New England Equity Assistance Center: NEEAC, promoting equity and access to high-quality education for all students

News Archive: 2007

December 2007

The New England Equity Assistance Center is pleased to announce the appointment of Sharon Lloyd Clark as its new director.

Having previously held the position of executive director of High Schools with the Providence Public Schools, Ms. Lloyd Clark replaces Dr. Maria F. Pacheco, who is currently directing a newly funded 5-year program. Ms. Lloyd Clark has extensive experience and expertise in working with schools around issues of equity and diversity. She has a national reputation for her considerable impact on high school reform issues, especially with urban, low-performing schools. Please join us in welcoming Ms. Lloyd Clark in continuing the NEEAC's mission of promoting equitable practices in K–12 public education programs.

For Ms. Lloyd Clark's bio please visit our staff page.

Teacher Training in New Bedford, MA

In November, NEEAC staff supported the New Bedford Public schools in the delivery of a professional development model for content area teachers who work with English language learners (ELLs). The training, "Category II: Sheltering Content Instruction," was developed by the Massachusetts Department of Education. The training enabled participants to plan and conduct content classes that are based on standards contained in the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks and that engage ELLs who are at different levels of English proficiency.

 

November 2007

NEEAC presents at the 17th Annual National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME) conference

On November 2, 2007, NEEAC Equity Specialist Randy Ross presented a workshop at the NAME Conference, in Baltimore, Maryland. The theme for this year's conference was "Charting the Course to Academic Excellence and Equity through Multicultural Education." Ms. Ross' presentation focused on building an equitable school culture that nurtures empathy among students and educators.

For more information visit: www.nameorg.org

EVENTS

International Bullying Prevention Association Annual Conference,
November 5–8, 2007, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

The International Bullying Prevention Association (IBPA) held its 4th Annual Conference "Best Practices on Bullying and School Violence Prevention," on November 5–8, 2007, in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. This year's conference featured international experts, keynote addresses, and more than 60 breakout sessions.

For more information visit: www.stopbullyingworld.com

Center for Research on the Educational Achievement and Teaching of English Language Learners—Webcast Seminar, November 8, 2007

The Center for Research on the Educational Achievement and Teaching of English Language Learners (CREATE) presented a free webcast seminar on: "Making Standards-Based Lessons Understandable for English Language Learners: The Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) Model" on November 8, 2007, from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. EST/12:00 – 1:30 p.m. PST. In this presentation, Jana Echevarria, Professor of Education at California State University, Long Beach, provided an overview of the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) Model of instruction, which provides educators with a research-based approach for making standards-based lessons understandable for English learners.

RESOURCES & REPORTS

New Disproportionality Newsletter from NERRC

The Northeast Regional Resource Center's new electronic newsletter, "Disproportionality News," focuses on issues related to the disproportionate representation of children of color in special education. Understanding and addressing the complexities of disproportionality are more important then ever as minority children continue to constitute an increasing percentage of public school children.

View the newsletter here: www.rrfcnetwork.org/content/view/75/114/

 

October 2007

NEEAC works with the Northern Rhode Island Collaborative on "Assisting English Language Learners: Developing a Framework for Differentiating Learning Differences from Disability"

During the month of October, NEEAC staff conducted a series of workshops on: "Assisting English Language Learners: Developing a Framework for Differentiating Learning Differences from Disability," to educators from the Northern Rhode Island Collaborative. The series of workshops provided an opportunity for educators and administrators to consider processes, decisions, and communications paths in every day practice when assisting English language learners. During these sessions, a framework was presented for implementing and applying a culturally responsive Child Study Team process when working with English language learners to distinguish learning difficulties from learning disabilities. Participants who completed the series of workshops were eligible to receive 12 PDP's or one college credit.

Second Cohort of Category 4 Teacher Training in Massachusetts

In August, NEEAC staff completed a three-day training in Leominster, Massachusetts, for the second cohort of Category 4 Trainers. The training "Making the Connection: English Language Learners and Subject Matter Text, A Professional Development Unit for Category Four," was co-developed by NEEAC and MADOE staff. The training provided initial guidance and skills to Massachusetts' secondary content area teachers who have English language learners in their classrooms. The training enabled participants to make modifications in curriculum, instruction, and assessment for the benefit of English language learners.

