concerned it could expose
the private information of thousands of schoolchildren to hackers and
identity thieves. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017gK6lq34SfmUdS7XzQpMiyQdgy7Fb02sX4yUcQz4iZEAPZwepZexNMOcJeMhxZ7xRSL8-RmNsvmAE9C-DM3SQndOLf9C5muxfldlxJvNtseTl9OcN-S1lCoPNSMZNtVEXGQFyMa67RBUM_YI3tZBt__J7J_bfqxI0vMgi90smxsVkvavKbVR7W6e9hrDi3KJPzKEaWYR08ZqAKaDSLqgpYmNrc_LxbGgCvypRz7bymgypqiFz81da4yN4jArXhIiPw6HBjbWJsYN80XaqHf7imeTp-d3jo1KpAKjxbT9ITAZVRTYzro8Nw==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><strong>Fair bet</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The ACT college admissions exam is going digital in 2015, and its creators fully expect bumps along the way. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017gK6lq34SflEeO1Xv8A93m8IzC8iAcvbMK2mg-KdGxhQP7FQR5hJ30sDiLJ0LA_T7zWjBBjR7g8J0RoiXQPCJQDoMNcBe8AFQpqP9EqqLiy5RVL70IrBn0-BNvH26xv7KaviL4-SqZfhy7GDybuufBqIBVhW9pw8a3VIwbTsf-8wmlNnXgoOnbXJSQDb5YhbrKtl7Ma7ZskJznGcbN6GMQR02XMim3QQmOIyaXRP8KFPNFRB3qC_-QPcQI5zrLbD" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><strong>Help wanted</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Schools chiefs or
interim superintendents will be leaving this year or next in at least 17
well-known districts, including Baltimore; Boston; Clark County, Nev.;
Indianapolis; and Wake County, N.C. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017gK6lq34SfnbtqawdzsKaoQ1IjKGmWCMe-L3yXKJacmNZmgBKSQEvbKqtIKHWmw8eLbA6Jq7BLX_sJnqmUlTfVeLWVYteGdNUHSM1S_JAne-Y_yVemeQDWkvPDa2YQQEVn1xpWaI0mOWR_rY9jFvd2pghzeoPp0clK0fRFOoRxSEfMgPdjEwzyLj1Uz96OZGh9yBcWaS_xjyNJB3ebYp7uenQv4BsU31P-sOVDOIY-hIsD6v9RzLb-qYYwhVrkQ3D04o2owLKJPLcZtOSBPqc-XuNnUoepnb" shape="rect">More</a></div>
</span></div>
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<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><b>GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES</b></div>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017gK6lq34SfngGScuByvk6OsBEkDHnq3Ls0JCoN_FR-9CnMuDeZWSIN0qbyePT3L4CJdIbc50jk37K-o10VsCe1zDL03OTMLwicsAuEmnLnhQ5PhdYV_tgDkqbntxEDzV">State Farm/YSA: Good Neighbor Grants</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">State
Farm and Youth Service America are offering grants for programs
enhancing student achievement through service learning. Maximum award:
$1,500. Eligibility: K-12 public schools in all 50 US states, the
District of Columbia, and in the Canadian provinces of Ontario, New
Brunswick, and Alberta. Deadline: June 23, 2013.</div>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017gK6lq34Sfn-CDDT66vD7jUEqxVm0c0zBQiyLQpc6X2I7EkmlH1hTz72CJ0VCYD-G0XADuqnCXhFmEhEOPbnYlJ9MOqHqCCWXA3Qews2ugV0hgnalbzkPtYyvv1Wp_NfS0zazg2FdxGnl_Eansti2WlT2_HP7n96mcOyGQQ2h4le9PHYh_xliOuu40UrNaZDw8g0TrgPbRDuTsStJKmiGAmNu4eQ1afQ">NCLF: Toyota Family Learning Initiative</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Through
the Toyota Family Learning initiative, the National Center for Family
Literacy will award three-year grants to implement services that engage
families in learning together, mentoring other families in learning
together, and family service learning projects. Priority will be given
to projects that adapt existing family engagement in education programs
to include the implementation of family mentoring and service learning
components, including interactive literacy activities between parents
and children, training for parents to be the primary teacher for their
children and full partners in the education of their children, families
mentoring other families to learn together and participate, and family
service learning through projects and the sharing of those projects,
activities, and experiences on the Toyota Family Learning community
website. Maximum award: $175,000, as well as a wide range of NCFL
training and communications support. Eligibility: schools (traditional
public and charter), community-based organizations, libraries, and other
organizations that provide family-focused educational services for
parents, grandparents, and/or legal guardians and their children ranging
in age from 4 to 18 and serve a high percentage of minority populations
and/or low-income families in two or three separate sites. Deadline:
June 24, 2013.</div>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017gK6lq34SfkswWOwAjF-2xgjsXuT-e9DY4V5OYldkw7fU44YUMpgk_jnUfhjq6e0ptUr9nGj4eJWafdQkElKHPel-qQf8YxzdDIw6KXZnU6LDJ_gCcWqUNWgixObJEkCOophRwd8YtW_w1bml72tH_LWuABZEq3FxHqrgEu_9djEv5lnUut1SQ==">ASIS&T/ Thomson Reuters: Outstanding Information Science Teacher Awar</a><span style="color: #f04f23;"><strong>d</strong></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span>The
Thomson Reuters Outstanding Information Science Teacher Award
recognizes the unique teaching contribution of an individual as a
teacher of information science. Maximum award: $1,000; $500 towards
travel or other expenses to the grant recipient, contingent upon the
recipient's attending the ASIS&T annual meeting. Eligibility:
individuals directly engaged in teaching some aspect of information
science on a continuing basis, in an academic or a non-academic setting;
nominees need not be associated with an educational institution;
however, teaching information science must represent a significant work
responsibility although it need not occur within the traditional
classroom. Deadline: July 1, 2013.</span></div>
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<div style="color: #f04f23;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>QUOTE OF THE WEEK</strong></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">"Some people have
suddenly discovered that they might need a few people with at least
faint Republican credentials besides [former Florida Gov.] Jeb Bush to
say that the Common Core is a good thing." -- <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017gK6lq34Sfkn39R4nDCyDjyzWoNw8x0_xRvIjUPq2DPkOKv856wXR5GFkIBLr2OCJRPZojLrnGKSNHgzL9xBq5k2IG9IbBfcm1lCVzyiukIBzqXCvOk0B4d6Wk7wSaFx6EVjVXRQH3MCQeP5DcKLgTpjSL9iEZ8vYJBlzzamwuOXkFYx4rZW5YUuPpw3b3z8fubDeqLl_TiKoJspBh_5_XtOi4sLWMovfGkSgkw6wAPEXgLrqbW2fhPNWVcUh_J12dxY_5k4tnfFc-i9I4NwMvGAz9Eyh2Ar">Chester E. Finn Jr.</a>, president of the pro-Common-Core Thomas B. Fordham Institute. <br>
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