IEA Newsletter for Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Welcome to the Institute for Education and the Arts’ weekly newsletter for May 23, 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
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RISING ABOVE THE GATHERING STORM: ENERGING AND EMPLOYING AMERICA FOR A BRIGHTER ECONOMIC FUTURE
National Academies Press, 2007
“In a world where advanced knowledge is widespread and low-cost labor is readily available, U.S. advantages in the marketplace and in science and technology have begun to erode. A comprehensive and coordinated federal effort is urgently needed to bolster U.S. competitiveness and pre-eminence in these areas. This congressionally requested report by a pre-eminent committee makes four recommendations along with 20 implementation actions that federal policy-makers should take to create high-quality jobs and focus new science and technology efforts on meeting the nation's needs, especially in the area of clean, affordable energy:
1) Increase America's talent pool by vastly improving K-12 mathematics and science education;
2) Sustain and strengthen the nation's commitment to long-term basic research;
3) Develop, recruit, and retain top students, scientists, and engineers from both the U.S. and abroad; and
4) Ensure that the United States is the premier place in the world for innovation.”
Skim the contents online or order the book>>

LEISURE IN AMERICA: SEARCHING FOR THE FOREST AMONGST THE TREES
David Touve & Steven Tepper
for the Geddy Leadership Institute & National Arts Strategies, 2007
“In 2007, the Getty Leadership Institute and National Arts Strategies co-hosted a convening entitled, Cultural Organizations and Changing Leisure Trends. Leaders from arts, culture, media, academia and the creative for-profit sector across the country engaged one another in a series of conversations about the changing ways in which Americans spend their time. The group explored the facts and the strategies cultural organizations might consider to take advantage of new leisure trends or to reposition themselves over and against them. This paper was produced as a background note for the convening. [It is] is a contextualized laundry list of leisure and consumption trends in America. This list is by no means exhaustive … As many of you know, there are thousands and thousands of pages of statistics, charts, and tables that document consumer and leisure trends—focusing on every conceivable demographic group... Rather than synthesize all of this work into a meaningful review … we have decided to provide you with snap shots representing different parts of the debate and research. You might think of this report as a type of “Harper's Index” on steroids—interesting tidbits enhanced by commentary and context.”
Read the document and corresponding blog>>

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MUSIC IN THE CLASSROOM
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GUITARS GETTING STUDENTS TO TUNE IN
Bruce Lieberman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5/18/07
“About two dozen teachers at San Luis Rey have been taking guitar classes this spring. They are the first recruits in the county for a national program called Guitars in the Classroom. The nonprofit group, based in Solana Beach, promotes the idea that simple songs can help students learn to spell, do basic math, develop vocabulary and remember facts related to science, history and other subjects. Introductory classes are free, and the program relies heavily on donations for guitars, strings, cases and other supplies. Music is an effective memory tool – nursery rhymes and advertising jingles attest to that – and teachers have incorporated music into their classrooms for years. But Guitars in the Classroom aims to formalize instruction and make it as easy as possible for teachers to dive in, said Jessica Baron, the founder and executive director of the program.”
Read more>>
Learn more about Guitars in the Classroom>>

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SOCIETY’S IMPACT ON EDUCATION
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PUBLIC RHETORIC, PUBLIC RESPONSIBILITY, AND THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
By Ellen Condliffe Lagemann, Education Week, 5/14/07
“Consider three recent reports … different … in sponsorship, authorship, and focus. All advance findings and policy suggestions worth considering. What matters here, however, is that all are dire in tone and substance. Each report argues that our nation is in peril because our educational institutions are failing to prepare workers who can compete with workers in other nations. With logics derived primarily from economics, they insist that we are even more in danger today than we were in 1983, when another alarming report, A Nation at Risk, appeared. Despite nearly 25 years of sustained efforts at improvement, according to these documents, the public schools have failed both the children and the nation they are meant to serve. Is that true? The frighteningly poor performance of U.S. youngsters in international comparisons of educational achievement is well-known. So are statistics demonstrating that an alarming number of young people leave school ill-equipped to enter college or the labor market. It is no secret that our high school completion rates remain much too low, or that our incarceration rates—especially for young, male African-Americans—are alarmingly high. So, are reports like these telling us the truth? I think not, despite the evidence I have alluded to. I think the true story is not that our schools have failed us. It is rather that we, as a society, have failed our schools.”
Read more>>

