New from McREL...

NASA reaches out to Boaz students [Newsroom]

2 Nov 2009 18:28:57 GMT

McREL in the News

NASA reaches out to Boaz students
The Gadsden Times (Gadsden, Ala.)
October 24, 2009

McREL Newsroom
	Newsroom links Education Hot Topics Press Releases E-Newsletters RSS Feeds Newsroom Home Page		Contact Bryan Goodwin Vice President, Communications & Marketing Phone: 303.632.5602 Fax: 303.337.3005 Send a message

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.

John Ristvey, Jr.
Principal Consultant

Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
4601 DTC Blvd., Suite 500, Denver, CO 80237-2596
303.337.0990 (phone) • 303.337.3005 (fax)
www.mcrel.org • info@mcrel.org

November and December Webinars from McREL [Professional Development]

27 Oct 2009 21:04:28 GMT

McREL Professional Development

$49^.00

Per connection per Webinar

View/Download a Webinar flyer
(375 Kb PDF)

Presented by:

Kay Frunzi	Maria Elena Garcia

Sarah LaBounty	Heather Martindill

Danette Parsley	David Rease, Jr.

Linda Resnick	Mike Siebersma

Sammye Wheeler-Clouse
For more information, contact Kathleen McFarland Administrative Coordinator 303.632.5577 (phone) 303.337.3005 (fax) Send a message

McREL Webinars
Online professional development from McREL

McREL regularly offers Webinars addressing a wide variety of topics. Each Webinar costs $49 per connected computer. You are welcome to use a projector and speakers to allow your colleagues to participate in the Webinar through a single computer connection.

November 4, 2009
When less is more: Creating a manageable fractal improvement experience

A fractal is a geometric pattern that is reproducible at any magnification or reduction within the whole. A Success in Sight fractal improvement experience is a manageable change initiative that contributes to the whole school improvement plan in a systematically focused way. You will see how one school planned and implemented a manageable change initiative, or "fractal," using a five-stage continuous improvement process.

November 16, 2009
Digging deeper into data: Unearthing root causes for under-performance

You will be introduced to a structured process for using data to guide school improvement in ways that focus and maximize improvement efforts. You will understand the importance of unearthing root causes—rather than surface-level symptoms—for student under-performance. Root causes refer to the deep underlying causes for the occurrence of a specific result, e.g., low student achievement in reading comprehension.

December 2, 2009
Creating a can-do school culture: Unlocking the power of collective efficacy

Schools are stronger when the individuals within them share the belief that they can solve problems and increase student achievement; that is, they have high levels of collective efficacy. When they join forces and develop a plan that effectively addresses the issues that are unique to their schools, they can have a positive impact on challenges in their school. You will be introduced to five ways to develop collective efficacy in your school.

December 16, 2009
Avoiding lost in translation: Getting the details right

New improvement strategies do not always guarantee increases in student achievement—partial implementation and inconsistent implementation will most certainly doom even the best strategies to failure. You will be introduced to a tool for detailing implementation expectations and monitoring how staff implements improvement strategies. This tool will enhance the likelihood of consistent implementation.

System Requirements:

Windows®
- Internet Explorer® 6.0 or newer, Mozilla® Firefox® 2.0 or newer (JavaScript™ and Java™ enabled)
- Windows 2000 or newer
- Minimum of Pentium® class 1GHz CPU with 512 MB of RAM (recommended) 2 GB or RAM for Windows Vista)
Macintosh®
- Safari™ 3.0 or newer, Firefox 2.0 or newer (JavaScript and Java enabled)
- Mac OS® X 10.4 (Tiger®) or newer
- PowerPC G4/G5 or Intel processor (512 MB or RAM or better recommended)
Cable modem, DSL, or better Internet connection
Microphone
Speakers

View/Download the flyer (PDF)

Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
4601 DTC Blvd., Suite 500, Denver, CO 80237-2596
303.337.0990 (phone) • 303.337.3005 (fax)
www.mcrel.org • info@mcrel.org

North Carolina Teacher Evaluation Process Software [Product]

13 Oct 2009 18:56:58 GMT

The North Carolina Teacher Evaluation Process software was developed by McREL in collaboration with the North Carolina State Board of Education and the North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards Commission. The software will help N.C. districts cultivate high-performing school cultures that are completely aligned with North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards, goals, and priorities.

With this tool, principals and teachers alike can more easily prepare for an evaluation, principals can more effectively provide the kind of feedback that elicits better performance from teachers, and individual goals can be aligned with performance expectations.

