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<div>September 24, 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" href="http://mail.aol.com/38065-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27524560&seq=4&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK17">From birth onward</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" align="left" valign="top">
<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38065-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27524560&seq=4&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK45">What the anti-homework lobby should consider</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" align="left" valign="top">
<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38065-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27524560&seq=4&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK44">A comprehensive success over intractable problems</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" align="left" valign="top">
<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38065-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27524560&seq=4&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK43">A stab at extended days</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" align="left" valign="top">
<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38065-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27524560&seq=4&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK42">Evaluating with (almost) no test scores</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" align="left" valign="top">
<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38065-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27524560&seq=4&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK53">Is teacher evaluation even worth it?</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" align="left" valign="top">
<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38065-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27524560&seq=4&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK55">Those darned evaluations</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" align="left" valign="top">
<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38065-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27524560&seq=4&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK54">Fit mind in fit body</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" align="left" valign="top">
<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38065-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27524560&seq=4&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK46">BRIEFLY NOTED CALIFORNIA</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" href="http://mail.aol.com/38065-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27524560&seq=4&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK56">BRIEFLY NOTED</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" align="left" valign="top">
<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38065-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27524560&seq=4&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK19">GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES</a></div>
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<a name="aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK17"></a><table id="aolmail_content_LETTER.BLOCK17" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;padding:8px 25px 9px 25px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" valign="top">
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<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23; font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span>From birth onward</span></b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The current debate over
economic inequality lacks serious discussion around investing in early
childhood from birth to age five, writes James Heckman in The New York
Times. This would not be a big-government boondoggle requiring a huge
redistribution of wealth. It would, however, require rethinking how we
develop productive people and promote shared prosperity. Current
education reform proposals are too timid, Heckman feels, and ignore
powerful research that shows which skills matter for successful lives.
These reforms ignore the role of families in producing relevant skills,
and downplay the critical gap in skills between advantaged and
disadvantaged children that emerges long before school age. The
cognitive skills prized by the educational establishment and measured by
achievement tests are only part of what's required for success in life.
Character skills are equally important determinants of wages,
education, health, and other aspects of flourishing lives. Self-control,
openness, the ability to engage with others, to plan, and to persist --
these attributes get people in the door and on the job. Cognitive and
character skills are dynamic complements; skills beget skills. Motivated
children learn more, and those who are informed usually make wiser
decisions. These established findings should lead to a major
reorientation of policies. The opportunity for education should begin at
birth -- and not depend on the accident of birth. <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=001A82uGtRNHpNnyLCT5Bt4-GmuX5YLewKSJo7jQuvKa-W3a4djV89hkZyR3Dy4MhOQVQ7LX79a-QcTPYK9xOTCs1cgt8fc2ytVV8uK1qlyxnxwmNZIQbaNCk2XwSX5zmiymQRroBJddburbJis40k-zF5cr7U0OBtiGFIoKVKWKAh6Pn0zWoolYLSxD5aKVOpOZM4RzNKoP0oU3wjJEpm3ig==">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; font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span>What the anti-homework lobby should consider</span></b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Many parents of kids at
