ACET, Inc. Blog

Up to $25,000 in grants are now available through the United Methodist Women’s Living Stewardship: Creating Financial Literacy program. Grants will be awarded to 501(c)(3) tax exempt organizations working to educate and empower people through the development of financial literacy skills. Preference will be given to initiatives that prioritize individual self-sufficiency and the involvement of women in the initiative’s initiation, implementation, and evaluation. Grants may be used for new or ongoing programming. For complete information, please see the United Methodist Women’s Grants Web page. The deadline for submissions is June 3.

A single grant of $100,000 is available through Ribbons of Hope – Invest in Women, an Atlanta, Georgia-based foundation dedicate to improving the lives of women and girls. Eligible applicants must be 501(c)(3) tax exempt organizations promoting economic independence, health, education, human rights, and/or social well-being of girls and women. Applicants must also have an annual operating budget of at least $500,000 (which can include in-kind donations) and have been in operation for at least 3 years. For applications, please see the Ribbons of Hope Grants page. The deadline for applications is August 1.

Good Luck!

ACET Staff

As a part of budgetary negotiations that wrapped up with the State of Minnesota’s 2013 legislative session Monday evening, a $15.7 billion education bill has been approved and is expected to be signed by Governor Mark Dayton. This education bill includes $134 million for school districts to use for free, full-day kindergarten starting in the fall of 2014. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, districts have the option to provide or not provide full-day kindergarten, but where it is offered, it will be free to parents. It is expected to affect nearly 60,000 students across the state.

Other features of the education bill include $46 million for early childhood scholarships to parents in need, $250 million in state higher education spending to freeze University of Minnesota and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MNSCU) tuition prices for two years, and an elimination of the GRAD test as a requirement for graduation from Minnesota high schools, to be replaced by other assessments. The State of Minnesota will also increase spending on assessment by $6.7 million in the coming 2-year period.

ACET Staff

ACET’s blog has discussed the importance of networking and professional development in the past, but today we’d like to look at what comes next, once a person has established networking relationships. How do you determine if your network is working for you? Are you getting as much value as you can from your networking efforts?

Beckstrom’s Law: Assessing costs and benefits

In 2009, Bill Gates reported to a New Delhi business forum that he’d quit Facebook. Why? Because the number of friend requests that he had been receiving was overwhelming. For him, having as many networking contacts as possible was actually a detracting factor, which may seem to contradict common sense: if it’s all about who you know, then you should know as many people as possible, right? This contradiction can be seen through Beckstrom’s Law. Originally applied to economics, it states that a network’s value is equal to the benefits minus the costs of using or interacting with it. For Bill Gates, the potential benefits of interacting with Facebook users were outweighed by the hassles.

Consider how this plays out with your own networking efforts. Is your network is so large, spread out, or unwieldy as to make maintaining it more time consuming than rewarding? Take the time to reassess these relationships and how you engage them.

Metcalfe’s Law: Maximizing connection potential

If you were to describe your relationships with your professional network, would it look more like a wheel or a spider’s web? That is, are you alone interacting with each of your contacts, or are your contacts also interacting with each other? Creating a spider’s web of contacts strengthens the network as a whole because it gives each of your contacts access to the same minds and talents that you have, and it encourages more people to join in and add their knowledge and expertise. Metcalfe’s Law, originally formulated for the telecommunications industry, states that the value of a network is based on how many people can potentially be connected to all of the others in the network.

Without even acknowledging a need for it, two people in your professional network right now may benefit from meeting each other. Some have addressed the need for these connections by starting professional groups to read and discuss papers or collaborate on projects, or by joining advisory boards to share their expertise with others. Consider making introductions through casual, small group meetings like coffee or lunches.

The Band of Brothers: Fostering a culture of support

Value isn’t just about human assets and what they have to offer. A network is also about concern and care for each of its members. Networks, like groups of friends, form because there is some shared similarity of experience or purpose among its members, and there is value in being able to discuss your fears and disappointments with people who uniquely understand what you are going through. Being able to talk about the emotions engendered by your work with your professional contacts can help you brainstorm solutions, build trust, and stave off burnout. A supportive network can help its members to overcome their respective difficulties.

