U.S.A. Learns, a free Web site to help immigrants learn English

The U.S. Department of Education launched U.S.A. Learns, a free Web site to help immigrants learn English


The Web site, which is located at http://www.usalearns.org/. provides approximately 11 million adults who have low levels of English proficiency with easily accessible and free English language training.

"America's limited-English adults will now have readily available materials to improve their literacy and help them become more productive workers, better parents, engaged community members and active citizens," said Troy Justesen, assistant secretary for the Office of Vocational and Adult Education.

Launch of the site completes one of the goals in President Bush’s Aug. 10, 2007, announcement of 26 immigration reforms that his Administration would pursue within existing law -- including the assimilation of new citizens and helping immigrants learn English to expand their opportunities in America. Recognizing that "[k]nowledge of English is the most important component of assimilation" and "an investment in tools to help new Americans learn English will be repaid many times over," the Administration pledged to launch a free, Web-based portal to help immigrants learn English.

U.S.A. Learns offers the following features:

An easily accessible Internet learning tool;
Simple directions;
Free instructional materials developed to teach basic English skills and help adults improve their English proficiency; and
Learning modules that can be used outside a traditional classroom

Upon entering the site, users can choose directions in either English or Spanish and then pick which English level they need -- beginner or intermediate. Once in the modules, the instruction is almost exclusively in English. In the beginner course, 20 units are offered in such areas as numbers, the calendar, places to go, families, schools, clothes, money and shopping. For intermediate students, more challenging exercises can help them further their existing English reading and writing skills.

The 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy documented that as many as 11 million adults in the U.S. are not literate in English. Currently, local and state providers have the ability to serve only approximately one million of those learners annually, prompting the need for a Web site of this kind to offer to adults seeking easily accessible English literacy training.

The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Vocational and Adult Education, through its Division of Adult Education and Literacy, oversaw the design of U.S.A. Learns. Core funding was provided by the U.S. Department of Education. The University of Michigan and Sacramento County Office of Education assisted the U.S. Education Department in the development of the U.S.A. Learns Web site. The site uses materials previously developed with public funds.

In addition, the U.S. Department of Education plans to invite proposals from outside entities to take over the adult literacy portal in the future.

For more information, please visit www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/factsh/usa-learns-fs_0811.pdf.

Summer Camps in Tri-State Area

Still looking for a place for your kids to go this summer? Here are some website resources for summer programs. This is informational and is not an endorsement of any program.

National:
http://www.summercamp.org/CampQuest/sub_sub_start.htmlCampQuest will help you find the best overnight camp for your child, at no cost to you. CampQuest makes it faster and easier to find overnight summer programs of all kinds, including: weight loss and fitness, sports, arts, academics, travel, adventure, special needs, community service


More than 80 percent of the YMCAs offer summer day camps! Most YMCA summer camps are co-ed, but some are just for boys or just for girls. YMCA camping programs vary by location. Ages often range from 7 to 17, with lengths of stay from as short as 3 days, to a week, two weeks, or four weeks. We suggest you visit the Web site links by state listed here, or phone those you may be interested in for specific details.
http://www.ymca.net/find_ymca_camps/

Boys & Girls Clubs Join Us After School & This Summer. http://www.bgca.org/


New Jersey
http://www.internaldrive.com/new-jersey/ tech camps on college campuses.

KidsCamps.com - New Jersey Camps, Summer Camps in New Jersey
New Jersey Camps, Summer Camps in New Jersey at KidsCamps.com - Internet's most comprehensive directory of summer camps, winter camps, and spring break . www.kidscamps.com/kc_dba/owa/kids_home?state=NJ


Summer Camps in New Jersey on the Camp Channel
Search for summer camps located in New Jersey on the Camp Channel. Select from day camps, travel, specialty, and residential summer camps.
www.campchannel.com/New-Jersey/index.shtml


