Magnet Schools of America

February Webinar Save-the-Date

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:30:00 -0500

Mark your calendarÂ forÂ MSA's next webinar on Sunday, February 12, 2012 from 3:00-4:30 p.m. (EST)Â Broadcasting live from MSA's annual National Legislative Training Conference, February 12-15, 2012, Washington, DC, sponsored by Magnet Schools of America and the National Institute for Magnet School Leadership.

Maree Sneed, Senior Partner, Hogan Lovells, LLP will discuss the legal ramifications of the DOE/DOJ guidance on promoting school diversity and reducing minority group isolation in local school districts.

Click here to register for the full conferenceÂ and here to see the program agenda.

To register for theÂ webinar visit:

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/417918322Â

NOW AVAILABLE...Building Partnerships Webinar January 30

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:00:00 -0500

During this webinar you will learn how magnet schools can reach out to the business community and the public sector to form sustainable partnerships for your school's theme-based programs.Â The presenters will discuss strategies that your school can develop to build these partnerships and how to overcome challenges along the way.

Presenters:

Sandra Cooper, Lead Teacher
Rampello Downtown Partnership School
Tampa, Florida

Medria Blue-Ellis, Principal
Engineering & Science University Interdistrict Magnet School
New Haven, Connecticut

AndrÃ©a M. Murrell, Diversity and Community Relations, Senior Specialist
The Williams Companies
Tulsa, Oklahoma

CLICK HERE for Webinar Presentation

DOE Accepting Applications for Teaching Ambassador Fellows

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:12:27 -0500

Applications for the ED's fifth cohort of Teaching Ambassador Fellows opened on January 21st and are scheduled to close on February 22nd, 2012. Click here to apply for a Washington, Classroom or Regional Fellowship.

Salk Middle School Celebrates âNational Magnet Schools Monthâ

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:30:00 -0500

Salk Middle School Celebrates "National Magnet Schools Month" with the 5th Annual Science Fair

January is "National Magnet Schools Month." Salk Middle School is one of many magnet schools across the United States that is celebrating learning by highlighting the success of students engaged in STEM curriculum. This year, Salk is celebrating the students and teachers who worked together to develop 253 science fair projects that were presented to judges during the week of January 9.

The Science Fair unit began in September, with students analyzing questions and identifying those that can be answered using the scientific method. Later, students evaluated the steps of the scientific method and applied them to real-world science projects. With teacher guidance and parent support, every seventh grade student and eighth grade magnet student created a scientific question, hypothesis, and procedure to safely perform an experiment. An emphasis was placed on controls, variables, and accurately measuring results. Students conducted the experiments at home, gathering data from multiple trials. Graphs, created in Excel, were used analyze data, identify patterns, and confirm or reject the original hypothesis. STEM students presented their findings through a formal paper and a display board to three different judges.

An award ceremony was hosted at Salk on January 12 for science fair participants and their families. Over 300 people were in attendance to celebrate the accomplishments of our students.

The results of the Science Fair are overwhelmingly positive. When asked to describe the most important idea learned in this unit, student feedback ranged from, "I learned that I need to write due dates in my planner" to "I learned that I need to conduct experiments in a location where I can control all of the variables". Michaela Martin, the first place trophy recipient, believes that the Science Fair experience taught her the importance of organization, attention to details, and patience. She says, "I couldn't count some of my results, because I knew I made mistakes. It took me a long time to measure everything perfectly, and I learned that you have to be really patient with yourself."

January is National Magnet Schools Month

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:50:00 -0500

January is National Magnet Schools Month and is the perfect time to celebrate diversity in our nation's classrooms and to highlight the success of your magnet schools, staff, and students.

MSA has created a magnet school month proclamation which recognizes the role magnet schools play in promoting diversity and school choice, teacher professional development, parental and community involvement, and serving as model turnaround schools.

As your district and magnet schools host special events and activities this month, please keep us informed by sending your pictures, press releases, news items and videos. That way canÂ include them in our upcoming newsletters and website postings.

CEF Releases ESEA Comparison Charts

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:51:34 -0500

The Committee for EducationÂ Funding released a chart that shows all the programs authorized in the ESEA bills released on Friday by House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN). The chart also shows which ESEA programs are repealed.Â For comparison view this second chart of the programs authorized by the ESEA bill reported from the Senate HELP Committee in October.

