IEA Newsletter for Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Welcome to the Institute for Education and the Arts’ weekly newsletter for June 27, 2007. The newsletter is published each Wednesday morning to its listserv and is archived here on the IEA blog.

Due to the Fourth of July holiday, there will be no IEA newsletter next week.

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HOW HAS THE IEA NEWSLETTER HELPED YOU?
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Have you received a grant, gotten a job, changed your organization, or bettered your practice as a result of something you have seen in the IEA newsletter? Email the listserv editor at font [at] umich [dot] edu to share your story in an upcoming newsletter.

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JOB OPENINGS
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Research Associate, full-time
Program Associate, full-time
Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE)
“CAPE would like to announce a search for 2 full-time staff members: Research Associate and Program Associate. The Research Associate will primarily be responsible for data collection in our network of schools on student learning, teacher development and artist development. S/he will also work closely with CAPE's network of researchers nationally to implement research plans. A research background is a plus, but not necessary. The Program Associate will be responsible for supporting CAPE's network of Chicago Public Schools. S/he will travel frequently to schools across the city to work with teachers & artists to document and troubleshoot partnerships. In addition the Program Associate will assist with setting up professional development opportunities for teachers. Experience working with schools is a plus, but not necessary. Experience as a teaching artist or teacher is also welcome.”
Learn more>>

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MOTIVATION AND CREATIVITY IN THE CLASSROOM
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THE NEUROSCIENCE OF JOYFUL EDUCATION
Judy Willis, Educational Leadership Online, Summer 2007
“Most children can't wait to start kindergarten and approach the beginning of school with awe and anticipation. Kindergartners and 1st graders often talk passionately about what they learn and do in school. Unfortunately, the current emphasis on standardized testing and rote learning encroaches upon many students' joy. In their zeal to raise test scores, too many policymakers wrongly assume that students who are laughing, interacting in groups, or being creative with art, music, or dance are not doing real academic work. The result is that some teachers feel pressure to preside over more sedate classrooms with students on the same page in the same book, sitting in straight rows, facing straight ahead. The truth is that when we scrub joy and comfort from the classroom, we distance our students from effective information processing and long-term memory storage. Instead of taking pleasure from learning, students become bored, anxious, and anything but engaged. They ultimately learn to feel bad about school and lose the joy they once felt.”
Read more>>

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COMMUNITY ARTS EDUCATION IN THE SCHOOLS
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CONFERENCE FOR COMMUNITY ARTS EDUCATION
National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts
Los Angeles, CA, 11/7 – 11/10/07
“Learn more about our exciting line-up of keynote speakers, workshops, roundtables and more. This year’s conference will be held at the Wilshire Grand Hotel in Los Angeles from November 7 -10. Guided by the conviction that participation in the arts is vital to individual fulfillment and community life, the Conference for Community Arts Education provides essential networking and professional development opportunities for executive directors, program directors, development directors, teaching artists and trustees of community-based arts education organizations. As a conference delegate, you will gain practical skills and insights into growing trends from nationally renowned experts in the field of advocacy, arts integration, student assessment, board development, evaluation, marketing, fundraising, and partnerships. Join us in LA to share ideas and build relationships with a dynamic network of community arts education professionals! The early registration deadline is July 31 – see the site for details on special discounts for new members and early registration.”
Learn more>>

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EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
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COMMUNITY SCHOOLS NATIONAL AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE
Coalition for Community Schools, 6/14/07
“To highlight the expansion and effectiveness of community schools, the Coalition for Community Schools annually awards schools and communities that demonstrate excellence. This year’s awards are being given to three individual schools and three community-wide initiatives.

SCHOOLS:
- Carlin Springs Elementary School, Arlington, VA
- Fair Street Elementary School, Gainesville, GA
- Sayre High School, Philadelphia, PA

COMMUNITIES:
- Independence, MO
- Multnomah County, OR
- Tukwila, WA

“These schools and communities have demonstrated excellence in their efforts to develop well-integrated, purposeful partnerships, to involve community and families in the life of the school and to build deep and lasting connections with the community. The school and community receiving this award has demonstrated that they also are moving toward results – academic, attendance, social emotional, health, family involvement and civic – that it has set for itself. Although each of these schools and communities has different assets, they share a common vision and are working to create the conditions for learning.”
Learn more>>

