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<div><b>NewsBlast will be taking the next week off to observe and celebrate Thanksgiving. Best wishes for the holiday!</b></div>
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<div>November 26, 2013 - In This Issue:</div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38203-112/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27552414&seq=1&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK17">Congressional rhetoric, funding realities</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;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;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38203-112/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27552414&seq=1&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK45">One district tackles the Common Core</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38203-112/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27552414&seq=1&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK44">Measuring tenacity</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38203-112/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27552414&seq=1&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK43">States get serious about data</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38203-112/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27552414&seq=1&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK42">The crucial third-grade benchmark</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38203-112/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27552414&seq=1&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK53">Where single-gender may work</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38203-112/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27552414&seq=1&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK55">How teacher observations can be effective</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38203-112/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27552414&seq=1&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK54">What to consider when evaluating teacher prep</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38203-112/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27552414&seq=1&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;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38203-112/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27552414&seq=1&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK56">BRIEFLY NOTED</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38203-112/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27552414&seq=1&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK19">GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES</a></div>
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<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;">Congressional rhetoric, funding realities</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;">The American Association
of State Administrators (AASA) has analyzed a comprehensive dataset
detailing revenues and expenditures for every district in the nation for
federal fiscal year 2011 (FY11). Federal revenues have historically
been a small portion of overall K-12 spending (8 to 9 percent), yet as
the recession ends they currently represent an above-average share. In
FY11 (2011-12), federal dollars represented -- on average -- 12 percent
of schools' revenues. In more than a quarter of schools, federal
revenues were more than 15 percent of budgets, and in over six percent
they represented a quarter or more. The rhetoric of Congress -- growing
the economy, addressing the nation's debt and deficit, increasing
employment, and expanding competitiveness -- is in direct conflict with
its funding of public education. Final FY12 appropriations agreements
cut $1.5 billion in education programs. The sequester cuts another $2.4
billion, not including $401 million from Head Start. These cuts come at
the same time that public school enrollment is increasing. It is time
for Congress to align what it says with what it does. A Congress that is
serious about jobs, the economy, and employment rates would not only
focus on, but would prioritize, investing in education. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XOyNrwRxJ3bQTiykAtuotIsDniLVz3D633JLQ7jT6seWyjRdl76knng-85hdz9m_uUD0EzNGefSEXeqGp5yS_-2Xd2xUPx5I1g2gqHHHOcWO2GbIN7YNaDDlTo7eetQsRNnkbxNSdWGsFTunMq_jFC7FHhV_Ld-7auIcV_V2Km4m5uQDz1esw_dkjdo3EKDT" shape="rect">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>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">One district tackles the Common Core</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;">A
new article in Strategies Magazine examines the work that the
Charlotte-Mecklenburg district in North Carolina has undertaken to build
capacity for the Common Core State Standards for all its students in
all classrooms. Charlotte-Mecklenburg has over 141,000 students at 159
schools, with a student population that is 42 percent African American,
32 percent white, 18 percent Hispanic, 5 percent Asian, and 3 percent
American Indian or multiracial. Fifty-four percent of students qualify
for free or reduced-price meals. The district determined that without
