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Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Closing the Achievement Gap, An Online Dialogue
From October 29 - November 2, 2007, the California Department of Education and WestEd will sponsor a web-based dialogue to engage education practitioners, students, and the public throughout California in important discussions related to supporting schools, districts, and communities to achieve success for all students. Please join the dialogue to share your thoughts about how to close the achievement gap.
Learn more
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The Envision Schools Approach to Project-Based Learning
October 17 - Free Online Event
Envision Schools uses an innovative education model with a project-based curriculum, in which art and technology are integral, to engage students in meaningful learning.
In this presentation, Envision staff members Kyle Hartung and Bob Lenz  will discuss how the "Six A's of Project Design" (Academic Rigor, Authentic Audience, Applied Learning, Active Exploration, Adult Relationships, and Authentic Assessment) are used to guide instructional practice, and how project-based instruction scaffolds learning to support mastery of 21st Century leadership skills and clearly defined performance outcomes. The discussion will also include a description of the systems and structures that are essential for Envision Schools to succeed using a project-based pedagogy.
Tools for Literacy: Technology to Support Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Development
October 24 - Free Online Event
Technology provides a new opportunity to remove barriers to learning and improve the literacy skills of all students. Through discussion and demonstration, Kathleen H. McClaskey, President of EdTech Associates, and Joan Sedita, founding partner of 
Keys To Literacy, will introduce participants to accessible desktop and "no cost" online tools that can be used to support the teaching and learning of reading comprehension and vocabulary strategies. Suggestions will be provided for how these technology tools can be used to develop topic webs and graphic organizers; identify, highlight, and pull out main ideas and details into notes; generate summaries; and support word-study skills such as focusing on word parts and creating semantic webs. This event will emphasize the importance of direct comprehension and vocabulary instruction, as well as how to integrate the technology tools into this instruction.
Reading Science for Understanding in Middle and High School
November 8 - Free Online Event
This presentation is co-sponsored by SchoolsMovingUp and CREATE (Center for Research on the Educational Achievement and Teaching of English Language Learners) and focuses on the challenges English learners encounter in learning grade-level content (e.g., math, science, social studies) through a second language. In this interactive online presentation Jana Echevarria, Professor of Education at California State University, Long Beach, will provide an overview of the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) Model of instruction, which provides educators with a research-based approach for making standards-based lessons understandable for English learners. With an emphasis on engaging learners and providing ample opportunity for students to use academic English in meaningful ways, the SIOP’s 8 components and 30 features offer a framework around which lessons are organized.
With its growing body of research, the SIOP Model has been shown to improve the achievement of students whose teachers implemented it to a high degree. The observation protocol is used by school administrators, teachers, staff developers, and university faculty for observing and quantifying a lesson’s effectiveness. Currently the SIOP Model is used in all 50 states in the U.S. and in several countries.
Professional Collaboration and
Data Analysis: One High School's Journey
November 13 - Free Online Event
Monache High School in California's Porterville Unified School District made a 105-point gain on the California Academic Performance Index (API) over the last three years, moving from a decile 4 state ranking to a decile 7 and improving
its "similar schools ranking" from 3 to 10 on a 10-point scale. Monache’s Teacher Coaches, Priscilla Girard (English Department Chair) and Larry Williams (Math Department Chair), along with Shirley Houser (1997-2007 principal) who now works with Comprehensive School Assistance Program, will outline and discuss the
process used to develop the effective professional collaboration that led to this improvement in student academic success.
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| About SchoolsMovingUp |
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SchoolsMovingUp
uses the Web to deliver high-quality resources, proven services, and innovative, useful tools that education professionals can use in their work with low-performing schools nationwide. SchoolsMovingUp offers knowledge and expertise that can help you make informed decisions and take effective action in your school reform efforts.
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