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From all the folks here at the NELMS office we want to wish all of you Happy Holidays and all the best for the New Year! Without you, NELMS would not have a bright outlook for the New Year!
We very much appreciate all who give of there time to Committees, Boards, and to help us with a variety of activities.
We are also appreciative of all the folks who have contributed to our Legacy Drive.
Enjoy the well deserved time away!
Your “To Do” List Needs NELMS Additions!!!
- Vote if you are in a NELMS region that is having an election
- Afraid your budget will be frozen? Call us now to park your money with NELMS and use it later for any NELMS Activity. This is a great way to be sure that money is available for Annual Conference registrations.
- Register for the Administrators - Leading Learning Conference January 16 & 17, 2008–Sturbridge, MA. This event is designed just for middle level leaders. We see a BIG benefit for middle level leaders who learn and share together. Please join us for this exciting extended learning opportunity for principals, assistant principals, aspiring administrators, central office leaders, aspiring leaders and team leaders. Middle Level Leadership
- You said you wanted…
- Relevant Topics
- Great Ideas
- Professional and personal renewal
- Pathways that can make a difference
- Results driven practices
- Topics Include:
- Keynote - Courageous, Collaborative Leadership - Patti Kinney
- It’s the "Principal" of the Thing - Patricia Clem
- Follow the Research to Quality Middle Schools - Robert Spear
- Providing Leadership to Interdisciplinary Teams - Lyn Ward Healy
- Student-Led Conferencing - Patti Kinney
- Team Assessments; Helping all understand What Effective Teams Do - Bob Spear
- Organizing Time in the Middle (Scheduling) - Susan Dumas
- Open Space Learning: Getting Your Needs Addressed - Pat Clem
- Sessions Creating a Culture of Literacy - Patti Kinney
- Looking at Student Work as a Team Activity - Sue Dumas
- Advisor/Advisee: Getting It Right! - Pat Clem
- Middle Level Advocacy: No Longer an Option - Patti Kinney
- Advancing Student Learning Through Coaching for Differentiation - Rose Colby
- BRIM - Learn More About it!! - Gerry Quatrale
- Ability Grouping Panel Discussion - Bob Spear, Sue Dumas, Patti Kinney, Gerry Quatrale
Leave renewed and refreshed! For more information click here!
- Register for our 2nd Annual Effective Coaching for Literacy Leaders Conference on January 16 & 17, 2008 at the Sturbridge Host Hotel in Sturbridge, MA. This event is perfect for those that work with teachers on literacy issues and for those that want to provide more effective coaching for teachers.
Learn from the facilitator, learn from each other, and learn to increase the likelihood of making a big difference in student’s literacy learning. We will identify effective literacy learning and then share your success, failures, and frustrations in trying to make this happen! We will learn about the skills of facilitation, group process, setting priorities, helping others listen, helping others change, and ways to get the key strategies implemented in their classrooms.
If you want to get better at what you do; if you want effective, practical, classroom-tested learning for two days then this event is designed for you! Click here for more information. (graduate credits available, register early, limited space)
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Get ready for the NELMS Annual Conference
The 27th Annual Conference will be held on March 30th, 31st and April 1st, 2008 at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, RI. Information for the upcoming 27th Annual Conference is now available on our web page. On this web page you will find: Conference Strands Descriptions, Ticketed Session Descriptions, Registration Information, Registration Form, Housing Information and Directions, and an Annual Conference Brochure to download.
Registration forms are now interactive! You can fill out the form online! Registration form and more information are available here!
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Educator Predictions from ASCD Smart Brief Survey
We thought you might find these interesting:
- Have you taken steps to become a school leader?
- Yes, I’m a principal or other administrator -- 57%
- Yes, I’m a veteran teacher leader -- 30%
- Yes, but I’m only starting to explore teacher leadership -- 10%
- Not yet -- 3%
- I need more information on the following topic:
- Classroom management and discipline -- 30%
- Assessment and grading -- 28%
- Curriculum -- 15%
- School leadership -- 17%
- Technology solutions -- 10%
- How has your school changed as a result of NCLB?
- We’ve completely revamped our curriculum -- 25%
- We’ve made many changes, although some basics remain the same -- 46%
- We’ve changed only a little; most of our curriculum is the same -- 25%
- I’m not sure -- 4%
- What national trend do you find most worrisome?
- School violence -- 29%
- High-school dropout rate -- 28%
- Resegregation of schools or other racial issues -- 18%
- Childhood obesity -- 14%
- Other -- 11%
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NELMS 2007-2008 Awards
NELMS is seeking to recognize individuals or groups for the following two awards; Parent & Community Award and the Technology Award. The application deadline is January 4, 2008. Full criteria, applications and processes are available on www.nelms.org. For more information, contact Nancy Barry at (978) 887-6263.
