July 20, 2016
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Mission Statement:
To build the capacity of educational leaders to enhance
 the quality of teaching and learning.

IMPACT     SERVICE     ADVOCACY
IL ASCD NEWS
CHECK OUT IL ASCD's website, www.illinoisascd.org
Happy Summer-Enjoy some outdoor activities!
Great news! The Summer edition of our quarterly newsletter is out! Read It Now! 
How Schools Can Help Students Make Sense of Violence
Incidents of violence involving police have some educators considering how best to address the topic -- and related emotions -- with students when they return from summer break. Educators and experts assert that schools can be a resource for students feeling sadness and confusion. The Washington Post

Teachers Can Help Students Cultivate Diverse Friendships
Children are less likely to have friends of a different race as they get older, according to a recent study from New York University researchers. However, teachers can help reverse this trend by creating a classroom environment that fosters collaboration, mutual respect and trust. National Public Radio 

The popular Pokemon Go video game, accessed on mobile phones, encourages users to find characters and treasure in real-world settings using virtual reality. This blog post highlights the ways libraries are playing along to capitalize on the game's popularity.  School Library Journal

Last opportunity for your school team coming up soon! Start the year organized and energized! 15th Annual Leadership Institute, July 31 - Aug 2, 2016, 444 Eagle Ridge Dr, Galena, IL, "Using Assessments to Empower Student Learning" with Diane Wolf, Steve Oertle, and Donald Viegut, AA #1577 or professional development hours 
You will experience 2˝  days of dynamic professional discussion, learning and leadership building   from diverse perspectives for school leaders and leadership teams. Through ongoing dialogue, networking, presentations, and other sources, participants will have the opportunity to seek new directions for making powerful participant roads for their school district. Register here.
 
Planning for next year?  Taking a new position as a Curriculum Director or want to know more about current developments?  Then Curriculum Leadership Development Network is right for you!  Just announced, 10th season schedule for 2016-2017!
Sept 26 - "It's About the Learning!  Observing & Evaluation the NGSS" Craig Gaska; "C3 Social Studies Standards" Donna McCaw
Oct 26 & 27 - CLDN Special Topics at Conference on Learning & EXPO at Roosevelt U, Schaumburg
Nov 28 - "Visible Learning Research for Teachers & Students" Greg Wolcott; "Home to School Connection" Jason Ness & Antwan Babakhani
Jan 23, 2017 - "Human Resources & Teacher Hiring Practices" Mark Friedman & Steven Greisbach; "21st Century Learning Leadership" Josh Stumpenhorst
Feb 27 - "Social Emotional Learning" Jason Ness & Antwan Babakhani
Apr 24 - "Vision, Values & Goals:  Leading Change in a Professional Learning Community" AA #940, Doug Lillydahl; "PLC's & Formative Design" Jason Ness & Antwan Babakhani
Learn more and register here. 

Planning your professional development for this fall?
Conference on Learning and EXPO, October 26 - 27, 2016, Roosevelt University, Schaumburg, IL Two big days! Top speakers!  Keynotes Mike Schmoker and Jonathan Fanning.  Other presenters include Craig Gaska, Megan Fuciarelli, Dee Ann Schnautz, Jennie Winters, Jim Bellanca, Ray Louk, Aaron Brengard, Steve Zipkes, and Scott Estes.  Register here.

Archived issues of ILASCD Education Briefs are now available on our website. 
 

Check out our Conferences/Workshops section and choose an opportunity for professional development!   

ASCD congratulates 2014 Affiliate Overall Excellence Award recipient Illinois ASCD. ASCD annually recognizes affiliates to honor their exemplary service to the education community.
 
IL ASCD Illinois Office
P.O. Box 852 
Normal, IL 61761

Please send me good news about your school!  Anyone taking a new position for next school year or retiring this year, please let me know!   Glenna Adams, Editor gladams@wideopenwest.com 
  
Renee Phillips, Administrative Assistant, reneephillips@mac.com, phone: 309-820-9100. 
Ryan Nevius, Assistant Director, rcneviu@me.com, phone: 618-203-3993.
Katie McKay-Phillips, Social Media & Events, kathrynmckay20@gmail.com 
  
 
Are you already on Facebook?  Check out and LIKE the ILASCD Facebook page  
IL ASCD is now on Facebook!  Visit us at IL ASCD.
  
  
 
 
IL ASCD has a Twitter channel!  Stay current at IL ASCD.      
 
  
 
miller_guidance 
The Common Core State Standards, Teacher Evaluation Systems, Race to the Top funding....Is your system ready?
Built on leading scientific research the Miller Guidance System puts into practice the theoretical underpinnings of federal school reform initiatives.  Created and refined by practitioners, in a variety of settings our practical tools and processes provide the blueprint for school improvement. Is your system ready?
Click below to see a video of what your colleagues are saying about Miller Guidance!
www.millerguidance.com 866-364-9535
ASCD News 
7 Ways to Make Project-based Learning Work 
There are challenges and pitfalls to implementing project-based learning, but the advantages are great. In this Educational Leadership article, teacher Alison Zuniga and university educator Thomas M. Cooper share one high school's journey to effective PBL and describe why, when done right, teachers make the choice to relinquish a majority of learning into the hands of their students, allowing students to be active partners as opposed to passive receptacles. 

In this new video series featuring William Parrett and Kathleen Budge, you'll see elementary and secondary schools that are not only meeting the needs of students living in poverty but pushing them to high achievement. Drawing upon their years studying high-poverty, high-performing schools, Parrett and Budge identify the common practices and structures that effective schools put into action as well as the unproductive processes these schools eliminate. You'll learn the critical components that set these institutions apart from their struggling peers.

Being recognized and affirmed by a powerful adult can be life-changing for a young person. In this Educational Leadership article, Jeffrey Benson shares why offering unconditional positive regard to students can make such a difference for them, and may become a favorite daily activity for educators. The power you have as a role model for others at school, whether you're the principal or a teacher, will ripple out to every corner of the building, leading to a culture that appreciates everyone. 

How can we make room for teacher creativity within the demands of our competitive education culture? In this ASCD Express article, Sandra Vorensky addresses this question by offering four ways for teachers to take creative risks. Her ideas include combining topics to create time loopholes, designing differentiated learning stations and forming professional learning communities to share best practices. She shares how purposeful planning can make your risk-taking productive. 

We're reinventing our annual conference for 2017. Get inspired with a new professional learning experience featuring a variety of innovative ways to network and learn, and feel empowered to transform your schools through content that will focus on the whole child, transformational leadership, global engagement, poverty and equity, teaching and learning, and redefining student success. Join us in Anaheim, Calif., from March 24 to 27, 2017. Be a leader, keynote, presenter or speaker. Proposal Submission Is Now Open. We are pleased to announce that you can now submit your proposal to be a leader, presenter, or speaker at ASCD EMPOWER17. We appreciate your interest in helping us build a new professional learning experience and look forward to receiving your submission. You can submit to present by yourself or with up to four copresenters. Complete information on proposal criteria is available on our proposal submission web page. Hurry, the deadline for proposals is Monday, August 1, 2016. Once you submit your proposal, you will have until the deadline to make any edits or changes. Acceptance notifications will be e-mailed by September 13, 2016. Again, thank you for your interest in ASCD EMPOWER17.

