New Directions Arkansas Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
Volume 26, Number 2 Winter 2007 Published by the AASCD Publication/Technology Committee
Inside this Issue:
Meeting the Challenge of the Whole Child
Gunter’s Good Read
2
Reauthorizing NCLB
3
2008 Conference Highlights
4
Curriculum Scholarships
6
Leave a Legacy!
7
Your AASCD Board Executive Director: President: Robert Davis President-Elect: Dr. Frank Holman Vice-President: Janice H. Warren Past President: Dr. Marsha Jones Secretary: Paula Rawls Newsletter Editor: Diana Peer Treasurer: Dr. D’Anne Barrow Journal Co-Editor: Dr. Rebecca Shopfner ADE Liaison: Janinne Riggs AACIA Representative: Dr. Angela Olsen At Large Members: Kenneth Muldrew Peggy Woosley Peggy Walter Dr. Matt McClure Karen Endel Debbie Miller John Calaway Dean Burbank Jim Garvey Phoebe Bailey Sheila Jacobs Jeanie Gorham
Dr. Frank Holman, 2008 Conference Chair
You have a special invitation and a great opportunity to expand your knowledge, think about teaching and learning in a variety of different ways, and to earn quality professional development hours. Arkansas Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (AASCD) will host our annual conference this summer June 15-18 at beautiful Hot Springs, Arkansas. The theme of the conference will be Meeting the Challenge of the Whole Child: Fitting the Pieces Together. We will be moving to the Hot Springs Convention Center this year as a result of the feedback from our attendees in the past. The registration for the conference and for housing at either the Embassy Suites or the Austin Hotel will be ready on-line in the very near future, so stay tuned. We have outstanding keynote speakers that will share incredible in-sights into educating the whole child, with more than 50 break-out sessions presented by Arkansas educational practitioners, and our own Dr. Ken James, Arkansas Commissioner of Education speaking. We have also planned for a pre-conference on Sunday afternoon June 15th centered around learning state-of-the-art instructional technology. We are still confirming some surprise speakers that you will not want to miss. Many of us are torn between the high stakes accountability model and authentic learning with deep understanding as well as the application of learning. We will strive to connect the two in a real down to earth approach around the five separate themes of the whole child; healthy children, safe children, engaged children, supportive children, and challenged children. Also, we will provide some different strands for educators to follow during the conference around technology, skills for the 21st century, academic/vocational integration, successful parental involvement programs, how to help our children avoid at-risk behaviors, and best practices for serving our special needs children. We have many of our finest educators in Arkansas planning, working, and preparing to provide the best possible learning conference you have ever attended, this summer at the Arkansas Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development June 15-18 in Hot Springs. Don’t Let this OPPORUNITY SLIP BY; REGISTER TODAY!!
For your calendar: 2008 AASCD Annual Conference On Curriculum and Instruction “Meeting the Challenge of the Whole Child: Putting the Pieces Together” June 15-18, 2008 Hot Springs, Arkansas
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Arkansas ASCD New Directions
Gunter’s Good Read
Don’t be left out! Check out these recommendations for your professional reading from our Executive Director, Dr. Mary B. Gunter Only Connect: The Way to Save Our Schools by Rudy Crew, Sarah Crichton Books, NY, New York. (2007) Dr. Crew, Superintendent for Miami-Dade County Public Schools and formerly chancellor of the New York City public school system, focuses on kids and the schools they attend in Only Connect: The Way to Save Our Schools. His book is a response to the question we all ask, Can our kids compete globally? His answer is a straight forward, “Yes, if We get Smart and Connect”. Only Connect provides a plan to reconnect all shareholders where the educators, parents, and the business, faith, arts, service and philanthropic communities can make a difference. Educating children, who can meet the economic
challenges demanded by the future, must be a focus for a community. Dr. Crew discusses the context of schooling when connecting shareholders in this easily read and inspiring work. Arkansas ASCD has a long tradition of bringing shareholders to the table to address the future of education in Arkansas. This book is a must add to your reading list as plans continue for future meetings of Arkansas Shareholders.
