From: "The Association of Educational Publishers" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 16:58:18 -0400 Subject: AEP ONLINE/The Newsletter of Educational Publishing 4-23-02
************************************************** AEP ONLINE is a member service of THE ASSOCIATION OF EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHERS, supporting the growth of educational publishing and its positive impact on learning and teaching. We publish the first and third Tuesdays of each month. ************************************************** We welcome your comments at [EMAIL PROTECTED] And please send us the e-mail address of staff in your company or organization who should be added to our distribution list. To unsubscribe, send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word "unsubscribe" and your name in the subject line. ************************************************** FRONT PAGE FOR APRIL 23, 2002 -Bologna Children's Book Fair Provides International Venue for Copyright Exchange NEWS IN BRIEF -From Headquarters ..Member Billing Changes ..Peak Support Rolling In ..Calling AEP -Education ..For the SATs, A New Kind of Accountability -Legislative Watch ..COPPA: Let It Slide -Markets and Trends ..TCO for Schools: How Can Educational Publishers Help? -In the Industry ..Member Spotlight: ..Chat Corner ..Movin' On/Up: Appointments and Job Openings ..Announcements ..New Products DATES TO REMEMBER -Calendar IN CLOSING -Tips ..The Truth About Search Engine Submission ************************************************** FRONT PAGE: BOLOGNA CHILDREN'S BOOK FAIR PROVIDES INTERNATIONAL VENUE FOR COPYRIGHT EXCHANGE Breaking into a new business market can be a daunting task when you are encountering cultural, geographical, and linguistic barriers. To help facilitate the international exchange of copyrights in the educational publishing industry, AEP, in partnership with the Bologna Children's Book Fair, has launched the Global Learning Initiative (GLI). The purpose of the GLI is to create a must-attend, international exposition at the Book Fair for business development and market expansion. The inaugural meeting of the GLI Steering Committee took place Thursday, April 11 at the Bologna Children's Book Fair in Bologna, Italy. Participants hailed from the United States and Europe and represented several publishing media. All agreed that there should be one place to go to for the industry's rights exchange -- not only to maximize returns with minimal time invested but to create an event that celebrates educational publishing internationally. Preben Spath, director of the European Educational Publishers Group, said, "The EEPG members want education to be in focus in Bologna." Although there have been previous efforts to create an international venue for educational publishers, this one comes at a critical time. "We can't ignore the importance of globalization, multicultural awareness, and diversity," says Richard Casabonne, president of the LeapFrog Education and Training Group and chairman of the GLI Steering Committee. The annual Bologna Children's Book Fair, held this year from April 10 to 13, already serves as an annual meeting location for publishing executives to see the latest in industry initiatives, new media innovations, and emerging illustrators. Primarily, though, it is a place for publishers to exchange copyrights to their material. While traditionally an event for library and trade companies, the Book Fair has expanded its scope over the years, and educational publishers are increasing their presence. "The Book Fair is very trade-oriented, but it is a convenient place to see suppliers and look for other projects -- and you can make just one trip," says Paul Kobasa, executive director of research and development for World Book Inc. "It's also a good place to meet people with whom you've previously communicated only through e-mail, fax, and phone -- the Fair provides an opportunity to advance the personal business relationship in a concentrated period of time." Housed at the BolognaFiere multi-building tradeshow complex, the Book Fair is arranged by country to help people navigate among the markets of the world. Publishers' booths advertise their companies' successes and possible licenses for sale, while the rights people converge at meetings. Some publishers, like the Israel-based Serfaty Edition -- which makes picture books that educate through stories -- bring prototypes in translation to demonstrate their products' international potential. While most people come to the Book Fair with a regimen of appointments, many say their extemporaneous successes are some of the most satisfying. For Kobasa, drop-in business is a highlight of Bologna: "There is the serendipity of people stopping by. Having even a smaller booth at the Book Fair is good. When you've been around for a long time like World Book, people tend to overlook you. If you're at the Fair, you're able to sell your story, that you are acquiring and licensing content. It keeps your name present in the market." Attending the Book Fair can also give publishers the heads-up on emerging trends -- and even a first glimpse of some markets. For example, this year a large Korean contingent circulated among the educational publishers, searching for English-language material for young children. Stan Apseloff, president of Ohio Distinctive Software, affirms that there is value to the event, even for smaller publishing houses -- but only if they make an ongoing commitment. "You need to come year after year to show that you will be around, that your company has stability," he says. With the goal of a first educational showcase in 2003, the Steering Committee is preparing a report with recommendations for the Bologna Children's Book Fair. The report will focus on business benefits, essential partners and participants, components and logistics, and economic considerations, and will include a timetable for the first steps. For a summary of the meeting and a complete list of participants go to