By Kim Walter
Shenandoah County elementary school administrators, teachers and students are bringing a whole new meaning to the word "team."
During the 2012-2013 school year, Stacey Leitzel, director of elementary instruction, collaborated with the three elementary school principals to develop T.E.A.M Time. In response to higher levels of accountability and new initiatives in elementary education, T.E.A.M. Time provides motivation for administrators and teachers through division-wide professional learning communities.
The program enables grade levels and departments to collaboratively focus on important instructional matters, reflect on best practices and talk through issues as professionals, Leitzel said during a presentation at a recent School Board meeting.
She said the program focuses on providing a framework to create and sustain collaborative teams with the purpose of answering several questions: What do instructors want students to know, and how can they strengthen and sustain core instruction? How will instructors know if students are learning? How will instructors systematically respond when students don't learn?
Using the word "team" wasn't an accident, as it stands for "Together Everyone Achieves More."
Leitzel said the group of teachers and administrators agreed that one main goal would be that every student achieves at least one year of academic growth during a school year.
"We decided that it is time to ensure that our kids truly make one year's worth of progress," she told School Board members.
In order to track that, elementary school staff members were required to display several characteristics and behaviors -- reflective practice, growth mind set and resilience -- to enhance the learning of each student.
Staff members also collected data on student progress to drive decisions made at the instructional level. They were asked to put together several reports throughout the year so that the data could be compared, and practices could be streamlined.
"What was great about these meetings, though, is so many other things were discussed," Leitzel said. "Our teachers started talking about early intervention, how to get kids motivated and why it's important to give kids extra help when they just don't have that support at home."
She said oftentimes the conversations continued after the quarterly meetings.
"The way our program is set up really allowed ideas to flow," she said. "I heard from a lot of teachers and administrators that they started looking at things in a whole new way, just because something a teacher from another school said made sense."
At the same time, the program respected that each elementary school has its own community, and needs to be special and different.
Steve Povlish, principal at Ashby Lee Elementary School, said it was nice to get support from the other schools.
Additionally, the T.E.A.M. Time made transitions seamless for transient students.
"We have some kids that go between the elementary schools for certain classes," he said. "A number of teachers said that because we are now focusing on this big picture and using collaboration, those students were able to jump right in at each school."
Some principals also will transition to other elementary schools in the division before the start of the 2013-2014 school year. Povlish said the T.E.A.M. Time already has made those changes easier.
Assessment alignment and reevaluation of goals will continue into the next school year, Leitzel said.
Administrators will attend the Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals conference later this month to give a presentation on T.E.A.M. Time's success.
em>Contact staff writer Kim Walter at 540-465-5137 ext. 191, or email@example.com


|Elementary Secondary Education||1|
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MCANDREW, GORDON L.
THE NORTH CAROLINA ADVANCEMENT SCHOOL, A RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL FOR UNDERACHIEVING EIGHTH-GRADE STUDENTS OF AVERAGE OR ABOVE AVERAGE POTENTIAL, TRIES TO CORRECT EDUCATIONAL DEFICIENCIES, TO EQUIP STUDENTS WITH SKILLS AND ATTITUDES NEEDED TO APPRAISE THEMSELVES, AND TO JUDGE THEIR CHANCES FOR FUTURE SCHOOLING AND OCCUPATIONAL SUCCESS. ANOTHER AIM IS TO…
Descriptors: Counseling Services, Elementary Education, Newsletters, Residential Programs
Buford, Constance W.; McAndrew, Gordon L. – Executive Educator, 1983
Describes the development of a program to improve school productivity in Richland County (South Carolina) School District One. Lists the program's six criteria, involving reading and mathematics test performance, teacher and student attendance, and parent and student attitudes. Presents the results of the program's first year. (RW)|
Descriptors: Attendance, Educational Improvement, Elementary Secondary Education, Parent Attitudes


Prior to the project, Sri Lanka policy makers had concentrated mainly, although not exclusively, on promoting universal access to primary education. However, by the middle 1990s, policy makers had also become concerned about expanding access to secondary education (less than 50 percent of students completed secondary school at that time), and improving the quality of both primary and secondary schooling.
- To improve the quality, access, management and financing of the primary (grades 1-5) and secondary (grades 6-13) education system.
- To support a new education reform program under the leadership of the National Education Commission (NEC).
- The key areas of the reform program were the provision of education for all children aged 6-14 years (grades 1-9); the reduction of inequalities in the distribution of resources to public schools; the introduction of a new, child-centred curriculum for the primary cycle (grades 1-5); and the rationalization of facilities and expansion of learning resources to improve education quality.
Primary school completion rates increased from 90 percent to 95 percent - which mean that 100,000 more students completed primary school each year, using a modernized curriculum with child-friendly learning. 200,000 more students completed grade 9 each year (up from 59 percent in 1996 to 78 percent in 2004), with gender parity.
- Assisted the government to introduce a modernized primary school curriculum with child-friendly learning.
- GEP2 supported the creation of a National Education Research and Evaluation Center (NEREC) that specializes in the measurement of learning outcomes. NEREC conducted the first national assessment of learning outcomes in 2003. In addition, NEREC has undertaken a series of research studies and evaluations on a variety of topics, including teacher education and training, education management, civic education and school based management, that have been useful to policy makers and development partners.
- The first national assessment of learning outcomes, focusing on first language (Sinhalese and Tamil), English and Mathematics in the primary education cycle, was conducted in 2003. Prior to this national assessment, Sri Lanka did not have objective information on cognitive achievement to measure education quality. The national assessment of learning outcomes showed that about 37 percent of primary school children attained mastery (a score of over 80 percent) in first language (Sinhalese or Tamil) and mathematics, but only 10 percent of children attained mastery of English.
- The project has enabled the government to introduce a resource distribution formula that has reduced the ratio of public resources distributed for quality inputs between the richest and poorest schools from 300:1 to 15:1.
- Before the project the distribution of resources for education investment to provinces was done through the central Ministry of Education. The project assisted in the strengthening of provincial Departments of Education to formulate and implement investment budgets for education, so that the Ministry of Finance is now able to transfer resources directly to the provinces. This has strengthened decentralization in Sri Lanka, which is one of the key strategies that the government is seeking to adopt to improve service delivery.
- The government introduced a new policy to promote the teaching and learning of English from grade 1 upwards, in 2001, to improve the capability of the future Sri Lankan labor force to work effectively in a global economy. About 1,000,000 primary school children have benefited from English language teaching to date , although it is too early to observe the final impact on the labor market yet as these children are still in the school system. In addition, English was intended to act as a link language between the Sinhalese and Tamil communities, to promote communication and understanding among the two communities. The main source of support for this key policy was provided by GEP2.
- IDA helped the government to design and implement the project with a focus on creating the capacity to measure learning outcomes.
- Use the information from outcomes for policy making, strengthening decentralization, establishing a systematic method of distributing resources to schools to improve equity, and promoting social harmony between different ethnic groups.
- These key reforms are all now a regular part of the education system, which ensures the sustainability of the project’s support.
- The government has designed a new Education Sector Development Framework and Program (ESDFP) for general education, based on a five year rolling plan. The ESDFP has a range of policy initiatives to: (a) increase equitable access to basic and secondary education; (b) promote education quality; (c) enhance the economic efficiency and equity of resource allocation and distribution; and (d) strengthen education governance and service delivery. The Bank is supporting the ESDFP through the SDR41.5 million (US$60 million) Education Sector Development Project (ESDP), which adopts a sector-wide approach (SWAp). The ESDP became effective in February 2006, and has made satisfactory progress.


ERIC Number: ED381779
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1995
Reference Count: N/A
An Elementary Odyssey: Teaching Ancient Civilization through Story.
Millstone, David H.
Adopting an interdisciplinary, story-centered approach, this book suggests new ways for elementary school students to study the ancient world. The book focuses on "The Odyssey," approaching the epic poem by having students create their own rough cartoons, vivid murals, and elaborate dioramas of Greek culture. The book suggests class activities such as retracing Odysseus's voyage on contemporary maps; scripting and producing fantastic puppet shows; reading various versions of "The Odyssey" (from comic books to full translation); studying the Greek roots of the English language; retelling the story; and writing epic poems. The book offers practical suggestions on how to organize a curriculum, involve parents and other community members, and motivate students of all abilities. It also provides specific teaching techniques, bases for evaluation, ideas for projects, and extensive bibliographies and resources. The book presents a model for creating a classroom in which the arts and literature, writing, and social studies are truly integrated. (NKA)
Descriptors: Class Activities, Curriculum Design, Elementary Education, Greek Civilization, Greek Literature, Instructional Innovation, Integrated Activities, Interdisciplinary Approach, Story Telling, Student Motivation
Heinemann, 361 Hanover St., Portsmouth, NH 03801-3912 ($22).
Publication Type: Guides - Classroom - Teacher; Historical Materials; Books
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Teachers; Practitioners
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers: Cultural Studies; Historical Background; Odyssey