Day Camps in New Jersey
Summer Day Camps in New Jersey, a CampPage Directory ... "We Grow Happy Campers" Co-ed summer day camp in Somerset, NJ, offering a full program.
www.daycamps.net/new_jersey.htm


Princeton Summer Camps Feature :: Princeton Online, Community ...
Princeton, New Jersey: Premier community Web site for Princeton, New Jersey, featuring content ... Princeton Online's Summer Camps and Activities - home
www.princetonol.com/summercamps/

NEW JERSEY PERFORMING ARTS-ACTING-DRAMA-THEATER SUMMER CAMP : NJ ...
Acting-Performing Arts-Musical Theater Arts Summer Camp in NJ featuring our Kids On Stage camp and Tween / Teen Specialty Summer Camps. www.njactors.org/summercamp.htm


New York

New York Summer Camps for Boys and Girls
CampPage directory of Summer Camps in New York. ... Each summer, New York Film Academy Summer Camps give hundreds of high school students an unforgettable. www.camppage.com/newyork.htm

New York Summer Camps and Summer Programs - SummerOnCampus.com ...
SummerOnCampus.com describes sports camps, art camps and academic summer programs and summer camps held on New York's college campuses. www.summeroncampus.com/

Summer Camps in New York State and Summer Programs in New York ...
SummerOnCampus.com- summer camp directory for sports, arts, academic summer programs and summer camps in New York, including overnight camps, day camps held. www.summeroncampus.com/main/LocationList.asp

American Camp Association, New York — Accredited Summer Camps, Day ...
The American Camp Association is a community of camp professionals and is dedicated to enriching the lives of children and adults through the camp. www.aca-ny.org/


KidsCamps.com - Summer Camps, Day Camps, Overnight Camps, Sports ...
KidsCamps.com is the Internet’s most comprehensive directory of summer camps, ... Western Association of Independent Camps. New York State Camp Directors. www.kidscamps.com/

SCOPE - Summer Camp Opportunities Provide an Edge: Camperships ...
SCOPE makes summer camp available and affordable to every child by funding accredited, not-for-profit camps with camperships for children in need. www.scope-ny.org/


Oasis Childrens Services - New York Summer Day Camp Programs for ...
Oasis Children's Services creates safe, enriching and accessible youth Sprograms for children including summer day camps and after school programs. www.oasischildren.com/


Film School and Acting School at New York Film Academy
The Film School and Acting School at the New York Film Academy is one of the most ... SUMMER FILM & ACTING CAMPS FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS & TWEENS www.nyfa.com/


Young People's Web Postings Worry Summer Camp Directors - New York ...
Jun 22, 2006 ... Summer camp directors have a new scourge, ... Herb Swanson for The New York Times. Jessica Scott, a counselor, left, and Pam Cobb, www.nytimes.com/2006/06/22/technology/22camp.html

Natl $6B Reading First Program -Rated Ineffective by Evaluators

Summary of Reading First Interim Report:

Created under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001, the Reading First program provides assistance to states and districts in using research-based reading programs and instructional materials for students in kindergarten through third grade and in introducing related professional development and assessments. The program's purpose is to ensure that increased proportions of students read at or above grade level, have mastery of the essential components of early reading, and that all students can read at or above grade level by the end of grade 3. The law requires that an independent, rigorous evaluation of the program be conducted to determine if the program influences teaching practices, mastery of early reading components, and student reading comprehension. This interim report presents the impacts of Reading First on classroom reading instruction and student reading comprehension during the 2004-05 and 2005-06 school years.
The evaluation found that Reading First did have positive, statistically significant impacts on the total class time spent on the five essential components of reading instruction promoted by the program. The study also found that, on average across the 18 study sites, Reading First did not have statistically significant impacts on student reading comprehension test scores in grades 1-3. A final report on the impacts from 2004-2007 (three school years with Reading First funding) and on the relationships between changes in instructional practice and student reading comprehension is expected in late 2008.

