News from 2007
A staff member at The Education Alliance describes his ongoing work in New Orleans >> The Alliance's staff member, Program Planning Specialist Gregg Sinner, has written an article on his current work with The New Orleans Center for Creative Arts located in New Orleans. (posted: December 14, 2007)
Project BRITE is underway >> A kickoff training session for Project BRITE (Brown's Response to Improving Teacher Education) was held on November 26 at The Education Alliance. (posted: December 14, 2007)
The 2007–2008 school year brings an expanded Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) work scope to The Education Alliance Seven program evaluations are underway including projects with local, regional and national scope. These projects include collaborations with the Rhode Island Department of Education, Michigan State University, Hezel Associates, Education Development Center, and several departments within Brown University including, Biology, Medicine, Physics, Chemistry, and Engineering. Four of these STEM programs have a local focus where the Alliance is examining how professional development and outreach programs are improving student learning in math and science as well as student interest in STEM careers within Rhode Island public schools. (posted: October 1, 2007)
The New England Equity Assistance Center (NEEAC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Sharon Lloyd Clark as its new director >> Having previously held the position of executive director of high schools with the Providence Public Schools, Ms. Lloyd Clark replaces Dr. Maria Pacheco, who is currently directing a newly funded 5-year program. Ms. Lloyd Clark has extensive experience and expertise in working with schools around issues of equity and diversity. She has a national reputation for her considerable impact on high school reform issues, especially with urban, low-performing schools. Please join us in welcoming Ms. Lloyd Clark in continuing the NEEAC's mission of promoting equitable practices in K–12 public education programs. (posted: October 1, 2007)
The Education Alliance's New York State English language learner curriculum audits have been scheduled to include more districts for the 2007–08 school year >> The Alliance is partnered with Learning Point Associates to conduct ELL curriculum audits in five New York City school districts as well as school districts in Utica, Poughkeepsie, Newburgh and Mt. Vernon. (posted: October 1, 2007)
Collaborative Alliance Network conversation held >> The second in the Collaborative Alliance Network (CAN) conversation series, entitled "Increasing Diversity Within the Education Profession" took place on September 28 at the Kimmel Center for University Life at NYU. The conversation series is sponsored by The Education Alliance and the Wayland Collegium at Brown University and the Metro Center at NYU. The keynote talk "Confronting the Inevitable: How Schools Can Respond to and Embrace the Challenges Posed by Growing Diversity" was given by Dr. Pedro Noguera. (posted: October 1, 2007)
The Adolescent Literacy Collaboratory launches its fifth year with an orientation institute >> The orientation institute was held in Gilford, New Hampshire on September 28, September 29, October 5, and October 6. The Collaboratory is a year-long, job-embedded professional development program designed to help science, math, social studies, and English teachers improve their students' content-area reading skills and engagement. With the support of online coaches, resources from The Knowledge Loom website, and peer collaborators, these teachers experiment with new instructional strategies, develop literacy-rich lessons, and serve as a literacy leadership team for each participating school, sharing their learning with other faculty members during and after the program. Teaching teams from middle schools and high schools in New Hampshire and Maine are participating. This year The Education Alliance has received funding from the Carnegie Corporation of New York to evaluate the impact of the program on student reading achievement, using the Northwest Evaluation Association's Measures of Academic Progress reading assessment. (posted: October 1, 2007)
The Education Alliance receives four new awards from the US Department of Education >> The awards total 5.5 million dollars in funds and cover a 5-year period. The funds will be used to assist school districts throughout Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts in addressing the needs of their increasingly diverse student populations through a variety of initiatives. (posted: August 1, 2007)
The Education Alliance at Brown University and Brown University's Urban Education Policy Program co-sponsor a national symposium on district improvement >> The symposium entitled "Designing and Catalyzing Effective District Improvement: The Role of State Education Agencies" was held in Newport, Rhode Island on July 30 through August 1, 2007. (posted: August 1, 2007)
The Education Alliance holds a conversation on diversifying the teaching force >> As the lead institution for the new Collaborative Alliance Network (CAN), the Alliance held the first in a series of conversations focused on diversifying the teaching force on June 28, 2007. The topic of this conversation was "Defining Diversity in Education" and included a presentation by Dr. Charles Willie, professor emeritus at Harvard University. The presentation was followed by roundtable discussions exploring this issue and its impact on K–12 schooling and teacher preparation programs. Specific regional implications and recommendations for next action steps were also addressed. (posted: July 1, 2007)
Alliance staff complete English language learner education audits The Education Alliance has completed a 6-month process of auditing English language learner (ELL) education in nine school districts in New York City which were placed in corrective action due to poor student performance on achievement tests. The audits combined information from interviews with administrators, teachers, parents and community members with classroom observations to assess what ELL students are being taught and how. (posted: May 14, 2007)
NEEAC's assistant director speaks at Northern New England TESOL Spring Conference On May 5, 2007, Maria Wilson-Portuondo, assistant director of the New England Equity Assistance Center (NEEAC), a program of The Education Alliance, gave the keynote address and shared some of her experiences at the Northern New England TESOL Spring Conference in Wells, Maine. (posted: May 14, 2007)
The Education Alliance supports school districts preparing proposals for Teaching American History Grant program The Alliance's Research and Evaluation Division (R&E) provided evaluation support and planning for school districts preparing proposals for the Teaching American History Grant program. (posted: May 14, 2007)
NEEAC hosts one-day symposium On February 12, 2007, The New England Equity Assistance Center (NEEAC) hosted a one-day symposium, "Girls from Immigrant Families: Enhancing Opportunities, Challenging Assumptions" at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Worcester, Massachusetts. A panel discussion, interactive keynote, and breakout sessions explored key issues affecting girls from immigrant families. (posted: May 14, 2007)
The 19th Annual Northeast Superintendents Leadership Institute held in Newport The 19th Annual Northeast Superintendents Leadership Institute took place in Newport, Rhode Island on May 2–4, 2007. Among the Institute presenters were: Dr. Ronald Ferguson, Director of the Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard University; Dr. Sonia Nieto, author of "Why We Teach"; Ray McNulty, Executive Director of the Successful Practices Network at the International Center for Leadership in Education; and Lyonel B. Tracy, New Hampshire Commissioner of Education. Other presenters addressed equitable school improvement practices, student assessment, teacher quality, and program evaluation. (posted: May 14, 2007)
Alliance staff provides training on Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol The Education Alliance's staff recently provided training on the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) to Boston College data collectors. The data collectors are being trained to conduct observations of elementary and middle school mathematics lessons as part of a national initiative to strengthen teacher education entitled, Teachers for a New Era (TNE), funded by the Carnegie Corporation. Alliance staff members prepared the training in consultation with Boston College faculty to customize it to the research study's needs. The training consists of orientation and background information on reformed teaching in mathematics, video lessons, consultative RTOP coding, and review of sample data and ratings. (posted: May 14, 2007)
