Welcome to Dimensions On-Line, the electronic edition of Dimensions.   E-mailed to all members it contains news of interest to FASCD members and Florida educators.  This newsletter is a benefit of your membership in FASCD.

Florida Educational Leadership Published   

A few weeks ago the spring issue of FEL was mailed to all members.  If you did not receive your copy please send an e-mail so we can get one to you.

New Executive Director Named

Dr. Harry Teitelbaum of Jacksonville was recently named as the new executive director of FASCD.  He will move into the position that Allan Dornseif occupied for the last eight years.  Harry holds a joint professorship at Jacksonville University and the University of North Florida.  His teaching load, however, will allow him ample time to carry on both those and the duties of FASCD executive director.   Harry has a distinguished background in education with an emphasis on curriculum.  As a Fulbright Scholar he developed the first high school economics course for New Zealand.  In addition to membership in other educational organizations, Harry has also made numerous presentations, including ASCD Annual conferences. 

We are delighted to have Harry assume the directorship of FASCD.

Board Meeting  May 6

The board met in the morning of May 6 while devoting the afternoon to interviewing applicants for the position of Executive Director.  Jaime Castellano reported that the Urban Leadership Grant from ASCD will begin in June.  Already 35 of the 50 allocated seats are filled for this 4 day, year-long workshop aimed at emerging leaders in urban areas. 

The annual conference focused discussion on when and where to hold it.  It was determined that we should hold the event in Orlando on December 1, 2006.  A conference committee will consist of the president, president-elect, vice-president, executive director and other interested board members.  The date and other specifics will be decided at the annual board retreat on June 24/25.

Discussion about education advocacy ended with President Viera recommending that everyone sign-up as an Educator Advocate of the ASCD special website.  We will be putting a new page on our website with a link to the ASCD Advocate page. 

Several new members were appointed to the board:  Lenford Sutton and Teresa Torres Dickson were approved and will be installed at the next board meeting.   Diane Cox informed us that she was offered a new position in St. Louis.  Consequently she is not only resigning her position on the board but withdrawing from the presidential ballot.  Andrea Johnson resigned as treasurer but will remain as a member of the board.  Her position will be replaced by David Meyer as of July 1.

Geneva Woodard also resigned her position as secretary but will retain a seat on the board.  One of the first items of business in June will be to appoint a new secretary for the board.

A series of meetings for the year was tentatively approved with final decision to be made in June.  Each meeting has a back-up date just in case hurricanes or other events require cancellation of a meeting. 

The next meeting will be a planning retreat on June 24/25.  Ms. Gail Dickson, our ASCD coordinator will be at this meeting to help the board work through issues important to us and consistent with ASCD policy.

Changes in the ASCD constitution will require changes in ours as well.  That will also include policy decision for those who are eligible to attend the annual LEAP, Leadership Council and other ASCD conferences.  Our constitution and policy will be discussed and amended at the June retreat.  Changes to the constitution will be presented to the members later this fall.  

Get Involved with FASCD

FASCD is always looking for folks who want to get more involved in the activities of FASCD.  In order to move forward we need more members who will take a little bit of their time to get involved with their organization.  A few recent resignations from the board have created openings for replacements.  If you have four Saturdays a year to help direct our organization, you might consider applying for a board position.  If interested, please send a two-page (no more) resume to fascd@fascd.org.  The board will review applications and you will be invited to join the board at their next meeting. 

We, like most affiliates group our work around five major areas: 

1 – Diverse Active Membership,

2 – Communication/Publications,

3 – Programs, Products, and Services, 

4 – Influence/Policy, 

5 – Leadership and Governance.  

If you are interested in getting involved in activities such as the development of our annual conference, professional development institutes, membership recruitment, influence activities and/or any other areas please send an e-mail to fascd@fascd.org indicating your interest.  We will get back to you with ways that you might get involved. 

Members in the News

Have you had a recent event to share with others in FASCD (like a job change, promotion, retirement, award or recognition received, unique travel experience, etc.)?  We would like to include your information in the next Electronic Dimensions. Send it to us:  fascd@fascd.org

Districts and Schools in the News

Publicize Your Good Work

Is your school or school district doing any unique curriculum, instruction, assessment, or staff development programs, projects, or material development you are willing to share with others? Here is an opportunity for sharing the good work your schools and/or district is doing. Please contact Allan Dornseif at fascd@fascd.org  with information. 