To view the full report, visit this website:
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20084016/index.asp

NJ After 3 - evaluation of afterschool program

New Jersey After 3 was established in 2004 by the state’s governor as a private, non-profit corporation to address the growing need for safe, accessible, high quality after-school opportunities for school children in New Jersey. During the 2006-07 school year, New Jersey After 3 served approximately 13,500 children in 66 after-school programs serving 95 schools throughout the state.

A three-year Policy Studies Associates (PSA) evaluation aims to yield information that state and local policymakers and program administrators can use to improve the quality, availability, and effectiveness of New Jersey After 3. The program is the nation’s first statewide public/private partnership that focuses exclusively on support for after-school programs. New Jersey After 3 works with youth-serving nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, universities, hospitals, foundations, corporations, faith-based organizations, cultural institutions, and others to provide a range of resources for after-school programming.
Here is the link to the full report: http://www.policystudies.com/studies/youth/NJA3.html

New Jersey After 3 (NJA3) is a statewide after-school organization modeled after The After-School Corporation (TASC). It is dedicated to expanding and improving after-school opportunities for New Jersey students in grades K-8. TASC has provided extended technical assistance to NJA3 staff in program development, fund development, grant selection, and evaluation. NJA 3 is also a partner in TASC’s Building Healthy Communities initiative, which is funded by the Corporation for National & Community Service’s Learn and Serve America.

Mission:
New Jersey After 3 is a private, non-profit corporation dedicated to expanding and improving afterschool opportunities for New Jersey’s kids. Our vision is that all New Jersey children will have the opportunity to participate in vibrant, high-quality, comprehensive, structured, supervised and enriching afterschool activities. New Jersey After 3 is formed as a public-private partnership to maximize the resources available to afterschool programs for New Jersey kids.


Here is the link to the full report: http://www.policystudies.com/studies/youth/NJA3.html

Here is the link to NJ After 3: http://www.njafter3.org

language dictionaries

Language Dictionaries http://www.yourdictionary.com/languages.html

There are over 6,800 known languages spoken in the 200 countries of the world. 2,261 have writing systems (the others are only spoken) and about 300 are represented by on-line dictionaries as of May 11, 2004. This site by yourDictionary.com presents its currently list. New languages and dictionaries are constantly being added to yourDictionary.com; as a result, this site contains one of the widest and deepest set of dictionaries, grammars, and other language resources on the web.

State Scholars Initiative

PRESS RELEASE:

State Scholars Initiative Program Aimed at Increasing Number of Students Taking Rigorous High School Courses

Missouri, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Wyoming Added to Previous List of 20 states

Contact: Jim Bradshaw(202) 401-2310 or jim.bradshaw@ed.gov

Four new states have been selected for participation in the State Scholars Initiative, a national business-education partnership effort designed to increase the number of students who take a rigorous curriculum in high school, the U.S. Education Department announced today.
The states are: Missouri, New Hampshire, South Dakota and Wyoming.

The four new states join 20 others previously chosen for participation. They include: Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.

Under the State Scholars Initiative, each state will receive up to $300,000 during a two-year period to implement scholars programs in at least four school districts. Local business-education partnerships will work with students in those districts, encouraging them to take a rigorous course of study—one that will give them a boost no matter whether they go to college or straight to work.

The Scholars Core Course of Study includes:

• Four years of English.
• Three years of math (algebra I and II and geometry).
• Three years of science (biology, chemistry and physics).
• Three and a half years of social studies (U.S. history, world history, geography, economics or government).
• And, Two years of a language other than English.
  "Students who take rigorous courses in high school stand a far greater chance of succeeding in college and the workplace," said U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. "We congratulate the states of Missouri, New Hampshire, South Dakota, and Wyoming for recognizing the potential of this program and the considerable benefit that it can provide young people."
  Besides the State Scholars Initiative, President Bush earlier this year launched two other significant programs designed to encourage students to take challenging courses in high school. In February, the president signed legislation setting aside more than $790 million in Academic Competitiveness Grants and National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (National SMART grants).
  Those awards will encourage students to pursue rigorous classes in high school and college majors in high demand in the global economy, such as science, mathematics, technology, engineering and critical foreign languages.

