NCTE INBOX

October 18, 2005
...news


News links are provided for informational purposes, do not imply endorsement by NCTE, and were live when this issue was published.
*Students Show Few Gains Since "No Child" (The Washington Post, October 19) (free registration required)* Fourth-grade reading scores nationally showed a modest one-point gain over the past two years, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), after demonstrating a significant six-point jump between 2000 and 2002, before the No Child Left Behind law was implemented. Only three states showed a significant gain in fourth-grade reading -- and three states showed a significant drop. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/ article/2005/10/19/AR2005101900708.html Read The Nation's Report Card: Information About the 2005 Reading Assessment at http://nationsreportcard.gov/reading_math_2005/s0077.asp
*Language Gap Grows (The Arizona Republic, October 12) (free registration required)* Fueled by record immigration, children who have trouble speaking English are among the fastest-growing segments of the school population in Arizona, creating additional challenges for schools here and across the country, two new studies have found. http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/ articles/1012englishlearners.html	Partially underwritten by: (advertisement)
Read High Concentration of Limited-English Students Challenges Implementation of No Child Left Behind Act by the Urban Institute and the Migration Policy Institute at http://www.urban.org/Template.cfm?NavMenuID=24&template=/ TaggedContent/ViewPublication.cfm&PublicationID=9455 *Graduation Test Waiver Rules May Be Eased (The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, October 12) (free registration required)* About 5,000 Georgia students a year don't graduate on time because they can't pass all five sections of the High School Graduation Test. Now, the state Board of Education is preparing to add flexibility for students who fall a few points shy of the passing score of 500. http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/1005/12metwaiver.html *Higher Ed Commission Gets to Work (Inside Higher Ed, October 18)* One attendee at the first meeting of the Secretary of Education's Commission on the Future of Higher Education called it "fascinating but frustrating." http://insidehighered.com/news/2005/10/18/commission *English "Must Reflect Technology" (BBC News, October 13)* English in schools must adapt to reflect the use of text messaging and communication via new technologies, a report says. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/4337784.stm Read A Curriculum for the Future: Subjects Consider the Challenge by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority at http://www.qca.org.uk/14303.html *A to F Scale Gets Poor Marks but Is Likely to Stay (The Washington Post, October 18) (free registration required)* Will U.S. schools ever end their long romance with A's, B's, C's and so on? Some educators say letter grades no longer fit in a standardized information age. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/17/ AR2005101701565.html
...views


Excellence in Literacy Instruction Reading in the Early Grades According to the NAEP 2005 Reading Results, only 31% of fourth-grade students are performing at or above Proficient. Yet, to meet the literacy demands of today, all students should be performing at Proficient or above. NCTE supports the efforts of educators who want all students to reach their highest possible potential in reading. Effective reading instruction helps learners make sense of written language. It builds on what learners know at any given time to help them learn more. Effective instruction is grounded in a professional knowledge of how we read and how we learn to read. It is best provided by knowledgeable, caring teachers who organize instruction to meet the varying needs of all their students. For more on reading and reading instruction, see NCTE's Reading Commission guideline "On Reading, Learning to Read, and Effective Literacy Instruction" at http://www.ncte.org/about/over/positions/category/read/118620.htm
...ideas


Free access to journal articles mentioned in this INBOX is provided for 21 days. After this free access period expires, articles are available to journal subscribers only. Initials in annotations indicate academic level of the resource (E=Elementary, M=Middle, S=Secondary, C=College, G=General).
Looking Forward to the NCTE Convention NCTE's Annual Convention is almost a month away! Take some time now to explore these resources, which relate to just some of the speakers who will be featured in Pittsburgh. They're handy strategies you can use in the classroom even if you can't join us for the sessions. Read "Studying African Folktales in the Primary Grades" (E) from School Talk to explore ways to use books by the Books for Children Luncheon speakers Leo and Diane Dillon. If you're interested in the Middle Section Luncheon Speaker Kate DiCamillo, try the ReadWriteThink lesson Characters in Because of Winn-Dixie: Making Lists of Ten (E-M), which focuses on a character analysis project that can be used with any reading. Read "Poetry in the Classroom: The Fervor and the Fret" (S) from English Journal, and examine poems by U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser, who will present at the Secondary Section Luncheon. The College Celebration features Victor Villanueva, author of the NCTE publication Bootstraps (G). Read Chapter V, Inglés in the Colleges (C), from Villanueva's text to explore issues of literacy and personal experience. Finally, be sure to register this week if you'll be joining us in Pittsburgh! The early registration deadline for the Convention is October 24, 2005.
...announcements


NCTE Annual Convention Registration Deadline The early registration deadline for the 2005 NCTE Annual Convention in Pittsburgh is approaching quickly, so be sure to register before Monday, October 24, 2005, and save $30 on your registration fee! To register online today, visit http://www.ncte.org/profdev/conv/annual/reg NCTE Annual Convention Keynote Speakers Isabel Allende, author of The House of the Spirits, Of Love and Shadows, Daughter of Fortune, and Zorro, will be speaking at the Opening Banquet at the NCTE Annual Convention: http://www.ncte.org/profdev/conv/annual/speakers/121221.htm Frank McCourt, Pulitzer Prize winner, acclaimed memoirist, and author of Angela's Ashes and 'Tis: A Memoir, will speak at the NCTE Annual Convention Kickoff Session: http://www.ncte.org/profdev/conv/annual/speakers/121222.htm For information on the other award-winning authors and educators who will be speaking visit http://www.ncte.org/profdev/conv/annual/speakers CCCC Seeks Nominations for the 2006 Exemplar Award The Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) Executive Committee presents the CCCC Exemplar Award to a person whose years of service as an exemplar for the organization represent the highest ideals of scholarship, teaching, and service to the entire profession. Nominations for the 2006 Award must be received by November 1, 2005. For more information and details on how to submit a nomination, see http://www.ncte.org/groups/cccc/awards/108384.htm Teacher Educators -- Receive FREE Journals for Your Classes Participate in NCTE's Student/Instructor Program. NCTE members can request up to 30 copies of NCTE's idea-packed journals for their classes. Click the link below to enroll online or call our Customer Service Center at 877-369-6283. https://secure.ncte.org/default.asp?path=si/form.asp Act Now to Secure Early-Bird Registration for CEL's 2005 Annual Convention The Conference on English Leadership's 2005 Annual Convention features the theme, "Leading and Reading: What Teacher-Leaders Can Do." At the CEL Convention you'll find many exciting guest speakers, fulfilling roundtable discussions, and information-packed sessions that can help with leading and reading. Plan to join hundreds of colleagues in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, November 20-22, 2005. For more information, including CEL registration rates, visit http://www.ncte.org/groups/cel/featured/110317.htm Apply Now for a Professional Development Grant Edwyna Wheadon Postgraduate Training Scholarships provide funding for professional development experiences for English language arts teachers in public educational institutions. The deadline for applications is January 31, 2006. For guidelines and a downloadable application, visit http://www.ncte.org/about/grants/opps/108240.htm
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