NASA reaches out to Boaz students

2 Nov 2009 18:35:42 -0700

The Gadsden Times (Gadsden, Ala.)

Students and teachers in the Boaz City School System are preparing for "NASA Week"—a week-long series of classroom visits and hands-on demonstrations led by a team of NASA scientists, educators, and specialists. McREL Principal Consultant John Ristvey and the other NASA affiliates will spend the week working with both students and teachers, discussing current missions and career opportunities at NASA.

McREL creating and studying "Cosmic Chemistry" space science summer learning program in Tulsa

12 Oct 2009 23:01:10 GMT

McREL

McREL has begun work on a three-year project to design and study the effects of "Cosmic Chemistry"—a two-week summer science program designed to encourage high school students to enroll in chemistry. Cosmic Chemistry will use the real-world context of space science to set high expectations, build background knowledge, and motivate students, with the ultimate goal of increasing their science achievement.

College technology "catching up" with students

7 Oct 2009 21:59:45 GMT

USA Today

Modern college classrooms are rapidly becoming high-tech wonderlands. New technology offers ways for schools to reach students who live in a connected world. "For kids, the technology is just the environment that they know," says McREL Senior Director Howard Pitler.

High School Drop-out Risk

27 Sep 2009 16:38:19 GMT

KNBN NewsCenter1 (Rapid City, S.D.)

Experts in Indian Education held a summit in Rapid City, S.D., to discuss concerns about the graduation rate of Native Americans. McREL Senior Researcher Dawn Mackety, who studies Native American education, emphasized the importance of ensuring all students are given the best chance possible.

McREL to present at National School Boards Association T+L Conference

24 Sep 2009 19:35:32 GMT

McREL Press Release

McREL to present at National School Boards Association T+L Conference in Denver, Colo.

September 24, 2009

Denver—McREL consultants Howard Pitler and Elizabeth Hubbell will present on the following current topics at the upcoming 2009 T+L Conference October 28–30 in Denver, Colo.:

Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works: Setting Objectives, Identifying Similarities and Differences, and Cues, Questions and Advance Organizers
(Pre-conference Workshop by Howard Pitler)
Tuesday, October 27, 9:00 a.m.–noon and 1:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.

Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works is a bestselling book that weds research-based teaching strategies with technology in a way that enhances pedagogy. This hands-on session will provide participants with concrete examples of resources and Web 2.0 tools they can use right away in the classroom.

The morning session will focus on Setting Objectives, Identifying Similariaties and Differences, and Cues, Questions and Advance Organizers.

The afternoon session will focus on Nonlinguistic Representation, Generating and Testing Hypothesis, and Homework and Practice.
Web 2.0 and McREL's Research-based Instructional Strategies
(Workshop by Elizabeth Hubbell)
Wednesday, October 28, 3:30–5:00 p.m.
Since the 2001 publication of Classroom Instruction that Works and the recent follow-up of Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, teachers across the nation have learned how the nine categories of research-based instructional strategies give teachers clear intended outcomes for using technology with their students.

Now, with the advent and proliferation of Web 2.0 tools in the classroom, teachers have rich, powerful, and engaging means of helping their students to learn cooperatively, give and receive feedback from teachers and peers, summarize and take notes collaboratively, and access cues, questions, and advance organizers.

This 90-minute session briefly describes the research, then gives an introduction to the many Web 2.0 tools that help teachers and student implement these strategies. The session is a brief overview of McREL's 2-day workshop.

This year's conference addresses critical issues facing schools today including engagement, technology & the law, professional development, leadership, S.T.E.M., and IT management.

Attendees are invited to visit the McREL Exhibit Booth (Booth 722) for free McREL publications, to ask questions of McREL presenters, or to speak with us about working at McREL.

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McREL is a nationally recognized, private, nonprofit organization located in Denver, Colo., dedicated to improving education for all students through applied research, product development and service. In 2008, McREL provided research-based guidance to educators and policymakers in four countries and 47 states across the U.S.

Northeast Guilford High School Awarded Most Improved School

22 Sep 2009 20:29:24 GMT

Piedmont Triad (Greensboro, N.C.)

In 2007, Northeast Guilford High School (NEHS) was identified as one of the state's "turnaround schools." The next year, the school initiated McREL's Success in Sight approach to school improvement. After only one year of Success in Sight, NEHS has been named one of the most improved schools in the county.