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PLACING THE NEA IN THE CULTURAL CONVERSATION
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GIOIA IS UPBEAT ON THE ARTS:
NEA HEAD SAYS HE AIMS TO RESTORE FULL FUNDING
Regina Hackett, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 5/14/07
”The first thing Dana Gioia changed as chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts was the metaphors used to describe it. ‘I'm a poet,’ he said Monday before giving the keynote speech at ArtsFund's annual lunch in Seattle. ‘Metaphors matter to me.’ Friends told him to ‘fight the good fight,’ he said, but he thought the last thing the NEA needed was a fight. ‘It's the wrong metaphor. The right one is a conversation, and good conversations are always changing.’ Gioia, 56, recently was confirmed for a second four-year term as NEA head. The vote in the U.S. Senate was unanimous. He is credited with saving the NEA after the cultural wars of the late 1980s and early '90s nearly brought about its demise. But because he became chairman in 2003, he didn't have to pull the NEA back from the brink. Others already had … During his second term, Gioia said he intends to raise the NEA's budget back to its precultural wars level. Currently, it's roughly $50 million short of that. ‘Congress isn't going to increase NEA funding because I want it to," he said. "The NEA has to lead the cultural conversation, to define issues and create opportunities for all Americans. The arts are a powerful way to build communities. We're supporting artistic excellence and democratic fairness. Because we can offer that, we will see our budget increase.’”
Read more>>

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RESOURCES FOR PARENTS
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NEW PARENTING RESOURCE FROM TEACHING TOLERANCE
Teaching Tolerance/Southern Poverty Law Center
“Parents are the most influential teachers of tolerance in a child's life. The age-specific sections [in the new publication Beyond the Golden Rule] feature everyday parents sharing personal stories about the challenges and rewards of raising children in today's diverse world. The sections also offer practical advice from psychologists, educators and parenting experts to help parents integrate lessons of respect and tolerance into daily activities.” The publication is available for purchase at cost or as a free download.
Learn more>>

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GRANTS, FUNDING, CONTESTS, AND AWARDS
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"Grants to Spread Literacy & Love of Learning"
Ezra Jack Keats Minigrant Program for Public Schools and Public Libraries supports educators, parents and children in their efforts to spread literacy and love of learning. Maximum Award: $500. Eligibility: public schools and libraries anywhere in the United States and its protectorates. Deadline: September 15, 2007.
Learn more>>

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IEA Newsletter for Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Welcome to the Institute for Education and the Arts weekly newsletter for May 16, 2007. The newsletter is published each Wednesday morning to the IEA listserv and archived here on the IEA blog .

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BUILDING A CASE FOR ARTS EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS
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INTEGRATING THE ARTS AND EDUCATION REFORM:
THE FORD FOUNDATION’S VISION OF QUALITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
The Ford Foundation’s Vision of Quality Public Schools
KeepArtsinOurSchools.org
"Supported jointly by Education and Arts and Culture grant makers, this initiative is grounded in the belief that the arts have transformative and educational power. Arts education has been shown to improve student outcomes, nurture creativity, assist in complex problem-solving and build discipline and teamwork. Long concerned that the quality of public schooling in the United States is uneven with this initiative, the Ford Foundation seeks to channel the power of arts learning to promote greater equity in a multi-cultural, multi-class society by engaging and affirming cultural differences within and among communities. At the heart of the Ford Foundation’s vision of public schools is the establishment of a broader and more meaningful definition of high quality education that integrates the arts as a central component of learning. Reform practices today focus on standards, accountability, and testing. The Ford Foundation, however, holds a broader view of education reform that realizes arts education as integral to quality public education."
Read more>>

