Manhattan/Staten Island Regional BETAC

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

The Fourteenth Annual Statewide Chinese Painting Contest Guidelines

Theme: Celebrate the Learning of the Chinese Culture
Contestants: All students, grades K-12, in New York State public day schools are eligible to participate.
Entry Requirements:

All entries MUST be postmarked and/or hand-delivered by Friday, March 30, 2007.

All winning entries will become the property of the sponsors of this contest and are non-returnable. All non-winning entries may be picked up at ALBETAC at NYU Metro Center, 726 Broadway, 5th floor, New York, New York 10003, from April 30-May 4, 2007 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ALBETAC will not be responsible for unclaimed non-winning entries after May 11, 2007.

Categories:
Group 1: K to 1st Grade (at least 5 sentences in the artist’s statement)
Group 2: 2nd to 5th Grade (at least 2 paragraphs in the artist’s statement)
Group 3: 6th to 8th Grade (at least 3 paragraphs in the artist’s statement)
Group 4: 9th to 12th Grade (at least 4 paragraphs in the artist’s statement)
There will be three (3) winners and two (2) Honorable Mentions from each group. All winners will receive 1) a certificate of award from the New York State Department of Education Office of Bilingual Education and Foreign Language Studies and the New York City Department of Education Office of English Language Learners and 2) education-related gifts donated by sponsors and community based organizations.

Mail or hand-deliver (by Friday, March 30, 2007) all entries to:
Asian Languages BETAC
New York University - Metro Center
726 Broadway 5th Floor
New York, NY 10003

NYSED News

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

2007 Summer Classes and/or Institutes for Teachers in Mathematics and/or Science (Posted August 22, 2006)
State funds in the amount of $2,500,000 are available from the State Education Department (SED), on a competitive basis, to colleges and universities in partnership with public school districts to pay 50 percent of the costs of teachers attending university or college-based summer classes and/or institutes in 2007. These classes and/or institutes are designed to improve teachers professional content knowledge and refresh and renew their competency in the use and classroom application of state-of-the-art technology in the areas of mathematics and/or science. Programs will involve teachers in hands -on learning with expert mathematicians, scientists and engineers. At the end of the program, teachers will have projects and/or products that can be used in their classrooms. Proposals must be postmarked by October 17, 2006.The RFP may be found at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/funding/currentapps.htm

Academic Competitiveness Grants and High School Transcripts
Academic Competitiveness Grants are available to certain Pell-eligible college students starting with the current academic year. School officials must ensure that the final transcript of each eligible graduating student clearly indicates, when applicable, that the student has earned a Regents diploma with honors, Regents diploma with advanced designation, or Regents diploma with advanced designation with honors. This will enable colleges to document that a key eligibility requirement has been met.
Additional information on eligibility for these grants can be found at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/cis/webpages/ACGfinal.htm

Learning Technology Grants, 2006-2009 (Posted August 14, 2006)
The statewide LTG competitive grant program has transitioned into a three year grant cycle. Eligible applicants are public school districts and BOCES, or consortiums. The purpose of this $3,285,000 program is to enhance teacher's capacity to implement the New York State learning standards through the use of instructional technology.
Proposals must be postmarked by October 11, 2006. For further information, visit http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/funding/currentapps.htm

Fulbright Program: US Department of Education
This program is designed to give educators and administrators an opportunity to travel overseas and learn more about another country and another culture. The program pays for a majority of expenses. The participants are not expected to teach or exchange- just to learn. The deadline for applications is September 28, 2006. For more information, see www.ed.gov/programs/iegpssap/index.html

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ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

English Language Arts Core Curriculum (2005)
The revised English Language Arts Core Curriculum 2005 provides grade-by-grade delineation of the performance indicators: what students should know, and be able to do, in prekindergarten - grade 12, as a result of skilled instruction. The four ELA learning standards approved by the Board of Regents in 1996 remain the same. The 2005 Core Curriculum also features a literacy strand, pre-kindergarten through grade 8. This literacy strand will be extended through high school and posted on this site when it becomes available http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/cores.htm