Cambridge has worked with members of ASCD for over 25 years to provide research-based test preparation programs that are proven to increase students' standardized test scores and ensure that students have mastered the necessary skills to be college and career ready. We offer supplemental curriculum, data services, test prep, and training for the SAT, PSAT 8/9, PSAT 10, PSAT/ NMSQT, ACT, Explore, Plan, Aspire, HiSET, TASC, GED, Career Interest Inventory, Learning Styles and WorkKeys tests. Our customized lesson plans guide your teachers in how to use data to improve teaching, engage learning, and plug college and career
skill gaps.
To schedule a free on-site presentation or visit, contact Mary Parks at
847-299-2930 ext. 226 or MParks@CambridgeEd.com .
Advocacy / Governance
IL ASCD's purpose is to inform.  We encourage you to be an informed, involved educator. Watch local, state, and national news for most current events.
 
ASCD has released its first Global Policy Agenda, which makes recommendations to promote the success of students, educators, schools and communities worldwide. The specific global recommendations include establishing a multimetric accountability system, reducing the reliance on standardized testing, promoting a whole child education, and honoring and supporting the education profession. View the agenda. 

The latest issue of Policy Priorities examines the vocabulary that various stakeholders -- including communities, administrators, teachers, parents and students -- use to discuss a whole child approach to education. It reviews similarities and differences among common terms, provides definitions used by specific educational associations, and calls for building a whole-child lexicon that all stakeholders can use -- the aim is to build a vocabulary that is practical, that everyone can use.

ASCD's Whole Child Initiative in Illinois
Launched in 2007 ASCD's Whole Child Initiative is an effort to change the conversation about education from a focus on narrowly defined academic achievement to one that promotes the long term development and success of children.  Illinois ASCD supports this premise.

Are you receiving the ASCD Whole Child Newsletter?  Sign up on http://www.wholechildeducation.org  to receive this biweekly free resource and stay up-to-date on policies and practices, data, strategies, and tools to help you ensure that each child in your community is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.  In addition to this information from ASCD, we are running a series on the Whole Child within our Illinois ASCD Newsletter.  To read the latest edition of our newsletter, visit https://www.illinoisascd.org/resources/publications.

In 2012, Illinois Legislature Declared March to be "Whole Child Month."
With the help of Illinois ASCD members, we continue to keep the names of ASCD and IL ASCD in the minds of Illinois legislators as the go-to organization on learning.  They helped us enable the passage of the Whole Child Resolution in Illinois in both houses on March 9, 2012.  As the years progress, our members will continue to keep in touch with our legislators and feel that we have had a say in helping to promote strong educational issues in our state.  Copies of these resolutions can be found below:
Whole Child House Resolution HR 0781 

NEW-The Whole Child Recognition Application
ILASCD has created an award at the state level to recognize schools that have developed a vision to encourage the growth of the whole child. The Whole Child Award recognizes these schools for not only educating the whole child but for succeeding in creating students who are knowledgeable, emotionally and physically healthy, engaged in an inclusive learning environment, and are prepared to become lifelong learners. This award recognizes those schools that have changed the focus from one of a narrow academic vision to one that promotes the development of the whole child; healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. We invite you to apply for ILASCD's Whole Child Award.

Nominees need to indicate a plan that is feasible, which includes their approaches to a whole child education through collaboration, coordination, and integration of services, and strategies to educate the Whole Child; healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. Applications are due by July 30th, 2016. We look forward to reading your applications.
Benefits of recognition:
  • Recognition as a Whole Child School within Illinois
  • Information about your school shared nationally on ASCD's Whole Child What Works Map 
  • Letters presented to your state senator and representative and published in local media
  • Awards will be presented during ILASCD Conference on Learning on October 27th, 2016
For information about what it means to focus on Whole Child education, see descriptions and rubrics here.
Brenda Mendoza
ILASCD Co-leader of Whole Child Advocacy

Data show students who feel more connected to their schools are less likely to engage in destructive behaviors, Charles Mendez, managing director of the C.E. Mendez Foundation, writes in this commentary. He shares four ways to help foster school connectedness. Education Dive

Illinois Education News
 
Education Budget Approved  For FY 2017
Lawmakers in the Capitol June 30 approved a full Fiscal Year 2017 budget for elementary and secondary education, including a $361 million increase over FY 2016 levels. After failing to reach a K-12 budget agreement by the scheduled adjournment at the end of May, legislative leaders and the Governor began meeting in earnest in June under increased pressure to ensure that schools open this fall. A tentative agreement was reached earlier this week and legislators were called back into session Wednesday and Thursday. Both the House of Representatives and the Senate adjourned until November.
The budget appropriations, contained in SB 2047 (Trotter, D-Chicago), will provide funding for school districts that will fully cover the statutory foundation level of $6,119 per pupil and add another $250 million in equity grants directed at school districts with high concentration of poverty students. Mandated categorical grants will be funded at FY 2016 levels and early childhood education will see an increase of $75 million over FY 2016 levels. 
Chicago Public Schools will receive an additional $215 million (contained in SB 2822) for payment towards the normal costs of their teachers' pensions in FY 2017. And, beginning in FY 2018, the district will be provided authority to levy a separate property tax for the purpose of making employer contributions to the pension fund that is excluded from the property tax cap (SB 318).
Among the many provisions of the FY 2017 Stopgap Budget Implementation Act (SB 1810), one provides that school districts whose Corporate Personal Property Replacement Tax (CPPRT) receipts total 15% or more of their total revenues will receive an additional 7% of the total amount distributed to the school district from CPPRT funds during FY 2015. This is designed to backfill a school district's loss from any CPPRT sweeps as a result of the budget.
As for the rest of State government, the General Assembly approved a stopgap six-month budget. Though it only gets through half of the fiscal year, this is the first budget that's been in place since June 30 of last year. The appropriations bill does include $1 billion for higher education for costs for FY 2016 and for the first half of FY 2017.
The plan is for the working groups of legislators to continue meeting and have a full-year budget ready for a vote during the Veto Session scheduled for November 15-17 and November 29 -December 1.

Illinois Governor Sets Up Panel To Study School Funding Formula Changes
         The  Chicago Tribune (7/12, Geiger) reports Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner "tried to hit the reset button on a bruising battle over the state funding formula for elementary and secondary schools," setting up a committee to "propose ideas for changing the system." The Tribune writes that Rauner has resisted "calls for an immediate change to the formula while he sought to keep schools afloat financially this fall and leave for another day the politically fraught issue of how state tax dollars are doled out."
       The Chicago Sun-Times (7/12) reports that the state legislature has struggled with the issue for some time, and says Rauner's bipartisan panel "will propose a new formula for funding education in the state by Feb. 1." The deadline "would permit legislators to take up a bill in spring session." The group of 25 legislators and policy stakeholders will be led by Education Secretary Beth Purvis. The AP (7/12) calls the current formula "complicated" and "outdated," noting that it was enacted in 1997.

Chicago Principals Get Budgets Without Extra Cuts
The Chicago Tribune (7/13, Perez) reports that Chicago Public Schools principals received their budgets, and "will have to make it through a full year with budget cuts made in February, though officials said the district expects to avoid teacher layoffs and any reduction to academic programs." CPS CEO Forrest Claypool said that the district will release its operating budget in the near future, but that it "will require concessions from the Chicago Teachers Union and a follow-through by state lawmakers on funding measures approved last month."