EVENTS

New England Conference on Multicultural Education, October 11, 2007

The New England Conference on Multicultural Education was held on October 11, 2007, at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, Connecticut. This year's theme was "Best Practices in Multicultural Education: PK–12 and Higher Education." Attendees examined ways to reduce racial, ethnic, and economic isolation; learned about innovative programs that infuse multicultural education into the curriculum; highlighted the work of exceptional individuals and programs engaged in teaching tolerance; and discussed effective strategies in implementing multicultural education. The NEEAC was a co-sponsor of this event, which was designed for PK–12 and higher education teachers, administrators, parents, students, and community members.

Stand Up to Bullying: Strategies to Make Connecticut Safe for Learning, October 22, 2007

This forum was sponsored by the Office of the Child Advocate, the Commission on Children, and other partners, including the New England Equity Assistance Center.

NEEAC staff, Randy Ross, senior equity specialist, offered a presentation on the "Bullying and Harassment of Immigrant Children" in Hartford, Connecticut.

OELA Summit VI, Washington, DC, October 29–31, 2007

The U.S. Department of Education's Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students (OELA) held its 6th Annual Summit on October 29–31, 2007 in Washington, DC. The Celebrate our Rising Stars Summits have sought to equip educators of all levels with essential elements for English language learner (ELL) success while offering training in effective methods and practices and research on their ELLs.

For more information, visit: www.oelasummit.org

 

AUGUST 2007

NEEAC Staff Present at MetroCenter’s Summer Institute

NEEAC Director Maria Pacheco and Equity Specialist Sara Smith each presented sessions at the MetroCenter’s Summer Institute, "Journeys to Equity in Education: Creating Successful Outcomes for All Students in Pluralistic School Communities." Held at New York University on July 18–19, 2007, the institute focused on encouraging equitable policies and practices to address issues of disproportionality — the inappropriate over-representation of racial and ethnic minority children in special education and discipline. Dr. Pacheco led a session on "Creating Tools for ELL Program Development and Improvement" in which she presented principles for building responsive learning environments for English language learners (ELLs) and engaged participants in creating a tool for use in their schools. Ms. Smith conducted a session on "Writing Strategies for ELLs in Secondary Content-Area Classes" where she introduced research-based instructional practices that support ELL writing development and worked with participants to analyze ELL writing to determine the best approaches for improvement. This event was sponsored in part by the Region 2 Equity Assistance Center, and NEEAC was pleased to collaborate with our neighbor Equity Assistance Center.

NEEAC Staff Present at AGELE Conference

NEEAC Equity Specialist Randy Ross presented two workshops at the Association for Gender Equity Leadership in Education (AGELE) National Conference, held July 8–11, 2007 in San Diego, California. Ms. Ross presented "Teaching Empathy in Our Schools." Ms. Ross and Jan Perry Evenstad of the Interwest Equity Assistance Center presented "Immigrant Girls and Gender Equity: How Can We Better Meet Their Needs."

At the meeting, Ms. Ross was named conference chair for next year's AGELE National Conference, which will be held in Peabody, Massachusetts. The theme will be "Building Leadership for Diversity: Examining the Gender Intersect." The planning for this event is already underway, so please check back with NEEAC News or visit the AGELE website: www.agele.org.

Teacher Training in New Bedford

NEEAC staff completed a 30-hour professional development training for teachers in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The training was entitled "Enhancing Instruction for ELLs" and used the Leading With Diversity document (The Education Alliance at Brown University, 2005) as a sourcebook. Over the course of the five-day session, participants moved from theory to practice as they explored a number of themes, including: principles and theory of second language acquisition; language variety; culture, cognition and learning; and making curriculum culturally responsive. In addition to their coursework, teachers completed a final project, either designing a lesson that applied the research discussed or preparing a case study of an individual student and a plan for differentiating instruction given his/her language and culture. The 30 participating teachers taught at all levels from elementary to high school, and all received 3 graduate credits for their work.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Grants to Address Youth Violence and Related Issues in Persistently Dangerous Schools

The U.S. Department of Education's Grants to Address Youth Violence and Related Issues in Persistently Dangerous Schools Program supports the implementation of programs, activities, and strategies that address youth violence and related issues in local educational agencies (LEAs) with schools that have been identified as persistently dangerous for school year 2006–2007. Eligible applicants are LEAs in which at least one school was identified as persistently dangerous in the school year 2006–2007.

Additional application information is available at: www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/announcements/2007-3/070907a.html

Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program Grants

The U.S. Department of Education's Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) program provides grants to help HSIs expand educational opportunities for, and improve the academic attainment of, Hispanic students. The HSI Program grants also enable HSIs to expand and enhance their academic offerings, program quality, and institutional stability. Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education (IHEs) that qualify as eligible HSIs. To be an eligible HSI, an IHE must have an enrollment of undergraduate FTE students that is at least 25 percent Hispanic students, among other criteria.

