Thursday, January 7, 2010

Best and Worst Jobs 2010 - The Wall Street Journal Online - Interactive Graphics


Best and Worst Jobs 2010 - The Wall Street Journal Online - Interactive Graphics:

"Best and Worst Jobs 2010

The 200 best and worst jobs in the U.S. in 2009 based on five criteria -- environment, income, employment outlook, physical demands and stress -- according to a newly released study from job site CareerCast.com. Read about the methodology.


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CAL: Projects: National K-12 Foreign Language Survey


CAL: Projects: National K-12 Foreign Language Survey


National K - 12 Foreign Language Survey

Survey LogoFunder: U.S. Department of Education, International Research and Studies Program
September 2006 – August 2009
The Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) conducts a national survey of foreign language instruction in public and private elementary and secondary schools every decade to provide an updated national and regional portrait of foreign language instruction in the United States. Working with Westat, a leader in survey research, CAL analyzed results from the third survey to be able to show trends in foreign language education at three points in time (1987, 1997, 2008).
Survey questionnaires were mailed to a stratified random sample of more than 5,000 elementary and secondary schools across the country in October 2007. Data collection was completed in June 2008. The response rate was 76%.
The survey was designed to help us understand, among other issues, current patterns and shifts over time in these areas:
  • Foreign language enrollments
  • Number of schools offering foreign languages
  • Types of foreign language programs offered
  • Foreign language curricula and methodologies in use
  • Teacher qualifications and training
  • Effects of No Child Left Behind legislation on foreign language instruction

Survey data were examined and presented according to various factors that may affect language instruction, including these:
  • Type of school (public or private)
  • Location of school (urban, rural, or suburban)
  • Socioeconomic status of students
  • Percentage of minority students enrolled in the school
  • Geographical region (e.g., Northeast, Pacific Northwest)

The survey results present national and regional data; state-by-state data were not an outcome of this survey. Answers to the following questions are presented in the final survey results:
  • How is students’ language proficiency assessed?
  • Do teachers integrate national and/or state foreign language standards into their instruction?
  • How much do teachers use the foreign language in the classroom?

The overarching theme in the analysis was how the data can be used to help our country increase and improve language teaching in elementary and secondary schools over the next decade.
Download our Survey Snapshot Brochure 
Read our brochure with results of the elementary school survey.
(PDF, 1.6 MB) Adobe PDF Icon
Survey Methodology and Others Details
Learn more about how the survey was conducted as well as additional details about the survey.

Spotlight
Foreign Language Survey coverReport from the National K-12 Foreign Language Survey

Read the Executive
Summary. (PDF, 3 MB) Adobe PDF Icon
Order online at the CAL Store.
FL Survey Snapshot Brochure (PDF, 1.6 MB)Adobe PDF Icon
Download a brochure of preliminary results of the elementary school survey.
 


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Copyright © 2009 CAL
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Governor Holds Press Conference with Mayor Kevin Johnson Regarding Race to the Top Legislation

Governor Holds Press Conference with Mayor Kevin Johnson Regarding Race to the Top Legislation



Good morning and welcome to Rosa Parks Middle School. I'm Renee Balestrieri, the principal of Rosa Parks. I'd like to thank the guests who are with us this morning: Mayor Kevin Johnson, the city of Sacramento; Jonathan P. Raymond, the superintendent of Sacramento City Unified School District; Margaret Fortune, member, Board of Trustees of the California State University and CEO of Project Pipeline; Dr. Glen Thomas, the Secretary of Education; Jed Wallace, CEO of Charter Schools; Branche Jones, California Charter Schools Association; Ted Mitchell, the president, California State Board of Education; Ed Manansala, the superintendent of St. Hope Public Schools.

In our audience we have the Rosa Parks AVID class. AVID is a national program that stresses rigor and individual determination to provide students with the skills and strategies that will take them through high school on to college. We also have students with us this morning from Sac High.

It is my honor at this time to introduce the Governor of the great state of California, Governor Schwarzenegger. (Applause)

GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER:

Thank you very much, Principal Balestrieri. Is this right, did I pronounce it right? OK, good. And I want to say thank you for your great leadership. And I think that's why we're all here at the Rosa Parks Middle School, because this school is a spectacular school and we have heard so much about it, so I wanted to come here myself to see all the action that's going on here and the great education that all of you are getting.