Illinois Replacing PARCC With State-Funded SAT
        The Chicago Tribune (7/11, Rado) reports that the Illinois Board of Education announced Monday that the state "is ditching the controversial state PARCC exam for high school students, instead giving 11th-graders a state-paid SAT college entrance exam next spring." The state has given the PARCC twice, resulting in "dismal test scores and thousands of students skipping the exams." Elementary and middle school students will still take the PARCC tests, which "have drawn opposition from families who questioned the amount of testing at school."
       The Chicago Sun-Times (7/11) reports that the move "is being touted as cutting back on standardized testing while providing equitable access to a college entrance exam required for admissions applications." The paper notes that some 10% of Chicago students opted out of the tests last year. Noting that PARCC was designed to align with the Common Core Standards, the Southern Illinoisan (7/11) reports the test was "met with criticism from students, parents, teachers and school administrators alike."
       The Springfield (IL) State Journal-Register (7/11) and the AP (7/11) also cover this story.

Updated PARCC Score Report Resources Available Online
With the second year of PARCC testing completed, the PARCC consortium website and UnderstandtheScore.org have been updated with information for parents and students about the new student score reports for 2016.

ISBE NEWS

SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has announced that it will provide the College Board's SAT exam, including a writing component, at no cost to all public high school juniors during the 2016-17 school year. The SAT will replace the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) assessment as the high school accountability exam in Illinois.
Students in grades 3-8 will continue to take the PARCC assessment. The PARCC assessment is also aligned with the Illinois Learning Standards, and its results provide educators with data that may be used to provide individualized supports to students while preparing them for mastery of the state standards. 

ISBE Hot Topics
PARCC Score Toolkit - Communication tools for school leaders available
ISBE ESSA webpage - Click here to access

Click this link for a pdf listing of all House and Senate PK-12 committees. 

Bill Text/Status: Illinois General Assembly www.ilga.gov. Click on Dashboard.    
 
Next election in Illinois:  Nov 8, 2016
Federal Education News

What are Lawmakers' Top ESSA Concerns?
US lawmakers and members of the House and Senate education committees have weighed in on the draft accountability rules for the Every Student Succeeds Act. Top concerns distilled from committee feedback and questions posed during hearings cover such topics as implementation and testing.

Now that Congress has completed the reauthorization of the Every Student Succeeds Act, work has begun on the regulations that will effectively govern the nation's largest federal K-12 education program. This issue of Policy Priorities examines the process and potential roadblocks for developing the regulations, including the opportunities for public comment and negotiated rulemaking on key issues, as well as the challenges officials face in completing the work before the end of the year.  

US House Panel Approves Cuts to Education Dept
The House of Representatives appropriations committee approved a 2017 fiscal year spending bill that would cut the Education Department's budget by $1.3 billion. The legislation would also prevent a school's compliance on the transgender bathroom issue from affecting its access to federal funds.  Education Week

Analysis: Spending on Prisons Outpaces Public Education
The US has increased spending on prisons since 1980 at three times the rate of public education, according to analysis of federal data by the US Department of Education. "These findings should give us all a reason to pause and provide a lens through which we can examine our values as communities and as a country," Education Secretary John B. King Jr. said. The Washington Post  

Teach to Lead
Jointly sponsored by the Department of Education, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, ASCD, and more than 120 education organizations, will be holding a Teacher Leadership Summit September 24-25 in Long Beach, California.  To attend, teachers must submit actionable teacher leadership ideas by July 25.

King Calls For Greater Focus On Diversity At National PTA Meeting
Sarah Tully writes at the Education Week (7/5) "K-12 Parents and the Public" blog that in a recent speech before the National Parent Teacher Association, Education Secretary John King "called on parents to take charge of improving diversity in their schools and classrooms-both among students and teachers." King, who has focused on improved student and teacher diversity, "was addressing parents who make decisions about where they send their children to school at a time when there are increasing choices, both among district and charter schools." The piece quotes King saying, "Today, diversity is not a nicety but a necessity. Not just for some students, but for all of our students. What I'm asking you today is to act not only in the interest of someone else's kids, but also to act boldly in the interest of your own. I'm asking you to demand diversity, not just in schools, but also in the classrooms within those schools."

Education Dept. Undersecretary Shares Higher-education Goals
US Department of Education Undersecretary Ted Mitchell recently shared the Obama administration's vision for higher education for its final 200 days. Mitchell focused on four areas, including creating new business models and reimagining education credentials. Education Dive

Education Dept.'s #GoOpen Campaign Gains Steam
#GoOpen -- an initiative of the US Department of Education -- encourages schools and districts to produce and use open educational resources. The program includes efforts to connect schools using OERs through "launch" and "ambassador" designations for districts. KQED.org

ASCD Educator Advocates: www.educatoradvocates.org  
ASCD Legislative Agenda: www.ascd.org/legislativeagenda  
ASCD Policy Points: www.ascd.org/publicpolicy 
To reach Senator Mark Kirk by email at https://www.kirk.senate.gov/.  
To reach Senator Dick Durbin by email at http://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases.
Conferences / Workshops


Please note that most workshops/conferences close registration one week prior to the event.  The last day to register is on the registration form.

Successful Assessment 101:  Everything You Need to Know about Tests in a Standards-Based Learning Environment
ILASCD presents Video Workshops for use in Department meetings, Faculty meetings, PLC teams, college classes, parent meetings, Board of Education meetings, grade-level meetings, individual PD.
Not webinars, but live-capture presentations defining and exploring how testing in standards-based learning environments leads to successful growth model attainment.  Each video begins with definitions of the tests in the area being covered. Detailed information about their impact on the learning in classrooms will be provided. Each video allows break times within the 30-45 minute time period for discussion by the viewing group under the leadership of the local host (principal, professor, department chair, PLC leader, etc.).  Each module is $69. What's Included:
  • Downloadable HD Videos
  • Facilitator Directions
  • Participant Handouts
  • PowerPoint Slides
Module Descriptions
  • Module 1: Overview of Assessment Types
  • Module 2: National Assessment
  • Module 3: District Assessment
  • Module 4: Local/Classroom Assessment
You'll get everything you need to facilitate an effective professional development session for your group.  Each video is timed to fit within a 1-hour staff meeting (35 to 45 minutes running time), including ample time for discussion, the included activities, and opening/closing time.The videos are provided in high-definition 1080p MP4 format. We recommend using a large screen with a high-definition projector for the best experience, and providing slide handouts if a smaller screen will be used.less total about 15GB in size. If download speed is a concern, you can also order the program on a USB flash drive.  30-Day Money Back Guarantee  Your purchase is 100% Risk Free.  If you're not happy for any reason, simply let our friendly support team know (via email) and we'll happily refund your money.  Get started now!  

  
Know Your IEIN?
Professional Development Requirement- IEIN Number * When registering and signing attendance for future professional development opportunities provided by school districts, ROE, professional association, or other approved ISBE Provider, you will be required to provide your IEIN which is your Illinois Educator Information Number. * Your personal IEIN can be found on the ELIS site, which is the ISBE site for licensure renewal and PD hour entry. * Please know your IEIN when registering and attending. This requirement protects YOU when ISBE decides to audit your attendance at events.   
 
