News & Events
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SOE faculty and students are visiting New Zealand during May and blogging about their experiences.
From May 5 to May 30, Cathy Reischl, faculty leader of the undergraduate and master’s programs in elementary teacher education and coordinator of the Elementary Master of Arts with Certification (ELMAC) program, and Kathryn Young, coordinator of the undergraduate program in secondary teacher education, are leading a group of fifteen undergraduate students to Aotearoa/New Zealand for a project themed, "Exploring Language, Culture, and Schooling in Maori and Pakeha Education." Students in this project are developing a comparative perspective on the role of language and culture in schooling. They are learning actively through internships in schools, home stays, dialogue with university students and faculty, and cultural journeys to geological and historical sites. Seven of the fifteen students are education majors (six from U-M School of Education and one from UM-Flint).
You can follow the students on this exciting adventure through their group blog. You can also read Kathryn Young’s blog.
Edward Silver receives Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Service to Mathematics Education.
Edward Silver, William A. Brownell Collegiate Professor of Education,
was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Service to Mathematics Education by the National Council of Teachers and Mathematics (NCTM). The award is given to recognize NCTM members who have demonstrated a lifetime of achievement in mathematics education at the national level. Silver received the award at the NCTM 2009 Annual Meeting and Exposition on April 23, 2009.
Among the areas of Silver's expertise are mathematical problem solving and problem posing, developing intellectually engaging and equitable mathematics instruction, developing methods of assessing and reporting mathematics achievement, and enhancing the knowledge of teachers of mathematics.
John Burkhardt receives funding to help Michigan communities aid adult learners.
John Burkhardt, clinical professor of higher education, has been awarded $68,921 from the Michigan Department of Treasury for a project entitled, "Higher Education Consultation Leveraging our Communities for Adult Learners."
The goal of the project is to bring to the attention of community foundations and state policy makers the potential and importance of helping young adults through college. By the end of the project, community foundations in ten identified Michigan communities will have a clearer sense of the number of young adults in their regions who are positioned to complete college within three to five years; they will have data on the institutional capacity needed to serve these individuals and its adequacy to meet demand; they will have a better understanding of the attitudes, values and beliefs held by these individuals; and they will have evidence about the pay-off in economic and social benefits associated with a successful effort to get more of these individuals to re-enroll and graduate.
Susan Dynarski's proposal for simplifying financial aid discussed on the White House Blog.
Susan Dynarski, associate professor of education and associate professor public policy, and coauthor Judith Scott-Clayton examined the federal system of student financial aid and identified the significant impediment presented by the required submission of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. In their 2007 paper, College Grants on a Postcard: A Proposal for Simple and Predictable Federal Student Aid, they conclude that the financial aid application process is unnecessarily complex and poorly timed with respect to the college application process.
Dynarski and Clayton suggest that the financial aid process could be dramatically improved if the government administered financial aid through information already collected by the Internal Revenue Service.
In April 2009, the Middle Class Task Force, convened by U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden, met to discuss making college more affordable for our families. In an entry about this topic on the White House Blog on April 17, 2009, Dynarski and Clayton's proposal is discussed.
SOE's Teacher Education Initiative group members are engaged in timely and necessary redesign of teacher preparation.
Around the country, including here in Michigan, communities are discussing the value of teacher preparation and the effectiveness of current salary and retention practices for teachers. Here at the School of Education, many members of the community are engaged in the Teacher Education Initiative, a comprehensive project to redesign the way teachers are prepared to practice.
On April 15, 2009, the University of Michigan issued a news release on this topic featuring Deborah Loewenberg Ball, dean of the U-M School of Education, and Francesca Forzani, doctoral candidate and project manager for the Teacher Education Initiative.
SOE researchers find students are increasingly sorted among colleges by achievement and income.
School of Education researchers have identified a trend over the last few decades of students becoming increasingly sorted among higher-education institutions of different prestige levels based on socioeconomic status and academic ability.
Michael Bastedo, assistant professor of education, and doctoral candidate Ozan Jaquette presented their research at the American Educational Research Association conference on April 16; their work was also covered in the Chronicle of Higher Education's News Blog.