ASCD Education Advocacy Center

If you want to make a difference with laws and regulations affecting all aspects of education, check out the ASCD Education Advocacy Center at:  www.ASCD.org

Positions Available

FOR YOUR INFORMATION  -  NEWS OF INTEREST FROM OTHER SOURCES

Web Walk

A Portrait of America’s Teachers

According to research from various sources, today's teachers are primarily white, female, married, religious, and on average are 43 years old. More than half hold at least a master's degree. Forty-five years ago, in 1961, only 23 percent held advanced degrees. Additionally, 21st century teachers: (1) Spend an average of 50 hours per week on all teaching duties, including noncompensated school-related activities such as grading papers, bus duty and club advising; (2) Teach an average of 21 pupils (elementary). Secondary schoolteachers have an average class size of 28 pupils; (3) Spend an average of $443 per year of their own money to meet the needs of their students. Elementary teachers spend about $498 per year. Secondary teachers spend about $386. Teachers of color spend about $470 per year, more than the $434 spent by white teachers. (4) Make an average starting salary of $31,704 per year, not including supplemental pay for extra duties. (5) Enter the teaching profession to help shape the next generation. Nearly three out of four (73%) enter teaching because of their desire to work with young people. And nearly seven out of 10 teachers (68%) cite it as the reason for remaining in the profession.  http://www.nea.org/newsreleases/2006/nr060502.html

Top Five Special Education Issues

Thirty years ago, Congress announced that more than half of American children with disabilities were not receiving appropriate educational services. Today, American schools have a world-class system for differentiating instruction for all students, regardless of cognitive, emotional or physical limitations. That's quite an accomplishment, and something about which educators should be proud. Alas, there's a rub, reports Pamela Wheaton Schorr. While children with disabilities are now welcomed into classrooms with open arms, it can be hard to find educators embracing the kind of frank discussions that normally accompany such a sea change in instruction. Whether it's because teachers and administrators are all leery of being called prejudiced, embarrassed about some of their past policies or simply too overwhelmed with day-to-day work to get their arms around the bigger issues, the result is the same: There are a number of seemingly insurmountable challenges in special education, and not much is being said about them: (1) Not all special ed students have gotten the education they deserve; (2) Special education teachers are often considered second-class citizens; (3) Special education paperwork overwhelms teachers and administrators; (4) A disproportionate number of children of color end up in special education; and (5) Numbers of special-ed students grow as number of dollars shrink.

http://www2.districtadministration.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=153

Is Litigation Taking the Play out of Playgrounds?
Most adults can remember the carefree days of childhood, climbing trees and jumping from swings, often on schoolyard playgrounds. Climbing, swinging and sliding was once a rite of passage during recess, a time for adventure, to see how high, how far and how fast we could go as a kid. Today, kids find themselves grounded, victims of a culture of fear and injury litigation, reports Susan Harding. A growing number of school districts are going so far as to ban the game of tag and are even posting signs that read "no running on the playground." Is there real danger on the modern playground? Safety advocates say yes and want to eliminate it. As for the disappearing swings at school playgrounds, some parents say the kids won't miss them, while others decry the move as overprotective. It's a debate that is sure to continue, as some say kids can never be safe enough, and others feel that if kids can't jump from the swing set and maybe skin a knee, they are not learning valuable life lessons. http://www.katu.com/news/story.asp?ID=85715

The Condition of Education 2006
This annual report summarizes important developments and trends in education using the latest available data. The 2006 report presents 50 indicators on the status and condition of education and a special analysis on international assessments. The indicators represent a consensus of professional judgment on the most significant national measures of the condition and progress of education for which accurate data are available. The 2006 print edition includes 50 indicators in five main areas: (1) participation in education; (2) learner outcomes; (3) student effort and educational progress; (4) the contexts of elementary and secondary education; and (5) the contexts of postsecondary education.  http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006071

Why Can’t Schools be Like Businesses?

