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AASL at ALA Conference Wrap-Up
 During the AASL Awards Ceremony at the 2014 ALA Annual Conference in Las Vegas, Nev., Paul Robeson Malcolm X Academy in Detroit, Mich., and Rowe Elementary School in Rowe, Mass., were presented with the 2014 catastrophic disaster relief grants offered as part of the AASL Beyond Words Grant funded by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. During the AASL President's Program, Gail Dickinson, 2013-2014 AASL President, awarded Marlene Woo-Lun the 2014 Crystal Apple. AASL also announced its 2014 Best Websites for Teaching and Learning and Best Apps for Teaching and Learning at the ALA Annual Conference.
Betsy Lobmeyer Receives Inaugural Roald Dahl Miss Honey Social Justice Award
 Betsy Lobmeyer and her project “Charlie’s Ever Warming Blankets” Children in Poverty, is the inaugural recipient of AASL’s Roald Dahl’s Miss Honey Social Justice Award. “Charlie’s Ever Warming Blankets,” designed for 3rd-6th grade students at Plymell Elementary in Garden City, Kan., combined a four-week study on the concept of social justice in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” with a charitable project. Students read and discussed Dahl’s work and voted as a group to make blankets for children of jailed women in Ecuador. Sponsored by Penguin Random House, the Roald Dahl award recognizes collaboration between school librarians and teachers in the instruction of social justice using school library resources.
Indianapolis Middle School Wins 2014 Sara Jaffarian School Library Program Award
An Indiana middle school library has been recognized by the American Library Association (ALA) for its work in creating an innovative genealogy program for eighth-graders. Perry Meridian Middle School in Indianapolis won the 2014 Sara Jaffarian School Library Program Award for Exemplary Humanities Programming for its “R.O.A.D. (Research, Observe, Analyze, Discover) I Travel” unit, created in 2013 in partnership with the Indiana State Library and Indiana Historical Society. The school library will receive a plaque recognizing the achievement, a cash award of $5,000 and promotion on ALA websites and communications.
Ann M. Martin and Kathleen R. Roberts to Join David Warlick at AASL Fall Forum
  Ann M. Martin and Kathleen R. Roberts, leaders in the school library profession, will join David Warlick as presenters at the AASL 2014 Fall Forum. Taking place Oct. 17-18, the Fall Forum, themed School Librarians in the Anytime Anywhere Learning Landscape, will convene in St. Louis and be broadcast to nine satellite sites across the country. For more information and to register, visit fallforum.aasl.org.
AASL Releases Senior/Capstone Project Survey Results and Executive Summary
Results of a survey undertaken by the AASL Senior Project/Capstone Project Task Force are now available as part of an executive summary detailing the completion of the group’s work. The task force was charged with gathering examples of exemplary implementation of student-centered Senior/Capstone Projects that involve school librarians as integral to the information literacy and inquiry process. The results and summary are available on the AASL website at www.ala.org/aasl/advocacy/resources.
AASL Shares ‘State of the Association’ during New Virtual Membership Meeting
AASL held its first virtual membership meeting on Sunday, June 8. This annual meeting, formerly a face-to-face event presented during the ALA Annual Conference, provided AASL members with a “state of the association” update via reports from AASL leadership. Topics included AASL initiatives, programs, recognitions and financial standing. The meeting was recorded, and all are invited to view the archive at www.ala.org/aasl/vmm.
Two School Library Research Articles Recognized by LIRT
 Two articles from AASL’s online research journal, School Library Research, have been named 2013 Top Twenty articles by the Library Instruction Round Table (LIRT) of the American Library Association (ALA). The SLR articles included in the 2013 list are: “Preparing Teachers and Librarians to Collaborate to Teach 21st Century Skills: Views of LIS and Education Faculty” by Don Latham, Melissa Gross and Shelbie Witte; and “Crosswalk between the Framework for K–12 Science Education and Standards for the 21st-Century Learner: School Librarians as the Crucial Link” by Mega Subramaniam, June Ahn, Amanda Waugh, Natalie Green Taylor and Allison Druin. The full list of articles recognized can be found at www.ala.org/lirt/top-twenty-archives.