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THE COST OF TEACHER TURNOVER
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THE COST OF TEACHER TURNOVER STUDY AND COST CALCULATOR
National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future (NCTAF), 6/20/07
“In 2007, NCTAF completed an 18-month study of the costs of teacher turnover in five school districts – Chicago Public Schools (Chicago, Illinois), Milwaukee Public Schools (Milwaukee, Wisconsin), Granville County Schools (Granville, North Carolina), Jemez Valley Public Schools (New Mexico), and Santa Rosa Public Schools (New Mexico). The selected school districts varied in size, location, and demographics enabling us to explore how these variations affected costs. We examined the costs of recruiting, hiring, processing, and training teachers at both the school and district levels. Our findings indicate that the cost of turnover does vary from district to district, largely dependant upon the size of the district and the types of induction programs the district implements -- but in all cases, the cost of teacher turnover is substantial.” The report estimates the national cost for teacher turnover at $7.3 billion annually.
Read the study>>

Use the Teacher Turnover Cost Calculator>>

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CENSORSHIP AND CHILDREN’S LITERATURE
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JOHN MERROW PODCAST #74: AN INTERVIEW WITH PHYLLIS REYNOLDS NAYLOR
On Sunday night, author Susan Patron accepted the Newbery Medal for her book The Higher Power of Lucky, which drew criticism from some for the inclusion of a particular vocabulary word, a story that ultimately reached the front page of the New York Times. In this podcast, educational journalist John Merrow revisits an interview from the year 2000 with Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, a fellow Newbery Award winner whose books have been targeted for censorship.
Listen>>

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GRANTS, FUNDING, CONTESTS, AND AWARDS
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RECOGNIZING YOUNG ROLE MODELS
Deadline: 4/12/08
The BR!CK Award celebrates young people making our world better. BR!CK Award winners aren't just the leaders of tomorrow. They are the leaders of today. The BR!CK Award accepts applications from citizens and permanent residents of the Unites States and Canada. All BR!CK Award winners have a shot at $25,000, international recognition, televised glory, and pro bono legal services. By celebrating and spotlighting young stars of social change, the BR!CK Award creates a whole new breed of role models who aren't famous for what they wear (or don't) or who they date.Think you have what it takes to be a BR!CK Award winner? Know someone who does? The 2008 Application is up now.”
Learn more>>

EDUCATIONAL GRANTS
US Airways Education Foundation
Deadline: 8/1/08
“The US Airways Education Foundation places a high value on educational programs that respond to social issues, especially those that directly or indirectly strive to improve education or increase skills for its participants. To this end, the US Airways Education Foundation, Inc., will consider providing grants up to $5,000.00 to non-profit organizations that submit grant applications describing educational programs that include any of the following criteria:

- Educational programs that respond to the special needs of disadvantaged or disabled individuals
- Educational programs that teach or enhance social responsibility
- Educational programs that facilitate parental and/or community involvement
- Educational programs that enhance academic achievement.”

Learn more>>

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IEA Newsletter for Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Welcome to the Institute for Education and the Arts’ weekly newsletter for June 20, 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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WORTH THEIR WEIGHT:
AN ASSESSMENT OF THE EVOLVING FIELD OF LIBRARY VALUATION
Americans for Libraries Council, 5/5/07
“ALC is proud to present several new materials to help library advocates capture the value of their library in terms that will make sense to elected officials, business leaders, voters, and others with power over library budgets. All are part of our “Building Knowledge for Library Advocacy” project, sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation…. ALC's newest report offers researchers and advocates an overview of the cutting-edge field of library valuation, or models for expressing a library's multiple contributions to its community in dollars and cents. Read more about our assessment of this cutting-edge field, and see whether library valuation makes sense in your community.
Read more and learn about the 6/25 library valuation conversation at ALA’s Annual Conference: http://www.actforlibraries.org/alcreports.php

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AN ARTISTIC VISION OF INCLUSIVE SCHOOLS
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ART WORK FOR SALE
National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems (NCCRESt)
”Our National Art Contest received so many wonderful works that we’ve decided to share them with you. Now you can purchase posters, note cards, and calendars that show the vision of these artists. Proceeds from these purchases will be used to fund students participation in future events … The purpose of the contest was to capture the vision of artists about what schools would look like when they value and respond to the backgrounds, experiences, and heritage of ALL students and invest in educating students for critical citizenship and engagement with democracy’s practices.”
Learn more or download an order form: http://www.nccrest.org/publications/art_products.html