http://www.edpress.org/international/meetings.html. Watch for further updates on the Global Learning Initiative here as well. The next Bologna Children's Book Fair is scheduled for April 2 to 5, 2003. NEWS IN BRIEF: ===From Headquarters=== ..MEMBER BILLING CHANGES In May you'll receive information on the new member billing cycle. In order to put all members on a July schedule, there will be a one-time dues adjustment. (This is not an increase -- your monthly rate is unchanged. You are merely paying for a different number of months than usual.) We appreciate your support as we redirect our time and energy from administrative tasks to serving you. If you have any questions, please contact Ed Hamilton, member services manager, [EMAIL PROTECTED] ..PEAK SUPPORT ROLLING IN AEP is a participating partner in the PEAK program (Partners in Education Advance Knowledge). We are collaborating with the National Elevator and Cab Door Company to update or replenish the libraries of two schools -- the Oliver Wendell Holmes Middle School in Long Island City and the Homecrest Elementary School in Brooklyn -- whose facilities are disrupted or dismantled due to asbestos removal. The schools created a wish list of books they would like from different publishers. We would like to thank the following companies who have donated books so far: Chelsea Publishing; Children's Press; Clarion Press; Dial Books; Franklin Watts; Gareth Stevens; Houghton Mifflin; National Geographic Society; Penguin Putnam Inc.; Pinata Books; Philomel Books; SeaStar Books; Scholastic Publishing; Stewart, Tabori, and Chang; and World Book Inc. If you were contacted about donating to the PEAK program, it's not too late. Please contact Joan Scavuzzo, our PEAK coordinator, at [EMAIL PROTECTED] Let her know your intent, and she'll provide you with the shipping address for the books. (Please don't send them to our office). Thank you. ..CALLING AEP When AEP changed offices last year, the phone number changed, too. Our new number is (856) 241-7772. In order to ensure that we receive your calls and can answer your questions, please check your contact lists and make sure you've updated our information. ===Education=== ..FOR THE SATS, A NEW KIND OF ACCOUNTABILITY Behind the announcement last month that the College Board is considering reshaping the SAT 1 test, there may be good news for those who want students to take high school more seriously. The changes would better align the test with the material kids usually are familiar with. "There's no question we're trying to be responsive to the standards movement -- which says, we want to be very clear to students and their parents what it is that students are supposed to learn," says Linda Bunnell Shade, the Board's senior vice president for higher education. "That's sometimes played out as confining to teachers and students; we don't want to further that. But on the other hand, we don't want to give the impression it doesn't matter what you do in high school -- that you could just be very smart and take the SAT and do well. "Unfortunately, I think a lot of youngsters believe that -- or believe that with the right tricks, learned with the right coach, they'll do well." The Board is due to make a recommendation to its trustees in June with any changes, assuming they're approved, to take effect with the class entering college in fall 2006. Over this spring, the Board will engage in a complex consultation process -- with the councils and committees that advise the trustees; with college presidents, faculty groups, and admissions managers; and, in K-12, with high school counselors, superintendents, and representatives of minority groups. Among the main issues posed will be adding a written essay portion, slowly increasing the amount of math covered, and measuring reasoning ability using a long reading passage, rather than analogies. With pilot testing and field-testing, the Board would closely watch the impact of any changes on subgroups. "We don't want to exacerbate any existing gaps," Bunnell Shade emphasizes. While the "A" in SAT might have stood for aptitude long ago, when the test attempted to predict success in college based on measuring intelligence, that meaning has long since been dropped. The emphasis now, says Peter Negroni, is, "What are the core competencies necessary for success in college -- and how can you assess whether students have those?" As a longtime superintendent, the Board's senior vice president for K-12 feels confident that improving high school education can help kids do well in college. "If the question is, can you teach these core competencies, of course you can," he says. "To say you can't is absurd. I'm not an assessment expert -- I'm a curriculum person -- but I don't think there ever was a pure aptitude test." For his part, Negroni is leading development of a new set of 6th to 12th grade math and language materials to be released in two to three years; there will be components for professional development, for teachers and students, and for assessment -- all aligned to the PSAT and SAT, whatever form those take. All of which allows for a more proactive approach: "Accountability is fine. But in testing, we haven't put the accent on the right syl-LAB-le," Negroni jokes. "Kids aren't prepared to do well on tests." Find general information at http://www.collegeboard.org ===Legislative Watch=== ..COPPA: LET IT SLIDE Effective April 21, the Federal Trade Commission has amended the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule to extend the sliding scale time period. This means that Web site operators -- many of whom are educational providers -- may use an e-mail from a parent as verifiable parental consent for the collection of personal information from children under age 13. As long as the data collected is for the site's internal use only, the rule will apply for another three years. AEP has always stood in favor of this scale, which would not require site operators to use secure electronic forms to verify parental consent and would fit in