IL ASCD is an ISBE Approved Provider      IL ASCD is a CPS Approved Provider #24595
Summer Kindergarten Conference, Greg Smedley-Warren with Kindergarten Smorgasboard, July 27, 2016 at NIU Naperville, OR July 28, 2016 at ISU Alumni Center, Normal, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
1 /2 hours on each topic:
A Smorgasboard of Math Strategies
Discover how to build math skills each day using the calendar, math review,  mental  math,  groups,  centers and lesson  closures.  These strategies  will  help  you  meet  the  needs  of  your  students  while challenging  them to  reach  for  higher-order  thinking. Plus,  you  will find  out  how  to  integrate  technology  and  differentiate math instruction.
Common Core Centers & Management Made Simple
Get familiar with Common Core-aligned and differentiated math and literacy  center  ideas  and  explore  ways to effectively  manage  your math or literacy centers. See how easy it is to integrate technology into your center time.Plus discover how center wheels and tubs help make  managing  and  rotating  centers  simple  for  you and your students.
A Compilation of Classroom Management Ideas & Tips
You won't believe how many new and fresh classroom management strategies, tips, tricks and ideas you'll discover in this session! Plan on learning about different types of behavior systems, rewards and consequences, the  importance  of  routines,  expectations  and procedures, and ways to bring free and low-cost incentives into your classroom.
Kick Off Your Day RIGHT With Morning Meeting
See  how  10-20  minutes  each  morning  can  change  the  dynamics  of your  classroom  and  make  your classroom  more  like  a  family. You'll learn  the  components  of  morning  meeting  as  well  as  ideas  for greetings,  activities  and  morning  messages  to use in your classroom.
Registration includes breakfast, lunch, parking, and 6 professional development hours.

Don't miss this summer opportunity for team planning.  Start the school year organized and energized!
15th Annual Leadership Institute, July 31 - Aug 2, 2016, 444 Eagle Ridge Dr, Galena, IL, "Using Assessments to Empower Student Learning" with Diane Wolf, Steve Oertle, and Donald Viegut,  AA #1577 or professional development hours
You will experience  2˝  days of dynamic professional discussion, learning and leadership building   from diverse perspectives for school leaders and leadership teams. Through ongoing dialogue, networking, presentations, and other sources, participants will have the opportunity to seek new directions for making powerful participant roads for their school district.

Sunday July 31, 2016
Noon - 8:30 p.m.   -  Diane Wolf, Registration, Dinner
Monday Aug 1, 2016
8:00 - 1:45 p.m.    -  Steve Oertle, Lunch, Exhibit Round Robin, Team Planning
Tuesday Aug 2, 2016
8:00 - 1:00 p.m.    -  Continental Breakfast, Donald Viegut, Box Lunch, Team Planning

Leadership Institute Outcomes:
* Build leadership capacity among teams
* Acquire practical leadership strategies for application in the educational setting
* Develop long-range and short-range district improvement plans for the year
* Recharge personally and professionally
* Network with leadership from other educational teams
* Graduate Credit available on site

IL ASCD is a CPS Approved Provider #24595
Recommended Pre-reading: Common Formative Assessments 2.0 by Larry Ainsworth and Donald Viegut. Administrative Academy #1577 or professional development hours.  Registration for hotel has been extended. Register here.

Southland Learning Conference, August 8, 2016, Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School, Oak Lawn
In an effort to connect and learn from each other in Oak Lawn-Hometown SD123, and with other educators in surrounding school districts, D 123 has created an opportunity on Aug 8th, 2016 called The Southland Learning Conference.  The event is scheduled from 8:30a-1:00p.  The Southland Learning Conference is currently looking for educators to present at its inaugural event. Presentations should be approximately 40 minutes in length and can focus on any educational topic. Additionally, we have also added a "poster session" option. Poster sessions are informal presentations similar to what you would experience at a science fair.   For more information please check the link below or if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call or email Laura Ferrell at (708) 499-6400 or lferrell@d123.org.  For more information:http://www.southlandlearning.org/

During this two-day ASCD institute, renowned authors Alan M. Blankstein and Pedro Noguera, along with award-winning education scholars, district and school leaders, and practitioners, will share strategies to pursue equity and close instructional and achievement gaps in multicultural K-12 districts and schools.

Promoting Excellence Through Equity with Dr. Pedro Noguera, Sept 12, 2016, Roosevelt University, Goodman Center, 11:30 am - 7:30 pm
Promoting Excellence Through Equity-If  policies,  strategies,  practices or procedures work for our most vulnerable  communities  and students,  they  will  work  for everyone.  The  reverse, however, IS NOT true. Across  our  nation,  courageous  conversations are underway on confronting the fundamental ways inequalities affect students' learning and opportunities to reach their full potential. But talk isn't good enough, and more work must be done to attain  greater equity and opportunity for all students.
IL ASCD continually engages and supports its members to understand the drives and biases of institutional inequities and to shape their  school cultures, change practices and lead  teams that   deliver  high-quality instruction for all students. To deepen these conversations and cultivate more  effective practices, we have partnered with the American Reading Company to bring Dr. Pedro  Noguera for a day  of  thought-provoking discussion  that advance our shared  work in attaining  equity and opportunity for all students.
Agenda
11:30 - 12:00 p.m.  Registration and light lunch
12:00 - 1:30 p.m.  Welcome
IL ASCD, Roosevelt University & American Reading Company
"Learning Around Access and Equity" Dr. Pedro Noguera, "Access and Equity:
From Exploration to Theory of Action," Amelia Van Name Larson
1:30 - 4:30 p.m. Team Collaboration: Teams will work to identify gaps, apply
new knowledge, and plan to develop systems and structures that will ensure access and equity for all students. Facilitated by Dr. Pedro Noguera and Amelia Van Name Larson
4:45 - 5:45 p.m  Hosted Reception Sponsored by IL ASCD System II & Roosevelt University New Deal Program in the Roosevelt University Auditorium Library
6:00 - 7:30 p.m. Keynote Address: "Excellence Through Equity: Five Principles of Courageous Leadership to Guide Achievement for Every Student" Dr. Pedro Noguera

Student Self-Regulation:  The Foundation for Learning Autonomy featuring Richard Cash, September 21, 2016, Crystal Lake Country Club, Crystal Lake, IL, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
For students to achieve their potential, they must be competent in the academic, emotional and social skills tasks that lead to success.  Self-regulation involves the beliefs and determination that students need to accomplish tasks, both dependently and independently.  Topics include:
  • Applying the self-regulation model in today's classroom
  • Closing the achievement gap through self-regulated learning
  • Building self-regulation by developing a growth mindset
  • Creating a student-centered classroom
  • Using the TLC (Teaching and Learning Continuum) to achieve success through learner autonomy
Registration includes continental breakfast, lunch, handouts, parking and 6 professional development hours. ILASCD is a CPS Approved Provider #24595. Register here.

Teach to Lead
Jointly sponsored by the Department of Education, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, ASCD, and more than 120 education organizations, will be holding a Teacher Leadership Summit September 24-25 in Long Beach, California.  To attend, teachers must submit actionable teacher leadership ideas by July 25.