With this software, you can:

Access evaluation forms from desktop, laptop, or netbook devices
Aggregate data & customize reports by grade, subject, building, or district
Export data for use in most databases (e.g., Excel, Access)
Track teacher performance longitudinally
See both principal and peer observations in one summary report

District Software Pricing:
2,000 or more teachers	$19/teacher/year
500 to 1,199 teachers	$20/teacher/year
100 to 499 teachers	$22/teacher/year
up to 99 teachers*	$23/teacher/year
*Minimum subscription of $1,150

McREL recommends professional development on the evaluation process and use of the online tool.

In addition to the online North Carolina Teacher Evaluation Process, McREL offers

Custom evaluation services, including validation of client-specific evaluation items
Tailored professional development
Expert advice from an experienced team of assessment professionals

View/Download the flyer (PDF)

To learn more:
Visit www.mcrel.org/product/389.

North Carolina Teacher Evaluation Process software

For more information about the software, professional development, or optional services, contact

Lisa Maxfield
Administrative Coordinator
303.632.5561 (phone)
303.337.3005 (fax)

Send a message

Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
4601 DTC Blvd., Suite 500, Denver, CO 80237-2596
303.337.0990 (phone) • 303.337.3005 (fax)
www.mcrel.org • info@mcrel.org

McREL creating and studying "Cosmic Chemistry" space science summer school program in Tulsa [Press Release]

12 Oct 2009 22:55:45 GMT

McREL Press Release

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

October 12, 2009

Denver—Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL), a Denver-based nonprofit, has begun work on a three-year project to design and study the effects of a two-week, summer science program designed to encourage high school students to enroll in high school chemistry. Creation of the program, called "Cosmic Chemistry," is supported with funding from the United States Department of Education's Institute for Education Science (IES).

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. The curriculum will be based on real world science from the NASA Genesis Mission (http://genesismission.jpl.nasa.gov), the fifth in a series of un-manned NASA Discovery Program space missions focused on the solar system.

It will be designed for 9th- and 10th-grade students at Union Intermediate High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and held during the summers of 2010 and 2011. Union Public Schools District will identify 30 students who may need additional support before taking high school chemistry to participate in the pilot test.

The goal of the program is to both help students learn complex science concepts while building their confidence to take higher level science courses. It will teach students to think and communicate like scientists by identifying questions, generating hypotheses and conducting investigations to test their hypotheses.

Recruitment of student participants will begin in February 2010, with the first session starting in June 2010. Evaluation data from the 2010 program will be used to refine and improve the program as necessary for the following summer.

###

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.

McREL Newsroom

Contact

  Bryan Goodwin
  Vice President,
  Communications
  & Marketing

  Phone: 303.632.5602
  Fax: 303.337.3005

  Send a message

Newsroom links

  Education Hot Topics

  Press Releases

  E-Newsletters

  RSS Feeds

  Newsroom Home Page

Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
4601 DTC Blvd., Suite 500, Denver, CO 80237-2596
303.337.0990 (phone) • 303.337.3005 (fax)
www.mcrel.org • info@mcrel.org

College technology "catching up" with students [Newsroom]

7 Oct 2009 20:51:04 GMT

McREL in the News

College technology "catching up" with students
USA Today
October 5, 2009

McREL Newsroom
	Newsroom links Education Hot Topics Press Releases E-Newsletters RSS Feeds Newsroom Home Page		Contact Bryan Goodwin Vice President, Communications & Marketing Phone: 303.632.5602 Fax: 303.337.3005 Send a message

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.

McREL Senior Director of Field Services
Howard Pitler

Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
4601 DTC Blvd., Suite 500, Denver, CO 80237-2596
303.337.0990 (phone) • 303.337.3005 (fax)
www.mcrel.org • info@mcrel.org

High School Drop-out Risk [Newsroom]

27 Sep 2009 16:38:19 GMT

McREL in the News

High School Drop-out Risk
KNBN NewsCenter1 (Rapid City, S.D.)
September 27, 2009

McREL Newsroom
	Contact Bryan Goodwin Vice President, Communications & Marketing Phone: 303.632.5602 Fax: 303.337.3005 Send a message		Newsroom links Education Hot Topics Press Releases E-Newsletters RSS Feeds Newsroom Home Page

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 Senior Researcher Dawn Mackety

Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
4601 DTC Blvd., Suite 500, Denver, CO 80237-2596
303.337.0990 (phone) • 303.337.3005 (fax)
www.mcrel.org • info@mcrel.org

Can the right kinds of play teach self-control? [Newsroom]

2 Oct 2009 21:57:07 GMT

McREL in the News

Can the right kinds of play teach self-control?
The New York Times
September 27, 2009

McREL Newsroom
	Contact Bryan Goodwin Vice President, Communications & Marketing Phone: 303.632.5602 Fax: 303.337.3005 Send a message		Newsroom links Education Hot Topics Press Releases E-Newsletters RSS Feeds Newsroom Home Page

Executive function might not be the first word you think of when you picture a kindergarten or preschool classroom. Unless, of course, your classroom uses the Tools of the Mind curriculum co-developed by McREL Principal Researcher Elena Bodrova.