ARTS EDUCATION MESSAGES FOR BUSINESS LEADERS AND POLICYMAKERS
Keepartsinschools.org
“To broaden the existing message platform in support of arts education [for the business and policy-making communities], we recommend arguments that emphasize skill development, as they are likely to be of greater interest to these groups than, for example, the intrinsic value of arts learning:

* Arts education is proven to develop well-rounded students with critical thinking-skills.
* [A]rts education positions students to be competitive in the emerging ‘creative economy.’
* Learning in the arts contributes to better school attendance and student behavior.
* The arts provide the skills and knowledge students need to develop the creativity and determination necessary for success in today’s global information age.
* A comprehensive arts education fosters the creativity and innovation needed to create a more competitive workforce.”

Read more>>

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AFRICAN INSTRUMENTS
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THUMB PIANO TUNES
Africa for Kids, Pbskids.org
Students can join Femi, a Nigerian boy, as he introduces them to the thumb piano. Students can listen to pre-recorded tunes, record their own, and print out music sheets. Additional links let students learn a Swahili folk tale and make a Dogon mask.
Explore>>

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THE VALUE OF ARTISTIC INNOVATION
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THE MASTER OF FINE ARTS DEGREE IS NOW THE NEW M.B.A.:
CREATIVITY, INNOVATION VITAL TO THE SUCCESS OF AMERICAN BUSINESS IN THE YEARS AHEAD
Commentary by John M. Eger, San Diego Business Journal Online, 5/14/07
"Apple Computer’s iPod is often cited as an example of the kind of innovation most people are talking about when they say we need to be innovative. Providing easy, legal access to lots of songs (iTunes.com) was something no one had yet managed. It was not simply making a slick piece of hardware; it was the design of a whole system that made Apple the leader of the innovation economy. Similarly, BusinessWeek points out it wasn’t (Thomas) Edison’s development of the light bulb that marked his genius and ensured his place in history, but his design of an entire system to produce and distribute electricity. As we talk about the foreshadowing of a whole economy based upon creativity and innovation, the dawn of the ‘Creative Age,’ as the Nomura Research Institute put it, we are more acutely aware of the importance of reinventing our business strategies, our corporations, our communities, our schools, our housing and land-use policies, and more. Nothing can remain the same if we are to survive, let alone succeed, in this new global economy."
Read more>>

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EXCELLENCE IN DISTANCE LEARNING ONLINE
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PBS TEACHERLINE HONORED FOR ITS SUCCESSFUL DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS
PBS TeacherLine
“PBS TeacherLine was recognized for excellence and innovation in the distance learning field with the prestigious 2007 21st Century Best Practice Award on May 7. The award, from the U.S. Distance Learning Association, recognizes pioneering organizations in the field of distance learning that have challenged existing practice by developing new and innovative solutions for distance learning instruction and employee distance learning training programs.”
Explore PBS TeacherLine>>

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HIGH SCHOOL MUSICALS
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HIGH-SCHOOL MUSICALS: BIG CASTS AND BIG BUCKS
Tan Vinh, Seattle Times, 4/21/07
"These days, high-school musicals are polished, expensive and Broadway-inspired … Several school drama programs are even self-supporting, with musicals largely earning the revenue for the entire program. That's because — despite their expense — the musicals sell tickets and help draw donations from parents and alumni. Typically, musicals produced at the high-school level cost less than $10,000. But a growing number of Seattle-area schools are staging shows that cost much more: This spring, pricey shows will open at Shorecrest High in Shoreline ($38,800); Kentridge ($25,000) and Kentwood ($25,000) in Kent; and Seattle's Roosevelt High School ($35,000) and Blanchet ($60,000). As the budgets rise, so do production values. 'Productions now rival professional shows' at some high schools, said 5th Avenue Theatre spokeswoman Kat Ramsburg … But such high-end productions can cause resentment from schools without a large enough fundraising base to pull together a Broadway-like musical. Rainier Beach High, for instance, will produce The Wiz in June for about $1,000."
Read more>>

