The EdGate Observer 

Connecting Publishers With What Works!

July 2016 correlation.edgate.com   
Greetings everyone,
 
In this month's newsletter, we focus on the most recent education news pertaining to Digital Content Initiatives (Hot Topic); Pure Math vs Applied Math (Client Solution); Women Losing Out on Career and Technical Education (Teaching Trends); Learning Progressions (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,

 
Gina Faulk
EdGate General Manager  

Hot Topic 
Digital Content Initiatives Gain Support Among States and School Districts
   
Incorporating OER content into the classroom in place of textbooks is gaining ground as states commit to supporting this transition.  With initiatives like the Future Ready Pledge and #GoOpen many districts are embracing the change to digital content.  The Future Ready District Pledge is designed to help leaders create a digital learning culture and set out a roadmap to achieve that success. Seventeen states have committed to the Future Ready Pledge. The #GoOpen initiative has prompted educators to collect learning materials that can be remixed and reused to create curriculum for the classroom. Thirteen states have signed on for the #GoOpen Initiative
 
EdGate has been curating online educational and OER digital content for more than a decade and has built a repository of more than 500,000 grade specific resources.  Resources in EdGate's repository are aligned to each of the 50 U.S. sets of state specific standards in addition to Common Core, NGSS, NCSS and other national and international sets of standards.
 
If your company is interested in licensing a repository of aligned online educational and OER digital content resources please contact our Sales and Marketing Team. 

Project Manager

Client Solution 
Is pure math a better choice for students than applied math?

One trend in American mathematics education over the past two decades has been the addition of increasing amounts of "applied" or "real-world" content in higher mathematics instruction and assessment, in response to concerns that students are insufficiently motivated to learn material by a straight presentation of the underlying mathematics concepts. In this context, a recent study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has two startling results to report: first, students who are taught using a pure-math model perform noticeably better on assessments that have strong applied-math components than students who are taught using a model with a focus on applied math; and, second, there is a correlation between the economic class of students and the approach taken for their math education, with classes made up primarily of low-income students getting a stronger applied-math approach and those made up of higher-income students taking a stronger pure-math approach. The study suggests that the applied-math teaching model as it is implemented tends to give a quick, mechanical overview of the underlying mathematics, emphasizing processes, before moving on to applications, while the pure-math model uses the time not spent on applications to give students a deeper conceptual understanding of the subject.  
 
Mathematics Project Manager 
 
Teaching Trends 
Women Losing Out on Career and Technical Education    

Research out of Cornell University shows that vocational education and apprenticeship programs are largely leaving women out of the picture. The researchers used data from a longitudinal education study from 2002, tracking a cohort of sophomores through early adulthood. They found that women who attended vocational high school in working class communities were less likely to be employed and less likely to work in professional occupations when they were employed compared to their male counterparts. Moreover, even the women who did obtain high-skilled jobs often found themselves still unable to acquire the good paying positions. Among high school graduates ages 25-28 in such jobs, the hourly gender wage gap was 22 percent, with women making 78 cents for every dollar men make.
 
While a bill, introduced by a bipartisan group of House members, attempts to update career and technical education law, the language of the bill does not specifically address access for female students. This raises questions about how school training negatively impacts gender inequality in today's economy.
 
The Common Core State Standards can have an invaluable impact on girls in the classroom. More engaging and challenging standards build a strong academic foundation for all students. Girls have a lot to gain from more-rigorous learning standards that better prepare them for college and career success. By raising the expectations for student learning, the Common Core State Standards allow girls the opportunity to seize STEM learning opportunities while in grade school; to pursue a diverse set of college majors; and to obtain jobs that command higher salaries.
 
For more information on aligning classroom curriculum or publisher content to Common Core Standards or other learning standards that promote education equality, please visit EdGate Correlation Services' website.

By: Denise Maria
Account Manager

In This Issue
Top Stories 
EDmin.com Presents INFORM Journeys at the White House

Earlier this month our colleagues at EDmin.com traveled to Washington DC to present INFORM Journeys at The Reach Higher Demo Day held at the White House. Journeys was nominated as one of the top 5 finalists in the U.S. Department of Education's App Challenge.
 