Donald Freeman receives funding for the Ann Arbor Language Partnership
Donald Freeman, director of teacher education and associate professor of education, was recently awarded funding for the Ann Arbor Language Partnership, which he codirects with SOE Lecturer Maria Coolican.
The funding, $65,000, is from the Ann Arbor Public Schools and is intended for this, the first year of an ongoing project that will provide instruction in world languages to students in Ann Arbor public schools through a carefully structured teacher education program run by SOE. Beginning next September, the Partnership will offer Spanish language instruction to third-graders in all 21 elementary schools in Ann Arbor. In September 2010, the program will expand Spanish instruction into the fourth and fifth grades, while continuing in third grade. Once the program is established, other languages may be added. The Partnership also supports and documents the achievement of language-diverse students who are English learners in the district’s schools.
To read a brochure about the Ann Arbor Languages Partnership, see: http://www.soe.umich.edu/downloads/a2lp.pdf
Susan Dynarski selected as editor for the leading economics journal.
Susan Dynarski, associate professor of education and associate professor public policy, has been selected as an editor for the Journal of Labor Economics. The JOLE is the top journal that publishes research related to the economics of education and employment. Dynarski has been an associate editor for JOLE since 2008.
Joe Krajcik receives Rutgers University/NSF grant for continuing work on learning progressions.
Joe Krajcik, professor of education and associate dean for research, was awarded a grant from Rutgers University/National Science Foundation in the amount of $94,065 to continue work on developing assessments for studying and validating learning progressions. The grant period is September 15, 2009 until April 30, 2010.
A “learning progression” is a term used to describe the idea that learning develops across extended periods of time—over multiple grades—rather than being limited as segments taught in distinct instructional units. According to Krajcik, learning progressions could provide frameworks for making decisions about what to teach, how and when to teach it, and what teachers can expect students to be able to do at different points along the progression.
Hyman Bass will discuss ‘making believe in mathematics’ at his March 25 lecture.
Hyman Bass, the Samuel Eilenberg Distinguished University Professor of Mathematics and Mathematics Education and the Roger C. Lyndon Collegiate Professor of Mathematics, will present a lecture on March 25, 2009, in the Distinguished University Professor series. Bass has titled his lecture “How do you know that you know? Making Believe in Mathematics.” It takes place at 4:00 p.m. in the Rackham Amphitheatre.
Read more about Bass’s lecture in an article in the March 16, 2009, University Record.
Deborah Ball, Kenneth Burnley of SOE’s Education Leadership Center, and Willard Daggett, president of International Center for Leadership in Education, in a half-day seminar on Thursday, March 12, at the Michigan Union.
In partnership with Cisco’s 21st Century Schools Initiative, we are proud to present “Preparing the Classroom and Students for the 21st Century.” A holistic transformation of the nation’s learning systems is underway. Such change should be guided by a plan that covers curricular and assessment reform, new teacher recruitment and training strategies, leadership development, and the integration of collaborative technologies.
The program will begin with opening remarks by Kenneth Burnley, residential fellow, Education Leadership Center, at 9:30 a.m. At 9:45, Willard Daggett will present “Improving Student Performance During Times of Declining Resources: Addressing Efficiency and Effectiveness.” Following this, at 11:00, Deborah Ball will discuss “Teaching Practice: Creating a Skilled Teaching Force.”
The seminar will take place at the Michigan Union, 530 South State Street, Ann Arbor. Registration is available at www.cisco.com/go/semreg/univ_michigan.
Deborah Ball receives award for contributions in mathematics education from the Association for Women in Mathematics.
On January 6, 2009, the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) bestowed the nineteenth annual Louise Hay Award to Deborah Loewenberg Ball, dean of the U-M School of Education and William H. Payne Collegiate Professor of Education and Arthur F. Thurnau Professor. The ceremony was part of the AWM's 2009 Joint Mathematics Meetings in Washington, DC.
The AWM chose Ball in recognition of her deep and wide contributions to mathematics education, including her accomplishments as an elementary mathematics teacher, her investigations and contributions to understanding the mathematical knowledge needed by elementary school teachers, and her visionary leadership in advancing mathematics teacher education in the United States.