Price: Low to High
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A Strategic Approach to Writing Intervention
Adolescent Language and Literacy Best Buy
Effective Service Delivery in Middle and High Schools
Enriched Writers' Workshop: High-Quality Writing Instruction for Adolescents With Developmental Disabilities
0.15 Using the alphabet to write is especially critical for students with developmental disabilities (DD) because conventional writing opens possibilities for self-expression. To become literate, all students, including those with DD, need access to effective writing instruction that engages them in authentic, meaningful, and frequent writing experiences. Historically, students with DD have received writing instruction focused at basic functional levels (e.g., worksheets, drill-and-practice). In this session, we’ll describe the Enriched Writers’ Workshop, an approach that provides comprehensive, high-quality writing instruction to students with DD.
Foundational Strategies to Support Disciplinary Literacy
How Do You Motivate Adolescents?
Improving Self-Regulation in Adolescents
Inference Generation Skills: Intervention for Adolescents With ASD
Influencing SLP Services in Secondary Schools
Language and Literacy With Common Core State Standards
0.2 The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) urge students to develop discipline-specific language, close reading and comprehension skills, evidence-based speaking and writing abilities, and collaborative inquiry. In this session, we’ll examine the language underpinnings of the standards, and how to best plan for instruction and interventions that promote literacy, learning, and success for all students. We’ll round out the session by emphasizing the importance of collaboration between SLPs and classroom teachers, exceptional education teachers, ESOL teachers, administrators, and parents.
Progress Monitoring in Different Service Delivery Models
Semantic and Literacy Development Through Morphological Awareness
SIG 16 Perspectives Vol. 14, No. 3, November 2013
Strategic Approaches to Digital Literacy


For Literacy in Early Childhood or Early Childhood Reading Methods courses.
Let's Begin Reading Right: A Developmental Approach to Emergent Literacy, sixth edition, takes a constructivist, developmental approach to emergent literacy for infants to 8-year olds. This revision includes new introductory chapters that cover current issues (NCLB, standards) about emergent literacy, new features "Maintaining Developmentally Appropriate Practice in a No Child Left Behind World" and "Home-School Connection", and expanded coverage of working with English language learners. It includes chapters and discussions on oral language development, reading, writing, setting up classrooms for literacy activities, how to select and read children's literature, how to assess literacy development, and how to select teaching resources.
Table of Contents
1. Understanding How Children Learn.
2. Understanding How Literacy Emerges.
3. Emergent Literacy Develops through Play and Experiences.
4. Emergent Literacy Develops through Oral Language and Story.
5. Assisting Emergent Readers.
6. Creating a Classroom for Readers.
7. Assisting Emergent Writers.
8. Supporting Independent Writers.
9. Assessing Growth in Literacy.
10. Selecting Early Literacy Teaching Resources.
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The Irish harper Turlough O’Carolan (1670-1738) was well-known, highly respected and, in many circles, revered during his lifetime. He was one of the last practitioners of the great oral tradition in Ireland and bridged a musical gap between folk music and the art music of the Italian Baroque masters. Although the small gut-strung harp on the European continent was not considered a vehicle for serious study, its wire-strung counterpart in Ireland was the official instrument of musicians in the service of kings, chiefs, and influential families. This afforded the harper great prominence, particularly among the Gaelic nobility. Carolan’s beginnings, however, differed greatly from those who would later grant him fame.
Turlough O’Carolan was born near the village of Nobber, County Meath in 1670. At the age of 14 his father moved the family to Ballyfarnon, County Roscommon to work for the McDermott Roe family of Alderford House. At the age of 18 Carolan lost his sight to smallpox and subsequently encountered difficulty finding work. Like many stricken with blindness at that time, he decided to become a harper and, with the help of his father’s employer, began a three year apprenticeship to study the instrument. Upon completion, Mrs. McDermott Roe supplied Carolan with a horse, a guide, and some money to begin his professional life. Thus began a musical journey which lasted more than 40 years and eventually earned Carolan the title, “National Composer of Ireland.”
Interestingly, Carolan was not regarded as a master performer. It was upon the urging of one of his first patrons, George Reynolds of County Leitrim, that he attempted composition. Realizing that he had a gift for melody, Carolan spent the rest of his life successfully traveling to and from the big houses and castles of Ireland composing tunes, or “planxties,” for wealthy patrons. It is important to note that many of these compositions also contained words. In the Irish oral tradition, perpetuated by harpers who came before Carolan, the music was important but the poetry was paramount. In contrast to traditional practice however, Carolan would write the music first and then supply the words. Although much of the poetry has unfortunately been lost, over 200 of the bard’s melodies survive.
The Seas are Deep offers a sampling of these timeless melodies arranged for two guitars, with several tracks augmented by double bass and bodhran. Running the gamut from the haunting to the beautiful to the celebratory, this album pays tribute to the music of Ireland’s last true bard.
The classical guitar duo of David Pedrick and Jeremy Hutson was formed in 1998. Hailed as “master guitarists,” (The Capital) the Pedrick-Hutson Duo has given critically acclaimed performances throughout the United States. Recent highlights include the Steinway 150th Anniversary Concert Series, the Philadelphia Classical Guitar Society Festival, The Philadelphia Fringe Festival, The Lancaster Summer Arts Festival, concerts at the Delaware Center for the Performing Arts, The Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, and the Johns Hopkins University Concert Series.
Dedicated to both preserving the past and embracing the future, the duo’s concert programs typically sample over four centuries of music by composers from around the globe. They have also commissioned and premiered several new compositions for guitar duo in addition to their own original pieces and transcriptions of works by the masters. Selections from their two critically acclaimed recordings, Mirage (2002) and Environs (2003) have been featured on over 200 NPR affiliates throughout the United States in addition to numerous playlists abroad. The duo has also been heard on radio programs such as All Songs Considered, Crossover, Desert Island Discs, An Hour with the Guitar, The Long and Dusty Road, and The Intimate Guitar.
In addition to their busy performance schedules, both members of the duo are active teachers, clinicians, and adjudicators. On the road and in their home state of Pennsylvania, they have given lectures, workshops, clinics, and master classes for high schools, universities, guitar societies, and music education organizations. David Pedrick is currently on the faculty of Lancaster Country Day School and has served as a contributing author for the Guitar Foundation of America and the National Association for Music Education. Jeremy Hutson is on the faculties of The Pennington School, Philadelphia Biblical University, The Lancaster Conservatory, and the Csehy Summer School of Music and is a 1999 third prize winner of the Pennsylvania/Delaware String Teachers Association Competition.


Oregon's First State-Mandated Uniform School Readers: Politics and Education
Lau, Lee, Oregon Historical Quarterly
A STORM OF CONTROVERSY arose among politicians, educators, newspaper editors, and citizens in 1873 when Oregon endeavored to adopt its first uniform readers for the public schools. The Pacific Coast Series, published by A.L. Bancroft & Co. in San Francisco, elicited immediate protests. Hostility toward the series increased until eventually Oregon newspapers were referring to the situation as the School Book Fraud and angry letters to the editor carried inflammatory headlines such as "Burn the Books." (1) Six years after their adoption, the use of the series was discontinued by a legislative amendment to the School Law of 1872 in response to statewide and nearly universal dissatisfaction with the Bancroft books. Unhappiness with these readers reflected a mixture of resentment over the high-handed way the readers were adopted and discontent with the content of the books themselves. The Bancroft series differed significantly from traditional school readers by avoiding doctrinaire moralizing and including the work of West Coast writers. Belief that the work of West Coast writers was inferior to that of more well-known authors from the East and concern about the lack of religious content contributed to the removal of the Pacific Coast Series in 1879.
In adopting uniform school readers, Oregon's newly created Board of Education was following the theories of what came to be known as the Common School Movement, which began in New England and spread Westward. (2) The term "common" referred to the movement's focus on public schools as well as its goal of achieving uniformity in education. Between 1830 and 1870, Americans involved with the Common School Movement worked energetically to improve public elementary schooling. The movement had three goals: the establishment of state control over local schools, the provision of free elementary education for every white child in the United States, and the development of trained educational professionals. The first step was "to establish some form of state control over local schools." (3)
Two mechanisms helped spread the Common School concept to the West Coast. One was educational periodicals such as the Massachusetts Common School Journal, edited by the educator Horace Mann, the Connecticut Common School Journal, edited by Henry Barnard, and the Common School Director, edited by Samuel Lewis. Second were education organizations such as the American Lyceum, the Western Literary Institute, and the American Institute of Instruction. (3) There is little direct evidence that these journals and organizations had an influence in Oregon, yet by 1872 the Oregon Legislature began to act on the principles of the Common School Movement.
THE ROOTS OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS in the United States lie in the Protestant church and in New England, a fact that has profoundly affected the development of public education throughout the nation. (5) In Puritan New England, education was primarily a religious activity emphasizing individual conduct, and elementary readers focused on human behavior within the context of religious piety. (6) During the westward migration of the mid-nineteenth century, American emigrants carried the New England-based attitude toward education with them in the form of McGuffey Readers. The McGuffeys, first made available in 1836 and the most popular readers of the time, reenforced the New England approach toward education, although they "substituted a morality built upon secular experience for the gloomy moralizing of the Puritan texts." (7) These popular schoolbooks were dedicated to the belief that "education itself was primarily moral, and only secondarily intellectual." (8) The readers were used in almost all of the states, particularly those west of the Appalachians and in the South, and most western emigrants saw them as the model for school readers. (9)
Before 1872, Oregon had no department of public education and the governor acted as state school superintendent. …


El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day), commonly known as Día, is a celebration every day of children, families, and reading that culminates yearly on April 30. The celebration emphasizes the importance of literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
Día is a nationally recognized initiative that emphasizes the importance of literacy for all children from all backgrounds. It is a daily commitment to linking children and their families to diverse books, languages and cultures. The common goals of all Día programming are to:
- Celebrate children and connect them to the world of learning through books, stories and libraries.
- Nurture cognitive and literacy development in ways that honor and embrace a child’s home language and culture.
- Introduce families to community resources that provide opportunities for learning through multiple literacies.
- Recognize and respect culture, heritage and language as powerful tools for strengthening families and communities.
* Many thanks to our friends at Charlotte Mecklenburg (North Carolina) Library who have supported Dia and successfully promoted it as "Diversity in Action."


