Considering the accountability provisions in "No Child Left Behind" this
is timely....
Phil
-----Original Message-----
From: GLEF Blast Newsletter [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
The George Lucas Educational Foundation
Sent: Monday, January 28, 2002 1:00 PM
To: GLEF Blast Newsletter
Subject: GLEF Blast Newsletter: January 28, 2002: Assessment
GLEF Blast, January 28, 2002
"What is measured in high-stakes assessments has a profound effect on
human
behavior. We must be exceedingly careful to make sure we measure what
counts. We cannot expect major improvements in education without major
changes in our assessments." - Dr. Bruce Alberts, President, National
Academy of Sciences
This month, The George Lucas Educational Foundation continues its focus
on
the value of deeper, project-based learning for students through
examination of related assessments known as performance assessments.
With
performance assessments, students apply their knowledge to real-world
tasks and performances. Our new film segment, stories, and interviews
demonstrate how high-quality performance assessments provide students
with
challenging learning experiences and teachers with feedback to improve
teaching and learning in the classroom.
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I. What's Working in K-12 Schools - Film segment and stories II. Special
Article: Toward Genuine Accountability by Grant Wiggins III. Expert
Interviews - Video, text, and audio IV. Research Summary V. Take Action
VI. GLEF Products - Winter 2001 Edutopia newsletter now available VII.
Awards, Conferences, and Grants
---------------------------- Special Product Offer
---------------------------- Order all three Teaching in the Digital Age
videocassettes ("School
Leadership," "Emotional Intelligence," "Teacher Preparation") and
receive a
FREE Learn & Live 300-page resource book. **See details below**
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I. What's Working in K-12 Schools
* Assessment for Understanding (includes online film)
Throughout the country, many educators are moving beyond traditional
tests
and using performance assessments to give students the experience, as
expert Grant Wiggins says, "of being tested the way historians,
mathematicians, museum curators, scientists, and journalists are
actually
tested in the workplace." The result is a deeper learning experience
for
the student and a more complete picture of student performance for
teachers, parents, and others interested in what students know and can
do.
http://glef.org/assessoverview.html
* Urban Academy: Where Testing Is Anything but Standard
Whether arguing a case before a mock supreme court or applying
mathematical
concepts to measure the distance between South Ferry and Staten Island,
students at Urban Academy in New York City are expected to demonstrate
what
they're learning every day and in every class. Part of The New York
Performance Standards Consortium, Urban and 32 other alternative high
schools have adopted a system of assessment where students must
demonstrate
their knowledge in six academic areas: mathematics, social studies,
science, creative arts, criticism, and literature. The school's high
college acceptance rate (91 percent compared to 62 percent at other New
York City high schools) is a testament to the school's rigorous
curriculum
and assessment.
http://glef.org/urban.html
* Learning by the Numbers
"We may disagree with testing, but we put those differences aside" when
using scores and other data to improve the academic program, says David
Rapaport, a social studies teacher at Bret Harte Middle School in San
Jose,
California. He refers to many educators' qualms about the high-stakes
nature of today's school testing in which a single exam can determine
student promotion and graduation or a teacher's remuneration. Test
scores
are "one moment in time," adds Principal Milly Powell of the Erikson
Academy, another San Jose public school. "We look at everything." The
San
Jose Unified School District is part of a growing trend among educators
toward taking a closer look at test scores and other data for the
purpose
of determining what's working and what's not for individual students,
for
classrooms, for schools, and for districts.
http://glef.org/learningbynum.html
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II. Special Article
* Toward Genuine Accountability: The Case For A New State Assessment
System
National expert Grant Wiggins constructs a model of assessment that
includes multiple measures and local input to provide reliable
assessment
of student learning. This article outlines a blueprint for state
assessment
that would make local work and teacher judgment more central to state
accountability, provide incentives for school renewal and teacher
professional development, and most importantly, inspire creative
teaching
instead of "teaching to the test."
http://glef.org/wigginsaccount.html
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III. Expert Interviews (Video, text, and audio)
In a special feature, nationally recognized experts respond to key
issues
in the assessment debate, specifically the ramifications of high-stakes
testing and the role of technology in supporting and enhancing
assessment.
Featured experts include:
* Dr. Grant Wiggins, Author and President of Relearning by Design
* Dr. Bruce Alberts, President, National Academy of Sciences
* Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond, Professor, Stanford University School of
Education
* Sonia Hernandez, President and CEO, Los Angeles County Alliance for
Student Achievement
* Hugh Price, President, National Urban League
* Dr. Barbara Means, Vice President, Policy Division, SRI International
* Dr. Chris J. Dede, Professor, Harvard Graduate School of Education
* Dr. Karen Sheingold, Consultant, Former Director, ETS Center for
Performance Assessment
http://glef.org/assessmentexpert.html
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IV. Research Summary
Academic research points to the benefits -- and identifies ongoing
challenges -- of implementing performance assessments in K-12
classrooms.
Studies also identify the impact technology is having on both classroom
and
large-scale assessments. This article includes synopses of a range of
studies on K-12 assessment.
http://glef.org/assessmentresearch.html
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V. Take Action
Whether you are a parent, classroom teacher, policymaker, or school
administrator, you can play a part in supporting performance-based
assessment.
* What State and Federal Policymakers Can Do - Steps state and federal
policymakers can take to support high-quality assessment that ensures
accountability and informs teaching and learning.