Additional application and eligibility information is available online at: www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/announcements/2007-3/071107a.html

 

July 2007

NEEAC and MADOE complete final version of Sheltered English Immersion Training

In July 2007, NEEAC and the Massachusetts Department of Education (MADOE) completed work on the final version of a professional development curriculum for Massachusetts teachers. The training, “Making the Connection: English Language Learners and Subject Matter Text, A Professional Development Unit for Category Four,” was piloted last summer in a training of trainers session. The session content and materials were co-developed by NEEAC and MADOE staff and addressed the skills secondary content-area teachers need to support English Language Learners' reading and writing. Feedback from the pilot session was incorporated into the final version, which will be used in training the second cohort of Category 4 trainers in early August 2007.

For more info, visit: www.doe.mass.edu/ell/profdev/

MADOE seeks new members for Bilingual/ELL Advisory Council

The Massachusetts Department of Education’s Advisory Council on English Language Learners/Bilingual Education is seeking members for the fall of 2007. Parents of English language learners, educators, and community representatives with expertise in the education of English language learners were invited to apply. Nominations were accepted through July 2007.

U.S. Supreme Court rules on the use of race in school plans for integration

Read the full opinion here (185 pages, pdf format):

www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/06pdf/05-908.pdf

EVENTS

Metro Center for Urban Education's 3rd Annual Summer Institute, July 18–19, 2007

The Metropolitan Center for Urban Education's Equity Assistance Center (EAC) and the Technical Assistance Center for Disproportionality (TACD) in partnership with the New York State Education Department hosted its third annual Summer Institute July 18–19, 2007 in New York City. This year's theme was “Journeys to Equity in Education: Creating Successful Outcomes for all students in Pluralistic School Communities.” The institute provided practitioners, researchers, and technical assistance providers an opportunity to explore the multiple issues that affect the educational opportunity of students of color and to collaborate on addressing these issues.

CREATE Conference on Academic Language for Middle School ELLs, October 1–2, 2007

CREATE (Center for Research on the Educational Achievement and Teaching of English Language Learners) is sponsoring its first conference, "Academic Language and Content: A Focus on English Language Learners in the Middle School," on October 1–2, 2007, in Oak Brook, Illinois. Featured speakers include CREATE researchers and other experts in the field, including Diane August, David Francis, Mary Schleppegrell, Deborah Short, Catherine Snow, Guadalupe Valdes, and Aida Walqui.

For more information, visit: www.cal.org/create/events/conference.html

New England Conference on Multicultural Education, October 11, 2007

The New England Conference on Multicultural Education will be held on October 11, 2007 at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, Connecticut. This year's theme is "Best Practices in Multicultural Education: PK–12 and Higher Education." Attendees will examine ways to reduce racial, ethnic and economic isolation; learn about innovative programs that infuse multicultural education into the curriculum; highlight the work of exceptional individuals and programs engaged in teaching tolerance; and discuss effective strategies in implementing multicultural education. The NEEAC is a co-sponsor of this event, which is designed for PK–12 and higher education teachers and administrators, parents, students, and community members.

MATSOL Special Conference on Adolescent ELL Literacy, November 16, 2007

The Massachusetts Association of Teachers of Speakers of Other Languages (MATSOL) will hold a special conference, “Strengthening the Literacy of Adolescent ELLs,” on November 16, 2007 in Leominster, Massachusetts. Featured keynote speakers are Margarita Calderón and Aída Walqui. Discussions and presentations will consider recent research and classroom strategies to support adolescent English language learner literacy.

RESOURCES & REPORTS

New Disproportionality Newsletter from NERRC

The Northeast Regional Resource Center's new electronic newsletter, “Disproportionality News,” focuses on issues related to the disproportionate representation of children of color in special education. Understanding and addressing the complexities of disproportionality are more important then ever as minority children continue to constitute an increasing percentage of public school children.

View the newsletter: www.rrfcnetwork.org/content/view/75/114/

Cyber-bullying Resource

The website StopCyberbullying.org offers information for students, parents, educators, and law enforcement officials about the growing problem of cyber-bullying — "when a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones.” The site is a project of the non-profit organization Wired Kids, Inc., which works against all forms of cyberabuse.

