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The EdGate Observer

 

CONNECTING PUBLISHERS AND

EDUCATORS TO WHAT WORKS

 

January 2014 


News_Line

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

New SAT Delayed to 2016

The new version of the SAT college admissions exam that was due to be unveiled in 2015 is now being delayed until spring 2016. This change in the timing of the redesign will serve members in higher education by providing two years to plan for the redesigned exam, familiarize themselves with changes, and meet system and publication requirements.

 

Salman Khan, The Most Influential Person In Education Technology

Peter High, the President of Metis Strategy, writes about innovative ideas in the world of information technology. This article is an interview he conducted with Salman Khan of Khan Academy, the first among major players and influential people in the MOOC (massive open online course) landscape.

 

Kids Right to Read Project: Book Challenges Increased in 2013

The Kids' Right to Read Project investigated three times the average number of book censorship incidents, adding to an overall rise in cases for the entire year, according to KRRP coordinator Acacia O'Connor. To date, KRRP has confronted 49 incidents in 29 states in 2013, a 53% increase in activity from 2012. During the second half of 2013, the project battled 31 new incidents, compared to only 14 in the same period last year.

 

Tech sector concerned at slip in education standards in New Zealand

The fastest growing industry sector in New Zealand has reacted strongly to an international report that shows New Zealand has slipped backwards in education standards when compared to other OECD countries. Countries like Singapore, Poland and Germany rank above New Zealand and have positively increased their position since the last survey. Australia, Ireland and Denmark, despite also sliding backwards, still outrank New Zealand.

Oldest American Teacher Celebrates 100th Birthday

Believed to be the oldest working teacher in America, Zhelesnik - who is called Granny by everyone at the Sundance School - celebrated her 100th birthday yesterday with singing, dancing and, of course, her children. The home economics teacher joined the Sundance staff in 1995, when she was 81. She teaches cooking and sewing to the lower grades and offers after-school lessons in knitting and crocheting.


 

Staff Highlight

 

We would like to introduce you to a member of our Digital/Video Content Project Team,
Anna Verratti
 
Anna grew up in the Panama Canal Zone, lived twenty-two years in Costa Rica and Mexico City where she taught ESL at intervals. She has a BA in English Literature and a MA in Education with emphasis in TESOL. After teaching high school Spanish in San Diego for fifteen years, she presently lives in Gig Harbor, WA where she enjoys segmenting and summarizing video content, including Spanish film correlations.
 

 About Us

 

About_Us_ECS

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 and Happy New Year,

 

In this month's newsletter, we focus on the most recent education news pertaining to Quality Counts 2014 State Report Card (Hot Topic), Smarter Balanced Assessment FAQ's (Common Core Update), ASAP Science videos (Client Solution), BETT Show and FETC 2014 (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

 

Hot Topic      

 

QUALITY COUNTS 2014: HIGHLIGHTS

 

Education Week started publishing Quality Counts in 1997, intended as a report card for assessing state progress in adopting educational policy measures in several areas. In an effort to make the report more relevant for educators and policymakers, this year's report (18th Edition) focuses on three performance-based categories: 1) K-12 Achievement, 2) Chance for Success, and 3) School Finance.

 

In the K-12 Achievement category, Massachusetts scored a "B" and Mississippi scored an "F". Half the states scored a D+ or lower in the K-12 Achievement (2014) State Report Cards, and the nation as a whole showed a very slight improvement from 69.7 in 2012 to 70.2 currently. Another highlight shows the poverty gaps for 4th grade reading and 8th grade math have widened since 2011. The following summarizes the U.S. Average scores for each category:

 

K-12 Achievement (2014) = U.S. Average C- (70.2)

Chance for Success (2014) = U.S. Average C+ (77.3)

School Finance (2014) = U.S. Average C (75.5)

 

The entire report is available online at http://www.edweek.org/ew/qc/index.html, including links to previous year's reports.Rich_New

 

For more information on what these indicators mean, visit: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/01/09/16sources.h33.html 


By: Rich Street
Project Manager

Common Core Update Smarter_Balanced_logo  

 

SMARTER BALANCED ASSESSMENTS - FAQ'S

 

Are schools prepared to roll out the new Common Core Assessments in the upcoming 2014-2015 school year?

 

As school leaders bolster their preparations for Common Core testing, many critics are speaking out in opposition to the standards and the new online assessments, specifically citing a lack of funding, manpower, poor or non-existent school infrastructure to support the online assessments that will accompany the standards, and lack of computers to deliver the assessments.