View all series for LIDA LEE TALL LEARNING RESOURCES CENTER
The Lida Lee Tall Learning Resource Center originated in 1886 as a model school for students of the newly established State Normal School in Baltimore (Chapter 160, Acts of 1865). Prospective teachers at the normal school used the model elementary school as a training center where they could observe and practice effective teaching methods. The model school continued its function as the State Normal School became the Maryland State Teachers College in 1935 (Chapter 554, Acts of 1935), and Towson State University in 1976. The Lida Lee Tall Learning Resources Center, as successor to the model school, continues to serve as a laboratory environment for training students from public institutions of higher education to be teachers in elementary and secondary schools. It provides opportunities for early field experience, to observe and demonstrate effective teaching practices, and to conduct research activities. The center also identifies and addresses appropriate early childhood and elementary education research needs and priorities, and offers staff development opportunities for faculty from teacher education programs, prospective principals, and experienced teachers in elementary schools. The center is governed by an eleven member board of trustees appointed by the governor to a three year term. The board establishes policy and appoints a school principal and professional staff (Chapter 641, Acts of 1984).


No, it is not April 1st yet. The British government is proposing that Twitter is to be taught in primary (elementary) schools as part of a wider push to make online communication and social media a permanent part of the UK’s education system. And that’s not all. Kids will be taught blogging, podcasting and how to use Wikipedia alongside Maths, English and Science.
The draft plans were due to be published next month, but have leaked early to The Guardian. Children will also learn “fluency” in handwriting and keyboard skills, and how to use a spellchecker. Luckily they will still be taught how to spell themselves, rather than rely on Mr Clippy.
It’s a big overhaul of current thinking. Children will no longer be absolutely required to study the Victorians or the Second World War, as Teachers get a much freer hand in what goes on in the classroom in the biggest changes to primary schooling in a decade.
Traditional education in areas like phonics, the chronology of history and mental arithmetic remain but modern media and web-based skills and environmental education now feature.
The plans were drawn up by Sir Jim Rose, the former Ofsted chief, appointed by ministers to overhaul the primary school curriculum, and are due to be published next month.


The only Historically Black College and University System in the nation
HISTORY Southern University established in 1880 in New Orleans, Louisiana Southern University and A&M College relocated to Baton Rouge (Scotlandville) in 1914 Southern University and A&M College System established in 1974
BOARD OF TRUSTEES 16-member Board of Supervisors 15 appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the LA State Senate for 6-year terms 1 student member selected by the SU System SGA Presidents
LEADERSHIP Southern University System President - Dr. Ronald Mason Jr. Board Chair - Mr. Darren Mire Board Vice-Chair - Atty. Murphy Bell
SYSTEM CAMPUSES Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge Dr. James Llorens, chancellor www.subr.edu
Southern University, New Orleans Dr Victor Ukpolo, chancellor www.suno.edu
Southern University, Shreveport (2-yr institution) Dr. Ray L. Belton, chancellor www.susla.edu
Southern University Law Center (est. 1947) Freddie Pitcher Jr., chancellor www.sulc.edu
Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center Dr. Leodrey Williams, chancellor www.suagcenter.edu
ENROLLMENT Enrolled 14,011 students in 2010-11 - 67% Male - 33% Female - 23% attend part-time
GRADUATES Graduated 2,090 in 2010-11 67 certificate/diploma (SUSLA) 85% Black 12% White 3% Other 298 associates (SUSLA. SUNO) 81% Black 17% White 2% Other 1100 bachelor's 92% Black 5 % White 3% Other 451 masters' 77% Black 7% White 16% Other 23 doctoral 78% Black 22% White 151 professional (SULC) 61% Black 35% White 4% Other
BUDGET / ECONOMIC IMPACT Estimated System Operating Budget FY 2011-2012 - $138 million SU System as a whole brings $539.5 million to Louisiana
HIGHLIGHTS / ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- The Southern University System has a new educational partnership with Education Online Services Corporation (EOServe Corp.) to implement multiple online degree programs. -The SU System established The Honoré Center for Undergraduate Student Achievement, a new program focused on significantly increasing the number of African-American male, baccalaureate degree holders in the New Orleans region. The goal is to enroll African-American males in elementary education, to have more male role models in the school system. In exchange for free tuition, graduate of the program must teach two years in New Orleans.
- The Southern University System (SUS) will become the first university in Louisiana to become 100 percent tobacco-free.
- The Southern University Law Center (SULC) is among the nation's most popular law programs according to a U.S. News and World Report article posted Thursday, March 24, 2011.


School is Cool for Birds!
"Audubon New York’s For the Birds! Program is a multi-session elementary education program that teaches environmental awareness, science, and an appreciation of nature through the study of birds. This conservation action project aims to engage graduates of the program and will focus on the monitoring and data collection of migratory and resident birds that visit their school's bird friendly garden, previously installed by For the Birds! students. Additionally, bird feeding stations will be installed to help attract a variety of birds. Building on prior knowledge, lessons will focus on migratory birds that pass through Long Island, their conservation needs, and how to identify common migratory and resident birds. In addition to classroom instruction, students will research different kinds of bird feeders and strategies to attract birds. Students will monitor the birds they see, collect data, and submit their data to online programs such as Project Feederwatch and eBird. Finally, students will create a field guide to the birds of their school. This field guide will act as a teaching tool teachers and classmates and copies will be kept in their school library. The overall goal of this project is to further the bird study of For the Birds! graduates by having them participate in real-world science. This project will encourage school administrators to expand their bird-friendly gardens, resulting in additional habitat for birds. This project will plans to also demonstrate that the For the Birds! habitat enhancement projects can have a measurable conservation impact.


Grownups are becoming scarce in this nation. As the last grownup dies there will only be those playing house, playing heroes of courage, and pretending to be moms and dads.
What will this world be like without any more grownups to secure the ways in which the young should learn to walk? What is a world when moms put down their dolls to play more interesting games and dads play in other fields and forget to come home. What do all the little dolls do when they have been left with no one to teach them?
What generation became so careless as to not train their young into growing up? Whichever it was, started by letting the children dictate what they would or would not do.
Children running the households is a house without grownups. Moms and dads become the dolls on which children practice. The word "NO" is used by the children to mean: unequivocally and absolutely will not ever! "NO" coming from a parent means: "Oh, all right just be quiet, for Pete's sake!"
Have you ever noticed that parents and even teachers confuse a child by giving a command with an option to obey clause. Example: "Clean your room right now...okay?" Ending with a question signifies that there is a possible choice. "Okay?" should not be included in an imperative sentence. Children seem to understand the difference, for when they make a command they do not care if it is "okay" or not! We need to say what we mean and mean what we say.
How do we preserve what are the last of the grownups? We can start first by loving our children enough to "raise" them. Even a monkey, by instinct, knows how to raise her off spring, which proves that we did not evolve from monkeys.
To raise a child to become a grownup, we must first take ownership of the children we conceive and began to teach them responsibility, consequences to their actions, consistency in discipline as well as love. Parents need to take the house back. "Come on soldier, take that hill! If you don't, you know they will!"
"Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child , and thy princes eat in the morning!
Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!"
Be one of the nobles who raise a child to understand their season, and grandparents who take to their knees praying in intercession. AMEN
My name is Rebecca O'Connor. I have been a teacher in elementary education for years, written a few books, and hug my grandkids every chance I get! God has blessed me so much that I love sharing pieces from those blessings in my writing.


Special Education Degrees
More than just about any other career field, teaching special education requires a person with a special set of skills. It takes special knowledge, strong teaching skills, compassion, humor, creativity and patience.
If you have the desire, the Auburn Montgomery undergraduate program in Special Education will provide you the specific skills needed to teach children, adolescents and young adults identified with specific disabilities.
Click on the concentrations below to get a detailed list of all of the courses required to complete each degree.
Students can also earn dual certification in Collaborative Teacher K-6/Elementary Education.
Through coursework and laboratory experiences within the professional studies component of each program, we'll help you develop the cognitive and affective skills that will enable you to become a successful, competent, committed, reflective educator.


