Here is a free and well-done site that can help ESL and EFL students to learn English words and practice vocabulary. It has high quality audio, incorporates 40 topics, and features over 1,500 English words and phrases. Also good for students with language-based learning issues.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Rejected by Harvard? Your Valedictorian Probably Was, Too
Rejected by Harvard? Your Valedictorian Probably Was, Too
Harvard College rejected 91 percent of applicants for the coming academic year, the highest rate in its history, after an expansion of financial aid encouraged more applications.
Should single parents stay that way?
Public release date: 29-Mar-2007
Contact: Amy Lunday
acl@jhu.edu
Should single parents stay that way?
In an age when cohabitation and divorce are common, single parents
concerned about the developmental health of their children may want to
choose new partners slowly and deliberately, new research from The Johns
Hopkins University suggests.
The reason for taking your time? The more transitions children go
through in their living situation, the more likely they are to act out,
Johns Hopkins sociologists Paula Fomby and Andrew Cherlin report. They
also found that the effect of family upheaval on children varies by
race.
In their paper, "Family Instability and Child Well-Being," published in
the April issue of the American Sociological Review, Fomby and Cherlin
note that with each breakup, divorce, remarriage or new cohabitation,
there is a period of adjustment as parents, partners, and children
establish their places in a new family setting. Studying a nationally
representative sample of mothers and their children, the researchers
found that children who go through frequent transitions are more likely
to have behavioral problems than children raised in stable two-parent
families and maybe even more than those in stable single-parent
families.
Looking at children's scores on a mother-reported assessment of behavior
problems with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15 (similar to
how an IQ test is scored), the authors found that a child who
experienced three transitions would have a behavior problems score about
6 points higher compared to a child who had experienced no transitions.
Experiencing multiple transitions was also associated with children's
more frequent delinquent behavior, including vandalism, theft and
truancy.
"Children are affected by disruption and changes in family structure as
well as by the type of family structures they experience," said Fomby,
an associate research scientist in the Sociology Department at Johns
Hopkins. "To the extent that family instability has an independent
effect on children's well-being, a significant reinterpretation of the
effects of family structure on children's well-being may be warranted."
The authors also observed that children who experienced multiple
transitions in family structure had lower average scores on tests of
mathematics and reading skills. That problem was explained, however, by
the mothers' own educational achievement and cognitive ability, assessed
when they were teenagers or young adults.
Fomby and Cherlin, the university's Benjamin H. Griswold III Professor
of Public Policy, analyzed data from the National Longitudinal Survey of
Youth and its mother-child supplement, the Children of NLSY, a 21-year
panel study of women and their children. The children they studied were
between the ages of 5 and 14 in 2000. They used a cognitive achievement
test, a mother-reported scale of their children's behavior problems and,
for 10- to 14-year-olds, a self-reported scale of delinquent behavior.
They also counted the number of marital and cohabitational transitions a
child had experienced.
Changes at home seem to have a stronger negative impact on white
children than on black children, the researchers found. Fomby and
Cherlin observed a consistent connection between family instability and
white children's behavior problems and cognitive achievement, but they
found no such link for black children. One reason for this difference
could be that the black children in their study were more likely to have
extended families nearby for emotional support, the researchers wrote.
The restrictions of their sample set may also have affected the outcome:
The researchers exclusively studied children born to women who were
between 21 and 38 years old at the child's birth, and black women tend
to begin having children at a younger age than white women, they said.
For both white and black children, Fomby and Cherlin found a persistent
association between living in a mother-only household during the child's
first four years and mother-reported behavior problems, and for white
children, reading recognition.
"Family instability does appear to have a causal role in determining
whether white children exhibit more behavior problems," Fomby said. "But
for both white and black children, other dimensions of family structure,
like being born to a single parent or living with a step-parent, also
have persistent effects. Instability isn't the whole story, but looking
at change tells us more about what explains children's behavioral
development than what we would see by looking at a cross-section."
###
MEDIA CONTACTS: Sujata Sinha, American Sociological Association
ssinha@asanet.org
The American Sociological Review is the flagship journal of the
101-year-old American Sociological Association (ASA). Vincent J.
Roscigno and Randy Hodson, both of Ohio State University, are co-editors
of the American Sociological Review.
The study was funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development, a part of the National Institutes of Health. Reporters
interested in speaking with Fomby and Cherlin should
Attorney General Highlights DOJ Efforts To Combat Sexual Exploitation of Children
Attorney General Highlights DOJ Efforts To Combat Sexual Exploitation of Children
On March 22, 2007, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued the following press release:
St. Louis, MO - Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today joined U.S. Attorneys Catherine Hanaway and Bradley Schlozman to highlight the ongoing efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement, as well as community leaders, in combating the sexual abuse and exploitation of children in St. Louis.
Attorney General Gonzales was also joined in today's roundtable by Director of Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Joe Laramie, Founder of the INOBTR campaign Steve Shankman, and other members of the Project Safe Childhood initiative for the state of Missouri.
Launched in May 2006, Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.
Last year, the Department of Justice prosecuted 1,543 cases involving the sexual exploitation or abuse of children. In the state of Missouri, more sexual predators were federally indicted on a per capita basis than in any other state in the country. Additionally, the number of cases prosecuted in the state of Missouri has more than tripled since 2000.
"Protecting our children is not only a parent's responsibility, it should be everyone's responsibility," said U.S. Attorney Hanaway. "The people assembled here today have made that commitment, which is reflected in the increase in the prosecutions of these crimes."