top schools lament the extensive homework their children are given, and
for these predominantly affluent students, educational opportunities and
life chances would probably be undiminished if teachers limited
homework to 30 or 60 minutes a night, writes Robert Pondiscio in The
Atlantic Monthly. Gifted-and-talented schools could ban homework
altogether with little to no ill effect, in his view. His concern,
however, is what happens to low-income children of color if this drive
by higher-income parents to curtail homework prevails. In education,
those who are rich in language and knowledge get richer; those who are
poor fall further behind. Pondiscio feels this better frames the current
situation in public education than an "achievement gap," which implies
that low-income kids merely have some catching up to do. Whereas
better-off children as a rule have cognitively rich out-of-school
environments, low-income kids are school-dependent learners: If they
don't get richness from school, they don't get it at all. Pondiscio
recommends that rather than quantity, anti-homework types should focus
on quality: Using homework to cover material for which there was no time
in class is less helpful, for example, than reinforcing and reviewing
essential skills and knowledge that teachers want students to perfect or
retain long term, and independent reading is paramount. <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=001A82uGtRNHpMQne1i6jir8y1cZE5tq_j5u9zSMEdmopleCMm2zvQImij-zKuTY5KGRPDp99ynr3JH9d1R0sfGYvUvO7McLAEdHX9wB8fYJNa3l9Ct2QluNU29ulfNwJ9YwLNMPFMiTEflYlo-WZ2PlqklIUss1WbQeHyjZ_PkwdBIoguUNhRvXrM5IubrZ6lpXbZPqk4kuuchiTy2dJSs8TZthPUBvO4-">More.</a> <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=001A82uGtRNHpPk7chD56G1ZVQS-xz-bz0hMxsbOJPIXUlArYNtyULuRcbyoOUtIIoe6ONvV_dyYfq8bp-ltNlt6OTusPicf0f2FiY2nLkfwgvTCxHGF548GyUdQZQR_WFVlRP_wJbfx2ZYscHuUzwCdhXjLudKJHgspDcNK6VJ3RFPMLH04GwkLPVlpFgz4sRKvR07DkZbm8Hri_sGP_7hmi5WISuuGKBd3rP8mRNcXBw=">Related</a></div>
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<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color: #f14e23;"><b>A comprehensive success over intractable problems</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Ossining High -- once a
site of race riots -- has pioneered strategies for reducing racial
tensions, closing achievement gaps, and increasing graduation rates,
writes Jackie Mader for The Hechinger Report. Ossining (home to John
Cheever, Don Draper, and Sing Sing prison) is an anomaly within affluent
Westchester County, New York. Its median income is lower, and while 70
percent of Westchester residents are white, only half of Ossining's are,
and 40 percent of them Hispanic. Since the mid-2000s, the school has
doubled its minority graduation rate and significantly narrowed its
achievement gap through a long-term plan to comprehensively address the
education of black males. Professional development has encompassed
teaching diverse students and racial issues, and included conversations
around why black students, males in particular, feel stigmatized and can
perform poorly. A school support group for black males gives workshops
and trips to historically black universities, with a similar program at
the middle-school level. Between 1992 and 2007, Hispanic and black
teachers doubled to 25 percent. And in conjunction with the State
University of New York Albany, the school started college-level courses
such as "Racism, Classism, and Sexism," "The Black Experience," and
"Crossing Borders." Students of all races flocked to the classes, and as
black and Hispanic enrollment grew, AP enrollment for both groups
increased as well. The school's latest challenge has come with a
demographic shift in the district to nearly half Hispanic, many new to
the country and with interrupted school histories. Principal Josh Mandel
says the school's next goal is to increase the number of graduates who
are the first in their family to go to college. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001A82uGtRNHpNb7DSWNhlZC8A_NBZRW3rUfwMZ_1JhEmotefEJvtt8wXyO_6c-63MaWUp9fIc6g7A2k0JrqlmdfFbOYWENxzWqbi9Ejx4fxZYIgAdQjdyooHNe0zJ6EwDs6Kt7FSD8juoftZTdL6pUjlJ6ERpcaoS5SJUGwdTHCjiM76pa6RirxXrixsKTWQqpWIivhMHmu9YqbObd9LqmxGlkQKLUvFBToYQH45HX5co=" shape="rect">More</a></div>
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<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><b>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A stab at extended days</div>
</b></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Twenty New York City
middle schools will pilot an extended day this year as part of the NYC
Department of Education's Middle School Quality Initiative, writes Anika
Anand on GothamSchools.org. Some schools started with near-perfect
program attendance, but others have found that getting all eligible
students to attend can be complicated. At J.H.S. 123, about 120 of 147
sixth graders have signed up, while others have opted out. Families
cited needing older children to supervise younger siblings, past
negative experiences with after-school, and a preference for kids going
straight home. Program coordinators hope that once literacy tutoring
begins, schools can make a more convincing case for
participation. Students will split time between literacy tutoring from
tutors trained by Harvard University's EdLabs and participating in
activities like drama and debate run by community-based organizations.