Centered on Diversity
Families, staff, and children come together to create a diverse learning environment
Our staff, children, and families come from a wide variety of backgrounds and ethnicities, and the Child Development Center both respects and celebrates this diversity. We cultivate a space that incorporates everyone’s unique heritage into the fabric of the center’s culture, mission, and curriculum, enriching the early childhood learning process for all involved.
We learn about a variety of cultures by celebrating traditions and holidays, such as Kwanzaa, Hanukah, Cinco de Mayo, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Ramadan, Iranian New Year, and Chinese New Year. The center also holds a festival each year in which children and their parents share activities, music, and food from different countries. We often utilize the resources of our greater university community as well, and invite international student groups to share their unique perspectives with us through performing traditional dances, and assisting with activities.
The center’s curriculum materials represent our whole community, with pictures, books, dolls, puppets, puzzles, and other toys that reflect a rainbow of colors, a variety of ages, and an equality of genders. In addition, because many of our teachers speak a second language we have the opportunity to offer a linguistically diverse curriculum. We incorporate languages, such as Spanish, Farsi, Chinese, and American Sign Language, into the songs, counting exercises, games, and key phrases we engage in throughout the day.
Along with these elements of our curriculum, we recognize the importance of cultural variations in dining and musical experiences. Just as adults often learn to appreciate different cultures through eating at new restaurants and attending world music concerts, our children learn through exposure to a variety of food and music. Children appreciate songs from around the world through singing and listening to CDs, as well as through our extra-curricular program with Opus One Music. They experience both familiar and new flavors through our food service, and older children do international cooking activities in their classrooms.
By learning about and sharing everyone’s unique experiences, families, children, and staff of our community build a place of exploration and growth that’s centered on diversity.
To learn more about the importance of diversity in early childhood development, check out the following resources that are available through the center:
- Alike and Different: Exploring Our Humanity with Young Children edited by Bonnie Neugebauer
- Celebrate! An Anti-Bias Guide to Enjoying Holidays in Early Childhood Programs by Julie Bisson
- Celebrations! Festivals, Carnivals, and Feast Days from Around the World by Barnabas and Anabel Kindersley
- Connections and Commitments: Reflecting Latino Values in Early Childhood Programs by Costanza Eggers-Pierola
- Roots and Wings: Affirming Culture in Early Childhood Programs by Stacey York


William Arms Fisher
He was president of both the Music Teachers National Association and the Music Publishers' National Association. He also worked for the music publisher Oliver Ditson Company which was later taken over by the Theodore Presser Company. He died in Brookline, Massachusetts on December 18, 1948.
In an 1893 interview, Antonín Dvořák challenged American composers to make better use of the "negro melodies of America", feeling that they were needed as the basis for "any serious and original school of composition" in America.
Antonín Dvořák's New World Symphony was played at Carnegie Hall on December 16, 1893. Later William Arms Fisher wrote a text to the cor anglais tune in the second movement, entitled "Goin' Home", which has been mistaken for a Negro spiritual.
In response to the challenge and the symphony, William Arms Fisher published an arrangement of Seventy Negro Spirituals in 1926.
William Arms Fisher wrote an article for Music Educators' Journal in 1933 titled "Music in a Changing World." Patrick Freer of Music Educators' Journal said that "Fisher’s article was one of the first to interrogate the role of popular music within music education". In his article, Fisher said that music is important in every community. A quote from his article is "Blessed are the music-makers, for they shall uplift and unite the Earth." which was mentioned by the MENC: The National Association for Music Education.
An article in The Crisis published in February 1927 called William Arms Fisher "a worthy pupil and disciple of Dvořák" and asked if he "would waste his time over futile music". The article quoted an anonymous reviewer saying, "If we must have Negro spirituals, by all means let us have Fisher to arrange them."
William's compositions have been featured in several albums.
- Sixty Irish Songs – (1915)
- Notes on Music in Old Boston – (1918)
- Goin' Home (sheet music, 1922)
- One Hundred and Fifty Years of Music Publishing in the United States – (1934)
- Ye Olde New-England Psalm-tunes 1620–1820 – (1930)
- The Music that Washington Knew – (1931)
- "Fisher, William Arms – 1861–1948". Alliance Publications, Inc. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
- Wilson Library Bulletin, Volume 23, p. 410, 1948
- "Real Value of Negro Melodies". New York Herald. May 21, 1893.
- Ella Wilcox (May 18, 2011). "Change is here to stay". MENC: The National Association for Music Education. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
- "The Spirituals". The Crisis. February 1927. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
- "William Arms Fisher". Allmusic. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
- "Buck Privates Come Home (1947)". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
- Free scores by William Arms Fisher at the International Music Score Library Project
- Sheet Music for "Goin' Home"; Oliver Ditson Company publisher, 1922
- True Story of "Goin' Home" - From Bohemia to Boston
- Songs by William Arms Fisher at the National Jukebox


UNICEF in Tanzania
UNICEF has been on the ground in Tanzania since 1954 as part of its emergency operations, though the office was set up in 1975. Since then, UNICEF’s assistance to Tanzania has taken many forms guided by the changing situation of women and children in Tanzania, national and organization priorities.
UNICEF plays a unique role in Tanzania as an advocate for children’s rights, identifying gaps in their realization, providing technical advice and assistance to the government in addressing the gaps, and bringing evidence to the table.
In application of the Convention of the Rights of the Child, UNICEF engages in a broad spectrum of development interventions to ensure that children’s issues are prioritized and resources are leveraged for scale up.
The UNICEF programme for Tanzania is integrated into the United Nations Development Assistance Plan (UNDAP) for Tanzania that runs from July 2011 to June 2015. The UNDAP is the business plan for all the 20 UN agencies, funds and programmes operating in Tanzania.
UNICEF, is responsible for delivery on a set of key actions that contribute to shared results, derived through the national MKUKUTA and MKUZA poverty reduction strategies. As a reflection of the profound role of children in every dimension of social development, UNICEF is responsible for delivering on a wider range of key actions and results than any other UN agency in Tanzania.
The current Country Programme addresses eight main areas - Health and Nutrition, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Children and AIDS, Education Equity and Quality, Child Protection, Social Policy and Analysis, Communication, Advocacy and Partnerships and Zanzibar.
Health and Nutrition: UNICEF assists the government to implement high-impact, cost effective health and nutrition services targeted at hard-to-reach communities.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in schools: Increasing access to safe water and improved hygiene and sanitation in schools to prevent and manage diseases such as malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea.
Children and AIDS: In Tanzania, UNICEF’s work with children and AIDS reflects the following: Prevent Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV, Paediatric Treatment of AIDS, Prevention of HIV among Adolescents and Young People and to Protect and Support Children Affected by HIV and AIDS.
Education Equity and Quality: UNICEF supports improvements in the quality of basic education and early childhood learning and the implementation of ‘speak out’ clubs, which encourage boys and in particular girls to voice their concerns about HIV and AIDS and becoming victims of sexual assaults.
Child Protection: UNICEF works closely with the Government to develop protective policies and legislation, and to build the capacities of national institutions and systems to better serve and protect the most vulnerable children. One of UNICEF’s priorities is to help ensure that all children are registered at birth.
Social Policy, Analysis and Development: UNICEF helps the Government to design and implement social and economic policies, laws and budgets that enable the Government to realize the rights of women and children.
Communication, Advocacy and Partnerships: Fostering communication and partnerships serve as UNICEF’s response to MDG 8 on global partnerships and MDG 1 on eradicating extreme poverty and hunger. UNICEF support has led to a number of advances in these areas: The Development Partners Groups for Nutrition, WASH, Health and Education and cluster leadership in Social Protection has helped to advance child rights through Tanzania’s second phase poverty reduction strategy, known by its Swahili acronym, MKUKUTA on the mainland and MKUZA in Zanzibar.
Zanzibar Programme: The overarching goal and strategic approach of the UNICEF - Zanzibar programme is to strengthen the capacity of government, both at the national and district levels, as well as local communities (Shehia level), to plan, implement and monitor social development projects which seek to promote and fulfill the rights of women and children.
UNICEFs main partners in Tanzania include the government, NGOs, civil society, the media, the private sector and communities. UNICEF brings a global influence and reach, technical expertise, and financial resources to provide the necessary support to its partners.
One of UNICEF’s main comparative advantages is that it works on different levels, engaging in dialogue and negotiation at the source of policy while working on the ground to demonstrate the impact of model interventions. UNICEF programmes target the poorest parts of the country and most marginalized groups of the population, focusing on interventions with a high and immediate impact on children’s health, education and protection.


Beyond the Book: Using VoiceThread in Language Arts Instruction
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World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education, Oct 26, 2009 in Vancouver, Canada
Abstract: New information and communications technologies (ICT) are redefining the concept of literacy. Language arts educators have the responsibility to integrate new literacies into their instruction. VoiceThread is a web-based, collaborative, multimedia presentation tool that teachers can use with their students to improve reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. This paper is a description of collaboration between a university faculty member in elementary education and an instructional technology consultant to incorporate ICT within a required graduate language arts methods class utilizing VoiceThread. A follow-up research study is in progress to determine 1)whether Web 2.0 tools, such as VoiceThread, effectively impact student literacy development 2)if teachers feel adequately prepared to implement 21st century skills in language arts instruction, and 3)barriers that exist for teachers in using Web 2.0 tools in promoting literacy.
Smith, J. & Dobson, E. (2009). Beyond the Book: Using VoiceThread in Language Arts Instruction. In T. Bastiaens et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2009 (pp. 712-715). Chesapeake, VA: AACE. Retrieved March 12, 2014 from http://www.editlib.org/p/32538.
© 2009 AACE


By completing B.M. in Music program, students will:
- develop a strong foundation in the theory and history of music.
- select a musical concentration—performance, education, or music business—and develop foundational skills in this area.
- further develop skills in voice or on a musical instrument.
- possess sufficient musical acumen to make creative contributions to musical performances and fusion ensembles.
- further their ability to work in, learn from, and teach groups composed of learners from diverse backgrounds and with multiple skill levels.
- be able to bring musical knowledge into dialogue with motifs learned through the general education component of the undergraduate curriculum.


