IEA Newsletter for Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Welcome to the Institute for Education and the Arts weekly newsletter for March 28, 2007. The newsletter is published each Wednesday morning to the IEA listserv and is archived here on the IEA blog.

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REPORTS AND PUBLICATIONS
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PARA NUESTROS NINOS: EXPANDING AND IMPROVING EARLY EDUCATION FOR HISPANICS
National Task Force on Early Childhood Education for Hispanics
Reported in EdNews, 3/8/07
“Hispanic children, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, continue to lag behind non-Hispanic Whites on measures of school readiness and school achievement, including in reading and mathematics. At the same time, there is growing evidence that large state-funded prekindergarten (pre-K) programs are producing valuable school readiness gains for Hispanic youngsters who have the opportunity to attend them. Head Start also is beneficial. In addition, high quality infant/toddler programs can contribute to greater school readiness. Thus, the earlier Hispanic children have access to high quality educational programs, the better.”
Read the EdNews article: http://www.ednews.org/articles/8718/1/Hispanic-Children-Gain-an-Academic-Edge-When-Their-Education-Starts-Early/Page1.html
Read the Para Nuestros Ninos report: http://www.ecehispanic.org/

STUDIES MIXED ON NATIONAL CERTIFICATION FOR TEACHERS
Debra Viadero, Education Week, 3/7/07
”Does having a teacher who is nationally certified make a difference when it comes to boosting student test scores? Yes and no, according to a set of working papers published online by the National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research, or CALDER. The four reports draw on statistics from Florida and North Carolina. One paper found that North Carolina students in classes taught by nationally certified teachers learned significantly more over the course of a school year than students of teachers without that distinction. But a separate study of Florida students concluded that teachers with the credential seemed to be more effective only in some grades, some subjects, or some tests. Apart from the national-certification question, center researchers found that: teacher experience mattered in both states; Florida teachers who had taken more pedagogical-content courses produced better learning gains than teachers who had taken fewer such courses; and North Carolina students learned significantly more when their teachers held regular teaching licenses, as opposed to emergency or other kinds of state certification, and from teachers who had scored higher on state licensing exams.”
Read about it in Education Week (free subscription required): http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2007/03/07/26teach.h26.html
Read the report: http://www.caldercenter.org/research/publications.cfm

THE COSTS AND BENEFITS OF AN EXCELLENT EDUCATION FOR ALL OF AMERICA’S CHILDREN
Center for Benefit-Cost Studies of Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, 2007
“The U.S. taxpayer could reap $45 billion annually if the number of high school dropouts were cut in half, according to a new study conducted by a group of the nation’s leading researchers in education and economics. The savings would be achieved via extra tax revenues, reduced costs of public health, crime and justice, and decreased welfare payments. Even a one-fifth reduction would result in an annual $18 billion public savings, according to the study, whose figures do not even include the private benefits of improved economic wellbeing that would accrue to the new graduates themselves. The study identifies five cost-effective educational strategies already shown to boost high school graduation rates and estimates that the country could save a net of $127,000 per each new graduate added through “successful implementation of the median” of the five interventions.”
Read the report: http://www.cbcse.org/pages/cost-benefit-studies.php

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KEEPING THE ARTS IN SCHOOLS
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EDUCATORS CHARGE ARTS LAG UNDER NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND
Chris Roberts, Minnesota Public Radio, 3/13/2007
"No Child Left Behind, the massive education reform act that President Bush signed into law in 2002, is up for re-authorization this year. The program has garnered praise in many circles for bringing more accountability to public schools. But some say it elevates certain subject areas at the expense of others. One subject critics say the act has "left behind" is arts education. . . . According to the Minnesota Music Educators Association, there's been a 6.5 percent decrease in the number of public school music teachers in the state since 2000. Many elementary schools now offer arts programs for just nine weeks out of the year. Nationally, arts education time in the classroom has dropped 22 percent since No Child Left Behind was enacted."
Listen and read more: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/03/13/nclbandarts/