"As a result of Project Safe Childhood's unprecedented effort to bring an entire community together to tackle the problem of online child exploitation, predators and would-be predators are now fully aware that their actions will not be tolerated in the state of Missouri," stated U.S. Attorney Schlozman. "Rest assured, we will find you, we will aggressively prosecute you, and we will make sure you will never be in a position to harm the vulnerable youth in our communities ever again."
Project Safe Childhood partners for the Eastern District of Missouri include: Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC); Regional Computer Crime Education and Enforcement Group; St. Louis City Police Department; St. Louis County Police Department; Festus Police Department; Pevely Police Department; FBI; Postal Inspection Service; ICE; St. Louis Circuit Attorney; St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney; O’Fallon Police Department; St. Charles County Sheriff’s Department; St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney; Franklin County Sheriff's Department; Big Brothers Big Sisters; Hoover Boys and Girls Town; Family Resource Center, Inc., and Kaminer & Co.
-----------------------------------------------------The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is a component of the Office of Justice Progams in the U.S. Department of Justice.
MANY CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE FAILING UNDER NCLB
MANY CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE FAILING UNDER NCLB Florida is home to more than 300 charter schools -- public schools funded by your tax dollars but run by groups, such as cities, nonprofits or management companies. Some operators are steeped in education experience, while others have no academic credentials. Many charter schools enjoy good reputations. But scores of them continue getting education dollars despite records of low student achievement and financial mismanagement. A yearlong investigation by the Orlando Sentinel found that the state's lack of oversight has allowed students to fail academically and charter operators to profit from their relationships with the schools. This four-part series looks at student performance, charter-school spending and what the state is doing -- or not doing -- to hold the campuses accountable.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/orl-special-charterschools,0,7628942.htmlpage
Thursday, March 29, 2007
The Suicide Prevention bill (HB 139) passed the House today unanimously with 114 votes!
The Suicide Prevention bill (HB 139) passed the House today unanimously with 114 votes! The Senate bill (SB 224) still needs to go through the Health and Human Services Appropriations committee. Any of you that can please send an email to Senator Peaden and the members of the Senate committee asking them to please put it on their agenda.
Below are two related news articles (one article and one editorial).
| |
The
March 29, 2007
Crist rethinks suicide program, says he'll keep it
By J.
Capital Bureau Chief
Gov. Charlie Crist said Wednesday he will reverse his decision last week to eliminate the proposed program within the state Office of Drug Control, which would fund two full-time employees dedicated to spreading counseling, education and early intervention services statewide. Crist had tweaked his original $71.2 proposed budget to reflect a pessimistic revenue outlook by a state revenue estimating panel this month.
"We're going to revisit that," Crist said.
Statewide, suicides far outpaced homicides, by more than a 2-to-1 ratio. There were 2,308 suicides in 2005, compared with 988 homicides.
Sen. Jim King,
"I would hope that the governor, knowing how many Floridians commit suicide every year, would recognize the importance of continuing this funding," said King, R-Jacksonville. "If we can stop one suicide, it's worth the small amount of money that would come out of our budget."
Sen. Evelyn Lynn,
Duval County had 124 suicides in 2005, the most recent year for which state statistics were available, putting the county sixth behind Hillsborough at 128, Palm Beach at 146, Pinellas at 154, Broward at 176 and Miami-Dade County at 194. A
Crist's possible reversal was also welcome news to Pam Harrington of
Pam Harrington said government-funded suicide education is critical, since the topic remains an uncomfortable topic for most people to discuss on their own.
"This is an issue we should be at the forefront of," Harrington said. "Suicide crosses all demographic lines. It affects everyone. And we need leadership at the state and local level that addresses it."
This story can be found on Jacksonville.
| |
The
March 29, 2007
SUICIDE: Emphasize prevention
Money talks, they say.
Unfortunately, Gov. Charlie Crist's new budget was talking gibberish, at least for a moment.
Crist promised to fulfill the legacy of Gov. Jeb Bush.
One of Bush's important projects was to establish a suicide prevention office in the Office of Drug Control.
That proposal kept getting shot down in the Florida Legislature, despite support from Sen. Jim King, R-Jacksonville, among others.
Then, the St. Petersburg Times reported that the governor's budget did not even include the $150,000 for suicide prevention.
Meanwhile, he wants to spend $222,000 on public relations.
Now, it appears the suicide prevention funds may be restored in the budget.
And a scathing editorial can be toned down.
Unfortunately, these missed opportunities are all too common in the field of suicide prevention.
Twice as many Floridians die from suicide than from homicide. Even more tragically, suicide is largely preventable.
It affects every strata of society. The highest suicide rate is among the elderly.
For the young, suicide takes more lives than cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza and chronic lung disease combined.
Though the act of suicide is often sudden, the event usually is foreshadowed by untreated mental illness.
But too few people are trained to recognize the signs.
It deserves a few people to help coordinate these efforts, a token commitment for suicide prevention.
We're talking about preventing the unnecessary loss of human lives, a project that deserves the highest priority from the state. The value of saving a human life? Priceless.
This story can be found on Jacksonville.
THIRTEENTH SCHOOL ATTENDANCE SYMPOSIUM
THIRTEENTH SCHOOL ATTENDANCE SYMPOSIUM:
Call for Proposals Brochure and Save the Date Flyer
Copies of the Thirteenth School Attendance Symposium Save the Date flyer and Call for
Proposals brochure are available at http://sss.usf.edu/AttendanceSymposium/2007/index.html.
The Save the Date flyer is an announcement of the symposium date and location and is intended for distribution, reproduction, and posting throughout your district. The Call for Proposals brochure provides instructions for online proposal submission. Members of your staff working with school attendance prevention, intervention, and/or enforcement programming whom wish to submit an application to present at the Symposium are encouraged to do so.