Access the resource: www.stopcyberbullying.org/index2.html

 

June 2007

NEEAC Staff learn and connect at national EAC meeting

Four NEEAC staff members, Director Maria Pacheco and Equity Specialists Randy Ross, Sara Smith, and Phyllis Hardy, attended the three-day national meeting of Equity Assistance Centers (EACs) in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in late May 2007. Though the beaches were beautiful, a full schedule of workshops and presentations allowed little time for lounging. Highlights from the event included a presentation on recent and pending litigation addressing civil rights in education, a presentation on Response-to-Intervention training by Jerry Graniero, director of the Southeastern EAC, and job-alike discussions where staff from all EACs compared issues, challenges, and effective solutions. The EAC staff also heard from federal officials who oversee the EAC program, and they participated in staff-led breakout workshops focusing on topics related to EAC work. For example, Sara Smith and Phyllis Hardy attended a session on cultural diversity training that used multimedia stories of individual children to convey principles of responsive education. Though both NEEAC staffers present on this topic often, they gained new insights into training approaches and activities that they can now incorporate into their own professional development sessions. Overall, NEEAC staff felt the meeting was very successful as a venue for professional sharing and exploring emerging equity issues, and they appreciated the chance to connect with their counterparts around the country.

NEEAC specialist presents at AGELE Conference, July 8–11, 2007

NEEAC Equity Specialist Randy Ross will present several workshops at the Association for Gender Equity Leadership in Education (AGELE) National Conference. This year’s conference, with the theme “Moving Research to Practice: Gender Equity in a Diverse Society,” will be held on July 8–11, 2007 in San Diego, California. Ms. Ross will present two workshops during the conference: “Teaching Empathy in Our Schools” and, with Jan Perry Evenstad of the Interwest Equity Assistance Center, “Immigrant Girls and Gender Equity: How Can We Better Meet Their Needs?”

For more information visit: www.agele.org

EVENTS

TESOL Academy at Boston University, June 22–23, 2007

Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. (TESOL) held TESOL Academy 2007 at Boston University on June 22–23, 2007. The program featured six 10-hour workshops focused on key issues and areas of practice intended for a wide variety of TESOL practitioners, from lesson planning for a multilevel class and helping English language learners succeed in the mainstream classroom to vocabulary in language learning.

For more information visit:
www.tesol.org/s_tesol/sec_document.asp?CID=23&DID=7776

US ED's Teacher-to-Teacher Summer Workshop in Lowell, MA, August 6–7, 2007

As of this posting, space is still available in the U.S. Department of Education's Teacher-to-Teacher Summer Workshop in Lowell, Massachusetts on August 6–7, 2007. This free workshop will be held at the Boots Cotton Mills Tsongas Industrial History Centers, a federal park managed by the U.S. National Park Service. The focus of the workshop will be science, history and the arts, grades K–12.

For more information visit:
https://www.t2tweb.us/Workshops/EventInfo.asp?EventID=54

OELA Summit VI, Washington, DC, October 29–31, 2007

The U.S. Department of Education's Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students will hold its 6th Annual Summit on October 29–31, 2007 in Washington, DC. This year's Summit aims to equip educators at all levels with effective instructional methods, practices, and research on their English language learners. Among the Summit materials online, you can find a “Professional Development Request Letter” you can use in requesting your supervisor’s permission to attend the Summit.

For more information, visit: www.oelasummit.org/

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Grant Program to Help Immigrants Learn English in Innovative Ways

The Ray Solem Foundation is offering one-time grants of up to $10,000 each to nonprofit organizations that have found creative ways to help immigrants in the U.S. further their verbal English language skills. Applications are evaluated on the basis of the degree of creativity, imaginativeness, innovation, and success shown in the organization's approach to teaching verbal English. Funding is awarded to continue ongoing work performed by the recipient organization. Application Deadline: July 31, 2007.

Safe Schools/Healthy Students Grants

The U.S. Department of Education's Safe Schools/Healthy Students program (SS/HS) supports the implementation and enhancement of integrated, comprehensive community-wide plans that create safe and drug-free schools and promote healthy childhood development. LEAs and consortium of LEAs are eligible. Application Deadline: June 19, 2007.

Additional application information is available online at:
www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/announcements/2007-2/051007d.html

Smaller Learning Communities Grants

The U.S. Department of Education's Smaller Learning Communities (SLC) program awards discretionary grants to LEAs to support the implementation of SLCs and activities to improve student academic achievement in large public high schools with enrollments of 1,000 or more students.  SLCs include structures such as freshman academies, multi-grade academies organized around career interests or other themes, "houses" in which small groups of students remain together throughout high school, and autonomous schools-within-a-school, as well as personalization strategies, such as student advisories, family advocate systems, and mentoring programs. Application deadline: July 17, 2007.

