MISSOURI EDUCATION
NEWS
April 2007
Copyright © 2007 Queue,
Inc.
Missouri
Ranks 41st in the Nation for Teacher Pay
16 Public Schools Honored as "Gold Star
Schools"
State Board of Education Designates 7 High
Schools as New "A+ Schools"
Software
Grants for ÔStemÕ Teachers
School
Library Journal Launches Poetry Podcast Series
Motorola
Foundation is Offering Innovation Generation Grants Worth $3.5 Million for 2007
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Teacher Pay Is
Insufficient To Meet Rising Debt, Housing Costs in Many Areas
Missouri ranked 41st in the nation
for its average teacher salary in 2004-05, according to the American Federation
of TeachersÕ (AFT) annual teacher salary survey. 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 Missouri for the 2004-05 school
year was $39,064, up 2.2 percent from the previous year. Missouri was ranked
32nd in the nation for beginning teacher salary, at $29,281, an increase of 1.2
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 decreased by almost $800.
The 2005 salary survey also examines the impact of rising
housing costs and student loan debt payments on teachers in AmericaÕs 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 Plains region ranked in the AFT survey as
follows: Nebraska was ranked 36th in the nation, at $39,441; Kansas was 38th,
at $39,351; Iowa was 39th, at $39,284; North Dakota was 49th, at $36,449; and
South Dakota had the lowest average teacher salary in the nation, at $34,039.
Sixteen
public elementary schools in Missouri have been selected as "Gold Star
Schools" for 2006-07, state education officials announced today. The
schools will be formally honored May 3 at a forum in Jefferson City.
The
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has conducted the Gold Star
Schools program since 1991-92. The program now operates in conjunction with the
national Blue Ribbon Schools program, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department
of Education.
MissouriÕs
Gold Star Schools must meet the academic performance criteria used to evaluate
schools in the Blue Ribbon program. In addition, Gold Star Schools must
complete a written application to provide evidence that they are using
research-based strategies and practices to improve student achievement.
The
following schools have been named Gold Star Schools for 2006-07:
á
Avenue
City Elementary School, Avenue City School District
Mrs. Rebecca Grimes, Principal
á
Avery
Elementary School, Webster
Groves School District
Dr Don Furjes, Principal
á
Conway
Elementary School, Ladue
School District
Dr Lane Narvaez, Principal
á
Bessie
Ellison Accelerated Elementary School, St. Joseph School District
Ms. Kimberly
Siela, Principal
á
Fairview
Elementary School, Columbia
Public Schools
Mr. Ben Tilley, Principal
á
Glenwood
Elementary School, Glenwood
School District
Mrs. Patricia Orchard, Principal
á
Hartville
Elementary School, Hartville
School District
Mr. Mark Piper, Principal
á
Jefferson
Elementary School, Farmington
School District
Ms. Sheryl Robinson, Principal
á
Nike
Elementary School, Meramec
Valley School District
Mrs. Ketina Armstrong, Principal
á
Christian
Ott Elementary School Independence Public Schools
Mrs. Ronnee Laughlin, Principal
á
Portland
Elementary School, Springfield
Public Schools
Mrs. Lora Hopper, Principal
á
Stoutland
Elementary School, Stoutland
School District
Mr. James Roberts, Principal
á
Thornfield
Elementary School, Thornfield
School District
Mr. Michael Wallace, Principal
á
Westchester
Elementary School, Kirkwood
School District
Ms. Chrisel Allison, Principal
á
Brennan
Woods Elementary School Northwest R-I School District
Mrs. Kimberly Quentin,
Principal
á
Wright
City Elementary School, Wright City School District
Mrs. Juanita Deeker,
Principal
Seven public
high schools have qualified for designation as new "A+ Schools,"
state education officials announced today. As a result, eligible seniors in
these schools may receive state-paid tuition assistance to attend a Missouri
community college or public technical school.
The
new A+ high schools are:
á
Belton
High School
á
Bunker
High School
á
Hazelwood
Central High School
á
Hazelwood
East High School
á
Plato
High School
á
Steelville
High School
á
Windsor
High School
A
total of 231 public high schools in Missouri have now been designated as A+
schools, as authorized by state law.