New resources designed to make Common Core-aligned tests more useful

California will begin providing information to parents, teachers and the public to help make sense of Smarter Balance test scores.

Breaking sterotypes in Non-Traditional Career Technology Education

The U.S. Department of Education's (ED) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE) recently released guidance for equal access to CTE programs.

What's New
 
At the end of this month our office will be moving locations. Please make note of our new address and feel free to contact us with any questions.

New Physical Address:
EdGate Correlation Services, LLC 
3413 56th St. NW 
Gig Harbor, WA  98335

Remittance Address: 
EdGate Correlation Services, LLC 
5473 Kearny Villa Road, Suite 300 
San Diego, CA  92123 

EdGate Services 

What is a Learning Progression?
 
A learning progression is a sequencing of teaching and learning expectations across multiple developmental stages, ages, or grade levels. We also hear clients refer to learning progressions as vertical alignments. Learning progressions are often categorized by subject area and used in reference to educational standards. Per the EdGlossary definition, a Learning Progression is as follows: There are two main characteristics of learning progressions: (1) the standards described at each level are intended to address the specific learning needs and abilities of students at a particular stage of their intellectual, emotional, social, and physical development, and (2) the standards reflect clearly articulated sequences-i.e., the learning expectations for each grade level build upon previous expectations while preparing students for more challenging concepts and more sophisticated coursework at the next level.

Through the use of proprietary EdGate technology and our subject matter expert team, EdGate is uniquely positioned to offer learning progression consulting services. Whether a publisher needs to see the learning progression of standards in a specific state; or to see how standards-aligned content progresses vertically; or perhaps to look for gaps in a content through a learning progression, EdGate can assist with this ever-growing area of interest.

For more information on these and other services please contact at (866) 405-3357 or contact us .
 
Please feel free to reach our Sales and Marketing Team for any of your correlating needs:

Tracy_Olstad
Denise Maria
Account Manager 
Gina Faulk 
General Manager 
Tracy Olstad,  
Account Manager 
Standards Update 

Updates to The EdGate Standards Repository include:
  • Alabama - Language Arts (2016)
  • Alabama - Mathematics (2016)
  • Arizona - Arts Education (2015 - implementation 2016-2017)
  • Arizona - World Languages (2015 - implementation 2016-2017)
  • Colorado - Media/Technology (ISTE-S 2016)
  • CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards - Media/Technology (2011)
  • Delaware - Science (NGSS 2014 - implementation 2016-2017)
  • Georgia - Media/Technology (ISTE-S 2016)
  • Illinois - Media/Technology (ISTE-S 2016)
  • Illinois - Science (NGSS 2014 - implementation 2016-2017)
  • Iowa Core - Arts Education (2014)
  • ISTE for Students (ISTE-S) - Media/Technology (2016)
  • Louisiana - Mathematics (2016)
  • Massachusetts - Science (2016)
  • Missouri - Social Studies (2016)
  • New Jersey - Mathematics (2016)
  • New York - Social Studies (Revised 2016)
  • Rhode Island - Media/Technology (ISTE-S 2016)
  • U.S. National - Media/Technology (ISTE-S 2016)
  • Washington - Science (NGSS 2014 - implementation 2016-2017)
  • West Virginia - Science (NGSS 2014 - implementation 2016-2017)
  • West Virginia - Early Childhood Education (2015 Infant/Toddler)
 
Kristie
Kristie McCarley

Standards and Operations Manager
About Us 

EdGate Correlation Services works with over 200 content providers to increase the value of their products in a rapidly expanding digital world. EdGate uses its patented technology and highly skilled staff to assure client success. Employing its nearly two decades of innovation experience, EdGate has proven learning platforms, robust metadata tools and comprehensive correlation services to serve every clients unique needs.

EdGate currently focuses on correlation consulting, content and metadata development and management, media segmentation and licensing of international educational standards.
EdGate Correlation Services LLC is a division of EDmin, Inc., a learning management and instructional technology solutions company based in San Diego, California.

EdGate Correlation Services 6626 Wagner Way Suite 200 Gig Harbor, WA 98335
http://correlation.edgate.com