International Literacy Day
In Iran in 1966, the World Conference of Ministers of Education on the Eradication of Illiteracy was held to discuss issues concerning global literacy. Since September 1967, International Literacy Day has been observed as a day to reflect on the importance of literacy in our lives. On September 8th, 2006, various communities across New York State and the world will celebrate International Literacy Day promoting literacy and learning. Please visit our website for links to various organizations and idea starters to promote International Literacy Day in your community. http://emsc33.nysed.gov/ciai/ela/IntLitDay.html

Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative to Announce Workshops; 32 Courses Now Online
Due to positive feedback and high demand, the US Department of Educations Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative will be offering more opportunities than ever before for teachers. There are 32 video courses from the workshops available online and free to charge through our e-Learning Web site. Additional sessions will be filmed and added throughout the year. These sessions will increase teachers content knowledge and teaching skills for improving student achievement in reading, mathematics, science and history, and may be counted toward professional development through your district or state. http://paec.org/teacher2teacher/

The Helping Your Child publication series, sponsored by the US Department of Education, aims to provide parents with the tools and information necessary to help their children succeed in school and life. These booklets feature practical lessons and activities in such areas as reading and homework.
http://www.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/hyc.html

Creating a Culture of Literacy: A Guide for Middle and High School Principals: This guide was distributed by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) with the support form the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It provides several key components suggested in order to increase a student's opportunity for success in adolescent literacy. http://www.principals.org/s_nassp/sec_news.asp?CID=1&DID=52936

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MATHEMATICS
In 1996, the New York State Board of Regents adopted learning standards for all content (subject) areas. Since then, the New York State Education Department has issued a series of core curricula, which provide an additional level of specificity to these learning standards. The core curricula are particularly important to local curriculum developers/educators since they contain the States expectations of what students must know and be able to do in relation to the content areas. See http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/cores.htm

Mathematics Core Curriculum (2005)
The Mathematics Core Curriculum approved by the Board of Regents Prekindergarten through commencement level http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/cores.htm provides grade specific performance indicators for the content and process bands and strands. This information has now been incorporated into the NYSED Virtual Learning System at http://eservices.nysed.gov/vls/

PreK- 8 Mathematics Toolkit http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/3-8/guidancepk8.htm
The following tools are posted in the toolkit to assist school districts in the transition to Learning Standard 3: Mathematics approved by the Board of Regents in January 2005.

Sample Tasks for Grades PreK-8/NYSED Virtual Learning System
The NYSED Virtual Learning System displays sample tasks for the prekindergarten through grade 8 performance indicators. Sample tasks are statements which enhance teacher understanding of the performance indicators. They provide guidance for the field to support the transition of the Mathematics Core Curriculum. These tasks can be viewed by drilling down through the VLS, Mathematics, Standard 3: Mathematics Revised March 2005 to the performance indicator level. Sample tasks are aligned to the performance indicators for both the content and process strands. See http://eservices.nysed.gov/vls/

Instructional Recommendations: Updated June 2006
During the process of reviewing student work from previous administrations of the New York State elementary and intermediate mathematics assessments, a number of themes and trends emerged. The following recommendations will help guide teachers of mathematics as they plan instruction based on the NYS Mathematics Core Curriculum (Revised 2005) See http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/mst/instructrec.doc

Guidance for Calculator Use in the Classroom and on State Assessments in Mathematics
This chart summarizes the policy decisions made regarding the use of calculators in classrooms and on State Assessment in Mathematics. Integration of technology into the classroom is a powerful student motivator. The usage of calculators helps students visualize concepts and ideas. To view go to http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/3-8/CalcChart.html

Commencement Level Mathematics Toolkit (Grades 9-12)
http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/3-8/guidance912.htm
The following tools are posted in the toolkit to assist school districts in the transition to Learning Standard 3: Mathematics approved by the Board of Regents in January 2005.

