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The EdGate Observer

 

CONNECTING PUBLISHERS AND

EDUCATORS TO WHAT WORKS

 

October 2013


News_Line

In This Issue
Top Stories
Client Solution
Common Core Update
Top Stories
News_Line

Six States to Get Common-Core Implementation Support

Arizona, California, New Hampshire, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming will join the "Improving Student Learning at Scale Collaborative." The National Conference of State Legislatures and the State Higher Education Executive Officers group joined in making the announcement-all four groups will provide a grant to the states as part of the project, and their staff will provide technical assistance as well.

 

Assessment Consortia: Who's In And Who's Out?

For a long time now, EdWeek has been running a map of consortium membership. To date, a few states dropped out of the consortia. A few more are undecided about their testing plans, but still belong to the consortia. One (Pennsylvania) still belongs to both PARCC and Smarter Balanced, but has announced that it has no intention of using either group's tests. The EdWeek's assessment consortium map has been updated with the latest clarifications.


Most Popular MOOCs in China? Think Modeling, Math, and Finance

Coursera, one of the better-known providers of massive, open, online courses, or MOOCs, recently announced a partnership with a Chinese company, NetEase, to speed up the access that students in the Asian country have to its Web-based videos. So which of Coursera's classes are proving most popular in the country of 1.3 billion? The following list offers some insights on where the demand for online materials is now, and where demand for education overall may be headed:

 

1. Model Thinking

2. Introduction to Finance

3. Machine Learning

4. Algorithims, Design and Analysis

5. Algorithims, Part 1

6. Game Theory

7. Probabilistic Graphical Models

8. Introduction to Interactive Programming

9. Think Again (How to Reason and Argue)

10. Introduction to Logic

  

 Who Is an 'English-Language Learner'?

If a U.S. student learning English were to drive across the country, he would find that in some states he would be classified an "English-language learner," eligible to receive extra support. In other states, the same student would not qualify for the special help. The label matters, because under the federal Civil Rights Act, schools are required to provide English-language learners with additional services to ensure they master English as well as the material other students are learning. Now that nearly all the states have agreed to adopt common standards, some states are striving for a common definition of an English-language learner.


 About Us

 

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Founded in 1997, EdGate Correlation Services (EdGate) is a leader in the field of alignment solutions for educational companies around the world. 

  

The EdGate Standards Repository is the most comprehensive collection of national and international educational standards in all subject areas.

 

Through the power of our technology and the professional experience of our subject-area specialists, EdGate provides  accurate and continually updated correlations, on-demand correlation reporting capabilities, and effective website integration options.

 

EdGate can also deliver standards licensing, customized taxonomy solutions, correlation to assessment standards, and more.

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Welcome to The EdGate Observer!

 

Greetings everyone,

 

In this month's newsletter, we focus on the most recent education news pertaining to The Confusion and Reality of Common Core (Common Core Update), EdGate's ExACT Alignment Tool (Client Solution), Creation and Management of Metadata (EdGate Services) and following up with new additions to the EdGate Standards Repository (Standards Update).

 

As always, EdGate is your source for staying current with new developments in education and the impact of educational standards.   

 

Regards,

Sandra Schugren, EdGate General Manager

 

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EXACT ALIGNMENT TOOL

 

If your company is considering an alignment solution to be used by in-house personnel for aligning resources to state standards, taxonomies, textbooks, or other frameworks, look no further than the ExACT Alignment Tool.

 

This user-friendly tool is ideal for aligning resources to state standards using EdGate's Curricular Concepts. It can also be used to align resources to taxonomies, textbooks, or other frameworks. For alignments to state standards the advantage of using this tool is that once your team applies the curricular concepts, the resources are aligned to all state standards that have had the same concept applied. Moreover, when states adopt new standards, there is no need to re-align the content as the concepts applied will carry through to the new standards.

 

ExACT allows you to immediately preview the alignments for the resources in each state. Once aligned, those resources can be displayed in alignment reports or provided via other delivery options. Ideguchi_Kathleen

 

If you would like more information about the ExACT Alignment Tool, contact your Project Manager or one of EdGate's Sales Representatives.

 

Project Manager

Common Core Update  

 

THE CONFUSION AND REALITY OF COMMON CORE

 

The confusion and debate surrounding Common Core has prompted several companies to conduct surveys in order to learn more about the general public's understanding and opinions of this initiative.

 

While the results show a general split on political views of the initiative, it was also determined that about 1/3rd of Americans with children have never heard of the Common Core and those who had had limited knowledge about the standards.

 

As the Nationwide debate continues over political views, so does the confusion for publishers, teachers, and parents. Out of the 48 states who have adopted the Common Core, some have chosen to implement in phases by subject and grade range, while others have yet to implement at all. Projections for full implementation are for the 2014-2015 school year when new assessments will be available.

 

Additionally states who initially opted for adoption in a chance to enter and win Race to the Top funds are now struggling to find a way to pay for the implementation. States who did not receive funds also do not have a budget to cover the cost for making the change. In some cases states are beginning to push back, looking for a resolution to reject the implementation due to the financial implications on their budget.

 

For more details about the surveys, please visit any of the following sites. For more information on the status of Common Core adoption and implementation, please visit our website at EdGate Correlation Services.

 

Resources:

Common Core Education in Muddy Waters

 

PDK/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools

 

Survey shows parent, educator support of Common Core

 

Common Core FAQ's

 

Common Core Myths vs. Facts

 

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EDGATE CREATES AND MANAGES METADATA FOR CLIENTS

 

The term metadata refers to "data about data." Metadata is used to describe specific information about content which provides the reader a quick snapshot of what the resource contains and how applicable it is for the end user.

 

By adding metadata to an educational resource (i.e., lesson, activity, video) the contents or context of the resource becomes more meaningful for the educator/reader. Examples of metadata may include grades, subjects, unique id, and more, all which help narrow or filter the results for an end user performing searches on a platform or LMS (Learning Management System).

 

Clients may also look to EdGate for creating additional metadata associated with their content. Descriptions, taxonomies, and film/video segments are some examples of attributes created to help an end user understand content.

 

If your content needs metadata which helps better describe your resources and provides a reader a way to narrow or filter their search results specific for their needs, please let our experts help. Our team brings with it years of experience working with content of all types and we have insight to what educators are looking for to make their experience more useful and efficient when searching your platform or LMS.

 

For more information, please contact Leslie Kolber lkolber@edgate.com or Tracy Olstad tolstad@edgate.com.

 

  Leslie_Kolber The "EdGate Advantage is   Tracy_Olstad

YOUR Advantage"

 

 

 

 

StandardsUpdate

Standards Update 

 

Updates to The EdGate Standards Repository include:  

 

� California - Early Childhood Education (Volume 3 - 2013)

� Common Core Essential Elements - Language Arts (2013)

� Common Core Essential Elements - Mathematics (2013)

� Head Start - Early Childhood Education (Revised 2011)

� National Curriculum for England - Health and PE (2013)

� Newfoundland & Labrador - Language Arts (2013)

� Virginia - Early Childhood Education (2013)

� Virginia - Media/Technology (2013)

� U.S. National - Early Childhood Education (Revised 2011)

� Utah Mathematics Secondary Courses (2013)


If you have any questions regarding standards, feel free to contact me and I will be happy to assist you. You can always join us on Twitter and Facebook to receive notifications regarding state standards in the

EdGate Standards Repository at:

Kristie

http://twitter.com/EdGate

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Kristie McCarley

EdGate Standards and Operations Manager

kmccarley@edgate.com