Planning for next year?  Taking a new position as a Curriculum Director or want to know more about current developments?  Then Curriculum Leadership Development Network is right for you!  Just announced, 10th season schedule for 2016-2017!
Sept 26 - "It's About the Learning!  Observing & Evaluation the NGSS" Craig Gaska; "C3 Social Studies Standards" Donna McCaw
Oct 26 & 27 - CLDN Special Topics at Conference on Learning & EXPO at Roosevelt U, Schaumburg
Nov 28 - "Visible Learning Research for Teachers & Students" Greg Wolcott; "Home to School Connection" Jason Ness & Antwan Babakhani
Jan 23, 2017 - "Human Resources & Teacher Hiring Practices" Mark Friedman & Steven Greisbach; "21st Century Learning Leadership" Josh Stumpenhorst
Feb 27 - "Social Emotional Learning" Jason Ness & Antwan Babakhani
Apr 24 - "Vision, Values & Goals:  Leading Change in a Professional Learning Community" AA #940, doug Lillydahl; "PLC's & Formative Design" Jason Ness & Antwan Babakhani

An Evaluator's Guide to the SLO Process for Monitoring Student Growth featuring Jennie Winters, October 4, 2016, SIU, Carbondale, IL, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm, AA Course 1679
Jennie Winters will explain the variety of types of assessment that can be used in a Balanced Assessment System with a focus on Type III assessments for the purpose of evaluation.  This Academy will guide administrators in understanding their role in the SLO (Student Learning Objective) Process.  Participants will understand how to analyze assessment resources to determine alignment to the rigor of the Illinois Learning Standards.  Strategies for data management, including collection, analysis, disaggregation and triangulation of data will be covered.  Registration includes Administrator Academy credit, breakfast, lunch, parking, handouts and six professional development hours.  ILASCD is a CPS Approved Provider #24595. Register here.

NEW-Given the lead, students succeed! The Transformative Power of Student-led Conferences, Craig Gaska, October 5, 2016, Roosevelt University Schaumburg IL Campus OR April 5, 2017 Our Lady of the Snows Belleville, IL, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Given the lead, students succeed! Student-led conferencing is a proven strategy to motivate students to higher levels of learning. It incorporates goal setting and metacognitive processes that allow students to take charge of their learning. Student-led conferencing increases parent attendance and involvement, creating a learning team that is synergistically powerful. Student-led conferencing is the culmination of effective and motivating classroom practices. Expected Outcomes: Attendees will learn classroom practices and strategies that support the implementation of student-led conferencing that positively affect classrooms forever. This session will also address goal setting and assessments, which are critical for successful student-led conferences. Please bring materials from a unit you currently teach.  Registration includes: 6 PD Hours, breakfast, lunch, handouts & parking. Registration Coming Soon! 

Prioritizing for Powerful Results:  Five Levers to Improve Learning featuring Tony Frontier, October 12, 2016, Crystal Lake Country Club, Crystal Lake, IL, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Where do we exert influence in classrooms, schools, and districts to obtain a desired goal?  What are the characteristics of initiatives that have a transformational impact on student learning as compared to initiatives that require significant efforts and resources--yet merely perpetuate the status quo?  This workshop will provide participants with a framework, resources and tools to guide classroom, school and district improvement efforts as described by the author and presenter of the ASCD book FiveLevers to Improve Learning;  How to Prioritize for Powerful Results in Your School.  
  • Develop an understanding of how nearly all educational practices and mandates can be grouped into one of five categories; and the relative utility of each of these categories to leverage school improvement.
  • Understand typical "leverage errors" and how to avoid them.
  • Tap the owner of "leverage advantages" that maximize the potential to influence student learning.
  • Understand the critical differences among status quo planning, transactional change and transformational change; and how to align efforts to intended results.
  • Ask critical questions to prioritize initiatives and efforts across classrooms, schools and districts.
  • Utilize the Five Lever framework to create more powerful strategic plans, utilize fiscal resources more efficiently and ensure team meetings, faculty meetings and board meetings are focused on high leverage initiatives.
Registration includes continental breakfast, lunch, parking and 6 professional development hours.  ILASCD is a CPS Approved Provider #24595. Register here.

Instructional Rounds, Jason Ness & Antwan Babakhani, October 13, 2016, Niles West High School, Skokie, IL, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Instructional Rounds refers to a practice adapted to education from the field of medicine.  It embodies a specific set of ideas about how practitioners can work together to solve common problems and improve practice.  It is designed to help schools, districts and state systems support high-quality teaching and learning for all students.  Program objectives include:
       Make  connections  between  rounds  and  ongoing  school improvement efforts at your school
 *     Understand  how  the  instructional  core  is  the  heart  of rounds and of improvement efforts
 *     Understand  the  basic  principles  of  instructional  rounds and practice the specific protocols of the practice
 *     Develop  skills  in  observing  teaching  and  learning  - describe what we see - and debriefing observations
 *     Build  common  language,  expectations  and  norms for conducting rounds
 *     Be  ready  (and  excited)  -  to  conduct  rounds  at  your school!
Registration includes PD hours, breakfast, lunch, parking and handouts.  ATTENDANCE IS LIMITED TO 30 PEOPLE!  Niles West High School, 5701 Oakton St, Skokie, IL 60077.  IL ASCD is a CPS approved provider #24595. Register here.

Conference on Learning and EXPO, October 26 - 27, 2016, Roosevelt University, Schaumburg, IL Two big days! Top speakers!  
Featured Presenters:
  • Opening speaker Mike Schmoker - author of Focus and Leading with Focus
  • Ray Lauk - author of FUEL for Learning
  • Aaron Brengard -Principal of Katherine Smith Elementary School, San Jose California
  • Steve Zipkes - Founding Principal of New Manor Tech - A STEM High School
  • Scott Estes - Assistant Superintendent East Peoria SD 86
  • Closing speaker Jonathan Fanning - "Creative Leadership"
The conference will include:
  • Presenters from the Midwest Principals Center,
  • Presenters from Illinois Consortium for 21st Century Schools,
  • Presenters from IL ASCD CLDN (Curriculum Leadership Development Network),
  • Presenters on the ASCD topic of Educating the Whole Child
Our strands for the 2016 Conference on Learning and EXPO include:
  • Whole Child
  • 21st Century Learning
  • Principal Leadership
  • Curriculum Leadership Development Network
  • Classroom Leadership
  • Learning Leadership

Breakthrough Coach 2-Day Course, "How to Work Less, Produce More
and Still Get the Job Done," November 3-4, 2016, 8:30 am to 3:30 pm, 19th Century Club, 178 Forest Avenue, Oak Park, IL 60301
The 2-Day Course is unlike any other, designed to present and teach administrative teams The Breakthrough Coach's Fundamental Practices™. With a focus on executive management rather than on education, the 2-Day Course provides you with the structure and systems you need to get it all done, and produce the results you're after, all in a sensible work week.
Who Should Attend?  Site Principals, District Office Supervisors, Cabinet-Level Administrators, and their Secretaries.
Course Format:  Conducted over two full days; Includes lecture, small group discussion, Q&A, and hands-on implementation between a24dministrators and secretaries.  Administrators attend Day 1 & 2; Secretaries attend Day 2 ONLY with their administrators.
The  Breakthrough  Coach is an educational training firm that supports school administrators to be transformational  leaders who achieve student success.  The Breakthrough Coach's Management Methodology™ teaches school leaders how to build productive front-office  environments that then  free them up to focus on creating sustainable, school-wide improvement. The  Breakthrough  Coach  provides you with a proven structure to:
  • Spend 2 full days each week observing classrooms
  • Work more efficiently
  • Empower and coach your staff
  • Achieve work/life balance
  • Raise student achievement
All in a sensible work week.
Course includes continental breakfast, lunch, materials, free parking and Professional Development Hours. Walk from the CTA Green line or Metra. IL ASCD is CPS Approved Provider # 24595. Register here.