National Alcohol Screening Day
National Alcohol Screening Day
Information about National Alcohol Screening Day, which takes place annually during National Alcohol Awareness Month (April). Provides a fact sheet and a location map for screening event sites, "located in community, college, primary health care, military and employment settings." From Screening for Mental Health, a nonprofit organization (run by psychiatrists) that organizes large mental health screenings.
URL: http://www.mentalhealthscreening.org/events/nasd/
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Florida Counseling Association Leadership Development Conference
Steer your leadership in the right direction
Come one, Come all
Just come to LDC this year!
See registration in Guidelines, attached to this email or on the website
Friday night
Michael Kane presents on Beat for Peace (musical drum circles and counseling)
Let the weekend begin!
Saturday
FCA year in review and peek at the future
Update and goal setting in division breakouts! (FSCA, FCDA, FASERVIC, FACES, FAMCD)
Ins and Outs of Grant Writing with Rene Seuntjens-Zysek
Create your County or Division Website with Deb Mikolowski and Sue Arbuckle
Jamming with the Drums with Michael Saturday night by the pool!
Sunday
Legislative Issues, past successes and future challenges
Sharpening your Leadership Skills and Setting Goals
Wrap up, Delegate Assembly
Don’t miss LDC this year,
You can’t beat it for networking, building relationships, skills and FUN!
Bullying Prevention Conference
Bullying Prevention Conference
Florida’s 2nd Annual Bullying Prevention Conference
April 17 – 18, 2007
Early Registration April 16, 2007 6:00 - 8:00pm
Monday, March 26, 2007
School achievement, perceptions of ability and interest change as children age
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-03/sfri-sap031907.php
School achievement, perceptions of ability and interest change as
children age
Children in early grades may like a subject in which they don t feel
very competent, or they may feel competent in a subject in spite of poor
grades. But by the end of high school, children generally feel most
interested in subjects in which they feel they are the strongest.
Those are the findings of a new study published in the March-April 2007
issue of the journal Child Development. The study also found that boys
are more likely than girls to have their interest and abilities match.
For example, boys are more likely to get the best grades in the school
subjects in which they are most interested, whereas girls may get good
grades regardless of their interest level.
The researchers, from Humboldt University and the University of
Michigan, examined the ties between achievement, ability perceptions,
and interest by looking at a group of almost 1,000 children from first
grade until they left high school. Each year, they asked how much the
children were interested in doing math, English, music, sports, and
science, and how well they thought they were doing in those subjects. In
addition, they recorded the students grades in those subjects and, for
each child, computed the closeness of the match among the three school
dimensions.
The findings of the current study are interesting because they show how
children become increasingly specialized in terms of their academic
profiles, showing high levels of achievement, perceptions of ability,
and interest in some subjects and low levels in others, said the study's
lead author Jaap J.A. Denissen, formerly of Humboldt University, now a
postdoctoral fellow at Utrecht University. This specialization could be
a good thing, as it allows children to focus their energy and become
experts in a certain field. On the other hand, when the labor market
requires flexibility, a more generalist approach may be more helpful.
Our finding that boys are more likely to be specialists whereas females
are more likely to be generalists may explain some of the sex
differences in academic and vocational careers.
###
The study was funded, in part, by the National Institute of Child Health
and Human Development.
Summarized from Child Development, Vol. 78, Issue 2, I like to do it, I
m able and I know I am: Longitudinal Couplings between Domain-Specific
Achievement, Self-Concept, and Interest by Denissen, JJA (Humboldt
University), and Zarrett, NR, and Eccles, JS (University of Michigan).
Copyright 2007 The Society for Research in Child Development, Inc. All
rights reserved.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Is This the Answer to Drug Use? - New York Times
Counseling by student-dentists helps patients quit smoking
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-03/uab-cbs032307.php
Public release date: 24-Mar-2007
Contact: Lois Baker
ljbaker@buffalo.edu
716-645-5000 x1417
University at Buffalo
Counseling by student-dentists helps patients quit smoking
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Students in most dental schools are taught to refer tobacco-using patients they encounter in their clinical training to call a "quit line."
The University at Buffalo's School of Dental Medicine is taking a different tack. In one of the few such programs in the nation, third- and fourth-year UB dental students are using non-judgmental tobacco counseling to encourage their patients to quit.
Results presented today (March 24, 2007) at the 2007 International Association of Dental Research meeting in New Orleans showed that 51 percent of the 89 patients who accepted and received tobacco counseling from the student-dentists agreed to quit immediately.
Of that number, 29 patients, or 32 percent, were still smoke-free after six months. Othman Shibly, D.D.S., UB assistant professor of periodontics and endodontics who developed the program, presented the findings.
"When I took over the responsibility for the dental school�s preventive dentistry program," said Shibly, "I thought that major changes needed to be made in the dental curriculum to close the gap between clinical research and clinical practice.
"Students and dentists are taught about the effects of smoking on oral health but, in practice, we only do fillings and other procedures, so I led this effort to identify smoking as a dental problem that dentists should attend to.
"These efforts were based also on our goal of making dental treatment a successful long-term benefit for our patients by addressing all risk factors associated with oral disease," he said. "Research has shown that there is no match for smoking in causing harm to oral health."
The student-dentists received eight hours of training on the effects of tobacco and on how to perform nonjudgmental and personalized tobacco-use assessment and counseling. They adhered to a modified version of the established "5 As" protocol:
- "Ask" the patient about their smoking habits, type of tobacco used and frequency of use.
- "Advise" patients about the effects of tobacco on their oral health.