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SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT THROUGH THE ARTS
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A STRUGGLING SCHOOL FINDS ROOM FOR HOPE
Stacy Teicher Khadaroo, Christian Science Monitor, 5/31/07
“Paul Sproll tells future art teachers that "learning is often about the quality of the invitation." And if any place needed to give students a more enticing invitation, it was Hope High School. It's just a 10-minute walk from the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where Professor Sproll heads the Art and Design Education department. The towering brick high school is still trying to shake the moniker "Hopeless" after years of poor performance. Now it's in the early stages of what observers say is a dramatic turnaround, and its college neighbors are key partners. The relationship between RISD and the Hope Arts Community (one of three smaller schools formed inside Hope under a state mandate in 2003) is one example of the commitment it takes for "community partnership" to mean more than just decorative trim. … Little by little, Hope students are partaking of the feast of opportunity now before them. School attendance, test scores, and participation in after-school programs are going up. Art students are winning competitions and college scholarships … ‘We actually aligned our schoolwide expectations and goals to a vision of a high-performing arts school,’ says Hope High School Arts Community Principal Scott Sutherland. He came on board in 2005, when three new principals were assigned to Hope because the state hadn't seen sufficient progress. He was only too happy to agree when Sproll offered to use his sabbatical year to help at the school. Devoting about 20 hours a week, Sproll met with teachers to design a visual arts curriculum aligned with national standards. This year it's being implemented, with each teacher creating unique lessons around common, quarterly themes – ranging from ‘growth’ and ‘identity’ in ninth grade to ‘power’ and ‘spirituality’ in 12th.”
Read more: http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0531/p13s01-legn.htm

STUDENTS TOUR CHINA FROM WILLARDS:
FOR ITS LESSONS IN ARTS AND CULTURE, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RECEIVES RECOGNITION
By Tracy Sahler, Special to the Daily Times, Salisbury, MD, 6/12/07
“Students in grades prekindergarten through second grade at Willards Elementary School used their creativity and imagination to travel all the way from Willards to China during the 2006-07 school year … Despite the fact that Willards, a Title I school, has limited resources, it invests heavily in the arts. The Willards Integration Network provides teachers with ongoing support to use the arts in the classroom. Willards' approach has resulted in significant improvements in student reading, writing and mathematics skills. During the past few months, students listened to Chinese storyteller Linda Fang as an artist-in-residence, participated in a Chinese tea ceremony, created Chinese paper lanterns, developed a dance to Chinese music, practiced the correct form of martial arts, learned about making stage masks, watched a Chinese opera performance and participated in building a giant kite arch. Students explored calligraphy, paper cutting and folding, and telling stories of their own.”
Read more: http://www.delmarvanow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007706120349

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THEATRE IN AND OUT OF SCHOOL
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CANCELED SCHOOL PLAY ABOUT IRAQ BRINGS OUT REAL DRAMA:
CONNECTICUT STUDENTS FIND THEMSELVES IN THE NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT WHEN THEIR PRINCIPAL SHUTS DOWN THEIR PLAY
Harry Bruinius, Christian Science Monitor, 6/12/07
”Stone-faced and grim, six boys from Wilton High School are marching in formation, stomping out the ominous rhythm of foot soldiers, and saluting from their chests … It's a defiant rap, first written by U.S. Marines in Kuwait to taunt those who protested the first Gulf War, and now incorporated into a spring play, ‘Voices in Conflict,’ a dramatic series of monologues taken from interviews and letters from real soldiers in combat … But the rap scene has a deeper meaning for the Connecticut students, eight boys and eight girls, members of an advanced drama class who have found themselves in a bewildering maelstrom of wartime controversy. What should have been a simple hour-long spring play … has become a media-driven touchstone, not only of the rife divisions in the country but of the free-speech rights – and intellectual abilities – of high school students as they explore the complexities and horrors of war. In March, the principal of Wilton High, Timothy Canty, canceled the production of the play after one student – the student who contributed the antiprotest rap, in fact – and her mother complained that the script was unbalanced and disrespectful to those in Iraq … The cancellation, however, only served to draw the attention of national media, prominent playwrights, and a host of others concerned that a student play would be censored for critiquing the war in Iraq. The controversy has assured it a larger, broader audience than the school stage would have: A number of professional theater companies are hosting the student production, including The Public Theater in Manhattan (June 15), one of the more renowned venues in New York.”
Read more: http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0612/p20s01-woam.html?page=1

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MUSEUM CONSERVATION
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INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES (IMLS) AWARDS ALMOST $5 MILLION FOR CRITICAL CONSERVATION AT NATION’S MUSEUMS
Washington, DC, 4/30/07
“Anne-Imelda M. Radice, Ph.D., Director of the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), announced the 65 museum recipients of the 2007 Conservation Project Support (CPS) grants totaling $4.9 million. The grant program, which began in 1984, helps museums identify conservation needs and priorities and perform activities to ensure the safekeeping of its collections. Today, Heritage Preservation also announced participants of their IMLS-supported Conservation Assessment Program (http://www.heritagepreservation.org/CAP). ‘The Conservation Project Support awards help museums develop comprehensive strategies for the care of their collections, safeguarding pieces of our nation’s story, now and for future generations,’ Radice said. A 2005 report conducted by IMLS and Heritage Preservation found that immediate action is needed to prevent the loss of millions of irreplaceable artifacts held by archives, historical societies, libraries, museums, and scientific organizations.”
Learn more: http://www.imls.gov/news/2007/043007b.shtm

