Design Studio23 May 2013 16:10:11 CDTBefore The Bellhttp://multibriefs.com/briefs/NAESP/NAESP.xmlenU.S. public education spending per student fell in 2011 for the first time in more than three decades, according to new U.S. Census Bureau data. Spending for elementary and high schools across the 50 states and Washington, D.C. averaged $10,560 per pupil in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2011. That was down 0.4 percent from 2010, the first drop since the bureau began collecting the data on an annual basis in 1977, the agency said. However, when you adjust the figures for inflation, this isn't the first drop on record. By that measure, spending per pupil dropped once in 1995 and hit its highest level in 2009. In inflation-adjusted terms, spending per pupil was down 4 percent in 2011 from the peak.23 May 2013 16:10:11 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=519e3785b78571Hundreds of U.S. schools will supplement fire drills and tornado training next fall with simulations of school shootings. In response to the December shootings by an intruder at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., several states have enacted or are considering laws that require more and new types of school safety drills, more reporting to state agencies about safety planning, and new audits of school security. Powerful tornadoes in Oklahoma, however, may also prompt changes in the ways schools attempt to keep students safe in cases of natural disasters. At least seven students were killed at an elementary school destroyed by one twister that struck Moore, Okla.23 May 2013 16:10:11 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=519e57817bd5d2If your local school system offers computer science courses, chances are those courses are electives that won't count toward core science or mathematics credit. The implicit message is that, while those skills may prove important for some students' futures, they aren't as transferable to a wide range of occupations as, say, Algebra 2 or Biology.23 May 2013 16:10:11 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=519e60fa095e33The White House wants to cut the number of science, technology, education and math programs run by federal agencies in half. The Obama administration's proposed fiscal 2014 budget called for consolidating or eliminating 116 of the government's 226 STEM initiatives and centralizing the coordination of STEM programs under just three agencies: the Education Department, the National Science Foundation and the Smithsonian Institution. 23 May 2013 16:10:11 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=519e59b2dc1464The emotional aftereffects of living through a traumatic event like the Oklahoma tornado could last for weeks or even longer, especially for children. Kids may experience increased anxiety, nightmares and difficulty sleeping, says Mary Alvord, a psychologist in private practice in Rockville, Md. They may also have increased irritability, headaches, stomach aches and panic symptoms such as a racing heart or sweating, says Alvord, the author of "Resilience Builder Program for Children and Adolescents."23 May 2013 16:10:11 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=519e57a4bcbd85It’s no secret that America's education system needs colossal reform. Politicians from both sides of the aisle always campaign on the issue, and policymakers push new standards every few years. But what might just be needed is a radical approach to teaching instead of more standards and tests. That's what Jal Mehta examines in his new book, "The Allure of Order: High Hopes, Dashed Expectations, and the Troubled Quest to Remake American Schooling." While he reflects on the history of school reform movements such as the controversial No Child Left Behind, he also offers innovative solutions to revitalizing public education.23 May 2013 16:10:11 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=519e5ee92eb056Increasingly we are hearing concerns from educators that new education reforms are being rushed, including the Common Core State Standards. At the same time, new teacher evaluation systems are being put into place as well. Here to evaluate the risks to rushing these systems are Morgan S. Polikoff and Matthew Di Carlo. Morgan is assistant professor in the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California. Di Carlo is a senior fellow at the non-profit Albert Shanker Institute, located in Washington, D.C.23 May 2013 16:10:11 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=519e61e28b6e67Here's an interesting perspective to take on technology in the classroom. A new mobile learning report titled "Living and Learning With Mobile Devices" talks about a detailed study where parents were asked questions about technology's role in the classroom, the technology being used at home and how it's migrating into education. In other words, the parents are the ones buying a lot of the BYOD you see in schools right now and it's important to get their feedback. So what are parents saying about mobile learning and all the education technology in early childhood / K-12 learning?23 May 2013 16:10:11 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=519e374f769638There are multiple stories coming out of Moore, Okla., of teachers putting their own lives on the line to protect their students, just as teachers in Newtown, Conn., and other schools risked and sometimes lost their lives for students. During the worst of the tornado that destroyed Moore, teachers shielded children with their own bodies even as roofs collapsed around them, according to educators and parents of children who survived.23 May 2013 16:10:11 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=519e2588865d39Schools should ensure that kids get at least one hour of physical activity each day to support their health and boost performance in school, according to a new report. Although previous studies show 60 minutes of vigorous to moderate-intensity exercise daily promotes health and development, it's estimated that only about 50 percent of school-aged kids are currently meeting this recommendation, according to the report from the Institute of Medicine.23 May 2013 16:10:11 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=519e643ac596e10Among the most common rationales offered for the Common Core State Standards project is to eliminate differences in the definition of student proficiency in core academic subjects across states. As is well known, the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 required states to test students annually in grades 3-8 (and once in high school), to report the share of students in each school performing at a proficient level in math and reading, and to intervene in schools not on track to achieve universal student proficiency by 2014.23 May 2013 16:10:11 