The following people have receive awards from their colleagues and from NELMS. Please join us in acknowledging there contribution to our terrific profession.
- A+dministator’s Award
- John Faucher, Principal Georgetown Middle School
- Thomas McNulty, West Springfield Middle School
- Master in the Middle Award
- Jean Jacobs, The Whitefield School
- Lyn Washington, Bedford Middle School
- Stephanie Boosahda, Keith Middle School
- Promising Practitioner Award
- Mary Sorice, St. Philip School
- Susan Mathison, Tantasqua regional JHS
- Caroline Carr, The Whitefield School
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No Child Left Inside
U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) and many education and environmental organizations have called on Congress to pass the No Child left Inside Act, a new initiative aimed at strengthening environmental education programs. The act would authorize $500 million over five years in federal funding for states to train teachers in the environmental education field, support outdoor education programs for children and develop model environmental curricula. The goal is to improve the teaching of children about the environment and the challenges it faces. An added bonus is getting children out of the classroom and experiencing and learning in their natural world. (CAS Bulletin, November 2007)
Presidential Candidate Champions Middle Level Reform
Middle schools are garnering national attention and could become a key issue in 2008 presidential election now that Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) has introduced the Success in the Middle Act (S. 2227). The legislation is nearly identical to a bill (H.R. 3406) introduced by Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) in September.
“For far too long, our education system has overlooked our nation’s middle schools and failed to provide them the resources they need for our kids to succeed,” Obama said. “The middle school experience is vital to success in high school and college, and the lack of attention to middle school on a federal level is reflected in the rising high school dropout rate..... We need to do more to invest in these schools, and this legislation will invest in a new generation of leaders by strengthening our middle schools, teachers, and students. If our country wants to remain competitive in math and science on a global level, we must break down any barriers that are preventing our kids from getting the world class education they deserve.”
NASSP joined forces earlier this year with the National Middle School Association, the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform, and a number of education associations to form the Middle Grade Coalition on NCLB. The coalition promoted joint recommendations for NCLB reauthorization and drafted the success in the Middle Act, which reflects NASSP Policy Recommendations for Middle Level Reform. Specifically, the bill would:
- Authorize $1 billion for formula grants to states to help local school districts improve low-performing schools that contain middle grades
- Require states receiving a grant to implement a statewide plan for improving student achievement in middle grades
- Ensure that statewide plans describe what students are required to know to successfully complete the middle grades and make the transition to succeed in an academically rigorous high school that prepares students for postsecondary education and the workplace
- Require states and districts to develop an early-identification data system to identify those students most at risk of dropping out and to help school districts provide proven interventions to help all middle level students succeed
- Ensure that states and districts invest in proven intervention strategies such as 1) providing professional development and coaching to enable school leaders, teachers, and other school personnel address the needs of diverse learners and use challenging and relevant research-based best practices and curriculum; 2) developing and implementing comprehensive, schoolwide improvement efforts in our nation’s lowest-performing schools; and 3) implementing student supports, such as extended learning time, personal academic plans, and intensive reading and math instruction that enable all students to stay on the path to graduation
- Authorize an additional $100 million for research to identify and implement effective practices that lead to student learning and success in the middle level
“Students in grades 5 through 8 represent 57% (14 million) of the nation’s annual test takers under the No Child Left Behind Act, but middle schools are not receiving adequate federal funding and support to help these students succeed,” said NASSP Executive Director Gerald N. Tirozzi. “The Success in the Middle Act would provide the support necessary to turn around our nation’s lowest performing middle schools and give our struggling students the help they need to achieve in high school, college, and beyond.”
Patty Kinney, the recently appointed principal of the NASSP National Center for Middle Level Leadership said, “It is very exciting and gratifying to see that Congress is finally beginning to realize the importance of middle level education. Without programs and support directed specifically toward this level, our nation will be unable to meet the provisions of No Child Left Behind and provide all young adolescents with a challenging, engaging education that prepares them for a successful future.”
The House and Senate sponsors of the Success in the Middle Act are working diligently to incorporate the bill into NCLB, but reauthorization will likely be postponed until spring 2008 at the earliest. NL (NewsLeader, December 2007)
Action Alert
As a school leader, you are in prime position to educate your members of Congress about the need of middle level schools and their students. Please visit the Principal’s Legislative Action Center (www.principals.org/plac), and urge your senators to cosponsor the Success in the Middle Act.
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