These are just some factors that inspired us. How do you assess your professional network?

ACET Staff

Partnering with education materials companies Pitsco/Hearlihy & Company, the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association’s Foundation for Technology (ITEEA) and Engineering Educators is offering grants of $2,000 to K-12 engineering and technology teachers to encourage quality technology/engineering programming within their schools’ curriculums. Eligible applicants are elementary or secondary teachers who are already successfully working engineering and technology education into their schools’ curriculums, and who are also ITEEA members registered for the annual conference, to be held this year in Orlando, Florida. Membership materials may be enclosed along with scholarship applications. For more information, please see the ITEEA’s grant Web page. The deadline for submissions is December 1.

Together with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) is accepting applications for its Program Challenge Fund grants. This funding will allow a station, person, or entity to produce a limited, high-visibility, and high-impact series as a part of PBS’ national television schedule. A successful program is expected to be the highlight of a season’s schedule and to drive new audiences to the broadcast and to online content. Award amounts will be approved by the CPB based on the program’s budget. Finishing expenses, children’s programming, how-to programs, and programs regarding fitness or travel are not supported by this grant. For complete information, please see the Program Challenge Fund Web page linked above. The deadline for submissions is August 1.

In partnership with the New York Life Foundation, the National Alliance for Grieving Children will award five grants of $10,000, $15,000, $25,000, and $100,000 ($50,000 a year for 2 years) to organizations that offer grief support services directly to youth from ethnically diverse or low-income/underserved communities as part of its Grief Reach program. Eligible organizations must have 501(c)(3) tax exempt status, and 50% of youth served must be from minority communities or low-income families. An informational webinar will be held on May 15, 2013 at 2:00 EST regarding this opportunity. Please see the Grief Reach Web page for complete information. Applications are due July 8.

Good Luck!

ACET Staff

How does an evaluator decide what software packages to try and to take on for regular use? From database maintenance to note-taking to report production, evaluators use a wide variety of software packages in their daily work. Software makes handling large amounts of data and presenting them in interesting ways efficient and easy, and allows evaluators to share the information with clients in dynamic ways. There are many, many different packages to choose from, and it seems like there’s a new one appearing all the time. ACET evaluators were asked this week to talk about the factors that help them select new software solutions.

Cost. It’s an obvious factor, but the price of software does not necessarily prevent ACET evaluators from pursuing it as an option, internally or for a client. The functionality of the software was generally given greater weight by ACET staff rather than cost. In addition, when cost may be a concern there are many licensed and free, open source packages alike that ACET utilizes on a regular basis.

Learning, Training, and Sharing. New software packages take time to learn how to use, as well as teach to a client who may need the features. As a result, time needed to become proficient with software is a consideration for ACET when selecting new software. Everyone who needs access to the software to view, edit, add, or retrieve data (both inside and outside of the office) should be able to do so with a minimum amount of difficulty.

Usability. For more than one ACET evaluator, choosing between software packages came down to a simple question: “Does it do what I need it to do?” If a software package is similar to a program currently used in the office, or if there wasn’t a specific, preexisting need for another type of software package, assessing a new package wasn’t even a consideration.

What do you consider when looking at a new software package? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.

ACET Staff

Service member support organization Wounded Warrior Project is accepting Letters of Interest from 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations providing direct services and programming to the current generation of injured service members. Awards ranging between $5,000 and $250,000 are available for projects enhancing the lives of service members and their families in 4 major areas:

• Engagement: Connecting service members and their peers with community service opportunities.

• Empowerment: Providing programs or services that enhance economic empowerment through employment, financial literacy, higher education, or other areas.

• Body: Engaging service members and facilitating peer mentorship and leadership opportunities through unique wellness, sporting, and fitness activities for service members and their families.

• Mind: Providing programs that promote healthy readjustment to civilian life and enhanced mental health for wounded service members.

Priority shall be given to projects offering innovative and/or unique programming, projects that fill service gaps or assist service members and their families in underserved areas, and activities that foster a sense of purpose, mentorship, and leadership amongst injured service members.