Sample Tasks for all Performance Indicators in Integrated Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra 2 and Trigonometry are now available online in Word, PDF and HTML formats. Sample tasks are statements which enhance teacher understanding of the performance indicators. They provide guidance for the field to support the transition to the Mathematics Core Curriculum (Revised 2005) . These tasks can be viewed on the Toolkit page for Mathematics 9-12. Sample tasks are aligned to the performance indicators for both the content and process strands. See http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/3-8/guidance912.htm and scroll down to Sample Tasks.

Commencement Level Glossary: Corrections
Correction of two inadvertent errors in the Glossary of Commencement Level Mathematical Terms for Regents approved Courses, Integrated Algebra, Geometry, Algebra 2 and Trigonometry, as reflected in the NYS Core Curriculum (Revised 2005) http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/3-8/glossaryHS.doc are as follows:
asymptote (A2T) A straight line or curve that is the limiting value of a curve.
horizontal-line test (A2T) A test using any horizontal line to determine whether or not a function is one-to-one. A function f is one-to-one if and only if no horizontal line intersects the graph of f more than once.

Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation: Mathematics Requirement
On December 8, 2005 the Board of Regents unanimously approved the Education Department's Implementation Timeline for Regents Examinations in Mathematics for Integrated Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra 2 & Trigonometry. See http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/3-8/mathexamsched.doc

During the phase-in of the new Regents examinations, a student will be able to attain the mathematics portion of a Regents diploma with Advanced Designation by passing the Mathematics A Regents and the Algebra 2 & Trigonometry Regents, or by passing all three of the new Regents examinations-Integrated Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra 2 & Trigonometry. For more information, see Commencement Level, Question 1 at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/mst/mqa.html

New York State Mathematics Resource Center
In January 2006, NYSED awarded the NYS Mathematics Resource Center to RMC Research Corporation. This Center will provide a centralized source for dissemination of guidance on NYS standards based mathematics and will identify promising practices and pedagogy which is informed by evidenced based research. The Center will establish a statewide strategy for ongoing professional development opportunities for teachers of mathematics. More information regarding this Center and its work will be available in the near future at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/mst/math.html

SOCIAL STUDIES
Constitution Day: Monday, September 18, 2006
Educational institutions receiving Federal funding are required "to hold an educational program on the United States Constitution on September 17 of each year." Since this date falls on a Sunday in 2006, schools can celebrate Constitution Day on Monday, September 18.
The National Constitution Day link is available again on the NYSED Social Studies Web site. This link contains a list of Web sites and resources to help districts plan for U.S. Constitution Day.
Further information on National Constitution Day may be obtained from the U.S. Department of Education:
http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/other/2005-2/052405b.html

Social Studies Leaders Guide Survey Posted!
The Social Studies Leaders Guide is an online publication designed as a reference tool for school leaders and teachers of social studies. It is designed to provide essential information and resources to support standards based education programs to students of NYS schools PreK through grade 12. It was posted in late February 2006 at: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/socst/leadersguide/ssintro.html A survey has been added to provide NYSED feedback on this publication. Please take a few moments to review the Social Studies Leaders Guide and provide us feedback.

World Communities: What Is a Culture? Now Available Online http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/socst/grade3/home.html
A new online teacher resource guide for grade 3 social studies includes is available and includes:
What Is a Culture? - a short paper on studying cultures through anthropology.
Culture: A Geographical Perspective - a short paper on studying cultures through geography.
A Crosswalk connecting each article to the NYS Learning Standards for Social Studies and the Grade 3 Units and Understandings as outlined in Social Studies Instructional Strategies & Resources: Prekindergarten Through Grade 6.
Tips on How to Select World Communities - along with planning templates for the world communities selected.
A Glossary of terms found throughout the papers.Call For Content: teachers can submit grade 3 standards-based learning experiences (lessons plans, units, teaching strategies) for future posting on this resource.