* What Business and Community Members Can Do - Resources and strategies
to
guide business and community members to develop a better understanding
of
the role of assessment in K-12 classrooms and schools
* What Parents Can Do - Strategies and resources to help parents know
and
understand both classroom-based assessments, as well as those mandated
by
school districts or the state department of education.
* What District Policymakers Can Do - Steps district staff and school
board
members can take to support high-quality assessment that can be used to
inform teaching and learning.
* What School and School District Administrators Can Do - Resources and
strategies to assist principals and superintendents in the development
of a
comprehensive assessment strategy.
* What Teachers Can Do - Resources and strategies to assist teachers in
their understanding and use of assessments.
http://glef.org/assessmentaction.html
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IV. GLEF Products - Winter 2001 Edutopia newsletter on project-based
learning/assessment now available
Our free semi-annual newsletter Edutopia is now available! This issue
includes school profiles, research summaries, and resources related to
project-based learning and assessment. You can download the PDF version
at
http://glef.org/edutopiaarc.html or subscribe online to receive this
free
semi-annual print newsletter highlighting innovative K-12 public schools
and community programs.
---------------------------- Special Product Offer
---------------------------- Purchase the three videocassettes in the
Teaching in the Digital Age series
and receive a FREE Learn & Live resource book.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------
* Teacher Preparation: Becoming a Skillful Educator (60-minute
videocassette) - $12
* Emotional Intelligence: Social and Emotional Learning in the Classroom
(75-minute videocassette) - $12
* School Leadership: Sherman Oaks Community Charter School (60-minute
videocassette) - $10
* Learn & Live Kit (300-page resource book and 60-minute videocassette)
- $20
* Learn & Live CD (PDF version of 300-page book and 60-minute digitized
video) - $6
Our online shopping cart is available at http://glef.org/products.html
or
call 1.888.GLEF.ORG
The Foundation's primary mission is to gather and disseminate the most
innovative models of K-12 teaching and learning in the Digital Age. All
our
products are available online. We also offer Free Shipping for orders
sent
Ground within the continental United States.
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IIV. Awards and Grant Opportunities
The George Lucas Educational Foundation is a nonprofit operating
foundation
and does not make grants. However, we encourage visitors seeking grants
or
grant information to check the resource list on our Web site.
http://www.glef.org/grant.html
* Stepping into the Future seed grants
Families and Work Institute has announced the launch of Salute to
Educators, an initiative to honor outstanding educators nationwide who
have
helped children and youth cope with and respond to the events of
September
11th and its aftermath, and who have promoted positive change by
teaching
lessons of peace, diversity, understanding, and contributing. Educators
are
defined as teachers, administrators, clergy, youth leaders, childcare
providers, coaches, and others who work with children from birth through
18
years of age. Stepping into the Future seed grants will be awarded to
educators who propose initiatives to teach lessons about diversity,
conflict resolution, coping strategies, and overcoming fear.
Deadline: Grant proposals will be accepted through May 1, 2002. Award
notifications will be made by August 15, 2002. Awards start at $150. In
the
selection process, consideration will be given to the originality of the
idea as well as the potential growth of the initiative.
http://salute.familiesandwork.org/AboutSalute.asp
*Handspring Foundation
The Handspring Foundation will make cash grants to nonprofit
organizations
and overseas equivalents that focus on issues directly related to
Children/Youth at Risk. Among its interests, the Foundation looks at
programs targeting high-risk youth that specifically utilize the arts,
technology, and sports. Funding is also available for technical
assistance/organizational effectiveness grants for organizations that
focus
on issues directly related to Children/Youth at Risk.
Deadline: Applications accepted February 1, May 1, August 1, and
November
1, 2002. The Foundation grants range from $1,000 to $25,000 per grant,
with
most grants averaging between $5,000 to $10,000. While there is no
guarantee of multiple-year funding, the Foundation will consider
multiple-year grants for a period not to exceed three years.
http://www.handspring.com/company/foundation/cashgrants.jhtml
* NEA Foundation for the Improvement of Education Innovation Grants
This grant program is designed to help public education employees
improve
teaching and learning (including the use of technology). Public K-12
teachers and support personnel are eligible to apply for the grant.
Deadline: Grants of $2,000 will be awarded on a rolling basis.
Notification
for applications postmarked by March 15, 2002, will be made by August 1,
2002.
http://www.nfie.org
* 2002 Craftsman/NSTA Young Inventors Awards Program
National Science Teachers Association and Sears, Roebuck and Company
This program challenges students to use creativity and imagination,
along
with science, technology, and mechanical ability, to invent or modify a
tool. The award program is open to students in grades two through eight
who
are residents of the United States and U.S. Territories.
Deadline: All applications must be sent in by March 14, 2002. Two
national
finalists will receive a $10,000 U.S. Series EE Savings Bond (one winner
grades two to five; one winner grades six to eight); 10 national
finalists
will receive a $5,000 U.S. Series EE Savings Bond (five winners in each
grade category).
http://www.nsta.org/programs/craftsman/
************************************************************************
****
The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) is a nonprofit operating
foundation located in the San Francisco Bay Area. Established in 1991 by
filmmaker George Lucas, the Foundation produces and distributes
materials
sharing hundreds of powerful examples of learning and teaching already
successful in our nation's schools. We hope this information will
stimulate
active involvement and guide choices in school reform.
************************************************************************
****
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