Based in France, Rococo was a decorative style most often used in interior design, oil painting, architecture, and sculpture. Normally associated with the reign of King Louis XV, the movement actually began in the 17th century. With the rise of the middle class, the death of Louis XIV at this time, the high society in Paris became the pinnacle of fashion. Louis XIV was succeed by the Duke of Orleans in 1715, who was know for enjoying the privileges of his office, moving social life away from the formal courts and into salons. This attitude was continued with the following reign of Louis XV. Rococo was manifested out of this new era of thought where society abandoned the formality of the earlier years and began pursuing personal amusement and happiness. One of the first Rococo painters was Jean-Antoine Watteau, whose work began to epitomize the movement with its idyllic and charming approach. Another artist that represented the Rococo period was Francois Boucher, who created oil paintings and designed tapestries for the French royalty and nobility.
The term Rococo was derived from the French word, rocaille, meaning rock and shell garden ornamentation. The style appealed to the senses rather than intellect, stressing beauty over depth. The movement portrayed the life of the aristocracy, preferring themes of romance, mythology, fantasy, every day life to historical or religious subject matter. Rococo was a light, ornamental, and elaborate style of art, identified by elegant and detailed ornamentation and the use of curved, asymmetrical forms. Other elements of the style included graceful movement, playful use of line, and delicate coloring. Dominated by feminine taste and influence, the lively colors and playful subject matter made it suitable for interior decoration. The Rococo style was also used in portraiture and furniture and tapestry design
The Rococo style is sometimes considered to be the end of the Baroque period and was eventually replaced by Neoclassicism during the American and French Revolutions at the end of the eighteenth century.
Jacopo Amigoni (1685 - 1752)
Although the exact details of his early life are unknown, Jacopo Amigoni was probably born and trained in Venice. His international career began in 1715, working in countries such as England, France, Bavaria, and Spain. Known for his Rococo style of oil painting, Amigoni made his living as a portrait painter while also working on large-scale decorative oil paintings. He died in Spain in 1752.
Francois Boucher (1703 - 1770)
Son of an artist, Francois Boucher learned many techniques as a child before receiving his formal art education from Francois Lemoyne. His initial job was as an engraver, producing replicas of Watteau drawings. However, he also was a successful painter and one the Prix de Rome in 1723. He then studied throughout Italy and began receiving royal commissions and a position as court artist. Boucher also worked for high profile, Madame de Pompadour, creating portraits and decorating her palace. Because Boucher was primarily oil painting for others, his work was consistently focused on pleasant, mythological subject matters and scenic landscapes.
Charles Cressent (1685 - 1768)
Charles Cressent became a master sculptor in 1719 and worked in the early Rococo period. He worked as the sculptor and ebeniste to the Regent, Philippe II, duc drleans. Cressent was the most famous for adding decorative bronze additions to his furniture. Although this was a his signature mark and a popular style, the means of production violated the rules of the French guild system.


Second Language Acquisition Programs Proven Effective for ELLs
Close the ELL achievement gap with proven, practical, promising, motivating solutions!
Effective ELL intervention solutions are vital to preparing students for high-tech, 21st
century expectations. Becoming proficient in the English language involves scaffolded instruction and an understanding of the current theory of second language literacy development
as it requires complex textual and processing demands.
Second Language Acquisition Interventions
This can be challenging for ELL students and teachers. It is critical that interventions minimize the learning challenges for the ELL student and maximize instructional efficiency for the teacher. The carefully crafted instructional design of Sopris ELL programs provide promising instruction for the successful acquisition of a second language. These interventions:
- Support teachers with easy-to-implement instructional materials and assessments
- Maintain student attention with engaging, motivating lessons
- Monitor progress to ensure students are making accelerated gains
- Build vocabulary and oral and reading and writing fluency with research-proven instruction
- Ease learning challenges with motivating, explicit instruction
- Balance word-level and text-level comprehension instruction
- Provide repeated practice and review to increase independence and confidence
Proven Effective for ELLs


Here is a collection of 12 fun and playful ways to bring stories to life with creative storytelling activities! From play dough and story sensory bins to small world play and dramatic retelling, there are lots of ideas here to choose from and keep little ones busy in playful learning.
12 Creative Storytelling Activities
Make a panda bear small world play scene for imaginative play, understanding animal habitats and story telling with kids! Perfect for a knowledge and understanding set up in the classroom or a portable table top activity at home, and plenty of hours of engaged, playful fun.Panda Bear Small World Imaginative Play
Create a story basket full of storytelling props to retell favourite fairy tales together in a playful way! So easy to set up with items from around the house and beneficial for so many strands of early literacy development.
As part of our
Continue reading Fairytale Storytelling Basket
Use simple storytelling props to act out a favourite traditional tale of Little Red Riding Hood in imaginative play! There are so many opportunities for early literacy development in this type of exciting dramatic play and it is developmentally appropriate for young children.
Continue reading Little Red Riding Hood Storytelling Dramatic Play
Experiment with pattern making and a simple Pointillist technique by painting and mark making with cotton buds! This fantastic art activity for kids comes straight out of the very wonderful book The Artful Parent: Simple Ways to fill your Family’s Life with Art and Creativity by Jean Van’t Hul of The Artful Parent blog, and we are
Continue reading Pointillism Painting with Cotton Buds from The Artful Parent Book


Literacy policy: Whilst the Early Years curriculum in England has begun to recognise literacy development as embedded in social practice, national and local policy-derived documentation continues to focus on cognitive approaches, and theorised guidance on supporting literacy learning with new technologies is notably absent.
Practitioner beliefs and literacy practices: In the early years setting, there was an emphasis on the acquisition of traditional literacy skills, such as sharing stories, mark-making, phonics, rhyming etc, and staff supported children’s learning in joint shared attention episodes. Although the nursery had diverse electronic resources, their use was only occasionally integrated into pedagogic planning or supported by practitioners, with the exception of provision for children with learning difficulties where computers were recognised as offering choice and control.
Whilst most practitioners acknowledged the centrality of new technologies in the children’s future lives, many lacked confidence in their use, were uncertain about their pedagogic value and/or feared their potential harm to ‘childhood’. Some software and internet access to approved sites offered literacy-learning potential, but only those children who had developed computer skills at home accessed these, either alone or in collaborative participation frameworks with peers. These frameworks were characterised by motivated joint activity, where an ‘expert’ peer used talk and actions to direct and discuss game progression with less experienced peers.
Parental beliefs and literacy practices: At home, the young children experienced a range of everyday literacy practices with diverse media. Home ownership of mobile phones, TVs, satellite, computers and internet was widespread, although two families in the lowest income band (>£10,000 per annum) had no computer, with implications for social inclusion/equality. Whilst safeguarding against their over-use, most parents recognised the potential of new technologies for their children’s learning, but were less sure about how to support screen-based literacy activities. Some children were not allowed computer access at home, but did use mobile phones, TV/videos, and ‘smart’ toys which converged new and traditional technologies (e.g. talking books, interactive toys). We therefore found a ‘digital divide’ where some children in the nursery displayed strategic, meta-level literacy knowledge with new technologies derived principally from participation in supported activity at home, whilst children with less experience only participated in low-level activities or did not use them at all.
Multimodal literacies: Analysis of the children’s engagement with a range of media revealed that becoming ‘literate’ in today’s world involves mastery of diverse practices and technical skills, along with the ability to adapt, improvise, identify relevant features in static and dynamic texts and to navigate around them. It was clear that reading on-screen was profoundly different to reading print. It involved the use and interpretation of multiple modes (images, sounds, movement, layout, spoken and written language), which appeared in non-linear, hyperlinked formats with diverse possible pathways. We are developing a theorised framework for supporting literacy learning in diverse media through ‘collaborative multimodal dialogue’ (defined as the inter-subjective, multimodal meaning-making processes that occur through joint engagement in activity) to enable educators to help all children achieve their full potential as members of a society in which knowledge and communication in both traditional and new technologies are highly prized.


The following resources have been developed by the Collaborative Center for Literacy Development to provide Kentucky's educators, legislators, policymakers, curriculum designers, researchers, and administrators with comprehensive research and decision making tools.
The legislation responsible for the inception of the Collaborative Center for Literacy Development outlined a number of charges, one particular mandate was that CCLD would research, develop, and maintain a clearinghouse of literacy resources that can be accessed by educators. The clearinghouse includes a search engine whereby users can input keywords to identify resources. CCLD continues to investigate and compile resources to add to the clearinghouse, ensuring continual viability and growth of the clearinghouse.
CCLD has developed a web-based tools that educators can use to help make decisions about commercially-produced literacy assessments.
Although not developed in house, the resource above contains links to outside websites that align with the mission of CCLD to promote literacy and address the needs of learners across the commonwealth.


Standards 2010: Standard 2
Curriculum and Instruction
Candidates use instructional approaches, materials, and an integrated, comprehensive, balanced curriculum to support student learning in reading and writing.
The Curriculum and Instruction Standard recognizes the need to prepare educators who have a deep understanding and knowledge of the elements of a balanced, integrated, and comprehensive literacy curriculum and have developed expertise in enacting that curriculum. The elements focus on the use of effective practices in a well-articulated curriculum, using traditional print, digital, and online resources.
The following are the major assumptions of the Standards 2010 Committee for developing this standard and its elements:
- Foundational knowledge about literacy is essential in establishing a vision, and developing and enacting an integrated, comprehensive, and balanced curriculum that is responsive to the needs of diverse learners.
- A conceptual framework for literacy development should inform teaching practices and selection of materials.
- Evidence-based instructional strategies and practices should be used in developing and implementing instruction and a balanced and motivating reading and writing program.
- Comprehensive reading programs provide a wide variety of traditional print, digital, and online resources to meet the needs of diverse students.
- Traditional print, digital, and online reading and writing experiences that incorporate multiple genres, multiple perspectives, and media and communication technologies are necessary to prepare learners for literacy tasks of the 21st century.