Since
1997, nearly 30,000 Missouri students have taken advantage of the A+ tuition
assistance to attend a community college. This year (2006-07), the state is
providing $18 million to underwrite financial aid for eligible A+ students.
To
qualify for tuition assistance, high school graduates must attend an A+ high
school for at least three years, have a grade-point average of at least 2.5 on
a 4-point scale, maintain a 95 percent attendance record, and perform 50 hours
of unpaid tutoring in the school district.
"The
A+ Schools program is helping schools raise the expectations of students and parents
and making higher education accessible to more Missouri families. The program
continues to grow in popularity every year," said Stan Johnson, assistant
commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
The
A+ Schools program encourages participating schools to reduce dropout rates;
eliminate general-track courses and raise academic expectations for all
students; and work closely with higher-education and private-sector leaders to
better prepare students for life after high school.
Curriculum
Designed to Help Students Understand
Aftermath and Social Impact of Hurricane Katrina
Spike
Lee and HBOÕs epic documentary, ÒWhen the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four
Acts,Ó is the centerpiece of a new curriculum package that will be available
this fall for high school, college and community educators. The documentary,
for which Lee and Sam Pollard recently won the 2006 George Polk Award for
Documentary Television, will be accompanied by a multi-disciplinary curriculum
guide, ÒTeaching The Levees: A Curriculum for Democratic Dialogue and Civic
Engagement to Accompany the HBO Documentary Film Event,Ó published and
distributed by Teachers College Press.
Available
free to educators, thanks to a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation, the
curriculum package, which includes a complete version of the documentary in a
two-disk DVD set and a complementary curriculum guide, can be requested at www.teachingthelevees.com
while supplies last.
LeeÕs
documentary, which debuted on HBO in August 2006, chronicles the experiences of
people from diverse backgrounds and socio-economic conditions who endured the
harrowing ordeal of living in New Orleans during and after the levees were
breached. Through eyewitness accounts and expert commentary, the four-part
documentary tells the saga of one of the greatest natural disasters experienced
by any region of the country and the failure at all levels of government to
respond adequately to the tragedy.
The
curriculum was developed by faculty at Teachers College, Columbia University.
ÒOur
schools, colleges and communities often avoid discussions of the complex
societal issues of race and class that are raised in Spike LeeÕs landmark
documentary,Ó said Margaret Smith Crocco, ÒTeaching The LeveesÓ project leader
and professor of social studies and education at Teachers College. ÒNow,
through this groundbreaking documentary and the supporting curriculum guide,
educators can stimulate dialogue about these tough issues and help students
answer such questions as: ÔWhat kind of a country are we? What kind of a
country do we want to be?ÕÓ
The
curriculum includes individual chapters on history, media literacy, civics,
economics and geography. In addition, the guide provides resources, such as a
detailed timeline of the unfolding of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, as
well as a map of the New Orleans levee system. Each lesson includes
thought-provoking discussion questions connected to the stories in the
documentary that will help students explore ÒwhyÓ and ÒhowÓ this tragedy
happened, and examine their reactions to the devastating chain of events.
The
lessons are aimed at three audiences: high school social studies students,
college students in history-related courses, and adult learners in civic,
religious and community groups. The documentary, ÒWhen the Levees Broke,Ó was
rated TV-14 when it was aired by HBO; the curriculum is intended for 11th and
12th grade high school students, college students and adults.
The
content of the curriculum can be used in ways that are consistent with national
high school social studies standards and can be easily integrated into existing
curricula. In addition, resources to support the use of the curriculum –
including media content, supplementary educational materials, venues for
community sharing and online professional development materials – are
available to educators, students and community leaders from the ÒTeaching The
LeveesÓ Web site (www.teachingthelevees.com). The ÒTeaching The LeveesÓ package
will be available for use during the 2007-2008 school year.
ÒTeaching The LeveesÓ is a
collaboration of Teachers College, Columbia University, the Rockefeller
Foundation and HBO Documentary Films.
3D
CAD Software Goes to Instructors
Promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math
SolidWorks
Corporation will grant as many as 1,000 new licenses of SolidWorks¨ Student
Edition 3D CAD software to individual U.S. educators dedicated to improving
studentsÕ science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills.