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COMMENTARY: NATIONAL EDUCATION STANDARDS
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THE CASE FOR NATIONAL STANDARDS IN AMERICAN EDUCATION
Commentary by Rudy Crew, Paul Vallas, and Michael Casserly, Education Week, 3/5/07
“In the absence of a clear and consistent set of national academic standards for what should be expected of all children, each state instead sets its own standards for what kids should know and be able to do. Sometimes these standards are high; often they are not. Either way, they drive the teaching and learning in America’s classrooms and serve to perpetuate the nation’s educational inequities at a time when we should be working to overcome them. It’s as if we are telling all our students to climb a mountain to get a high school diploma, yet while some work hard to reach a 9,000-foot peak, others are asked to scramble up a 3,000-foot hill. The disparities in what schools expect of students and teach them are profound, and they play out daily in the nation’s classrooms. To meet standards in one state, a student may not have to distinguish integers as even or odd until 4th grade, add fractions until 6th grade, or multiply and divide fractions until 7th grade. Meanwhile, a child attending school in another state is expected to calculate the perimeters and areas of basic shapes in 4th grade, and multiply and divide fractions in the 5th grade. No matter when these skills are taught, students are often expected to know them at very different levels of depth and rigor.”
Read the commentary: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2007/03/05/26crew.h26.html

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SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION
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SHIFT IN REGIONAL EDUCATION LABS’ ROLE STIRS CONCERN:
NEW MISSION BALANCES RIGOROUS STUDIES WITH CONSTITUENT SERVICES
Debra Viadero, Education Week, 3/14/07
“Since the mid-1960s, a far-flung system of regional laboratories has served as the federal government’s bridge between research and practice in education. Until recently, many of those labs had been run by the same organizations since the program’s inception. Education administrators had long called on the labs for professional-development programs, management help, research reviews, and various other expert services. Those long-standing relationships were jolted last spring, however, when the Institute of Education Sciences, the arm of the U.S. Department of Education that oversees the labs, announced the results of its latest laboratory competition. Under the new five-year contracts, the 10 regional labs received new missions, and in four cases, new operators. Their new charge is to spend more time doing slow, careful, and rigorous education research and less time on some of the constituent services that some educators in the field had been used to getting. Now, nearly a year later, the shift in focus is prompting complaints from some longtime customers.”
Read more (free subscription required): http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2007/03/14/27labs.h26.html

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GRANTS, FUNDING, CONTESTS, AND AWARDS
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NEA FOUNDATION LEARNING & LEADERSHIP GRANTS
Grants support public school teachers, public education support professionals, and/or faculty and staff in public institutions of higher education for one of the following two purposes: Grants to individuals fund participation in high-quality professional development experiences, such as summer institutes or action research; or grants to groups fund collegial study, including study groups, action research, lesson study, or mentoring experiences for faculty or staff new to an assignment. All professional development must improve practice, curriculum, and student achievement. “One-shot” professional growth experiences, such as attending a national conference or engaging a professional speaker, are discouraged. Deadline: June 1, 2007
Learn more: http://www.neafoundation.org/programs/Learning&Leadership_Guidelines.htm

“CREATING ORIGINAL OPERA” TRAINING AT WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA, 7/27 – 8/3/07
Washington National Opera press release, 3/15/07
“This year Washington National Opera will take a national leadership role in The Metropolitan Opera Guild’s innovative program, “Creating Original Opera” (COO) in which students develop, produce and create an original opera/music theater work as part of their classroom curricula. In a weeklong program from July 27 – August 3, 2007 will train elementary through high school teachers from across the nation giving them the necessary skills, information and methodologies to guide their students in creating an original opera. Training will be held at Washington National Opera’s Costume and Rehearsal Studio in Washington, D.C. COO is a professional development program developed by The Metropolitan Opera Guild where partnerships are formed between educators of various disciplines to enable students to write, compose, design, build, promote, manage, document, and perform an original work … As a direct result of this training, participating teachers develop an in-school opera with their students, incorporating COO into their school curricula … The Metropolitan Opera Guild will not offer COO Training this summer, but has licensed Washington National Opera to present it on its behalf.” Application postmark deadline: 5/30/07.
Learn more: http://www.dc-opera.org/experience/education/educationcommunityprograms/schoolbasedprograms.asp#COO

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS ACCESS TO ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE GRANT
”To encourage and support artistic excellence, preserve our cultural heritage, and provide access to the arts for all Americans. This category supports projects that provide short-term arts exposure or arts appreciation for children and youth as well as intergenerational education projects.” Amount: up to $150,000 each. Deadline: Aug. 13 or March 12, depending on project type.
Learn more: http://www.arts.gov/grants/apply/Artsed.html

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IEA Newsletter for Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Welcome to the Institute for Education and the Arts weekly newsletter for March 21, 2007. The newsletter is published each Wednesday morning to the IEA listserv and is archived here on the IEA blog.

