Education News in Alabama

November 28, 2006 (archive)

By Sallie Owen

LISTEN TO STUDENTS

When the Annenberg Institute for School Reform wanted an expert on the role of students in K-12 school improvement, it turned to Jeremiah Newell of Mobile. Newell, a junior at the University of South Alabama, is director of student engagement for the Mobile Area Education Foundation.

"Student engagement is a relatively new piece of the puzzle for education reformers. But, when students are asked their viewpoint, powerful answers follow," Newell wrote. His article, "Placing Students at the Center of Education Reform," is featured in the fall issue of the Voices in Urban Education journal.

The 44-page publication examines community engagement from the standpoint of parents, school boards, mayors and students. Parts of the issue are available online at http://snipurl.com/13g11, and hard copies may be purchased.

The journal defines community engagement as "active mobilization of organized groups around the common goal of improving education." Its presence or absence can make or break progress, experts say.

Community engagement builds support for public schools in general, builds support for improving public schools, helps stabilize systems during leadership changes and can even create demand for excellent schools. The Mobile Area Education Foundation has harnessed this better than any large community organization in Alabama. To learn more, please visit http://www.maef.net.

RESEARCH FINDINGS:
U.S. CHILDREN STARVED FOR BASIC SUPPORTS

More than two-thirds of America's children are growing up without key resources needed for success, according to national research commissioned by America's Promise Alliance.

The alliance is a network of business and education groups founded by retired U.S. Army Gen. Colin L. Powell.

The five key resources are caring adults, safe places, healthy starts, effective education and opportunities to help others. The alliance says that the presence of these resources, which it calls "promises," correlates with success in the classroom and other areas of life. Research also showed that the presence of at least four of these key resources can potentially level the playing field for low-income and minority children.

The nation's security and economic future depend on correcting the deficits exposed by the research, the alliance says.

"The research paves the way for the actions we must take to improve the lives and strengthen the future of America's youth," said Marguerite Kondracke, chief executive officer and president of the America's Promise Alliance. "All sectors of society and our communities must come together in an integrated and collaborative manner to help our children succeed."

The full report is available from http://snipurl.com/13jsq.

EXAMPLES OF EXCELLENCE

• The George Lucas Educational Foundation (www.edutopia.org) filmed students at the Auburn Early Education Center for an upcoming documentary about project-based learning and technology. The center, which teaches all kindergarteners in the Auburn city system, uses projects such as a mock cruise to Africa to engage students. Along the way, children learn problem solving, abstract thinking, reading, math and writing. To learn more, check out this story from the Opelika-Auburn News http://snipurl.com/13fbw
• Jennifer Himburg, a 2004 graduate of Ariton School in Dale County, has been named a national officer in FFA. Himburg, an Auburn University student, will serve as Southern Region Vice President during the 2006-07 school year.

STATE PARTNERS WITH OSHA

Alabama has become the fifth state in the nation to partner with the federal government to offer Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) safety courses to high school students. The announcement signifies another way that career tech leaders are making sure Alabama students are competitive in the workplace. (see http://snipurl.com/1132s, BCA Praises State's Career/tech programs)

Career/tech students will be able to earn the 10-hour OSHA safety credential, which is widely required to work in construction or manufacturing. Employers usually provide this training to employees.

"Employers in Alabama now have additional proof that our state's students are fully prepared to enter America's highly competitive workforce, said Sherry Key, state director of Career/Technical Education.

These courses are possible through an alliance of the American Society of Safety Engineers, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the University of Alabama and the Alabama State Department of Education.

So far 12 school systems around the state have teachers who are qualified to teach the safety courses. Alliance members are working on plans to train additional teachers, and officials said students across the spectrum of career/tech fields can benefit from becoming more safety conscious.

BIRMINGHAM NEWS NOTICES ENGINEERING PROGRAM

A Nov. 27 Birmingham News article (http://snipurl.com/13f7w) explored the Alabama State Department of Education's Engineering Academy Initiative. State officials want to develop a pilot engineering program for high schools, and they are pulling together the state's college engineering programs and high schools that already have various engineering classes or programs.

Engineering academies would be designed to expand course offerings for high-achieving students and to better equip students for college-level math and science.

The initiative was mentioned in the Nov. 14 issue of Education News in Alabama.

ALABAMA BEST PRACTICES CENTER UPDATE

To learn what instructional methods top educators in Alabama are using to integrate technology in their classrooms and teach high-level thinking skills, check out the latest edition of "21st Century Learning E-News" here http://snipurl.com/13jwz.

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The A+ Education Foundation, based in Montgomery, publishes Education News in Alabama twice a month. A+ is a nonprofit organization that advances policies, programs and initiatives in Alabama's K-12 education system that result in high achievement by every child.

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