Call For Content: Grade 3-Communities Around the World
The State Education Department (SED), in partnership with the New York State Council for the Social Studies (NYSCSS) and the New York State Social Studies Supervisors Association (NYS4A), is seeking standards-based learning experiences created by New York State teachers of the grade 3 social studies core curriculum. Learning experiences can include individual lesson plans, teaching strategies, and resources (such as books, internet sites, multimedia), and will be featured in the new World Communities: What Is a Culture? professional development guide for grade 3 teachers. Submissions will be juried using criteria similar to those established by the New York State Academy for Teaching and Learning (NYSATL) for its Statewide Peer Review process. A learning experience should identify specific New York State Learning Standards, list key ideas and performance indicators for each standard addressed, and be linked to the existing NYS core curriculum. It should require students to !
demonstrate the use of the content, skills, and methodologies that are central to the learning standard. For more information, please visit the Call For Content at www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/socst/sscontentcall.html The deadline for submitting work is Sunday, December 31, 2006.

SCIENCE
Physical Setting/Earth Science Performance Test - Part D - Materials List
The New York State Regents Examination in Physical Setting/Earth Science consists of two components: a laboratory performance test and a written test. A new form of the laboratory performance test is currently in the test development phase and will be administered for the first time in June 2007. The performance test consists of hands-on tasks set up at four stations. These tasks are designed to measure student achievement of the New York State Learning Standards for Mathematics, Science, and Technology as included in the Physical Setting/Earth Science Core Curriculum. A link to the materials list can be found at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/mst/scinote.htm

Building a Presence Points of Contact (BaP) STILL Needed in every school in NYS !!
The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), with funding from the Exxon/Mobil Foundation instituted a national initiative to create a comprehensive communications and professional development network of science education advocates which is referred to as Building a Presence BaP. The objectives of the project are to create a state and national network for K-12 teachers of science to share resources about effective science teaching and learning, lessen science teacher isolation, help science teachers implement state and national science education standards in their schools, stimulate professional development opportunities for science teachers, and provide teachers with resources to help all students learn science. NYS is seeking a point of contact in each school to receive email announcements and to share them will colleagues. Please forward this information to teachers of science in your district and have interested teachers contact Nancy Ridenour, Nancyvr@clarityconn!
ect.com, for details on how to become involved.

Teacher Workshops at the New York State Museum
The Museum Education Institute at the New York State Museum was established in 2001 to support a community of professionals dedicated to improving education. The Institute provides practicing teachers with opportunities to participate in the research process with access to current research information, and to interact with Museum research and collections staff. The Institute aids in the accomplishment of the Museums mission by fostering working relationships between teachers and researchers in the fields of geology, biology, anthropology and history. For more information about upcoming teacher workshops, please visit http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/education/teacher/workshops.html

GRADE 3-8 TESTING ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS (ELA) AND MATHEMATICS
Grades 3-8 2006 Mathematics Tests are now available on-line at http://www.nysedregents.org/testing/mathei/06exams/home.htm Item maps with the performance indicators and multiple choice answers keys will be posted when student score reports are made available.

Teacher Evaluation Forms for ELA Grades 3 - 8 (electronic submission)
The Teacher Evaluation Form for the 2006 3-8 English Language Arts Tests is available on the following web site http://www.ctb.com/pickupebs/nyeval/nyeval.jsp Comments and concerns of educators who administered, proctored, and/or scored these test will assist NYSED in enhancing this testing program. Feedback is greatly appreciated.

A Parent's Guide to the Grades 3-8 Testing Program in English Language Arts and Mathematics. This comprehensive parent guide for the Grades 3-8 Testing Program includes Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), sample questions for ELA and Mathematics tests, and details on how parents can help their children prepare for the tests. English and translations of the Grades 3-8 parent brochure are available in Chinese, Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian and Spanish. See http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/3-8/parentguide/home.htm

TEST ADMINISTRATION DATES
Dates of State Assessments for the 2006-2007 school year: Elementary- and Intermediate-Level at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/schedules/ele06-07dates.htm; High School Examinations at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/sched.html
Suggestions and feedback from teachers provide an important contribution to the test development process. The Department provides an online evaluation form for State assessments. It contains spaces for teachers to respond to several specific questions and to make suggestions. This form is posted at www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/exameval Please select the link Regents Examinations - August 2006" to complete the evaluation form for any of the August 2006 Regents Examinations.