- "Assess" patients to determine their interest in quitting on a scale of 1-10 (10 being "most interested").
- "Assist" patients who want to quit by offering nicotine patches and suggestions on how to avoid the temptation to smoke, such as throwing away tobacco and putting away ashtrays.
- "Arrange" to call patients to see how they are doing.
The counseling program has been incorporated into the school�s curriculum and students are graded on their ability to present it.
Shibly said the students are receptive to carrying out the new protocol -- "they are putting their best efforts into learning this so they can incorporate it into their practices" -- but they find it challenging due to pressure of an already-tight dental curriculum.
Most patients are very appreciative, he said. "One woman from Pennsylvania called a couple weeks after her appointment to thank us for making her quit."
###
Joseph J. Zambon, D.D.S., Ph.D., professor of periodontology and oral biology and associate dean for academic affairs in the dental school, and Michael Cummings, Ph.D., professor and head of cancer pathology and prevention at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, also contributed to the study.
The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, the largest and most comprehensive campus in the State University of New York. The School of Dental Medicine is one of five schools that constitute UB�s Academic Health Center.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Improving school culture may help cut substance abuse and teenage pregnancies
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-03/bmj-isc032207.php
Public release date: 22-Mar-2007
Contact: Emma Dickinson
edickinson@bmj.com
44-020-738-36529
BMJ-British Medical Journal
Improving school culture may help cut substance abuse and teenage pregnancies
Improving school ethos may reduce substance misuse and teenage pregnancy
Improving the institutional culture (ethos) of schools in the UK may help reduce substance abuse and teenage pregnancies, says an article in this week's BMJ.
Researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine's Centre for Research on Drugs and Health Behaviour say that substance misuse and teenage pregnancy are major public health challenges and argue that existing responses to these issues seem to have brought about only limited benefits.
Previous surveys show that a third of 15 year olds in England have taken illegal drugs in the past year and a quarter of 15 year old girls smoke. Rates of illegal drug use and drinking continue to rise, whilst teenage pregnancy rates in the UK are the highest in western Europe.
So the authors reviewed evidence suggesting that interventions aiming to promote positive school ethos might provide an effective complement to existing approaches.
A study carried out in Scotland found that in some secondary schools 'risky' health behaviours (e.g. substance misuse, alcohol and tobacco use) couldn't be explained by student, family or neighbourhood factors, but did seem to be explained by large school size and independently rated poor school ethos.
And trials in both Australia and the United States showed that projects which aimed to improve school ethos helped improve the health behaviours of their students. Both projects involved a range of activities including improving teacher-student communication, increasing parent and student involvement in school policy-making and better training for teachers.
The US study reported a 34% reduction in a combined measure of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis use among boys, plus significant benefits regarding condom use, frequency of sex, violence and truancy. However, similar benefits were not reported among girls.
The Australian research found that students at schools taking part in the project were slightly less likely to report a range of risky health behaviours (such as regular smoking and drinking and marijuana use). Follow-up research suggested impacts might increase over time as the changes 'bedded down' in schools.
This evidence makes sense, say the authors. After the family, and alongside the media and peers, the most important institution in the lives of most children and young people is their school.
The UK government already recognises that the whole school environment has a key role in promoting young people's health. However, there is little evidence that current government initiatives aiming to make schools healthier are doing much to improve ethos. Improving school ethos to combat disaffection should be viewed as a promising complement to classroom-based interventions, they conclude.
###
Secretary Spellings Announces New Tool to Help Families Plan for College
http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2007/03/03212007.html
Secretary Spellings Announces New Tool to Help Families Plan for College
FAFSA4caster Gives High School Juniors A Leg Up On Financial Aid Planning
FOR RELEASE:
March 21, 2007Contact: Katherine McLane
Samara Yudof(202) 401-1576
U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings today unveiled a new online tool to help students and families financially prepare and plan for college before a student's senior year of high school. Called the FAFSA4caster, it provides students with an early estimate of their eligibility for federal financial aid, which could include a Pell grant of up to $4,310.
"Improving college access and affordability are key to giving more Americans a chance at higher education and keeping America competitive," said Secretary Spellings. "Families need more information—sooner—about students' federal aid eligibility so that they can plan ahead for college. The FAFSA4caster gives families an important tool they can use to make decisions about the future."
The FAFSA4caster will
- Instantly calculate a student's eligibility for federal student aid, including grants,
- Reduce the time it will take to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and
- Simplify the financial aid process for students and families.
Last September, Secretary Spellings announced her plans to improve the U.S. higher education system, based on the recommendations in the final report of her Commission on the Future of Higher Education. Today's announcement puts in place one of the Secretary's action steps—to notify students of their aid eligibility earlier than spring of their senior year.
In addition to helping families make informed decisions as they plan for college, the FAFSA4caster will also reduce the application time when students file their FAFSA in their senior year in high school. The FAFSA4caster pre-populates 51 of the 102 questions on the FAFSA, significantly reducing the time it takes for the student to complete the FAFSA in their senior year of high school.
The FAFSA4caster will be available on April 1 at www.federalstudentaid.ed.gov. It will be available in Spanish on April 29. In September, the Department will release the next version of the FAFSA4caster, which will estimate a student's federal entire aid package, including eligibility for federal student loans.
Need-based aid is one of the topics that will be discussed during Secretary Spellings' Higher Education Summit, "A Test of Leadership—Committing to Advance Post-Secondary Education for all Americans," on Thursday, March 22 in Washington, D.C. The summit will focus on action items around five recommendations from the Commission's report that will make an impact on improving college access, affordability and accountability in America's higher education system, including aligning K-12 and higher education expectations; increasing need-based aid for access and success; using accreditation to support and emphasize student learning outcomes; serving adults and other non-traditional students; and enhancing affordability, decreasing costs, and promoting productivity.