Eligible organizations must be able to show evidence of their tax exempt status and be committed to empowering service members and veterans injured on or after September 11, 2001, as well as their families. Applicant organizations must also show a clear plan for recruitment and provide services at no cost to the individuals served.

The deadline for Letters of Interest is June 1. Selected organizations will then be asked to submit complete applications by July 8.

A partnership between the National Football League and the National Dairy Council, Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school physical activity and nutrition program promoting healthier eating and increased physical activity in K-12 schools. Awards of up to $4,000 are available to help adults and students implement activities that result in long-term changes in student physical activity and nutrition, either developed within the school or from the Fuel Up to Play 60 Playbook. Funds may not be used to purchase computer hardware, organized sports teams equipment, or food sold at school to students. Funds may also not be used to subsidize school meal programs.

Qualifying schools must be enrolled in the Fuel Up to Play 60 program and have a program advisor within the school. The selected or designed program must also have the support of the school’s principal, nutrition professional, and lead physical education teacher in addition to the program advisor, and must contain both physical activity and healthy eating planning.

For full eligibility and application information, please see the Fuel Up to Play 60 Web site.  Applications are due June 4.

Good Luck!

ACET Staff

Retailer Best Buy has announced community awards of up to $10,000 for local and regional nonprofit organizations through its Children’s Foundation Youth Technology Grants. Intended to support local activities, grants will be given to organizations that provide direct services to teens ages 13 to 18, providing opportunities to explore field such as mobile app development, computer programming, robotics, or digital imaging, inspiring career and education choices. The average grant amount is $5,000.

Eligible organizations are 501(c)(3) nonprofits located within 50 miles of a Best Buy Service Center, Distribution Center, Mobile location, store, or corporate campus. Additionally, applicants must complete an eligibility quiz prior to submitting a full application. Applications will be accepted until July 1. Please see Best Buy’s Community Relations page for more information.

Established in 1996 by the composer for the film of the same name, The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation exists to donate used and new musical instruments to school music programs that either cannot furnish all participating students with instruments of their own, or that lack resources to replace instruments due to factors such as wear over time. The foundation’s Keeping Music Alive program is now accepting applications for in-kind donations of instruments from charter, public, and private schools that are eligible for funds under Title I or that serve populations where a minimum of 50% of the student body qualifies for the National Lunch Program. Applicant schools must have established (at least three years old) instrumental musical program that takes place during the school day. This includes marching bands, concert bands, and orchestras. Schools solely offering Orff or classroom music are not eligible to apply.

To apply, schools must fill out a pre-qualification form by August 1. Selected schools will then be invited to submit full applications. For more information, please see the foundation’s application guidelines page.

Through partnership with a variety of community, nonprofit, educational, and faith-based organizations, The World We Want Foundation seeks to support “Young Global Citizens” as they work for change in their communities. These citizens are defined as youth ages 13 to 25 that are pursuing social action through activities such as service-learning, community service, and other such projects. Awards of up to $5,000 will be made available to applicants with project teams that have one or more youths, a project mentor, and a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt partner organization that sponsors or supports the team. For application guidelines and materials, please see the foundation’s Start Your Project Web page. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Good Luck!

ACET Staff

Dr. Michael C. Rodriguez has worked closely with ACET for more than 12 years, and it is with great pride that we announce and congratulate him on his new textbook, Developing and Validating Test Items, co-written with Dr. Thomas M. Haladyna and published by Routledge. Dr. Rodriguez’s contribution, the product of several years of writing in addition to his other considerable responsibilities, is unique in its attention to the subject of test item construction. Arriving at a critical time when test design is a hot topic in education news, educators and evaluators alike can benefit from the book’s extensive use of good and not-so-good test item examples and, crucially, how both can be made better. The depth and complexity of this text alone makes it a valuable resource in the ACET office library, but it is made even more valuable by being the work of a respected colleague. We at ACET extend our thanks and congratulations to Dr. Rodriguez for his excellent work.

