ACET, Inc. Blog

Currently in use by 45 states, 4 territories, and the District of Columbia (and partially adopted by the State of Minnesota), Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are being adopted in addition to and in the place of other K-12 standards. What are they, where do they come from, and what does this mean for K-12 students going forward?

Common Core State Standards are a series of mathematic and English language arts benchmarks, organized by grade. They are state, rather than federally led or implemented initiatives, led by the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association. For instance, if you click on a subsection of the standards on the CCSS in English Language Arts and you will see statements outlining what students in each grade ought to be able to perform. For example, kindergartners are expected to follow agreed-upon rules for a discussion and must be able to follow a conversation across multiple exchanges in the Speaking & Listening category. In the same category, 7^th graders are expected to be able to evaluate the sufficiency and the relevance of evidence given by a speaker. These standard ideas were researched and compared against existing state and international benchmarks before being released in 2010.

The intention of the CCSS is to unify K-12 assessment standards across the states, but also to require more of students than merely answering test questions by rote (they must also be able to explain why their answer is correct and how they arrived at it). The CCSS is intended to lead to better reasoning and problem solving skills by teaching several skills at a time within a larger question, rather than taking on a single skill at a time.

The effects of a massive, unified assessment system are very broad and wide-reaching. For example, the CCSS could define what makes a student “college ready”. Officials currently using the standards report an “unprecedented” level of collaboration and cooperation between post-secondary and K-12 educators as they work to examine the effect of the CCSS on the need for remedial coursework on students entering colleges and universities. In addition, current textbooks and other teaching materials may need to be adapted or reinvented in order to adhere to the standards. There is also currently no equivalency exam or modified version of the exam for students with special needs, and all students in a school must take the same CCSS assessment to have their results reported for accountability. The CCSS may be more rigorous than a given state’s previous standards, but they may be less rigorous than another state’s. There are also, as yet, no comprehensive standards with regard to social studies and sciences, so it is still up to individual states to determine what those standards ought to be.

Even as nationwide adoption of the CCSS seems near, attitudes seem to be changing about them. A belief persists that the CCSS is a federal effort to force socialized education on states without discussion through the No Child Left Behind Act, even though this is denounced as a myth on the CCSS website. The Republican National Committee has passed an anti-Common Core resolution, claiming that the CCSS is a violation of states’ rights. On the other side of the aisle, Democrats have pointed to evidence that CCSS testing is no better than previous state testing at determining student achievement, despite assurances to the contrary. Some states have begun to change their minds regarding standards adoption, and others have criticized poor or incomplete transitions to the new standards. The education package just passed by the State of Minnesota seems to be a step away from, rather than towards, full CCSS adoption. Add to this the current anxiety about testing and its validity, and unified national assessment standards start to seem much further off.

Whatever direction the CCSS progresses in, it appears the conversation is far from over.

ACET Staff

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) Office of Justice Programs currently has two grants available.

Grants of $50,000 to $200,000 are available through Minnesota Statute to fund community-based programming designed to improve community safety and crime prevention efforts based on most promising or best practices. Applicants may be public or private nonprofit organizations. Applicant organizations may submit more than one proposal, but only one award will be provided to any given agency. Priority will be given to projects that work with underserved populations, that serve areas with the highest crime rate or concentration of economically disadvantaged youth, or that can demonstrate significant involvement by served community members in planning, service implementation, and evaluation. Applications for this funding stream are due by June 17.

The DPS is also offering awards of $100,000 to $300,000 through a federal Justice Assistance Grant to public and private nonprofits. Eligible applicants need to be currently implementing juvenile or adult justice offenders’ re-entry services, addressing the needs of juvenile or adult offenders through problem-solving courts, or looking to improve or expand on existing services to offenders with mental illnesses. Successful projects will have tangible evidence of community support, simultaneously address both individual mental health management and criminogenic risk factors, and employ best practices. Funding cannot be used for program start-ups. Applications are due June 28.

For the full RFPs and other information, please see the Office of Justice Programs’ Grants Web page. All applications must be submitted through the DPS E-grants site.

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

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

The Blandin Foundation, committed to building up rural Minnesota communities and the Grand Rapids area in particular, has announced scholarships of up to $4,000 for Itasca County, Minnesota students who are pursuing higher education in the 2013-14 school year. To be eligible, students must be no older than 25 as of September 1, 2013, registered as a full-time student at an accredited trade school at a 2-year or 4-year college or university, and must demonstrate satisfactory academic progress (with a minimum 2.0 GPA) toward their degree program. Students must attend or have attended a high school in Bigfork, Bug-o-Nay-ge-Shig, Greenway, Grand Rapids, DeerRiver, Blackduck, Northern Lights Community, HillCity, Northome, Remer, or Nashwauk-Keewatin, though home schooled students in the greater ItascaCounty area are also eligible to apply.