Academic Competitiveness Grants will be available to students for their first and second academic years of college, while National SMART Grants will help support students in their third and fourth years of school.

In the State Scholars Initiative, a high-impact strategy is used to motivate students to tackle demanding high school courses that prepare them for college and careers. The program features business people making presentations to eighth-graders just before they select their high school courses.

Business volunteers help students understand the career options and monetary benefits of taking challenging courses. Students may receive academic support, incentives, and special recognition that help ensure their success, especially in the more difficult courses.

The State Scholars Initiative is funded by the Education Department's Office of Vocational and Adult Education, headed by Assistant Secretary Troy Justesen. The program is overseen by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education in Boulder, Colo.

For more information on the State Scholars Initiative, see the program's Web site, which includes a brochure, fact sheet, newsletter, as well as links to state briefs and each of the participating states' Web sites at www.wiche.edu/statescholars.
Details on the Academic Competitiveness and National SMART Grants can be found at http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/ac-smart.html.
###

Top Four College Grants / Scholarships for NJ students

1) Federal Pell Grants provide financial assistance to students enrolled in an eligible program as determined by a national formula. The amount of the award is based on (1) eligibility as determined by the Pell Grant formula, (2) the cost of the program, and (3) enrollment status.
Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) is a federal grant program that provides additional grants to eligible students that pursued a rigorous program of study in high school on or after January 1, 2005. For more information on rigorous program click on Academic Competitiveness Grant.

2) Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) is a federal program, which provides money to undergraduate students with financial need.
Tuition Aid Grant (TAG), a New Jersey program, which provides aid to full-time students who are New Jersey residents. N.J. county college students enrolled for 6-11 credits may be eligible for an award through the part-time TAG Program.
Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) is a New Jersey grant program for students from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds who have exceptional financial need. It is available to New Jersey residents only.

3) NJ STARS: Starting with the class of 2004, New Jersey high school students who graduate in the top 20 percent of their New Jersey high school class may be eligible for NJ STARS.
NJ STARS covers up to five semesters of tuition and approved fees at your local community college. NJ STARS students must take at least 12 college-level credits each semester and can take up to 15 college-level credits each semester.
NJ STARS students have up to two years after graduating high school to enroll at a New Jersey community college.
NJ STARS students must be enrolled in an associate degree program at a New Jersey community college.
NJ STARS students must maintain continuous full-time enrollment at a New Jersey community college.
After their first year enrolled at a New Jersey community college, NJ STARS students must hold a 3.0 grade point average by the beginning of their second year to be eligible for scholarship renewal for the second year.
For more information on NJ STARS, call 1-800-334-NJCC or send email to info@njccc.org.

4) NJ TAG
New Jersey’s Tuition Aid Grant (TAG) program is one of the nation’s largest financial aid programs, and New Jersey ranks among the top states in providing aid for needy students. Depending on your need, a TAG award can cover close to the full cost of tuition at a public college or a portion of that cost. The program also offers sizeable awards to attend in-state private institutions. One in every three full-time New Jersey students receives TAG, and awards may be used at nearly all New Jersey postsecondary institutions, including community colleges, state colleges and private schools. To get the best idea of a family’s ability to pay higher education expenses, eligibility for TAG is determined by a review of many factors, such as family income and assets, family size and the number in college. The cost of attendance is also taken into consideration, so you should never feel that a school is beyond your reach just because it is more expensive.


The Part-Time Tuition Aid Grant (TAG) Program for County College Students began as a pilot program with the 2003-04 academic year. Within the limits of available funding, this program provides pro-rated awards to New Jersey county college students taking 6 - 11 credits per term, who are otherwise eligible for the Tuition Aid Grant Program. (To review eligiblity requirements, click "Student Eligibility")
The maximum 2006-07 award for students enrolled half-time (6-8 credits) is $419 per term. Students enrolled three-quarter time (9-11 credits) may receive a maximum of $628 per term.