But in the meantime, I want to just say thank you very much to Mayor Johnson, who is such a big believer in children. We have worked together way before he became mayor and way before I became governor, when we talked about after school programs and charter schools and all this, so it's really terrific to have him here. And also Superintendent, I want to say thank you very much, Superintendent Raymond, for his great energy and also Margaret Fortune, who has been a great education leader here in California and has worked with our administration and all the other education leaders that are here with us today.

Now, as I said, we are here today because you have shown such great, great work. And I think that, because of the great leadership of your school principal, you've done a great job with improving the grades and your scores jumped up and test scores have improved so much in these last few years in every area. And you have also coaches here that are coaching teachers how to teach and you have created a great team effort between the students and the parents and teachers
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Passage of Race to the Top Bills - Year 2010 (CA Dept of Education)


Passage of Race to the Top Bills - Year 2010 (CA Dept of Education)


Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Comments
on Passage of Race to the Top Bills

SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today issued the following statement following passage of SBx5 1, authored by Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), and SBx5 4, authored by Senator Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles). Both bills now head to Governor Schwarzenegger's desk. The Governor has said he would sign both bills.
"I am very pleased that the Legislature has approved two important bills that will help change the culture in our lowest-performing schools and set the stage for reform and innovation throughout California's public education system. With the passage of these measures, California has met the necessary threshold to apply and be highly competitive for the federal Race to the Top program. I applaud the leadership of Senator Steinberg and Senator Romero for their work to ensure California is eligible to apply for Race to the Top.
"Now it is critical that we complete work on our state plan that will detail how we will implement our Race to the Top goals. Our Race to the Top application will spell out how we will foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continual improvement in our schools in order to close the achievement gap and prepare all students for success in the competitive global economy.
"Nearly 800 local educational agencies already have agreed to partner with the state of California in the Race to the Top work, and support for our application is gaining momentum among business, philanthropic, community, and education organizations. With today's legislative action, the clear articulation of how we will implement our reform goals, and the strong support of such a broad coalition, California will submit a very competitive Race to the Top application."
A public draft of Section (A) (1) of California's Race to the Top application is now available at Race to the Top, under "Key Items."
Related Content: Education Reform - Information on how ARRA funds can be used to advance education reforms and support efforts to close achievement gaps. Includes information on LEA and state competitive grants.



Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Responds to
Governor's 2010 State of the State Address

SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today responded to Governor Schwarzenegger's 2010 State of the State address (Outside Source):
"I was encouraged today to hear Governor Schwarzenegger say in his State of the State address that he plans to protect education funding in his proposed budget for the coming year. I applaud him for making public education a priority, and for recognizing that the future economic well-being of our state is dependent upon a well-educated, highly skilled workforce. Our schools are still dealing with the effects of $17 billion in cuts made in the last budget cycle. Many vital school programs across the state have been cut back or eliminated all together. We cannot afford to backslide further. The key to expanding our economy is education. We need a well-qualified workforce to fill the green technology, biotechnology, and other sector jobs that the governor is promoting to boost our economy.
"I look forward to seeing the details of the Governor's budget when it's released within the next few days, and I hope it's a budget that does in fact protect our schools and our students."

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State Education Labor Leaders Call for Full Funding of Public Education in 2010/11 Budget | California Progress Report


State Education Labor Leaders Call for Full Funding of Public Education in 2010/11 Budget | California Progress Report


State Education Labor Leaders Call for Full Funding of Public Education in 2010/11 Budget

By Alice Sunshine
California Faculty Association
Everyone in California is painfully aware that public education in California is being dismantled. In nearly every ranking at every level -- from preschool to university -- California is sinking compared to other states.
Yet, the very forces we should expect to be in the forefront of fighting for public education, including businesses that need educated workers and even the leaders of our educational segments, speak of the problems, but are strangely timid at key moments when public action is needed to stop the wrecking crew at work on our schools.
So, a group of education labor leaders have decided to make a public commitment to work together to fight for the future of our schools, colleges and universities, even if those nominally in charge do not.
Over the holidays, education labor groups teamed up for an “e-March” on Gov. Schwarzenegger, sending 5,000 messages telling him to include appropriate funding for public education from pre-school through Ph.D. in his 2010/11 budget proposal slated for release later this week.
On Jan. 5, leaders of five of the labor groups – who collectively
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Mark Leno, Dave Jones: CPR Reader’s Choice for 2009 Legislators of Year | California Progress Report


