NCTE INBOX

July 12, 2005
...news


News links are provided for informational purposes, do not imply endorsement by NCTE, and were live when this issue was published.
*Delivering Solid Writing Instruction in a Time of Tests (The Council Chronicle* Web site, July 8, 2005)** Across the country, educators such as Toni Butz are seeking ways to deliver solid writing instruction in the midst of testing pressures. Butz, a literacy coach in Pennsylvania, says students and teachers are disheartened by an overemphasis on "writing on demand prompts." So what are some states doing about writing assessment and where are educators turning for help? http://www.ncte.org/pubs/chron/highlights/121167.htm
*Education Secretary Hints of School Rating Changes (USA Today, July 9)* Education Secretary Margaret Spellings is showing growing support for letting states change how they score student progress, a potentially major policy shift. Under the No Child Left Behind law, schools currently are gauged based on how their current students perform compared with last year's students on math and reading tests. http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/ 2005-07-09-ed-shift_x.htm	Partially underwritten by: (advertisement)
*UC May End Its National Merit Grant Program (Los Angeles Times, July 6) (free registration required)* Six University of California campuses are considering pulling out of the National Merit Scholarship program, a move that could reverberate nationally. The issue echoes debates over the validity of the SAT college entrance exam in assessing students, since the National Merit program relies heavily on the PSAT, the practice SAT taken by 1.3 million high school juniors yearly. http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-merit6jul06,1,4318868.story *Test Seeks to Measure Students' Web IQ (USA Today, July 3)* Although students use technology for just about everything, that doesn't necessarily mean they have a high Internet IQ. That's why Cal State and a number of other colleges are working with the Educational Testing Service to create a test to evaluate Internet intelligence, measuring whether students can locate and verify reliable online information and whether they know how to properly use and credit the material. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/2005-07-03-web-iq_x.htm *Beyond Small Talk (Times Leader, July 7)* Susan Winchester is one of many parents who are recognizing the value of offering foreign-language classes to children as young toddlers. Studies show that people who are bilingual have stronger brain development, and the earlier children learn a second language, the better. http://www.timesleader.com/mld/timesleader/living/12072048.htm *Test Scores, Poverty Are Entwined (Chicago Tribune, July 4) (free registration required)* According to a Chicago Tribune analysis of Illinois test scores, more than any other group, middle-class black students show the greatest academic improvement when they aren't trapped in high-poverty schools. In elementary schools where fewer than half the students are low-income, nearly 62 percent of middle-class black students passed last year's state reading test. That's nearly 12 percentage points higher than how they fared in predominantly poor schools. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/content/education/ chi-0507040163jul04,1,6898552.story *Most U.S. Students Shun College "Gap Year" (The San Francisco Chronicle, July 10)* While cautioning that a "gap year" between high school and college isn't for everyone -- and that just goofing off isn't worthwhile -- many college admissions officers say students who take one often return more confident and self-aware. Still, the popularity of gap years appears to be increasing only modestly if at all. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/ n/a/2005/07/10/national/a103858D45.DTL *Arizona School Will Not Use Textbooks (The Washington Post, July 11) (free registration required)* A high school in Vail with 350 students will become the state's first all-wireless, all-laptop public school this fall. Students will use electronic and online articles as part of more traditional teacher lesson plans. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/ content/article/2005/07/11/AR2005071100273.html *Potter Works Wonders for Kids' Literacy (The Scotsman, July 10)* New research by the Federation of Children's Book Groups, a national organization in the UK, shows that the Harry Potter book series has had a major impact on literacy and reading habits in the UK. The research says that the books have persuaded millions of children to spend less time on computer games and televisions and more time with books. http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=765922005
...views


Measuring Individual Student Growth Is Better Than Measuring Last Year's Class against This Year's NCTE and more than 50 other education, civil rights, children's, disability, and citizens' organizations have a number of suggestions for improving the No Child Left Behind Act. One of the five suggestions for ways to measure progress is "allow states to measure progress by using students' growth in achievement as well as their performance in relation to pre-determined levels of academic proficiency." Read the Joint Statement at http://www.fairtest.org/joint%20statement%20civil%20rights%20grps%2010-21-04.html
...ideas


Free access to journal articles and book excerpts 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).
Harry Potter Casts a Spell on Student Readers With Saturday's scheduled release of the next book in the Harry Potter series, reading and literacy are getting a lot of air time this week -- and there's good news. As explained in The Scotsman article linked in the News section above, the Federation of Children's Book Groups reports that students are spending more time reading as a result of the book series. Explore the Harry Potter phenomenon in your classroom with these resources. http://www.ncte.org/about/over/inbox/ideas/121171.htm
...announcements


Explore Effective Strategies for Teaching Grammar In Context Need help with grammar instruction? Invite Amy Benjamin or other consultants from the NCTE Professional Development Consulting Network to present on current content and effective practices for teaching grammar in context. Consultants are available for the 2005-2006 school year. 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 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 View, Print, and Post the 2005 NCTE Annual Convention Flier A flier announcing the 2005 Annual Convention is now available on the NCTE Web site. You can also print the flier and share it with your colleagues. http://www.ncte.org/library/files/Profdev/conv/2005/2005AnConvflier.pdf For more information on the 2005 NCTE Annual Convention, including online registration and a searchable, online program, visit http://www.ncte.org/profdev/conv/annual Get Involved! Submit a Resolution If you have concerns about issues that affect your teaching, or positions you would like to support, and you think NCTE should take a stand, you have an opportunity to be heard! Propose a resolution that may be voted upon and passed at NCTE’s Annual Convention. If passed at the Annual Business Meeting for the Board of Directors and Other Members of the Council, proposed resolutions become part of the Council’s position/philosophy on questions related to the teaching of English and can assist the Council in developing action programs. For further details on submitting a resolution, or to see resolutions already passed by Council members, visit the NCTE Web site or contact Lori Bianchini at NCTE Headquarters. Resolutions must be postmarked by October 15, 2005. http://www.ncte.org/about/over/positions/107214.htm
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