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REPORTS AND PUBLICATIONS
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SURVEY FINDS INTEREST IN BLEND OF TRADITIONAL AND ONLINE COURSES
Sean Cavanagh, Education Week, 3/5/07
”Online education is likely to continue to grow in popularity in the years ahead, and schools are expected to take an especially strong interest in “blended” courses that combine computerized lessons with traditional classroom instruction, a nationwide survey suggests. Sixty-three percent of the public school administrators who responded to the survey, set for release March 5 by the Sloan Consortium, say their schools are offering some kind of online learning. An additional 20 percent said they plan to begin such classes during the next three years, according to the report, K-12 Online Learning: A Survey of U.S. School District Administrators.
Read the Education Week article: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2007/03/05/26online.h26.html (free subscription required)
Read the full report: http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/survey/K-12_06.asp

MUSIC TRAINING ‘TUNES’ HUMAN AUDITORY SYSTEM
Science Daily, 3/13/07
”A newly published study by Northwestern University researchers suggests that Mom was right when she insisted that you continue music lessons -- even after it was clear that a professional music career was not in your future. The study, which will appear in the April issue of Nature Neuroscience, is the first to provide concrete evidence that playing a musical instrument significantly enhances the brainstem's sensitivity to speech sounds. This finding has broad implications because it applies to sound encoding skills involved not only in music but also in language. The findings indicate that experience with music at a young age in effect can ‘fine-tune’ the brain's auditory system. ‘Increasing music experience appears to benefit all children -- whether musically exceptional or not -- in a wide range of learning activities,’ says Nina Kraus, director of Northwestern's Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory and senior author of the study. ‘Our findings underscore the pervasive impact of musical training on neurological development. Yet music classes are often among the first to be cut when school budgets get tight. That's a mistake,’ says Kraus, Hugh Knowles Professor of Neurobiology and Physiology and professor of communication sciences and disorders.
Read the article in Science Daily magazine: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070312152003.htm
Read Northwestern’s press release: http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2007/03/music0.html

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ART EDUCATION LEADERSHIP
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NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL ART EDUCATION ASSOCIATON TO DRIVE PROGRESSIVE STRATEGIC VISION
NAEA press release, 3/8/07
"Deborah B. Reeve, Ed.D., has been named executive director of the National Art Education Association (NAEA). She joins the organization at a pivotal point in its history, succeeding former Executive Director Dr. Thomas A. Hatfield, who led NAEA for 22 years. NAEA is also implementing a new strategic plan, which was developed by the Board of Directors with the input of NAEA leaders and members. This new strategic direction places a higher priority on advancing the organization and the profession of art education in the world of the 21st century. ‘This is a time of extraordinary opportunity for the visual arts, and I am honored to be appointed executive director of NAEA,’ Reeve explained. ‘Think about this moment in time. On one hand, you have our innate character: humans are profoundly visual beings. On the other hand, you have the digital revolution with the ubiquity of portable digital imagery. Taken together, this creates an extremely promising environment for increasing the influence of the visual arts on society, culture and the individual.’
Learn more: http://www.naea-reston.org/newsitem2.html

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STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF SCHOOL
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SURVEY: BOREDOM SETSIN FOR MANY U.S. HIGH SCHOOLERS
CNN/Reuters, 2/28/07
“A majority of U.S. high school students say they get bored in class every day, and more than one out of five has considered dropping out, according to a survey released Wednesday. The survey of 81,000 students in 26 states found two-thirds of high school students complain of boredom, usually because the subject matter was irrelevant or their teachers didn't seem to care about them. ‘They're not having those interactions, which we know are critical for student engagement with learning,’ said Ethan Yazzie-Mintz, who led the annual survey by Indiana University researchers. Half of the students surveyed said they had skipped school without a valid excuse at least once, and 22 percent said they had considered dropping out. More than half said they spent an hour or less per week reading and studying.”
Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/02/28/students.survey.reut/index.html

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KEEPING THE ARTS IN SCHOOLS
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STUDENTS RALLY TO KEEP FINE ARTS IN SCHOOLS
Gary Scharrer, San Antonio Express-News, 3/11/07
“Hundreds of students from around Texas performed in the rotunda and on the Capitol steps Thursday to draw attention to Arts Education Day. A new study by the Texas Coalition for Quality Arts Education shows both students and schools with robust fine arts programs do better academically. Schools rated ‘exemplary’ had 61 percent of their students enrolled in fine arts courses, compared with 54 percent for ‘recognized,’ 51 percent for ‘acceptable’ and 44 percent at ‘low-performing’ schools. ‘We're not claiming that those statistics by themselves prove that having fine arts makes students smarter or are more likely to make them stay in school,’ said Robert Floyd, executive director of the Texas Music Educators Association. ‘But these statistics show that a high level of student participation in fine arts is one of the characteristics of outstanding high schools and middle schools in our state.’”
Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA031107.07B.Fine_Arts.31376be.html