 

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) provides detailed and valuable information through their website to help teachers, administrators, and state policymakers navigate and transition to the new assessments. Their list of 38 Frequently Asked Questions can be found at: http://www.smarterbalanced.org/resources-events/faqs/ 

 

Here is an example of a FAQ concerning lack of school infrastructure and computers to deliver the assessments:

 

Question #38 - What if my school or district does not have the infrastructure to support computer adaptive testing:

 

Answer - Smarter Balanced is committed to helping states transition successfully to next-generation assessments. The assessments are being designed to work with the computing resources in schools today. The assessments can be offered on very old operating systems and require only the minimum processors and memory required to run the operating system itself (for example, the summative assessment can be delivered using computers with 233 MHz processors and 128 MB RAM that run Windows XP). Likewise, the file size for individual assessment items will be very small to minimize the network bandwidth necessary to deliver the assessment online. A 600-student middle school could test its students using only one 30-computer lab. To assist states that have not yet made the transition to online testing, the Consortium also will offer a paper-and-pencil option for the first three years of operational testing.

 

The SBAC Practice Test is available to schools and districts for training, professional development, and discussions with parents, policymakers, and other interested stakeholders.

Client Solution  

 

ASAP SCIENCE - YOUR WEEKLY DOSE OF SCIENCE

 

ASAP Science's videos on YouTube are attracting a lot of attention these days. The intent of the videos is to take seemingly complicated problems and explain them in simple terms using animation and graphics.

 

Many of EdGate's clients have video content that is used in the classroom to help students learn or reinforce concepts. However, most of the videos are full length and require segmenting to hone in on specific highlights in the video. This helps teachers target the exact section of the video needed to teach a concept. EdGate specializes in video segmenting and creating metadata for these segments. Additionally, EdGate Correlation Services provides the alignment of the videos and segments to educational standards. Having the correlated segments provides the end user with access to aligned curriculum materials that target the concept(s) being taught. Ideguchi_Kathleen

 

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

 

By: Kathleen Ideguchi 

Project Manager

 

EdgateServicesEdGate Services       

 

We would like to take this opportunity to thank our clients for your business in 2013 and look forward to our continued success in 2014!

 

This month, EdGate's National Account Manager, Leslie Kolber, is attending the   BETT Show (British Educational Training and Technology Show), which is an annual trade show in the United Kingdom that showcases the use of information technology in education. Following BETT, Leslie will also attend the FETC 2014 Conference in Orlando, Florida. The  FETC (Future of Educational Technology Conference) is a content-rich conference that brings education leaders and technology experts together to exchange techniques and strategies for teaching and learning success.

 

If you are attending either conference, have questions about correlation services or are interested in a demo of the EdGate Curriculum Matrix, contact Leslie to schedule a time to meet at lkolber@edgate.com.

 

To find out more about EdGate products and services and how our team can work with you, please contact an Account Representative today. To reach Leslie Kolber, please email her at lkolber@edgate.com or to reach Tracy Olstad, please email tolstad@edgate.com.

  Leslie_Kolber The "EdGate Advantage is   Tracy_Olstad

YOUR Advantage"

 

 

 

 

StandardsUpdate

Standards Update 

 

Updates to The EdGate Standards Repository include:  

 

� ACTFL Standards - World Languages (2013)

� Alabama Common Core - Language Arts (Revised 2013)

� Alabama - Language Arts (Revised 2013)

� Iowa - Early Childhood Education (2012)

� Manitoba - Mathematics (2013 Grades K-8)

� National Content Standards in Economics (NCSE) - Social Studies (2010)

� National Center for History in Schools (NCHS) - Social Studies (1996)

� North Dakota - Early Childhood Education (2013)

� Ohio 2014-2015 - World Languages (2012 to be implemented 2014-2015)

� Prince Edward Island - Mathematics (2012)

� Prince Edward Island - Science (2012)

� Prince Edward Island - Social Studies (2012)

� Tennessee - Technology (2010)

� Texas TEKS 2015-2016 Fine Arts - Arts Education (2013 to be implemented 2015-2016)

� U.S. National Standards - Social Studies (Economics NCSE - 2010)

� U.S. National Standards - Social Studies (History NCHS - 2010)

� U.S. National Standards - World Languages (ACTFL 2013)

� Virginia - Arts Education (2013)

� Wyoming - Arts Education (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

http://www.facebook.com

 

Kristie McCarley

EdGate Standards and Operations Manager

kmccarley@edgate.com