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Alexandra Stevens Receives Connecticut Association of School Librarians’ Carlton Erikson Award
 Alexandra Stevens, media specialist at Greenwich High School in Greenwich, CT, won the Connecticut Association of School Librarians’ Carlton Erikson Award for an “auspicious beginning” in media services. In her nomination Greenwich High chemistry teacher Aimee Farnum noted, “Alexandra Stevens exemplifies what a 21st century media specialist should aspire to be. She empowers students to be critical thinkers, savvy researchers, ethical digital citizens and enthusiastic readers. She empowers teachers to create authentic projects where the content is skillfully intermingled with the skills that students will need to be successful in their future endeavors.”
Gina Seymour Named 2014 Librarian of the Year by Suffolk School Library Media Association
 Gina Seymour, library media specialist at Islip High School in Islip, NY, was named 2014 Librarian of the Year by the Suffolk School Library Media Association. For more than nine years, Gina has been helping students embrace their love of literacy while also assisting in providing reference services to both staff and students. The award recognizes the excellent work that is carried out in school libraries every day and highlights the best practice of an individual whose work is outstanding.
Cece Fuoco, Joanna Marek, Loreli Stochaj, and Carolyn Vibbert Selected to Participate in ALA’s Leadership Institute
 Cece Fuoco, Joanna Marek, Loreli Stochaj, and Carolyn Vibbert have been selected to participate in ALA’s Leadership Institute. The institute is a unique four-day immersive leadership development program for future library leaders. It will be led by past ALA President Maureen Sullivan and ACRL Content Strategist Kathryn Deiss. It will include a structured learning track and the opportunity for individual development.
Ida Mae Craddock’s School Library Profiled in KQEd
 Ida Mae Craddock’s school library at Monticello High School in Troy, VA, is featured in KQEd. The article explores how Ida Mae and her fellow librarians revamped the school library space to engage more students. “Our library is now more like the workspace of the future,” Craddock notes in the article. “Kids who graduate from here will be more productive in those environments.”
Jackie Keith Awarded Spotsylvania County Public Schools 2014 Division Teacher of the Year
 Jackie Keith, school librarian at Riverbend High School in Fredericksburg, VA, was named SCPS 2014 Division Teach of the Year. In addition to her responsibilities as librarian for Riverbend High School, Jackie sponsors a music club and a lunchtime concert series and looks for opportunities for students to think, create, share, and grow. She has been the recipient of many grants and awards throughout her tenure, which began in 1989.
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School Librarians Ahead of the Pack on Digital Content
 Results from a recent Speak Up 2013 survey find that school librarians far outpace administrators, teachers, and students regarding their desire for digital content and educational mobile apps. The survey finds that 56 percent of librarians say they are helping teachers find digital content such as games and animations to use within their lessons. Eighty-six percent of school and district administrators said mobile learning improves student engagement. School leaders also indicated that mobile learning is helping prepare students for college and career.
SETDA Publishes Brief on Ownership of Teacher-Created Instructional Materials
 The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), in partnership with Creative Commons U.S., released a policy brief for state and district education leaders focused on strategies for equipping educators to effectively and legally navigate the use of digital content. The brief examines important legal considerations regarding the ownership and use of teacher-created digital instructional materials and identifies a range of policy options for education leaders, including those related to open educational resources (OER).
Over-Filtering in Schools and Libraries Harms Education
Schools and libraries nationwide are routinely filtering Internet content far more than what the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) requires, according to a report released by the American Library Association (ALA). CIPA requires public libraries and K-12 schools to employ Internet-filtering software to receive certain federal funding. Schools that over-filter restrict students from learning key digital readiness skills that are vital for the rest of their lives. Over-blocking in schools hampers students from developing their online presence and fully understanding the extent and permanence of their digital footprint.
NASSP Urges Policymakers to Slow Down on Accountability Mandates for CCSS
 The National Association of Secondary School Principals issued a policy brief that urges policymakers at the district, state, and federal levels to slow down on imposing accountability mandates on new college and career-ready standards that the U.S. Education Department has required as a condition of receiving a federal waiver from parts of No Child Left Behind. The policy brief says that the organization supports new standards but says their success depends on “well-thought-out and long-term implementation efforts in states and districts that set reasonable expectations for educators and build the capacity of school leaders and teachers to implement college- and career-ready standards and administer assessments aligned with those standards.”
ACT College Entrance Exam to Include Career Readiness and STEM Scores
The ACT college entrance exam next year will include a revamped essay section and results will include career readiness scores, as well as a separate “STEM score” based on performance in the math and science sections. The optional writing section will change from students arguing only one side of an issue to providing several different perspectives. The changes are aimed at providing scores that are more relevant to students as well as teachers and counselors, ACT officials said.
