HECAT

For those of our clients who have developed heath curriculum you may be interested in the upcoming inclusion of the new HECAT (Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool ) health topic modules to our repository. The HECAT modules have been designed in part by the CDC to help educators, districts and schools assess health curriculum. It is also intended for use by curriculum developers to create and evaluate their material to ensure they are meeting the needs of students. The HECAT modules slated for inclusion into our repository consist of the following:  

• Alcohol and Other Drugs
• Healthy Eating
• Mental and Emotional Health
• Personal Health and Wellness
• Physical Activity
• Safety
• Sexual Health
• Tobacco
• Violence Prevention

Common Core's Polling Problem

Professional opinion on the Common Core standards is being engaged in regular, informed debate with support and dissent being readily available. The court of public opinion is murkier and public perception of the Common Core is increasingly clouded by the language used in its discussion by the media reporting on it. A recent article by NPR looks into two recent polls in order to highlight the confusion when it comes to public polling on the Common Core.

There is little question that the perception of the Common Core has darkened substantially over the past year, with many polls, including the recent PDK/Gallup poll, showing that "60 percent of respondents oppose the Core." The question of "why" remains, with much of the rationale given for their dissent being factually incorrect. As fully half of those polled learned of the Common Core via media, it raises some questions about the accuracy of public-facing punditry on either side.

A similar level of dissent was found within the second poll by Education Next. The primary twist in their polling methodology was a change in the wording used within their poll groups to try and better assess the objectionable points within the Core's perception. They asked a much more detailed question of participants which generated a slightly more favorable result than the PDK/Gallup poll, and then asked a second polling group the same question "[. . .] without using the words 'Common Core.' Support jumped: from 53 percent to 68 percent."

Also recently, a MSN/WSJ poll conducted by Hart Research Associates suggests that nearly half of American Adults aren't even aware of the Common Core standards.

The only clear result of polling about the public opinion of Common Core is that there remains a substantial amount of public confusion and it is nowhere near reaching an informed consensus.

Khan Academy Believes You Can Learn Anything

Khan Academy launched its #youcanlearnanything campaign, designed to encourage lifelong learning and acknowledge the role of struggling in skill development. As part of the campaign, Khan Academy students can now track progress across different subjects through a dashboard. Users can also find discussion guides and "growth-mindset interventions," including explanations of the theory from founder Salman Khan and inspirational stories from celebrities like John Legend.

Next Generation Science Standards: Which States Adopted and When?

So far, a dozen states and the District of Columbia have adopted. Key dimensions of the standards include providing a greater emphasis on depth over breadth of science content and asking students to apply their learning through the practices of scientific inquiry and engineering design. Use this handy reference tool to view the timeline to see where things stand.

A Swivel Chair: The Most Important Classroom Technology?

Redesigned learning spaces can engage students and faculty members, research says. What if the key to boosting student engagement was as simple as swapping out desks and chairs and rearranging the layout of a classroom? The most important classroom technology nowadays is not a classroom projector, laptop or tablet - it's the swivel chair, according to one environment and behavior researcher.

In this issue of the EdGate Observer, we would like to introduce to you a member of our Social Studies Project Team, Jennifer Larson.

   

Jennifer has been working as the Social Studies Project Manager at EdGate since 2004. Her problem solving skills, desire for excellence and commitment to customer service has made Jennifer an asset to EdGate's remarkable group of dedicated educators. Jennifer has a BA in History with a minor in Political Science and a Social Science Teaching Credential with a Cross-cultural Language and Academic Development certification. Correlating a myriad of material from multimedia projects, to textbooks, to daily news stories, Jennifer gets to combine her love for history and politics with outstanding publisher content.

• Common Core Essential Elements - Mathematics (2014)
• HECAT: Module Alcohol and Other Drug Use Prevention Curriculum - Health and PE (2011)
• HECAT: Module Healthy Eating Curriculum - Health and PE (2011)
• HECAT: Module Mental and Emotional Health Curriculum - Health and PE (2011)
• Common Core Essential Elements - Language Arts (2014)
• HECAT: Module Personal Health and Wellness Curriculum - Health and PE (2011)
• HECAT: Module Physical Activity Curriculum - Health and PE (2011)
• HECAT: Module Safety Curriculum - Health and PE (2011)
• HECAT: Module Sexual Health Curriculum - Health and PE (2011)
• HECAT: Module Tobacco Use Prevention Curriculum - Health and PE (2011)
• HECAT: Module Violence Prevention Curriculum - Health and PE (2011)
• Loudoun County Public Schools Curriculum - Social Studies (2014)
• Mississippi - Health and PE (2013)
• New South Wales - Science (2014)
• New South Wales - Social Studies (2014)
• Pennsylvania - Language Arts (2014)
• Pennsylvania - Mathematics (2014)
• Pennsylvania - Science (2014 Literacy)
• Pennsylvania - Social Studies (2014 Literacy)
• Texas Assessment Standards (STAAR Alternate) - Language Arts (2011)
• Texas Assessment Standards (STAAR Alternate) - Mathematics (2011)
• Texas Assessment Standards (STAAR Alternate) - Social Studies (2011)
• Wisconsin - Early Childhood Education (2014)