Additional information about the FAFSA4caster is available now at www.federalstudentaid.ed.gov. For more information on the Secretary's Commission on the Future of Higher Education, please visit http://www.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/hiedfuture/plan/index.html.
###
Monday, March 19, 2007
PANDEMIC FLU WEBSITE AVAILABLE IN SPANISH
MOTIONPOINT HELPS
Federal Government Provides Important Health Information for
Growing
COCONUT CREEK, FL (March 13, 2007) MotionPoint Corporation, a software and services provider dedicated exclusively to making websites available in any language, announced today that all of the content and functionality of the Federal Government's Pandemic and Avian Flu Website is now available in Spanish.
The Website is a gateway to all federal information on avian influenza (bird flu), including the H5N1 virus of concern, and pandemic influenza planning and response, including outbreak monitoring outbreak, travel precautions, and vaccine and antiviral medication research and development.
The Spanish-language Website is at http://espanol.pandemicflu.gov and is also accessible via the "en español" link on the homepage of www.pandemicflu.gov.
Both English and Spanish versions of the Website are managed by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the government's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services.
The Spanish-language version of www.pandemicflu.gov was launched using TransMotion® technology provided by MotionPoint Corporation. HHS simply maintains its English-language site; MotionPoint maintains the Spanish version, which is automatically updated to reflect any changes or additions to the English site. With MotionPoint's technology, there is no need for HHS to build, maintain, or integrate parallel sites. In addition, no client IT resources are needed.
"We're very excited to help HHS distribute its critical information and service to thousands of citizens," said Will Fleming, president and CEO of MotionPoint Corporation. "Our unique solution enables this important agency to deliver cost-effective government services online, and launch fully-translated sites quickly and affordably. HHS is demonstrating how inclusive, forward-thinking e-government both increases service availability and reduces cost."
About MotionPoint Corporation
MotionPoint Corporation is a software and services company that makes websites available in any language. The company serves a wide range of corporate and government clients from its headquarters in
# # #
MotionPoint and TransMotion are trademarks of MotionPoint Corporation. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.
Contact for more information, press only:
Bridgette King
954.937.9616, bking@motionpoint.com
Advance Placement exams up 218% from a decade ago
Advance Placement exams up 218% from a decade ago
--------------------
Leslie Postal
Sentinel Staff Writer
March 19, 2007
In 1985, Lake Brantley High School in Altamonte Springs offered two Advanced Placement classes -- calculus and English literature.
Combined, the classes enrolled maybe 30 students a year. And no wonder. To get in, students needed teacher recommendations, all A's in previous honors courses, high test scores and writing samples.
Today, Lake Brantley offers 30 AP courses -- meant to be the equivalent of introductory college classes -- with more than 930 students enrolled. Getting in now is more about interest and drive than pure academic achievement.
"It has mushroomed," said Sandy Erickson, Lake Brantley's AP coordinator, because the school figured out that "kids that weren't pigeonholed could advance."
A similar shift in philosophy has taken place across the country and Florida. Thanks to a more-open AP enrollment, the number of Florida high-school students taking AP exams jumped 218 percent in the past decade, according to the College Board, the nonprofit group that runs the AP program. Last year, 90,681 Florida students took AP exams.
Once viewed as a place for only top students, AP now is seen as a way to give more teenagers a challenge and better preparation for college. The program began in 1955 as a way to give bright high-school students a chance to get ahead before college. That year, 1,300 students took AP exams nationwide, compared with more than 660,000 last year, the College Board reported.
Florida is now seventh in the nation when it comes to the percentage of graduating seniors who have done well enough on at least one AP exam to be eligible for college credit. According to the College Board, nearly 20 percent of Florida's class of 2006 hit that mark, compared with less than 15 percent nationally.
Increasing popularity
There are 37AP courses offered by the College Board, from chemistry to music theory to world history. For top students in many Central Florida high schools, a schedule full of AP classes has become the norm.
Lizmarie Maldonado, 17, will graduate from Timber Creek High in east Orange County this spring with 10 AP classes on her transcript.
"I need to be ready for college," she said.
Her classmate Patrick Bobek, 17, will graduate with nine. His reason for opting for AP over other classes was simple: "They would have been really, really boring."
On a recent morning, their AP English literature class discussed satire in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and in a painting by British artist William Hogarth.
"You guys are too quick for me today. I need another cup of coffee," said teacher Beth Eskin, who also is the school's AP coordinator.
At the University of Florida, where Lizmarie and Patrick have been accepted, AP classes are now expected from the top students vying for admission to the state's flagship school, which has had to cap freshman enrollment in recent years as it balances budgets with increased demand.
Supply and demand
More than 80 percent of the students who have enrolled at UF in the past two years have taken at least one AP class or an equivalent, said Zina Evans, UF assistant provost and director of admissions.
Even when students do not score well on the exams, AP classes give them a taste of college and help them handle the real thing better, Eskin said.
Graduates often tell her that thanks to those classes, "I knew how to study. I knew how to manage my time," she said.
Some experts question whether AP courses really mimic college ones, particularly in the sciences. Some also fear that opening AP classes to more students heightens the risk that the curriculum will be less challenging. But the College Board says its new course audits will make sure classes with the AP imprint remain top-notch.
There is no argument that the appeal of AP is now widespread in Florida. But that appeal is not spread evenly.
Eleven small North Florida districts do not have any courses, though that is down from 18 that were without seven years ago.