Additional application information is available online at:
www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/announcements/2007-2/051807e.html

Toyota International Teacher Program’s Costa Rica Study Program

The Toyota International Teacher Program seeks applicants to participate in a fully funded ten-day study program to eastern Costa Rica during February 24–March 7, 2008. Administered by the Institute of International Education, the program is designed to expose educators of all classroom disciplines to the diversity of Costa Rica's peoples and ecosystems in an effort to inspire the creative teaching of international, cultural, and environmental themes in U.S. schools and communities. Eligible applicants must: be a U.S. citizen; be employed full-time as a teacher in grades 7–12; work in one of the fifty states or the District of Columbia; have a minimum of three years, full-time teaching experience by the time of the program; and expect to continue teaching at the secondary school level through at least the 2008–09 school year. Application deadline: September 7, 2007.

RESOURCES & REPORTS

New Report: Children in Immigrant Families—The U.S. and 50 States: National Origins, Language, and Early Education

A new report by Child Trends and the Center for Social and Demographic Analysis of the State University of New York at Albany draws on new results of Census 2000 data to take a closer look at children in immigrant families. Among its findings, the report suggests that a substantial majority of children in immigrant families live with a parent who is fluent in English (nearly three in five); three in four children in newcomer families (74 percent) are fluent in English; and children in immigrant families are less likely than children in native-born families to be enrolled in early education programs which can foster their language integration and school readiness.

Access the report here:
www.fcd-us.org/resources/resources_show.htm?doc_id=479561

 

May 2007

NEEAC presents at Northern New England TESOL Conference, May 5, 2007

NEEAC Assistant Director Maria Wilson-Portuondo gave the keynote lecture and lead a workshop presentation at the Northern New England TESOL (NNETESOL) Conference on May 5, 2007 in Wells, Maine. Ms. Wilson-Portuondo's address, "Special Needs or Learning Disability? General Education or Special Education? The Ongoing Challenge," drew on current research and her experience with NEEAC helping schools and districts make Student Study Teams more culturally responsive by building their knowledge of language, culture, and school factors that impact the learning and behavior of English language learners (ELLs). Her workshop, "The Interrelationship of Culture, Language, and Disability," explored how ELLs can be erroneously referred for special education services and discussed steps to prevent misidentification.

To learn more about NNETESOL and this event, visit: www.nnetesol.org

NEEAC staff attend national meeting of Equity Assistance Centers, May 20–23, 2007

Several NEEAC staff members attended a national meeting of Equity Assistance Centers (EACs) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida from May 20–23, 2007. The event provided an opportunity for staff from the ten regional EACs to share approaches and strategies for addressing equity problems, to discuss key issues facing their regions, and to meet with officials from the U.S. Department of Education who oversee the EAC program. Though EAC directors meet periodically, this is the only meeting during the 3-year grant period that includes other EAC staff members.

To learn more about the EAC program and centers in other regions, visit: www.ed.gov/programs/equitycenters

NEEAC presents at Magnet Schools of America Conference, April 29–May 3, 2007

NEEAC Director Maria Pacheco presented and participated in a panel discussion on equity issues at the Magnet Schools of America national conference, held April 29–May 3, 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Dr. Pacheco discussed "English Language Learners: Issues and Approaches to Instruction in the Magnet School Context."

To learn more about the Magnet Schools of America Conference, visit: www.magnet.edu/modules/content/index.php?id=33

Connecticut Summer Institute: Developing a Multicultural Curriculum, August 14–16, 2007

The Connecticut State Department of Education's Bureau of Education Equity will hold its annual summer institute, "Developing a Multicultural Curriculum," from August 14–16, 2007 at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center in Ledyard, Connecticut. Since 1994, this nationally-recognized three-day program has provided thousands of educators with the skills and knowledge they need to understand and implement a culturally responsive education program. The institute is designed for PK–12 teachers and administrators, teacher educators, student teachers, and higher education faculty who want to support a culturally-responsive curriculum while working towards eliminating bias and harassment in schools. The fee is $100 for Connecticut residents, $150 for non-residents.

pdf iconDownload conference brochure

The New England Conference on Multicultural Education, October 11, 2007

The New England Conference on Multicultural Education will be held on October 11, 2007 at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, Connecticut. This year's theme is "Best Practices in Multicultural Education: PK–12 and Higher Education." Attendees will have the opportunity to examine ways to reduce racial, ethnic and economic isolation; learn about innovative programs that infuse multicultural education into the curriculum; highlight the work of exceptional individuals and programs engaged in teaching tolerance; and discuss effective strategies in implementing multicultural education. The NEEAC is a co-sponsor of this event, which is designed for PK–12 and higher education teachers and administrators, parents, students, and community members.