Immigrant Families Read Together Less
In a poll of nearly 15,000 parents in California, researchers found that Hispanic and Asian immigrant parents were less likely than non-Hispanic white parents to read or look at picture books with their children. Low levels of parental education and household income were associated with reduced rates of daily book sharing, according to the study published in Pediatrics.
78% of Teachers Use Digital Games in the Classroom
 Digital and traditional games play a significant role motivating, rewarding and engaging students in the classroom, according to a survey of 694 K-8 teachers and completed by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center. It reports that 78% of educators use digital games in class, up from 50% two years ago. Many use them more often for motivation than instruction, and 47% say low-performing students benefit the most from digital game-play. In addition, 26% use nondigital games for classroom connections and interactions.
Flipped Instruction Approaches “Mainstream” Status
A recent report finds that there has been a 30% increase in the number of teachers adopting the flipped-instructional method since 2012. The report finds that the concept of flipped-instructional method is approaching “mainstream” status. However, the method has evolved for some educators who do not exclusively use videos, once a hallmark.
U.S. Graduation Rate Reaches 80% for the First Time
According to a report from the National Center for Education Statistics, the high school graduation rate for the class of 2011 was 79 percent, while the graduation rate for the class of 2012 was 80 percent. The public high school event dropout rate for the United States remained constant at 3.3 percent for both school year 2010–11 and school year 2011–12. Students with limited English proficiency had a significantly lower average adjusted cohort graduation rate at 59%.
Schools Benefit when Board Members Focus on Academics
 Schools are more likely to excel if school boards are focused on academics, according to a recent study by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. Among other things, the study focused on the effect of school board members’ political leanings, education, background and stance on key education topics. “The boost associated with academic focus is the highest of any school board characteristic that we tested,” the researchers said.
Increased Spending Reaps Benefits in Graduation Levels
A paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research finds that in districts that substantially increased education spending as the result of court orders, low-income children were significantly more likely to graduate from high school, earn livable wages, and avoid poverty in adulthood. Between 1971 and 2010, supreme courts in 28 states responded to large gaps between richer and poorer districts by reforming school-finance systems. Although the changes had limited consequences for higher-income children, for low-income students who spent all 12 years of school in districts that increased spending by 20 percent, graduation rates rose 23 percentage points.
Duncan Calls for Overhaul to Teacher Tenure
Following a court ruling in California that struck down job protections for teachers, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan called tenure a “broken status quo.” In the California case Vergara v. California, nine student plaintiffs argued that the state's tenure laws deprive students of equal education because underperforming teachers are shuffled to minority and low-income schools. Duncan is pressing for tenure reform, saying an overhaul is needed to better serve disadvantaged students.
Teacher Performance Laws State-by-State
An increasing number of states are mandating that teacher performance be considered in employment decisions, including tenure and layoffs, according to a 50-state policy review of teacher-tenure laws by the Education Commission of the States. Three states--Florida, Kansas, and North Carolina--have attempted to eliminate tenure or are phasing it out. Sixteen states require the results of teacher performance evaluations be used in decisions about tenure or non-probationary status, versus 10 in 2011. Seven states have laws returning tenured or non-probationary teachers to probationary status if they receive ineffective ratings.
New Database Being Developed in California to Match Students with Available Internships
A new online database is being developed to match high school and community-college students with available internships. The program, LaunchPath, was developed by the Foundation for California Community Colleges and the nonprofit Linked Learning Alliance and is the first of its kind in the state. Officials say the virtual space will allow them to be more efficient in placing interns, rather than setting up internships individually.
New Report Explores Lessons Learned in Instilling Skills in Students
A report from Pearson, written by The Economist Intelligence Units, examines what new lessons we have learned about how to instill skills in students. It finds that developing countries must teach basic skills more effectively before focusing on 21st-century skills. In addition, it finds that technology is helpful in fostering adult learning, but is no panacea. The report is part of a wide-ranging program of quantitative and qualitative analysis, titled The Learning Curve.
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Resources for School Librarians
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National Student/Parent Mock Election
 The National Student/Parent Mock Election, the nation’s largest student-driven civics project, invites students to take part in the election process and explore democracy in various ways. Since 1980, students have learned what it means to be informed voters, casting votes for Presidential, U.S. Congressional, and gubernatorial candidates. What’s more, students continue to demonstrate the value of civic engagement – from organizing their own debates and campaign activities to holding student rallies. Mock Election Day is October 30, 2014.