Benefits of unstructured, imaginative play in older children

30 Jul 2009 23:38:47 GMT

Denver Stay-At-Home Moms Examiner

Today's children spend more time focusing on homework and extra-curricular activities than ever before. But according to McREL Principal Researcher Elena Bodrova, this might be hurting their development and preparation for life.

Teachers expected to offer deeper subject understanding with new K-12 curriculum

27 Jul 2009 23:15:54 GMT

The Daily Times (Maryville, Tenn)

Tennessee schools have implemented new graduation requirements in an attempt to improve student achievement statewide. The state's science curriculum will be revised this year following guidelines from a McREL study the state commissioned in 2006.

Miller's low grades for JCPS aren't supported by facts

21 Jul 2009 20:27:52 GMT

The Courier Journal (Louisville, Ky.)

David Karem argues that the low grades recently given to Louisville, Kentucky, schools fails to take into account several important findings from the Greater Louisville Education Project Report prepared by McREL Senior Researcher Carrie Harris.

Building Policy Platforms for Resilience [Press Release]

8 Jul 2009 16:06:19 GMT

McREL Newsroom

Building Policy Platforms for Resilience
Brief for State Policymakers

July 8, 2009

Denver—In conjunction with the launch of the 2020 Forecast: Creating the Future of Learning, KnowledgeWorks Foundation and Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) have published "Building Policy Platforms for Resilience," a brief that examines the policy implications for two of the six drivers of change contained in the forecast: A New Civic Discourse and Platforms for Resilience.

A New Civic Discourse refers to new community models, communication methods, and spheres of influence that arise in a global society in which community is no longer defined geographically. The forecast makes the case that individuals will affiliate around common needs instead of common geography and will claim rights to learning that have previously been the purview of the education elite. Education will become a contested resource among those who seek a claim and demand to participate.

Platforms for Resilience refers to the growing need for new responses to the institutional disruptions and system shocks occurring throughout society. The forecast suggests that such disruptions require leaders to respond differently than in the past. Leaders must learn how to meet these challenges with even more flexibility, greater collaboration, and increased transparency.

The brief, written by Laura Lefkowits, McREL's vice president of policy and planning services, and Dr. Carolyn Woempner, a senior researcher in policy and planning services at McREL, encourages proactive policy responses to enable organizations not only to adapt to future conditions but also to play a role in crafting the future, especially in times of great uncertainty.

Building Policy Platforms for Resilience is available for download at www.futureofed.org/taking-action/policy-briefs.

To get your copy of the 2020 Forecast and learn more about the future of learning, visit www.futureofed.org.

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Changing Schools wins AEP Distinguished Achievement Award [Press Release]

1 Jul 2009 13:07:11 -0700

McREL Newsroom

Changing Schools wins AEP Distinguished Achievement Award

July 1, 2009

Denver—Changing Schools, the magazine for educators published thrice yearly by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL), has won a Distinguished Achievement Award from the Association of Educational Publishers (AEP).

The fall 2008 issue, "Everyday Innovation" (Vol. 59), was honored at the annual AEP Summit on June 12 in Washington, DC, as the Most Improved Whole Publication in the Periodicals category.

In recent issues, the Changing Schools staff, including Editor Vicki Urquhart and Graphic Designer Natalie Voltes, has infused the magazine with more striking designs to support the theme and shorter, livelier stories to capture and maintain readers' interest.

Bryan Goodwin, McREL's vice president of communications and marketing, said, "The new look and feel of Changing Schools reflects the essence of what we do at McREL—provide educators with creative thinking and fresh insights that are grounded in the best available research."

The AEP Awards have honored outstanding resources for teaching and learning for more than 40 years. Each year, the top educational products are recognized in the categories of Curriculum, Periodicals, Professional Development, and Technology Innovations.

Changing Schools is available to educators by subscription at www.mcrel.org/free-sources.

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Dropout conference

16 Jun 2009 19:25:41 GMT

KXMB News (Bismarck, N.D.)
June 9, 2009

At the annual dropout summit in North Dakota, McREL Senior Researcher Dawn Mackety explained that parent-engagement plays a crucial role in preventing dropouts. "If we can get parents more engaged, that helps kids make that connection between their home culture and schools," said Mackety.

