Unbelievably Good Deals
Unbelievably Good Deals That You Absolutely Can't Get Unless You're a Teacher, Barry Harrington and Beth Christensen.
Teachers of grades K–8 can enliven their classrooms at little or no cost by using this listing of hundreds of teaching aids, from books and art supplies to CD-ROMs and science apparatus. Also included are ideas for inexpensive field trips, assemblies, and other hands-on activities. The materials are listed by subject—reading; writing; social studies; math; art; science, health, and environment; ERIC and the new technology; global awareness; teachers' education and community involvement.
Available from Contemporary Books, Inc., Two Prudential Plaza, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL 60601-6790. (312) 540-4500; fax (312) 540-4657. 1995. 320 pp., Paperbound. $12.95.
Advanced Telecommunications in U.S. Public Elementary and Secondary Schools
Advanced Telecommunications in U.S. Public Elementary and Secondary Schools, Sheila Heaviside, Elizabeth Farris, Gerald Malitz, and Judi Carpenter.
Fifty percent of U.S. public schools now have access to the Internet—up from 34 percent in 1994, according to this report. Not surprisingly, however, only 31 percent of schools with large proportions of students from poor families have access, compared to 62 percent of those with relatively few of these students. On the other hand, the researchers found that 77 percent of all schools have computers connected to a local area network and 61 percent have computers with wide area network access.
This report—a joint effort of the National Center for Education Statistics and Westat, Inc.—is based on a survey of 917 public elementary and secondary schools conducted in fall 1995. In addition to findings for public schools overall, the authors present the data by school enrollment size, region, metropolitan status (for example, urban fringe, town, or rural), and percent minority enrollment.
Available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Superintendent of Documents, Mail Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-9328. (202) 512-1800. (NCES 96-854). February 1996. 64 pp., Paperbound. $4.50. For further information, contact Judi Carpenter, Project Officer, National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, 555 New Jersey Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20208-5574. (202) 219-1333.
How Students Have Changed
How Students Have Changed: A Call to Action for Our Children's Future, Julia Strat.
This compelling snapshot of today's youth brings together the results of recent surveys, think tank studies, case studies of school districts and communities, and major changes identified by finalists in the 1994 National Superintendent of the Year program. This slim volume also includes leading educators' prescriptions for the problems that are troubling so many students.
The data show that children have been profoundly affected by a number of trends—the soaring rate of broken and dysfunctional families; increased crime, violence, and poverty; the growing diversity of communities; and, indeed, the lack of a sense of community. The pervasive influence of the mass media has made children more knowledgeable at an earlier age. More children now question authority and shun traditional values and responsibilities. And studies have shown that high achievers, in particular, have less confidence in the media and the government.
Available from Publications, the American Association of School Administrators, 1801 North Moore St., Arlington, VA 22209. (703) 875-0748. December 1995. 42 pp., Paperbound. $7. Bulk prices available.
School-Based Reform
School-Based Reform: Lessons from a National Study (A Guide for School Reform Teams), Edys Quellmalz and Patrick M. Shields, SRI International.
This practical guide draws on lessons learned from the Chapter 2 effective schools program, which Congress mandated in 1988, as well as initiatives supported through Chapter 1 and state reforms.
The researchers found that successful reform strategies had several features in common: they used challenging curriculums and enriching instruction for all students, they built a school culture that nurtured teacher collaboration and participation in decision making, and they provided opportunities for professional growth.
Case studies range from a rural high school experiencing a large influx of Latino students to a highly innovative big city system. There are profiles of a primary school where more than 100 children are participating in a nongraded, multiage program; a magnet middle school; and an experimental alternative science curriculum, to cite just a few examples. The authors also address what districts can do to support reform efforts and they include a lengthy list of resources.
A separate volume, Improving Schools from the Bottom: From Effective Schools to Restructuring, presents more detailed findings and describes the research methods used.
Both the guide and full report are available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Superintendent of Documents, Mail Stop: SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-9328. (202) 512-1800. 1995. 92 pp., Paperbound. $6.
Resources for Teaching Elementary School Science
Resources for Teaching Elementary School Science, National Science Resources Center, National Academy of Sciences, Smithsonian Institution.
What activities might a teacher use to help 5th graders learn how the planets move, or to enable city kids to explore life in the desert? How does a science teacher select, care for, and observe animals in the classroom? Or teach science without using textbooks?