Translating NCELA Resource: "If Your Child Learns in Two Languages"

The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (NCELA) invites school districts and organizations to translate its popular resource, "If Your Child Learns in Two Languages," into any language not yet available on the NCELA website. Currently, NCELA offers the publication in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Armenian, Korean, and soon Tagalog. Designed to help parents make informed and appropriate decisions about their child's education, the publication includes information for parents about their rights, the school procedures, and the research related to the education of limited English proficient (LEP) students. NCELA is unable to provide compensation for translations, but organizations will receive credit on the website. If you are interested in providing a translation, please email askncela@gwu.edu for details.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Postsecondary Access for Latino Middle-grades Students (PALMS) Project

The Postsecondary Access for Latino Middle-grades Students (PALMS) Project requested applications for its first cohort of PALMS Outreach Leaders. PALMS selects up to five schools that will use PALMS materials to create a Latino family outreach program focused on increasing the number of students who plan for higher education. During the 2007–08 school year, these five schools will progress through the phases of program development together. PALMS staff will offer the schools additional supports such as newsletters, presentations on relevant topics, advice from current implementation sites, and links to relevant research. PALMS will hold a training event during the summer of 2007 to help schools launch their outreach work. Schools are selected based on a short application that demonstrates their commitment and capacity to create a partnership between school staff and Latino families. Application deadline: May 22, 2007.

Toyota Family Literacy Program

The National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) seeks five school districts to implement the Toyota Family Literacy Program, an initiative designed to improve the language and literacy skills of Hispanic and other immigrant families. NCFL considers school systems with high or fast-growing Hispanic and immigrant populations that require family literacy services and that can demonstrate the capability to deliver these services in the fall of 2007. Application deadline: May 9, 2007

 

April 2007

NEEAC begins school climate work in Fairhaven, MA

In March 2007, NEEAC Director Maria Pacheco and Equity Specialist Randy Ross met with the Fairhaven, Massachusetts School Committee to present a plan for assessing school climate in the district's high school. NEEAC has been working with the district since 2006 to plan the project, which will include focus groups with teachers, administrators, students, and parents as well as reviews of district policies related to bullying and harassment. From this data, NEEAC will prepare recommendations and suggest possible interventions. The Fairhaven School Committee expressed support for NEEAC's proposed activities, and NEEAC staff members have begun carrying out the school climate assessment, which should conclude later this spring.

Read the Standard-Times article "Civil rights program to examine school climate in Fairhaven."

NEEAC delivers diversity trainings to Woonsocket, RI teachers

In April 2007, NEEAC staff concluded a series of seven diversity trainings for teachers in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Based on The Education Alliance at Brown University's publication A Teacher's Guide to Diversity: Building a Knowledge Base, these sessions developed teachers' knowledge of second language acquisition and cultural factors important to teaching English language learners. NEEAC trainers combined an overview of theory with practical strategies for the classroom.

View/download A Teacher's Guide to Diversity: Building a Knowledge Base.

NEEAC works with Brookline, MA teachers to improve literacy instruction for ELLs

This month NEEAC Equity Specialist Sara Smith concluded a series of four trainings for teachers and specialists in Brookline, Massachusetts on the topic of "Reading and Writing for English Language Learners." Based in part on The Education Alliance at Brown University's publication, Approaches to Writing Instruction for Adolescent English Language Learners: A Discussion of Recent Research and Practice Literature in Relation to Nationwide Standards, the trainings introduced teachers of middle and high school students to research-based instructional practices that can improve adolescent ELL literacy.

View/download Approaches to Writing Instruction for Adolescent ELLs.

National High School Center highlights New Hampshire Dropout Prevention Program

In March 2007, the federally funded National High School Center released a new resource, "New Hampshire's Multi-Tiered Approach to Dropout Prevention." This snapshot highlights the New Hampshire Department of Education's innovative approach in data collection and analysis at the school level to unlock the dropout problem. It examines the implementation of Achievement in Dropout Prevention and Excellence (APEX II), a dropout prevention program, designed to reduce the state's dropout rate by 20% by 2009.