The
SolidWorks-STEM Educators II grant is the second consecutive year of the
initiative and includes training and lesson plans to help teachers and faculty
from elementary school through college integrate the four separate disciplines
for more effective education.
Ò3D
CAD software is a perfect storm of science, technology, engineering, and math,
and it brings these disciplines home in a vivid, interactive way that nails the
question, how is this relevant?Ó said Herbert Crosby, professor of mechanical
engineering technology at the University of Maine. Crosby was among the first
educators to secure a SolidWorks STEM grant and create a course using SolidWorks
software to strengthen STEM instruction.
CAD
software is adept at conveying 2D and 3D geometry concepts to younger students
and illustrating algebra and physics principles in later years. Teachers can
apply these topics in a wide range of engineering projects – for example,
designing small-scale cars or simulating the effects of design changes on air
flow.
With
backing by the National Science Foundation (NSF), STEM is an emerging movement
in American education aimed at improving technological literacy and global
competitiveness. STEM addresses warning signs found in numerous studies showing
the United States falling behind in engineering graduation rates and
math/science proficiency.
Ò3D
CAD brings science, technology, engineering, and math together in a dramatic
and effective way that foreshadows how students can apply their skills in
high-paying careers,Ó said Marie Planchard, director of education at SolidWorks
Corporation. ÒSTEM education with SolidWorks gives students the ability to
compete in a global engineering design world.Ó
The
SolidWorks-STEM Educators II grant includes:
á One copy of SolidWorks
Student Edition software;
á SolidWorks Education
Edition curriculum and courseware CD for instructors;
á A self-paced online course
that demonstrates ways educators can incorporate 3D geometry with STEM
concepts;
á 20 hours of step-by-step
tutorials;
á Access to the SolidWorks
Teacher Community Web site at http://blogs.solidworks.com/teacher;
á Monthly online
SolidWorks-STEM symposia focusing on new approaches to math (including algebra
and geometry), biology, chemistry, physics, art, and economics;
á Opportunity to become
certified as a Certified SolidWorks Associate; and
á Opportunity to accredit
oneÕs institution as a Certified SolidWorks Associate Exam Provider.
After
completing the online course, teachers must demonstrate their competency by
producing a short STEM lesson for the classroom that will be shared on the
SolidWorks Teacher Community Web site. SolidWorks will then provide an
electronic certificate to the teacher documenting 30 hours of professional
development work.
Teachers
that receive a certificate are eligible for additional advanced online training
classes preparing them for the Certified SolidWorks Associate (CSWA) Exam.
Primarily for students, the CSWA Exam is a comprehensive assessment that
measures competencies in 3D CAD modeling technology, engineering principles,
standards, and industry practices. It helps educators gauge individual student
progress as well as curricula effectiveness. The CSWA certification gives
manufacturing
companies and design firms tangible proof of competency as students enter the
job market. When a grant recipient passes the exam, the institution becomes
eligible to become a CSWA Provider. The CSWA Exam is available in the following
languages: English, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Spanish, and Brazilian
Portuguese.
How
to apply
Teachers
must apply for SolidWorks-STEM Educators II grants by May 30, 2007 at www.solidworks.com/stemgrant.
Grants will be awarded in May and June 2007, and assignments must be completed
during the summer of 2007. For more information, listen to a podcast on the
SolidWorks-STEM Educators grant at http://www.solidworks.com/mediapodcast.Õ
Breakthrough
Collaborative, a Bay Area-based national non-profit that increases educational
opportunity for high-potential, low-income middle school students, together
with its local Pittsburgh site, will receive the 2007 Excellence in Summer
Learning Award from the Center for Summer Learning at Johns Hopkins
UniversityÕs School of Education. Breakthrough will be recognized during the
CenterÕs national conference April 18-20, at the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel.