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BRINGING THE ARTS INTO THE CLASSROOM
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TALK TO THE HAND:
A DYNAMIC ONLINE PROGRAM BRINGS PUPPETS (AND PLAY) TO THE CLASSROOM.
Burr Snider, Edutopia, 3/07
”For Georgianne Walsh, of New Jersey, a beloved raccoon puppet known as Chester acts as the official greeter for her kindergarten students every morning. Amy Wallace, who teaches in New York City, created a puppet named Maya about whom her first graders became so concerned that Wallace purchased a tent for her to sleep in at night. In Las Cruces, New Mexico, Toni Gross's preschoolers are endlessly intrigued by a mouth-shaped puppet named Besos she uses to demonstrate oral movement when teaching speech and language. These puppets, simple hinged paper devices, were all inspired by an innovative Web site called Puppetools.com. Brainchild of a boundary-busting educator named Jeffrey Peyton, Puppetools provides a wide array of resources designed to introduce teachers and students to a stimulating world of educational play centered on puppetry.”
Read the Edutopia article: http://www.edutopia.org/magazine/ed1article.php?id=Art_1800&issue=mar_07
Visit the Puppetools Web site: http://www.puppetools.com/

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EDUCATION POLICY
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TOWARD AN A+ IN CREATIVITY
Editorial, Boston Globe, 2/20/2007
“Judging a school by its test scores isn't a bad idea, it's just a limited one. A bill in the state Legislature would create a new measuring stick -- one that charts the chances students have to engage in creative activities. That might mean acting in the school play or being in the science fair. And as this century dawns, it should also mean engaging in multidisciplinary activities that may combine math and art or science and economics . . . the bill would set up a commission of cultural and business people as well as educators and legislative representatives to devise an index of creative and innovative education. ‘The index would rate every public school in the Commonwealth on teaching, encouraging, and fostering creativity in students,’ the bill's summary reads."
Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2007/02/20/toward_an_a_in_creativity/

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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
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MOUNT VERNON JOB OPENINGS
George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens, located outside of Washington, DC, announces a variety of employment opportunities in horticulture, technology, development, and seasonal/part-time work.
Learn more: http://www.mountvernon.org/mountvernon/about_us/index.cfm/ss/92/cfid/7278089/cftoken/91854241

ASSISTANT/ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, CREATIVE ARTS IN LEARNING DIVISION, LESLEY UNIVERSITY
”Reporting to the Director of the Creative Arts in Learning (CAL) Division, the on-campus core faculty member will bring an outstanding background as an artist, and knowledge of curriculum theory and qualitative research methods. This faculty member will teach courses including "Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment," and "Arts-based Research," develop new curriculum and research related courses, and mentor other core and adjunct faculty on curriculum and research methods. The position will also require advising students, contributing to recruitment and committee work, and other service to the CAL Division and the Lesley University community. Special projects and some administrative work will be required.”
Learn more: http://lesley.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp;jsessionid=2EC3BE8AC9857567C6568B1263FA3D5D?JOBID=5545&CNTRN

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GRANTS, FUNDING, CONTESTS, AND AWARDS
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GRANTS TO SUPPORT EDUCATION, CHILD ADVOCACY, MEDICAL RESEARCH, AND THE ARTS
The Charles Lafitte Foundation “supports four distinct charitable programs: Education, Children’s Advocacy, Medical issues, and the Arts. Together these programs act as a catalyst to effect ways of helping people help themselves and others around them to lead healthy, satisfying and enriched lives.” 501c-3 foundations are eligible. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. There is no application form, and the size of the financial award varies.
Learn more about this grant: http://www.charleslafitte.org/education.html

GRANTS FOR OUSTANDING ARTS-ORIENTED EDUCATORS
P. Buckley Moss Foundation 2007 National Teachers' Awards
”The P. Buckley Moss Foundation for Children’s Education and Moss Society give awards to recognize outstanding teachers who consistently integrate the arts into their teaching of children, especially those with learning disabilities and other special needs. The teacher awards are to recognize the creative, innovative and original work prepared by the nominee(s). These awards are to show awareness and appreciation of outstanding work of teachers who are helping their students be successful.” Deadline: 5/15/07. The maximum award is $2500.
Learn more: http://www.mossfoundation.org/page.php?id=73


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Special Announcement: Borders Educators Week

This is a special announcement from the Institute for Education and the Arts. Our regular newsletter is published each Wednesday morning to the IEA listserv and is archived on the IEA blog here.