Lake Brantley, with 30 courses, offers more than any other Central Florida school; Olympia High in Orange County is right behind with 29. But two struggling high schools, Evans and Jones in Orlando, offer just nine and five AP courses, respectively.
School administrators say AP enrollment often comes down to supply and demand. The region's smaller high schools, such as 900-student Umatilla High in Lake County, cannot offer as many classes as a 3,000-student school. In some places, interest in AP classes is limited by strong dual-enrollment programs with community colleges, or International Baccalaureate, another challenging program.
But in schools such as Evans and Jones, fewer students tackle the difficult courses because so many are working on basic reading and math skills.
"We can't just throw students in there," said Dianne Lovett, Orange's senior director of advanced studies.
Changing the culture
In Orange, as in other Central Florida districts, middle schools have started programs to prepare more students for the rigorous high-school courses. As part of a College Board partnership Florida started in 2000, schools also scour standardized-test results looking for students with AP potential who might not sign up on their own for classes with lots of reading and homework.
" 'I don't want to work hard my senior year' is not a good excuse," said Cheryl Salerno, assistant principal at Mainland High in Daytona Beach. "We're trying to change that culture."
One of the goals of the College Board partnership is to increase AP enrollment among students who did not traditionally sign up, notably low-income students and minorities.
Florida has made significant strides with Hispanic students, who now take AP courses at a rate higher than the overall percentage of Hispanic students in the state's public schools, according to the College Board. But black enrollment still lags, as it does nationwide.
In Orange County, for example, the 504 black students who took at least one AP class in 2005 represented just a fraction of the more than 13,600 black high-school students that year. But those 504 black students compare with 104 who took AP classes in 1999, district figures show.
"We're knocking down some of the fences," Lovett said.
Leslie Postal can be reached at lpostal@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5273.
Copyright (c) 2007, Orlando Sentinel | Get home delivery - up to 50% off
Visit OrlandoSentinel.com
--------------------
Leslie Postal
Sentinel Staff Writer
March 19, 2007
In 1985, Lake Brantley High School in Altamonte Springs offered two Advanced Placement classes -- calculus and English literature.
Combined, the classes enrolled maybe 30 students a year. And no wonder. To get in, students needed teacher recommendations, all A's in previous honors courses, high test scores and writing samples.
Today, Lake Brantley offers 30 AP courses -- meant to be the equivalent of introductory college classes -- with more than 930 students enrolled. Getting in now is more about interest and drive than pure academic achievement.
"It has mushroomed," said Sandy Erickson, Lake Brantley's AP coordinator, because the school figured out that "kids that weren't pigeonholed could advance."
A similar shift in philosophy has taken place across the country and Florida. Thanks to a more-open AP enrollment, the number of Florida high-school students taking AP exams jumped 218 percent in the past decade, according to the College Board, the nonprofit group that runs the AP program. Last year, 90,681 Florida students took AP exams.
Once viewed as a place for only top students, AP now is seen as a way to give more teenagers a challenge and better preparation for college. The program began in 1955 as a way to give bright high-school students a chance to get ahead before college. That year, 1,300 students took AP exams nationwide, compared with more than 660,000 last year, the College Board reported.
Florida is now seventh in the nation when it comes to the percentage of graduating seniors who have done well enough on at least one AP exam to be eligible for college credit. According to the College Board, nearly 20 percent of Florida's class of 2006 hit that mark, compared with less than 15 percent nationally.
Increasing popularity
There are 37AP courses offered by the College Board, from chemistry to music theory to world history. For top students in many Central Florida high schools, a schedule full of AP classes has become the norm.
Lizmarie Maldonado, 17, will graduate from Timber Creek High in east Orange County this spring with 10 AP classes on her transcript.
"I need to be ready for college," she said.
Her classmate Patrick Bobek, 17, will graduate with nine. His reason for opting for AP over other classes was simple: "They would have been really, really boring."
On a recent morning, their AP English literature class discussed satire in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and in a painting by British artist William Hogarth.
"You guys are too quick for me today. I need another cup of coffee," said teacher Beth Eskin, who also is the school's AP coordinator.
At the University of Florida, where Lizmarie and Patrick have been accepted, AP classes are now expected from the top students vying for admission to the state's flagship school, which has had to cap freshman enrollment in recent years as it balances budgets with increased demand.
Supply and demand
More than 80 percent of the students who have enrolled at UF in the past two years have taken at least one AP class or an equivalent, said Zina Evans, UF assistant provost and director of admissions.
Even when students do not score well on the exams, AP classes give them a taste of college and help them handle the real thing better, Eskin said.
Graduates often tell her that thanks to those classes, "I knew how to study. I knew how to manage my time," she said.
Some experts question whether AP courses really mimic college ones, particularly in the sciences. Some also fear that opening AP classes to more students heightens the risk that the curriculum will be less challenging. But the College Board says its new course audits will make sure classes with the AP imprint remain top-notch.
There is no argument that the appeal of AP is now widespread in Florida. But that appeal is not spread evenly.
Eleven small North Florida districts do not have any courses, though that is down from 18 that were without seven years ago.
Lake Brantley, with 30 courses, offers more than any other Central Florida school; Olympia High in Orange County is right behind with 29. But two struggling high schools, Evans and Jones in Orlando, offer just nine and five AP courses, respectively.
School administrators say AP enrollment often comes down to supply and demand. The region's smaller high schools, such as 900-student Umatilla High in Lake County, cannot offer as many classes as a 3,000-student school. In some places, interest in AP classes is limited by strong dual-enrollment programs with community colleges, or International Baccalaureate, another challenging program.
But in schools such as Evans and Jones, fewer students tackle the difficult courses because so many are working on basic reading and math skills.