Remembering Others: Making Invisible Histories Of Art Education Visible
"The primary goal of the book is to change and expand our understanding of history in the field of art education, plus to open up a dialog with individuals from other disciplines, especially folklorists. In doing so the goal is to further the kinds of educational partnerships that can and should take place when learning about the visual arts."
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ERIC Number: ED217988
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1981
Reference Count: 0
The Development of Population Education Curriculum for Elementary Schools in Ghana. African Studies in Curriculum Development and Evaluation No. 20.
Ado, Patience A.
A population education curriculum for elementary school students in Ghana is presented in this study, along with related background information and a review of literature. Starting from a global perspective, chapter 1 reviews efforts to provide population education in schools, describing the current state of population education in Ghana. In addition, the first chapter differentiates the domains of population education and family life education, describes traditional family life education practices, and points out the need for formal family life instruction in Ghanian schools. A rationale and general objectives for a Ghanian population and family life elementary education curriculum are also presented. The literature review provided in chapter 2 includes brief descriptions of family life education programs in several African countries and a few countries outside of Africa. Advantages and disadvantages of alternate approaches to curriculum planning are also indicated. The curriculum is offered in chapter 3. General and specific objectives, concepts and subconcepts, possible sources and relevant domains of knowledge, as well as suggested learning activities, evaluation activities, and related generalizations, are provided for four grade levels (Middle Forms I through IV). Diagrams indicating the new organizational structure of Ghanian education are appended. (RH)
Descriptors: Course Descriptions, Course Organization, Curriculum Design, Curriculum Development, Developing Nations, Educational Objectives, Elementary Education, Family Life Education, Family Planning, Foreign Countries, Instructional Development, Learning Activities, National Programs, Population Education
Publication Type: Guides - Classroom - Teacher
Education Level: N/A
Authoring Institution: Kenya Inst. of Education, Nairobi.; Nairobi Univ. (Kenya).; German Agency for Technical Co-Operation, Nairobi (Kenya).; African Curriculum Organisation.


Numeracy Skills resources
biomathtutor presents students with a filmed bioscience-based scenario and guides them through some of the mathematics they need to understand and grow confident and competent in using routinely. The case-study scenario, covering practical aspects of haematology and microbiology, is presented via a narrated film, 24 min in length, but divided up into short sections. The film tracks the diagnosis and treatment of a student with anaemia and a throat infection and links the clinical findings and diagnoses to 33 interactive questions and relevant maths tutorials. An additional 24 interactive questions cover the same range of basic mathematical concepts presented in similar biological contexts, with a view to reinforcing students' learning. biomathtutor was developed by Vicki Tariq (University of Central Lancashire), John Heritage and Tom Roper (University of Leeds), Andrew Bond (University of Westminster), Mike Tribe (University of Sussex) and the EBS Trust. It was funded by HEFCE through its National Teaching Fellowship Scheme. This resource is released under a Creative Commons license Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivative Works and the copyright is held by EBS Trust 2006. NOTE: This resource has been tested on a Windows platform with Internet Explorer. There are known problems with Firefox and/or Apple systems.
This onscreen utlitiy from PDF Converter.com enables the conversion units for mass, area, length, volume, angles, temperatures, pressures and time zones.


By Alphabetical Order
A full-text database of folktales, fairy tales, myths of indigenous peoples, legends, sagas, and fables of world cultures in collections. Provided by HCCC Library.
Teacher Reference Center provides indexing and abstracts for 280 periodicals. In addition, 96% of journals indexed in the database are peer-reviewed. Topics include: Assessment, Best Practices, Continuing Education, Current Pedagogical Research, Curriculum Development, Elementary Education, Higher Education, Instructional Media, Language Arts, Literacy Standards, School Administration, Science & Mathematics, and Teacher Education. Provided through SUNYConnect.


Youth Art Month
Youth Art Month was founded by the Crayon, Water Color & Craft Institute, Inc., the predecessor of the Art & Creative Materials Institute, Inc. (ACMI), in cooperation with the National Art Education Association, in 1961 and was initially called Children's Art Month. Its goal was to "emphasize the value of participating in art for all children." It was renamed Youth Art Month in 1969, to include secondary school students. In 1984, ACMI created the Council for Art Education, Inc. (CFAE) to oversee the annual observation of Youth Art Month. As of 2009, CFAE consisted of representatives of: ACMI, the National Art Education Association, "The SHIP" (a group of manufacturers of art materials), and the General Federation of Women's Clubs. The Craft & Hobby Association is also involved in Youth Art Month.
Youth Art Month is a month of promoting art and art education in the United States. It is observed in March, with thousands of American schools participating, often with the involvement of local art museums and civic organizations.
Office of Health Disparities & Health Equity
PO Box 95026
Lincoln, NE 68509-5026


PUSD bases its core instruction on California State “Standards and Benchmarks” for each academic curriculum, including Science. The following is an excerpt from the introduction to Science Framework and Standards from the California State Board of Education.
Glenn T. Seaborg, one of the great scientific minds of this time and of all times, chaired the California Academic Standards Commission’s Science Committee. In “A Letter to a Young Scientist,” Dr. Seaborg said, “Science is an organized body of knowledge and a method of proceeding to an extension of this knowledge by hypothesis and experiment.”1 The National Science Education Standards reflects this view of science and the balance between the “body of knowledge” and the “method” of scientific inquiry.2 The standards provide the opportunity to make substantial and significant improvements in California’s education system.
The standards include grade-level specific content for kindergarten through grade eight. A significant feature is the focus on earth sciences in the sixth grade, life sciences in the seventh grade, and physical sciences in the eighth grade. The standards for grades nine through twelve are divided into four content strands: physics, chemistry, biology/life sciences, and earth sciences. An Investigation and Experimentation strand describes a progressive set of expectations for each grade from kindergarten through grade eight, and one set of Investigation and Experimentation standards is given for grades nine through twelve.
The elementary and middle school standards provide the foundational skills and knowledge for students to learn core concepts, principles, and theories of science at the high school level. The standards are organized in sets under broad concepts. This organization is intended to help the reader move between topics and follow them as the content systematically increases in depth, breadth, and complexity through the grade levels.
1 Gifted Young in Science: Potential Through Performance. Edited by Paul Brandwein and others. Arlington, Va.: National Science Teachers Association, 1989.


More than 10,000 worksheets in Math & English Language Arts for 6th, 7th and 8th grades.
With more than 10,000 exercises, iTooch Middle School is, by far, the largest collection of educational activities based on the US National Common Core Standards on the App Store. It covers Math, Language Arts for 6th Grade, 7th Grade and 8th Grade and Health for 6th Grade only.
The application contains:
Loaded with thousands of questions, apps cover official educational curricula & comply with Common Core State Standards.
This app creates great game dynamics and incentives, so that the user always wants to progress further in the application.
Apps embed a blackboard and a calculator for students to write and calculate directly on the screen without having to leave the app.
A lesson summary is attached to each chapter, to underline the core concepts students should know to answer questions.
Move instantly from one screen to the next. Stop waiting for information to load from a server: bandwidth is no longer an issue.
Apps automatically sync in the background in order to load new activities whenever an Internet connection is available.
Ryan Miller, has a BS in Business Administration from the University of California, Riverside and a MA in Elementary Education from Claremont University. He served 5 years as math tutor. 6th Grade Math, 7th Grade Math.
Nina Berler, has taught middle-school English and math and worked one-on-one with numerous middle and high school students. 6th Grade ELA, 6th Grade Math, 7th Grade ELA, 8th Grade Math, 8th Grade ELA.
Nikita Ganatra received her BA in Liberal Studies and MS in Education from California State University Fullerton. She holds a Clear Single Subject Teaching Credential in English for California. 6th Grade ELA, 7th Grade ELA, 8th Grade ELA.
Millicent B. Fauntleroy, earned a B.S.J. and a M.S.J. at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. She is also an alumna of Duke University, where she earned a master of arts degree in liberal studies. 7th Grade ELA.
William Scott Stone, has a BS in computer science from Franciscan University of Steubenville and also has a bachelor’s degree in teacher education from Stockton College of Ponoma. 8th Grade Math.
Kymberli Barney, is an 8th grade English/Language Arts teacher in Georgia. With more than 12 years of experience, she has gained considerable experience in the areas of Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction. 8th Grade ELA.
Naomi Hall, has a B.S. in composite science education and an M.Ed. in math and technology education. She has taught a variety of science, math, and technology courses over the past nine years. 7th Grade Math.
Eileen Heyes, has a BA in journalism from California State University, Long Beach. She wrote at newspapers for 30 years. She is the author of three nonfiction books for teens. 6th Grade ELA, 8th Grade Math, 8th Grade ELA.
iTooch Middle School is not eligible for the Apple Volume Purchase Program (VPP) since it only embeds in-app titles. However since our products are intended for schools and districts, you can take advantage of this program by buying one of the pre-paid apps below. All these apps have the same content as iTooch Middle School. We will offer you special pricing for purchases of 20 apps or more:


Teachers aren’t prepared to teach Common Core Standards, advocates fear. “I predict the common-core standards will fail, unless we can do massive professional development for teachers,” Hung-Hsi Wu, a professor emeritus of mathematics at Berkeley, tells Ed Week.
In Springdale, Arkansas, kindergartners still read fairy tales, but now they also learn about those stories’ countries of origin.
Their teachers have scrambled to find nonfiction texts that introduce students to the scientific method. They’ve discarded some of their old teaching practices, like focusing on the calendar to build initial numeracy skills.
The Durand, Mich., district is another early adopter. Gretchen Highfield, a 3rd grade teacher, has knit together core aspects of the standards—less rote learning, more vocabulary-building—to create an experience that continually builds pupils’ knowledge. A story on pigs becomes an opportunity, later in the day, to introduce the vocabulary word “corral,” which becomes an opportunity, still later in the day, for students to work on a math problem involving four corrals of five pigs.
Ed Week has more on the challenges of implementing the new standards.
In a USA Today story, American Federation of Teachers’ chief Randi Weingarten worries that teachers won’t get the training they need to teach the new standards well.