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=519e64207570911Teens who have a classmate die of suicide are more likely to consider taking, or attempt to take, their own lives, according to a new study. The idea that suicide might be "contagious" has been around for centuries, senior author Dr. Ian Colman, who studies mental health at the University of Ottawa, told Reuters Health. Past studies supported the idea, but none had looked at such a large body of students, he said.23 May 2013 16:10:11 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=519e379f0fb6d12A new Pew Research study of 802 teenagers ages 12-17 and their parents reveals that teenagers are sharing more information on social networking sites than in the past, even as they carefully monitor and manage their profiles. And, while the number of social media sites and ways to share has grown, most teens aren't concerned with third parties having access to their personal information.23 May 2013 16:10:11 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=519e611d837e713In its final report released in February, the U.S. Department of Education's Equity and Excellence Commission issued a clear and powerful charge: Efforts to improve our school system "must start with equity" — particularly the equity of resources.23 May 2013 16:10:11 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=519e616f2440f14It seems that every school is considering purchasing iPads these days, and Apple has reported that iPad sales to schools are currently outpacing MacBook sales by a very large margin.23 May 2013 16:10:11 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=519a6728284e215A new report shows that ability grouping in schools is on the rise, and prior research shows that teaching students in groups of like ability improves success for low and high achievers. There are important caveats, though.23 May 2013 16:10:11 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=519a66d3bcf2516In the fall of 2006, Clarence R. Edwards Middle School in Boston became one of the first schools in the state of Massachusetts to implement the Expanded Learning Time Initiative. The reasons why were simple: they were not making Adequate Yearly Progress and they wanted to make significant academic gains with their students. As it turned out, making the school day longer was one of the best things they could have done to help reform the school model and improve student outcomes. 23 May 2013 16:10:11 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=519e387626f0317According to a new study, we really don't have to worry too much about the nearly 1 in 4 children without access to FarmVille at home. "Our results indicate that computer ownership alone is unlikely to have much of an impact on short-term schooling outcomes for low-income children," report Robert W. Fairlie and Jonathan Robinson in a new study of a large-scale randomized computer give-away experiment in California. On the one hand, it's good news that doomsday predictions for computer-less children have been exaggerated. However, giving out computers was one of the easier solutions to closing the poverty educational outcome gap, and now we have to go back to the drawing board.23 May 2013 16:10:11 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=519e25782ac9218In its final report released in February, the U.S. Department of Education's Equity and Excellence Commission issued a clear and powerful charge: Efforts to improve our school system "must start with equity" — particularly the equity of resources. To achieve this goal, the commission instructed all levels of government to improve or redesign their methods of funding schools in order to adopt truly equitable funding systems. In calling for equity in funding — which the commission defines as providing sufficient resources "distributed based on student need, not ZIP code" — the report tells policymakers the "what" of school funding reform, laying the groundwork for improving school quality.23 May 2013 16:10:11 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=519e5b34c99c019 A group of Latino education experts from across the country urged policymakers in Washington, D.C., this week to take steps to improve education for Hispanic students. The Latino Elected and Appointed Officials National Taskforce on Education was formed several years ago. They wanted to make sure the needs of Latino students and English language learners were recognized as talks about the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act got underway. That act authorizes federally funded education programs that are administered by the states. 23 May 2013 16:10:11 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=519e62394316520Chicago education officials approved the largest-scale, single-year closure of public schools of any major school system in the nation, approving the shuttering of 49 elementary schools that are located mostly on the city's impoverished south and west sides. Despite months of protests, a citywide outcry against the closures, and two federal lawsuits, the board — all appointees of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel — voted for the closures after hearing last-minute pleas from parents, teachers, students and clergy to reject the recommendations from the school system to shut down the schools and shift students to other campuses.23 May 2013 16:10:11 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=519e5d16e8e1621A bill that would mandate schools teach middle schoolers about acceptable use of social media cleared the New Jersey Assembly with strong bipartisan support. The measure would ensure students in grades six through eight get information on the proper use of social media platforms, cyber security and preventing cyberbullying.23 May 2013 16:10:11 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=519e578f743a522A principal's first job is to keep students safe. School safety starts with strong leadership: taking precautions to prevent crises in your building, developing a plan for disasters, and acting decisively if the unthinkable does occur. NAESP has collected valuable resources to help educators respond to crises, with specific tools for principals, parents and students. These resources can help you talk to your staff about coping with tragedy and loss, and re-establishing a sense of normalcy.23 May 2013 16:10:11 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=519e6aa0b8e3d23Tap into free, online professional development with PD 360. This month's video segments explore data use, formative assessment, and equity walkthroughs. NAESP members receive exclusive access to four, high-quality videos each month, perfect for individual learning or staff training. Visit the newly revitalized, easy-to-navigate PD 360 page to watch.23 May 2013 16:10:11 CDThttp://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=519e6ab8c45f124