For more information on other state-sponsored scholarships and financial aid programs, visit the New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority http://www.njccc.org/njstars.htm.

Other resources:
http://college.enotes.com/scholarships-loans/NJ Lists scholarships by state


Tuition Aid Grant Award Estimator - 2006-2007
https://www.hesaa.org/eadmin/tag0607/studentstatus.asp

The Nation's Report Card: by NAEP

Results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2005 twelfth-grade reading and mathematics assessments and the 2005 NAEP High School Transcript Study (HSTS) were just released.

The twelfth-grade reading and mathematics report provides national results on the performance of America's high school seniors on NAEP.

The Nation's Report Card: America's High School Graduates presents information about the types of courses 2005 high school graduates completed, how many credits they earned, and the grades they received. Information on the relationships between high school academic records and performance on the NAEP mathematics and science assessments is also included.

Both reports examine results for student groups including race/ethnicity and gender.

Reading findings include:
* Decline in scores and the percentages of students at or above Proficient and at or above Basic compared with 1992. There have been no significant changes at these levels since 2002.
* No significant change in the White-Black or White-Hispanic gap compared with previous years.

Mathematics findings include:
* Sixty-one percent performed at or above Basic, and 23 percent were at or above Proficient.
* NOTE: Due to changes to the framework for 2005, results can't be compared to previous years.

High School Transcript Study findings include:
* Graduates in 2005 completed more rigorous curricula than previous graduates.
* The overall grade point average (GPA) has been climbing since 1990 and was 2.98 in 2005.
* Graduates with stronger academic records obtain higher NAEP scores.

Full results are available at:
http://nationsreportcard.gov

Including 2005 twelfth-grade science results released earlier, at:
http://nationsreportcard.gov/science_2005/

To download, view and print the publications as PDF files, please visit:
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2007467
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2007468


To obtain hard copy of many IES products as well as hard copy and
electronic versions of hundreds of other U.S. Department of Education
products please visit http://www.edpubs.org or call 1-877-433-7827 (877-4-EDPUBS).

Catholic Schools: Trend Toward Consolidation

Major trends for northeast Catholic schools include a large increase in regionalized school systems and partnerships with outside Catholic agencies.

Many large Dioceses are creating regional or interparochial schools to offset declining enrollment and financial struggles. By consolidating, many of the schools state they able to increase resources, such as computer labs. The Boston Diocese also recently created a partnership with a Catholic University.

Across the nation in 2003, 123 Catholic schools were closed or consolidated in areas of declining enrollment while 34 new schools opened, according to statistics from the National Catholic Educational Association.

Here are several examples:

NEW JERSEY:

• MERCER COUNTY: TRENTON, NEW JERSEY: A few years ago, the Trenton Diocese consolidated all of its preK-8 schools into one school, now known as the Trenton Catholic Academy. Trenton Catholic Academy, a preK-12 Diocesan Regional school, is located in the heart of Hamilton, New Jersey at the McCorristin Campus that spreads across 62 acres, which was formerly the Kuser Estate. The main campus building houses classrooms, a gymnasium, three computer labs, a library, dining facilities and the administrative offices. The campus also includes a football stadium, two baseball diamonds, two softball fields, and two soccer fields. http://trentoncatholic.org/
• UNION COUNTY: HILLSIDE, NJ: Hillside Catholic Academy opened its doors on July 1, 2004. The school was formed by the merging of Christ the King School, Hillside and St. Catherine’s of Sienna School, Elizabeth.
• HUDSON COUNTY: HOBOKEN, NJ: Hoboken Catholic Academy is a Catholic elementary school for children Pre-K through Grade 8. The school is co-sponsored by the parishes of St. Ann's,Our Lady of Grace, St. Francis, St. Joseph andSts. Peter & Paul in Hoboken and St. Lawrence in Weehawken. The school has an enrollment of about 325 students with an average class size of 25 students.
• Archdiocese of Newark: BERGEN COUNTY, NJ: Transfiguration Academy represents a new model for Catholic school education which they believe will lead the way in academic excellence in the 21st Century. Co-sponsored by the parishes of St. Mary’s, Dumont, St. John’s, Bergenfield and Ascension, New Milford, the Academy says it offers an enhanced curriculum, extra-curricular activities and a new organizational structure. Through these enhancements they hope to attract more students at all grade levels, Pre-K 3 through the 8th Grade. In order to achieve this objective, they said they "enhanced the curriculum in the lower school, Pre-K3 to grade 4, at the Bergenfield campus and established a superior Middle School, at our New Milford location, for grades 5 through 8".
  (source http://www.transfigurationacademy.org)
• BERGEN COUNTY, NJ : Catholic Academy of Northern Valley: The parishioners of St. Joseph in Demarest, Sacred Heart in Haworth, and St. Mary in Closter combined their "energies, talents, financial resources and prayers to ensure the continued viability of quality Catholic education in our parishes". The school officially started on July 1, 2004 and serves students from Pre-K through 8th grade. (source:http://www.catholicacademynorthernvalley.org/)
• BERGEN COUNTY: Visitation Academy, formerly Our Lady of the Visitation School, was established as a parish school in 1958. In 1991, it became inter-parochial and are affiliated with three parishes, Our Lady of the Visitation and Annunciation, both in Paramus and Sacred Heart Church in Rochelle Park. Visitation Academy serves Grades PreK3 though grade 8.
• BERGEN COUNTY: St. John Academy began as St. John the Baptist Parish School in 1955. In 1997 the name was changed to St. John’s Academy to better reflect growth from a small parish school to an interparochial academic institution co-sponsored by four area parishes: (Source: http://www.sja-hillsdale.org/pages/about.html)
  St. John the BaptistHillsdale
  St. Andrew’s ChurchWestwood
  Our Lady Mother of the ChurchWoodcliff Lake
  St. Gabriel the ArchangelSaddle River
  

New York City, NY trends: Declining school enrollment and major parish realignment

2005, The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brooklyn and Queens announced that 22 parochial schools in the two boroughs would close. Nine of those are in Queens -- none were high schools.

In Jan 2007: The Archdiocese of New York announced its parish realignment decisions. A committee of lay, religious, and clergy, known as the Archdiocesan Realignment Advisory Panel, reviewed all of the recommendations and made valuable suggestions. All parishes potentially affected by a realignment recommendation were given the opportunity to discuss their observations about the recommendation with Bishop Sullivan and his review committee. In all, ten parishes will be closed, and eleven parishes will merge with other parishes.

NENI will continue to monitor how this affects Catholic Schools in the area.

"These decisions are the culmination of an extensive three-year planning process, which involved long and careful consultation. This process, established by Edward Cardinal Egan, was designed to identify the religious, spiritual, and education needs of the Catholic faithful throughout the entire Archdiocese, and determine how those needs could best be met." according to a Jan 19, 2007 press release http://archny.org/news-events/news-press-releases/index.cfm?i=3501. Complete list of Archdiocesan parish realignment decisions

BOSTON, MASS: (Boston source: see full article in NYT: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/24/us/24religion.html

• Boston is also consolidating its schools. St. Edith Stein and two other churches in this city of 94,000 about 25 miles south of Boston, are consolidating their schools, which together serve 500 children in kindergarten through eighth grade, and ceding control to a board of directors. The arrangement, which starts in September, will result in two newly renovated schools, one for lower grades and another for upper grades, at two different churches. (source: see full article in NYT: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/24/us/24religion.html)
• Last year the Boston archdiocese partnered with Boston College to run a Boston elementary school, becoming the first diocese in the country to hand over educational responsibility to a university, said Sister Dale McDonald, director of public policy and education research for the National Catholic Education Association.