Applying the Common Core State Standards to Project-Based Learning
When designing project-based lessons, educators should focus first on what excites them -- the content -- and then seek ways to apply the Common Core State Standards, writes middle-grades educator Heather Wolpert-Gawron. In this blog post, she describes her planning process for a project based on superheroes. Her first draft naturally addressed many standards and she later added components to teach others.
How Educators Can Get the Most out of Blogging
Blogs help educators and those interested in the profession share information, collaborate and move ahead, professor Tom Whitby writes in this blog post. He writes that blog posts allow information to be shared rapidly and create an environment in which educators can be engaged in continuous dialogue. “Any educator may share his or her thoughts and ideas with the profession. Those very ideas will be held up and scrutinized by other educators who may have opposing views, enthusiastic support, or just a willing compliance,” Whitby writes.
Tips to Help Teach Writing
Effective modeling helps develop better writers, asserts high-school teacher David Cutler. He shares in this blog post several ways teachers can improve their writing instruction with modeling in mind. Cutler advises, among other things, that educators share their written work, write for their students and create workshop environments.
Summer Professional Development with MOOCs
There are several massive open online courses -- also known as MOOCs -- available to help teachers further their professional development during the summer, education blogger Matt Davis writes in this post. Here, he shares five courses educators can consider taking this summer. Davis also offers a resource list for finding MOOCs.
Teachers Should Take the Lead in Writing CCSS-Aligned Lessons
It’s time for teachers to write their own curriculum aligned with the Common Core State Standards and plan their work collaboratively, asserts teacher Susan Carle. In this commentary, she writes that school districts should give teachers the time and opportunity to develop their own Common Core lessons as her own district has done, allowing teachers to work in teams to “practice and model the skills we hope our students will develop, while also getting invested in Common Core-aligned lessons and assessment techniques.”
How Annotation Can Help Students Understand Historical Texts
Teaching students how to take notes as they read and study historical texts can encourage them to read and understand what they read, according to middle-grades teachers Aaron Brock and Jody Passanisi. In this blog post, the educators each explain their challenges and approaches, including dividing students into tiers based on skills, but the core instructions were the same. They also note how they will deal with “overzealous page painters” who highlight without explanation.
Internet Research Activities for the Summer
This blog post outlines engaging activities parents can use with their kids to help them become savvy Internet researchers over the summer. “Giving your child opportunities for using the Internet to explore interests and answer questions can help prevent summer slide and prepare them for their return to school,” according to Cathy Knutson, media specialist for Oak Hills Elementary School in Lakeville, MN.
How Comic Books Can Promote Literacy
Comic books have the potential to engage reluctant learners and challenge advanced readers, writes Kevin Hodgson, a sixth-grade teacher in Massachusetts. Hodgson uses comics as companion texts and asks students to retell scenes from assigned readings as comic strips. "[W]e can go fairly deep into many areas of reading comprehension, critical thinking, and writing varied texts," Hodgson writes.
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ASCD Executive Director Dr. Gene R. Carter Retires
 ASCD's Executive Director and CEO Dr. Gene R. Carter has retired after a 22-year tenure as the association’s leader. Dr. Carter stepped down effective June 30 and assumed the title of Emeritus Executive Director. During his tenure, Dr. Carter led ASCD’s international expansion, advocating for the whole child and healthy school communities on a worldwide level. The ASCD Board of Directors met and appointed Judy Seltz to the position of Acting Executive Director.
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Dow Jones Fund: National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year
 The National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year award identifies outstanding high school journalism teachers who have done exemplary work in the previous academic year. Maximum award: laptop computer, travel and lodging expenses to national conference, per diem for substitute teacher fees, and a quarterly column for the Fund’s newspaper; the winner also attends a seminar at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg, Fla., and a senior student at the winning teacher’s school will receive $1,000 to study journalism, based on performance in a writing contest held at his or her school. Eligibility: high school teachers with at least three years’ experience. Deadline: July 9, 2014.
Innovative Approaches to Literacy Grant Application
The U.S. Department of Education announced their Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) grant application for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 school years. The IAL program supports high-quality programs designed to develop and improve literacy skills for children and students from birth through 12th grade in high-need local educational agencies (high-need LEAs, as defined in this notice) and schools. Eligible applicants include private institutions of higher education and public and state-controlled institutions of higher education. The deadline is July 17, 2014.