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NEW BOOK RELEASE
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STANDARDIZED CHILDHOOD:
THE POLITICAL AND CULTURAL STRUGGLE OVER EARLY EDUCATION
Bruce Fuller, Stanford University Press, 2007. ISBN 0804755795
“Sociologist Bruce Fuller traveled the country—sitting in preschool classrooms, delving into the birth of universal preschool in California and Oklahoma, and interviewing this robust movement’s eager leaders—to understand the ideologies of childhood and the raw political forces at play. He details how these new progressives earnestly seek to extend the rigors of public schooling down into the lives of very young children. Fuller then illuminates the stiff resistance by some children’s activists, ethnic leaders, and conservatives, who hold less trust in government solutions and more faith in nonprofits and local groups in contributing to the upbringing of young children. The call for universal preschool is a new front in the culture wars, raising sharp questions about American families, cultural diversity, and the appropriate role of the state in the lives of our young children. How are state governments variably shaping universal preschool? Why does the state want to standardize childhood? Which children benefit from quality preschool? Will civic organizations grow weak as the state comes to run and regulate early education? Drawing on the voices of teachers, community activists, and political leaders actively shaping this debate, Standardized Childhood shows why the universal preschool movement is attracting such robust support—and strident opposition—nationwide.”
Read a sample from the preface>>
Buy it from Stanford University Press>>

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EXAMINING THE SMALL HIGH SCHOOL MOVEMENT
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CULTURES OF COMMITMENT: TEACHERS IN THE SMALL PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS CROPPING UP IN MANY U.S. CITIES FIND THE HUMAN DIMENSION OF THEIR JOBS BRINGING BOTH STRAINS AND REWARDS
Bess Keller, Education Week, 4/17/07
“A major strand in the current national push to improve secondary education is the movement to scale down schools into smaller, more personalized units, especially for students facing the greatest obstacles to success. Hundreds of small schools and learning communities have cropped up in recent years, famously helped along by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s $1.5 billion campaign to raise the numbers of students who graduate from high schools ready for college and work. Whatever promise the small-schools approach holds, though, there’s widespread agreement it won’t be realized without a sufficient supply of teachers who are up to a triple threat of challenges: urban teaching in the context of a start-up operation, often with a heavy dose of surrogate parenting thrown in … Ironically, it is the human dimension of small schools—precisely the attribute that experts see as their greatest strength—that can be the most draining. Still, the human dimension gives some educators their greatest rewards.”
Read more>>

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GRANTS, FUNDING, CONTESTS, AND AWARDS
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RICHARD RILEY AWARD FOR COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTERS
American Architectural Foundation & KnowledgeWorks Foundation
"Sometimes referred to as ‘community learning centers’, schools that serve as centers of community provide a rich array of social, civic, recreational and artistic opportunities to the broader community, often clustering educational and municipal buildings together. These additional services and opportunities often improve student achievement and help maximize local tax dollars. With school enrollment in the United States forecasted to increase at record levels, and spending on school construction and renovation to total nearly $30 billion annually, it makes sense that this major investment should benefit both students and the local community. The American Architectural Foundation, in partnership with KnowledgeWorks Foundation, invites you to enter a submission for the Richard Riley Award. If your school is a center of community that demonstrates innovative design ideas and helps promote student achievement, your school could win a $10,000 prize. The award is named in honor of former U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley, who led the way in the 1990’s in promoting the concept of schools as centers of community." Deadline: 7/07
Learn more>>

BRINGING MONARCH BUTTERFLIES INTO THE CLASSROOM
"The Live Monarch Foundation (501c3) Educator Outreach Program is providing funding for K-12 teachers and home schooling parents throughout the United States to enroll into the National Campaign: to bring Monarch Butterflies into the classroom. This program provides education and materials to strengthen the Monarch’s 3,000 mile migratory route within North America by creating self sustaining butterfly gardens and refuges."
Sign up to learn more>>