NJEA: Good News about New Jersey's public schools

The New Jersey Education Association has a website with a collection of statistics about how NJ public school education compares to other states.

http://www.njea.org/page.aspx?z=1013&pz=3

Grades Rise, but Reading Skills Do Not

It is important for parents to have a better understanding of how to compare their student's state test scores. Parents can have free access to not only their individual students scores, but also scores by grade, scores by school, scores by district, scores by state and scores by national average. Although test scores are not a full indication of a student's progress, they can often send a red flag of an area that needs attention.

NENI will periodically forward information about trends in test scores and issues related to NCLB. Here is an exerpt from the New York Times that address the fact that grades and test scores are very different measures of progress.


An exerpt from article is below.
To read the full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/23/education/23tests.html

Grades Rise, but Reading Skills Do Not

Federal reports found that high school students nationwide are taking seemingly tougher courses and earning better grades, but their reading skills are not improving.


By DIANA JEAN SCHEMO
Published: February 23, 2007
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 — High school students nationwide are taking seemingly tougher courses and earning better grades, but their reading skills are not improving through the effort, according to two federal reports released here Thursday that cite grade inflation as a possible explanation.
Skip to next paragraph
RelatedStudy by National Assessment of Educational Progress (nationsreportcard.gov)
The National Assessment of Educational Progress, an exam commonly known as the nation’s report card, found that the reading skills of 12th graders tested in 2005 were significantly worse than those of students in 1992, when a comparable test was first given, and essentially flat since students previously took the exam in 2002.
The test results also showed that the overwhelming majority of high school seniors have not fully mastered high-school-level math.
At the same time, however, grade-point averages have risen nationwide, according to a separate survey by the National Assessment, of the transcripts of 26,000 students, which compared them with a study of students’ coursework in 1990.
“There’s a disconnect between what we want and expect our 12th graders to know and do, and what our schools are actually delivering through instruction in the classroom,” David W. Gordon, the superintendent of schools in Sacramento, said at a news conference announcing the results.

USDOE Charter School Conference April 5-6 in Wash DC

Registration Open
www.sei2003.com/OII/CSPShowcase/index.htm

U.S. Department of Education
2007 National Charter Schools Program Showcase

One City at a Time:
Expanding High Quality Charter Schools

April 5-6, 2007
Fairmont Washington
Washington, D.C.

Welcome to the National Charter Schools Program Showcase to be held on April 5th- 6th, 2007, at The Fairmont Washington DC in Washington, DC. The theme of this year's Showcase is "One City at a Time: Expanding High Quality Charter Schools" and will bring together State and Federal educational professionals committed to expanding high quality charter schools and increasing the national understanding of the charter school model in their cities and states.

The purpose of this Showcase is to:
· Expand the national dialogue about how States can use chartering as an intervention in low performing schools.
· Identify successful State practices using chartering to comply with the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act.
· Provide local and State leaders with current knowledge about successful charter school models and practices.
· Share up-to-date information about partnerships, initiatives, and technical assistance available to States seeking to leverage their resources and expand the number of high quality charter schools.

A varied and inclusive format has been developed to address these critical topics. Key Department of Education program offices will be presenting initiatives and resources. Special guests include eight of the nation’s most highly successful charter high schools that have closed the achievement gap.

Register now at www.sei2003.com/OII/CSPShowcase/index.htm For information on accommodations and the conference schedule please visit the Logistics and Agenda pages.

Strengthening Family Child Care In Low-Income Communities

Blog Editor's note:
This is an extensive 42 page article that would be of interest to child care providers, parents, and parents who provide care care in their homes.

http://www.surdna.org/usr_doc/childcare.pdf


Summary source: Surdna Foundation

Community-based organizations, especially community development corporations, are playing a significant role in family child care. This report shows how community-based nonprofits are key to the emergence of an infrastructure of support for family-based care through networks and systems. The family child care systems and networks serve to support, organize and increase the supply and quality of family child care providers. We see the most successful strategies implemented through community-based institutions offering a combination of services and supports in both business and child development to address the multi-layered needs of providers.