systemic shifts, a piecemeal response to the Common Core would intensify
inequities for its students. Its Common Core Steering Committee
includes principals at all levels, community superintendents, and
representatives of all content areas, special education, Limited English
Proficiency, accountability, professional development, and
communications. Principals serve as building-level instructional leaders
who deliver a common focus, using common language around common
activities. Each school's leadership team includes a literacy
facilitator, an academic facilitator, or an assistant principal of
instruction. With the support of the Curriculum and Instruction
Department, teachers were divided into grade-level groups and engaged in
professional development around mastery of given standards. To foster
buy-in, the district's Common Core Comprehensive Communications and
Engagement Plan involves four approaches to reaching the wider
community: parents, principals and teachers, community partners, and
media partners. </span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XOyNrwRxJ3Y-gIOOA_h9XlMlVR7Y5U8kVKdKXIYKHXRsTBLluptVMgE3fUd78rDg-Pb5H3eGezCfZ4KdUbli-ybZdQKpPxsH_OfX7w9vrJ1m4VXwO5WdBWcypKAmKru3Swt_l2lwf-OtEvihorfEPsDYUn47-iFf7__f8ugmnAjEaEuc6Ge-QKqPI3sVqkqOX9kVjCXvSq9-3TaHvA5NSg==">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>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Measuring tenacity</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;">An article in Voices in
Urban Education Magazine by Jay Carrano of New Visions for Public
Schools (NVPS) describes their work around measuring non-cognitive
skills for college and career readiness. To date, measurements of
academic tenacity have been subjective student self-assessment tools
like surveys, or other rough proxies like attendance. At the time it was
undertaking a different project, College Readiness Indicator Systems,
NVPS was also developing Common Core-aligned modules, and saw a
convergence. The Common Core will require academic tenacity, since
they'll induce students to understand skills and knowledge needed to
self-regulate toward mastery. Toward this end, NVPS started iMentor, a
school-based program that matches high school students with
college-educated mentors in one-to-one relationships for all four years
of high school, over which time they exchange weekly emails and meet in
person on a monthly basis. Students entering eight New Visions high
schools will pair with a mentor for four years as part of a six-year
study to be completed in 2018; approximately 2,500 students will
participate. NVPS is also developing a data warehouse to connect
formerly isolated data sets to produce nuanced data analysis that can
help schools make informed decisions about programming and resource
allocation. This includes tracking the four-year high school trajectory
of individual students at each school in its network. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XOyNrwRxJ3Yf6ehfCcV86mUOQl3s5_3Fw2oRojGYQ4ANAUMyHLuf8rAS5xoXfV0dMNN1i1mPfHnrVmRraHU-Oj3NFFz3JPLecErDLme-rljmO_2v5ztAMEG799UCSZDkyUZn3HzZrxhOabnkWsxVQKG2JMRrnby0GA4jy-Yyo-CtNaBc6e45l_4khUvZqEfMC3qd9pJrzG0jYy4NRGXZlw==" 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;">States get serious about data</div>
</b></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span>That
latest national survey from the Data Quality Campaign (DQC) reports
state progress in using data to ensure that students graduate college-
and career-ready. As a metric, DQC uses its 10 State Actions to Ensure
Effective Data Use, as well as emerging data issues and practices in the
field. The report finds the average number of Actions achieved by
states increased from 4.7 in 2011 to 6.6 in 2013. Arkansas and Delaware
have achieved all 10 State Actions. Most states are providing policy and
funding support for their data systems (41 states); developing data
governance structures (43); and creating publicly available reports on
school systems and groups of students (46). Only 19 link K-12 and
workforce data. States are still working to provide timely access to
student data for stakeholders (9) and to implement policies and
practices that ensure educators use data appropriately (12). Four states
gained three or more Actions (Kentucky, Mississippi, New York, and
North Dakota). Fifteen states have eight or nine Actions (the District
of Columbia, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan,
North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia,
and Wisconsin). Recent policy changes across the country have driven
demand for data for high school feedback reports, teacher evaluations,
early warning systems, and other educational improvement efforts.</span> </span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XOyNrwRxJ3Y7i6ihN1z58bZmcun-2BbCx7hATC-c8KPjFA7OeiZLRVZKRjy9GHu5_V8X6gvLWrRZl4_55lB7y7DW2d-j3OP0MMYFSE8jt27BPDxea95tUQ8aAhwhNkFMiTQ8mnVNXiiyCh0oOkXV3AnK-7vVofPeisjbL8Jo9K8=">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;">
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><strong>The crucial third-grade benchmark</strong></div>
</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;">About 30 states have
adopted measures to help all students attain reading proficiency by the
critical point of third grade, reports Adrienne Lu for Stateline.org.