According to a citation released by the AWM: "The AWM is pleased to honor Deborah Loewenberg Ball with the 2009 Louise Hay Award for her innovative and crucially important research into the mathematics needed by elementary school teachers, her ability to communicate mathematics to children and related understandings to diverse communities of adults, her healing effect on the divisions among communities, and her effective national and international leadership."
The award is named for Louise Hay, who was widely recognized for her contributions to mathematical logic and for her strong leadership, her devotion to students, and her lifelong commitment to nurturing the talent of young women and men. She was at the University of Illinois at Chicago from 1968 until 1988, the last nine years as head of the Department of Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science.
Ball is the second U-M faculty member to receive this prestigious award: Patricia Shure, senior lecturer emerita in LSA, received the Louise Hay award in 2001.
The Association for Women in Mathematics has posted their citation for Ball and Ball's response on their website.
In a new book, Susan Neuman details seven principles of educational programs that break the cycle of poverty.
12/4/08 - Susan Neuman investigates U.S. educational programs and
distills “Seven Essential Principles of Educational Programs that
Break the Cycle of Poverty” in her newly published book Changing the
Odds for Children at Risk.
Susan Neuman, professor of education at U-M School of Education and a former Bush administration assistant secretary of education, analyzed and assessed U.S. educational programs that were designed to reduce poverty. She identified programs that were demonstrably effective and determined what were the critical elements behind the successes. She organized her findings into seven principles:
1. Actively target the neediest children.
2. Begin early in children’s lives.
3. Emphasize coordinated services, particularly for children whose families present multiple risks.
4. Focus on boosting academic achievement through compensatory high- quality instruction.
5. Deliver instruction by trained professionals, not by aides or volunteers.
6. Acknowledge that intensity matters, defending against any dilution of program quality as a waste of public resources.
7. Always hold themselves accountable for results and for children’s achievement.
Neuman writes that, “In light of this extraordinary convergence of increased awareness of the problem, knowledge of what works and renewed commitment toward educating every child in America, the bleak cycle of poverty and disadvantage that has until now appeared so intractable can be broken forever.”
Changing the Odds for Children at Risk is published by Praeger and is available online and in bookstores.
12/8/08 update – Neuman is quoted in a USA Today article on the neurological affects of poverty on children's brains.
SOE partner Jumpstart breaks record with over 400,000 reading the same book on the same day
Jumpstart’s Read for the Record is a campaign designed to bring attention to the importance of early education. Jumpstart broke the world record on October 2, 2008, for the largest shared reading experience in history with over 400,000 children and adults reading the same book, Corduroy, on the same day. The historic event took place in schools, libraries, stores, hotels, playgrounds, offices, and homes across the country. Locally, in Ann Arbor, over 20 U-M students read to 75 children at Little Lambs Nursery and Kindergarten, Kid’s Garden, and Eastern Washtenaw Multicultural Center.
Jumpstart is a national early childhood education organization which addresses school readiness among preschool children deemed at-risk by their teachers. Jumpstart and SOE initiated a partnership in September, 2008, The program has offices at the school and Susan Neuman, professor of educational studies, is on Jumpstart’s board of directors.
Here in Ann Arbor, as in sites across the country, students are paired with preschool children for twice weekly one-to-one sessions and additional time assisting teachers in the classroom. The college mentors, known as Corps Members, are trained in best practices from the field of early childhood education and join the growing national service movement through AmeriCorps.
The nationally recognized Center for the Study of Higher and
Postsecondary Education (CSHPE) will offer a new master's
concentration in philanthropy, advancement, and development beginning
in fall 2009.
"This new concentration area will complement well our current graduate
program offerings in higher education," says Deborah Carter, director
of CSHPE. "I am pleased that we are able to expand our programs to
offer future higher education leaders and practitioners an option in
the area of philanthropy and advancement."
The 30-credit graduate program focuses on developing leadership skills related to a wide range of emerging professional opportunities including government relations, marketing, communications, alumni relations, fund raising and development as well as institutional, corporate and foundation relations.
