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Follett Continues Support of School Library Professionals
 Follett continues to support school library professionals and ongoing learning with its sponsorship of the opening general session speaker at the AASL 17th National Conference & Exhibition. Curriculum and instruction expert Heidi Hayes Jacobs will open the conference, taking place in Columbus, Ohio, on Nov. 5, 2015, by speaking on the evolving educational environment.
Research Drives Educators of School Librarians at AASL National Conference
Research and data-driven practice will be the focus of sessions from the AASL Educators of School Librarians Section (ESLS) during the AASL 17th National Conference & Exhibition taking place Nov. 5-8 in Columbus, Ohio. Presentations will explore the shift to causal research in the field, creating a community of scholars to better facilitate the research process, and the latest school library studies from across the country. More information can be found at national.aasl.org.
Storytellers to Tell Tall Tales at AASL National Conference
Three master storytellers will share their craft as part of the AASL 17th National Conference & Exhibition taking place Nov. 5-8, in Columbus, Ohio. Kevin Cordi, Jim Flanagan, and Lyn Ford will appear at the Thursday night festival and celebrate the everyday and fantastic with attendees in a casual evening of traditional and original tales. The Storytelling Festival is generously sponsored by Penguin Random House. For more information, visit national.aasl.org/storytelling.
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Patricia Sarles Featured in Huffington Post Story
 Patricia Sarles’s efforts to build a virtual library catalog of books for children related to various LGBTQ issues featured in a story on Huffington Post. Sarles, librarian at the New York City Department of Education, was interviewed by Suzanne Dewitt Hall, the author of Rumplepimple. She began the process of developing the collection by scouring self-publishing catalogs and the Web doing Google searches. “What started as a collection of about 15 books in English in 2003 has now turned into a collection of about 240 books in twelve languages so far in 2015!” she notes.
Hilda Weisburg Authors Blog Post on Importance of ALA/AASL Membership
 Hilda Weisburg authored a blog post on the importance of becoming a member of ALA and AASL. “I learned to be a leader thanks to my participation in my state association and ALA/AASL,” she notes in the post. “Each committee, each task taught me more than I ever learned in library school or at my district’s PD offerings. I became a much better librarian and one whom administrators and teachers respected for what I knew and brought to them and students.”
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U.S. Dept. of Education Launches Campaign to Encourage Schools to #GoOpen with Ed Resources
The U.S. Department of Education announced the launch of #GoOpen, a campaign to encourage states, school districts and educators to use openly licensed educational materials. As part of the campaign, the Department is proposing a new regulation that would require all copyrightable intellectual property created with Department grant funds to have an open license.
Common Core Performance Data Reveal Inconsistencies
An article in the New York Times finds that "proficiency" on exams aligned with Common Core State Standards may mean different things in different states, even though the states administer the same exams. Student performance data released by such states show inconsistency in what constitutes "proficiency," with states using either broader or narrower definitions.
Students in Urban Areas Less Likely to Take SAT and ACT
Fewer than one-third of students in the 50 largest US cities take the SAT or ACT, said researchers at the University of Washington Bothell's nonpartisan Center on Reinventing Public Education. Memphis, Tennessee, had the highest rate of test-takers at 30%.
Federal Law Expands Definition of STEM
 The STEM Education Act of 2015 was signed into law last month. It incorporates computer science into the breadth of science, technology, engineering and math initiatives that can be funded and supported by the government. The law also directs the National Science Foundation to continue awarding funds to extracurricular STEM-education programs.
High-School Graduation Rates Increase in 36 States
High-school graduation rates rose during the 2013-14 school year in 36 states, according to preliminary data from the National Center for Education Statistics. This marks the second straight year the US has reported record high graduation rates.
More Rigorous Assessments Needed to Reduce Remediation in College
With nearly half of first-year college students entering a two-year college needing to take remedial courses, the American Association of Community Colleges and the Association of Community College Trustees are calling for more rigorous standards of assessments in secondary schools. In a statement, leaders of the organizations said remediation puts a "tremendous strain on resources that can be applied to teaching students at the college level."
School Composition and the Black-White Achievement Gap
 A recent NCES study finds that the grade 8 mathematics achievement of black and white students is lower, on average, in public schools with a higher percentage of black students than in schools with lower percentages of black students. The report explores the black-white achievement gap as it relates to a school's demographic composition.
Slightly Fewer Americans Reading Print Books
The number of book readers has dipped a bit from the previous year and the number of e-book readers has remained flat, according to new survey findings from Pew Research Center. Seven-in-ten American adults (72%) have read a book within the past year, whether in whole or in part and in any format, according to a survey conducted in March and April. That figure has fallen from 79% who said in 2011 they had read a book in the previous year, but is statistically in line with survey findings starting in 2012.