ASIS&T/ Thomson Reuters Outstanding Information Science Teacher Award
The Thomson Reuters Outstanding Information Science Teacher Award recognizes the unique teaching contribution of an individual as a teacher of information science. Maximum award: $1,000; $500 towards travel or other expenses to the grant recipient, contingent upon the recipient’s attending the ASIS&T annual meeting. Eligibility: individuals directly engaged in teaching some aspect of information science on a continuing basis, in an academic or a non-academic setting; nominees need not be associated with an educational institution; however, teaching information science must represent a significant work responsibility although it need not occur within the traditional classroom. Deadline: August 1, 2014.
AASA National Superintendent of the Year
 The American Association of School Administrators National Superintendent of the Year Program pays tribute to the talent and vision of the men and women who lead the nation’s public schools. Maximum award: recognition; a $10,000 scholarship to a student in the high school from which the National Superintendent of the Year graduated. Eligibility: Any superintendent, chancellor, or top leader of a school system in the United States, Canada, or international school who plans to continue in the profession. Deadline: August 1, 2014.
National Association of Independent Schools Challenge 20/20
National Association of Independent Schools Challenge 20/20 Program provides an opportunity for schools to develop globally based, experiential curricula and to build educational partnerships with schools around the world. Challenge 20/20 students form authentic bonds with students from across the globe, and learn first-hand about cross-cultural communication; together, teams tackle real problems. Maximum award: participation in the program. Eligibility: elementary and secondary schools, public or private, located anywhere in the world. Deadline: August 15, 2014.
Open Meadows Foundation Grants for Women and Girls
The Open Meadows Foundation is a grant-making organization for projects that are led by and benefit women and girls. It funds projects that reflect the diversity of the community served by the project in both its leadership and organization; that build community power; that promote racial, social, economic, and environmental justice; and that have limited financial access or have encountered obstacles in their search for funding. Maximum award: $2,000. Eligibility: 501(c)3 organizations with an organizational budget no larger than $150,000. Projects must be designed and implemented by women and girls. Deadline: August 15, 2014.
P. Buckley Moss Foundation Grants for Teachers of Children Who Learn Differently
P. Buckley Moss Foundation Education Grants aid and support teachers who wish to establish an effective learning tool using the arts in teaching children with learning disabilities and other special needs. Maximum award: $1,000. Eligibility: new or evolving programs that integrate the arts into educational programming. Deadline: September 30, 2014.
Siemens/The College Board Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement
Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement fosters intensive research that improves students’ understanding of the value of scientific study and informs their consideration of future careers in these disciplines. Maximum award: $100,000 college scholarship. Eligibility: students must enrolled in high school (grades 9-12) during the 2013-14 school year, individually or as a team. Deadline: September 30, 2014.
$1 Million Global Teacher Prize
Nominate yourself or a colleague for the recently established Nobel Prize of Teaching - the Global Teacher Prize. Nominees will be judged on a variety of criteria, including dedication to the profession and ability to positively influence students. One teacher will receive a $1 million cash prize.
Deadline: October 5, 2014.
Farmers Insurance Thank a Million Teachers
 Farmers Insurance wants to thank teachers all across the country and have a genuinely positive impact on the lives of teachers and their students. Every educator that has been thanked on ThankAMillionTeachers.com is eligible to apply for a grant. The winners must use the money to purchase school supplies through AdoptAClassroom.org or have the funds applied toward a professional certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Maximum award: a $2,500 grant. Eligibility: current K through 12 teachers in the United States who have submitted a qualified proposal on www.thankamillionteachers.com. Deadline: October 31, 2014.
State Farm Foundation Grants
State Farm is committed to meeting the needs of our communities by focusing our giving in three areas: Safe Neighbors (safety), Strong Neighborhoods (community development), and Education Excellence (education). Maximum award: varies. Eligibility: nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations under Section 501(c)3 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code; Canadian charitable organizations, educational institutions, and governmental entities. Deadline: October 31, 2014.
NSTA Wendell G. Mohling Outstanding Aerospace Educator Award
The Wendell G. Mohling Outstanding Aerospace Educator Award recognizes excellence in the field of aerospace education. The recipient of the award will be honored during the Awards Banquet and the Aerospace Educators Luncheon at the annual NSTA Conference. Maximum award: $3,000, and $2,000 in expenses to attend NSTA’s National Conference. Eligibility: educators in informal education settings (e.g., museums, government, science centers). Individuals must be nominated for this award; self-nominations accepted. Deadline: November 30, 2014.
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