"This is the most quickly expanding professional area in higher education and the University is already known as a leader in this field," says John Burkhardt, a clinical professor of higher education. "We are combining the strengths of the nation's leading higher ed program with those of the historical leader in philanthropy among public universities."
To read more about the program, go to: http://www.soe.umich.edu/highereducation/development/index.html
To read about the program in the University Record Online, go to: http://www.ur.umich.edu/0809/Sep29_08/03.php
John Burkhardt is quoted in the Ann Arbor Business Review in a story
about new educational philanthropy programs:
www.mlive.com/businessreview/annarbor/index.ssf /2008/10/colleges_creating_an_education.html
Rethinking Student Aid Group, Including Professor Dynarski, Releases Report
A high-profile group of academic researchers and policy experts, including SOE’s Professor Susan Dynarski, has recently released a proposal for a federal financial aid system designed to increase enrollment and improve success rates for low- and moderate-income students.
Over the course of two years, the group studied the current system and considered alternate strategies to make the system more accessible to students, their families, and more effective in achieving national goals.
“We believe that the most important purpose of student aid is to expand the educational opportunities available to those young people and adults who face financial barriers to college enrollment and success.”
—Rethinking Student Aid Study Group
Some of the recommendations developed by the study group include:
- Simplify federal grant awards by eliminating the difficult-to-complete Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Instead, tax information supplied by the IRS would be used to determine eligibility for Pell Grants.
- Direct loan subsidies to students who need help repaying their loans
- Tie Pell Grant increases to the annual consumer price index and base the grants on family size and adjusted gross income
- Simplify the education tax credits by combining the numerous tax credits and deductions into a single credit
The group's report, "Fulfilling the Commitment: Recommendations for Reforming Federal Student Aid," is available at http://professionals.collegeboard.com/policy-advocacy/affordability/student-aid
The report has received coverage in several places, including:
The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/19/education/19college.html?ref=us
Inside Higher Ed
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/09/19/rethink
LA Times
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thehomeroom/2008/09/kill-the-fafsa.html
Chronicle of Higher Education (requires subscription)
http://chronicle.com/daily/2008/09/4668n.htm
Christian Science Monitor
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0919/p25s13-usgn.html
Programs for Educational Opportunity Awarded Grant to Increase Gender Equity in STEM Fields
The Programs for Educational Opportunity, based at SOE and directed by Percy Bates, Professor of Education, recently received a three-year grant to fund the Great Lakes Girls Collaborative Project in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The goal is to increase gender equity in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by supporting collaboration between existing STEM programs which serve girls.
Podcast on U-M home page features Professor Moje
Professor Elizabeth Moje is featured this week on the University of Michigan home page, discussing adolescent literacy in an audiofile interview.
To hear the podcast, go to: http://www.ns.umich.edu/podcast/podcast.php
To view the link on the U-M home page, go to: http://www.umich.edu
To view Professor Moje's faculty profile, go to: http://sitemaker.soe.umich.edu/soe/faculty_introduction&mode=single&recordID=50893
To view Elizabeth Birr Moje's website, go to: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~moje/
Professor Neuman named as key leader in New York Times article on school reform
In an article discussing the candidates’ education plans, School of Education professor Susan Neuman is named as a key figure in a “new and growing movement of researchers and advocates” beginning “to argue that the longstanding and sharp conceptual divide between school and not school is out of date. It ignores, they say, overwhelming evidence of the impact of family and community environments on children’s achievement.”
To read the New York Times article, “24/7 School Reform,” go to:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/07/magazine/07wwln-lede-t.html
To read Professor Neuman’s faculty profile, go to:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/faculty/neuman
To see Susan Neuman’s website, go to:
http://www.sbneuman.com/
Site of national early childhood-focused Jumpstart established at U-M
This fall, The School of Education at The University of Michigan launches its partnership with Jumpstart, a national early childhood education organization to address school readiness among preschool children deemed at-risk by their teachers. The new site, Jumpstart Ann Arbor at The University of Michigan, will pair 35 U-M students with preschool children in Ann Arbor for twice weekly one-to-one sessions and additional time assisting teachers in the classroom. The college mentors, known as Jumpstart Corps members, will be trained in best practices from the field of early childhood education. U-M joins a network of more than 70 campuses dedicated to addressing the needs of America’s preschool population.