Read/download the snapshot: "New Hampshire's Multi-Tiered Approach to Dropout Prevention"

New Issue Brief on Literacy of English Language Learners

The Alliance for Excellent Education released a new issue brief, Urgent but Overlooked: The Literacy Crisis Among Adolescent English Language Learners, which reviews the existing research on literacy instruction for America's roughly two million adolescent English language learners and examines the challenges that America's secondary schools face in educating them.

Access the brief here: www.all4ed.org/publications/UrgentOver.pdf

The U.S. Department of Education's Teacher-to-Teacher Summer Workshops

The U.S. Department of Education is sponsoring teacher workshops in 23 cities this summer. These Teacher-to-Teacher workshops, held for the fourth straight year, give teachers the chance to learn best practices from fellow educators who have had success in raising student achievement. This year's co-hosts include two government agencies, the National Park Service (NPS) and NASA, along with a number of university and corporate partners.

Two workshops will be in the New England region. In Waltham, Massachusetts on July 25 & 26, 2007, science and math sessions will be held. In Lowell, Massachusetts on August 6 & 7, 2007, history, science and arts sessions will be held.

Learn more here: https://www.t2tweb.us/Workshops/About.asp

New Web Resource: Involving Refugee Parents in their Children's Education

The Bridging Refugee Youths & Children's Services (BRYCS) Monthly Spotlight profiles strategies teachers can use to improve refugee parental involvement. The resource provides definitions of parent involvement; discusses why it is important in a student's education; and examines cultural, language, literacy and education level, and logistical factors that influence the participation of refugee parents in parent-teacher activities.

Read the spotlight here: www.brycs.org/brycs_spotspring2007.htm

New Book: Special Education Considerations for English Language Learners: Delivering a Continuum of Services

By Else Hamayan, Barbara Marler, Cristina Sanchez-Lopez, and Jack Damico

[Publisher's description] How can educators serve English language learners (ELLs) who are experiencing learning difficulties at school? Special Education Considerations for English Language Learners: Delivering a Continuum of Services advocates the creation of school-based teams that include ESL/bilingual specialists, special education specialists, and other professionals who collectively have the expertise needed to explore factors that influence ELLs' response to intervention. The authors provide tools and strategies that intervention teams can use to assess the nature of the ELLs' learning difficulty, collaborate in service provision, create a continuum of services, and measure the ELLs' response to intervention.

For more information on this book, visit Caslon Publishing.

 

February/March 2007

MABE/MATSOL Conference on ELL Literacy, March 8–9, 2007

This year's 2007 joint conference of the MA Association for Bilingual Education (MABE) and the MA Association of Teachers of Speakers of Other Languages (MATSOL) carried the theme "Literacy for English Language Learners in MA: The Data, The Research, Our Practice." The conference was held March 8–9, 2007 in Leominster, Massachusetts. The NEEAC co-sponsored the event, and several of The Education Alliance at Brown University staff presented, including Maria Pacheco, Maria Wilson-Portuondo, Sara Smith, and Phyllis Hardy.

Dunn Institute's Learning Differences Awareness Conference, March 3, 2007

The Learning Differences Awareness Conference, sponsored by the Dunn Institute, brought together parents, teachers, administrators and national experts in the field of learning differences to discuss the ways in which children learn and the support systems available to assist them. This year's keynote speaker was noted psychologist and author, Dr. Robert Brooks. Participants were able to choose from 15 breakout workshops. The conference was held on March 3, 2007 at the Providence Marriott.

For more information, visit: www.dunninstitute.org

The FCSN Conference for Families of Children with Special Needs and Professionals Who Serve Them, March 10, 2007

The Boston-based Federation for Children with Special Needs (FCSN) held its annual statewide conference for parents and professionals who work to enhance educational, mental health, health, and family support services for children with disabilities. This year's conference theme was "Visions of Community." The conference was held March 10, 2007 at the World Trade Center, Boston. Over 30 workshops, including strands in Spanish and Portuguese, were offered along with vendors, exhibitors, and organizations.

The TESOL 2007 Convention, March 21–24, 2007

The TESOL (Teachers to Speakers of Other Languages) association held its 41st annual convention on March 21–24, 2007 in Seattle, Washington. This year's theme was "Spanning the Globe: Tides of Change."