Fifteen states and the District of Columbia have strict retention
policies based on third-grade reading benchmarks, with some calling for
interventions much earlier. Connecticut has expanded its statewide
reading plan to include oral language and pre-literacy proficiency for
children moving from pre-kindergarten to kindergarten, and has passed
legislation requiring elementary school teachers to take surveys on
reading instruction. Virginia has approved legislation requiring
districts to provide early intervention from preschool to third grade
for struggling students. From 2016, Ohio will require districts to
submit reading-achievement improvement plans every year if too many
students fail to meet certain benchmarks, and in 2017, new teacher
licenses in Ohio will require teachers to pass tests on reading
instruction. Utah is requiring that schools improve the percentage of
third graders reading on grade level, or risk losing state funds. These
efforts notwithstanding, experts believe children learn most language
skills at home before they even enter school. States wanting to make
significant improvements in early reading need to target parents before
children reach school, or even preschool. <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=001XOyNrwRxJ3bJvfbD33UWVIX7aQPK8DcHT0oyAzpfbt5AhyzDUBHNu55tsAkeuv4bmhDQVJELLovCp7-xQVp3p2sCoD-N84wITK-5KdYvfkj6LUlX3856F_ZiKPoKTRDUzjCtw4hkMJcC6AIF_rCOQAsAhRJleuT6vJt076HtEGIuJV_GESf_gR0jin3OCKU13EO4KHKkSCGIAwU_Vb4rxhZdHy4RsI8vmAqX4hmz1aAh67xlpKMVKQ==" 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;">Where single-gender may work</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;">The all-male educational
model has been resurrected to serve New York City's poorest boys,
writes Karen Matthews in The Washington Post. David Banks, the founding
principal of the first Eagle Academy, has just opened his fifth academy,
in Harlem, and hopes to open two more for a total of seven serving
4,000 students, all in high-poverty neighborhoods. The Eagle Academies
have shown above-average results. The four-year graduation rate in 2012
for the Bronx Eagle Academy -- the first location to have a graduating
class -- was 67.5 percent. Citywide, the average was 59.9 percent for
boys. Graduates have gone on to colleges including Syracuse, Skidmore,
and Fordham. Single-sex education has long been available to children in
private schools, but remains controversial in public ones. The American
Civil Liberties Union argues that efforts to separate sexes in the
classroom are often rooted in outdated gender stereotypes. However,
anecdotal evidence supports the model for at-risk boys. Single-sex
believers include Melanie Harmon, whose son Aaron just started at the
Harlem Eagle Academy after struggling with attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder at his previous school. Harmon said Aaron is
learning to focus without the added distraction of girls. She added:
"They teach them to become responsible. They're teaching him basically
how to grow into a man." <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=001XOyNrwRxJ3YjU0BeAhMRvhVZOu3us58zhz-5YfEgTjKOkQINepgJcm9dVggXbMJOLrB_I4KJn5VXx07sxdEvaLLQi6eEzcgMQ0P4eYyl2OqUL9Koim97r2K8TngTo3p28GprBLhh00U8mrSFIrihePEwPGt0MUcKImUoEMKQiVEF-hjVXAmrcmk-fP61bDR90ZaQ2MR04Bmz8zl3GdtugGYLH8_cMINxeuYldK9UWsLqdYJQMfhsO_vTxEm3fQSeyoHIXDnDaE76lM1647PY1UwBPxcgy9uMYBemy3XogltTWz3VugywLqGdcpXiH706">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;">How teacher observations can be effective</div>
</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span>A
new paper from The New Teacher Project proposes an overhaul of
classroom observations. Nearly every teacher-evaluation system in use
today -- outdated and next-generation systems alike -- is built on the
assumption that classroom observations can serve as both comprehensive
teacher-development and rating tools. Too often, observations accomplish
neither: Observers are asked to do too much; rubrics are too complex;
ratings are inflated and inaccurate; and observations give inadequate
feedback. Rubrics should focus on the essential aspects of a lesson and
assess whether students are learning, providing specific feedback to the
teacher. Rubrics need not be comprehensive frameworks that describe
each element of successful teaching practice, nor include every possible
technique a teacher could use inside or outside the classroom. They
should rate a small number of student outcomes and draw a clear
distinction between what outcomes teachers are responsible for producing
in a successful lesson and strategies that can achieve those outcomes.