Three basic differences separate businesses from schools: the multiple purposes of tax-supported public schools; public responsibility for achieving these purposes; and democratic deliberations in deciding policies and determining school success. The profound differences in purposes, democratic decision making and accountability for outcomes between businesses and schools mean the basic assumption of corporate-inspired reformers -- that schools and businesses are fundamentally alike - is deeply flawed. This is why it is crucial that U.S. policymakers, practitioners, researchers, parents and taxpayers know clearly in what respects schools and businesses are alike and in what ways they differ. Business-inspired reform will not go away, writes Larry Cuban in The School Administrator. When business-minded policy proposals arise again -- and they will -- their assumptions, logic and evidence have to be dissected carefully and arrayed against the many purposes that tax-supported public schools serve. http://www.aasa.org/publications/saarticledetail.cfm?ItemNumber=5212&snItemNumber=950&tnItemNumber=951

Grant Opportunities for Schools and Teachers

Attention:  Please let us know if you have ever applied for a grant opportunity reported in Dimensions OnLine - and the outcome.

Student Peace Prize

The Student Peace Prize is to be awarded during the International Student Festival in Trondheim (ISFiT) 2007. The prize is awarded every second year on behalf of all Norwegian students, and is the only peace prize in the world to and from students. This prize highlights the important role of students in the struggle for peace, democracy and human rights.  Eligibility: nominee must be a student or a student organization who or which has made an outstanding contribution to peace, democracy or human rights. Maximum Award: an invitation to come to Norway to accept the prize at the Peace Prize Ceremony during ISFiT 2007, and travel throughout Norway to meet with important organizations and decision makers. Deadline: September 20, 2006.  http://ga1.org/ct/51w2-xY1PqRR/peaceprize

Awards for Excellence in Private Enterprise Education

The Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge conducts the Leavey Awards for Excellence in Private Enterprise Education to honor outstanding educators who excite a commitment in their students to the free enterprise system and unleash the entrepreneurial skills of their students at the elementary, junior high school, high school and college level. Maximum Award: $7,500. Eligibility: teachers at schools (K-12), colleges, and universities. Deadline: November 1, 2006.

http://www.ffvf.org/leavey.asp

Minigrants to School and Public Libraries to Encourage Literacy
The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation offers Minigrants to School and Public Libraries for programs that encourage literacy and creativity in children. Programs relating to the work of Ezra Jack Keats are welcome, but not required. Maximum Award: $350. Eligibility: School and Public Libraries. Deadline: September 15, 2006.

Grants for Music Education and Talent Development Programs

The ASCAP Foundation is now considering proposals from organizations engaging in music education and talent development programs that support music education programs for aspiring songwriters and composers. Maximum Award: $5,000. Eligibility: Organization must be 501(c)(3). Deadline: October 1, 2006.

http://www.ascapfoundation.org/grants.html

Red, White, and Green Climate Change Grants

Youth Service America and the Civil Society Institute are awarding Red, White, and Green Climate Change Grants to design a service-learning project that promotes awareness about climate change and possible solutions. Projects should be youth-led, and the service must take place between October 1 and November 30, 2006. Maximum Award: $500. Eligibility: youth between the ages of 15-25 or to organizations serving or engaging youth ages 15-25. Deadline: September 1, 2006.

http://www.ysa.org/

Research of Note

Gathering Evidence on an After-School Supplemental Instruction Program: Design Challenges and Early Findings in Light of NCLB
The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 requires that public schools adopt research-supported programs and practices, with a strong recommendation for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) as the “gold standard” for scientific rigor in empirical research. Within that policy framework, this paper compares the relative utility of federally-recommended RCT versus the demonstrated extended term mixed-method (ETMM) designs as options for monitoring effects of novel programs in real-time field settings. Guided by the program’s theory of action, a year-long, two-phase study was conducted to monitor the context, processes and early outcomes of an after-school supplemental program in a New York elementary school. In both phases, the design combined a matched-groups, quasi-experiment with qualitative classroom observations and descriptive surveys. Early findings showed some positive, albeit “gross” program effects. Although findings are tentative, the ETMM approach enhanced interpretations by shedding light on relevant environmental variables, causes for program instabilities and sample attrition, and factors affecting treatment fidelity and scaling-up of the program beyond the pilot year.  http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v14n12/

ASCD Education Search Service

Never again will you have to waste time and money searching for Educational Leadership articles, statistics, Web sites, books, and other education resources. Now you can have ASCD's Education Search Service do the research for you. Next time you need facts and information for a research report, article, or presentation, simply call 1-800-933-2723, ext. 5745, or 1-703-575-5745 and have ASCD find the resources for you! The ASCD Reference Library will scan their extensive archives and the Internet. They'll get back to you with a complete search report in as little as 24 hours, depending on the extent of the search