"30 Voices of LD" Deadline Extended
NCLD is looking for works of art, photography, poetry, videos, essays, short stories, Web sites, blogs, etc. that express what life is like for individuals with learning disabilities. Submit your artwork by the new extended deadline of March 9, 2007 for a chance to win one of three grand prizes of $500 for outstanding works from children (ages 4-13), teens (ages 14-17), and adults (ages 18 and up). Thirty entries will also be showcased on the NCLD Web site and at NCLD’s 30th Anniversary benefit dinner on April 25.
Child Development Series -- Hearing, Listening and Processing Issues
On February 13, 2007, Dr. Sheldon H. Horowitz, NCLD's Director of Professional Services, discussed hearing, listening and processing issues in the Child Development Series of the KidsDadsMoms.com talk radio show on World Talk Radio. Make sure to check the KidsDadsMoms.com archive page, linked above, for a transcript of the discussion.
Number of Students in Special Education Questioned
Recent investigations reveal that some school districts improperly assign children to special education -- with a large number of students misdiagnosed based on race or ethnicity. Also revealed is a tendency to focus on reducing paperwork rather than focusing on appropriate classification.
Summer Research Training Institute Announced
The National Center for Education Research, Institute of Education Sciences is sponsoring a Summer Research Training Institute on June 17-29 in Nashville, Tenn., covering the implementation of randomized group trials in education settings. Postdoctoral, junior, and senior researchers in education are encouraged to apply. Deadline is February 28, 2007, by 8:00 P.M., EST.
Monitoring Student Progress in the Classroom to Enhance Teaching Planning and Student Learning
The National Center on Student Progress Monitoring is hosting a Webinar on February 20 from 2:00 P.M. to 3:30 P.M. EST. The Webinar features Dr. Lynn Fuchs, a member of NCLD's Professional Advisory Board, and nationally recognized expert on classroom-based assessment and instructional methods to enhance outcomes for students with disabilities. In order to attend, click here. (A meeting key is not required for the event.)
Changes to the U.S. Education System Recommended (PDF, 28 pages)
The New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce has released "Tough Choices or Tough Times," a new report that suggests some large-scale changes to the U.S. education system such as high-quality early education for all four year olds and at-risk three year olds, better salaries for teachers, and the enrollment of some students in college after tenth grade.
Opening Doors: How Low Income Parents Search for the Right SchoolA new report from the Center on Reinventing Public Education finds that low-income parents use the same techniques and tools to make school-choice decisions as wealthier parents. The study also indicates that when children are involved in decision-making, parents are more satisfied with the school than if their children are not a part of the process.
Portrait of Young Hispanics in the U.S. Released (PDF, 1 page)
The National Task Force on Early Childhood Education for Hispanics has released a demographic portrait of young Hispanics in the United States, indicating among its findings that 20 percent of children from birth through age eight are Hispanic and that although many Hispanic children are from immigrant families, close to 90 percent are United States citizens.
College Learning for the New Global Century (PDF, 73 pages)
College Learning for the New Global Century, a new report about the aims and outcomes of a 21st-century college, discusses ways in which Americans can fulfill the promise of a college education for every student.
Costs Preventing Students from Attending Top-Choice Schools
A new survey indicates that many college students are not attending their top choice college -- not because they were rejected but because they simply can't afford it, with more than half of students accepted into their top choice attending second or third choices instead.
Foreign Language Learning Disabilities -- Are they Real?
Recent research has indicated the possibility of a "foreign language learning disability," but Richard Sparks, in an article in the Journal of Learning Disabilities, argues that the idea is premature and incorrect.
Closing the Achievement Gap
A new brief from the National Center on Children’s Poverty reports that before entering kindergarten, the average cognitive scores of children in the lowest socioeconomic group are 60 percent lower than those in the highest socioeconomic group. The brief offers strategies to help teachers close this achievement gap in literacy and math.
Free Play Imperative in Academic Programming
Several new research studies and reports indicate that free play and unstructured free time from cognitive tasks are essential parts of academic programs, though policymakers and educators continue to shift focus and funding elsewhere.
On the Clock: Rethinking the Way Schools Use Time (PDF, 22 pages)In an effort to raise student achievement, states and school districts across the nation are considering increasing the amount of time students spend in school -- from extending the school day by several hours to extending the school year by days, weeks, or even months.
Discrepancy Found Between State and National Testing Results
Recent reports show that although state testing indicates students are performing better than ever, students are still lagging behind in national testing. The discrepancy between the tests points toward the need for states to reassess testing standards in order to better prepare students for what awaits them beyond high school.
New Research on Achievement Gap Released
A new study from Northwest Evaluation Association revealing new research on the achievement gap indicates among its findings that minority and non-minority students who start at the same place are growing at different rates, causing the achievement gap to actually widen over time.
Census Highlights Life Aspects That Effect Child Well-Being
According to a new U.S. Census Bureau report on child well-being, children who live in families below the poverty level, who have parents that are less educated, or who live in single-parents families tend to have less daily interaction with their parents and are less likely to participate in extracurricular activities and be academically on track than other students.
Whole-Language High Jinks
A new report from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute exposes ineffective reading programs that claim to be scientifically based and that may be more harm for your child than good. The report also offers questions that teachers can ask when selecting reading programs to assure they have been proven to be effective.
New President of the National Board for Education Sciences Appointed
Craig T. Ramey, director of Georgetown University's Center for Health and Education, has been elected Chairman of the National Board for Education Sciences, the presidentially-appointed advisory panel of the Institute of Education Sciences in the U.S. Department of Education. Sally Shaywitz and Joseph Torgeson of NCLD's Professional Advisory Board also serve on the Board.
Rethinking High School
A new WestEd study examines the results of a 2002 campaign to transform New York City public high schools by replacing the lowest performing schools graduating only half of their students with new, smaller schools. Findings indicate that attendance is high, ninth grade promotion rates are high, and a majority of students are graduating from the smaller schools.
Promoting Partnerships with Head Start and Pre-K (PDF, 19 pages)
A new report published by Pre-K Now in collaboration with the Center for Law and Social Policy evaluates the benefits of the collaboration of federally funded Head Start and state-funded pre-K programs to improve educational value for children, using information from states like Illinois, New Jersey, and Wisconsin that already implement this type of partnership.
Decline in Literacy Expected by 2030
A recent report identifies three factors that may contribute to the decline in literacy by 2030 -- a shifting labor market increasingly rewarding education and skills, a changing demographic that includes a rapid-growing Hispanic population, and a growing achievement gap in reading and math. These changes may also lead to a sharp decline in the middle class.
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