Social Norms Marketing or Social Norms Campaigns are techniques to decrease and prevent alcohol and drug use in students.  Social Norms Marketing is based on research that indicates youth hold exaggerated beliefs about the normal frequency and consumption habits of other students in regards to alcohol and drug use (i.e. "Everyone at this school smokes pot").  These misperceptions are almost always greater than the actual levels of use and have been shown to increase the likelihood that a student will engage in unhealthy behaviors.  Learn how to design a campaign.

Whole Child and All Children: Expanding the Common Core Standards Movement    

. . . States concerned with whole child development have been busy trying to expand school curriculum by developing standards for social and emotional learning. That's a good thing as long as schools adopt such standards with a full appreciation of the role the arts play and the many natural everyday opportunities at a school for promoting social and emotional development. But broadening the focus on healthy development is not enough.

Another crucial concern is the lack of a unified and comprehensive focus on addressing barriers to learning and teaching. It is true that the Common Core State Standards include a brief "application to students with disabilities." The standards are silent, however, about those students who, at some time or another, bring problems with them that affect their learning and perhaps interfere with the teacher's efforts to teach. In some geographic areas, many youngsters bring a wide range of problems, stemming from restricted opportunities associated with poverty and low income, difficult and diverse family circumstances, high rates of mobility, lack of English language skills, violent neighborhoods, problems related to substance abuse, inadequate health care, and lack of enrichment opportunities. Such problems are exacerbated as youngsters internalize the frustrations of confronting barriers and the debilitating effects of performing poorly at school.  Complete article.

from Liana Lowenstein's newsletter

Feelings Hangman 

This therapeutic technique helps the student identify and express their inner feelings.  It is recommended for children ages 6-12 years and is useful with individuals, groups and families. 

Learn how.

Special education research in the United States has acquired world-class status, looked to by other countries for answers to issues about policy and educational interventions (McKenna, 1992; National Academy of Education, 1991). Unlike medicine, education has no "magic bullets," no chemical cures that destroy microorganisms and eradicate problems. However, education does have documented instructional practices that enhance students' educational outcomes, just as there are health routines that enhance physical outcomes. Improvement in practice occurs when individuals alter their routines by infusing new knowledge into their current practice that better addresses students' needs or instructional goals for them. However, routines, whether instructional or health related, are difficult to change, even when the alternatives are associated with improved outcomes (Eisner, 1992).

Research findings in education, as in other fields (e.g., health), are embraced by some, ignored by others, and modified to suit the routines and preferences of still others. Increasingly, the question is being asked, Is the rate at which, and degree to which, research is being translated into practice in special education sufficient (Kauffman, 1993)? In an era in which the value of costly social services is being strongly questioned, especially social services that do not have obvious and immediate impacts, researchers must examine the degree to which their work adds value to the overall systemic effort to improve the quality of services to individuals with disabilities and their families. Without such examination, research endeavors are an especially vulnerable target for budgetary cuts.  Full text.

Should Schools Offer Social Media Etiquette Classes? 

While the practice of using social media in a positive way for education has merit, its heavy usage has also opened the gateway for a number of negatives including bullying, slandering, cheating, invasion of privacy, and a loss of proper grammar usage.

The popularity of sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest has spurred a debate regarding whether or not students should be taught proper social media etiquette in school.

"Without instruction from teachers (or, ideally, parents), children will get their primary guidance on these issues from their peers," A.M., a former teacher told VOXXI. "That makes the internet and social media into a nebulous moral grey area. Schools should put these already-covered ethical issues into the online context, because like it or not, our world is now inextricably connected."  More.

K-12 Aid Faces Uncertainty Despite Fiscal Cliff Agreement  

Education programs will be spared the prospect of the largest across-the-board cuts in history, but only temporarily, under a bill to avert much of the so-called "fiscal cliff," overwhelmingly approved by Congress on Tuesday.

The measure, which passed the U.S. Senate 89-8 early Tuesday morning and the U.S. House 257-167 Tuesday night, will delay the trigger cuts known as "sequestration," which have been set to hit just about every government agency-including the U.S. Department of Education-on Jan. 2. Under the deal, the cuts will be postponed until March, giving federal lawmakers time to craft a broader budget agreement. The deal was worked out at the 11th hour by Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the Senate minority leader. . .

The deal essentially sets up yet another major fiscal fight later on this year. Congress will need to come up with new legislation to cope with sequestration by March. That could involve a fresh round of domestic-spending cuts, which, in turn, could put education programs on the chopping block.  Complete article.  

Students Return to School in Newtown, CT 

Today is the first regular day of school at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. since last month's shootings. . .  The media and outsiders were kept far away while the parents and students acclimated to the new school early yesterday afternoon and returned this morning; the superintendent and local and state police held a press conference nearby yesterday. Some parents and children had already visited the school over the break.  Representatives from state and local police departments said that security at the school was tight, but declined to specify particular devices or plans.  Continue.

Poverty Less Damaging to Public Schools' Scores than Charters', Report Finds    

Poverty is strongly tied to schools' rankings in a new state [WI] report card system, but among low-income schools, traditional public schools have higher achievement scores than charter schools, according to an analysis from a new nonprofit.  The report by the Forward Institute, a nonpartisan, progressive public policy and educational research think tank formed in August, was released at a news conference Wednesday hosted by state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout (D-Alma).  It reinforces what many educators already know and have said in response to Wisconsin's new school report cards: Poverty matters. A lot. More.  Read full report.

NEA Learning & Leadership Grants 

NEA Learning & Leadership Grants support public school teachers, public education support professionals, and/or faculty and staff in public institutions of higher education for one of two purposes. Grants to individuals fund participation in high-quality professional development experiences such as summer institutes or action research; grants to groups fund collegial study, including study groups, action research, lesson study, or mentoring experiences for faculty or staff new to an assignment. Maximum award: $5,000. Eligibility: public school teachers grades K-12; public school education support professionals; or faculty and staff at public higher education institutions. Deadline: February 1, 2013.  Application.       

NEA Foundation-Nickelodean Big Help Grant