Court Rules Google Books Project Is Fair Use
A US appeals court ruled (PDF file) that Google Books, a massive effort to scan millions of books for an online library, does not violate copyright law, rejecting claims from a group of authors that the project illegally deprives them of revenue. The 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in New York rejected infringement claims from the Authors Guild and several individual writers, and found that the project provides a public service without violating intellectual property law. The authors sued Google in 2005.
Number of MOOCs Rises to Nearly 4,000
Fewer than 10 massive open online courses existed at colleges and universities in 2011, but this year the cumulative number of courses is almost 4,000, according to a report from Class Central. The most popular courses include those in statistics, computer science and business, researchers found.
Does Gaming Mesh with the Common Core?
Educational gaming could become a multimillion-dollar industry by 2018, according to a recent analysis from the Hechinger Report. Some experts suggest a measured approach to adopting games, especially in an era of Common Core State Standards, which focus more on deeper learning and less on rote memorization.
Essay Portion of SAT Will Be Optional
An article from T.H.E. Journal reports that the essay portion of the SAT will be optional under a revised version of the test, set for release in March 2016. A majority of admissions officers from 300 colleges and universities recently surveyed by Kaplan said they will make the essay scores optional. Nineteen percent said they will not require the scores, and about 13% will require them.
Most States Need to Improve Financial Literacy Education
 A majority of states are not doing enough to promote financial literacy in schools, according to a recent report from Champlain College's Center for Financial Literacy. The report awarded five states with an A grade, but found that Utah is by far the national leader in financial literacy.
Many Teachers Use Technology and Believe It Boosts Results
About 25% of teachers believe that using digital learning tools improves students' achievement by at least one grade, according to a recent YouGov study of 3,000 schools. About one-third of teachers who said they use technology in the classroom say they plan to integrate more of it into their lessons.
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Resources for School Librarians
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Coalition Developing Early College-Application Program for Teens
The Coalition for Access, Affordability, and Success, a diverse coalition of public and private college and universities, is developing a free platform of online tools to streamline the experience of planning for and applying to college. The initial iteration of the planning tools will be available to freshmen, sophomores, and juniors in high school beginning in January 2016.
National Constitution Center and College Board Launch Interactive Constitution Online Tool
The National Constitution Center and the College Board have launched a new online tool called the Interactive Constitution. Users can click on any provision of the U.S. Constitution and read what leading scholars from across the philosophical and political spectrum have to say about its meaning.
How Educators Can Be More Connected
Educators who want to become connected can start small, asserts Tomi Swanson, teacher and technology integration specialist in the Kasson-Mantorville School District in Minnesota. In this blog post, Swanson outlines four ways to get started, including creating Pinterest and Twitter accounts.
Tips for STEAM Success
 Schools can make science, technology, engineering, arts and math programs successful by building momentum and maintaining an open dialogue, suggests Denise Douglas-Faraci, an associate professor at Kaplan University's college of education. She says schools should build deeper learning and keep schedules flexible.
Depts. of Education and Justice Release English Learner Tool Kit
The U.S. Departments of Education (ED) and Justice (DOJ) released the English Learner (EL) Tool Kit to support states, districts and schools in meeting their legal obligations to ELs and ensuring access to quality education. The EL Tool Kit is a companion to the English Learner Guidance released jointly by ED and DOJ in January 2015 and consists of 10 chapters, each chapter aligned to one of the 10 sections of the guidance. Each chapter contains easy-to-use tools and resources relevant to the topic of the chapter.
Ways to Use Nearpod with iPads
Nearpod is a great tool for teachers who are using iPads in the classroom, according to Cathy Yenca, a middle-school math teacher in her fourth year of a one-to-one iPad classroom. In this blog post, she shares three best practices for using the interactive presentation and assessment tool, including to share student results.
American Federation of Teachers Offers Framework for Achieving Racial Equity
 The American Federation of Teachers recently released a substantive, action-oriented report on achieving racial equity in America. The report, Reclaiming the Promise of Racial Equity: In Education, Economics and Our Criminal Justice System, provides a framework for the development of policy in national and state legislation, at the school board level and inside the AFT itself. The report “offers concrete steps to create schools where parents want to send their children, where students—particularly boys of color—are engaged, and where educators want to work,” says AFT President Randi Weingarten.
