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In addition to those series already correlated to states' standards, we're now currently in the process of redesigning and aligning our reading comprehension and mathematics test prep workbooks to your state's standards, making them even better for your test preparation needs. NEW! Extended, Informative Teacher's Introductions NEW! Introductory Guided Practice Section for Each Grade Level in Reading Comprehension NOW! Questions are formatted and phrased to mirror the actual state test, giving your students better familiarity with what they can expect to see on their state exam. Request FREE REVIEW COPIES Today!! Visit this link: http://www.qworkbooks.com/samplerequest.html EDUCATION NEWS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS TO THE EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT While you can still read full-text versions of our back issues from April 2006–January 2007 for free (http://www.queuenews.com/EduResearchRpt.html), you must now subscribe for access to new full-text versions of the Education Research Report, including the articles in this month's issue. An annual subscription is available for $145. And as an added bonus, you'll continue to automatically receive your state's e-newsletter, a $48 value, for free!! Call 800-232-2224 to place your order with a credit card. Once you have subscribed, you will be emailed the protected URL for the full-text version of the Education Research Report. Details can be found here: http://www.queuenews.com/subsstate.html For back issues of this newsletter, as well as current and back issues of our state newsletters and U.S. Education News, please go to our NEWLY-REDESIGNED website: http://www.queuenews.com/ Georgia Schools Lead the Nation in Technology Use, Access Georgia is leading the country in the use of technology in education, according to a national report. Georgia was the only state to receive an "A" in the annual "Technology Counts" report released by Education Week on March 29. The report scores states in three areas -- access to technology, use of technology and capacity to use technology. "In Georgia, we are not only teaching our students about technology, we are using technology to teach our students," said State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox. "Technology is one of the keys to making sure our students are ready to compete in the 21st century." "Technology Counts" gives Georgia high marks in all areas. Among the highlights of the report:
Superintendent Cox said: "Georgia is using technology to give every student access to an excellent education no matter who they are or where they live." "From the halls of the Capitol to the hallways of our schools, our state knows how important technology is to student achievement," she said. "We will continue to look for ways to expand use of technology and access to technology." View the entire report: http://www.edweek.org/go/tc07 Technology Report Card - Georgia Is the Best! Technology Counts 2007, a joint project of Education Week and the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, tracks data from the 50 states and the District of Columbia in several critical areas of technology policy and practice: access, use, and capacity. The report assigns grades to the states for their performance in those three categories. State grades are not comparable with those in last year’s report because of changes in two access indicators and improvements in the scoring for indicators related to teacher and administrator licensure. Georgia’s very high scores: Access to technology B_ To see the full Georgia report: http://www.edweek.org/media/ew/tc/2007/GA_STR2007.pdf Georgia Ranks 18th in the Nation for Teacher Pay Teacher Pay Is Insufficient To Meet Rising Debt, Housing Costs in Many Areas Georgia dropped to 18th in the nation for its average teacher salary in 2004-05, according to the American Federation of Teachers’ (AFT) annual teacher salary survey released today. Nationally, anemic teacher salary growth continues to lag behind inflation and precludes many teachers from finding affordable housing and paying off student loans. The average teacher salary in Georgia for the 2004-05 school year was $46,437, up 1.3 percent from the previous year when it ranked 15th. Georgia was ranked 14th in the nation for beginning teacher salary, at $34,442, down 1.9 percent from 2004. The average teacher salary nationally in 2004-05 was $47,602, a 2.2 percent increase from the previous year. This falls short of the rate of inflation for that year, which was 3.4 percent. Between 2003 and 2005, the buying power of the average teacher salary has decreased by almost $800. The 2005 salary survey also examines the impact of rising housing costs and student loan debt payments on teachers in America’s 50 largest cities. The study concludes that the incomes of mid-career teachers in these cities will limit them to purchasing lower-priced homes. In cities such as Seattle, Oakland, Los Angeles and San Francisco, many career teachers will never be able to realize the middle-class dream of home ownership. Other states in the Southeast region ranked in the AFT survey as follows: Virginia was ranked 20th in the nation, at $45,377; North Carolina was 24th, at $43,343; Florida was 27th, at $43,095; South Carolina was 28th, at $42,189; Tennessee was 29th, at $42,076; Arkansas was 30th, at $41,489; Kentucky was 31st, at $41,075; Louisiana was 42nd, at $39,022; West Virginia was 44th, at $38,404; Mississippi was 45th, at $38,212; and Alabama was 46th, at $38,186. Connecticut had the highest average teacher salary, at $57,760, while South Dakota reported the lowest, at $34,039. EW Poll Shows Georgians Support School Choice by Wide Margin Georgians Overwhelmingly Believe That Parents, Not School Administrators Are Best Prepared To Make Educational Choices For Children If left up to Georgia’s voters, voucher programs that permit parents to choose the school their child attends would be state policy – by a wide margin – according to a new public opinion poll. With 60 percent support, Georgians believe that voucher scholarships should be available to all parents regardless of income or needs. On the issue of special needs scholarships, an issue currently pending before the legislature, their support is nearly identical with 59 percent supporting voucher scholarships that would allow parents of special needs children to select the school that best meets their child’s need. “It is clear that public support for school choice is very strong in Georgia,” said Robert Enlow, Executive Director of the Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation. “They especially believe that it’s time for parents of children with special needs to be allowed to make educational choices that meet their child’s specific needs.” The poll of 1,200 likely Georgia voters was funded by The Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation and is being released jointly by the Catholic Archdioceses of Atlanta, the Georgia Family Council, the Southeastern Legal Foundation, and the Alliance for School Choice.