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JAZZ EDUCATION ONLINE
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NEA JAZZ IN THE SCHOOLS WEB SITE
National Endowment for the Arts / Jazz at Lincoln Center
“NEA Jazz in the Schools” is a Web-based curriculum and DVD toolkit that explores jazz as an indigenous art form and as a means to understand American history.” Resources include listening samples, an interactive timeline, lessons, and biographies of major jazz artists.
Learn more: http://www.neajazzintheschools.org/

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GRANTS, FUNDING, CONTESTS, AND AWARDS
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THE BIG READ
Institute of Museum and Library Services and
National Endowment for the Arts
Deadline: 5/31/07
"The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), announces the third deadline for the Big Read program. The purpose of the Big Read is to revitalize the role of literature in American popular culture. Grants ranging from $5,000 - $20,000 are available to encourage local communities to inspire literary reading through the Big Read program. Organizations selected to participate in the Big Read will receive a grant, financial support to attend a national orientation meeting, educational and promotional materials for broad distribution, an organizer’s guide for developing and managing Big Read activities, inclusion of the organization and its activities on the Big Read Web site, and the prestige of participating in a highly visible national initiative. Approximately 120 organizations of varying sizes across the country will be selected in this cycle.”
Learn more: http://www.imls.gov/news/2007/043007b.shtm

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IEA Newsletter for Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Welcome to the Institute for Education and the Arts’ weekly newsletter for June 13, 2007. The newsletter is published each Wednesday morning to the IEA listserv and archived here on the IEA blog.

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REPORTS
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PUBLIC ATTITUDES ON K-12 FUNDING IN OHIO:
THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN AND NEEDS TO BE FIXED
KnowledgeWorks Foundation, 5/07
“A statewide survey of Ohio voters shows that the public supports most K-12 school funding proposals made by Governor Ted Strickland, believing that the state system of funding public schools is broken and needs to be fixed. Voters surveyed handed this problem to state leaders as their highest priority. That contrasts to opinions held by some state leaders over the years who believed that the state has largely fixed the school funding system. In the survey, the public supported the governor's proposal to give additional property tax breaks to elderly and disabled homeowners, to direct more state aid to low-property-wealth school districts and programs that help economically disadvantaged students, and to use money from a tobacco settlement fund to help pay for more school facilities construction. The public, however, did not support the governor's elimination of the statewide school voucher program. Voters also did not indicate that tax breaks for the elderly and disabled would make them more likely to vote for local school levies – a supposition forwarded by the Strickland administration. The public knew little about alternative school funding strategies, such as a Constitutional Amendment that is proposed for the November ballot or a relatively unused earned income tax for local school districts, and they will need much more information about them to form an opinion.”
Read more: http://www.kwfdn.org/resource_library/_resources/may2007_policy_report.asp

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SCHOOL FUNDING
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U.S. SPENDS AVERAGE OF $8,701 PER PUPIL ON EDUCATION
CNN.com, 5/24/07
”The United States spent an average of $8,701 per pupil to educate its children in 2005, the Census Bureau said Thursday, with some states paying more than twice as much per student as others. New York was the biggest spender on education, at $14,119 per student, with New Jersey second at $13,800 and Washington, D.C., third at $12,979, the Census Bureau said. Seven of the top 10 education spenders were Northeastern states.The states with the lowest spending were Utah, at $5,257 per pupil, Arizona $6,261, Idaho $6,283, Mississippi $6,575 and Oklahoma $6,613. The 10 states with the lowest education spending were in the West or South. Overall the United States spent an average of $8,701 per student on elementary and secondary education in 2005.”
Read more:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/05/24/usa.education.spending.reut/index.html

