Top Stories

Report highlights importance of quality curriculum materials. The quality of curriculum materials plays a significant role in determining student achievement, according to a new report by the Brookings Institution. Researchers are calling for increased focus by the federal government, states, and nonprofit groups on the creation of new instructional materials that will be aligned with the Common Core State Standards. (Education Week)

A trend we can't afford. The National Institute for Early Education Research has released its 2011 State of Preschool report, which calls state-funded pre-K over the past decade "education's biggest success story." Enrollment has grown dramatically, as has quality.

Sound Connections

Free Webinar: From Paper to Practice: Implementing the Common Core State Standards in English/Language Arts, May 1 from 2 – 3 pm (if you missed it, you can access it from the archives).

Videos

"Boys are out of synch with the culture of schools today." Ali Carr-Chellman gives three reasons why boys today are out of synch with the culture of schools and how to combat these problems. (The Boys Initiative Weekly News Roundup)

U.S. Department of Education Releases Blueprint to Transform Career and Technical Education. The Obama administration has released its plan for a major overhaul of the federal program that provides secondary and postsecondary school students with access to job-related courses and training. The blueprint aims to align training programs with real-world business needs, and increase collaboration, accountability, and innovation. (WAMU – American University Radio)

Policy Updates

How one school implemented a flipped instructional model. When a Minnesota high school lacked the resources to replace aging textbooks, the school adopted a flipped instructional model that allowed teachers to develop their own resources and deliver them online. An important step in adopting the flipped learning model, educators said, was the school's decision to allow access to YouTube. (T.H.E. Journal)

Effective Strategies

Afterschool Opportunities
Afterschool Programs That Follow Evidence-Based Practices to Promote Social and Emotional Development Are Effective. This research summary by Joseph Durlak (Loyola University Chicago) and Roger Weissberg (University of Illinois at Chicago) underscores the link between high-quality programs and student achievement.

Study Weighs Benefits of Organizing Recess. Researchers find that a structured approach to managing recess led to less bullying and more time for learning. (Ed Week)

Career and Technical Education (CTE)
Free Webinar Improving Student Engagement Through Early Career Mapping, Tuesday, May 22 @ 3 pm ET

Individualized Instruction
How project-based learning is transforming one Oregon school. A unique project-based learning model is being used to help transform education at a once struggling alternative high school in Cottage Grove, Oregon. The school's principal, Tom Horn, created a curriculum based on sustainability, with students divided into five cohorts. (Ed Week)

Students with Disabilities

Study Links Dyslexia to Visual Attention Problems in Preschool. In a study recently published in the journal Current Biology, Italian researchers say they've found a link between having problems with visual attention in the preschool years and later struggles with reading.

Funding

Funding source are available on the NDPC/N Web site.

Resources & Tools

STATE CARDS: "High Schools in Your State"
Tips for Planning Interdisciplinary Units in Middle School
10 of the Best Apps for Education (eSchool News)
Facebook releases guide for school counselors (ASCD)
Tips for improving questioning during lessons (ASCD)
The Learning Registry: A Better Way to Share Lessons and Resources (Ed Week)
Teaching Channel free videos about good teaching practice (MiddleWeb)
Videos offer ideas on teaching poetry in the classroom (Edutopia)
A low-cost alternative to an interactive whiteboard (ASCD)

Feedback

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