with our goal to balance children's right to privacy with their freedom to pursue educational experiences online. After a number of members voiced their opinions to us last December, we submitted a strong comment to the FTC, encouraging the extension of this more flexible approach indefinitely. (See the 12/18/01 issue of AEP ONLINE.) The Commission agreed last week that the sliding scale mechanism has been effective so far, and the safety risk to children of a Web site collecting personal information for internal use is low. More to the point, affordable, secure electronic mechanisms -- which the FTC believed would be available by the time the final COPPA Rule was implemented -- still have not been perfected. For the Federal Register notice, see http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi ?dbname=2002_register&docid=02-9272-filed.pdf. (Be sure to copy all of this lengthy URL into your browser.) ===Markets and Trends=== ..TCO FOR SCHOOLS: HOW CAN EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHERS HELP? Now that embracing technology also means justifying the budget increases it brings, total cost of ownership assessments have become more important to schools. One solution, the K12 TCO Calculator developed by the Institute for the Advancement of Emerging Technologies in Education, helps administrators to lay out a five-year technology plan that shows the long-range effects on the school budget. Although the calculator considers many often-neglected technology-associated items such as professional development, furniture, and modifications to buildings, some think the tool could have gone even further when it comes to allowing for energy costs. Michael Jay of Brainium, one of the organizations the Institute consulted when developing the TCO Calculator, points to his company's DreamMax student laptop machine as an example of a classroom tool with something school planners should consider -- low power consumption. Many school planners don't take into account the amount of power new computer equipment will demand -- and the increased ancillary facility costs that result. "Schools are becoming more cognizant about energy use in association with increased computer implementation," says Jay, Brainium's senior vice president of education. "It would benefit educators and vendors alike if there was more open information about power consumption, like the labels on consumer appliances that let people know before they buy." Sara Fitzgerald, project director of The Consortium for School Networking "Taking TCO to the Classroom" initiative, agrees that energy expenses are important, but says school administrators should also consider the cost of supporting different computer models and operating systems. And they must budget adequately for staff development. "One thing districts need to keep in mind as they start to understand the financial impact of technology is that TCO should be coupled with an analysis and goal setting of what the district wants to accomplish by bringing in technology," says Fitzgerald, the vice president of the consulting company Funds for Learning. "The goal might be to improve learning, or it might be to reduce paperwork and free up time so that teachers can focus on their classroom work. No matter what that goal is, it's important to manage resources in cost-effective ways and to be aware of all the costs involved." Publishers should focus on helping districts to figure out economical ways to manage software, she advises. "When a school district has a large network, it can be challenging to bring in new curriculum resources," Fitzgerald says. "You should work to create methods in which teachers can still experiment with curricula, but generally, it's considered more cost-efficient if resources like these can be distributed through the network, rather than on individual workstations." Because of the focus of the "No Child Left Behind" Act, technology implementations will have to be tied more directly with learning goals, assessment, and accountability, she adds. "It's all interrelated if you have to justify making a purchase." For a look at the two school-technology budgeting programs, go to http://www.iaete.org/tco/ or http://www.cosn.org/tco/. ===In the Industry=== Be sure to e-mail your personal news, as well as professional -- new products, promotions, job openings, etc. -- to [EMAIL PROTECTED], so we can include the info in an upcoming issue. ..MEMBER SPOTLIGHT The place to learn about companies and colleagues in the educational publishing industry... CAPSTONE PRESS The mission of Capstone Press is to help people learn to read and read to learn. Based in Mankato, Minn., Capstone Press publishes and distributes non-fiction books that help beginning readers, reluctant readers, and older readers who struggle with their reading ability. Internet resources and activities further supplement the learning experience. Imprints offered by Capstone Press include: Pebble Books, a series for emergent and early readers with strong picture-text matches and introductions to the elements of nonfiction books; Bridgestone Books, which helps librarians and educators engage hesitant readers to study independently, read, and write reports; Blue Earth Books, which features hands-on activities and a "Words-to-know" section that identifies vocabulary; Capstone High-Interest, books designed to keep reluctant and struggling readers engaged through accessible text and photography; and LifeMatters Books, which offers perspectives on health issues and careers. Capstone Press also sponsors the Barahona Center for the Study of Books in Spanish for Children and Adolescents and Spoke-N-Work, a national grassroots event to promote family literacy. For more information visit Capstone Press' Web site http://www.capstone-press.com, or contact Tim Madsen, marketing coordinator, at (952) 352-0029. ..MOVIN' ON UP Scholastic Library Publishing, a division of Scholastic Inc., has announced the appointment of Kate Nunn as editor-in-chief of the Grolier nonfiction