SCHOOLS’ DEEP-POCKETED PARTNERS
Alison Cowan, New York Times, 6/3/07
”In the last decade, a growing number of parents, alumni and corporations have been donating private money to public schools for a wide range of school equipment, educational supplies, artists-in-residence and accouterments that go beyond the traditional PTA gifts and what may otherwise be outside the local school board’s spending plan. Some schools have used the donated money to provide basics, at a time when many districts are facing ballooning instructional costs coupled with taxpayer fatigue. Especially in [New York] areas like Long Island and Westchester, where voters rejected some school budgets and forced deep budget cuts, some schools have come to rely on parental contributions to nonprofit educational foundations created to finance extracurricular activities like the football team and the drama club. In Greenwich, [Connecticut], school administrators had to set caps on how much donors could collectively give to a single school, all in the name of fairness. Now even that policy is being revisited after it became apparent how adept parents were at persuading school officials to waive the caps if the donations to an individual school were significant enough. District officials also noticed over time that donors did not always supply operating funds needed to make use of the gifts and maintain them in years to come.”
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/03Rschool.html?ex=1339387200&en=1f5b5056c1437b88&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

$1,100 FOR LEMONADE IN ROSS – WITH A TWIST
Gary Klien, Marin Independent Journal, 5/31/07
“For $1,100, you could buy 44 lemon trees at Sloat Garden Center, 183 lemon meringue pies at United Markets, or 738 bags of lemons at Trader Joe's. Or you could buy one glass of lemonade in Ross. The Ross School Foundation will offer the high-end lemonade Saturday in a fundraiser at the post office. The catch is that an $1,100 glass of lemonade also comes with a round of golf for … For anyone low on cash, there's a more economical option - a medium glass of lemonade goes for $300 and includes golf for one. Visitors also can donate a buck and get a small glass of lemonade, or sink a putt and get one for free … Tammy Murphy, superintendent of the 385-student district, said the foundation plays a huge role in the district, contributing about 20 percent of the $5 million operating budget each year. For the current school year, the foundation donated more than $1.3 million. ‘When you think about that from 240 families, that's pretty amazing,’ Murphy said. ‘We don't have the commercial base that other districts do. A large part of our budget comes from generous and giving families.’”
Read more: http://www.marinij.com/ci_6034362?source=most_viewed

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION REVISES ITS MISSION STATEMENT
”As of May 24, the Department is using a revised mission statement that reflects educational priorities for the 21st century and beyond … The updated statement reads as follows:’The U.S. Department of Education's mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.’”This mission statement is part of the Department's ‘Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2007-12,’ which also took effect on May 24.
Learn more: http://www.ed.gov/about/reports/strat/.

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SUMMER LEARNING THROUGH THE ARTS
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ARTS INFUSED EDUCATION SUMMER INTENSIVE:
COMMUNITY ARTS PARTNERSHIPS – MODELING INNOVATIVE METHODS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS EDUCATION
Marygrove College, Detroit, MI, 8/13 – 8/15/07
Marygrove hosts its second arts infused education summer intensive, featuring presentations by Marygrove faculty, as well as the Detroit Institute of Arts, Matrix Theatre Company, and Michigan Opera Theatre. Topics include assessment, brain development, puppetry, and Visual Thinking Strategies.
Learn more: (313) 927-1538

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GRANTS, FUNDING, CONTESTS, AND AWARDS
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STUDY TRIPS FOR SECONDARY TEACHERS TO COSTA RICA
Toyota International Teacher Program
Deadline: 9/7/07
“In the 2007-2008 school year, Toyota will offer a study visit to … Costa Rica to full-time classroom teachers (grades 7-12, all subjects) in all 50 States and the District of Columbia. [The] program will offer country-specific themes to help educators expand their professional skills, increase cultural awareness, and enhance their understanding of environmental issues around the world.”
Learn more: http://www.iie.org/Template.cfm?&Template=/programs/toyota/default.htm

FIND YOUR VOICE WITH TOOL FACTORY PODCASTING
Tool Factory and Olympus America
Deadline: 6/30/07
”Apply for the Podcasting Grant and win a free site license of Tool Factory Podcasting software plus all the digital media accessories you need to start a podcasting program in your school! To apply, simply develop a lesson plan demonstrating how you would use podcasting in your curriculum.”
Learn more: http://www.toolfactory.com/olympus_contest/olympus_podcasting.htm

TEACHERS AND TEACHING INITIATIVE
Wachovia Foundation
Deadline: n/a
”This multi-million dollar program was created in 2004 to provide funding to organizations that enhance teacher recruitment, development, support, and retention, with the goal of increasing student achievement. The program ultimately seeks to increase student achievement in pre-K – 12 public education by building and supporting teachers and the teaching profession in scalable and sustainable ways.”
Learn more about the program and its eligible states: http://www.wachovia.com/inside/page/0,,139_414_430_6336,00.html

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IEA Newsletter for Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Welcome to the Institute for Education and the Arts’ weekly newsletter for June 6, 2007. The newsletter is published each Wednesday morning to IEA's listserv and is archived here on the IEA blog.