A new study in the journal Social Science Quarterly reveals that music participation, defined as music lessons taken in or out of school and parents attending concerts with their children, has a positive effect on reading and mathematic achievement in early childhood and adolescence. Additionally, socioeconomic status and ethnicity affect music participation.
Darby E. Southgate, MA, and Vincent Roscigno, Ph.D., of The Ohio State University reviewed two nationally representative data sources to analyze patterns of music involvement and possible effects on math and reading performance for both elementary and high school students.
Music is positively associated with academic achievement, especially during the high school years.
However, not all adolescents participate in music equally, and certain groups are disadvantaged in access to music education. Families with high socioeconomic status participate more in music than do families with lower socioeconomic status. In addition to social class as a predictor of music participation, ethnicity is also a factor. Asians and Whites are more likely to participate in music than are Hispanics. While young Black children attended concerts with their parents, they were less likely to take music lessons.
“This topic becomes an issue of equity at both the family and school levels,” the authors conclude. “This has major policy implications for federal, state, and local agencies, as well as knowledge that can help families allocate resources that are most beneficial to children.”
- Southgate et al. The Impact of Music on Childhood and Adolescent Achievement. Social Science Quarterly, 2009; 90 (1): 4 DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-6237.2009.00598.x
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0500C Emergent to Fluent Literacy (for B-6th Certification):Emergent to fluent literacy acquisition for students with diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds and students with special needs; assessment of semantic, syntactic, phonic and phonemic awareness.15 hours of fieldwork.
0600C Fluent to Experienced Literacy (for 5th – 12th Certification):Balanced literacy instruction for fluent readers and writers from a diversity of cultural and linguistic backgrounds and needs. 15 hours of fieldwork.
Foundational Literacy Courses
0510 Literacy Strategies & Resources Across the Curriculum (for B-6th Certification): Strategies for teaching B-6th grade content-area literacy, differentiated instruction, multi-modal texts and children's literature.
0610 Literacy Strategies & Resources Across the Curriculum (for 5th – 12th Certification): Strategies for teaching 5-12th grade content-area literacy, the use of popular multi-modal texts young adult texts, and the negotiation of regents exams.
2000CFirst & Second Language/ Dialect and Literacy Acquisition:Current research and application building on language strengths and connecting oral and print literacies.8 hours fieldwork.
1700GHome-School Partnerships for Literacy:Theoretical and practical approaches to build equitable home-school partnerships to support children's literacy development. 8 hours fieldwork.
2700CLiteracy Instruction for Struggling Readers & Writers: Creation of high standard literacy instruction for struggling learners.8 hours fieldwork.
1700/1ECritical Use of Technology: Examination of relevant technological resources. 8 hours fieldwork.
1300/1ENegotiating Curriculum: Standards, Children's Inquiries, and Appropriate Multicultural Materials: Developing successful curriculum design.20 hours fieldwork design and implementation.
1400EWriting for Teachers: Scaffolding creative and academic writing
Literacy Research Sequence
0801C Beginning Literacy Research Seminar 8 hours fieldwork.
0802C Literacy Research Seminar II
0803C Literacy Research Seminar III
0804C Literacy Research Seminar IV
The Transformative Literacy Project (TLP) – Practicum Sequence
The Transformative Literacy Project is a cluster of three courses that all students take in their final two semesters of the program. It is designed as a culminating experience within the Transformative Literacy Program that allows students to gather what they have learned in other classes and apply it to their work with children in the two literacy practicum.
During the first semester students take Assessment, Teaching and Learning (1500 or 1501) and one of the two practicum (1600E/1601E or 1600C/1601C).In the second semester students take the second part of the practicum.
1500/1C Linking Literacy Assessment, Instruction, and Learning: In this seminar students learn how to use different forms of observation, formative assessment and ongoing evaluation to support student learning, and how to build on, critique and transform traditional assessment practices.
1600/1C and 1600/1E Literacy Inquiry Practicum and Small-Group Literacy Inquiry Practicum: In these practicum, candidates work with either one or two students and support the student(s)' literacy development. Candidates support students in developing an inquiry project where they learn about some subject of interest in the process of developing their literacy skills and talents. Key components of the practicum are:
- supporting the student's development as a reader and writer
- developing and implementing an expansive notion of literacy that includes not only reading and writing but also all the ways that people use multiple sign systems to make sense and meaning out of the world
- focusing on inquiry based learning that emphasizes the central role of the learner in constructing knowledge and the ultimate goal of transforming the horizon of what is possible and what is true
- emphasizing a culturally responsive pedagogy that makes bridges between the literacy practices that the child brings to school and the academic literacies that the child is expected to master
- sustaining the child as an active agent in the world who can both read and interpret the "word-world" and write and rewrite the culture and the texts that make up the culture that shapes who they are
The culminating activity of the Transformative Literacy Project is a Readers Writers Celebration where students share with their teachers, families, and the wider community the inquiry projects they have been working on and what they have learned.


Visual Art/virtual Art: Teching Technology for Meaning
Freedman, Kerry, Art Education
Today visual representations are available to anyone with access to television, computers, film and other mass media. Visual forms of culture have become more accessible than literary forms. Americans have more televisions and video recorders and spend more on advertising per capita than any other nation. Approximately onethird of the early adolescents in the U. S. watch five or more hours of television a day. Many more students, from childhood through adolescence, watch national network television than are being taught through the same school curriculum. In a sense, television has become the national curriculum and the media now provide "edu-tainment." In this world of imagery, how should we teach art?
One answer to this question is that we should focus on the ways in which students use technology. Without such a focus, the merely technical aspects of computing are likely to pervade in schools (Streibel, 1993), and inappropriate generalizations about learning with technology will guide instruction. In art education, student use of technology must include consideration of both the production and viewing of technological images, as well as the ways such images come to have meaning. Even in classrooms where students do not have computers for production, they can learn how to analyze images created through the use of computer technology.
SEEING BELOW THE
The fragmented, often contradictory, multidisciplinary and intercultural references to knowledge that students interact with through visual technology may have more to do with student understanding of the subject than does curriculum based on the structure of a discipline. Such postmodern visual experience should not be made to fit into modernist curriculum frameworks (Efland, Freedman, & Stuhr, 1996). Instead, the interpretive, didactic, and even seductive power of imagery (Freedberg, 1989) should be given attention in school.
In other words, the meaning of technological images cannot be simply understood in terms of what has been called "visual literacy," which has generally meant the semiotic reading of signs and symbols. As Neil Brown (1989) explains, the concept of visual literacy is an attempt to force images to fit illegitimately into a structuralist analysis of literary texts that tends to narrow visual meaning. Rather, a broad view of creative production and interpretation in relation to multiple meanings and visual qualities is called for if we are to understand and teach about the use of images in contemporary life.
The social conditions of viewing are vital to the way in which visual messages are received and understood (Morley, 1992). The process is a highly interactive relationship between imagery and audience in which cultural and personal meanings are created. Both cultural and personal meanings are created as a result of social knowledge, including, for example, gendered associations, formal and informal education, and socioeconomic level. Therefore, focusing only on the technical aspects of visual technologies, such as manipulating computer software or animating film, in curriculum may result in the loss of a vital aspect of imagery in students' lives.
PRODUCING ON SCREEN
Artistic production with computers is an important use of technology for students. The social aspects of this production include a concern about students becoming isolated and antisocial as a result of sitting in front of a screen. However, classroom research has demonstrated that students of various ages actually work best in groups when using computers in school (e.g., Johnson, Johnson, & Stanne, 1986; Rysavy & Sales, 1991). This conclusion has been reported based on studies of a range of computer uses, from databases (Ehman, Glenn, Johnson, & White, 1992) to computer graphics (Freedman, 1989), and involves a range of collaboration types, from pairs of students working at the same computer, to students who correspond by electronic mail. …


"Shoebox Book Project - TeacherWeb"
Due Date: _______________________ Shoebox Book Project The shoebox book project is an end-of-unit reading project to help show what you have learned about before, during, and after reading comprehension strategies. Use the book you read last to complete this assignment. This project is worth 100 points towards your reading grade, so make the most of it and do your very best. Each section should be typed neatly and glued on the appropriate location as indicated below. 3D visual display should be colorful, neat, and display your favorite scene of the book. Visualize: 3D display inside the shoe box – Include all …parts of the story you could picture in your mind and what you could see. …use setting clues and details to help you picture where your characters are. …pay attention to characters’ descriptions and actions to better understand the story. Reacting: Right side of the shoe box – Choose any 2 …how you feel about something that has happened in the story (happy, excited, angry, surprised, etc.) …something you found interesting. …what you like or dislike about the book and why. …why you chose the book. …whether or not you would recommend this book to another reader. Predict: Left side of the shoe box – Include all …what you think will happen next and support your predictions by saying “I think this because…” …what you figured about the story even though the author didn’t tell you. Connecting: Back of the shoe box on the right side – Choose any 1 …how the book reminds you of something from your life (text-to-self). …how the book reminds you of another book, especially the characters, events, or setting (text-to-text). …how the book reminds you of something happening in the world (text to world). Questioning: Back of the shoe box on the left side – Include all …what you are wondering about as you read. Use appropriate strategies for answering these questions. Summary: Top of the shoe box – Include all …important information you want to remember from your reading. …what the main idea the author wants you to remember.