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SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR EDUCATORS
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Borders Books & Music announces Educators Savings Week, March 22 – 27, 2007. During this time period, educators who show proof of employment will receive a 25% discount on books, CDs, DVDs, and more at Borders and Waldenbooks.

Learn more: http://www.bordersmedia.com/teachers/

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IEA Newsletter for Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Welcome to the Institute for Education and the Arts weekly newsletter for March 14, 2007. The newsletter is published each Wednesday morning and is archived here on the IEA blog.

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REPORTS AND PUBLICATIONS
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LEADERS AND LAGGARDS:
A STATE-BY-STATE REPORT CARD ON EDUCATONAL EFFECTIVENESS
U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 2007
Last week’s IEA newsletter reported about the release of Leaders and Laggards, a U.S. Chamber of Commerce report outlining the effectiveness of educational spending in each U.S. State. View a CNN interview with John Podesta, CEO of the Center for American Progress and former White House Chief of Staff during the Clinton Administration as he discusses the findings.
View the CNN story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIBhQsHTsLY
View the report: http://www.uschamber.com/icw/reportcard/default

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MUSIC EDUCATION
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EARLY MUSIC LESSONS CAN HAVE MAJOR BENEFITS
T.J. Banes, Gannett News Service/Ithaca Journal, 2/27/07
“His stockinged feet barely touching the floor, Adam Hammerle scoots to the edge of the piano bench for practice. He's one-fifth the weight of the instrument, but when his fingers press the keys to perform “A Snail's Dream,” Adam takes control of the shiny black grand. He takes a 30-minute lesson once a week, and he practices 10 to 15 minutes daily. At age 7, he's performed his first recital and already knows more music theory than his mother, Patti Hammerle, 38, who played an instrument in college. Adam, a first-grader, is among a growing number of youngsters enrolling in formal music lessons at an early age.”
Read more: http://www.theithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070227/LIFESTYLE02/702270305/1026/LIFESTYLE

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ARCHITECTURE AND VISUAL ART
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ART SUBMISSIONS SOUGHT
Institute for Community Research (ICR)
”The Institute for Community Research (ICR) is seeking submissions for the exhibition Crossroads II: Community-Based Collaborative Research for Social Justice, which will run from June 1–30, 2007 in Hartford, CT. Community-based artists, organizations and individuals are invited to submit work that is informed by social inequities and disparities, cultural identity, research, and social justice. The cost to submit work is $20.00 for any three pieces, which can be created in any material.
Submission deadline: March 23, 2007.”
Learn more: http://www.incommunityresearch.org/documents/CIILettertoArtistsGL3.8_000.pdf

IN MEDIEVAL ARCHITECTURE, SIGNS OF ADVANCED MATH
John Noble Wilford, New York Times, 2/27/07
”In the beauty and geometric complexity of tile mosaics on walls of medieval Islamic buildings, scientists have recognized patterns suggesting that the designers had made a conceptual breakthrough in mathematics beginning as early as the 13th century. A new study shows that the Islamic pattern-making process … appears to have involved an advanced math of quasi crystals, which was not understood by modern scientists until three decades ago. The findings, reported in the current issue of the journal Science, are a reminder of the sophistication of art, architecture and science long ago in the Islamic culture. They also challenge the assumption that the designers somehow created these elaborate patterns with only a ruler and a compass. Instead, experts say, they may have had other tools and concepts.”
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/27/science/27math.html?ex=1330578000&en=0183490d78d56453&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

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VALUE OF THE ARTS
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ARTS ADVOACY DAY STATEMENT (excerpt)
Margaret Spellings, U.S. Secretary of Education, 3/12/07
“The arts are a unique tool to stimulate and enrich learning. Not only do the arts encourage our children’s imagination and creativity, but they can also teach lessons of history, math, and other subjects in a more memorable and profound way. The arts also, as President George W. Bush has said, “…allow us to explore new worlds and to view life from another perspective,” a critically important skill for today’s global economy. Our education system is improving because of the concerns and involvement of so many who advocate for the arts.”