"We can't just throw students in there," said Dianne Lovett, Orange's senior director of advanced studies.
Changing the culture
In Orange, as in other Central Florida districts, middle schools have started programs to prepare more students for the rigorous high-school courses. As part of a College Board partnership Florida started in 2000, schools also scour standardized-test results looking for students with AP potential who might not sign up on their own for classes with lots of reading and homework.
" 'I don't want to work hard my senior year' is not a good excuse," said Cheryl Salerno, assistant principal at Mainland High in Daytona Beach. "We're trying to change that culture."
One of the goals of the College Board partnership is to increase AP enrollment among students who did not traditionally sign up, notably low-income students and minorities.
Florida has made significant strides with Hispanic students, who now take AP courses at a rate higher than the overall percentage of Hispanic students in the state's public schools, according to the College Board. But black enrollment still lags, as it does nationwide.
In Orange County, for example, the 504 black students who took at least one AP class in 2005 represented just a fraction of the more than 13,600 black high-school students that year. But those 504 black students compare with 104 who took AP classes in 1999, district figures show.
"We're knocking down some of the fences," Lovett said.
Leslie Postal can be reached at lpostal@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5273.
Copyright (c) 2007, Orlando Sentinel | Get home delivery - up to 50% off
Visit OrlandoSentinel.com
Saturday, March 17, 2007
New Online Resource for ESL and EFL students
Friday, March 16, 2007
ESA Foundation Scholarship Program
ESA Foundation Scholarship Program
ESA Foundation has established a scholarship program to assist women and minority students who plan to continue their education in fields supporting Video Game Development, Graphic Design, Computer Science, Animation or Programming, Digital Entertainment or Software Engineering.
Scholarships are offered each year for full-time study at accredited four-year colleges and universities. Up to fifteen (15) scholarships of $3,000 each will be awarded. The submission deadline for the program is April 15, 2007.
This scholarship program is administered by Scholarship Management Services, a program of Scholarship America. Please visit the following website for more information and to complete an application online: https://www.scholarshipamerica.org/esaf.
Suicide statistics stable but still too many lives cut short
Public release date: 14-Mar-2007
Contact: Mardi Chapman
m.chapman@griffith.edu.au
61-755-529-089
Research Australia
Contact: Mardi Chapman
m.chapman@griffith.edu.au
61-755-529-089
Research Australia
Suicide statistics stable but still too many lives cut short
Suicide rates in Queensland have been relatively stable over recent years according to the latest available data but more than 500 deaths each year is no comfort to the many families and friends left behind.
A new report by the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention (AISRAP) highlights the extent of the tragedy - with 1,715 deaths recorded during the period 2002-2004.
Just under 1,500 deaths were recorded in Queensland during the previous reporting period of 1999-2001.
Suicide in Queensland 2002-2004: Mortality rates and related data will be launched at the Premier’s Hall, Level 4, Parliamentary Annexe, Brisbane, today (Thursday, 15 March, 1pm) by Mr Stirling Hinchcliffe MP, Parliamentary Secretary for the Minister for Communities, Minister for Disability Services, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, and Minister for Seniors and Youth.
AISRAP director Professor Diego De Leo said the report confirmed that males were still much more vulnerable to the challenges of life than females, with four times more suicides in men than women.
The most vulnerable demographic group were men aged 25-34 years.
Professor De Leo said understanding the impact of divorce or separation on men and women was important to interpreting the discrepancy in suicide rates between the two sexes.
For that reason, AISRAP researchers are currently partnering with organisations such as Lifeline, Mensline and other support groups to investigate men’s experiences of relationship breakdowns.
"Separation can contribute to a sense of failure and social isolation along with the financial, emotional and other pressures associated with relocation and child custody issues. It appears to affect men much differently than women."
"Old age is also far more challenging for men than for women," he said.
The male to female ratio for deaths from suicide in 65-74 year olds is a staggering nine to one.
"Role changes such as retirement and the impact of physical illness with ageing can be humiliating for men who have traditionally seen themselves as the providers," Professor De Leo said.
"Their sense of worth and meaning in life appears to be strongly linked to employment and men need valid alternatives when their working life is over."
Other particularly at-risk groups identified in the report include Indigenous Australians, psychiatric patients and people in police custody or correctional facilities.
Professor De Leo said rural and remote regions of Queensland, particularly in the far north and the west, continued to have higher suicide rates than elsewhere in the state.
Mr Hinchcliffe said $2 million has been directed at suicide prevention strategies in Queensland each year since 2003 under the Queensland Government Suicide Prevention Strategy.
"The 2007 funding will be used to develop and support suicide prevention activities for high risk groups such as Indigenous people, rural and remote residents and young people," he said.
Specific Queensland Health initiatives include:
- providing innovative methods of community and individual learning and support in four Aboriginal communities, and
- a project to build emotional wellbeing in the Aboriginal community of Coen by providing culturally appropriate services.
Queensland Health has also increased funding for the Queensland Suicide Register which provides the basis for information contained in the Suicide in Queensland 2002-2004 report.
"We value our relationship with the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, whose work leads the way in building knowledge and skills in regard to effective suicide prevention in Queensland," Mr Hinchcliffe said.
###
Charting New Directions for Girls Entering the Justice System
May 15 – 17, 2007
Plaza Resort & Spa, Daytona Beach, Florida
Faces of Courage: Charting New Directions for Girls Entering the Justice System with a Special Focus on Women of Color
Sponsored by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, Juvenile Justice State Advisory Group, Florida Network of Youth and Family Services and the Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association
More information and register on-line at:
http://www.floridanetwork.org/FNYFS/Faces_of_Courage.htm
or call 850-922-4324
Positively shape the future of girls at risk of entering the juvenile justice or prison system through an exchange of ideas, research, best practices and resources:
· Risk factors and pathways to the system
· Specialized treatment of girls including special approaches for minority girls
· Gender specific programming
· Educate or incarcerate?