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IEA Newsletter for Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Welcome to the Institute for Education and the Arts weekly newsletter for May 9, 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
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WHO’S COUNTED? WHO’S COUNTING? UNDERSTANDING HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATES
Alliance for Excellent Education, 6/06
“Graduation rates are a fundamental indicator of whether or not the nation’s public school system is doing what it is intended to do: enroll, engage, and educate youth to be productive members of society. In today’s increasingly competitive global economy, graduating high school is a critical step towards securing a good job and a promising future. Yet nationally, one-third of our students—about 1.2 million each year—leave high school without a diploma, and graduation rates for poor and minority students are even lower. The failure to graduate every child prepared for the 21st century has serious consequences for both individual students and the rest of American society. Yet, the unacceptably low graduation rates of America’s youth have been obscured for far too long by inaccurate data, misleading calculations and reporting, and flawed accountability systems. Nationally, and for each state, Understanding High School Graduation Rates illustrates the discrepancies in graduation rates reported by government and independent sources, examines why this is important, and describes three core policy areas that are fundamental to calculating, reporting, and improving accurate graduation rates.”
Learn more and download the report>>

2006 NATIONAL ARTS POLICY ROUNDTABLE:
THE FUTURE OF PRIVATE SECTOR GIVING TO THE ARTS IN AMERICA
Americans for the Arts
“Twenty-nine leaders from the public and private sectors convened at Sundance Preserve for the Americans for the Arts National Arts Policy Roundtable in October 2006 to address the serious decline of market share in philanthropy in the arts and The Future of Private Sector Giving to the Arts in America … Research conducted by Americans for the Arts and presented at the Roundtable suggests that the arts are in the midst of a major shift in how nonprofit arts organizations are supported. These groups derive 43 percent of their revenue from private contributions, so sharp declines in philanthropy can radically alter America’s nonprofit cultural landscape. There are signs that this facet of the arts sector is at risk.”
Learn more and read the report>>

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A VIEW OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS
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DVD: THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SPEAKS
American Association of School Administrators (AASA)
“The Public School Speaks shines a light on all that’s right with public schools today and effectively responds to the harsh criticism schools sometimes face. The film’s inspiring message and powerful visual images make the case for increased financial and public support for the nation’s public schools. The DVD, which features many AASA members, is based on an article written by public education advocate Frosty Troy for AASA’s The School Administrator magazine. It is co-sponsored by AASA and the Indiana Association of Educational Service Centers and was produced by the Central Indiana Educational Service Center’s award-winning video production team.”
Learn more and view a 30-second clip>>

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ARTS IN EDUCATION
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LEADING TO CHANGE / ACADEMICS AND THE ARTS
Douglas Reeves, Educational Leadership, 2/07
“Leaders set priorities. With multiple demands on limited school resources and classroom time, an essential job of every school leader is allocating resources to produce the greatest student success. In some schools—often those serving large proportions of poor and minority students—the imperative to raise test scores in literacy and math has led administrators to sacrifice seemingly nonrelated subjects, such as music and art. The debate about this trade-off is often contentious. Proponents view putting core academics first as a matter of social justice: If economically disadvantaged students lack essential literacy and math skills, then no amount of music or art will give them economic opportunity and self-sufficiency. Proponents of the arts claim with equal vigor that by exposing students in some schools to a rich, varied curriculum and consigning students in other schools to endless reading and math drills, we are only exacerbating opportunity gaps based on race and economics.”
Read more (click on Feb. 2007 and scroll down)>>

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STUDENT ACCESS TO ARTS PERFORMANCES
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PUPILS GET FREE CONCERT TICKETS
BBC News, 4/26/07
“England's eight top symphony orchestras are jointly promising that they will give every schoolchild free entry to a classical music concert. The goal is part of a 10-year plan to promote classical music, which includes a prize for budding composers. The organizers fear that with a crowded curriculum and tight budgets, music easily gets squeezed out of timetables. They say it enriches children's lives, teaches the value of sustained effort and can help disruptive youngsters.”
Read more>>