In the coming weeks, schools will screen literacy skills to determine
which students get an intensive tutoring geared toward middle performers
who struggle with reading comprehension rather than fluency. The city
will provide late busing for students with disabilities, but other
students are on their own for travel from school, which will happen
after dark during winter months. Students at only two of the 20 schools
typically are bused, and they will receive subway/bus Metrocards for
extended day travel. <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=001A82uGtRNHpO-C-2MTJIxVAUV0HiRRV51jUPr5n9rgLH8rF8nfWpAYsuzy-Z0sVNh8WyDssPDQaYB5jxdmBTd93NVhTE_yfuPWoQYdSyYL4vsfUOhSVQfjn0BGCpeuoBxCuTBsrkAnDvgHpZ2BzSUI4HzqMAB2rvVXVmJJvEGERloAZJT_MH0wZ3N4UsvKGIAocJzTeSd2WF7M8KKpCREWe3tKmW3d_YNN2OE3H726ao=">More</a></div>
</span></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>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Evaluating with (almost) no test scores</div>
</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Tennessee this year is
piloting an alternative component to its teacher-evaluation system to
assess teachers when standardized-test scores are not available, writes
Erik Robelen in Education Week. Teachers submit portfolios
electronically to the state, and these are scored by trained peer
reviewers. The alternative component focuses on four domains: perform,
create, respond, and connect. Teachers must submit five batches of
student work, with a self-rating for each, and must explain context for
submissions. At least two of the five must show differentiated
instruction for students at varying levels of skill and ability, and
represent growth. The portfolio accounts for 35 percent of an
evaluation. Fifty percent is based on classroom observation by the
school principal, and the other 15 percent rests on data from state
tests or other assessments. If a portfolio score is stronger than this
last measure, it can count for half a teacher's evaluation. For the 435
arts teachers evaluated this year, individual growth scores covered the
spectrum, with 16 percent at Level 1 (significantly below expectations),
30 percent at Level 3 (at expectations), and 12 percent at Level 5
(significantly above expectations). The Tennessee Fine Arts Growth
Measures System is voluntary, but if a district signs on, all arts
educators must participate. The state is rolling out a similar
initiative for world-language teachers. <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=001A82uGtRNHpO8UAo1f9cGu07pEzyl7iwwfC8-fX53EotKw88ZqRljnPArGJBRJq_gSLs3BAcaCY164ID_6mhh9T_sWVlXEhePmwcuk16F3Oo21FQFPlYVIV9K_X03EQ__0dOcc-21pdUH7jnlEgoSbhXmwwrL99eqc5mIXIMcjMIDSN5sjp34ohUOWy59u_wmln8UxmS2u59AHrTnHRGom_w3qRtm_bX2zW8JjXW7r4Ov5kYpfCeIfUT2-mrz0oWQptAccU2UQ3nhuxi5I52RCw==">More</a> </div>
</span></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>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Is teacher evaluation even worth it?</div>
</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A new article in the
journal Education Researcher looks at whether teacher evaluations lead
to enhanced student learning. To date, the authors say evidence from
standards-based teacher/VAM evaluation systems has not met the standard
for making accurate and equitable high-stakes personnel decisions for
individual teachers. They point to concerns about the stability of VAM
teacher estimates across subjects, grade levels, and time; the capacity
of administrators to produce valid evaluations when employing these new
tools without extensive training; and the efficacy of evaluation to
yield improvements in teaching practice. Over the last decade, the
authors have seen little discussion about what teacher evaluation
actually is: an instrument of industrial-era management, of managers
directing the work of the laboring class toward greater efficiency. This
model privileges bureaucracy, hierarchy, and institutionalism under a
veneer of professionalism. A new world is taking shape in education, the
authors write, and pillars of industrial management do not fit
particularly well in it. And even if the teacher-evaluation machinery
was functional and managers had the skills to operate it, it is "nearly
impossible" to believe they have time to undertake the work. Moreover, a
robust body of empirical research indicates that if school improvement
is the goal, school leaders should spend time and energy in areas other
than teacher evaluation. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001A82uGtRNHpP1SQU_DeFMAXe-6W4A9G5qbaY0CDvwvKsutim97MBGuQbYMurlwC1b3CZJPBUJLAhQIc_mEJuTQO3cSEjBYGIb2QUDYml8F5p999MJfPlUzv4tuwDg7ENvBkmRxP3_RwiHw49azxD_xAPNpm28ClJbJ-wpEjKZpCWGVN3c6dWv5oqRqQquTP0Fe6v_0qgOOHjfc-h_snvApkXxZjV0UCpQLos4TWgJS26qHb6_G1pZnA==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
</span></div>
</div>
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<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color: #f14e23;"><b>Those darned evaluations</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A new report from the
federal General Accounting Office finds that by 2012-13, six of 12 Race
to the Top (RttT) states -- Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida,
North Carolina, Rhode Island, and Tennessee -- had fully implemented
teacher evaluation systems, though successful implementation by target
dates varied. Three hit their target date, while three did not for
reasons such as needing more time to develop student-growth measures.