To read the entire press release, go to:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/downloads/jumpstart.pdf
For more information about Jumpstart, go to:
http://www.jstart.org
Language partnership between School of Education and Ann Arbor Public Schools announced
Director of Teacher Education Donald Freeman and world languages faculty member Maria Coolican presented about the proposed Ann Arbor Languages Partnership to the Ann Arbor School Board on Wednesday, August 20, in collaboration with Superintendent Todd Roberts and Elementary Curriculum Administrator Lee Ann Dickinson-Kelley.
The partnership, which will involve faculty, students, and school-based media specialists in creating and teach Spanish language curricula for elementary children, grades three through five, based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, will unfold over the next several years. The Common European Framework was established in the late 1990s as a way of providing a common method of assessing and teaching languages in Europe.
To read the Ann Arbor News article, “All Ann Arbor students will learn Spanish,” go to:
http://www.mlive.com/annarbor/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-29/1219329618312290.xml&coll=2
To learn about the Common European Framework, go to:
http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/CADRE_EN.asp
To read a brochure about the Ann Arbor Languages Partnership, see:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/downloads/a2lp.pdf
“Lengthening of Childhood” paper by Professor Dynarski receives media attention
A recent paper, “The Lengthening of Childhood,” authored by new School of Education faculty member Susan Dynarski and her colleague, David Deming, examines “academic redshirting,” the practice of enrolling a child in a grade lower than the one for which he or she is eligible. Dynarski and Deming conclude that the “late state of boys in primary school explains a small but significant portion of the rising gender gaps in high school graduation and college completion.” The paper has been discussed in Slate, Atlantic Monthly, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Sun.
To read “The Lengthening of Childhood” by David Deming and Susan Dynarski, (Working Paper 14124, National Bureau of Economic Research, June 2008) go to:
http://www.nber.org/~dynarski/Deming_Dynarski_Childhood.pdf
To read articles and blogs mentioning “The Lengthening of Childhood,” go to
Slate:
http://www.slate.com/id/2196423/
Atlantic Monthly:
http://matthewyglesias.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/07/the_cost_of_redshirting.php
Wall Street Journal:
http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2008/07/18/the-graying-of-kindergarten/
New York Sun:
http://www.nysun.com/new-york/lengthening-childhood-has-a-downside-study-says/82275/
Portfolio.com:
http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/odd-numbers/2008/07/09/elite-ceos-are-born-under-the-sun
Professor Neuman discusses the No Child Left Behind act and future directions for policy makers in Free Press op-ed
In a Detroit Free Press column titled "Get bolder in effort to lift all children's education" Susan Neuman, former Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education during the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act, explains how her thinking has evolved and makes a case for broadening and redoubling our efforts to address the needs of children living in poverty.
Professor Neuman has joined a group of national experts, from diverse backgrounds, areas of expertise and political beliefs, in calling for a "broader, bolder approach" to education. The task force, convened by the Economic Policy Institute, and chaired by Helen Ladd, an well-known economist, and Pedro Noguera, an education policy expert, has made the argument that American education policy has erred by relying on school improvement alone, rather than defining schooling more broadly and taking on the social and economic circumstances of disadvantaged youth.
To read Professor Neuman's Free Press column, "Get bolder in effort to lift all children's education," click here:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20
080731/OPINION01/807310343/1069
To read about "A Broader, Bolder Approach to Education," click here:
http://www.boldapproach.org/statement.html
To read a blog about this task force, click here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pedro-noguera/a-broader-bolder-approach_b_106244.html
To read an Education Week article on this task force, click here:
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/06/18/42nclb.h27.html
Professor Moje’s research mentioned in New York Times article, “R U Really Reading”
Professor Elizabeth Moje, a well-known researcher on adolescent literacies, is paraphrased and her research is mentioned in a recent article in the New York Times entitled “R U Really Reading.”