NYS Education Department Virtual Learning System (VLS) Enhanced and Expanded
The NYSED VLS has been enhanced and expanded with interesting visuals and additional content. Recent changes include updated home pages with added informational items. Thousands of lesson plans and instructional tasks are available by exploring the learning standards and performance indicators in the seven content areas. In response to several suggestions, a new VLS Resource Search has been implemented. A user can easily access VLS resources and related information with a few mouse clicks (two-to-three). Additional search options continue to provide quick access to SED and GEM (Gateway to Educational Materials) resources. Please visit http://eservices.nysed.gov/vls

Thirteen/WNET New York announces the launch of three dynamic new Web resources for New York State Educators
WIDE ANGLE: WINDOW INTO GLOBAL HISTORY
www.thirteen.org/edonline/wideangle
Wide Angle: Window into Global History was produced by Thirteen/WNET New York to support the teaching and learning of Global History and Geography in high school classrooms across New York State. The project Web site provides high school teachers with resources tying video material from PBS award-winning WIDE ANGLE series of international documentaries to Regents and Advanced Placement courses in Global and World History. The site comprises ten media-rich lesson plans with embedded video and a Video Bank of over 40 downloadable video clips, organized by teaching theme and associated with guiding questions for students.

ACCESS ISLAM
www.thirteen.org/edonline/accessislam
Access Islam is a pioneering new educational tool. Designed by Thirteen/WNET New York to support the study of Islamic cultures, traditions, and holidays in grades 4-8, the site contains over 100 minutes of downloadable video drawn from the PBS newsmagazine RELIGION & ETHICS NEWSWEEKLY and covering topics such as Muslim Prayer, Ramadan Observance, Zakaat, Hajj, Islamic Art, Muslims in America, and more. Also find 10 standards-based lesson plans, a timeline, glossary, background on Islam, and resources to support teaching about religion in the classroom.

PRAIRIE TO PARIS
www.thirteen.org/edonline/americanmasters
Thirteen/WNET has also recently launched PRAIRIE TO PARIS: Exploring the Worlds of MY |NTONIA and THE SUN ALSO RISES a Web-based companion to the award-winning PBS series AMERICAN MASTERS. The site is designed to enhance high school students' understanding of Willa Cather's MY |NTONIA and Ernest Hemingway's THE SUN ALSO RISES. Visitors to the site can explore the worlds of the two novels through timelines, essays, interactive film trailers, maps of real and fictive locations, and biographical information on the authors. Educators are also encouraged to provide feedback on the site by emailing it to prairietoparis@thirteen.org.

PBS TeacherLine New York is the perfect professional development solution for a growing number of teachers in the state. High quality, curriculum-specific courses are available to all educational professionals to support district requirements for highly qualified teachers. All courses are correlated to New York State Learning Standards and are facilitated by content area experts. Coursework is asynchronous and collaborative so that teachers can participate on a schedule that is most convenient for them. Courses are offered at all times of the year and there is still time to register for teachers for this summer.

Most important, the implementation of PBS TeacherLine coursework is articulated with BOCES and Teacher Center professional development programs and services to optimize opportunities for substantial savings on course discounts and continuity with other district professional development efforts. Detailed information on PBS TeacherLine New York is available at www.thinkbright.org/teacherline and at each public television station in the state. For information on sales or direct assistance in planning and implementing PBS TeacherLine New York courses for your school or district, please contact Charles DeVoe at 518: 275-0936 or at cdevoe1@nycap.rr.com.

News and Updates: Art

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

The Fourteenth Annual Statewide Chinese Painting Contest Guidelines

NYSED News