Library of Congress Announces New CIP Data Block
The Library of Congress announced that a new version of the CIP Data Block, the cataloging information printed by publishers at the front of the book, has been implemented by the Cataloging in Publication Program effective September 30, 2015. Over the last two years, the Library of Congress with the assistance of experts from the school, public and academic library communities has been investigating revisions to the CIP Data Block. The new CIP Data Block is the result of an analysis of survey results done in 2014 that asked institutions what should be kept, added, or removed from the CIP Data Block to meet the needs of the twenty-first century bibliographic environment.
How a "Think Global, Act Local" Mindset Can Improve Education
To improve education, teacher-leaders should adopt a "think global, act local" mindset, educator Ben Owens suggests in this blog post. "By embracing the 'be the change you want to see' mindset through our own actions and helping bring to scale the things that we know work for all of our students, America's education system is far from broken," he writes.
Integrating Art into Critical-Thinking and Literacy Lessons
Educators can use art to develop skills aligned with Common Core State Standards by connecting artwork to classroom lessons, writes fifth-grade teacher Lorenza Arengo Yarnes. In this blog post, she shares -- in text and video -- how she worked with The Getty Museum to have students think critically, write and talk about their opinions about what professions would be needed in a space colony and then used clay to create a bust representing that profession.
What Co-Teaching Is and Is Not
Successful co-teaching requires the two educators to work together to integrate specifically designed instruction to meet the needs of all learners, educator Elizabeth Stein writes in this blog post. She shares online resources for improving the co-teaching structure and offers examples of instructional designs, such as Universal Design for Learning, that meet these goals.
Ideas to Enhance School Visits by Authors
Graphic novelists Jillian Tamaki, Mariko Tamaki and George O'Connor offer tips -- from the practical to the literary -- for educators organizing an author's visit to a school. In this article, the writers suggest educators prepare students by linking the writer's literary themes or genre to current classroom units to improve student engagement and educational relevance of the visit.
How to Teach Critical-Thinking Skills in Literacy
English teacher Sarah Brown Wessling in this blog post shares teaching strategies and resources for showing students how to think critically and analyze text. In particular, she highlights videos of lessons she demonstrated in a California county's fourth- and 11th-grade classrooms that emphasize using scaffolds, anchor texts and vocabulary concepts to develop students' thinking.
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Partnership and Collaborator News
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SpeakUp 2015 Surveys Now Open
 SpeakUp is the only annual, national survey to ask students, educators, and parents how they use--and how they would like to use--technology for learning. School librarians have their own set of survey questions, so this is your chance to share your thoughts and opinions with your community, your state, and the nation! SpeakUp reports are presented to administrators, teachers, and parents, as well as state and national policymakers. The survey offers AASL a powerful advocacy tool to highlight school librarians' opinions. In 2014, the survey reported the “emergence of the librarian as a digital leader within the school community.” This year, SpeakUp is anxious to see “how the role of the librarian is changing in many schools–and the impact that these 'digital content sherpas' can have on enhancing students’ learning experiences in the classroom and beyond.” Take the 20-minute survey by December 18.
New Survey Results Point to What’s Working in State Standards Implementation
 According to findings in Building Literacy Capacity: The Conditions for Effective Standards Implementation, a new report out from the National Center for Literacy Education (NCLE), the secret to implementing state standards and creating change in schools is building the shared capacity of educators. The report details findings from a national survey of K–12 public educators representing all grade levels and subject areas. The findings show a clear correlation between schools where state standards implementation is reportedly going well and schools that invest in educator professional development, rely on educator expertise and build educator ownership of change.
Dept. of Education Announces ASCD as New Partner in Teach to Lead
 Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced that ASCD will join the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and the U.S. Department of Education as the third partner in Teach to Lead, which focuses on expanding opportunities for teacher leadership in ways that enhance student learning and make it possible for teachers to stay in the classroom while leading in the profession. ASCD will be the lead partner in the development of new Teacher Impact Grants.
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Carnegie-Whitney Awards
The American Library Association Publishing Committee provides a grant of up to $5,000 for the preparation of print or electronic reading lists, indexes or other guides to library resources that promote reading or the use of library resources at any type of library. Funded projects have ranged from popular, general-reader proposals such as "ReadMOre," a reading list for Missouri's state-wide reading program, to more specialized, scholarly proposals such as "Librarianship and Information Science in the Islamic World, 1966-1999: An Annotated Bibliography." Applications must be received by November 6, 2015. Recipients will be notified by the end of February 2016.
Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program
The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship (AEF) Program is accepting applications for the 2016-2017 Fellowship Year. AEF provides an opportunity for accomplished K-12 STEM educators to serve in the national education arena. Fellows spend 11 months working in a federal agency or U.S. Congressional office. Applications are due November 19.