They might also list the various instructional strategies and techniques
teachers could pursue. Complex rubrics should be analyzed toward
collapsing, combining, and eliminating indicators. Leaders need support
and training on delivering feedback to teachers, and must be held
accountable for doing it well, perhaps by using teacher surveys or other
sources of upward feedback.</span> </span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XOyNrwRxJ3bhT2u71koKHfMUHB7VDvFJ7o-7JhVUZU0jZpLRGkqt-QNTz5gB3d0kZeF5IqBchfbScZAyKx90gp_1yw1V5Mt0H0AljNMGiFP2JFDw8Dl5zyIoegbgWRDP8-0qcl8JKpUcki36WjPoq2p-Lh8MkUVq6LXZ8bn_Fi1Ux4YtLRr0jY1ng9wbf8Js" 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>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">What to consider when evaluating teacher prep</div>
</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span>The
National Academy of Education (NAEd) has released a report that
addresses key methodological and policy issues in the evaluation of
teacher-preparation programs (TPPs) in the United States. In America's
fragmented education system, TPPs will always involve multiple players
with different purposes and interests. The limitations of any evaluation
system should be weighed against its potential benefits, given its
differential and potentially unfair effects on diverse populations of
prospective teachers and communities. Evaluation systems must also
reflect changes in education goals and standards. In selecting a TPP
evaluation system, its primary purpose must be considered. It should be
determined which aspects of teacher preparation matter most, and what
sources of evidence will provide the most accurate and useful
information. How will measures be analyzed and combined to judge program
quality? What are the intended and potentially unintended consequences
of the system? The process must be transparent, and users must be helped
to interpret the results and use them appropriately. The credibility of
results from TPP evaluations will hinge largely on the extent to which
their implementation is monitored and their key features are revised and
refined based on independent and objective research.</span> </span> <a style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XOyNrwRxJ3aOBUnfAT1oj3725i-DGSuPmQVZBk-3_VA3iiA_kqX-wuAfil-qNuCQUqmasJK3xzh6yD8shI9aWaVkr6BLd9M08tbeiYsMItvzRp-4bc9eCtViQN8CsHW_luwh1mkrRigG601Zr9DdslCtNHxmMTJ3aIFDh6PHkOkWE-6vQiET5R-fd1Gzx2aVqckzZRqHrmOKnvf8RByTkA==">More</a></div>
</div>
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<div><b>BRIEFLY NOTED CALIFORNIA</b></div>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #e04b25;"><strong>Oh well</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">California's Department
of Education has announced it's backing down from a plan to give
students just one of the new math and English standardized tests this
spring. <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=001XOyNrwRxJ3Yajq2yIUd-ihneWvDI2pwAQEv-qpptdukPqF1qYv-WhxkZ-IULtGTFiar8Dyory28BofDry1maQQbbdTPEYFL21nIbhe2nVlCc8NiQNODf6sW06ATF1NGnyRCCVlR9zfko_2xuCupyhs6wCmK1Ct3cfO51fm82HhbqE07HFmPLn5k24ltp3LNuS4RLPcf018hcuxVLlSRTZa3vmbgIQV9HQLjP0Mk5QlWXYgXG7fDG0Q==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #e04b25;"><strong>Again with the iPads</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">An oversight committee
has nixed the L.A. Unified District's plan to provide every teacher and
administrator in the district with an iPad. <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=001XOyNrwRxJ3Zm_Uv2m8WYx4feuepOx3mfMG2YQoypPPcXH0BhmJR22IyxnyS3wEUy6dUveTVWojWDb6OKtgZVZTU_BFw7k-8iTptYSjA1vlP7CvP41RPfj6tJgE53U58zh1Jk2ZhhOdYjRDh54pNyAZUi43FkiXvDBSF3ur2c3D1YZfbpWGKoLvaSRUkkWitexCieffGNDQg8RNaPyWU3Pkni1d7b2eBbpDAkQOLAzQ6OQyAZ_HuuaQ==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #e04b25;"><strong>Valley bloc</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">After a change in Los