Read more: http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2007/03/03122007.html

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BRINGING THE ARTS INTO THE CLASSROOM
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FOLK TALE DRAMA ACTIVITY
PBSkids.org
Learn a simple technique that uses drama to help children envision new endings for classic folk tales. Recommended for early childhood classrooms.
http://pbskids.org/arthur/parentsteachers/activities/acts/folktale_play.html

DECIPHERING BUDDHA IMAGERY
Rick Groleau, NOVA, PBS
“Whether in the form of a wall painting, a statue, or some other religious artifact, an image of Buddha is meant to serve as an inspiration to Buddhists and as a way to honor and remember Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, as well as other Buddhas. But before you can honor a Buddha through his image, you have to recognize him—and there are many depictions in Buddhist art that resemble ‘The Enlightened One.’ Images of Buddha didn't begin to appear until the 1st century A.D., about 500 years after his death, yet they all share common traits.” This online interactive activity “reveals enough of these traits to allow you to easily recognize an image of Buddha. It will also help you understand the meanings of the five most common hand gestures, or mudras, used in Buddhist art.” Recommended for secondary classrooms.
View the interactive activity: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tibet/buddha.html

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INTEGRATING ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY
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PRINT, CUT, AND FOLD:
TANGIBLE TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS FOR STUDENTS
Paul Love-Kretchmer blogs about Jim L. Holland’s session at the
Texas Computer Education Association, 2/7/07
“Mr. Holland has a knack for using common objects in an uncommon way. The ease with which he converts a #10 envelope into a set of pockets for note cards reflects the ingenuity that is a common theme throughout his talk … The lecture included tips for creating projects from Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Using these familiar software programs, teachers and students create and publish a myriad of manipulatives designed to spark learning and facilitate retention. From Fan Decks created with a simple brad to an accordion book created with a simple “Z” fold, the projects just kept coming. Tri-Fold is a 3-d pyramid great for learning anything that comes differentiated into sets of three, such as the difference between to, too, and two. The mini book seems complicated to make, but instructions are available. Created without the need for tape or staples, it is a great format for publishing student work. Other examples include the Circle book, a Peek Over book, and many others. These projects seamlessly combine technology with content. Students master skills needed in the digital world while creating hands-on objects they can use for learning. “
Read more: http://www.eschoolnews.com/cic/tcea/blog/2007/02/001618.php

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EDUCATION POLICY
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GETTING RUBY A QUALITY PUBLIC EDUCATION: FORTY-TWO YEARS OF BUILDING THE DEMAND FOR QUALITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS THROUGH PARENTAL AND PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT
Arnold F. Fege, Harvard Educational Review, Winter 2006
Abstract: “In this article, Arnold Fege identifies parental and public engagement as critical to sustaining equity in public education. He traces the history of this engagement from the integration of schools after Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 and the implementation in 1965 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act through the provisions of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). He finds that while NCLB gives parents access to data, it does not foster use of that information to mobilize the public to get involved in school improvement. Fege concludes with historical lessons applicable to the reauthorization of NCLB, emphasizing enforcement of provisions for both parental and community-based involvement in decisionmaking, resource allocation, and assurance of quality and equity.”
Read the entire article: http://www.hepg.org/her/abstract/196

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IEA OFFERS MANY ACCESS POINTS FOR THIS NEWSLETTER!
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This Institute for Education and the Arts blog (http://edartsinstitute.blogspot.com) contains the same content as the IEA weekly newsletter, with the additional benefit that it is searchable and archives past postings. The IEA staff began this blog in Summer 2006 for those of you whose email boxes are crammed full and want to take more control over their online reading. From the blog, readers can email interesting posts to colleagues (click on the envelope icon) or leave comments (click on the word "Comments").

Here are several ways you can access the IEA blog content:

1. Visit the blog's website http://www.edartsinstitute.blogspot.com/ weekly to read the newsletter.

2. If you are using Mozilla Firefox as your browser, click the orange icon at the end of the address bar while you are at the URL above. An icon will be placed on your toolbar linking you to the latest Institute posts.

3. If you read blogs using an RSS aggregator such as Bloglines, (http://www.bloglines.com) enter one of these two addresses into the aggregator to subscribe and have new postings delivered automatically: http://edartsinstitute.blogspot.com/atom.xml or http://edartsinstitute.blogspot.com/rss.xml.

We look forward to hearing from you about how you are using this information in your daily practice.