McREL's Changing Schools named as finalist for AEP awards [Press Release]

5 May 2009 17:10:57 GMT

McREL News Room

McREL's Changing Schools named as finalist for AEP awards

May 5, 2009

Denver—Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) is proud to announce that its magazine for educators, Changing Schools, has been named as a finalist for the 2009 Distinguished Achievement Awards, given by the Association of Education Publishers.

Two issues of Changing Schools, "Creating Purposeful Communities" (Vol. 57/Winter 2008), and "Everyday Innovation" (Vol. 59/Fall 2008), were named as two of four Most Improved finalists under the category of Whole Publications (Periodicals).

"We develop each issue of Changing Schools with the educator foremost in mind, and we strive to deliver excellence in all of our products, so being recognized in this way is exciting," said Vicki Urquhart, editor of Changing Schools and lead consultant at McREL. Heeding AEP's advice from last year's evaluation, she said, the latest issues include "more eye-catching designs that carry the theme throughout the magazine and shorter, livelier stories that capture and maintain readers' interest."

Changing Schools is published three times a year and is available to educators by subscription at www.mcrel.org/free-sources.

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McREL is a nationally recognized, private, nonprofit organization located in Denver, Colo., dedicated to improving education for all students through applied research, product development and service. In 2007, McREL provided research-based guidance to educators and policymakers in 47 states across the U.S.

McREL brief examines future of urban education and implications for policymakers

16 Apr 2009 17:55:56 GMT

McREL News Room

McREL brief examines future of urban education and implications for policymakers

April 15, 2009

Denver—Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL), in conjunction with KnowledgeWorks Foundation, has published "Transforming Urban Education: Implications for State Policymakers," a brief that describes the process of scenario building and how it can help school districts in urban centers prepare for the future of education.

The brief, written by McREL's Laura Lefkowits, vice president of policy and planning services, and Barbara Diamond, a senior advisor at KnowledgeWorks, is based on work undertaken in 2008 by the two organizations with the Ohio 8 Coalition. The Coalition is a group of eight of Ohio's largest school districts, which used the scenario building process to explore trends likely to impact education and create four "plausible but divergent" scenarios, or stories, for education in the year 2020.

The scenarios address the following possible trends: governmental support of vouchers, which causes increased segregation in cities; full-service models that bring together education, community and healthcare needs; the widespread use of technology, which promotes grassroots options for learning; and a global economic crisis resulting in drastically diminished resources for schools.

The brief outlines three recommendations for state-level policymakers for actions that urban districts can take today in order to position themselves for success in any of these futures. These recommendations are: 1) to develop a comprehensive approach to urban schooling ("the Hub"); 2) to prioritize service learning for urban schools; and 3) to prepare urban students to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The writers explain the recommendations in detail and give existing examples of each.

"Transforming Urban Education: Implications for State Policymakers" is the first in a series of six briefs on the topic of the future of education that McREL and KnowledgeWorks plan to produce in 2009. The entire brief is available at www.mcrel.org/futureofschooling/PDF/4005PI_OH8_Brief_1_021709.pdf.

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McREL is a nationally recognized, private, nonprofit organization located in Denver, Colo., dedicated to improving education for all students through applied research, product development and service. In 2007, McREL provided research-based guidance to educators and policymakers in 47 states across the U.S.

Johnson Junior High takes steps now to improve student learning [Newsroom]

30 Mar 2009 15:29:14 GMT

Wyoming Tribune Eagle

Johnson Junior High School in Cheyenne, Wyo., will be using McREL's Success in Sight approach to school improvement. Success in Sight is a customized approach to school improvement that builds on school strengths, uses research to identify and implement changes that generate "quick wins" in student achievement, and over time, lead to long-term, sustainable changes in school culture and performance.

McREL Top Stories

NASA reaches out to Boaz students

McREL creating and studying "Cosmic Chemistry" space science summer learning program in Tulsa

College technology "catching up" with students

High School Drop-out Risk

McREL to present at National School Boards Association T+L Conference

Northeast Guilford High School Awarded Most Improved School

Benefits of unstructured, imaginative play in older children

Teachers expected to offer deeper subject understanding with new K-12 curriculum

Miller's low grades for JCPS aren't supported by facts

Building Policy Platforms for Resilience [Press Release]

Changing Schools wins AEP Distinguished Achievement Award [Press Release]

Dropout conference

McREL's Changing Schools named as finalist for AEP awards [Press Release]

McREL brief examines future of urban education and implications for policymakers

Johnson Junior High takes steps now to improve student learning [Newsroom]