Angeles Unified's funding policy sent their numbers soaring, the 42
affiliated charter schools in the San Fernando Valley have formed an
official council that will work as a bloc to communicate with district
officials. <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=001XOyNrwRxJ3Y4ZU9IFNV2MltTzGX6dhlXLzTI7k-CejrewRWbOsV75iyjFXnpvoi1UmYoH13KEfcxHXa0ECF7n3ZlaFCzw15Q0hU8hYNxleycEnCee1ifhMNnwn_t4xRlJiwkQHFz3rMBoc8Lx3fdw64SXcSGIlIk6I-BZqR6eS6YTyNr2KY-aTtyHDwqC57aKnwZKR8Z2LH9QFfxLejAbf1OMJZRrc3PYsZsrnFRDJQk509CkmbcfA==">More</a></div>
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<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: #e04b25;"><strong>Ruh roh</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A federal program that
pumped a record $5 billion into failing schools is showing mixed
results, with students at more than one-third of targeted schools doing
the same or worse after the schools received the funding. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XOyNrwRxJ3avMCWc2rvP_s__0RWjurmP9mwJnojATbqWsTldmvuAsZFLcyhIXEG84MHgztqJsWPfvHmuFZ8OhBhfkpBddeut6Jq8176ICifkDEy946PZqRU3tLMZ-SWJVY-SsAaujselXarIKrApqILFnj1QRJSyV66dmZDwal9QghVsQSqeA85TJzYdIb8gNPWhzKthUe0iP3n3ScmAWlI6K7JkYT1V74-udkX3RG7qJNqG6Rt2y2PgJ0lYcfiiGQnXDwfI8cF7TzDTox1BCm2s2lgw-we-wix6x8RR1tHxtHxv8ppss973TIenNrBalJqxGqNNbMT13Nszfj3FZdjNudmS_BXK" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #e04b25;"><strong>Race matters</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The U.S. Department of
Education today named 31 finalists for the second Race to the Top
district competition, worth $120 million. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XOyNrwRxJ3ZSwxaDYmvi18kipPYNSHqPqKVzopnHvQUxP8RQy7_Rm1L0N6ukbPCTCMJbObnzNyCpELwtKNwY-BU5sIFZ1jM_zCo-EFJJGpKbPSMeb50P-MkzkIbxgeVKxndvdeVKGS8UYcMP9eZUB4dvLlsFUzuMYXX1EyXNmy4Mze_G9EOVykIPNzVVGM1JqjP5NNvXFKkbq66gDVRyNGhLqb8sCc3Tfv5R-CDpAP7n-LQPHhLQWejualNe0d2I3xdQ84JnpV2aP1CmQt6Jp-BQEh1g_ldEBXCtIaFzFhOsJwPBYUSN0a1DqGcf1De-AsPcS9fdQ0Zx6IQ9Ru5dAygjB5sO5c3iZpJ2W_6MkBlocKPww4rsB3ysFOYUZ9iEXf4u4-fZ9FZTrzNwJTe73TDiWlZ0AfGc" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #e04b25;"><strong>Oversight needed</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The local agency that
administers D.C.'s school vouchers, the nation's only federally funded
program that gives tax dollars to poor children to attend private
schools, has so many faulty internal systems and missing policies that
it can't manage the program, according to the General Accounting
Office. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XOyNrwRxJ3b6IRfbDnwQqRe5ZE_U6wFtM5oaD_VYTpp-S3z_3RSS6QimIWn3Wta7IBxIqzJTPALax0X0ra-U6xdgziLvWB9IRXUAM08_zT3X4_6xPGnaFCq28W61N39Q4u7j-gnIJdRJoF50Ota0idzjEaErx8VarBlNUg8Ltc295UGdn1XT1xZhpM-0wjhGRvu92l1Uw1KbCe7clt6WkEOj5fNFGc3NizDPwdbZAafgM8YJEM4y6ajlmq4Rzpu-wwJGozCkTho_If53-9848KIDw4WBk34eUKLxcYN1Uo_HYvRdcI3Ijw==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #e04b25;"><strong>Tweaking in order</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Only two years into a
new formula, the South Dakota Department of Education wants to overhaul
the way it evaluates the quality of the state's public schools. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XOyNrwRxJ3bMIQWGThS9YJpFFCn23wPcUQr-MeyIEoZt3Gr5oZNTrsHgzheW1QPalZFMVl3yGkM6Q5JwiaheQ87V-cfazx-A4NeEcaVKVLeB0RsxJg_TQEcKmCDHlrRPFlXMUz9PYg53ZMRc_EpGWh33ca4ghpzMfvDaxvbXpJX52VFrsmBeEbsHvWYRcloY8joqlQLMBa01RW-Z1oXnwxPpUSQo9wZTzd8OZU_OpRb2t6Tus7yzcByOM631wDpL" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #e04b25;"><strong>Rural focus</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The Idaho-based J.A. and
Kathryn Albertson family foundation has launched a new consortium to