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REPORTS
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NONPROFIT ARTS GROUPS REBOUND FROM 9/11 SLIDE:
SURVEY SHOWS 24% SPENDING GROWTH SINCE ‘02
Jacqueline Trescott, Washington Post, 5/22/07
“The nonprofit segment of the arts industry is robust economically and attracting more people to its workforce, according to a new national survey. The nonprofit arts sector generates $166 billion in total U.S. economic activity, says a study being released [May 22]. ‘Arts & Economic Prosperity III’ was conducted by Americans for the Arts with data analysis provided by economists from Georgia Tech. ‘This shows the arts have bounced back from the slide after 9/11,’ said Randy Cohen, vice president of policy and research at Americans for the Arts. After the terrorist attacks, tourism in the nation's main cultural centers declined, severely affecting the bottom line for many arts groups. And many donors, especially from the high-technology industry, cut back their funding at the same time as governments.”
Read the article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/21/AR2007052101524.html
Learn more about the Americans for the Arts study: http://www.artsusa.org/americansforthearts_news.asp#item15 or http://www.artsusa.org/information_resources/research_information/services/economic_impact/default.asp

RIGOR AT RISK
ACT, May 2007
”U.S. high school core courses too often lack the rigor they need to adequately prepare students for college-level work, according to a new report from ACT, Inc. The research report, titled Rigor at Risk, suggests that even students who take the recommended college preparatory curriculum in high school are often ill-prepared to handle college material. The findings also suggest that many students lose academic momentum during their last two years of high school. ‘We've been urging college-bound students to take the core curriculum in high school for many years,’ said Cynthia B. Schmeiser, president and chief operating officer of ACT's education division. ‘But now it is clear that just taking the right number of courses is no longer enough to ensure that students will be ready for college when they graduate. Students must take a number of additional higher-level courses in high school to have a reasonable chance of succeeding in college courses, and even that does not guarantee success.’
Read the report: http://www.act.org/path/policy/reports/rigor.html

THE CONDITION OF EDUCATION 2007
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 2007
“Reliable, accurate, and timely data are necessary to monitor the progress of U.S. education and respond to its opportunities and challenges. To ensure such data are available, Congress has mandated that the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) produce an annual report, The Condition of Education. This year's report presents indicators of important developments and trends in U.S. education. These indicators focus on participation and persistence in education, student performance and other measures of achievement, the environment for learning, and resources for education. In addition, this year's volume contains a special analysis that examines changes in student coursetaking in high school using national transcript data from 1982 to 2005. While the analysis focuses on the credit accrual of high school graduates, it also takes a special look at the coursework of high school dropouts and courses taken for college credit.”
Read the report: http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/

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BRAIN DEVELOPMENT IN CHILDREN
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STUDY: MOST BRAIN GROWTH BY AGE 12
Lauran Neergaard, Associated Press/Chicago Tribune, 5/18/07
”Can you get smarter than a 5th grader? Of course, but new research suggests some of the brain's basic building blocks for learning are near adult levels by age 11 or 12. It is the first finding from a study of how children's brains grow. About 500 healthy newborns to teens, recruited from healthy families, are having periodic brain MRIs as they grow. They also get a battery of age-appropriate tests measuring IQ, language skills and memory … The images measure how different parts of the brain grow and reorganize throughout childhood. By overlapping them with the children's shifting behavioral and intellectual abilities at each age, scientists expect to produce a long-sought map of normal brain development in children representative of the diverse U.S. population.”
Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/content/education/chi-0705171367may18%2C0%2C6360484.story?coll=chi-education-hed

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POP MUSIC STARS’ SUPPORT FOR MUSIC SCHOOLS
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SCHOOL ROCKS!
AS ARTS EDUCATION FUNDS DIP, POP STARS MAKE SURE THE BEAT GOES ON
Melinda Newman, Washington Post, 5/27/07
”Four years ago, Maya Ramos couldn't find middle C on a keyboard. Now she's finding her way to first place in international piano competitions. In a tiny rehearsal studio in a storefront music school, the slender 11-year-old bends over an upright piano and lovingly tucks into Manuel Ponce's "Scherzino Mexicano," her wrists high, her fingers caressing the keys lightly, then heavier as the tone of the piece shifts. It's among the works she will perform in at a recital in Mexico City this fall. Taking piano lessons wasn't her idea, she says, but her mother insisted and managed to find a place that would nurture Maya's interest and talent: the Silverlake Conservatory of Music on the city's east side. It was co-founded by a rock musician known more for his onstage antics than his appreciation of classical composers. That would be Flea, the frequently shirtless, frenetic bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He's one of a handful of pop stars, including soul singer Macy Gray and hip-hop's Black Eyed Peas, who have established nonprofit music schools for children. The artists initially bankrolled the projects and now rely primarily on donations and fundraisers to subsidize operations. Such schools help fill a void left by deep state and federal budget cuts that have severely diminished arts programs in public schools.”
Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/25/AR2007052500362.html