Department of Education Announces Race to the Top Evaluations

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:50:00 -0500

The Department of Education released first-year progress reports for the 12 states that secured Race to the Top (RTT) funding in 2010; those states include Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Tennessee.Â These state-specific reports summarize both the accomplishments made and the setbacks experienced by these states in moving forward with their comprehensive education reform plans.
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The reportsÂ can be foundÂ here: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/performance.html

Washington Post Article Explores Changing Role of Magnet Schools

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:51:47 -0500

The Washington Post published an article exploring the changing role of magnet schools in the Metropolitan DCÂ area and how many school districts now offer public theme-based schools to attract tens of thousands of students. To read the article click here.

Is ESEA Reauthorization Dead?

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:21:45 -0500

Miller: Partisanship means the end to NCLB reform in this Congress

Dec 16, 2011

Issues: Education, Elementary and Secondary Education, ESEA

WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement after committee Republicans confirmed that they are abandoning bipartisan talks to rewrite the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, known as âNo Child Left Behind' in the law's recent iteration. Miller has been working in a bipartisan manner since 2007 to rewrite the law so that it works better for our nation's students and families.

"I have communicated to Chairman Kline my disappointment that he has chosen to go the partisan route. Partisanship means the end to NCLB reform in this Congress. Bipartisanship is the only successful way forward. The Senate has moved a bipartisan bill out of committee. The House could do the same if it had the political will to do so. Our nation's children deserve a real process for achieving consensus, not partisan political games."
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Nine States Receive Early Learning Challenge Grants

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:56:47 -0500

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 16, 2011
Â
We Can't Wait: Nine States Awarded Race To The Top-Early Learning Challenge Grants
Awards Will Help Build Statewide Systems of High Quality Early Education Programs
Today, the White House announced that nine states - California, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island and Washington - will receive grant awards from the $500 million Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge fund, a competitive grant program jointly administered by the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services.Â

President Obama asked Congress in his budget to authorize and make permanent an Early Learning Challenge Fund in previous years. Unfortunately, Congress did not act on that proposal, so the Administration took action to ensure this program was funded this year through Race to the Top, because our kids only get one shot at a top-notch education and they cannot afford to wait.

"Education must be our national mission," said President Barack Obama. "All of us must work to give all our children the best education possible.Â And today, we're acting to strengthen early childhood education to better prepare our youngest children for success in school and in life"

Domestic Policy Council Director Melody Barnes, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius made the announcement of state grantees this morning at a White House event with over 100 early learning and development experts, educators, policymakers, and researchers.

"In a matter of months, early education and child development experts throughout the country, together with state and local leaders, worked to build comprehensive plans for expanding access to high-quality early learning," said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. "All applicants showed tremendous dedication and drive to build stronger foundations and create greater opportunities for more children. Their work will help lead the way in ensuring excellent early learning and support for every child."

"A strong educational system is critical not just for our children but also for our nation's economic future," said U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius. "The Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge takes a holistic approach to early education, promotes innovation, and focuses on what it takes to help put young children on the path of learning, opportunity, and success."

Through the competition, 35 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico have created plans to increase access to high-quality programs for children from low-income families, providing more children from birth to age 5 with a strong foundation they need for success in school and beyond.Â The number and list of winners was determined both by the quality of the applications and the funds available.

The Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge will support the work of the nine state grantees to develop new approaches to raising the bar across early learning centers and to close the school readiness gap. Awards will invest in grantees' work to build statewide systems of high-quality early learning and development programs. These investments will impact all early learning programs, including Head Start, public pre-K, childcare, and private preschools. Key reforms will include: aligning and raising standards for existing early learning and development programs; improving training and support for the early learning workforce through evidence-based practices; and building robust evaluation systems that promote effective practices and programs to help parents make informed decisions.

The Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge is a key part of the Obama Administration's comprehensive early learning agenda. Alongside improvements in childcare and strengthening of the Head Start program, the agenda aims to guide all children down a path of success in kindergarten and beyond.

Race to the Top, an education reform initiative announced by President Obama in 2009, has been a catalyst for advancing state-led efforts to improve education. In rounds one and two, eleven states - Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennessee - and D.C. secured grants to invest in K-12 reform plans that raise academic standards, improve teacher and principal quality, build cradle to career data systems and turnaround persistently low-performing schools.

The fiscal year 2011 budget provided an additional $700 million to invest in early learning and elementary and post secondary education reform. In addition to the $500 million awarded today to Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge grantees, seven states - Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania - have applied for a share of the $200 million to invest in K-12 education reform. Awards will be announced later this month.

State data relevant to the Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge along with peer reviewers' scores and comments will be posted online later today. Grant awards will range from around $50 million up to $100 million, depending on State population and proposed plans. Budgets will be finalized after discussions between the grantees and the Departments, and states will draw down funds in accordance with their plans.

To learn more about the Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge, visit http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop-earlylearningchallenge.