imprints, Children's Press and Franklin Watts for the school, library, and trade markets. Nunn was previously the editorial director of Benchmark Books, an imprint of Marshall Cavendish. ..JOB BANK Help wanted: -Classwell Learning Group, director of marketing. -Jason Foundation for Education, senior business development and marketing officer. -National Geographic Society, associate editor. Go to http://www.edpress.org/infoarchives/job-bank/ and click on Help Wanted or Position Wanted to see details on these and other positions. ..ANNOUNCEMENTS * Media Management Services, founded April 1, 1977, celebrates its 25th anniversary this month. MMS is a client services company specializing in the education market. http://www.edumedia.com * Beginning this spring, Meeker & Associates will assist organizations in identifying and recruiting candidates to serve on boards of directors and advisory boards. http://www.johnmeeker.com * Clicker, a writing program from Crick Software Ltd., has been selected by Compaq Computer Corporation for inclusion in Compaq's LearningPaq education bundles for the K-12 market. http://www.cricksoftware.com/us/ * Donna Baumbach, director of the University of Central Florida's Instructional Technology Research Center, received the "Making It Happen" award for her successful integration of technology in education in K-12 schools. Designed especially for educators, the program identifies educational technology leaders around the country and rewards those individuals for their commitment and innovation. http://www.MakingItHappen.org. * Classroom Connect Inc. was named Best New Education Solution in the Software & Information Industry Association's Codie Awards. Classroom Connect's Web site (http://www.classroom.com) contains professional development programs and classroom learning resources for K-12 educators. * Cricket Magazine Group's magazines LADYBUG, CLICK, and SPIDER will be available in classroom sets, complete with free teacher's guides, beginning in the 2002-03 school year. http://www.cobblestonepub.com/ccc/ccc.html * The Education Excellence Foundation of the National School Supply & Equipment Association has announced that this year 22 individuals will benefit from the Be Your Best! Teacher's Scholarship program. The awards are used to defray professional development costs. http://www.nssea.org/content/Foundation/BeYourBest/BeYourBest.htm * Lesson Logic, an online library of language arts, math exercises, and activities for K-6 educators, has formed a partnership with Teacher Created Materials Inc. http://www.lessonlogic.com; http://www.teachercreated.com * The American Federation of Teachers has released the report "It Takes a Team: A Profile of Support Staff in American Education." It contains information on the salaries, benefits, hours, and working conditions of school support workers. http://www.aft.org/psrp/reports/team2002.pdf. * Blue Jean Online, a division of Blue Jean Media Inc., has partnered with Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service to provide newspaper editors with reviews, stories, and columns written by and for teenagers. In addition, Blue Jean Media Inc. has signed a foreign rights book deal for "Blue Jean: What Young Women are Thinking, Saying, and Doing." The book will be published in Indonesia in 2002. http://www.bluejeanonline.com * C. Blohm & Associates Inc., a public relations and marketing firm for educational publishing, welcomes the Jones Knowledge companies, distance education and support providers, into its client family. * The Insight Information Company is holding the national conference Educational Accountability: No Child Left Behind from June 10-12 in Chicago. http://www.insightinfo.com. ..NEW PRODUCTS * LeapFrog SchoolHouse has released the LeapTrack Assessment and Instruction System, which offers individualized assessment and prescriptive instruction in reading, language arts, and math. http://www.leapfrogschoolhouse.com/LeapTrack.htm * The Peak Group has released the latest Education Outlook Report "Virtual Schools Across America: Trends in K-12 Online Education, 2002." http://www.peakgroup.net * Renaissance Learning Inc. is taking orders for Math Facts in a Flash, learning information system software to help students improve their computation fluency. http://www.renlearn.com DATES TO REMEMBER: ===Calendar=== For the complete education industry calendar of conferences and events, see http://www.edpress.org/infoarchives/. IN CLOSING: ===Tips=== ..THE TRUTH ABOUT SEARCH ENGINE SUBMISSION Think once is enough? Submitting a Web site to search engines is an economical and effective way to help market an organization, but it requires time, persistence, and patience. You probably know by now that you can't expect loads of traffic instantly after submitting your site once. In order to keep a site listed with major search engines, resubmit it every two to three months. Many engines have a backlog of submissions, and they often purge older sites or outdated URLs without notification to make room in their databases. After submitting a site it can take from one to 12 weeks -- or more -- for search engines to list it. So if you don't see your URL coming up in the listings after an appropriate time, resubmit. And once you're in, submit the URL again every two to three months to keep your site in view. ===================== (c) 2002 The Association of Educational Publishers, all rights reserved. http://www.edpress.org, [EMAIL PROTECTED] ******************************************* For digest instead of individual postings, send the message: set k12newsletters digest to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe, click and send (no body or subject: required) mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] K12 Newsletters mailing list is a service of Classroom Connect - http://www.classroom.com Archives for K12 Newsletters can be found at: http://www.classroom.com/community/email/archives.jhtml?A0=K12NEWSLETTERS **********************************************************