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THE ARTS AS CORE CURRICULUM
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ART CLASSES MAY BECOME MANDATORY
Andrew C. Martel, Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer, 5/29/07
”Drama class might go from being an elective to a requirement for graduation. Superintendent Bill Harrison has suggested that every high school student should have to take an art class, starting with the freshmen entering in 2008. He plans to formally ask the Board of Education to approve the measure this summer. ‘The timing is good to make a statement about the value of arts and that education is broader than simply taking tests,’ he said. Drawing, drama and band classes would satisfy the requirement, Harrison said. So would less common courses, such as television production and photography.”
Read more: http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=263491

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ON THE AIR
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GREAT PERFORMANCES: WE LOVE ELLA!
A TRIBUTE TO THE FIRST LADY OF SONG
PBS On-Air & Online, Thurs., 6/14/07, 8:00 – 9:30pm
Grade Range: 9-12
”Ella Fitzgerald sang sultry ballads and swinging pop standards, earning 13 Grammy Awards and selling more than 40 million albums. This tribute to Ella, filmed on what would have been her 90th birthday, features Patti Austin, Natalie Cole, Quincy Jones, Ruben Studdard, Nancy Wilson and Stevie Wonder.”
Learn more: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/shows/ellatribute

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GRANTS, FUNDING, CONTESTS, AND AWARDS
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ACTE REQUESTS PHOTO SUBMISSIONS FOR PLANNER
Association for Career and Technical Education
”ACTE invites career and technical education students and teachers to submit photos for the 2008 ACTE Weekly Planner. The theme ‘Connecting Education and Careers’ will highlight how students and educators are experiencing CTE in the classroom or workplace. The submissions for photos are open to ACTE members and students taking CTE courses in secondary and postsecondary schools.” Deadline for receipt of entries: 6/29/07.
Learn more: http://www.acteonline.org/contest.cfm

BACK-TO-SCHOOL GRANTS
”The Dollar General Back-to-School Grants provide funding to assist schools in meeting some of the financial challenges they face in implementing new programs or purchasing new equipment, materials or software for their school library or literacy program. Grant applications will be accepted starting May 1, 2007.” Deadline 8/10/07.
Learn more: http://www.dollargeneral.com ; click Community, then Grants

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IEA Newsletter for Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Welcome to the Institute for Education and the Arts’ weekly newsletter for May 30, 2007. The newsletter is published each Wednesday morning to the IEA's listserv and is archived here on the IEA blog.

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ARTISTS AND THEIR WORK
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Craft in America
PBS on-air and online, Wed., 5/30/07, 8-11pm
Grade Range: 6-8, 9-12
”This series of programs explore the vitality, history and significance of the craft movement in the United States and its impact on the nation's rich cultural heritage. The first episode takes a personal tour through craft's history in America. The second episode examines the relationship of craft artists with their physical environment, which serves as a source of materials and inspiration. The final episode focuses on the spiritual connection between artisans and their communities. The personal stories of gifted artisans reveal the deeply held belief that craft is about more than just the making of an object.”
Learn more and download lesson plans: http://www.pbs.org/craftinamerica

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ROLE OF CULTURE IN NATION-BUILDING
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EDITORIAL: DO NOT NEGLECT CULTURE
Nassrine Azimi, International Herald Tribune, 5/8/07
”The Rand Corporation recently published a study called ‘The Beginner's Guide to Nation-Building.’ It covers the basics with clarity and objectivity, defining the roles of the military, the police and the judiciary; distinguishing humanitarian relief from economic stabilization and development, explaining the complexities of governance and democratization. But the book has almost nothing about what is clearly the Achilles' heel of recent nation-building adventures: culture. No single chapter is devoted to it - nothing on the role of culture in countries being rebuilt and, just as importantly, nothing on the culture of the nation-builders themselves. Though we are reminded that six of the seven cases of nation-building initiated in the last decade by the United States were in Islamic countries, we do not learn much of the lessons of this extraordinary experience.”
Read the editorial: http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/05/08/opinion/edazimi.php
Read the Rand Corporation study: http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG557/