Mark Leno, Dave Jones: CPR Reader’s Choice for 2009 Legislators of Year | California Progress Report


Mark Leno, Dave Jones: CPR Reader’s Choice for 2009 Legislators of Year



By Dan Aiello
With more than 2,600 individual votes cast during three weeks of voting, California Progress Report readers have chosen Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and Assembly Member Dave Jones (D-Sacramento) as their 2009 Legislators of the Year.

To make the cut, Assemblymembers and Senators first had toreceive a combined average of 65 percent or higher on the 2009 scorecards of four key progressive organizations, including Equality California, California League of Conservation Voters, California Alliance for Retired Americans and Consumer Federation of California. 

With 470 votes, Senator Leno maintained a lead in the polling that began the first day and never waned.
“Leno has fought for consumer and LGBT rights like no other,” wrote one reader in selecting the Senator.  “Principled,” wrote another.
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Who Will Redraw Our Districts? We Draw The Lines







We Draw The Lines

Welcome to We Draw the Lines. The California State Auditor's webpage for information about California's FIRST Citizens Redistricting Commission.

You made it happen!

Before the Voters FIRST Act, California lawmakers were charged with drawing their own legislative and Board of Equalization districts. But California voters changed all that when they authorized the creation of the Citizens Redistricting Commission (Commission) in the November 2008 General Election. Now YOU can apply to serve on an independent Commission that will draw district boundaries for the state Senate, Assembly, and Board of Equalization.
Please check out General Information and the Application and Selection Process for details on this historic and exciting opportunity for YOU to help draw the lines. Check back frequently as new, updated information will continually be added. If you need a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the Commission selection process, please contact us, toll free, at 1-866-356-5217 or send a letter or e-mail specifying the accommodation you are requesting to votersfirstact@auditor.ca.gov.

SIGN UP...to be notified of news, updates and more!

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Upcoming Events

  • Dec 15 - App Period Begins

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You can apply today!

Apply for the Commission Online—December 15, 2009 throughFebruary 12, 2010. Learn about the general application and selection process and timeline. You can apply by clicking on the icon to the right:
If you have questions or comments or need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this process, call us toll free at 1-866-356-5217 or send us an e-mail atvotersfirstact@auditor.ca.gov. We'll be happy to answer any of your questions. We encourage as many applicants as possible to apply and take advantage of this exciting, once-in-a-decade opportunity to be on this new Commission!

You can see how many applications are being submitted!

Do you want to know how many applications we're receiving and where they are coming from? We are tracking that information on a daily basis and will be providing daily updates right here! Easy to read graphics will be posted every Monday starting December 21, 2009.
You can also subscribe to this RSS feed to receive notifications of Web site updates.
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© 2009 California State Auditor
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California State Auditor, Bureau of State Audits
555 Capitol Mall, Suite 300, Sacramento, CA 95814
(866) 356-5217
votersfirstact@auditor.ca.gov
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Educator – Educational News- Why Teachers Quit


Educator – Educational News:
"One top reason teachers leave the profession is their lack of mastery of one of the basic skills necessary to be successful in the field: effective management of student behavior.

Although classroom management is taught in teacher preparatory classes, few graduates leave Education College with the ability to successfully deal with the disruptive behavior that will undoubtedly present itself in that new teacher’s classroom.

Why the lack of mastery in such a basic and necessary skill of the teaching profession? It is the nature of the beast. The skills are not intrinsic and are not easily taught through instruction. Effective classroom management is best learned through experience. And experience is just what a freshman teacher lacks."
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SAC City DAC Education News & Comment

SAC City DAC Education News & Comment:


"The next DAC meeting is Tuesday, January 12, 2010
at the Genesis High School, Multi-purpose Room, adjacent to the Serna Center
from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm.
Free dinner and daycare is provided for your convenience.
Agenda and Minutes are attached."