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GRANTS, FUNDING, CONTESTS, AND AWARDS
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INVENT-A-TOY WORLD GAMES
By Kids For Kids and Mattel
Students aged 5 – 18 are invited to submit their ideas for the toys and games of the future. The contest evaluates student inventions based on marketability, market potential, originality, and inventiveness. Winners receive a licensing contract, assistance in patenting the item (if the item can be patented), expert assistance in bringing the product to the marketplace, and a U.S. savings bond worth $5000. Each winner can nominate an influential teacher, who will receive a U.S. savings bond worth $1000. Deadline: 4/6/07.
Learn more: http://www.bkfk.com/challenge/

INVENT AMERICA! CONTEST FOR KIDS
U.S. Patent Model Foundation
K-8 students are invited to enter this contest. Students are invited to create an innovative solution to a problem they identify. Awards are made at each grade level. Prizes include savings bonds and and award medals or certificates. Deadline: 6/15/07
Contact: http://www.inventamerica.org/

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAVEL PROGRAM TO GALAPAGOS ISLANDS
Toyota International Teacher Program
"In October 2007, the Toyota International Teacher Program will send 20 secondary school teachers (grades 7-12) on a fully funded, 10-day study program to the Galapagos Islands. While visiting the legendary islands, educators of all subject areas will observe and explore environmental projects, speak with experts, community advocates, and participate in group learning activities aimed at encouraging an internationally and environmentally orientated interdisciplinary curriculum. Application deadline: 4/23/07.
Learn more: http://www.iie.org/toyota

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IEA Newsletter for Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Welcome to the Institute for Education and the Arts weekly newsletter for March 7, 2007. The newsletter is published each Wednesday morning and is archived here on the IEA blog.

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REPORTS AND PUBLICATIONS

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MAKING A CASE FOR THE ARTS: HOW AND WHY THE ARTS ART CRITICAL TO STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND BETTER SCHOOLS
Arts Education Partnership, 2006
”This brochure describes the benefits of arts education based on new research published by the Arts Education Partnership and can be used for many advocacy purposes.”
Learn more: http://www.aep-arts.org/publications/info.htm?publication_id=25

THE 2007 STATE NEW ECONOMY INDEX:
BENCHMARKING ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION IN THE STATES
Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, 2/27/07
“In a report sponsored by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, ITIF employs 26 indicators to assess the extent to which the 50 state economies are structured according to the tenets of the New Economy. The changing economic landscape requires state economies to be innovative, globally-linked, entrepreneurial and dynamic, with an educated workforce and all sectors embracing the use of information technology. The report, which updates and expands on the 2002 State New Economy Index, ranks the states accordingly. The five states ranking the highest in 2007 are, in order of rank, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland, Washington, and California. With these measures as a frame of reference, the report then outlines the next generation of innovative state-level public policies needed to meet the challenges of the New Economy and boost incomes of all Americans.”
Read more: http://www.itif.org/index.php?id=30

U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE GRADES STATES ON EDUCATION
Jeff Archer, Education Week, 2/28/07
“With a new and highly critical report card offering a business perspective on the effectiveness of state education systems, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce today weighed in with a prescription for more innovative, efficient, and better-performing schools. Titled ‘Leaders and Laggards,’ the chamber’s 84-page assessment gives letter grades to each state based on indicators related to student achievement, teacher quality, and school management. A “return on investment” grade rates states on student performance per dollars spent, controlled for poverty.”
Read the Education Week article (requires free subscription): http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2007/02/28/26chamber_web.h26.html
View the U.S. Chamber of Commerce report: http://www.uschamber.com/icw/reportcard/default

AN UNFINISHED CANVAS:
ARTS EDUCATION IN CALIFORNIA: TAKING STOCK OF POLICIES AND PRACTICES
California Alliance for Arts Education, 3/1/07
“The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and SRI International have released An Unfinished Canvas, a benchmark study on the state of policies and practices in arts education in California schools. Based on a survey of 1,800 randomly selected elementary, middle and high schools, case studies of 31 schools and districts, and analysis of enrollment data from the state, the findings and subsequent recommendations will be a critical asset for local and state policymakers in determining next steps to reinvigorate arts education in California public schools. The report corroborates and amplifies the findings of the 2005 briefing paper published by the California Alliance for Arts Education, titled Quality, Equity and Access: The Status of Arts Education in California Public Schools and the Music for All Foundation’s report Sound of Silence. The report provides hard data on the inequities in quality and access that have been previously reported primarily as anecdotal evidence.”
Read the report: http://www.artsed411.org/involved/docs/AnUnfinishedCanvasSummaryReport.pdf

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MUSIC EDUCATION

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MUSIC EDUCATION LEADS TO AN INCREASE IN ONE’S IQ
Federation of Drums and Percussion, posted to Newswire, 2/7/07
”According to the study by E. Glenn Shallenberg at the University of Toronto, IQ test scores of 6-year-old children significantly improved after receiving drum lessons. Shallenberg recruited a group of 144 six (6) year olds and separated them into 4 groups: those receiving drum lessons, voice lessons, drama lessons and no lessons. Children receiving the drum lessons showed significant improvement in their IQ tests, gaining an average of 7 IQ points. Meanwhile, children receiving voice lessons increased 6 points, those receiving drama lessons increased 5 points and children receiving no lessons improved 4 points. In his article in Psychological Science, Shallenberg concluded that musical training, in particular, was responsible for the extra IQ points.”
Read more: http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/13547/

