Manhattan/Staten Island Regional BETAC

News and Updates

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Recent News and Updates

Resource update at www.CENTERONINSTRUCTION.ORG

Performance Patterns for Students with Disabilities in Grade 4 Mathematics Education in New York State

"Performance Patterns for Students with Disabilities in Grade 4 Mathematics Education in New York State", a report from REL Northeast, describes the mathematics performance of fourth-grade students with disabilities across schools categorized by need-to-resource capacity and compares their performance by school with that of general education students across New York State from 2003 to 2005. It finds that the percentage of students with disabilities scoring proficient increased over time and that the proficiency gap between this subgroup and general education students narrowed by one percentage point. The document is available for download at http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/northeast/pdf/REL_2008050.pdf.

This resource pertains to the following categories:
Mathematics: Grades K-4
Special Education: Grades K-4

For More Information:
Click on the link below to get more details and access these resource materials at the Center on Instruction website!
http://centeroninstruction.org/resources.cfm?category=math&subcategory=materials&grade_start=0&grade_end=4#163

Informing & Mobilizing Parents About Community Transformation

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August 26th from 6 to 8 pm
Food will be served at 5:30
St. Mary's of the Assumption Church
2230 Richmond Terrace

TAKE THE S40 BUS TO SHARPE AVE

Workshop topics include:
College Access and Opportunities for Immigrant Students
The rights of immigrant parents in NYC's public schools.

The rights of immigrant students, ELLs and Students with Interrupted Formal Education.

Refreshments and interpretation in Spanish will be provided Child care and interpretation in other languages are available.

Please call ahead! Contact Joe at 718-873-6702

Listed on: August 20, 2008

COMITE NOVIEMBRE CALL FOR PUERTO RICAN ARTISTS 2008 POSTER DESIGN

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PURPOSE
Each year, Comite Noviembre commissions a Puerto Rican artist to design the annual poster to promote and inform the public about Puerto Rican Heritage Month and to create an artistic expression of the annual theme. The poster is distributed throughout New York, New Jersey and the tri-state area and it is the cover of the annual Journal Calendar of Events. The CN poster is in high demand by teachers and educators and the community and become collector? items because of it limited edition status.

THEME
The annual theme is developed with the understanding that beyond celebrating our heritage, it must help to motivate, mobilize and empower our community around critical concerns. This year?s theme: Live your Culture?! Vive Boricua!, challenges us to take ownership of our culture and heritage. Being Puerto Rican is not just on special days, or months, but every day of our lives. Everyday as a community, we contribute to the fabric of this city, state and nation. The theme addresses the importance of our achievements as a community and the impact it has had and will continue to have on society. The theme seeks to challenge us to learn about our pioneers, feel proud of who we are and where we come from and commit ourselves to promote and teach others about our culture, traditions, heroes and the great contributions Puerto Ricans have made to this country.

ELIGIBILITY
Artist must be Puerto Rican or of Puerto Rican descent. Artist must be able to work with members of CN towards the creation of the final piece. Artist must be able to work under tight deadlines. Artist must be present at unveiling of Poster at CN kick-off event in late October Artist must write a description of the poster connecting his visual concept to CN's theme

GUIDELINES
Artist must submit the following information: A complete full color, 24? x 36? concept portraying artistic expression of the theme for the poster. Bio/Resume Address, phone, cell and e-mail address Examples of previous work. Please do not send framed work. Work will NOT be mailed back, but you can arrange for pick up. Emailing/Electronic submission of work is preferred. All information must be submitted at the same time by: Wednesday, September 10, 2008 Finalist will be notified by Friday, September 12, 2008. Finalist will be interviewed on Tuesday, September 16, 2008 between the hours of 6-8 pm., at El Museo del Barrio in Manhattan.

COMPENSATION
$1,000 stipend for work selected by Comite Noviembre The artwork and biography of artist will be printed in the annual Calendar of Events, and other venues such as El diario la prensa and Daily News, if available. Poster design will be distributed to schools and organizations for Puerto Rican Heritage Month in November.

PLEASE SEND COMPLETE PACKAGE TO:
LILI SANTIAGO-SILVA, COMITE NOVIEMBRE C/O: EL MUSEO DEL BARRIO 1230 5TH AVENUE (AT 104TH STREET) NEW YORK, NY 10029, (212) 660-7132, LSSILVA@ELMUSEO.ORG

Listed on: August 20, 2008

National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition Begins New Contract

The George Washington University, edCount, LLC, and Barrera Associates, Inc., are pleased to announce that their team has been awarded the contract to operate the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (NCELA) on behalf of the Office of English Language Acquisition at the U.S. Department of Education effective June 23, 2008.

NCELA's mission is to capture, coordinate, and disseminate a broad range of resources in support of an inclusive approach to high quality education for ELLs.