For more information, please see the news release posted on the Blandin Foundation Web site. The deadline for applications is May 1.

Founded in 1937 to support lifelong arts learning opportunities and serving 1.2 million students every year, the National Guild for Community Arts Education is making grant funds for programming partnerships during the 2013-14 school year. Through the MetLife Foundation Partners in Arts Education Program, matching grants of up to $20,000 are available for qualifying projects that demonstrate the best practices in effective arts education partnerships, serve significant numbers of public school students throughout the school day, provide high quality arts learning experiences in line with local, state, or national standards, and exhibits joint design and execution of professional development, curricula, programming, and evaluation.

Eligible organizations must be full members of the National Guild for Community Arts Education and in good standing.  Organizations must be recognized as 501(c)(3) tax exempt. Nonmember organizations should submit a membership application and first-year dues payments at a minimum of one week prior to submitting a grant application.

Eligible programs must provide students with a minimum of 20 sessions of arts instruction sequentially and a minimum of 10 sessions per semester. All sessions must be conducted by professional teaching artists and must serve a minimum of 100 students. Priority will be given to programs that provide arts instruction at least once a week for at least 10 weeks per semester.

For application forms, complete eligibility information, and instructions for joining an online orientation event taking place on April 22 regarding this opportunity, please see the program page here. Applications are due May 16.

Good Luck!

ACET Staff

State departments of education are looking for ways to ensure that new teachers are well-prepared for the rigors of managing a classroom and assisting students to achieve local, state, and national educational goals. Minnesota’s latest strategy will be the use of a new assessment of student teachers (students that are not yet certified, but are gaining classroom experience for certification), the edTPA (Teacher Performance Assessment). Beginning in 2013, the results of the edTPA, in conjunction with other data, will be used to determine if Minnesota’s institutes of higher education – the teacher preparation programs – have prepared graduates to succeed in their own classrooms, and if the program has approval from the state to continue.

The edTPA resembles a portfolio. Student teachers submit past lesson plans, examples of student work and the student teachers’ responses, and videotape(s) of the student teacher leading a lesson in a classroom. The goal of the edTPA is to provide the teacher preparation programs with information about how well their graduates have been prepared for the classroom. For example, in recent administrations of the theory-based test, Minnesota’s student teachers scored well in preparing lesson plans, but appeared to lack skills at giving students feedback. Minnesota’s institutes of higher education have already begun to use that information to improve their programs and better prepare student teachers.

Advocates for the edTPA feel that the assessment gives greater insight into how student teachers’ skills will be used in the classroom. In turn, the test will provide teacher preparation programs with invaluable data about how well the program is preparing graduates.

However, critics of the edTPA have several concerns about widespread use of the assessment. For instance, many teacher preparation programs already require that student teachers videotape themselves, view the videotape, and reflect on what they have observed. Adding the edTPA will require that students to go through the process twice in a short time frame. Critics are also concerned that programs administering the edTPA have not shared data. Little is known about the connection between a student teacher’s performance on the edTPA and student gains in the classroom.

What are your thoughts on the edTPA and teacher preparedness?

ACET Staff

Available to organizations that help residents of Hennepin County become self-sufficient, the Minnesota Community Foundation’s Transformational Fund is offering a one-time $500,000 grant for a nonprofit poised on the brink of sustainable, long-term change that will affect the entire organization. Applicants need to demonstrate a strong business model, an understanding of their current infrastructure’s weaknesses and strengths, and commitment on the staff and board levels to the transformational change to be brought about by the conferment of the grant. Grant monies may be used for database technology, staff salaries, consultants, and more. Organizations with educational programming that leads directly to self-sufficiency are encouraged to apply.

For more information, see the Transformational Fund’s Web page.

Good Luck!

ACET Staff

The Saint Paul-based Bush Foundation has announced a special fellowship program for persons in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and the 23 Native nations that are part of the same area. This fellowship is a 2-year commitment and awards $25,000 to $75,000, paid in installments. To be eligible, applicants must be:

• Elected state or federal officials;
• Elected local or tribal officials earning $20,000 or more in their elective office;
• Federal employees in positions listed in Schedule C of Rule VI of the Civil Service Rules;
• Federal or congressional employees receiving $15,000 or more in annual base compensation;
• Appointed state or tribal officials with independent policymaking authority (such as commissioners or members of boards) receiving a gross annual compensation of $20,000 or more;
• State or tribal judges receiving $20,000 or more in gross annual compensation; or
• Personal or executive assistants or secretaries who report to any of the above.

