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Triangle Coalition Electronic Bulletin
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This Week's Topics:
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| Scientists from Triangle Coalition member, the American Geological Institute (AGI), and the U.S. Geological Survey lead students at Langston Hughes Middle School in Reston, VA, in a hands-on exploration of earth science on No Child Left Inside (NCLI) Day, October 14, 2008. The activities engaged students in “learning stations” on topics such as water chemistry and biological diversity. The event coincided with "Earth Science Week 2008" (October 12-18), a week of special activities designed to encourage young people to learn about the geosciences by getting away from the television, off the computer, and out of doors. Next year, "Earth Science Week" will be held October 11-17, 2009. “No Child Left Inside,” has become a rallying cry for a growing movement nationwide. Under the NCLI banner, various agencies and nonprofits, from USGS and the National Park Service to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, have recently conducted activities to help young people experience the benefits of outdoor activity. In addition, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the “No Child Left Inside” Act (HR 3036) on September 18, 2008, authorizing funding improvements in environmental education. The American Geological Institute is a nonprofit federation of 45 geoscientific and professional associations that represents more than 120,000 geologists, geophysicists and other earth scientists. AGI provides a wide range of educational resources on their website, including curriculum materials and activities organized by grade level, along with many other resources. Find out more at www.agiweb.org/geoeducation.html. . |
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| The DTE Energy Foundation is accepting applications for its Energy & Our World Mini Grants for Educators program. The program has awarded nearly $800,000 since 1990 to teachers statewide to fund science projects that encourage students' curiosity and excitement about energy. "These grants provide teachers with funding for special science projects that school budgets typically cannot afford," said Carol Moore, DTE Energy Education and Community Relations representative. "Last year the program awarded grants to 142 teachers for really wonderful projects that helped students better understand energy and the energy industry." Teachers of grades K-12 in public, non-public, and charter schools within DTE Energy's service territory may apply for the grants. Recipients will be selected by a panel of education personnel, who will look for the best interdisciplinary projects that incorporate problem-solving, decision-making, and critical thinking skills. Grants typically range from $50 to $250, but some proposals may be funded for more. This year the DTE Energy Foundation is especially interested in funding projects that teach students about power generation, energy distribution, renewable energy technologies, environmental issues, and energy conservation. For more information, visit www.dteenergy.com/minigrants.
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U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings recently hosted a roundtable discussion on performance pay for educators with policymakers, researchers, and state and local education leaders from across the nation at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C. Participants discussed ways the federal government can further support this growing movement. Spellings also released "Lessons Learned About Implementing Performance-Based Pay," which outlines best practices in implementing performance pay systems. "Nothing helps a child learn as much as a great teacher," said Secretary Spellings. "Yet we often find our most experienced and effective teachers in our least challenging settings. Until this trend is reversed, we will not be able to solve our education system's -- and our country's -- biggest challenges. We must do a better job of treating teachers like the professionals they are and rewarding those who take on tougher work and get results." . |
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| National Semiconductor Corp. has announced grants totaling up to $1.2 million for K-12 math and science programs. The grants promote teacher development programs which reinvigorate science and math curriculum in an effort to raise students' comprehension of these critical subjects. National is providing Power of Education grants to educational organizations in Silicon Valley, CA; Arlington, TX; and Southern Maine -- National's three major U.S. operating communities. The grants will fund projects which embrace inquiry-based teaching strategies and demonstrate impact and sustainability in math and science. For example, linking hands-on science with language literacy has been demonstrated as an effective strategy to improve test scores. This is supported by studies recorded in the Journal of Research and Science Teachings. A suitable example is Maine's Math & Science Alliance's "Linking Science, Inquiry and Language Literacy Project" (L-SILL) which encourages and designs teaching tools to help educators link hands-on science with reading and writing. The L-SILL Project has resulted in noticeably higher test scores in math, science and reading. Similar educational strategies in the Silicon Valley and Arlington will be supported by National's Power of Education grants, including a pilot study at Santa Clara Unified School District in Silicon Valley which mirrors Maine's L-SILL Project. Additional information is available at www.national.com. . |
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The "Helping Your Child" publication series from the U.S. Department of Education aims to provide parents (and others) with the tools and information necessary to help their children succeed in school. The booklets are topic related and feature practical lessons and activities to help children with math and science. The "Helping Your Child Learn Science Every Day" publication is filled with opportunities to learn science -- without expensive chemistry sets or books. Parents don't need degrees in chemistry or physics to help their children learn science. All that is needed is a willingness to observe and learn with them, and, above all, to make an effort and take the time to nurture their natural curiosity. This booklet provides parents of children aged 3 through 10 with information, tools and activities they can use in the home and community to help their child develop an interest in the sciences and learn about the world around them. The "Helping Your Child Learn Mathematics" booklet is made up of fun activities that parents can use with children from preschool age through grade 5 to strengthen their math skills and build strong positive attitudes toward math. More details are online. . |
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| High school seniors have returned to school this fall confident that their course loads are challenging enough to prepare them for the rigor of college study. They might be wrong. Strong American Schools recently released "Diploma to Nowhere," a study which highlights the fact that many college freshmen need to take remedial classes to relearn skills they should have been taught before graduation. The study also reveals that remediation affects students of all income and ethnicities and the psychological impact that remediation has on these students. According to the report, remediation in public institutions costs roughly $2.5 billion every year to provide students with the content and skills that high schools failed to provide them. New York City Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein observed that "the extent to which students are graduating high school unprepared for the challenges of college is clearer now than ever. The report highlights the need for strong standards and assessments to ensure that students leave school ready to meet post-graduate challenges. We simply can't afford, either economically or as a society, to fail to provide students with the education they need." The report shows that well over a million incoming college students must take remedial courses to acquire basic academic skills in math and reading in order to take and comprehend entry-level college courses. And, no one is more surprised by the failings of American high schools than the students those schools have recently graduated. Even some students who took advanced classes and achieved good grades required remediation. Strong American Schools, a project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, is a nonpartisan campaign supported by The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The full report is available online. . |
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TCEB Sponsors
3M To find out how your organization can sponsor the TCEB or support the Triangle Coalition in other ways, visit www.trianglecoalition.org/support.htm __________________________________________________________________________ |
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