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Happy Holidays from McREL
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| We would like to extend our gratitude to you for an exciting and transformative year serving educators across the globe in 2014. We wish you a holiday season filled with joy, peace, and prosperity, and look forward to a bright future in 2015. |
Fusing Career, Academic Skills Benefits Students, Study Finds
Education Week
Fifth-year results from California's Linked Learning initiative, which blends real-world career preparation with rigorous academic experiences for high school students, are highlighted in a post on Education Week's blog, Curriculum Matters. A recent report shows that students in the program were significantly more likely to remain in their school districts and accumulate more high school credits than their peers who were not in the program.
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Arts Education Matters: We Know, We Measured It
Education Week
Using a random-assignment research model to identify and measure the effects of exposure to the arts and cultural experiences on students, researchers found that art experiences enhance observation and critical thinking skills, increase empathy and tolerance, and boost students' knowledge about the arts.
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College-and-Career Readiness: States Have Made Progress in Implementing New Standards and Assessments, but Challenges Remain
U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)
The latest college- and career-readiness report (GAO-15-104R) from the U.S. GAO outlines the challenges states are facing in meeting Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) amended requirements related to standards and assessments. Among the findings, the report indicates that states are creating new professional development, curricula, instructional materials, and communications strategies, but are still struggling with technology challenges as well as the short time frame given to accomplish implementation, which raises concerns about an initial decline in assessment scores due to content changes.
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2014 Native Youth Report
Executive Office of the President of the United States
The White House released a report on December 3 during the Tribal Nations Conference, where the President, Cabinet members, and the White House Council on Native American Affairs met with leaders of the 566 federally recognized nations to launch Generation Indigenous, a Native youth initiative that aims to reduce barriers between Native youth and opportunities to succeed. Among many challenges outlined in the report, it describes educational disparities between Native youth and their non-Native peers, challenges in retaining highly effective teachers, and a lack of Native languages and cultural customs within schools. Included in the report are specific recommendations for changes that address those disparities and support Tribal control of education for Native youth, as well as the integration of Native languages and culture into the school and classroom climate. Read the White House Fact Sheet about the conference here.
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Upcoming conference presentations
McREL will present sessions or have an exhibit booth at the following national, regional, and statewide conferences in January and February 2015:
Virginia Title III Statewide Consortium Conference in Blacksburg, Virginia, on January 21-22. McREL's Jane Hill will deliver a keynote address titled "Academic Talk" and facilitate a breakout session on "Classroom Instruction That Works with English Language Learners."
Texas Association of School Administrators' Mid-Winter Conference, being held January 25-28 in Austin. Visit us in booth #847.
2015 National Title I Conference, being held February 5-8 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Visit us in booth #1353.
Midwest Education Technology Community's (METC) Motivate, Engage, Transform, Connect Conference, being held February 9-11 in St. Charles, Missouri. McREL's Cheryl Abla will deliver a session titled "Social Media in the Elementary Classroom."
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New on the McREL blog
In a new blog post, our executive director of digital solutions, Dr. Howard Pitler, highlights a middle school teacher's successful integration of technology tools into classroom instruction through project-based learning, which enhanced students' experiences of learning, creating, and producing.
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McREL's Summer of Learning 2015
Our 2015 summer professional development sessions, held at our headquarters in Denver, Colorado, include workshops and institutes that combine insightful research with best practices for educators at all levels to help improve students' odds of success. Discounts are available for early registration and groups of five or more.
The 12 Touchstones of Good Teaching
June 22-23, 2015
Learn more and register here.
Institute: Balanced Leadership for District-Level Leaders
June 24-26, 2015
Learn more and register here.
Classroom Instruction That Works
July 13-15, 2015
Learn more and register here.
Facilitator training: Classroom Instruction That Works
July 13-17, 2015
Learn more and register here.
Institute: Balanced Leadership for School-Level Leaders
July 20-25, 2015
Learn more and register here.
Classroom Instruction That Works with English Language Learners
July 27-28, 2015
Learn more and register here.
Using Technology with Classroom Instruction That Works
July 29-30, 2015
Learn more and register here.
Helping All Students Achieve with a Multi-Tiered System of Supports
July 29-30, 2015
Learn more and register here.
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Nineteen school educators in Micronesia complete McREL's Balanced Leadership� Certification Program
 In a feature photo on the front page of the December 15 Marianas Variety newspaper, which serves Micronesia, Dr. Mel Sussman of McREL is pictured with 19 school educators from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands' Public School System (PSS), Commissioner of Education Rita A. Sablan, and other education officials after completing a three-day Balanced Leadership Certification Program.
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McREL evaluator featured on Transformative Change Initiative blog series
Managing evaluator Dr. Tara Donahue was featured in a recent blog post as part of the Transformative Change Initiative blog series produced by the Office of Community College Research and Leadership, College of Education, at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Donahue offers advice for Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grant evaluators on communication strategies for project staff and stakeholders.
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Changing Schools: Coaching that makes a difference
Our latest issue of Changing Schools magazine offers multiple perspectives on coaching and ways to develop the next generation of great teachers and school leaders.
Do STEM schools make a difference?
In the latest "Research Says" column in ASCD's Educational Leadership magazine, McREL's Bryan Goodwin and Heather Hein look at the research on the effectiveness of STEM schools, which shows mixed results on whether they actually improve student achievement in STEM. The authors suggest, however, that the way students are taught STEM may matter more than mere participation in STEM classes or academies in raising student interest in STEM. Other research has shown that students who pursue STEM in college are more likely to have received instruction based on rich research experiences and real-world applications--which remains the exception rather than the rule in U.S. schools.
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McREL is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization whose mission is to improve education through applied research, development, and service to teachers and leaders at schools, districts, networks and agencies, and higher education institutions.
Having the right people at McREL is important to our mission. Our employees are passionate about the work they do, not only because they are helping enhance lives, but also because they are surrounded by diverse, enthusiastic, and innovative thinkers.
We are seeking qualified candidates for the following roles:
Executive Director of Research, Evaluation, and Expertise
Director of Client Solutions--Pacific Region
Follow our @McRELJobs Twitter feed and never miss an opportunity to join our staff.
Learn more about our work culture and employment listings at our Careers at McREL site.
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For the latest in professional development opportunities, education news, research, and McREL employment opportunities, follow us on our social media channels.
  
  
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