ÒThis
award validates what Breakthrough has been doing for almost 30 years -
furthering educational opportunities with our intensive summer program,Ó said
Laura Pochop, Executive Director of Breakthrough. ÒJohns Hopkins is one of the
most respected educational institutions in the country and to be recognized
both nationally and locally by them is a privilege and honor.Ó
John
HopkinsÕ Center for Summer Learning Excellence in Summer Learning Award
recognizes summer programs that demonstrate excellence in accelerating academic
achievement and promoting positive development for young people. The award is
given annually, based on an application and interview process that elicits
information on a programÕs history, mission, goals, operations, management,
staff development, partnerships, results and sustainability. The Excellence in
Summer Learning Award seeks to find and draw national attention to exemplary
programs providing high-quality summer learning experiences for youth.
ÒOur
2007 award winners exemplify the type of high-quality summer learning
experiences that should be accessible to all young people,Ó said Ron Fairchild,
Executive Director of the Center.
BreakthroughÕs
mission is to launch low-income middle school students on the road to college
and to inspire their high school and college-aged teachers to pursue careers in
education. By increasing educational opportunities for high-potential middle
school students from low-income households and inspiring student teachers to
pursue careers in education, Breakthrough has positively impacted the lives of
more than 10,000 young people.
The
key to BreakthroughÕs success is the students teaching students model. The
college and high school students who teach BreakthroughÕs middle school students
are more than teachers; they are role models and mentors. Often drawn from the
same communities as the students, Breakthrough teachers are examples that the
skills they teach lead to success.
ÒTwo
of our Breakthrough teachers, Brian Johnsrud from Norfolk and Joshua Billings
from Cambridge, were recently named 2007 Rhodes scholars,Ó said Pochop. ÒAn
extraordinary accomplishment, both students credit their drive for educational
excellence to the summers they spent teaching at Breakthrough. ItÕs so gratifying
to see the way that our program changes young peoplesÕ lives.Ó
BreakthroughÕs
site in Pittsburgh will also receive the Excellence in Summer Learning Award
for serving low-income middle school students from the Greater Pittsburgh
region for the last 13 summers. Like all Breakthrough sites, Pittsburgh
provides a tuition-free, intensive summer program and participants are admitted
based on academic ability and limited opportunity. Students take classes in
mathematics, language arts, wellness and public speaking. Students and their
families are supported through financial aid and career development workshops.
Ninety-two percent of the students in BreakthroughÕs Pittsburgh site graduate
from high school and 80 percent have enrolled in college, which is double the
rate of their comparable peers.
ÒWeÕre
extremely proud of the determination and performance of our students, who dream
of graduating from high school and continuing their education in college,Ó said
Pochop. Ò75% of our students nationwide will be the first in their families to
graduate from college, which, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, is
instrumental in ending the poverty in their family lines forever.Ó
Through
intensive summer sessions, after-school tutoring, weekend enrichment opportunities,
and individual counseling, Breakthrough ensures that high-potential students
begin the road to college successfully in middle school. Founded in San
Francisco in 1978, Breakthrough serves more than 2,200 middle school students
annually and employs 700 college and high school students as middle school
teachers in 28 locations across the U.S. More than 80% of BreakthroughÕs
students nationwide are accepted to college-preparatory high schools. Visit www.breakthroughcollaborative.org
The Largest Reviewer
of Books for Children and Young Adults
Offers Audio Series at www.slj.com/podcasts During National Poetry Month
NEW
YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A unique series of audio recordings featuring award-winning
authors reading their poetry for children and young adults is now available
online, courtesy of School Library Journal (SLJ).
Individual
episodes, as well as the entire series, can be played or downloaded for free at
www.slj.com/podcasts, where users can also subscribe via RSS feed.
SLJ, a national monthly
magazine for K–12 media specialists and librarians who work with children
and teens, has produced the podcasts, which coincide with National Poetry Month
and SLJÕs
April feature ÒWhat Rhymes with Math?Ó The article, by Barbara Wysocki,
discusses poetry for elementary and middle school students, with recommended
titles for using poetry to spark exploration of science, social studies, and
math.
á
Authors
of selected titles who have contributed to SLJÕs Poetry Podcast Series
include:
á
Douglas
Florian, author and illustrator of ZooÕs Who. Harcourt. 2005.
á
David
Harrison, author of Sounds of Rain: Poems of the Amazon. Illus. by Doug Duncan
Wordsong. 2006.