The six states that did not fully implement -- Hawaii, Maryland, New
York, Ohio, Massachusetts, and Georgia -- either piloted or partially
implemented, with scope of pilots varying. Maryland piloted to 14
percent of teachers and principals, while Hawaii piloted to 30 percent.
Officials in most states cited challenges related to developing and
using evaluation measures, addressing teacher concerns, and building
capacity and sustainability. They also faced difficulty in designing and
implementing rigorous student-learning objectives, and in ensuring
principals conducted evaluations consistently. Officials in 11 states
said teacher concern about the scale of change challenged state efforts.
States and districts also had capacity challenges -- too few staff, or
limited staff expertise in prioritizing evaluation reform amid multiple
educational initiatives. Officials in 10 states had concerns about
sustaining evaluation systems. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001A82uGtRNHpOYZPa8c06eniDuwh4JnNB66p2HTAtu57fDSCs_XbZQaaQGg5wJWWEqnXJo6SsDSkvsEy6cfYAyy3cE3eNsSesBtr6Nyzz_mgQbD1X9ATnYwgc1MW7JPz94VEDWcuHTLfhdqMAoR0MW5Q==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
</span></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>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Fit mind in fit body</div>
</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Several
recent studies find that physically fit children absorb and retain
information more effectively than out-of-shape children, raising timely
questions about slashing physical education programs at schools, reports
Gretchen Reynolds in The New York Times. Parents and scientists have
long known that physical activity helps kids settle and pay attention in
school or at home. A representative study in May found fourth- and
fifth-graders who ran around and exercised vigorously for at least 10
minutes before a test scored higher than children who sat quietly
beforehand. And in a study of almost 12,000 Nebraska schoolchildren
published in August, researchers compiled each child's physical fitness
as measured by a timed run and body mass index, and academic achievement
in English and math based on state standardized test scores. Better
fitness was linked to significantly higher test achievement, though body
size had little role: Students who were overweight but relatively fit
had higher scores than lighter, less-fit children. When recall involved
difficult learning -- memorizing without intermittent testing --
children in better aerobic condition significantly outperformed the
less-fit, remembering 40 percent of region names on a map compared with
25 percent for out-of-shape kids. This suggests higher levels of fitness
have greatest impact in challenging intellectual situations. The more
difficult something is to learn, the more fitness may aid children in
learning it. </span><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=001A82uGtRNHpNi3TBx8_uYzwHKbUthrAZsGyPdZfbnKUor9iYw6aQA1JrqevQIyrHvQu0k3QdYIx7sZ6YB-rla0rNkv7PdbwfMwuH2aZ51cBxlXbT6zI35j_oPDpvHj8BXp2zyNJ4JuFU_aQZ0ARFc1pns3-6OMGYBgZo3B3TKKugsV1d-CC2VXE1Vt8z4b459gWyHollFc3pjZUyuNs4BHjVeKF8cvQx4">More</a></div>
</div>
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<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" align="left" valign="top">
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Just kidding</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">U.S. Education Secretary
Arne Duncan toned down his recent criticism of California in an
interview with The L.A. Times, calling his threat to withhold federal
funding from the state over a new plan to test students a "last