Under the new contract, NCELA will be offering a range of new opportunities for educators to engage with research and new developments in the field.

NCELA will be beginning a series of monthly interactive Web conferences hosted by experts in the field of English language learning. Our first Web conference, Defining Academic English Language, will be hosted by Dr. Robin Scarcella on August 21, 2008.

Beginning in October, NCELA will be offering a series of smaller conferences throughout the year. Our first meeting is the 2008 LEP Partnership Meeting [pdf], to be held October 15-16, 2008, in Washington, DC. Additional conference opportunities will be announced throughout the year.

As always, NCELA will continue to make available information about outside conferences and educational opportunities in the field of English language learning on NCELA's conference calendar. The most recent additions can be viewed on the NCELA home page; the full list of conferences can be seen on the searchable calendar page.

The NCELA-list will be dedicated to announcements of interest to our subscribers from NCELA and OELA. Federal grants and regulations, NCELA conferences and meetings, and other time-sensitive announcements from OELA and NCELA will be delivered through the NCELA-list.

Beginning in the fall, NCELA will be debuting its new quarterly newsletter. The newsletter will offer articles by leading experts on instructional strategies for ELLs, and will showcase best practices from schools and districts around the nation. The newsletter will also announce new resources and research in the field of ELL education.

Visit the NCELA website for more information about these services and changes at http://www.ncela.gwu.edu.

Listed on: August 20, 2008

Picturing America to Bring Great American Art to the Nation's Classrooms

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Schools are Encouraged to Apply for Picturing America to Bring Great American Art to the Nation's Classrooms

Washington, DC-Libraries and schools have a second opportunity to apply for a wonderful, free teaching tool called Picturing America, announced Dr. Anne- Imelda Radice, Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) on August 5, 2008. Picturing America, presented by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in partnership with IMLS, provides high-quality reproductions of great American art to public libraries and K-12 schools to enhance the study of history, social studies, language arts, literature, and civics.

"Art has so much to teach us about America's past, present, and future," Radice said. "Picturing America allows everyone, regardless of their location or income, to explore American history through the lens of our nation's great works of art."

"I am delighted to announce that we are again accepting Picturing America applications," said NEH Chairman Bruce Cole. "The Endowment wants every school and public library in the United States to receive Picturing America, and this second application period will bring us closer to achieving that goal."

Public libraries and public, private, parochial, charter, and home school groups (K-12) in the United States and its territories are eligible to receive Picturing America materials, which include: * Forty large, high-quality color reproductions of the selected masterpieces (24" x 36") * A comprehensive teacher's resource book providing a wide range of ideas and background information to support educators using the works of art in core subject areas * Lesson plans and additional resources available through the Picturing America Web site, PicturingAmerica.neh.gov

Also eligible are libraries with collections that circulate to the general public and those that offer reading programs to the public.

Application information can be found in the 'Apply Now' section of the Picturing America Web site, PicturingAmerica.neh.gov. Applications are currently being accepted now through October 31, 2008, with delivery scheduled for spring 2009. Please note that previous recipients of the Picturing America collection are not eligible for a second award.

So far, 26,320 public libraries and schools across the nation have been awarded Picturing America materials. To view the list of recipient schools and libraries, please click here. In addition, the NEH and the Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families are making Picturing America available to the 20,000 Head Start centers to enhance early childhood development and family literacy.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.

About the National Endowment for the Humanities Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports learning in history, literature, philosophy and other areas of the humanities. NEH grants enrich classroom learning, create and preserve knowledge, and bring ideas to life through public television, radio, new technologies, exhibitions, and programs in libraries, museums, and other community places. Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available at www.neh.gov.

For additional information, contact John Brock, school library specialist in the CIIT Office at jbrock@mail.nysed.gov or by calling 518-474-5922. Anita

Orientation on Student Enrollment in NYC Public Schools

Join us for an Orientation on Student Enrollment in NYC Public Schools

The orientations are differentiated by language and will discuss the enrollment processes in our public schools. For more information, please see the following flyers.

The United States Senate Youth Program is now accepting applications

Due Date: October 10, 2008

The principal of a New York State high school may select only one candidate for this statewide program & scholarship competition.

UNITED SENATE YOUTH PROGRAM: Each year the William Randolph Hearst Foundation sponsors a scholarship for two student leaders from each state and the District of Columbia to visit Washington, D. C. (all expenses paid), as guest of the Hearst Foundation and a $5,000 college scholarship for undergraduate studies at an accredited United States university or college. During the visit to Washington, D.C., students engage in a series of seminars and briefings with Senators and members of the House of Representatives and meet with officials from the executive and judicial branches of government.

The principal of a New York State high school may select only one junior or senior for this statewide competition. For more information and for applications, please go to

http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/socst/senateyouth.html

Thanks for your help with promoting this program.