March 2010
RtI for English Language Learners (ELLs): Appropriate Screening, Progress Monitoring, and Instructional Planning
This presentation focuses on improving educational outcomes for ELLs through culturally and linguistically responsive implementation of an RTI framework in elementary reading. Specifically, presenters will discuss critical considerations to appropriately use screening and progress monitoring data to improve reading outcomes for ELLs. The presentation addresses the factors that influence ELLs’ academic success and provides information about the selection and use of screening and progress monitoring data based on students’ unique backgrounds and needs. A case study of a first grade ELL student illustrates the recommendations.
Wednesday, April 29, 2010 from 2:00-3:00 pm EST
This webinar is free and pre-registration is not required! For more information as well as instructions for joining the session please refer to http://www.rti4success.org/index.php?option=com_events&task=view_detail&agid=211&year=2010&month=04&day=29&Itemid=126.
PIRC K-12 Family Fun Calendar
The Florida Parental Information and Resource Center (PIRC) has created monthly Family Fun Calendars to promote parent involvement specifically for children K-12. These calendars are available in English at http://www.floridapartnership.usf.edu/documents/Newsletter%20and%20Calendar/K12/2010_04_K12_cal_ENG.pdf and in Spanish at http://www.floridapartnership.usf.edu/documents/Newsletter%20and%20Calendar/K12/2010_04_K12_cal_SPN.pdf. Please use and share as appropriate.
World-Renowned Expert on Verbal Behavior Teaches 4 Courses Exclusively Available through Florida Tech!
As part of their Distinguished Behavior Analysts Series, Florida tech is offering ongoing online four course series dedicated to intensely exploring verbal behavior, especially as applied to typically developing children as well as children with autism or language delays. Explore B.F. Skinner’s classic (1957) Verbal Behavior and Mark Sundberg’s work on Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment (VB-MAPP). Individuals can choose to take single classes in the series, however participation in all four is recommended for full understanding of the material. 22.5 Type II BACB® CEUs will be issued for participation in all of the workshops. View the individual courses and register online at http://www.fit.edu/bst/ceu/distinguished.php#Sundberg.
April CHADD Meeting
Please join us for the April meeting of Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD). One (1) CEU for Lee County Teacher Inservice Credits are available.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Med Room 2-3
Lee Memorial Hospital
2776 Cleveland Avenue
Fort Myers, Florida
CHADD Meetings are free and open to the public. These meetings are monthly and occur on the first Tuesday of each month. For more information please contact Lynne Lampila, Chapter President, by phone at (239) 466-1167.
Become a Goodwill GoodGuide
Goodwill Industries International is proud to launch a new program designed to assist youth in overcoming disadvantages and plan careers. The national youth mentoring program — known as Goodwill GoodGuides™ — will help teens finish school and transition into productive careers, with the guidance of trusted adults. The overall goal of the Goodwill GoodGuides program is to help youth build career plans and skills, and prepare for school completion, post-secondary training and productive work by providing structured and supportive relationships with trusted, caring adult volunteer mentors. The program targets youth between the ages of 12 and 17 who are least likely to have trusting relationships with adults due to a variety of risk factors, such as failure in school due to poor grades or low attendance, or are at risk for delinquency due to issues such as abuse, disability, drug or alcohol dependence, family violence, or gang membership. Read more at http://www.goodwill.org/press-releases/goodwill-to-help-mentor-teens-through-goodguides-program/.
Collaboration and Support Over Pay
According to a massive new survey underwritten by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Scholastic, Inc., American teachers are more interested in school reform and student achievement than their paychecks, reports the Associated Press. The national poll, the largest of teachers ever completed, includes the opinions of teachers in every grade, in every state, and across every demographic, and was conducted to keep teachers’ voices in the debate over education reform, according to the Gates Foundation’s director, Vicki Phillips. Most teachers surveyed said they feel students in their states are doing okay in school, but believe fewer than 75 percent will graduate from high school ready to succeed in college and work. More value non-monetary rewards like collaboration time with other teachers and a supportive school leadership over higher salaries. Only 28 percent felt performance pay would have a strong impact, with 30 percent feeling it would have no impact at all. A majority of teachers said they would like to see tougher academic standards common to every state, despite the extra work these could create for them. Teachers are not opposed to standardized tests, despite union lobbying against them in states like Washington. But instead of yearly tests, teachers would prefer formative, ongoing assessments to help them understand how much their students are learning over time. Read more at http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2010/03/02/more_than_40000_us_teachers_surveyed/?rss_id=Boston.com+–+Education+news. See the survey at http://www.scholastic.com/primarysources/download.asp
Deep Reform Underway in Pittsburgh
Issues of what makes a teacher effective and who gets to decide this are among those facing administrators in the Pittsburgh Public Schools and the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers as they begin implementation of a new performance pay plan, reports The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The plan, part of the $40 million grant that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded the district last year, includes seven core initiatives designed to improve teacher efficiency and the learning environment in the school district. These include the creation of a Promise-Readiness Corps, a team of teachers who will shepherd the same group of students from ninth through 10th grade. The plan also calls for expanded career opportunities through the creation of six new job classifications that would account for 400 teaching positions; a teacher academy to train incoming teachers in certain subjects, and a teacher practice and evaluation system. The district will also streamline its human resources operation and information technology platform to better track and place teachers and students. In addition to the $40 million grant awarded to the Pittsburgh schools, the foundation is also funding a two-year research project in eight school districts around the country — including Pittsburgh — to come up with a method of teacher evaluation. Read more at http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10068/1041269-298.stm#ixzz0hsqwtHii.
Implementation of Florida’s Next Generation Sunshine State Standards in Mathematics
Fairly significant changes are coming regarding the implementation of Next Generation Sunshine State Standards in mathematics. It is important that district administrators, school administrators and teachers be familiar with the instructional changes that should take place in order to help our students succeed under these new standards. Please view the FLDOE memo at http://info.fldoe.org/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-5682/dps-2010-37.pdf.
Podcast About a Partnership Between FGCU and Veterans Elementary School
The following is a podcast about the ongoing partnership between Florida Gulf Coast University and Veterans Elementary School. View at http://www.vmetech.com/School-wide%20events%20menu.html.
The Costs of Disinvestment: Why States Can’t Afford to Cut Smart Early Childhood Programs
The Partnership for America’s Economic Success through The Pew Charitable Trusts has issued a new issue brief entitled The Costs of Disinvestment: Why States Can’t Afford to Cut Smart Early Childhood Programs (January 2010), which argues that states can save money and stimulate their economies by protecting funding for effective pre-kindergarten and home visiting programs. The brief presents evidence showing that investing in early childhood programs is fundamental to achieving a globally competitive workforce and fiscal sustainability for states and the nation. It is available online at http://www.pewtrusts.org/our_work_report_detail.aspx?id=56874.