ACET Staff

Grants of $750 are now available through the National Weather Association for projects intended to improve K-12 education related to meteorology and similar sciences through the Sol Hirsch Education Fund. There will be four grants awarded in all. Funds may be used to purchase classroom, school, or community materials, attending accredited workshops, courses, or conferences, or to begin or expand existing community science outreach or meteorology or science education programs. Priority will be given to projects that have the greatest potential for impact and that exhibit the most creativity. Eligible applicants are school district supervisors, program directors, teachers, and other groups or individuals working to improve meteorology education for K-12 students. For full application information and a list of previous award recipients, please see the Sol Hirsch Fund Web page above. Applications will be accepted no later than June 1.

“How can private and public investment activities be harnessed to benefit low-income people and communities in Minnesota?” This is the question that the McKnight Foundation desires addressed by grant seekers to its Region & Communities program. A total of $750,000 in grants will be awarded to three market-based improvement initiatives in the state designed to strengthen neighborhoods,  support distinctive places to play, live, and work, engage historically underrepresented communities, stimulate regional economic development, and provide people regardless of background with better access to opportunities. Applications from projects that promote alignment, integration and balanced participation from multiple sectors (e.g. private, civic, and government) are especially encouraged. Eligible applicants are 501(c)(3) organizations. Government agencies may apply for funding for special projects that are complementary to their customary functions to the public, but the foundation will not fund activities that are traditionally government responsibilities.

Applications are due June 28. An information meeting will take place on May 14 for this opportunity. Before submitting a proposal, applicants are advised to contact Program Administrator Renee Richie at rrichie@mcknight.org.

Good Luck!

ACET Staff

Recent articles regarding teacher performance evaluation have shed light on the phenomenon of leniency bias. Also known as leniency error and performance or interview bias, leniency bias comes when an interviewer or manager inappropriately or unfairly rates an employee in a positive light. It also comes into play when jurors  [opens PDF] develop favorable opinions of a defendant in a court case outside of the facts presented.

With regard to evaluation, leniency bias has been described using the famous, fictional Minnesota town Lake Wobegon: everyone there is above average in some way. When assessing teacher effectiveness, as many as 98 percent of teachers were rated effective or better, regardless of how their students were performing, and relatively few (3 to 4 percent) were given the lowest possible effectiveness ratings and subsequently fired for poor performance. This comes despite calls for greater accountability from teachers and education administrators and claims that “5 to 10 percent” of teachers are ineffective. Outside of education, private companies with multiple tiers of performance tend to rate most employees in their top two echelons, above average and higher.

Why, when given the opportunity to identify ineffectiveness in a system and rectify the “problem” of ineffective teachers, does it happen so infrequently? In the example of teacher effectiveness, one reason is that the effectiveness (or lack thereof) changes depending on the measurement. At one point, Florida teachers were being evaluated half on student test scores and half on classroom evaluations, but the acceptable test score range has changed frequently in recent years, while the observation assessment at one point consisted of a single 20 minute observation in one year. Because of these shifting measurements, from year to year teachers can fluctuate between being labeled “effective” to “ineffective” and back again, rendering the designations moot.

Another factor that has been discussed are the risks that principals and other supervisors must take into account when determining effectiveness beyond performance. The demands on and for a teacher can differ widely depending on socio-economic and geographic impact, as does the likelihood of quickly replacing a teacher. As previously discussed on ACET’s blog, the state of Minnesota’s own desire to measure more complicated indicators of student growth and success has led to the adoption of its own standards. Principals who must contend with low turnover and a low supply of available teachers in the local job market risk a lengthy, expensive search for replacements in a field where up to 60 percent of professionals leave after their third year (per the Georgetown Public Policy Review). Rather than undertaking such searches, some principals may feel that it is better to stick with an ineffective but established teacher than expend resources on an unknown quantity that could potentially be even worse.

Another proposed reason for this leniency bias is that there is no bias at all, that there just isn’t “5 to 10 percent” worth of ineffective teachers to remove. Foundations and publications have reviewed the evaluations that produced so few identifications of ineffectiveness and found the resulting data, while not yet ready for mass consumption, conforms to their own suspicions of the true level of teacher ineffectiveness (3 to 4 percent, rather than the proposed 5 to 10).New evaluation systems continue to be developed to address these factors. However, it seems appropriate to conclude that as soon as a solid set of measurements has been decided on, it will be easier to determine if teacher effectiveness is the indicator of student success that it has been held up to be.

Mary