“We firmly support parents, as the first and primary educators of their children, to select the school which they believe best serves the needs of their children, especially those parents from lower economic means,” said Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory of the Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta. “Legislation that supports educational justice helps to strengthen families by empowering parents without financial penalty to select the schools that are best for their children.” “The poll also shows that 80 percent of the poll respondents understand the concept of vouchers, and they believe that parents, not school administrators are best able to make educational choices for children,” said Randy Hicks, President of the Georgia Family Council. “The more choices that parents have, the more involved they are in their child’s education – and that is good public policy.” “One size fits all doesn’t work in education, but it especially doesn’t work for children with special needs,” said Charles Hokanson, President and General Counsel of the Alliance for School Choice. “School choice will enable youngsters with special needs to find the school that can give them the best hope of a quality education.” “Southeastern Legal Foundation is proud to be a part of the school choice policy movement in Georgia and throughout the nation,” said Shannon L. Goessling, Esq. “We have litigated in the Georgia Supreme Court on school choice issues, and we fully support the constitutional effort to ensure that parents have the right to direct and control the upbringing and education of their children – including and especially the power to choose the place of that education.” This scientifically representative poll of 1,200 likely Georgia voters measures Georgia public opinion on school vouchers, both in general and specifically for special education students. Strategic Vision, LLC of Atlanta, conducted the poll during March 20-22. The poll has an error margin smaller than plus or minus 3 percentage points. Marietta Educator Is 2008 Teacher of the Year Jennette, a second grade teacher from Marietta City Schools, has been named the 2008 Georgia Teacher of the Year. Ms. Jennette was chosen from a field of 10 finalists that was announced in January. "I know this was a very difficult decision for the judges," Superintendent Cox said. "Any one of these fine educators could have been the Teacher of the Year." Starting in July, Ms. Jennette will serve as an educational ambassador for all of Georgia's public schools and advocate for all school systems, students and teachers. She will take a one-year sabbatical during which she will speak throughout the state, conduct staff development activities and participate in statewide committees and conferences. She will also be entered as a candidate for National Teacher of the Year. ABOUT THE WINNER Ms. Jennette has been a teacher in Marietta City Schools since 2000. She spent five years teaching second and third grade at Dunleith Elementary School before moving to Sawyer Road Elementary in 2005. In her application, Ms. Jennette said: "My students know from the minute they walk through my door, I cherish the time we have together and expect them to give only their best. Therefore, I consider each day a unique and special experience." She is a strong advocate for teacher mentoring as a way to help new educators adjust to their jobs. In her application, Ms. Jennette wrote that mentors build on the education new teachers have already received and can help reduce early-career attrition. Jill Sims, principal of Sawyer Road Elementary, said Ms. Jennette was the first Teacher of the Year in the history of the new school. "She completely loves being a teacher, and humbly strives to do better, and help her teammates take their students and themselves to the next level...I think we are happiest to have her be our first Teacher of the Year because she is that Positive Energy we all seek." ABOUT THE SELECTION PROCESS Teachers of the Year from each of Georgia's local school districts were eligible to apply for the statewide honor. There were 147 teachers who submitted applications. The applications were reviewed by a panel of 20 educators, business and community leaders, as well as members of the Georgia Department of Education. A separate panel of judges visited each of the finalists last month to observe them in the classroom and conduct interviews. Each of the finalists also gave a speech at a luncheon held earlier this month at Georgia Power. OTHER FINALISTS (Name, School System, School, Subject/Grade Level)
Cobb County School District Invests in Technology to Drive Student Achievement Cobb County School District near Atlanta is using technology to deliver a compelling curriculum that can better enable its more than 106,000 students to learn and develop key skills for the 21st century. Through the use of more than 37,000 Dell OptiPlex™ desktop computers in classrooms, the district is making education a multimedia experience and driving student achievement. Cobb County has incorporated technology into the delivery of content and the creation of school work by students. The new technology will provide students the ability to do Internet research and submit assignments online, in PowerPoint presentations and as videos. The district also uses technology to help increase parental involvement through Internet applications run on Dell servers, allowing parents to access their student’s grades, course syllabi and materials. “We’re committed to using the most powerful tools to enable our students to learn not only the standard curriculum, but also skills needed to succeed in life,” said Chris Ragsdale, Cobb County CIO. “Technology should be a tool to make it easier for our teachers to teach and for our students to learn. Providing parents a direct electronic connection to the school facilitates quick communication and greater parental involvement in the learning process.” Every teacher in the Cobb County School District has a notebook computer and has attended training to learn how to incorporate technology into their lesson plans. The district also has created a technology instruction department dedicated to exploring new ways to teach via technology in the classroom. And an Internet portal for teachers features specifics about curriculum, daily lessons, research material from global sources and more so that teachers can learn and share best practices. Students also have access to a digital library that’s available at school and by logging in to a secure site from home. “Technology is a vital part of our ability to deliver instruction to students,” said Nancy DiPetrillo, principal of Russell Elementary School in Cobb County. “The recent refreshment of our computer workstations has given our teachers and students the tools they need to perform at their highest level and be successful. Our students are thrilled with their new computers and flat screen monitors and really feel that our school is now high tech.” Cobb is one of the largest districts in the U.S. with more than 100,000 students and almost 9,000 teachers. Cobb schools have earned 16 National Blue Ribbon-No Child Left Behind School awards and 34 Georgia Schools of Excellence awards. |
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