Policy Reforms and Financing of Elementary Education in India: A Study of the Quality of Service and Outcome
AbstractEven as a case can be made out for public spending on elementary education, its link with enrolment rates does not appear strong. However, once efficiency and demand-side factors are accounted for, public spending is seen to make an impact on the rate of enrolment and quality of education as measured by teacher-pupil ratio. Teacher-pupil ratio and the number of schools, in turn, are seen to have a stronger impact on the rate of enrolment in efficient states. Literacy rates as well as state domestic product were seen to have a positive influence on education. The share of public expenditure on elementary education in GDP peaked in 1990-91 but never achieved the targeted level of 6 per cent of GDP. The reforms brought a break in the growth rate of public expenditure on elementary education, from which not all the states could recover even over an extended period of time.
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Bibliographic InfoPaper provided by National Council of Applied Economic Research in its series Working Papers with number 93.
Length: 46 pages
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- Lau, Lawrence J. & Jamison, Dean T. & Liu, Shu-Cheng & Rivkin, Steven, 1993. "Education and economic growth Some cross-sectional evidence from Brazil," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 45-70, June.
- Sahn, David E., 1992. "Public expenditures in sub-Saharan Africa during a period of economic reforms," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 20(5), pages 673-693, May.
- Taylor, Lance, 1993. "The rocky road to reform: Trade, industrial, financial, and agricultural strategies," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 21(4), pages 577-590, April.
- Gabriela Inchauste, 2000. "Educational Choices and Educational Constraints - Evidence from Bolivia," IMF Working Papers 00/42, International Monetary Fund.
- Lorraine Dearden & Javier Ferri & Costas Meghir, 1998.
"The effect of school quality on educational attainment and wages,"
IFS Working Papers
W98/03, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
- Lorraine Dearden & Javier Ferri & Costas Meghir, 2002. "The Effect Of School Quality On Educational Attainment And Wages," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 84(1), pages 1-20, February.
- Lorraine Dearden & Javier Ferri & Costas Meghir, 2000. "The effect of school quality on educational attainment and wages," IFS Working Papers W00/22, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
- Benedict J. Clements, 1999. "The Efficiency of Education Expenditure in Portugal," IMF Working Papers 99/179, International Monetary Fund.
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License in elementary education
Master's degree in library science
2. Successful experience in teaching information literacy and technology desirable
Develop and implement a library media program integrated with the classroom instructional program
Performance will be evaluated by the building principal in accordance with the provisions of the master contract.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND PERFORMANCE RESPONSIBILITIES:
In the area of learning and teaching, the
1. Identify content appropriate for each grade level from the district's Information Literacy curriculum and teach to students. Instruction will be integrated with the districts K-5 technology curriculum and when appropriate and possible, with classroom activities.
2. Develop and implement the districts K-5 technology curriculum.
3. Assist with district curriculum development by participating in team planning and teaching, serving as a classroom resource person and providing instructional materials support.
4. Promote and assist staff and students in the use of a variety of resources.
5. Assist with student and staff production projects.
6. Promote and support the appropriate use of technology by students and teachers.
7. Provide reading guidance and encourage reading for both enjoyment and information.
8. Design instruction for diverse learning abilities, styles and needs and model and promote effective and creative teaching strategies.
9. Help students become independent users of information.
10. Provide inservice to teachers on emerging technologies.
11. Consult with parents on services of the library.
Ability to collaborate with a variety of people
Student-centered and caring; excited about teaching
Good communication skills
Flexible and positive
Knowledge of curriculum, information problem-solving, resource-based learning, information literacy, and general education
Knowledge of computers and other technologies
Good organizational skills
Current in children's, young adult and adult literature
Evidence of a strong academic background
In the area of program administration, the
1. Design and implement a building library program, consistent with building and district goals.
2. Coordinate daily operation of the building library.
3. Train and supervise library staff, student aides and volunteers.
4. Communicate library program goals clearly to building principal and staff.
5. Communicate with principal and/or district library coordinator regarding program development and concerns.
6. Administer the building media budget.
7. Plan and manage the distribution and storage of all library materials and equipment to provide maximum access for faculty and students.
8. Provide flexible and convenient access to the library.
9. Organize and maintain records of acquisitions, holdings, circulation, etc., for hardware and materials inventory, maintenance, and access purposes
10. Select materials (print and non-print) according to board policy and supporting regulations.
11. Ensure that equipment is maintained and repaired as needed.
12. Establish a public relations program to inform the school of library program activities.
13. Encourage use of the library and its equipment and materials by students and teachers.
14. Participate in district-level meetings, inservices, committee work and curriculum writing.
15. Remain current in the profession through professional reading, associations and conference attendance.
16. Establish a friendly, productive atmosphere in the library.
Bending, carrying, climbing, driving, lifting, pushing-pulling, reaching, sitting, standing, walking.
1. Includes extremes of temperature and humidity.
2. Hazards include stairs and communicable diseases.
TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT:
Ankeny Community School District - 15 months ago


What is the Orff Music Program?
The Orff music program was developed by Austrian composer Carl Orff, who incorporated rhythm and movement with music. In Orff classes, rather than “learn” rhythm, children “experience” it through movement, dance and song. Eventually, the method teaches children to read music.
Peggy Wise, director of a Chicago school for young musicians and a national advisor on Orff programs, says: Orff prepares children for note reading just as preschool gives them readiness skills for math and reading. They use all parts of their body to explore music. They stand for high notes, sit for low ones, and when the music picks up they run about faster, clapping their hands or stomping their feet to the beat. They also sing songs with easy to follow rhythms, keeping pace on xylophones, tambourines, maracas, or other handheld instruments. If they can sing a melody, they can learn to play it on the xylophone. They learn that to make certain rhythms they have to skip over notes and then come back to those same notes.
When they can sing and feel the music, they can transfer it to the staff. They learn that the staff is really a road map or a picture of where the notes are going. They can sing it. They can play it. Now they see and are ready to read it.
Increased physical coordination, concentration, listening skills and memory span are also an outgrowth of the Orff program, which combines imaginative play and creative expression with a music experience that affirms the individual’s self esteem by acknowledging the dignity and beauty of each child’s unique inner spirit.
The Conservatory’s Orff program begins with four year olds and progresses through to third graders. Early rudimentary rhythm exercises evolve into solid music theory skills and the introduction of private lessons on a specific instrument.
Leta Bontrager has her Orff Schulwerk certification, Levels I III, from the University of Denver and is certified to teach Music Education in Colorado for grades K 12. She is a graduate in music education with a piano major from Goshen College, Goshen, IN. Ms. Bontrager has a strong piano background and has instructed privately for more than 30 years. She has taught music and led Orff workshops in Jefferson County, Littleton, and Denver Public School Districts.
Ms. Bontrager’s Orff and piano skills reinforce the Conservatory’s philosophy of assuring solid music theory within the framework of experiential music opportunities which are age appropriate.
Class Information for 2012 – 2013
Wednesdays begin September 19
11:40 a.m. – 12:40 p.m 4 year old
12:45 – 1:45 p.m 4 year old
2:10 – 3:10 p.m Kindergarten
4:00 – 5:00 p.m 1st Grade
5:00 – 6:00 p.m 2nd & 3rd Grade
Cost – $580 for 30 week session
($290 due with registration and $290 due by January 2013)
(other payment options available)
Please contact Conservatory Coordinator – Barbara Hulac with any questions.
303-355-1651 ext. 105


The kindergarten through second grade assessment (formerly known as SAT 10) measures basic reading and math skills. It is a norm-referenced assessment designed to measure individual student achievement compared to national norms. The K-2 assessment provides a benchmark of how students perform on the foundational skills required for success in future grades.
In 2012-13, more than 100 Tennessee school districts decided to participate in the K-2 assessment, which resulted in important new student performance information. In the 2013-14 school year, districts will continue to have the option to participate in the K-2 assessment.
The Tennessee Department of Education identified the groups of standards which correspond to some of the most important topics and skills for students to master in each grade or course. These standards, called Focus Clusters, include standards for kindergarten, first and second grade for the 2013-14 school year. Please visit TNCore.org for more information on the K-2 Focus Clusters: http://www.tncore.org/math/standards_and_shifts/focus_standards.aspx.