NEW-2016 ASCD Conference on Educational Leadership
Take your leadership skills to the next level from November 4-6 at the 2016 ASCD Conference on Educational Leadership in National Harbor, Maryland near Washington, D.C. This conference provides the perfect setting to start pursuing new goals and to develop a solid plan for improving student achievement. You'll connect with today's most influential education leaders and join colleagues who share your commitment to transforming education, including principals, central office staff, superintendents, teacher leaders, building-level specialists, professors and deans. Learn more.

Curriculum 2020, Dylan Wiliam, Embedding Formative Assessment with Teacher Learning communities, November 9, 2016, NIU DeKalb, 8:00 am - 3:30 pm
There is now a large and growing evidence base showing that helping teachers develop their use of minute-to-minute and day-by-day assessment is one of, if not THE most powerful ways to improve student learning.  Formative assessment involves far more than adding a few "quick fixes" to teachers' classroom repertoires.  It involves a fundamental shift in focus, from what the teacher is putting into the process to what the students are getting out of it.  In this interactive one-day workshop participants will learn:
  • WHY we need to increase educational achievement, what's been tried, and why it has worked
  • WHY formative assessment needs to be the priority for every school
  • WHAT formative assessment is (and isn't)
  • PRACTICAL techniques for implementing formative assessment
  • HOW TO sustain the development of formative assessment with teacher learning communities.
Course includes continental breakfast, lunch, materials, free parking and 6 Professional Development Hours. NIU DeKalb, Ellington Ballroom, Holmes Student Center, 340 Carroll Ave, DeKalb.  Park in Guest lot on Carroll Ave.  Register here.

The Illinois Association of School Boards and the Illinois Association of School Administrators present: Professional Advancement Seminars Seeking the Superintendency,
Sept 15 in Lisle, Sept 22 in Springfield, OR Jan 18 in Springfield
This intensive one-day seminar is designed to assist anyone seeking employment as a superintendent and will include a detailed description of the Illinois Association of School Boards' Superintendent Search process.  You will learn how to evaluate and improve your opportunities for professional advancement through presentations by those who work with the process and through printed materials that are yours to retain.  For a pdf of the brochure regarding this event: click here.  

T21CON 2016 
The College of Education at Illinois State University, September 23, 2016, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Bone Student Center, ISU, Normal, IL 
The College of Education at Illinois State is now taking presentation proposals for the 7th annual Teaching in the 21st Century Conference (T21CON) taking place on Friday, September 23 at Illinois State University in Normal, IL. Teaching in the 21st Century Conference (T21CON) is a hands-on, engaging learning opportunity designed for current and aspiring educators to gain an edge in using technology in the classroom. T21CON connects attendees with resources, strategies, and a network of experts to support their careers in education. Attendance is free for all practicing educators and ISU students.  Have questions about T21CON 2016?   Contact The College of Education at Illinois State University.
From the Field
The National PTA adopted two resolutions during its national convention recently held in Orlando, Fla. The resolutions -- developed by members of the Burbank, Calif., PTA -- address homework and inclusiveness. Los Angeles Times

Texas Professors Sue To Block Guns In Classrooms
Reuters reports that on July 6, three University of Texas professors sued the state in federal court "to halt a state law that lets people with concealed handgun licenses bring pistols into classrooms, saying the measure would have a chilling effect on academic freedom." Texas "Attorney General Ken Paxton said the law is constitutionally sound and he will defend it." USA Today (7/7) and the Texas Tribune (7/7) also cover this story.

Analysis: MBA Programs Becoming More Diverse
Diverse Education carries a more than 1,300-word analysis asserting students pursuing MBAs have an increasingly "wide range of career goals and come from diverse backgrounds." The article says this is demonstrated by the increasing range of MBA program recruitment efforts, the increasing number of MBA program offerings, and the expansion of online courses.

CDC, WHO Initiative Seeks to End Violence Against Children
The CDC, the World Health Organization and other partner organizations have introduced a global approach aimed at ending child violence through a seven-point strategy. The strategy includes implementing and enforcing laws restricting access to firearms among youths, creating safe environments through housing, bolstering parent and caregiver support, reinforcing support services, modifying beliefs and values around gender roles, boosting economies, and including life and social skills in children's education.  The Washington Post

How Brexit is Changing College Plans for Students in EU
 
STIThe use of technology in classrooms appears to range from none, or minimal, to frequent. STI focuses on teaching strategies that give diverse students multiple options for taking in and processing information, making sense of ideas, and expressing learning. Technology tools can support good instruction and personalized learning environments in which students can interact with soîtware and applications, conduct research, create products, and communicate with others. STI staff work closely with school personnel to produce professional development that integrates the use of existing technologies, connects curriculum and incorporates: Innovation, Curriculum Development Response to Intervention Strategies, Interim Assessments, and Modeling. 
Curriculum / Common Core 
Blog Says Next Gen Science Standards Shift Toward Practical Applications
In its "Curriculum Matters" blog,  Education Week summarizes Ed Week commentator Lauren Madden's take on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Madden said earlier science standards "addressed science content separately from the act of doing science," while the Next Generation standards shift "toward a deeper understanding of the broad and connected nature of scientific phenomena." Madden adds, "More than memorization, NGSS lessons focus on applying ideas and making connections." Yet, the blog says "there's no doubt still plenty of confusion about what's really new here."
 
Ensure You're Meeting the Unique Learning Styles of Every Child
We can approach acquiring curriculum more strategically, and we should make teachers and students  partners in the process. Curriculum should empower and motivate learners to acquire knowledge in ways that are meaningful for them.

Sneaking Learning Into Playtime Prevents Dreaded 'Summer Slide'
Students can lose between one and three months of learning over summer vacation. Access easy tips on preventing summer slide.

"If curriculum drives the work of teacher teams, then schools must create time for teachers to collaborate, engage in debate and provide time during the school day for reflection and revision. Curriculum development should be a priority in schools, rather than something that is handed to teachers as a top-down product," writes Steven Weber in this ASCD EDge blog post. He shares six important questions for curriculum design teams to consider. Read on.

How Culinary Arts Can Foster STEAM Lessons
The culinary arts are a natural way to integrate the arts into science, technology, engineering and math lessons, English teacher Sarah Henderson and STEAM coordinator Doug Henderson write in this blog post. They share several culinary-themed activities.  SmartBrief/Education

6 Myths and Misconceptions About Differentiated Instruction
"Tasks that are different from one another aren't the same as tasks that are differentiated," explains ASCD author Kristina Doubet in this podcast. Doubet and her co-author Jessica Hockett discuss some of the common ways differentiated instruction is misunderstood and misapplied, and share strategies to help teachers get started with differentiating to meet the needs of all learners. Listen to the chat to hear some key dos and don'ts for your practice. Listen here.
 
LEARNING.COMElementary STEM- Engage and encourage your elementary students to develop strong STEM skills that will keep them excited and excelling in their later school years. Request a whitepaper: Integrated STEM Education through Project-Based Learning or contact Mark Adzick - Territory Manager, madzick@learning.com or 800-580-4640 x4560, Daniela Kaelin - Inside Sales Representative, dkaelin@learning.com or 800-580-4640 x4495 for more information.
Opportunities
Vacancy - Pana CUSD 8 Superintendent Position
Click here to download or view the Announcement of Vacancy.  Applications are only accepted online by noon on Sept 26, 2016.  Please apply at https://www.applitrack.com/IASB/onlineapp/.  For further information, please visit the IASB website.