SCUSD January 2010 Message from DAC Chair Wanda Yanez -
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District Participation in Race to the Top: Binding, or Not? - Politics K-12 - Education Week


District Participation in Race to the Top: Binding, or Not? - Politics K-12 - Education Week


District Participation in Race to the Top: Binding, or Not?

By Michele McNeil on January 7, 2010 1:19 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks
Earlier this week, Alyson blogged about the tension between states and districts over Race to the Top participation. The more school districts that sign an MOU agreeing to participate in a state's reform plan, the more points a state gets in the competition. And participating school districts, in return, would enjoy a slice of their state's award.
But many districts aren't sure exactly what they're committing to do, and even wonder if it's a binding agreement.
Well, the U.S. Department of Education weighed in on this during two technical planning seminars last month, when state teams asked whether local districts can drop out from participating after a state wins a grant.
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Fun Math Blog


Fun Math Blog


Intel Partners with President Obama and Commits $200 Million for Math and Science Education

January 7th, 2010
I received this email from Intel yesterday and thought many of you would be interested:
Today, as part of President Obama’s “Educate to Innovate” Campaign, Intel joined with the President to honor America’s best math and science teachers and committed $200 million to help improve math and science achievement in the US. As part of this commitment, Intel will provide math and science training to more than 100,000 U.S. teachers over the next 3 years.
At Intel, it is commonly said that computers aren’t magic, teachers are. And that’s why Intel continues to provide teachers with the knowledge, tools and resources they need to help their students excel in math and science and succeed in an innovation-driven society.
Today’s commitment includes:
  1. The expansion of Intel Math – an intensive 80-hour professional development math course for elementary school teachers – to school districts in all 50 states at no cost.
  2. New Web-based instruction and collaboration tools for science teachers of all grades as part of the Intel Teach program.

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Perez Voted In As Assembly Speaker - Politics News Story - KCRA Sacramento


Perez Voted In As Assembly Speaker - Politics News Story - KCRA Sacramento:

"Perez Voted In As Assembly Speaker
LA Democrat Becomes First Openly Gay Person To Hold Position"


SACRAMENTO, Calif. -The California Assembly has voted in John Perez as the new speaker.

Perez, a Democrat from Los Angeles who is in his first term, has become the first openly gay person to hold the powerful position.


Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, praised Perez for being openly gay and being part of the LGBT Caucus.


Perez has said his main focus will be on California's economy.


"I will present your budget to the Big 5, not the Big 5's budget to you," Perez said.

At the last second, Republicans tried to vote in Assembly Minority Leader Sam Blakeslee, but he only had half the 


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Education Research Report: Development of Assessment Systems


Education Research Report: Development of Assessment Systems:


"Public comment by Gerald M. Eads II, Ph.D.



Race to the Top Assessment Meeting


Gerald Eads currently conducts research for the Professional Standards Commission, Georgia’s teacher certification agency. He has served as head of testing for the Virginia Department of Education, research faculty for the State Data & Research Center at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and assistant for policy research to the director at the Georgia Office of Educational Accountability. His doctoral training was in experimental and educational psychology and measurement. The opinions offered herein are entirely those of the author and do not represent the position of any agency."


1. Validity

The RT3 assessment executive summary notes that “the framework would focus on the design and quality of assessment systems and not accountability policies” yet it is the accountability policies which drive validity – and validity is at the very core of the issue of quality. The testing system you are considering must be validated for each of your purposes: instructional improvement, measuring school, principal, and teacher effectiveness, and predicting college “readiness.” It would behoove us, for example, to require state consortia to demonstrate that the testing system differentiates among teachers on meaningful dimensions. Just because “scores go up” does not mean in and of itself that anything of value changes – higher graduation rates, increased college success, lower unemployment rates, employment persistence, etc. Unless we can demonstrate externally referenced value, a testing system is nothing more than the proverbial boat _ _ that is to say, a hole in the water into which we pour money. Developing an assessment system without considering policy intent and implication is little different from building the atom bomb and refusing to address the consequences. Your Framework begins with policy validity issues, not the least of which is “Individual student achievement as measured against standards that build toward college and career readiness by the time of high school completion” – we cannot know that the tests
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