á
Rob
Jackson, author of Animal Mischief. Illus. by Laura Jacobsen. Boyds Mills. 2006.
á
Julie
Larios, author of Yellow Elephant: A Bright Bestiary. Illus. by Julie Paschkis.
Harcourt. 2006.
á
J.
Patrick Lewis, author of Arithme-Tickle: An Even Number of Odd Riddle-Rhymes. Illus. by Frank
Remkiewicz. Harcourt. 2002.
á
Walter
Dean Myers, author of Jazz. Illus by Christopher Myers. Holiday House. 2006.
á
Jon
Scieska, author of Science Verse. Illus. by Lane Smith. Viking. 2004.
á
Jack
Prelutsky, author of Read a Rhyme, Write a Rhyme. Illus. by Meilo So.
Knopf. 2005.
á
Joyce
Sidman, author of Song of the Waterboatman and Other Pond Poems. Illus. By Beckie Prange.
Houghton Mifflin. 2005.
á
Charles
R. Smith Jr., author of Hoop Kings. Photos by the author. Candlewick. 2004.
á
Kay
Winters, author of Voices of Ancient Egypt. Illus. by Barry Moser. National
Geographic. 2003.
ÒWalter
Dean Myers was here to record our first podcast in what was fast turning out to
be a series,Ó says Brian Kenney, SLJÕs editor-in-chief. ÒAll week there has been a
steady stream of poets stopping by, headed to the office of Trev Jones [SLJÕs
book review editor and host of the podcast series] in what has become the
podcast soundstage.Ó
The
author of Hoops,
Fallen Angels,
and numerous other books for children and young adults, Myers has received the
Margaret Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in young adult literature, two
Newbery Honor Medals, five Coretta Scott King Awards, and the first Michael L.
Printz Award (for his novel Monster).
ÒPoetry,
after all, you most definitely want to hear. And podcasting makes these
recording easily accessible to nearly anyone, anywhere,Ó says Kenney. ÒThere
are so many ways you can use these readings to introduce children to poetry in
general or the specific poets in particular.Ó
About
School Library Journal
School
Library Journal (SLJ) serves librarians who work with students in school and
public libraries, reaching an audience of more than 100,000. The worldÕs
largest and most authoritative reviewer of childrenÕs and young adult
content—principally books, but also including audio, video, and the
Web—the magazine and its Web site (www. slj.com) also provides news,
features, columns, and departments that deliver the perspective, resources, and
leadership tools necessary for its readers to become indispensable players in
their schools and libraries.
The Motorola
Foundation has introduced Innovation Generation grants, a $3.5 million
initiative for 2007 to inspire U.S. youth, particularly girls and underserved
minorities, to embrace science and math at an early age.
"We
recognize that young people in the U.S. have an appetite for new technology,
yet they may not be aware of the science and math that goes into creating the
innovative products they love," said Eileen Sweeney, director, The
Motorola Foundation. "Through the Innovation Generation grants, Motorola
supports educational programs that spark interest in these subjects and foster
the spirit of discovery today that will drive innovation tomorrow."
As
future technical professionals who will compete in the global economy, today's
students must have a strong foundation in science and math. The Bureau of Labor
Statistics predicts that jobs requiring science, engineering or technical
training will increase by nearly 25 percent to 6.3 million, from 2004 to 2014.
Any
U.S. non-profit organization may apply for an Innovation Generation grant;
however, priority will be awarded to creative initiatives that draw students in
grades K-12 closer to science and math. Additional guidelines and funding
priorities:
á
Grant
requests may range from $5,000 to $250,000.
á
Deadline
to apply is June 15, 2007.
á
To
apply for a grant and for additional information, please visit www.motorola.com/giving/innovationgeneration
á
Grant
recipients will be announced on September 1, 2007.
á
Priority
funding will be given for programs that operate in communities where Motorola
employees are located.
Since
2000, the Motorola Foundation has contributed more than $32 million in grants
to a variety of programs that draw students closer to science, technology,
engineering and math (STEM). Motorola grant recipients have ranged from Chicago
Public School's After School Matters to Girl Scouts of the USA to FIRST (For
Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology).
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