Teach Plus Training
Teach Plus is recruiting Teacher Leaders with an interest in PARCC.  Teachers will receive training in how to support students and parents in preparing for the exam, and then lead a workshop for their peers at the beginning of the year. Learn more here.

Free Tutoring
Mark Smith mark.smith@tutorhunt.com a completely free service for both tutors and students to locate each other.  The website is at www.tutorhunt.com/.

The Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA) is pleased to announce the newly redesigned Illinois Education Job Banks at https://www.illinoiseducationjobbank.org.
 
Job Banks At Illinois State Board of Education
The Illinois State Board of Education has two links to job bank sites, click here.    
 
ASCD Job Ramp: A Careers Site for Educators
Developed through a partnership between CareerBuilder and ASCD, the free ASCD Job Ramp website was developed to simplify the job hunt for educators of all professional levels. Access the jobs site day or night, weekend or weekday, to browse U.S. openings in education. And don't forget to take advantage of custom search options and personalized alerts. Browse openings in your area 
 
Collaborative Learning
  
  
 Grants / Awards
Empower Young People Through Music
Classics for Kids Foundation supports school and community youth music programs in need by providing matching grants for new, high-quality stringed instruments, such as violins, violas, and
cellos. Schools and nonprofit organizations must raise at least half of the funds to purchase the
requested number of instruments, using a provider authorized by the foundation. Programs that serve K-12 students are eligible for grants. The website offers guidance for starting a stringed instrumental program, including a proposed startup budget. We accept grant applications quarterly. Grant deadlines are: June 30, September 30, December 31 and March 31

The Big List of Educational Grants and Resources
Get a roundup of educational grants, contests, awards, free toolkits, and classroom guides aimed at helping students, classrooms, schools, and communities. Check this page weekly to get the latest updates! www.edutopia.org/grants-and-resources

Campbell's Labels for Education
The Campbell's, Inc. Labels for Education Program gives schools free educational equipment in exchange for labels from Campbell products. Maximum award: varies. Eligibility: Schools or parents coordinate label drives to raise resources for schools. Deadline: N/A.
http://www.labelsforeducation.com/About/about-the-program.aspx
 
WAVELENGTH the Chicago-based, award-winning ensemble of actors and educators, offers an assortment of proven keynotes and workshops that use humor, laughter and improvisation to train, motivate and inspire educational professionals. New options include Uncommon Core Comedy, Those Who Laugh, Last,The 7 Habits of Highly Ineffective Educators, Faculty Lounge, Musical Staff, and The Sense™ of Humor. DVD training also available. For keynotes, workshops or DVDs, please call 877-LAUGHS2 or www.wavelengthinc.com. 
Research
The 2016 KIDS COUNT Data Book
This annual report focuses on key trends in child well-being in the post-recession years and offers recommendations for how policymakers can ensure all children are prepared for the future, based on the country's shared values of opportunity, responsibility, and security. Read the report

World leaders must put words into action to save 69 million children from preventable deaths by 2030, says UNICEF's latest State of the World's Children report. The report lists five ways to create better lives for the world's children.  The Guardian
Common Core Math: A Love/Hate Relationship
The Thomas Fordham Institute has released the results of a national teacher survey about Common Core math. A nationally representative survey of more than 1,000 K-8 teachers using Common Core math revealed that while most teachers think Common Core math will benefit students in the long run, there are some short-term problems that need correcting in order for it to be successful.

Study: Giving Struggling Teachers High-Quality Lesson Plans Better Than PD
Liana Heitin writes at the Education Week (7/12) "Curriculum Matters" blog that according to a new study from researchers at Northwestern University, "giving middle school math teachers access to inquiry-based lesson plans and online support significantly improved student achievement - and benefited weaker teachers the most." Researchers found that "giving teachers both the lesson plans and support had a positive, significant effect on students' end-of-year math test scores."

Should The US Invest More in Early Education?
The US invests too little in early education in part because it lacks universal preschool programs, educators and experts say. In 2012, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ranked the US 35th among developed nations on the enrollment of 3- to 5-year-olds in school.  The Hechinger Report

Report Looks at Key Well-being Indicators in US Youths
Researchers found that teen pregnancy rates dropped 68% from 1995 to 2014 and rates of youths who smoke and binge drink declined in 2015 to their lowest since tracking began, while the likelihood of violent crimes among adolescents also decreased and the number of children with health insurance coverage increased, according to a report from the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics. However, the findings, based on data from 23 federal agencies, also showed that the rate of obesity among children ages 6 to 17 rose from 6% in 1976-1980 to 19% in 2011-2014, while more than 20% of US youths under 17 live in poverty.  USA Today
Publications
Take a Deep Dive into Your Summer Learning
Summer reading takes on a whole new meaning with books and interactive resources from ASCD. Profit from your time at the pool by enhancing your skills and expertise. Best of all, you'll start the school year rested, ready, and well on the way to achieving your goals and objectives. Gain the skills and insights that will make you more efficient and effective. New Books, Teaching and Learning, Leadership, Redefining Student Success.  Explore the complete list of resources in these four categories on www.ASCD.org .

Moody. Reckless. Impractical. Insecure. Distracted. These are all words commonly used to describe adolescents. But what if we recast these traits in a positive light? Teens possess insight, passion, idealism, sensitivity and creativity in abundance -- all qualities that can make a significant positive contribution to society. In this thought-provoking book, Thomas Armstrong looks at the power of the teenage brain from an empathetic, strength-based perspective, and describes what educators can do to make the most of their students' potential.  

A Teacher's Guide to Special Education
David F. Bateman and Jenifer L. Cline clearly define what general education teachers need to know about special education law and processes and provide a guide to instructional best practices for the inclusive classroom. The breadth of coverage in this book, along with its practical examples, action steps, and appendixes covering key terms and definitions will provide the foundation all K-12 teachers need to successfully instruct and support students receiving special education services. It's an indispensable resource for every general education classroom.
Check out the Introduction and Chapter 1 for free.

Level Up Your Classroom
In the lively and practical book Level Up Your Classroom: The Quest to Gamify Your Lessons and EngageYour Students, seasoned educator Jonathan Cassie shines a spotlight on gamification, an instructional approach that's revolutionizing K-12 education. In this book, Cassie covers
  • What happens to student learning when it is gamified.
  • Why you might want to gamify instruction for your students.
  • The process for gamifying both your classroom and your lessons.
Includes a free online study guide.

If the difference between a student's success and failure were something specific you could teach, wouldn't you? Metacognition is exactly that -- a tool that helps students unlock their brain's amazing power and take control of their learning. Educational researchers and professional developers Donna Wilson and Marcus Conyers have been exploring and using the explicit teaching of metacognition for years, and in this new book they share a practical way to teach preK-12 students how to drive their brains. 

In "Rethinking Grading: Meaningful Assessment for Standards-Based Learning," Cathy Vatterott examines and debunks traditional practices and policies of grading in K-12 schools. She offers a new paradigm for standards-based grading that focuses on student mastery of content and gives concrete examples from elementary, middle and high schools. All educators will learn how standards-based grading can authentically reflect student progress and learning -- and significantly improve both teaching and learning.
Internet Sources
SuperKids
Are your students reading as well as they should be? We can help. Learn about The Superkids, the strongest K-2 reading program in America. Read teachers' raves, see results-and improve reading scores at your school. Contact Susan Quarino at sue.quarino@rowlandreading.org or click here for more details, www.superkidsreading.org.