identify best practices, support innovations, and research national
trends in rural education. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XOyNrwRxJ3b7XT41n1eIv1cJe52tiFITGEHNLoyB6DGvSHgRbqbXsJamwQwChlxg7DT3jTCezUJqoIhc5mzCVtPcVOcdwyY38peq5BlMgN1VcQlszs5YtkRalXK3URk1YfvWNtrJ0D6r9t-rHA-4LuT-marmLiNk-zlu-DS7TKawQU-BtDiN6kyFCBLM5h84Sg2-UUSYSdJuhFCDI80R4It5OeVO9iwGiN_-Oxfjdqi6CO5loHxajur1lpNathgAVQ80a5TIKfs=" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #e04b25;"><strong>Oh dear</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Only one in four
aspiring teachers passed a beefed-up version of Michigan's teacher
certification test -- an exam that teachers must pass to be hired to
lead a classroom -- when the new test was administered for the first
time last month. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XOyNrwRxJ3ZJn7aiBOiG__ZdPuc7YBiF7LX5-XCbSbrCZfwu3Pbs26D-2bRpU_yUgQZqUAGnY48HWKGWuKDPyOteNBNDKP54wkicwOuaHIpfv03K-QujAq10y74WJuZS1x7GhqdDM67lR19NRbuWbxjyaCmYpm_LNuombCTzdmKRAiSp9-32AOLHMJtp_slYDFrrWxxyqACmJflo9x5o4MsimB9lTZoU5-nSvxjtPwI=" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #e04b25;"><strong>Come teach</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The Department of
Education, in partnership with the Advertising Council, Microsoft, State
Farm Insurance, Teach for America, the nation's two largest teachers'
unions, and several other educational groups is unveiling a public
service campaign this week aimed at recruiting a new generation of
classroom educators. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XOyNrwRxJ3Y0mBGzmmAfxP2Gbm7voHKec_qNKRdXz5xK2Q-zvgA0Kp5JmQOU-hnCqLiHu8cSm9tD6Z5vp-CfkVzVPQImUaN9jDa630zMsQWXM2vGmEOHfk4SPXULQkP_YI70slsNkuO3vqbn_LyAjtuNlqGT01NNmnCOG2BlP87Euh9OECoeqw0-shXapgiZsZ5McwNSndsQ6hMLXDV0hjZKi68lSNgPLIBIrs3Aufk3qQqCJ8DnPXd3z1zjYPYtNMG1L_o0VdWeUjCO8oNoZt4B958LrNNL" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #e04b25;"><strong>Only connect</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The Obama
administration's Youth CareerConnect will deliver 25 to 40 competitive
grants of $2 million to $7 million to teams of secondary schools and
higher education institutions to build programs to prepare students for
the job market. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XOyNrwRxJ3YRB7vzb5Y-oiNcNSLgv7LMe1ilLXrki_F80NWv6b15z3VjaoTYVgubx8jnyaXdZlNY1NA6C5nvKL-9tP_sUdrP1CWM_icP--EEEk40sit1Ej2jR6keo2hmCOLi5cTjjEfqPc_YRE0hSe1ELs8iBYhabMxJhB6LFs1tSQgAqhu-ZoHUCwx6fCNU1uNBr9QuDObXTLkTy-D8p1Qab6Zst14lt3XtAIw_m6fNDlDVIAk89OntVAy39G9F" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #e04b25;"><strong>Dude, really?</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span class="aolmail_entry-content">A
newly elected school board member in a Connecticut town neighboring the
one where 26 people were killed at an elementary school has apologized
for saying on Facebook that he'll observe the anniversary of the Newtown
shooting by distributing ammunition. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XOyNrwRxJ3ZGY0gXQTRTRXeFzmpuY4igu4vBGuAasmohiAQG9EwCHjfMdUn-nAy_Zqvv4MoSujE2qDxxPgjBV53ZzymNUkSNl5pdVB9uG63dIiyxGrpF87euY2LezbdnSSYKWaGtzdhDjEUIp5-EeO6f-EQyZ4xxGvZELj5mR7hVEDdf9tF2Zn3YRWnWm3RaG2Zga1nquZ13WncX74hVk_IuoyU9e0F47ud8jbu2TyKqsm25A30vB6rgzTxQCgcI" shape="rect">More</a></span></div>
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<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=001XOyNrwRxJ3ag7evk8Nruv_gVzGO7lJhhL_e2FoSfHfYO1WvviyvvkXPpousvGoY9YZ9fS_CcqUV32AnMU-8qJoWHQQ4n5V02sOcQ-Oa0xwJwHPPMvCYiyJEoaHDNnFyw">The New Teacher Project: The Fishman Prize</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The Fishman prize is an
annual award for exceptionally effective teachers working in
high-poverty public schools. Maximum award: $25,000; summer residency.