The Art and Science of Teaching: A Comprehensive Framework for Effective Instruction By Robert J. Marzano, ACSD, Alexandria, VA. (2007) The recently published book, The Art and Science of Teaching, by Robert J. Marzano was mailed to ASCD members as a fall member benefit. Marzano hits a home run with this comprehensive framework for effective instruction. If you are looking to improve teaching and learning in the classroom, this work focuses on examining the teaching process, balancing the researchbased data with the understanding of the individual needs of each learner. He poses the following questions: What will I do to establish and communicate learning goals, track student progress, and celebrate success? What will I do to help students effectively interact with new knowledge? What will I do to help students practice and deepen their understanding of new knowledge? What will I do to help students generate and test hypotheses about new knowledge? What will I do to engage students? What will I do to establish or maintain classroom rules and procedures? What will I do to recognize and acknowledge adherence and lack of adherence to classroom rules and procedures? What will I do to establish and maintain effective relationship with students? What will I do to communicate high expectations for all students? What will I do to develop effective lessons organized into a cohesive unit? Each question is addressed in a chapter in The Art and Science of Teaching which includes a discussion of research and theory. Action steps are offered in each chapter for consideration to move research and theory into action. Don’t allow this book to remain on your desk; Use it to reflect on the fall semester of teaching or to begin weekly discussions with faculty and colleagues.
Volume 26, Number 2
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Update on the Reauthorization of NCLB Marsha Jones, AASCD Past President Advocacy leaders at the national ASCD level and ASCD members in Arkansas are working hard to influence policy makers as they considered revisions during the reauthorization process for NCLB. A recent ASCD advocacy meeting was held in Washington D.C. with the purpose of presenting to national legislators recommended changes as various component parts of NCLB are being reviewed. According to resources from ASCD, and other sources citing changes such as the “No Child Left Behind: Compliance Insider” published by Thompson Publishing, the changes that are on the table for discussion include: • Changing the way in which ELL students are assessed through the possible use of portfolios, native language testing or simplified English testing. • Allowing more special education students to be included in alternative assessments, off grade level assessments or assessments as defined by the student’s IEP. • Allowing Special Education and ESL students who are exited from their programs to be kept in the subpopulation pool so that their scores will count toward meeting AYP. • Using a growth model in determining AYP. • Placing a greater focus on resources targeting high school reform. • Creating a merit pay system for teachers who show growth. • Ensuring that Highly Qualified staff serve high need school districts. • Differentiating the consequences to schools that do not make AYP into two groups:.High Priority schools and Low Priority schools (schools that do not meet AYP targets in only one or two subgroups) As might be expected there is a lot of debate among legislators and the Department of Education in terms of the merit or lack of merit with these proposed changes. Some of the debate centers on whether or not the reauthorization will or should take place during this calendar year. If the reauthorization does not take place this year, the bill has an extension clause that allows the bill to remain functional for another year. The Arkansas legislators have submitted bills that support some of the above changes. Senator Lincoln has sponsored bill S.21The NCLB Enhancement Act; Senator Pryor has sponsored bill S.1913, The GRADUATES Act ( High School Reform bill); Senator Boozman has sponsored two bills H.R. 3075 and H.R. 3076 ( a focus on ELL and Special Education) To view these bills log on to www.Thomas.gov, enter the full bill number (H.R.3075 for example) and click on Search. To view the current position of ASCD on various changes in the law, log on to www.ascd.org and click on Action Center.
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Arkansas ASCD New Directions
2008 AASCD Annual Conference June 15-18, 2008 Hot Springs, Arkansas
New location for 2008 Conference…. Hot Springs Convention Center!
“Meeting the Challenge of the Whole Child: Putting the Pieces Together” ASCD proposes a broader definition of achievement and accountability that promotes the development of children who are healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged!