· Key factors contributing to juvenile justice involvement of girls
· Gender specific probation
· 50 practical tips for working with girls at risk
· Ground breaking research/model programs
· Specialized mental health and substance abuse services
· Working with aggressive girls and girls who self-harm
· Girls and sexuality
The mission of the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice: To protect the public by reducing juvenile crime and the delinquency in Florida.
Florida has a very broad public records law. Most written communications to or from state officials regarding
state business are public records available to the public and media upon request. Your e-mail communications may
therefore be subject to public disclosure.
Understanding Race [pdf]
Understanding Race [pdf]
http://www.understandingrace.org/
As this website opens, users will see a set of overlapping images of different human faces, as a narrator’s voice intones: “Race: Are we so different?” It’s an intriguing and important question, and one that is addressed through a number of lenses on this site, created by the American Anthropological Association, with funding from the Ford Foundation and the National Science Foundation. As their website observes, “The Race project explains differences among people and reveals the reality-and unreality-of race.” The site is divided into three primary sections, which include “History”, “Human Variation”, and “Lived Experience”. In the “History” section, visitors can move through the timeline that looks at the history of race in the United States, and along the way they can read different essays that talk about subjects such as the civil rights movement, U.S. control of American Indians, and so on. The “Human Variation” section contains interactive and informative essays on human genetics, the variation in human skin color, and several quizzes on these materials. Finally, the “Lived Experience” area includes a race blog, an interactive feature on “Who is White?”, and a blog where visitors can talk about their own experiences with race.
Family Involvement
NEW FROM FINE
Monthly news and resources from
FINE (Family Involvement Network of Educators)
http://www.finenetwork.org
New Bibliographies: Current Family Involvement Research
Our bibliography of family involvement research published in 2006 is now available online. We have also updated our bibliography of 2005 publications. These two years enjoyed a significant and exciting increase in scholarly output in family involvement. All eight annual FINE bibliographies on our website include journal articles, dissertations and theses, books and book chapters, reports, research briefs, and papers.
http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/resources/bibliography/index.html
Research Brief: Lessons From Family-Strengthening Interventions: Learning From Evidence-Based Practice
In this research brief, we review family-strengthening interventions that have been rigorously evaluated through experimental studies and finds some common elements among programs that worked. We invite you to take another look at the brief--which we first released in October 2006--to see recommendations for creating successful programs and evaluations.
http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/resources/research/lessons.html
FINE (Family Involvement Network of Educators)
http://www.finenetwork.org
New Bibliographies: Current Family Involvement Research
Our bibliography of family involvement research published in 2006 is now available online. We have also updated our bibliography of 2005 publications. These two years enjoyed a significant and exciting increase in scholarly output in family involvement. All eight annual FINE bibliographies on our website include journal articles, dissertations and theses, books and book chapters, reports, research briefs, and papers.
http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/resources/bibliography/index.html
Research Brief: Lessons From Family-Strengthening Interventions: Learning From Evidence-Based Practice
In this research brief, we review family-strengthening interventions that have been rigorously evaluated through experimental studies and finds some common elements among programs that worked. We invite you to take another look at the brief--which we first released in October 2006--to see recommendations for creating successful programs and evaluations.
http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/resources/research/lessons.html
Thursday, March 15, 2007
In the Industry
| | |
| Poster Contest: Students across the country are invited to showcase their artistic talent, commitment to fitness and love of roller skating by participating in Roller Skating Association International's 2007 National Poster Contest. RSA is offering a $1,000 gift certificate to Office Max to the school with the most participants. The winner will receive the honor of having his/her artwork reproduced and displayed nationwide as the National Roller Skating Month poster (October 2007). | |
Women in the United States
Women in the United States
URL: http://usinfo.state.gov/scv/history_geography_and_population/population_and_diversity/women_in_the_us.html
Description:
Updates on U.S. government activities and data related to women in the United States. Features articles, publications, and links to material on Women's History Month (March), Domestic Violence Awareness Month (October), International Women of Courage Awards, and more. From the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Information Programs.
URL: http://usinfo.state.gov/scv/history_geography_and_population/population_and_diversity/women_in_the_us.html
Description:
Updates on U.S. government activities and data related to women in the United States. Features articles, publications, and links to material on Women's History Month (March), Domestic Violence Awareness Month (October), International Women of Courage Awards, and more. From the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Information Programs.
School Improvement Through Data-Driven Decision Making
School Improvement Through Data-Driven Decision Making
"Data helps you make changes. And when you see data, it really puts [student achievement] right in your face." —Virginia Lawton, 6th-grade teacher in Wisconsin
In the new climate of accountability and data-driven decision making, data-use tools and resources need to be readily available for educators and those that support them. This Web site is designed to give educators—and others involved in using data in a classroom, school, or district—a variety of places to find resources, tools, and action steps to foster school improvement.
Securing the Learning Environment Against Anonymous Proxies : March 2007 : THE Journal - Sent Using Google Toolbar
Securing the Learning Environment Against Anonymous Proxies
by Jim Culbert
Ask most administrators what the biggest threat to the online learning environment is today, and you'll most likely be deafened by the resounding reply of "anonymous proxies!" Gone are the days when bandwidth, safety and budget were an administrator's primary concerns and could be easily maintained with an Internet