From: Debra Gingerich [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Friday, October 04, 2002 9:37 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Riptides, October 2002, *Closing the Performance Gap*
~~~ Riptides ~~~ http://lists.rbs.org/archives/riptides.html Monthly mathematics and science education news from Research for Better Schools ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ October 2002: Closing the Performance Gap ~> Closing the Performance Gap in the Spotlight of "RBS Currents" ~> Report Relates Better Schools and Diversity ~> Now Available: "Lesson Study: A Handbook of Teacher-Led Instructional Change" ~> Free from RBS: ENC Focus: "Making Schools Work for Every Child" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~Closing the Performance Gap in the Spotlight of "RBS Currents"~~~ http://www.rbs.org/currents/0601/index.shtml Hot off the press is the fall/winter issue of the RBS newsletter Currents, which echoes the theme of the 2002 regional conference: "Closing the Performance Gap in Mathematics and Science: Resources to Help All Students Reach High Standards." Articles from various keynote speakers and presenters approach the topic from a range of perspectives--from minority and low- income students and students with special needs, to issues of curriculum and the challenges specific to teaching mathematics and science. Contact RBS for copies at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or read the online version at the URL above. ~ Closing the Achievement Gap ~ http://www.rbs.org/currents/0601/closing_achievement_gap.shtml Kati Haycock, director of The Education Trust in Washington, DC, distinguishes some facts from fiction regarding the achievement gap. Focusing especially on low-income and minority students, she outlines specific factors that research data suggest to be most crucial to increasing their achievement levels: high standards, a challenging curriculum, and good teachers. ~ A Coherent Curriculum: The Case of Mathematics ~ http://www.rbs.org/currents/0601/coherent_curriculum.shtml The recommendations from a new analysis of data from the Third International Math and Science Study (TIMSS) call for a common, coherent curriculum and the texts, materials, and training that match it. William Schmidt of Michigan State University and two colleagues challenge our common assumptions about education and invite us to reconsider what we are doing to improve our efforts. ~ A Discussion Concerning the Education of African American Children ~ http://www.rbs.org/currents/0601/african_american_children.shtml Kay Lovelace Taylor, an educator with three decades of experience, confronts head-on the barriers and biases that are hindering schools' effectiveness at reaching African American students. She draws from data as well as anecdotal evidence to suggest alternative approaches that will benefit all students. ~ Gender Equity in Science and Mathematics Education: Barriers of the Mind ~ http://www.rbs.org/currents/0601/gender_equity.shtml What are the biggest obstacles for girls in mathematics and science? Penny Hammrich, senior research associate at Temple University's Laboratory for Student Success, says a big one is simply being girls. She discusses three programs--Sisters in Science, Daughters with Disabilities, and Sisters in Sport Science--that seek to create more positive learning climates for girls while also increasing their parents' knowledge base. ~ Connecting with Assessment in Philadelphia ~ http://www.rbs.org/currents/0601/connecting_assessment.shtml Through six years of work in the Department of Assessment for the School District of Philadelphia, Penny Barchfeld-Venet has learned first-hand effective means to address the performance gap by making use of student data. In this interview she offers some guidelines, pitfalls, and ways of thinking "outside the box" for using this kind of information to take your school or classroom to the next level. ~ Whole-School Change from the Ground Up ~ http://www.rbs.org/currents/0601/from_the_ground_up.shtml F. Joseph Merlino, conference presenter and director of the Greater Philadelphia Secondary Mathematics Project, discusses lessons learned during his thirteen years of promoting mathematics reform at schools in Philadelphia and the region. ~~~ Report Relates Better Schools and Diversity ~~~ http://www.edweek.org/ew/ewstory.cfm?slug=03century.h22 A recent report from the Century Foundation, "Divided We Fail: Coming Together Through Public School Choice," emphasizes the importance of school integration to promoting equal educational opportunity and forging social cohesion. Read more in this article in "Education Week" about a factor that could--and should--weigh heavily on policy decisions about education. ~~~ Now Available: "Lesson Study: A Handbook of Teacher-Led Instructional Change" ~~~ http://www.rbs.org/catalog/pubs/pd55.shtml The newest RBS publication, "Lesson Study: A Handbook of Teacher-Led Instructional Change" by Catherine Lewis, focuses on this valuable form of professional development long favored by Japanese teachers and recently initiated by teachers at many sites across North America. This handbook illuminates both the key ideas underlying lesson study and the practical support needed to make it succeed in any subject area. Available only from RBS, for the low introductory price of $19.99--valid through December 2002. ~~~ Free from RBS: ENC Focus: "Making Schools Work for Every Child" ~~~ http://www.rbs.org/mathsci/free_pubs/index.shtml There are a number of free mathematics and science resources available through the RBS Web site, including a 2000 issue of ENC Focus, titled: "Making Schools Work for Every Child." This issue explores the topic of equity by offering practical approaches that will help make the classroom a place where every child can succeed. To request other free resources, visit the "Free Publications" page of the RBS site (the URL above). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ INTERACT WITH ~~~Riptides~~~ FORWARD it to a friend! Archives of past issues are also available online at http://lists.rbs.org/archives/riptides.html SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE: Send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with one of the following lines only in the body of the message: subscribe riptides FirstName LastName or unsubscribe riptides CONTRIBUTE: Send comments, questions, or interesting Web sites or articles that you would like to share with other science and mathematics educators to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Writers: Wendy Coffman, Debra Gingerich, Jim Harper, Alison Rooney ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Research for Better Schools is a non-profit educational research and development firm that has been serving educators in the Mid- Atlantic region of Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania since 1966. Our mission is to help students achieve by supporting improvement efforts in schools and other education programs, focusing on mathematics, science, and technology. The Mid-Atlantic Eisenhower Regional Consortium for Mathematics and Science Education @ RBS is one of ten Regional Eisenhower Consortia (see http://www.eisenhowernetwork.org) funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI). The content of this product does not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Education or any agency of the U.S. government. Research for Better Schools, Inc. 444 North Third Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123-4107 Ph.: 215-574-9300; Fax: 215-574-0133; Web: http://www.rbs.org ************************************************************************* NOTE: Gleason Sackmann is the owner and host of this list. All inquiries regarding this list and its contents should be directed to Gleason Sackmann <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. If you want to unsubscribe, click and send (no body or subject: required) mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives for K12 Newsletters can be found at: http://www.classroom.com/community/email/archives.jhtml?A0=K12NEWSLETTERS