Eligibility: full-time teachers at public schools (including charter
schools) where at least 40% of all students are eligible for Free or
Reduced Price Lunch (or a Title I school). Deadline: December 3, 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(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XOyNrwRxJ3YcfOWMqx2m7AzT-HFEhPtBYCALdbrNCviVl2KCryM7HsEliM7ZsP0Nt4AxWTjSPHgpwV75UeXQHrLm7LRZ3RYmVbTc1_TZWlz8HzOSti4O_6dO1A6BSM4gNJp5R1YU9VVKJA08d-scaMO2J1pzWFbfTohG9ECYaCo=">Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Awards</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Each year, The Kennedy
Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Awards solicits
nominations from the general public and notable public figures,
providing the opportunity to submit stories about teachers and
professors who made a significant difference in their lives. Maximum
award: $10,000. Eligibility: Nominees must be legal residents of the
United States teach or have taught in a K-12 school, or college, or
university in the United States. 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(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XOyNrwRxJ3brVZ2QBrJq0a-S_FwDujkHz6Frh4mpV8Dv3lla7SIbh3duqML5fuqXczup9-hAp4WyhMI3-n4pfTiC1LucEs9Eh9Fzwbe5N9Rqiqms5hNcqs6dzOxkxo1fR7y1mL5PdCoa0mIxF4exbDHAq-K9ZcSzGfJEfbFYJ1oQPs4Wu2tYfi2yX-QW-oLgGrrdozr78Wk=">U.S. Army: eCYBERMISSION</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">eCYBERMISSION is a free,
web-based Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics competition
in which students compete against other students in their grades for
state, regional and national awards. Teams consisting of 3-4 students
and a team advisor would work to solve problems in their community
utilizing the scientific method, scientific inquiry, or engineering
design process and can win at the state, regional and national levels.
Maximum award: $5,000 in U.S. EE Savings Bonds per student. Eligibility:
students grades 6 through 9 at a U.S.-based public, private or home
school, or a Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) school
abroad. Deadline: January 15, 2014.</div>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #e04b25;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>QUOTE OF THE WEEK:</strong></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; background- background-repeat: initial initial;">"It's
fascinating to me that some of the pushback is coming from, sort of,
white suburban moms who -- all of a sudden -- their child isn't as
brilliant as they thought they were and their school isn't quite as good
as they thought they were, and that's pretty scary. You've bet your
house and where you live and everything on, 'My child's going to be
prepared.' That can be a punch in the gut." -- <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(224, 75, 37); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XOyNrwRxJ3ZxSBe2Ma7I-6WLtUbmNqwlH17SiWXvuADuBCCxtx5-NEBRzz51qbNDbXSs7wD7VlI25YnYQ9WXES36BpaVxoiUEngftbc3Y42xbkV56tPDP4JZPYbYyHuR-nu_ohzOZ7k2rjsrSbSo4ri-n9B_Db8h5IqQGIpRg42qBVdOs6jbGg3pXZrAKLDL39VibWgTHkmgBTuEr_qr9ZZwzJKo2-I4dLNHku4xVzQoCGEwh_-7CEXSswisk0XEmPnGxyVcrWLVYlW0AIeqTQZ04o-8q-SR4GsyUWYrp-ETAl-q6nn4WQ==">Arne Duncan</a> at a meeting of state schools superintendents, regarding opposition to the Common Core.</div>
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