Capstone Interactive eBook Matching Grant
Capstone is offering schools an opportunity to expand their digital resources with the Capstone Interactive eBook Matching Grant program. Schools can apply through the publisher to receive a matching grant toward the purchase of Capstone Interactive eBooks. Schools purchasing a minimum of $500 of Capstone Interactive eBooks can apply to have Capstone match the value of their paid order, dollar-for-dollar, with free interactive eBooks. The brief application asks schools to share their eBook needs and why they should be selected as a grant recipient. Grant applications are accepted online through Nov. 30.
Vernier/NSTA Technology Awards
 The Vernier/NSTA Technology Awards promote the innovative use of data-collection technology using a computer, graphing calculator, or other handheld device in the science classroom. Maximum award: $1,000 in cash for the teacher, $3,000 in Vernier Products, and up to $1,500 toward expenses to attend the annual NSTA National Convention. Eligibility: Current teachers of science in grades K-College. Deadline: November 30, 2015.
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation invites applications for its prestigious Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. Cooke Scholars will receive up to $40,000 per year for up to three years of study at any four-year accredited college or university. In addition to financial support, the program helps students make the transition to four-year colleges and maximize their campus experiences with the support of counselors and a network of nearly 2,000 extraordinary scholars and alumni. Cooke Scholars also have additional opportunities such as internships, study abroad, and even continued funding for graduate school. Applications must be received by December 15, 2015.
Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Grants
The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, which fosters children’s love of reading and creative expression, celebrates the 28th year of its Mini-Grant program—and Keats’s 100th birthday—with a call for proposals that reflect the work and vision of the program’s namesake. Approximately 60 grants of up to $500 each will be awarded to qualifying teachers and librarians at public schools and libraries across the country. The deadline for submissions is March 31, 2016.
Department of State-Sponsored Study Abroad Programs
Applications are now being accepted for the Department of State sponsored study abroad programs for U.S. high school students for 2016-17:
- National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y)
- Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Abroad (YES Abroad)
- Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) with Germany
These merit-based scholarships include international airfare, tuition, and program costs, as well as meals and living accommodations (often with a host family). The programs have no language prerequisites and gap year students are encouraged to apply as long as they meet the age requirements. Each program has a separate online application process, and application deadlines vary from late October through early January. Visit the program websites or www.exchanges.state.gov for specific information and application deadlines.
GreenPal Small Business Scholarship
Greenpal Lawncare is accepting applications for the annual GreenPal Small Business Scholarship to assist a motivated, driven student and future business leader. The program is open to any graduating high school senior, college freshman, or sophomore who owns and operates his/her own small business or has put together a business plan to start a business while in college. In addition, applicants must be in a graduating high school's senior class in 2015 or be currently enrolled in a college of business with a 3.0 or higher GPA; demonstrate high ambition and desire to be an entrepreneur or business owner; and have a declared major in a college of business.
Microsoft DigiGirlz High Tech Camp
Microsoft DigiGirlz High Tech Camp for girls works to dispel stereotypes of the high-tech industry. During the camp session, the girls listen to executive speakers, participate in technology tours and demonstrations, network, and learn through hands-on experience in workshops. This year camps will take place at various dates throughout the summer in Stonybrook, NY; Charlotte, NC; Fargo, ND; Redmond, WA; Las Colinas, TX; and St. Louis, MO. Maximum award: free attendance to camp. Eligibility: girls grades 9-11 in the 2015-2016 school year, and at least age 13 at time of application, with some location exceptions. Deadline: varies by location.
Fund for Teachers Grants
 The Fund for Teachers provides funds for direct grants to teachers to support summer learning opportunities of their own design. Maximum award: $5,000. Eligibility: teachers who work with students in grades pre-kindergarten through 12, with a minimum of three years teaching experience, full-time, spending at least 50 percent of the time in the classroom at the time grants are approved and made. Deadline: varies by state.
Grants to Increase Access to Healthy Foods from the No Kid Hungry Foundation
Providing students access to healthy and nutritious meals is the focus of No Kid Hungry Foundation grants. Currently, the foundation supports projects that increase access to summer meal programs, school breakfast and after-school snacks and meals. Plus, advocacy efforts, including anti-hunger issues and needs and educating families about SNAP and the Women, Infants, and Children programs. Interested schools can submit letters of inquiry year-round. Prize: Average grants range from $5,000 to $10,000. Deadline: Rolling.
The Awesome Foundation Grants for Projects
The Awesome Foundation funds projects that challenge and expand our understanding of our individual and communal potentials, bringing communities together, casting aside social inhibitions and boundaries for a moment. Maximum award: $1,000. Eligibility: all people and organizations; there are no prerequisites. Deadline: rolling.
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