NCTE INBOX

June 21, 2005
...news


News links are provided for informational purposes, do not imply endorsement by NCTE, and were live when this issue was published.
*Hip-Hop Unlocks the Meaning of Literary Classics (Los Angeles Times, June 19) (free registration required)* To NCTE member Alan Sitomer, teaching literature is all about building bridges that allow his students to understand that great literature is not just a window into the past but a mirror illuminating their own lives. "Kids would rather go to the dentist than read Shakespeare. But if you turn on that internal light, make it relevant and contemporary . . . you can see how passionately they get involved. When you use examples from their own lives, that's when it's living literature." http://www.latimes.com/news/education/la-me-hiphop19jun19,1,613005.story
*Patriot Act Critics Laud Vote to Limit Use (The Intelligencer, June 16)* Advocates of rewriting the USA Patriot Act are claiming momentum after the House, despite a White House veto threat, voted to restrict investigators from using the anti-terrorism law to peek at library records and bookstore sales slips. Wednesday's 238-187 vote came as lawmakers ramped up efforts to extend the Patriot Act, which was passed quickly in the emotional aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/ 28-06162005-503411.html	Partially underwritten by: (advertisement)
*Colleges Can Censor, Too (Inside Higher Ed, June 21)* A 1988 Supreme Court decision, which involved Governors State University in Illinois, restricting the free speech rights of high school newspapers has been found by the U.S. Court of Appeals to apply to college and university student newspapers. http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2005/06/21/governors *Public School Offers Nonreligious Course (The Union-Tribune, June 19)* Starting next year, some students at the public high school in Fallbrook, California, will bring their King James version of the Bible with them to class each day. With little fanfare and no controversy last month, the Fallbrook Union High District's board unanimously approved the elective class, called "The Bible as Literature." http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/education/20050619-9999-1mi19bible.html *College Prep Idea Approved in L.A. (The Los Angeles Times, June 15) (free registration required)* Despite objections from some educators, the Los Angeles Board of Education approved an academic reform plan that will require high school students to complete a set of college prep courses unless they opt out. Supporters believe this plan will enable more students to attend college, but critics worry that the plan could hurt students who struggle with the current coursework. http://www.latimes.com/news/education/la-me-college15jun15,1,1570758.story *Limited-English Schoolkids Get a Break on Testing (Chicago Sun-Times, June 17)* The latest proposal in an effort to meet NCLB standards -- lower passing scores for students who have been in bilingual programs for less than three years -- was approved by the Illinois state Board of Education. The new, lower passing scores will be applied to tests given this spring and affect about 61,000 limited-English students in the state. http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-educ17.html *Va., Md. Get Slack On "No Child" Rules (The Washington Post, June 16) (free registration required)* Federal regulators have granted Virginia and Maryland new flexibility in enforcing the No Child Left Behind educational standards -- changes that could keep some schools from facing sanctions later this year. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/ content/article/2005/06/15/AR2005061502353.html *Schools Aim for Passing Grades (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 17) (free registration required)* The Georgia state Board of Education approved guidelines that may make it easier for some schools to meet the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. In one change, students who earn a high school diploma in July after taking a summer school course may be counted as graduating on time. In another, test results for special education students will be scored on a curve at some schools. http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/0605/17schools.html *State Seeks to Beef Up Monitoring of Private Tutors (Chicago Sun-Times, June 10)* Two years after tutoring began, Illinois is expected to unveil a plan to beef up monitoring of private tutors who work with 120,000 kids under the federal No Child Left Behind law -- including new rules to prevent firms from milking the state for extra cash or bribing kids with toys or money to sign up with their companies. http://www.suntimes.com/output/education/cst-nws-tutor10.html
...views


Student Publications and First Amendment Rights NCTE believes student publications should have the right to freedom of speech and the press. See http://www.ncte.org/about/over/positions/category/cens/107395.htm For resources on student journalism, see information on the NCTE Assembly for Advisers of Student Publications/ Journalism Education Association (AASP/JEA) at http://www.ncte.org/groups/assm/list/109485.htm and the JEA Web site at http://www.jea.org
...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).
Rap and Hip-Hop in the Classroom The LA Times article listed in the News section above discusses how one teacher builds bridges between hip-hop and literature in ways that increase student engagement and comprehension. These NCTE resources provide additional ways to connect to rap and hip-hop in the language arts and composition classrooms. http://www.ncte.org/about/over/inbox/ideas/121033.htm
...announcements


There's Still Time! Register Today for NCTE's 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. Register online today at http://www.ncte.org/forms/summerws2005/default.asp For more information, visit http://www.ncte.org/profdev/conv/workshops/writing Nominate Your Program for the Certificate of Excellence The Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) is pleased to announce a call for nominations for the CCCC Writing Program Certificate of Excellence, which honors up to 20 writing programs each year. This year's submission deadline is August 31, 2005. See http://www.ncte.org/groups/cccc/highlights/117276.htm It's Not Too Late to Register for the 2005 Literacies for All Summer Institute The preregistration deadline has been extended for the Literacies for All Summer Institute, "Teaching for Change: Creating Democratic, Inclusive, Holistic Classrooms," in San Diego on July 14-17, 2005. Be sure to register today! Early registration is required for the luncheons and postconference workshop. For more information, visit http://www.ncte.org/profdev/conv/wlu Make Plans Now for the 2005 NCTE Annual Convention Mark your calendar today for "On Common Ground," the 2005 NCTE Annual Convention! The Convention will be held November 17-20, 2005, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. To register online, visit http://www.ncte.org/profdev/conv/annual/120796.htm For more information on the 2005 NCTE Annual Convention, visit http://www.ncte.org/profdev/conv/annual Register Now for the 2005 CEL 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/profdev/conv/annual/119395.htm
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