For more information, visit: www.tesol.org/s_tesol/seccss.asp?CID=1244&DID=6071

New Funding Opportunities from the U.S. Department of Education:

Demonstration Grants for Indian Children
The purpose of the Demonstration Grants for Indian Children program is to provide financial assistance to projects that develop, test, and demonstrate the effectiveness of services and programs to improve the educational opportunities and achievement of preschool, elementary, and secondary Indian students. Eligible applicants for this program are State educational agencies (SEAs); local educational agencies (LEAs); Indian tribes; Indian organizations; federally supported elementary or secondary schools for Indian students; and Indian institutions. Application deadline: March 12, 2007.
Additional information

Parent Information and Training Program
This program is designed to support projects that provide training and information to enable individuals with disabilities, and the parents, family members, guardians, advocates, or other authorized representatives of the individuals, to participate more effectively with professionals in meeting the vocational, independent living, and rehabilitation needs of individuals with disabilities. Eligible applicants are private nonprofit organizations that meet the requirements in section 303(c)(4) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. Application deadline: March 14, 2007.
Additional information (including applicant eligibility criteria)

Voluntary Public School Choice (VPSC) Program
The Voluntary Public School Choice (VPSC) program supports efforts to establish or expand intradistrict, interdistrict, and open enrollment public school choice programs to provide parents, particularly those of children at low-performing public schools, with expanded education options. Grant funds support: planning and implementation costs associated with new programs; tuition transfer payments to public schools; and efforts to strengthen the capacity and quality of schools to meet the demand for choice and provide equitable access to such programs. State education agencies, local education agencies, or partnerships that include both, and other public, for-profit or nonprofit organizations are eligible. Application deadline: April 2, 2007.
Additional information and materials

New Resource for Bullying Prevention

The latest issue of Greater Good magazine contained an article of interest to those concerned with school bullying: "Playground Heroes: How Can We Teach Kids to Stick Up for Peers who are Bullied." Researchers Ken Rigby and Bruce Johnson discuss how children often serve as passive bystanders to bullying. Yet when these bystanders do intervene, they're usually successful in stopping the bullying. How can parents and teachers effectively encourage children to intervene when it's appropriate? Drawing on the results from a six-country study that they ran, Rigby and Johnson offer concrete strategies for helping children act on their best intentions.

 

January 2007

NEEAC Girls from Immigrant Families Symposium, February 12, 2007

The New England Equity Assistance Center's symposium, "Girls from Immigrant Families: Enhancing Opportunities, Challenging Assumptions," will be held on February 12, 2007 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Worcester, Massachusetts. A panel discussion, interactive keynote, and breakout sessions will explore key issues affecting girls from immigrant families. We will also discuss policies and practices that can support these girls' success in school.

This event is designed for state and local educators responsible for: ELL education (Title III); programs for immigrant and refugee students, Title IX and equity issues; parent engagement; guidance, counseling, and mental health; and migrant education.

Symposium information >

MABE/MATSOL Conference on ELL Literacy, March 8–9, 2007

This year's 2007 joint conference of the MA Association for Bilingual Education (MABE) and the MA Association of Teachers of Speakers of Other Languages (MATSOL) carries the theme "Literacy for English Language Learners in MA: The Data, The Research, Our Practice." The conference will be held March 8–9, 2007 in Leominster, Massachusetts.

Call for presenters to October 2007 New England Conference on Multicultural Education

The 12th Annual New England Conference on Multicultural Education seeks presenters to address "Best Practices in Multicultural Education." The conference will be held October 11, 2007 in Hartford, Connecticut. Session proposals should focus on effective programs, lesson planning, and curriculum development and should provide educators with immediately applicable skills and strategies. Proposals deadline: January 29, 2007.

Word icon Call for Proposals - Information | Word icon Proposal Submission Form
For more information, contact Randy Ross at 800-521-9550 x 275 or Randy_Rossbrown.edu.

Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (FREE) Website

The Federal Resources for Education Excellence (FREE) website has been redesigned to improve navigation and images. A new "subject map" shows more than 100 topics and the number of resources for each. This is the first redesign of FREE since the site was created in 1998, but the goal of FREE remains the same: to make it easier for you to find more than 1500 teaching and learning resources available from the federal government.
http://free.ed.gov

New report on crime and safety in U.S. public schools

A new report from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) presents national-level information about crime and safety in U.S. public schools as reported by school principals, including the frequency of criminal incidents at school, the use of disciplinary actions, and efforts to prevent and reduce crime at school. Data come from the 2003–04 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS:2004).
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2007302rev

 

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