Keynote Speakers
Deneen Frazier Bowen and
Cheryl Lemke
Meet Deneen For more than a decade, Deneen Frazier Bowen has been applying her acting, teaching and technology experience to help teachers and schools expand students’ learning opportunities through harnessing new technologies. She has traveled the country consulting with and speaking to schools, school districts, foundations and organizations. In 1995, she co-authored The Internet for Your Kids, an at home exploration of the Internet by young students. To date, 30,000 copies have sold. In addition she was a frequent columnist for Multimedia Schools magazine, and has authored several major technology leadership studies, including projects for the National School Boards Association and the BellSouth Foundation.
Deneen began her career as an educational software design consultant with Educorp Consultants Corporation in Roanoke, VA. She later spent several years working first as an elementary and then as a high school academic technology coordinator. In 2000, she designed and directed the Catalyst Communities program for bigchalk.com, a $1 million partnership with 150 U.S. school to explore how online communities can strengthen local schools. In 2001, she moved to Austin where she directed the online learning community for Teachscape, a developer of online professional development courseware for teachers. Since 1992, Deneen’s consulting business, formerly named NRG Consulting, has provided technology-based professional development consulting services to educators nationwide. She holds a bachelor’s in communication from the University of California-San Diego and master’s in secondary education from George Mason University. In her ‘spare’ time, Deneen is an accomplished and versatile actress who loves to bring life to the characters she portrays. With ActWith, Deneen masterfully weaves together her insights as an educator, talent for engaging audiences and technology expertise. To learn more visit her website at: www.deneenfrazier.com
Volume 26, Number 2
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Learning in a Digital Age:The Differentiators Cheryl Lemke to Kenote at 2008 AASCD Conference
U.S. students live in a fast paced, high tech world where interactive communications, innovation, and critical thinking are core differentiators. Explore what it means to be literate in a an interdependent, global society. See how pioneering districts are engaging students in the rigor and relevance of 21st Century learning. Use existing research to add new dimensions to your lessons that get much student higher engagement and academic performance. Consider strategies such as visualization, simulations, authentic learning, collaboration, building automaticity of basic skills, inquiry through technology, and multimedia expression of what your students are learning. You’ll walk away with 21st Century differentiators to introduce into your classroom tomorrow!
Cheryl Lemke is President and CEO of the Metiri Group. Ms. Lemke specializes in public policy for K-12 learning technology, working at a variety of levels with governors, legislators, superintendents, business leaders, and teachers. She brings 25 years of experience in the public sector—as a teacher, technology coordinator, cabinet member at a state education agency—and the non-profit sector prior to her work with the Metiri Group. Ms. Lemke currently works with both the public and private sectors at the state and national level. This includes projects related to assessment of technology impacts on learning; gauging the progress of states, districts, and schools with educational technology; conducting program evaluations; convening national experts in discussions on policy issues; and designing and prototyping educational technology frameworks. As of 2006 Metiri serves as a partner in the Regional Educational Laboratory Mid-Atlantic, conducting, reviewing, and reporting educational research.
Through Metiri Group, Ms. Lemke provides consulting services, evaluation and research services, and public speaking and writing. She keynotes conferences at the state, national, and international levels; and presented internationally in China, Singapore, and Australia. She is the author of the annual National Trends Report used in numerous Congressional hearings and meetings on the NCLB Title II D federal program; and an architect of Metiri’s Technology Solutions That Work, interactive database used by many states as evidence to inform practice, the designer behind three national frameworks on effective technology use that are used in thousands of schools today, including enGauge which was commissioned by the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. She also co-authored the definitive work on 21st century skills that was published by the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. She is trusted and respected by the education community for her work from policy to research and practice.
Save the dates now—June 15-18, 2008—for the AASCD Annual Conference Watch for registration and hotel information coming soon!