This annotated guide to hands-on, inquiry-centered curriculum materials and sources of help in teaching science has the answers. It includes descriptions of 350 curriculum packages, activity books, directories, guides, and magazines for grades K–6, as well as a listing of 600 science centers, museums, and zoos; and a section on publishers and suppliers. This is a revised edition of the best-selling Science for Children: Resources for Teachers (1988).
Available from the National Academy Press, 2101 Constitution Ave. N.W., Washington, DC 20418. (202) 334-3180; fax (202) 334-2793. 1996. 312 pp., Paperbound. $17.95. 2-9 copies $13.50 each; 10 or more copies, $11.95 each.
A Profile of the American High School Senior in 1992
A Profile of the American High School Senior in 1992, Patricia J. Green, Bernard L. Dugoni, Steven J. Ingels, and Eric Camburn.
From the standpoint of academic proficiency, this is not a flattering portrait of the class of 1992. It reveals that only 62 percent of the students in this large, nationally representative sample were able to read well at intermediate and advanced levels. Thirty-one percent could grasp only the main point of individual paragraphs and the rest could not comprehend basic written information. Equally distressing, just 53 percent of the seniors demonstrated an understanding of fundamental science concepts.
Nearly half of all the students were enrolled in college preparatory programs, 12 percent were in vocational or technical programs, and 40 percent were in general high school programs—rates that were about the same for males and females. About half of all seniors worked while in high school. As for the ethnic makeup of the sample, 27 percent of the seniors were from racial and ethnic minority groups—12 percent were African American, 10 percent Hispanic, and about 4 percent of Asian descent.
Single copies are available free from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Superintendent of Documents, Mail Stop: SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-9328. (NCES 95-384). June 1995. 272 pp., Paperbound. For information on the study, contact Peggy Quinn, National Center for Education Statistics, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC 20208-5651. (202) 219-1743.
Restructuring Schools with Technology
Restructuring Schools with Technology: Challenges and Strategies, Barbara Means and Kerry Olsen, SRI International.
This report summarizes observations, interviews, and document analyses from nine schools and districts that have been using technology to further educational reform. Among the many issues addressed are funding, access to technology, teacher involvement, schoolwide planning, technical support, and scheduling.
Free copies are available from Sharon McGregor-Noel, SRI International, 333 Ravenswood Ave., Menlo Park CA 94025. (415) 859-4404. November 1995. 40 pp., Paperbound.
A more complete report on the SRI study, Technology's Role in Education Reform (November 1995), by the same authors, is available for $5 from Carolyn Estey at the above address. (415) 859-5109.
Hidden Casualties
Hidden Casualties: The Relationship Between Violence and Learning, Deborah Prothrow-Stith and Sher Quaday, edited by Shelley Gehshan.
This report offers an overview of the psychological consequences of family violence and an unpredictable, chaotic home life, and how these hamper learning. Language development, for example, may be delayed because these children, being ever alert for clues that they may be in danger, trust mood and tone more than the content of language. The authors also describe risk factors for violence, present some school-based solutions, and evaluate various violence prevention programs. Prothrow-Stith, an assistant dean at the Harvard School of Public Health, developed the first violence prevention curriculum and also wrote Deadly Consequences, which presented the public health perspective on violence to a mass audience.
Available from the National Health and Education Consortium, c/o the Institute for Educational Leadership, 1001 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Suite 310, Washington, DC 20036. (202) 822-8405; fax (202) 872-4050. 1995. 38 pp. Paperbound, $10.
For Leaders of Learners
For Leaders of Learners, edited by Nancy McLaran, Executive Director, Texas ASCD.
Featured in the August 1996 issue of For Leaders of Learners, the new Texas ASCD newsletter: Bob Sylwester on "Metaphors of the Mind" (recent brain research), Carol Wilson on discipline, and Nancy Post on "Bring Your Body to Work" (Why do people in organizations do what they do? How do they feel when they do it?). ($30 for eight issues a year.)
Also of interest from the Texas ASCD: Waves of Learning, a series of booklets that presents cutting-edge research and case studies on four issues facing educators today: staff development, technology, at-risk students, and change processes. The booklets were published last year in collaboration with the Texas Professors of Educational Administration (6-20 pp., Paperbound, $6 each or $20 for a set of four.)
The newsletter and booklets available from Alex Franz, Texas ASCD, 701 Brazos, Suite 480, Austin, TX 78701; (800) 717-ASCD; (512) 477-8200; fax (512) 477-8215.