resort." <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=001A82uGtRNHpOrAPoBnVTovVC9H5YDpqmLZ02TZDWyTjoJibG2lEimu9vvKt0_ktywMGwVVzIjZ2V-F4n1ZWCSCxEo8UGha-brf9vRbU-iSUu-LdzbpcHhQR9ffrVZ0L5-wr7avahXvMm2CCKxBhkn3ZSxiS7Fi0rhEtX6jm_D19bFEtiO9yD_0NnC3c428kxdghhThkTtxO0=">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Training the ranks</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The Los Angeles Unified
School District's board has approved a $113 million plan to jump-start
the switch to new Common Core learning standards -- a big chunk of which
will go to hiring an army of teacher coaches. <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=001A82uGtRNHpO-3Jb-Ovo4qiHg2xcZQZY8aH-wVmqvdLq4SNsAcXRpCSWkXrRJyzUWvyz2COqF-kopfhKim33qinEHLsmEecDzr_su5bBS_ohkwgY_QFT3yunY1xwPCneklsg_5OBQw6uOP3TME2IUlyCqFPwkRWfQSz4boCSDFME4pOO4yEwKQ7Mirf19z6QD0-HOge6Tc7fWFRE3ADyH07wiCLQQKDeFyXr3ugIrTg6ACcQVeKxO3Q==">More</a></div>
</td></tr></tbody></table><a name="aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK56"></a><table style="background-color:#ebf5f6;" id="aolmail_content_LETTER.BLOCK56" bgcolor="#ebf5f6" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><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" align="left" valign="top">
<div><b>BRIEFLY NOTED </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" align="left" valign="top">
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Carrot</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">In new guidance issued
by the U.S. Department of Education, states may suspend standardized
tests this spring, as long as they administer field tests designed by
the two common-assessment consortia in math and English/language arts. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001A82uGtRNHpPnfxLOdDrhOlhk4IfZ8t8uGcvxO-gt_XDUxKCrlb17IjzEkhEMIQrX1PKGHtQrGm4X-O9OQFc6ag3Zy2EGhuyAcsPrkANZMSdpWKnEVVcP-aJqSgYXOYNqEpQo0SBxLX77ov0uR5DbP9jaJbMX5afgaBY0ZTZgR5liU5A0xL6roYsCrj7EhpDy5mFqqFPDhTCePd5kMY-aEQ==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>So the rest are on their own?</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The New York State Board
of Regents is expected to approve a proposal that limits how many
students will receive added help, since so many students failed the new
set of standardized tests taken earlier this year. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001A82uGtRNHpORYGH1wKCh5aYKW4emekucNi4liCsqGKFWguW7S8EoBgxUYDKOafo4Y3JE3GIFe7q4Eu53jLyHFKfsHse0McC9clmJ-TukuivbLHX3BUcnvMLiTDCVs3bnxRT1QZ6p6YRzyAiH08HyMaB5WbdICpd1hn-x3iljxM2U7apxhsyLamuZYTLvxQZZfqTBoO16vWbv0gMTazegEfSBqS1oYBXnkKSG7hP-3avQmkFVncrvQ4p6cuRafpnZ" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>What's the hold up, guys?</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A collection of big-name
state and local government groups have written to U.S. Senate Leaders,
urging them to reauthorize the ESEA. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001A82uGtRNHpMwVHg-endWuhCFO2yJeXqaK-YS3aR6K9-Z9PT8xcwcvsHczBK66IX7l3uF4Is2egH9rB25OIPi4hQz0TOlPiICpMMOHd7oZXP2syYfkie6zPgyeEEHDjC_w5p-5HBVJREg9uaE9DDUR7mX2ULHFCKKzmhOxGZjI8R8hORXTAPUPWwos8IKb6FRwU3grvxTtOdhLzj4n26jEw==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Because recess wastes time</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The FitDesk is a
combination stationary bicycle and desk that allows the user to pedal
while reading, using a computer, or even writing. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001A82uGtRNHpPKapDg42WSS5UX_vCdLuiTtk4OMDt7pk4K2LMo9FMcSmVXxevLfmBM3i4xoacopXZqgisi5_24uF_aT9S_u20UJnnxR70VNUZ8h_mlirUyZEWlkLuGWJZmt4mAzzCbBTNPAYR3d4JeOCdmnKuQEY3-rTRUXdynZun_5iPZtFopRw==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>A little help from his friends</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Louisiana Gov. Bobby
Jindall is getting national support for his voucher program: Former
Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott spoke in
protest of the Justice Department's suit against Louisiana at the
National Press Club, echoing Jindal's criticism of efforts to block the
program. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001A82uGtRNHpM-aLmO9I-O2l0nPR0cGW5N--ELTGHssp5cw9zgM_wSZgfLsxkg3pgNDsMbYse9mep6aYuSaXrSqOgcnrRA4KX_T4ZV-55l0070wdAr6jUWRwPKbIZZ8WuDn7lqAwCI7l4SpInNLGiksW8kVrT8Ee0adzDCIEjgLU8tR-evxtzJVWNrQ1ct1pn8N1_nVPKtrvQ=" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Oh, good. More tests.</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A seven-state consortium
led by Maryland will receive $4.9 million and a nine-state group led by
North Carolina will get $6.1 million from the federal government to
create assessments aimed at students entering kindergarten. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001A82uGtRNHpPjfcZMm2XBypfpRZWZ4zXglxi3C6G9Me4G0rGLeKYPOb8oBcQg1zhqtprtXZcQ5WrOwhr6Q7akmnd9IgZ9b8FH8_z8Wfwb9V7Vk5crp4Jf0--migUZKfuLRR1P7i04l-mLZMII7b0JhWgDkI_rkqk91QeDQYUHRFoy9EgOTSX24IH79qZY15PeHWnEGvZ-4Uq88QtXlKrPvXNYBTTJ2MAMnBePrinbngKQC5S0vgOtbz1nQmAk5GLC" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>They've got some splaining to do</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Arizona may be the next
state in trouble over its NCLB waiver after it submitted a final draft
of its accountability system that does not meet federal demands on high
school graduation rates or teacher evaluations. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001A82uGtRNHpOYUJ4qkwVvH4zKxka9T6gMYX0oQLc4QPJ5lPPah6EosG1aIh5-1N4bbGJW1a7byJUt7IMfhih9w5h7LWA7HaiTp7MrvgpmNp1kb5udklDeBd5gIomUA0hlVEUEGIu7ULcpqOPAur94Har2fmq_qi8R3ny4z_56Tip5mbStf9kMdwxB2EoIUtkbRSzTfEOJeCL7GJ4MqpvWDgN-MQUaAmeuvr5oNgAfN3ilpCnIeup2Cc0p3YHysS4ZlzuwgxjHbdxvPXGyiV4O4Q==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Further expansion</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The University of
Minnesota and Teach for America-Twin Cites have announced an agreement
to develop the state's first alternative teacher-preparation program. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001A82uGtRNHpNCdDSxB017kAmOwb9JttFxRmSudHpY0slLlM2CzsK2VjiS8szprP8ReRTpyzQUwSCKsieMY4GrTxsq5tQi5UgUKouwm-Eil1OwC47w2DY5lPLr1pc8zAj-JFlGYSFG4S8BSUX3oHvUahxBU3jszKqH84Yb7SZ2Qpa06Ctn4t5JVHmt8eqvAyO6Qih0_3NMFpSQaVvX4Br_bP8kaoUt12Ze" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>It could work</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Maryland Gov. Martin
O'Malley has announced $5.5 million in grants to local boards of
education to increase the use of digital technology in education and to
help students earn college credits and career certification while in
high school. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 78, 35); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001A82uGtRNHpM13-61d4svdhlWzp--voSpEkMa4OvR2gM6WZS6hxuMGrGn40A-76Los3xPaTPrIEZxAqbwB4XnhRlle5E5y2p8eKxVL7pm1iJQtO831zPEgT1ck6irgjIhGFYu8sdZRyJpIAEZloFuHVNkj1ykv2kmfMcHEKCP-kOLoIf3bgvOHFIV55pInOo8R-jnGFGA3k9Qap81cGrDfMyE6mEXwXvbR5sy6Odl1Q4=" shape="rect">More</a></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>
<br>
</div>
<div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 78, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001A82uGtRNHpMQfsY-VB2AlNhS5ax1Tz83WcW4aq3q8hRCDPuosxVBwWHT2Tj2FE_WlQnLnO1s2UHntMwh2-RyeyzgXalNxLFTocPkz5FBt2h-x84K1HplUFekHSqIGfzzwxEGuGgD0tfOhenGoQ1Z3A==">StudentCam</a>
is C-SPAN's annual national video documentary competition that
encourages students to think critically about issues that affect our
communities and our nation. StudentCam's theme for 2014 is: "A Message
to the U.S. Congress:<br>
What's the most important issue the U.S.