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ARTS EDUCATION FORUM
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FORUM: ARTS EDUCATION IN 21ST CENTURY AMERICA
Arts Education Partnership, 6/10 – 6/11/07
Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma City, OK
“Activities include: plenary discussion featuring Sir Ken Robinson, internationally renowned expert on innovation and creativity as well as advisor to the Oklahoma Creativity Project, and V. Burns Hargis, Vice Chairman of Bank of Oklahoma; plenary by Susan Sclafani, Managing Director, Chartwell Education Group and former counselor to the U.S. Secretary of Education and Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education, on ‘Tough Choices or Tough Times,’ a report of the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce; plenary discussion on ‘From Connectivity to Creativity: Educating a New Generation of Tech-Savvy Students in and through the Arts;; breakout sessions exploring topics ranging from new research to interdisciplinary higher education programs; and Washington Watch.”
Online registration by 5/25/07>>
Learn more>>

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LEADERSHIP IN THE ARTS
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THE COMING ARTS LEADERSHIP BRAIN DRAIN
Lee Rosenbaum, Culture Grrl blog, 4/30/07
“Where are the new leaders of nonprofit arts organizations and institutions going to come from? According to Involving Youth in Nonprofit Arts Organizations: A Call to Action, report just issued by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, there's a crisis approaching: ‘As baby boomers in the arts approach the end of their careers, nonprofit organizations must act quickly to establish a flow of new, qualified, energetic leaders and decisionmakers to take their place. This entails both offering new opportunities for youth involvement and also converting that involvement into long-term commitment. For the field to be green again, arts professionals must develop strategies today to turn interns into administrators, volunteers into board members, and audience members into active supporters.’ The report blames ‘declining participation in the arts by young people’ as the cause for a coming arts leadership crisis, and offers various strategies for ‘engaging the next generation.’"
Read more of Rosenbaum’s blog>>
Read the Involving Youth report from the Wiliam and Flora Hewlett Foundation>>

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PERFORMING ARTS VIDEOS ONLINE
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ONLINE ARTS VIDEOS
ArtsJournal
ArtsJournal online offers a variety of online arts videos, mostly from YouTube. Videos are kept online for two weeks. Recent postings include Chick Corea and Bobby McFerrin in Spain and Michael Feinstein performing Gershwin at the Library of Congress. (Please keep copyright rules in mind if referencing these works.)
View more>>

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GRANT-WRITING ADVICE
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START SMALL!
Stan Levenson, Campus Technology, 5/1/07
“I’ve been writing grant applications for years, and though some weren’t worth a plug nickel, more than 90 percent of my applications have indeed been successful. Here’s why: Over the years, I have discovered that learning how to write mini-grants helped me transition to writing successful major grants. (Note: If you don’t get funded the first or second time you apply for a grant, do not get discouraged! There are usually many more applicants than there are funds for grants, so just keep at it—with some smart grant-writing skills, the monies will start to flow in.)”
Read more>>

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GRANTS, FUNDING, CONTESTS, AND AWARDS
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SUMMER STIPENDS
National Endowment for the Humanities
“Summer Stipends support individuals pursuing advanced research that contributes to scholarly knowledge or to the public's understanding of the humanities. Recipients usually produce scholarly articles, monographs on specialized subjects, books on broad topics, archaeological site reports, translations, editions, or other scholarly tools. Summer Stipends support full-time work on a humanities project for a period of two months. Applicants may be faculty or staff members of colleges, universities, or primary or secondary schools, or they may be independent scholars or writers.” Consult the Web site for a list of ineligible projects. Deadline: 10/2/07.
Learn more >>

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IEA Newsletter for Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Welcome to the Institute for Education and the Arts weekly newsletter for May 2, 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
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WRITING NEXT: EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE WRITING OF ADOLESCENTS IN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL
Alliance for Excellent Education
“Along with reading comprehension, writing skill is a predictor of academic success and a basic requirement for participation in civic life and in the global economy. Yet every year in the United States, large numbers of adolescents graduate from high school unable to write at the basic levels required by colleges and employers. Writing Next: Effective Strategies to Improve Writing of Adolescents in Middle and High School, commissioned by Carnegie Corporation of New York and published by the Alliance for Excellent Education, discusses eleven specific teaching techniques that research suggests will help improve the writing abilities of the country’s 4th- to 12th-grade students.”
Read more