Based on the teachings of Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky, Tools of the Mind uses dramatic play to teach students the executive function skills (particularly self-regulation) needed to succeed in school and in life.

Tools of the Mind was co-developed by McREL Principal Researcher Elena Bodrova.

Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
4601 DTC Blvd., Suite 500, Denver, CO 80237-2596
303.337.0990 (phone) • 303.337.3005 (fax)
www.mcrel.org • info@mcrel.org

McREL and the KnowledgeWorks Foundation release "Amplified Policymaking" brief [Future of Schooling]

1 Oct 2009 18:27:53 GMT

Amplified Policymaking
By Katherine Prince, director of operations for the Institute for Creative Collaboration at KnowledgeWorks Foundation and Dr. Carolyn Woempner, McREL's senior researcher for Policy and Planning Services

McREL and the KnowledgeWorks Foundation have partnered to create a series of briefs and workshops based on The 2020 Forecast: Creating the Future of Learning, designed to engage leaders in co-creating the future of learning.

This brief examines the policy implications of two drivers of change presented in the 2020 Forecast—Pattern Recognition and Amplified Organization. These drivers describe a world in which we will increasingly collaborate, improvise, and work together to assemble meaning from vast arrays of data, while also creating new learning experiences combining physical and digital realities. These conditions form a policymaking environment that demands what we call “amplified policymaking.”

Click here to download the policy brief

Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
4601 DTC Blvd., Suite 500, Denver, CO 80237-2596
303.337.0990 (phone) • 303.337.3005 (fax)
www.mcrel.org • info@mcrel.org

McREL E-news: September, 2009 [E-news]

30 Sep 2009 19:23:40 GMT

The September edition of the McREL E-news is now available.

The McREL E-news is a monthly e-mail publication which provides information about current McREL research, products, and services and links to other sites containing research and practical applications relevant to K–12 education.

Read the latest issue of the McREL E-news

Want more?
Subscribe to McREL's e-newsletter and more free McREL materials.

Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
4601 DTC Blvd., Suite 500, Denver, CO 80237-2596
303.337.0990 (phone) • 303.337.3005 (fax)
www.mcrel.org • info@mcrel.org

McREL Teacher Evaluation Process ONLINE [Product]

29 Sep 2009 20:45:03 GMT

McREL's Teacher Evaluation Process software helps districts cultivate high-performing school cultures that are completely aligned with professional teaching standards, goals, and priorities.

With this software, you can:

Access evaluation forms from desktop, laptop, or netbook devices
Aggregate data & customize reports by grade, subject, building, or district
Export data for use in most databases (e.g., Excel, Access)
Track teacher performance longitudinally
See both principal & peer observations in one summary report

As part of the software package, professional development is required for the evaluation process and use of the online tool.

McREL provides a two-day professional development experience for IT and central office staff and for school administrators who are responsible for evaluating teachers.

District Software Pricing:
2,000 or more teachers	$19/teacher/year
500 to 1,199 teachers	$20/teacher/year
100 to 499 teachers	$22/teacher/year
up to 99 teachers*	$23/teacher/year
Minimum subscription of $1,150 Professional Development Pricing:* $8,000 for two on-site days plus travel and lodging

View/Download the flyer (PDF)

To learn more:
Visit www.mcrel.org/product/386.

McREL's Teacher Evaluation Process software

For more information about the software, professional development, or optional services, contact

Lisa Maxfield
Administrative Coordinator
303.632.5561 (phone)
303.337.3005 (fax)

Send a message

Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
4601 DTC Blvd., Suite 500, Denver, CO 80237-2596
303.337.0990 (phone) • 303.337.3005 (fax)
www.mcrel.org • info@mcrel.org

Northeast Guilford High School Awarded Most Improved School [Newsroom]

25 Sep 2009 21:27:31 GMT

McREL in the News

Northeast Guilford High School Awarded Most Improved School
Piedmont Triad (Greensboro, N.C.)
September 22, 2009

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.

McREL Newsroom
	Contact Bryan Goodwin Vice President, Communications & Marketing Phone: 303.632.5602 Fax: 303.337.3005 Send a message		Newsroom links Education Hot Topics Press Releases E-Newsletters RSS Feeds Newsroom Home Page

Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
4601 DTC Blvd., Suite 500, Denver, CO 80237-2596
303.337.0990 (phone) • 303.337.3005 (fax)
www.mcrel.org • info@mcrel.org