Congress should consider in 2014?" Maximum award: $5,000, plus $750 to
spend on digital video equipment for his/her school. Eligibility:
students grades 6-12, individually or in teams. Deadline: January 20,
2014.</div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 78, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001A82uGtRNHpMntdeUbz_skXMYmk0bsogixrep0w_ZGhHtKaZf1F6zonX815soWtGQR3pKuDjh0j7Lel5jcMht_3qsTQZyqcwlbJ0xUOvNlG8Yc5-Mx4BqqxKFgAmxBfu5OrA5yEEcs6QctLq_njMH39amkkGnjVe7tTxCXyw-Vf8WJVEjuwJIWmvcUqmP24MJ">Starbucks Foundation: Youth Leadership Grants</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The Starbucks Foundation
is interested in supporting organizations that equip young people in
three areas: business savvy --having the ability to leverage
opportunities with integrity and innovation and to make good decisions
and achieve results; social conscience -- valuing the impact an
individual and enterprise can have on the community; collaborative
communication -- engaging others in an inclusive manner across teams,
functions and cultures and the ability to leverage new and creative ways
of communication. Maximum award: $30,000. Eligibility: youth ages 15 to
25 years old. Deadline: December 15, 2013.</div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 78, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001A82uGtRNHpNfADV0it4yXiEQeMlKDCIFZB0NcEbiqR9oGsF775Z-FFSALgI2AZgP_ZfOg9BrLyc6FdlGuwbkXR34hS4W8zd2W12d2UufnuVRfNMgk-tXbhuqjeIxBq431lnGpLZ1a1JCva3uP9UxCQ2jCb_asw6Xr1fxCQSYJ3I=">NSTA: Shell Science Teaching Award</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The Shell Science
Teaching Award recognizes one outstanding classroom science teacher
(K-12) who has had a positive impact on his or her students, school, and
community through exemplary classroom science teaching. Maximum award:
$10,000. Eligibility: K-12 classroom science teachers. Deadline:
November 8, 2013.</div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">QUOTE OF THE WEEK:</span></strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">"One of the things that
has made me step back a couple times is I've had students come and say,
'We know you're our counselor, but you're so busy that I don't come by.
And I always tell them if there's something they need to talk about, I'm
available to talk. But they see how overwhelmed I can be in terms of
work, and it makes me feel bad that a student would say that." -- <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 78, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001A82uGtRNHpP-ByF5jTdBYXT38O6ibuJwl6j23-FHa60okIMH7sM5TWvZyQ_yfTQGQ2B8bj3fIj-p0uWN4MJA5MDCLzEYQP8BeBfH5iAbR-WMLvj46paBwNtRDFt07QVuiGniaR4osiez6AkK1lxEcGaW75PFA0p8dXMIxz-9oF4L4XeyfhjZS5oy7HasXMvNclDoc9FOanx9GwwGmT-sy-dq5PxJL_yb68mUpZ_2RUg9uT39rIIeOjsDEkf72rry">Eric Blanco</a>,
guidance counselor at Ernest Righetti High School in central
California, on how reduced budgets and added clerical duties have cut
deeply into the time he can spend with students.</div>
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