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MAKING KINDERGARTEN ACADEMIC
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MORE WORK, LESS PLAY IN KINDERGARTEN:
LITERACY PUSH STARTS EARLIER, GAINS SPEED
Daniel de Vise, Washington Post, 5/23/07
“Kindergarten used to be mostly about play: singing songs, ‘housekeeping’ in a Little Tikes kitchen and being read to. That is changing largely because of full-day kindergarten, which has swept the nation's public schools in the past 20 years, stretching the instructional day from 2 1/2 hours to six. The new kindergarten is partly a societal concession to busy two-income families and partly a response to the growing sense that 5-year-olds are ready for formal study. Full-day kindergarten is required in the District and several states, including Maryland, where it is mandatory as of the fall. Virginia does not require it. And No Child Left Behind, with its focus on minority reading achievement, has ratcheted up pressure for kindergarten ‘to be more academic,’ said Marcia Invernizzi, a University of Virginia professor who oversees a statewide literacy assessment.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/22/AR2007052201696.html

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CREATIVITY IN SCHOOLS
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DO SCHOOLS KILL CREATIVITY?
Sir Ken Robinson at TED, Feb. 2006
”Robinson makes an entertaining (and profoundly moving) case for creating an education system that nurtures creativity, rather than undermining it. With ample anecdotes and witty asides, Robinson points out the many ways our schools fail to recognize -- much less cultivate -- the talents of many brilliant people. ‘We are educating people out of their creativity,’ Robinson says. The universality of his message is evidenced by its rampant popularity online.
Watch the video: http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/66

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FEDERAL ARTS FUNDING
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EARLY ENDORSEMENTS FOR AN INCREASE IN NEA FUNDING
Americans for the Arts, 5/23/07
[On May 23, 2007], “the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, which sets the initial funding level for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), approved a $35 million increase for the NEA for its FY 2008 spending bill. If this funding level is maintained by the Senate and signed into law by President Bush, it will represent the largest increase in NEA history. The agency, currently funded at $124.4 million has only seen increases of under 3% for the last several years. In his first public action on arts issues as chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, Rep. Norm Dicks (D-WA) invited Americans for the Arts to organize a high profile panel of witnesses to testify at a congressional hearing, “Role of the Arts in Creativity and Innovation,” in conjunction with Arts Advocacy Day on March 13, 2007. This was the first hearing in over 12 years held on the importance of investing in the arts.”
Read the Americans for the Arts announcement: http://www.artsusa.org/get_involved/advocacy/legislative_news/2007.asp
Learn more about “Role of the Arts in Creativity and Innovation”: http://www.artsusa.org/get_involved/advocacy/advocacy_019.asp

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ACADEMIC INTERVENTION COURSES REPLACING ELECTIVES
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SCHOOLS PILE ON ENGLISH, MATH CLASSES
Shirley Dang, Contra Costa Times, 5/19/07
”At Glenbrook Middle School in Concord, 75 percent of students scored below the proficiency mark on state tests. Almost a third of the school's 660 students are enrolled in intervention courses that take the place of other subjects, said Principal Gary McAdam.With fewer students left to take extras, Glenbrook gutted the kind of offerings students look forward to. The school no longer offers art, shop class or home economics, and it barely hung onto music. ‘We have very few electives because there are so many remedial classes they have to take,’ McAdam said. Glenbrook still runs a yearbook class, which seventh-grader Kiana Pearson wanted to take. But when the 12-year-old received her schedule, she found math intervention in place of an elective. Researchers and school districts are beginning to question whether a double dose really helps students improve overall.”
Read more: http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_5936588

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GRANTS, FUNDING, CONTESTS, AND AWARDS
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INNOVATION GENERATION GRANTS
Motorola Foundation
”[T]he Motorola Foundation will provide US$3.5 million in Innovation Generation grants to U.S. initiatives that inspire young people, particularly girls and underserved minorities, to embrace science, technology, engineering and math … Innovation Generation grants will support breakthrough programs that use innovative approaches to develop interest in technology-related fields while strengthening leadership and problem-solving skills Funding will focus on initiatives that creatively generate a love of science early in life and show the new generation of inventors that careers involving science and math are important, challenging and possible. Priority will be given to programs that can incorporate Motorola employees as volunteers.” Deadline 6/15/07
Learn more: http://www.motorola.com/content.jsp?globalObjectId=8153

MAGAZINE COVER DESIGN CONTEST
“DISCOVER magazine is holding a nationwide contest among third through eighth graders to design an image for the cover of its October issue, “The State of Science in America.” The winning entry, to be selected by DISCOVER’s editorial team, will be the design that best captures the wonderment and possibilities of science. In addition to the winning entry, six finalists will be profiled in that issue and on the magazine’s home page.” Deadline 6/20/07

Read more: http://discovermagazine.com/2007/may/you-design-the-magazines-cover/?searchterm=cover%20art%20contest

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