THE AUTONOMY GAP
Fordham Institute and the American Institutes for Research, 4/11/07
“Public school principals encounter a sizable gap between the autonomy they believe they need to be effective and the autonomy that they actually have in practice, especially when it comes to hiring, firing, and transferring teachers. That's a key finding of this report from the Fordham Institute and the American Institutes for Research, which is based on a series of interviews with a small sample of district and charter-school principals. Regrettably if understandably, many district principals have also come to accept this "autonomy gap" as a fact of life. They learn to work the system, not change the system.”
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SCHOOL LEADERSHIP STUDY: DEVELOPING SUCCESSFUL PRINCIPALS
Stanford University in conjunction with The Finance Project
”Principals play a vital role in setting the direction for successful schools, but existing knowledge on the best ways to prepare and develop highly qualified principals is sparse. To fill in the gaps, a major research effort is underway to determine what is known about principal preparation and development, what works, and how to create scalable models that can bring effective leadership to all America's schools. The research project, "School Leadership Study: Developing Successful Principals," was commissioned by The Wallace Foundation and undertaken by Stanford University in conjunction with The Finance Project. This research began in Fall of 2004 and will continue over the next three years.”
Read the report

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DEVELOPING AN ARTS ADMINISTRATION CAREER
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THE STATE OF ARTS FUNDING
Jennifer Guerra, Michigan Radio, 4/30/07
”Earlier this month, Governor Granholm issued a freeze on all state-sponsored arts grants. On top of that, the Senate has proposed to cut three-point-six million dollars in arts funding for the next fiscal year. But, as Michigan Radio's Jennifer Guerra discovered, it's not just the various programs that will be hurt by the cuts...young leaders who are looking to build a career in the arts could feel the pinch, too.”
Hear the interview

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TEACHING RESOURCES
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FREE TEACHING MATERIALS ONLINE
“OER Commons is a teaching and learning network of shared materials, from K-12 through college, from algebra to zoology, open to everyone. Open Educational Resources, or OER, offer new ways to engage with free-to-use learning content. Find college courses or K-12 lesson plans. Search lectures, labs, or syllabi that are open to adapt for your own use. Browse the Categories or Collections for what interests you. Many of the resources we point to are published using a Creative Commons license. Create a free login to tag, rate, review, comment, and save favorites to your own portfolio. Post to discussion, blog, and wiki areas about teaching and learning issues and see how others are using OER.”
Learn more

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BUILDING A CREATIVE COMMUNITY
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CULTURAL PLANNING TOOLKIT
Creative City Network of Canada
“The Cultural Planning Toolkit is a guide for the process of cultural planning in a community. It includes an adaptable model and practical checklists for navigating and charting progress. Background material and additional details are provided on this companion website. The toolkit has been developed to encourage community leaders, planners and local government staff to explore the potential of cultural planning. In particular, we hope to demonstrate how cultural resources can support the delivery of a spectrum of community priorities.”
Learn more

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SHAKESPEARE PODCASTS FROM THE GLOBE THEATER
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SHAKESPEARE ON PODCAST FOR PUPILS
BBC News, 4/17/07
”A recording of the play [Much Ado About Nothing] at the Globe Theatre in London is available as a free download from the Department for Education and Skills. The comedy … can be downloaded as an MP3 file, to be played back on for music players. It also includes interviews with actors and the director. This podcast project aims to deliver the play in a format that will be familiar and easy to use for the iPod generation.”

Read the BBC article
Visit the Much Ado site to hear podcasts and cast interviews

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OUTSTANDING TEACHING IN THE ARTS
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MUSIC TEACHER WINS NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Associated Press/CNN.com, 4/26/07
“When Andrea Peterson landed her first teaching job, she faced the daunting task of creating a music program with almost no money for supplies in a climate where music was seen as just providing a break for students and teachers. Her creativity in overcoming those challenges is being honored with her recognition as national teacher of the year … Peterson is only the second music teacher to receive the award in the 57 years it has been given by the Council of Chief State School Officers. Recipients are selected from the state teachers of the year.”
Read more

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