NCTE INBOX

May 17, 2005
...news


News links are provided for informational purposes, do not imply endorsement by NCTE, and were live when this issue was published.
*A New SAT Writing Test, But Will Scores Be Used? (The New York Times, May 15)* (free registration required) Three months after the essay portion of the SAT made its debut, many universities are still grappling with how, when, and even if they will use the new scores. "The difficulty that universities find themselves in, if there's a whole raft of qualified applicants, is that you need some sorting mechanism," said NCTE member Doug Hesse, a professor of English who directs the honors program at Illinois State University. "So, especially in a time of budget cuts at public universities, when you don't have much people power, a test score, even a flawed one, is hard to resist." NCTE members Robert Yagelski and Les Perelman are also quoted. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/15/national/15SAT.html
*Sweet, Sweet Summertime Reading (The Council Chronicle, May 10)* Reading throughout the summer is important. Reading expert and NCTE member Richard Allington suggests it’s best for students to read at least four to five books over the summer to keep their reading skills sharp. Equally important is encouraging a desire to read. This article provides ideas for energizing summer reading and gives a glimpse into what some schools across the country are doing with summer reading and writing. http://www.ncte.org/pubs/chron/highlights/120712.htm
"Guys Read": Encouraging Boys to Love Books (National Public Radio, May 12) Jon Scieszka has spent his adult life trying to encourage young boys to embrace the written word. The former teacher and the author of more than 20 children's books says treating boys and girls the same in school just doesn't work. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4649807 Cheaters Use New Array of Gadgets to Get That "A" (Kansas City Star, May 13) (free registration required) Today's well-equipped cheater is armed with high-tech tools that have ushered in a new age of digital deception. Even as schools have started using technology to fight an epidemic of downloaded papers and cut-and-paste plagiarism, new threats have arrived. http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/11633652.htm Educators Ask U.S. for Break on No Child (Chicago Tribune, May 16) (free registration required) Education officials in three dozen states are proposing substantial changes to their No Child Left Behind requirements -- alterations that would relax standards and make it easier for schools to show improvement under the tough federal law. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ chi-0505160168may16,1,605879.story NCLB Conflicts Seen with State Rules for Disabled (The Washington Times, May 12) Education Secretary Margaret Spellings moved this week to triple the number of students, from 1 percent (73,000) to 3 percent (219,000), with learning disabilities who can be exempted from federal achievement standards and assessments in reading and math, but educators say the new allowance is still too restrictive. http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20050512-111804-5330r.htm A New Focus for Teachers In Training (The Washington Post, May 17) (free registration required) There is a need for teachers who know how to reach out to parents who lack the confidence or know-how to contact school officials, educators say. There is also a need for teachers who understand the challenges of teaching children with learning disabilities or those whose family income qualifies them for federal lunch subsidies. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/16 /AR2005051601126.html Poor Schools Work Hard to Improve Scores on FCAT (Herald Tribune, May 13) It took Mariah three tries to pass the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. This is her third year in the third grade. How does a school teach Mariah to read? http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2005505130460 State Deems Failing Grades Good Enough to Pass AIMS (The Arizona Republic, May 13) (free registration required) Try scoring a 59 percent on a reading test, and most high school teachers would flunk you. But that is now a passing grade on the reading section of the high school AIMS test for Arizona's Class of 2006. http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0513scores13.html Governor Offers Plan to Reduce Class Size (Los Angeles Times, May 13) The class-size reduction plan proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger would provide 2,400 of the state's worst-performing schools enough money, in theory, to reduce the number of students per classroom to 20 for a single grade, and schools would be free to reduce class size in any way they chose in grades 4 through 12. However, State Supt. of Schools Jack O'Connell said the proposed budget reductions could force many districts to abandon the state's existing class-size reduction program for kindergarten through third grades. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-schools13may13,0,1945396.story Task Force Formed to Sell More, Tougher Courses (Chicago Tribune, May 16) (free registration required) The Illinois State Board of Education announced the formation of a new task force to help sell curriculum changes that would require one additional course in science and math and two additional courses of intensive writing. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/ chi-0505160194may16,1,6063744.story
...views


Books Are Meant for Reading! English language arts educators generally agree that print-rich classrooms are key to literacy development in students of all ages. These classrooms include a variety of children’s and young adult literature. NCTE has many resolutions and guidelines about literacy development. See them at http://www.ncte.org/about/over/positions/category/literacy http://www.ncte.org/about/over/positions/category/lit http://www.ncte.org/about/over/positions/category/mult NCTE Constituent Groups with an interest in children’s and adolescent literacy: The Children’s Literature Assembly (CLA) http://www.ncte.org/groups/assm/assm/109569.htm CLA publishes The Journal of Children’s Literature and selects the Notables Booklist Awards each year—see http://www.childrensliteratureassembly.org/notable2005.htm The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of NCTE (ALAN) http://www.ncte.org/groups/assm/list/109552.htm ALAN publishes The Alan Review--see http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/alan-review.html NCTE Awards for Children’s Books NCTE Poetry Award http://www.ncte.org/about/awards/sect/elem/106857.htm NCTE Orbis Pictus Nonfiction Award http://www.ncte.org/about/awards/sect/elem/106877.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).
Encouraging Guys to Read Extend the ideas mentioned by Jon Scieszka in his "Guys Read" interview on NPR by tapping the strategies outlined in these resources. http://www.ncte.org/about/over/inbox/ideas/120784.htm
...announcements


*Free Trial Access to WLU's Talking Points!* Check out articles on meaningful pen pals, thoughtful teaching in the face of mandated programs, the legacy and impact of Louise Rosenblatt, and much more! http://www.ncte.org/groups/wlu Register Today for NCTE's Summer Workshops on Teaching Writing Discover strategies and techniques for effective writing instruction in a series of two-day workshops from NCTE. You'll learn what quality writing programs look like at the secondary level, how to create a supportive context for writing, methods for assessing quality writing in a time of testing, and much more. For more information visit http://www.ncte.org/profdev/conv/workshops/writing/ Discover Innovative Techniques for Engaging Male Students Need help encouraging your male students to read and write? Invite nationally-recognized consultants from the NCTE Professional Development Consulting Network to speak to your team on the unique issues surrounding boys and literacy. To request a speaker, call 800-369-6283, ext. 3617, or visit http://www.ncte.org/forms/consulting/ For more information on the NCTE Professional Development Consulting Network, see http://www.ncte.org/profdev/onsite/consult Attend the NCTE Literacy Leaders Institute Join a community of learners where nationally acclaimed consultants come together with emerging literacy leaders to share insights, strategies, and field-tested practices for building success in the often-complex world of consulting. The Institute will be held August 11-12 in Myrtle Beach, SC. For more information, visit http://www.ncte.org/profdev/conv/workshops/literacy/ Portrait of a Volunteer -- Donna Sabis-Burns Donna Sabis-Burns explains that volunteering with NCTE has given her access to a wealth of professional development resources and opportunities. http://www.ncte.org/about/over/vol/recog/120491.htm




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