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New Hampshire’s PACE option: Building a better accountability model
Brian Stack EducationIn October, Education Week's Alyson Klein asked the question, "Will New Hampshire be Arne Duncan's 'test case' for Accountability 2.0?" Klein noted that Secretary of Education Duncan has hinted for some time that he would like to reduce the number of standardized assessments that students take. In New Hampshire, a model that includes the use of both standardized assessments and competency-based performance assessments has piqued the interest of Duncan and his staff in Washington.
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Connecting cultures through celebrations of thankfulness
Beth Crumpler EducationThe end of November is here. In the United States, the end of November means Thanksgiving — the time of year where families and friends get together to eat food and celebrate things for which they are grateful.
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Reviewing the failures of the No Child Left Behind program
Bambi Majumdar EducationNo Child Left Behind is once again in the limelight. The Department of Education has just announced that states can renew their waivers from NCLB for 3-4 years but have to show incredible results in closing student achievement gaps, implementing college and career-ready standards, using effective teacher and principal evaluation system, and turning around low-performing schools.
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An elegant solution for middle schoolers with suicidal thoughts
Nancy Gahles Mental HealthcareMiddle schoolers are our future and our hope for creating a better world. Middle school comprises grades 6-8, where children are in the age group between 12-15. Supporting our teens through this time of emotional growth and development is crucial if they are going to actualize their potential and become self-assured, powerful co-creators of their own lives.
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Collecting IEP goal data: Students, teachers working in partnership
Pamela Hill EducationAt the conclusion of an initial or annual IEP review, after everyone has shared information about the student and developed the best IEP plan for the student's success, everyone breathes a sigh of relief. The "save" button on the computer IEP program is pressed, and voila! The educational goals become active.
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New program helping schools streamline HR tasks
Cait Harrison EducationDoes it feel like you're more in the business of running an HR department than a school? Hiring, onboarding, paperwork, payroll and health insurance — the job never ends. And chances are, you're not alone. Until earlier this year, Adam Wilson felt that way, too.
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Teaching learning strategies to ELLs: What, why, when, how
Erick Herrmann Education"Learning how to learn" is one of many goals educators have for their students. In fact, in a world where we cannot predict the jobs and work of the future, the act of learning, unlearning old ways of doing things and relearning new ways, is a 21st-century skill that is gaining increasing importance. The constantly changing landscape of technological advances in the workforce causes us to adapt ways of doing things on a seemingly daily basis.
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School districts weigh pros, cons of later start times for high schools
Brian Stack EducationThe American Academy of Pediatrics published research this summer that will likely become a hot topic at many school board meetings in the coming months and years. The report, entitled "School Start Times For Adolescents," studied the sleep patterns of teenagers.
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How bullying may physically alter our developing brains
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareIt's no mystery that the brain develops before birth and continues throughout adulthood. But we may not have considered that brain development is analogous to building a house: laying the foundation, framing the rooms and installing electrical wiring. Obviously, laying a solid foundation builds a strong brain structure, while a weak foundation creates a faulty structure.
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Drilling down: Audio-lingual method can help
Eva Sullivan EducationThis fall, my high school ESOL classes have been particularly challenging. My newcomer students are struggling to adapt to their new cultural and language environment, and my advanced students are struggling to master new curriculum materials that align with Common Core.
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