Additionally, applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the U.S., 24 years old at minimum at the time of the application deadline, have lived for a continuous year prior to the application deadline, and must continue to live in the area for the duration of the fellowship. For an eligibility map, application protocols, and program guidelines, please see the Bush Foundation website. The deadline for submissions is November 20.

The Terri Lynne Lokoff Child Care Foundation, dedicated to “making America better by improving early child care and education”, has announced 50 awards of $500 to $1,000 to acknowledge the efforts of childcare teachers and $500 for classroom enhancement as a part of the Terri Lynne Lokoff/Children’s Tylenol National Childcare Teacher Awards. The top 10 qualifiers for this distinction will additionally become finalists for the Helene Marks Award for the National Childcare Teacher of the Year, the winner of which will receive an additional award of $1,000.

To be eligible, applicants must be teachers of preschool-aged children, infants, or toddlers in the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, or on a U.S.Military base or installation. They must work full time in a center, group, or home-based childcare program that is fully compliant with all state and local regulations for at least 36 consecutive months as of December 2012. Programs must be open 10 hours a day, 5 days a week, and 12 months a year at minimum. Only one application may be submitted per center. For application materials and information about past winners, please see the Terri Lynne Lokoff website. Applications are due December 3, 2012.

Social services support organization Superstar Foundation has opened the nomination period for its 2012 Veronica Awards, recognizing social services professionals who build relationships with clients for more effective and long term positive outcomes. In 2011, 4 awards of $5,000 were made to workers engaged in direct services. Eligible applicants are staff of 501(c)(3) organizations who engage in direct service to program participants. Self-nominations and those made by colleagues or supervisors on behalf of direct service staff will be accepted. To begin the nomination process, please visit the Superstar Foundation webpage. The nomination process will close on November 21 at 4:00 EST.

Good Luck!

ACET Staff

Here at ACET, we have the opportunity to work with a variety of education and health-related programs. As an up-and-coming public health professional, I like to keep an eye on professional development opportunities related to public health – luckily, Minnesota is home to many! Though there are several public health conferences and events scheduled throughout the state this fall, I’d like to focus on three upcoming conferences that are open to all who are interested in public health issues.

The first is the 9th Annual Women’s Health Research Conference, being held September 24th at the University of Minnesota McNamara Alumni Center. The Women’s Health Research Conference is hosted by the Deborah E. Powell Center for Women’s Health, and this year’s focus is mature women’s health. The conference features keynote speeches on various physical health issues related to aging; breakout sessions on mental, physical, and sexual health; and a poster session featuring research projects done by public health and medical professionals, researchers, and students.

The next conference I’d like to highlight is the 2012 Community Health Conference, sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Health. The focus of this year’s Community Health Conference, scheduled for October 3rd through the 5th in Brainerd, is “Strengthening Public Health: Linking Past Successes to Future Challenges.” Dr. Edward Ehlinger, the current Minnesota Commissioner of Health, will be a keynote speaker; attendees will also have the opportunity to attend a discussion headed by a panel of former Minnesota commissioners of health. Topics of discussion include health disparities and local data, public health systems research, and the building of community partnerships.

Finally, from October 25th through the 26th, the 2012 Many Faces of Community Health Conference — entitled “Stepping Up to Transform Health Care” this year — will be held in Bloomington. This conference is jointly coordinated by the Minnesota Association of Community Health Centers, the Minnesota Department of Health Diabetes Program and Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention Unit, and the Greater Twin Cities United Way. The 2012 Many Faces of Community Health Conference is intended to help public health professionals and health care providers reduce health disparities and improve care delivered to underserved populations. Attendees will explore challenges and opportunities in reducing health disparities, preventing chronic disease, and improving access to health care.

Registration information for these events can be found on their respective conference websites.

Are you attending any conferences or events for professional development this fall? Have you attended an event that really impaced your career or education? Please share in the comments!

Elizabeth

Over the last few weeks, many of our clients have inquired about the availability of their test data from the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) to meet reporting requirements. Here’s the most recent update from MDE’s Research and Assessment division:

“MDE is still evaluating the specific timelines for the release of the Reading and Mathematics MCA, MCA-Modified, and MTAS results, and we will provide one week’s notice before the results will be released. While we understand that not having a specific date makes it difficult for your planning purposes, we are holding some flexibility in the event we are able to complete our work and release results earlier than late September. Once a final determination is made, we will provide one week’s notice before results are released. We thank you for your patience as we continue work through the challenges created by the government shutdown.”(http://www.education.state.mn.us/MDE/Accountability_Programs/Assessment_and_Testing/index.html)]

We will keep you updated on projected timeline and new information when they become available.

Joseph