Curriculum Leader Scholarship Application The Arkansas ASCD Curriculum Leader Scholarship is designed to support and encourage the development of Arkansas’ leaders of curriculum for the 21st century. A scholarship of $1000 will be awarded by June 1st of each year to the selected candidate for use during that summer or the following school year. Applicants must meet the following guidelines: • Be employed in education and/or related field. • Be pursuing an advanced degree in curriculum at an accredited higher education institution. • Have a valid social security number. • Be making satisfactory progress and successfully complete course work each semester. Successful completion of a course is defined as a passing grade by the institution. Grades with W(withdrawn), F(failing), NC(no credit) or MG(missing grade) ARE NOT considered successful completion. • Define a specific time frame in which the candidate is expected to finish the program of study. • Present at the Arkansas ASCD Summer Conference. Submit a resume and completed application that is received in the AASCD office no later than May 1st to: Scholarship Arkansas ASCD 216 Lake Point Lane Russellville, AR 72802
Name ____________________________________________________________ SSN _____-____-____ Home Address ___________________________________________________________________________________ Place of Employment________________________________________ Position _____________________ Employment Address ___________________________________________________________________ Home Phone ___________________ Work Phone__________________ Cell Phone _________________ E-Mail ______________________________________________________________________________ Where are you enrolled in an advanced degree program in curriculum? ______________________________ Name of Advisor:______________________________________________ Phone:___________________ On a separate paper, please respond to the following questions.
•
What is the timeframe for your current program of study? Include which semesters you have been and/or plan to be enrolled, and when you expect to graduate.
•
How will you as a curriculum leader impact student achievement at the district and building level while meeting the needs of the whole child? (under 1000 words)
Volume 26, Number 2
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AASCD Website Updates Our website is undergoing a series of updates to improve functionality and quality of service to our members. Check back frequently to see what’s new!
We’re on the web! http://www.arkansasascd.org
Leave a legacy ! Sponsor an AASCD Legacy Membership for someone special today! A Legacy Membership allows you to honor someone in your professional life that would benefit from an AASCD membership. When you pay for their membership you are giving them a gift of professional connections that will last them through-out their career. Novice teachers that you have mentored, family members who have become teachers, pre-service teachers – all of these folks, and many others you can think of, will benefit from a gift of significance – an AASCD membership. Once you have designated a Legacy membership on the membership form (bottom right corner), a certificate will be sent to the recipient telling them of your gift.
The Arkansas Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development office will be sending invoices to those who need to update their membership. Please check the month and date in the corner of your newsletter label for your membership expiration date.
Arkansas Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Membership Application Name ___________________________________________ E-Mail ______________________________________ Name of School or Organization ____________________________________________________________________ Preferred Mailing Address (Check One)
Home _____
Office _____
Street ____________________________________ City ________________________ State ______ Zip ________ Annual Dues: $40.00 Make payable to: AASCD Mail to: Dr. Mary B. Gunter Executive Director 216 Lake Point Lane Russellville, AR 72802 Phone: (479) 968-0374 Fax: (479) 498-6075 New Member
Renewal
Please indicate your most accurate position title: Dir. of Curriculum or Instruction District Level Admin. or Specialist Principal/Asst. Principal Superintendent/Asst. or Assoc. Supt. Supervisor Full-time Student Professor, Dean or other university position Teacher NBCT Teacher Other (please specify) ___________________________________
Optional (needed for affiliated report): Gender: Male Female Age: under 45 over 45 Ethnicity: Geographic Region: Asian NW Caucasian NE Native American SW African American SE Hispanic Central Other Recruiting Member ____________________ Legacy Gift from ______________________
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit #325 Russellville, Arkansas 72801
New Directions AASCD Newsletter 216 Lake Point Lane Russellville, AR 72802
We’re on the web! http://www.arkansasascd.org
AASCD Mission Arkansas ASCD, a diverse group of educators, is dedicated to the development and support of leadership and best practices in curriculum, instruction, assessment and supervision that ensures success for all learners.
AASCD Goals 1. AASCD will lead the effort to influence teaching/learning policy development. 2. AASCD will provide programs, products and services that facilitate the development of visionary educational leaders. 3. AASCD will provide a broad-based system of communication that is effective and efficient. 4. AASCD will build a diverse, broad-based and involved membership reflective of the state. Robert Davis,
Dr. Mary B. Gunter,
President
Executive Director