Pokemon Go Game Combines Exercise, Fun
The popular free mobile app Pokemon Go is blending video games with exercise. The game requires players to explore outside -- and get exercise -- in order to find virtual characters.

Elementary teacher Dina Logan uses a free mobile app to schedule parent-teacher conferences. In this blog post, she writes about how the app helped streamline scheduling.

Tips to Help Educators Expand their Twitter NetworksThree Twitter experts presenting at the International Society for Technology in Education conference and expo shared tips to help educators use Twitter for professional development. Suggestions include using hashtags and participating in Twitter chats.  eSchool News

Video can be used to support teacher-training programs, according to Rebekah Ralph, instructor of educational technology and edTPA coordinator for the Department of Education at LaGrange College in Georgia. In this blog post, she shares three ways to make sure using video is meaningful for teachers. SmartBrief/Education

Tips to Help Connect Urban Students to Nature
Portable technology can help connect students growing up in urban areas with nature, elementary teacher Kevin Barisonek writes in this blog post. He shares several free mobile apps that students can use to learn about and experience the natural world. Edutopia.org

The recent International Society for Technology in Education 2016 Conference & Expo featured various edtech tools. This article highlights several products on display, including Sphero's robot that teaches students to code and Belkin's Stage Tablet, which some California schools are using as part of a distance-learning program with the state's parks department. Education Dive

Strategies to Help Students Reflect on Learning
Open-ended, authentic assignments allow students to reflect on and evaluate their learning, Derek Luebbe, head of school at the Shanghai Community International School, writes in this blog post. He offers insights about creating learning environments that foster students as evaluators. SmartBrief/Education

Outsourcing security to managed security service providers can save colleges and universities time and money while providing a nimble response to cyberthreats, Aletha Noonan, vice president of higher education for CDW*G, suggests in this blog post. "Finally, MSSPs can provide a layer of reassurance that institutions are complying with all data privacy regulations," she writes. EdTech magazine online

RESOURCES:

Google is providing free cloud-computing tools, such as App Engine, BigQuery and Cloud Machine Learning, to students at universities that apply online. "If more university students are familiar with Google's tools, they are more likely to adopt them once they hit the workforce," Jonathan Vanian writes. Fortune

Zaption is a web-based tool that lets teachers and students insert elements, such as images, text, quizzes and discussions, into videos to create interactive lessons. Users can add the components into videos they produce as well as videos from YouTube and Vimeo that are offered through the platform. Teachers can sign up for  free accounts
on the Zaption website.

Zaption is a web-based tool that lets teachers and students insert elements, such as images, text, quizzes and discussions, into videos to create interactive lessons. Users can add the components into videos they produce as well as videos from YouTube and Vimeo that are offered through the platform. Teachers can sign up for free accounts on the Zaption website. 
 
Hip-hop culture is woven into every facet of society. We hear it on the radio. We see it on TV; in film, fashion, and art museums; and on buildings and train cars. Hip-hop is youth culture and even kids who don't listen to rap music have been influenced by it. So why is it not in every classroom? This Inservice post provides a list of resources to help you integrate hip-hop into your lessons and enhance student engagement.

Over 800 Released Items Among the Numerous PARCC Resources Available Online
As part of the effort to develop the most transparent high-quality assessments available, PARCC has released more than 800 test items on the Partnership Resource Center. In addition, the PARCC consortium website features a wealth of parent, student and educator resources, including links to even more practice assessments, score report guides (in both English and Spanish), informational videos, and links to PARCC resources that are specifically designed for residents of each consortium state. PARCC has also released a detailed description of how the  assessments are designed, along with detailed information about how they are aligned to Common Core State Standards, and how the term "college and career readiness" is defined and measured.

Google is preparing to take smart messaging to the next level with this summer's planned introduction of its Allo app. The app offers many of the latest chat features, but should be unique in offering a Smart Reply option, which allows message responses without typing by crafting customized replies based on user's conversational patterns.  The Boston Globe

Tech Tools Worth Exploring Over Summer Vacation -   MiddleWeb

Resources to Help Educators Access OER
Open educational resources can be found in various ways, including eight curated collections highlighted in this article. Collections include OER Commons and Khan Academy. T.H.E. Journal

Don't miss these additional teacher-themed blog posts:
Check out Real Learning for Real Life for assessment resources for families and educators, including videos and downloads.  

The GreatKids Illinois Test Guide for Parents is a free, online tool organized by grade and subject to help parents use their state test scores to support their kids at home. The guide was developed by the national nonprofit GreatSchools, in collaboration with leading educators and PARCC assessment designers.
 
Check Education Briefs Archived issues now available on our website for previously listed resources.
  
ASCD RESOURCES:

ASCD's PD In Focus platform gives you and your colleagues online access to ASCD's extensive library of videos demonstrating effective teaching practices. Each video clip is designed to be used with additional provided resources in group learning.
The premier collaborative, on-demand professional development system for professional learning communities, schools, districts, and states, PD In Focus has the features you need to integrate video into your PD, including
  • Hundreds of hours of classroom examples that bring successful teaching to life
  • Group discussion boards.
  • Search by topic, grade level, subject area, classroom type, pedagogy, and more.
  • Ability to suggest assignments and monitor learning activity.
Your free 14-day trial includes access to all channels and topics. Explore the potential of PD In Focus to create powerful, ongoing professional development that is differentiated to all kinds of users and groups. Learn more about PD In Focus and start your free trial today!

ASCD -- There's An App For That
The free ASCD application for iPad brings valuable professional development content to educators everywhere. The app enables you to read ASCD e-books and, if you're an ASCD member, access issues of our flagship publication, Educational Leadership. Members will also be able to access ASCD newsletters, including Education Update and Policy Priorities. Download the app. 

Browse EL, Our Blog, and Many Other Educator Resources on ASCD's Mobile Site
Whether you'd like to access an archived Educational Leadership article for today's faculty meeting or just want to read the latest education policy post in our Inservice blog, use ASCD's mobile site as your one-stop-shop for resources. Simply go to www.ascd.org on your mobile device to access the site and explore the wealth of resources we've opened to you. Visit our mobile site now  

Follow us on Twitter ASCD has five Twitter channels, each intended to connect you with different aspects of our work and the latest developments in our field. Stay current on education news, policy developments and general education discussion by following @ASCD our main channel. Don't forget to take advantage of additional opportunities to connect with ASCD experts in real time.  Engage ASCD blogger Laura Varias @ASCD_Inservice, join the Whold Child team for important updates @WholeChildAdv, get the latest ASCD resources from @ascdmember and follow the Educational Leadership team @Ed_Leadership.Connect with all five channels   
ASCD curates six boards that are home to pins on topics ranging from professional development to a whole child approach to education. 
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This electronic publication is sent to you every other Wednesday. This is a benefit brought to you as part of your membership in Illinois ASCD. We hope you will share with other educators. "Education Briefs is an electronic publication of Illinois ASCD and not a publication of ASCD and the views expressed or implied should not be construed as official positions of Illinois ASCD nor ASCD."

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Illinois ASCD