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VALUE OF THE ARTS

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IS ART MORE VALUABLE THAN MATH AND SCIENCE?
Kate Pielemeier, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; reprinted in Jackson Hole Star Tribune, 2/12/07
“Math and science are the big talking and testing points in education these days. But human resource experts believe that to truly succeed in the global economy, tomorrow's workers may benefit most from studying and participating in the arts. Critical thinking and problem-solving skills, teamwork, creativity and innovation, professionalism and mathematics are key components of the arts -- and are considered vital to competing in the global marketplace. But nationally, only 20 percent of employers said their employees possess these competencies, according to a 2005 Society for Human Resource Management study, ‘The Future of the Labor Force.’"
Read more: http://www.jacksonholestartrib.com/articles/2007/02/12/features/science/11c740169f70b44d8725727d000180f9.txt

NEW YORKER CARTOON ABOUT THE ROLE OF THE ARTS
How would prehistoric people articulate the benefits of the arts? Take a walk on the lighter side with this New Yorker cartoon.

View it: http://www.thenewyorkerstore.com/product_details.asp?mscssid=Q6LHECN230W38PU6MDGNA8HCFDKB291E&sitetype=1&did=4&sid=66471&whichpage=2&sortBy=popular&keyword=arts+education&section=cartoons

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CREATING PROFICIENCY

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VOICES IN URBAN EDUCATION (VUE)
Institute for School Reform at Brown University, Winter 2007
“This issue of Voices in Urban Education looks at what it would take – both from schools and from organizations outside of school – to bring all students to proficiency … Voices in Urban Education is published quarterly by the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, as a "roundtable-in-print" to air diverse viewpoints and share new knowledge on vital issues in urban education.The articles can be accessed from the link below.”
Read more: http://www.annenberginstitute.org/VUE/index.html

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GRANTS, FUNDING, CONTESTS, AND AWARDS

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THEATRE IN OUR SCHOOLS MONTH ESSAY CONTEST
American Alliance for Theatre & Education (AATE)
AATE announces a K-12 essay contest in celebration of National Theatre in Our Schools Month. The theme of the contest will be ‘Why Theatre is Important in the Lives of Students.’ “A winning essay from each of three age group categories will be published in … one of AATE´s national journals, and the schools of the three winners will be honored with a free one-year membership to AATE. All entries must be postmarked by March 31, 2007.
Learn more: http://www.aate.com/tiosessaycontest.html

C-SPAN STUDENTCAM COMPETITION FOR GRADES 6 – 12
”C-SPAN StudentCam is an annual documentary competition that encourages students to think seriously about issues that affect our communities and our nation. C-SPAN StudentCam invites students to identify a current political topic of interest and produce a short (up to ten minute) video documentary which creatively explores an issue while integrating C-SPAN programming.” Awards range from $250 - $3000. Deadline: 3/30/07
Learn more: http://www.studentcam.org/

AMERICAN STARS OF TEACHING
U.S. Department of Education
“American Stars recognizes and honors superior teachers with a track record of improving student achievement, using innovative instructional strategies, and making a difference in the lives of their students. These teachers will be highlighted as representatives of the thousands of teachers who are making a difference in the classroom. The next group of American Stars of Teaching will be identified in each state and the District of Columbia and will represent all grade levels and disciplines. Officials from the U.S. Department of Education will again be visiting the classes of each American Star to congratulate them on their success. Nominations will be accepted through April 1, 2007.”
Learn more: http://www.t2tweb.us/AmStar/About.asp or http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2007/01/01092007a.html

2007 BUTLER-COOLEY EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AWARDS
Turnaround Management Association
“The Butler-Cooley Excellence in Teaching Awards Program … is funded by a five-year grant from the John Wm. Butler Foundation, Inc. The program is administered by the Turnaround Management Association (TMA), the only international non-profit association dedicated to corporate renewal and turnaround management. The program honors classroom teachers who have changed the outcome of students’ lives and the communities in which they live. Not less than three and not more than five teachers will be honored each year at the TMA Annual Convention.” Recipients are awarded $5000 and travel expenses to the TMA convention.”
Learn more: http://www.turnaround.org/cmaextras/ButlerCooleyEntryPackage2007.doc

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