To read the article, which appeared on 7/27/08, go to:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/books/27reading.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
To read Elizabeth Birr Moje’s faculty profile, go to:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/faculty/moje
To view Elizabeth Birr Moje’s website, go to:
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~moje/
Elementary Mathematics Laboratory featured in two newspaper stories
From July 21-August 1, Ypsilanti fifth grade students travel on a school bus to the University of Michigan campus to participate in the Elementary Mathematics Laboratory (EML), a summer program that works at the intersection of research, professional teaching practice, and outreach.
The Elementary Mathematics Laboratory is held on the second floor of the School of Education, and features a mathematics class for the children taught by Dean Deborah Loewenberg Ball, which is viewed, discussed and researched by prospective and practicing teachers, mathematicians, and mathematics educators.
To read a Detroit Free Press story about the Elementary Math Laboratory, go to:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008807280351
To read an Ann Arbor News story, go to:
http://blog.mlive.com/annarbornews/2008/07/math_class_teaches_teachers.html
To read a brochure about the Elementary Mathematics Laboratory, go to:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/downloads/eml2008.pdf
To visit a website about the EML, go to:
http://sitemaker.umich.edu/mathlab2008/
Interview with author and doctoral student Liz Kolb featured on Inside Michigan Education
Graduate student Liz Kolb, author of Toys to Tools: Connecting Student Cell Phones to Education in and out of the Classroom is featured on a podcast on Inside Michigan Education.
To hear the podcast, go to:
http://www.insidemieducation.com/2008/06/interview-with-liz-kolb.php
“ A Broader, Bolder Approach to Education” consensus manifesto made public, signed by Professor Neuman
A task force, convened by the Economic Policy Institute, and chaired by Helen Ladd, an well-known economist, and Pedro Noguera, an education policy expert, has made the argument that American education policy has erred by relying on school improvement alone, rather than defining schooling more broadly and taking on the social and economic circumstances of disadvantaged youth.
To read "A Broader, Bolder Approach to Education," click here:
http://www.boldapproach.org/statement.html
To co-sign the document, click here:
http://www.boldapproach.org/join.html
To read a blog about this task force, click here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pedro-noguera/a-broader-bolder-approach_b_106244.html
To read an Education Week article on this task force, click here:
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/06/18/42nclb.h27.html
TEACH grant program provides support for prospective teachers in high-need schools and subjects
The University of Michigan Board of Regents recently approved U-M’s participation in the TEACH program, which is aimed at supporting prospective teachers aiming to teach high-need subjects to low-income students. Recent federal legislation created a new source of support--the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) grant.
Individuals may be eligible for a TEACH grant of up to $4,000 per academic year (defined as two terms of full-time enrollment), or a maximum of $8,000, if they meet certain criteria. However, if one does not complete the service requirements outlined in the Agreement to Serve, all of the TEACH grant funds received will be converted to an unsubsidized federal loan that includes interest from the date the loan was issued. An individual receiving a TEACH grant must teach four of the eight years after completing a program in a designated high needs area.
For further information, please see the University of Michigan Office of Financial Aid's information on the TEACH grant at http://www.finaid.umich.edu/types_of_financial_aid/teach.asp
Professor Bain receives monetary award for Michigan Council of Social Studies “Educator of the Year” honor
At a brief ceremony at the School of Education, local MEEMIC Insurance Company representative, Bill Christen of the Gordon Group Insurance Agencies located in Ann Arbor, presented Dr. Robert Bain, an associate professor of history and social studies education, with a check for $250.00, made payable to the University of Michigan.
Dr. Bain was recently selected to receive an Educator of the Year award from the Michigan Council for Social Studies, and this presentation acknowledged that honor. Dr. Bain was honored for his role in guiding the development of the Michigan content expectations for secondary social studies and for his ongoing work with Michigan teachers and school districts.
Dr Bain said, “We appreciate MEEMIC’s support of the social studies and the work that the University of Michigan is doing to help K-12 students meet the challenges they will face as citizens. Your generous contribution will further our work with Michigan teachers and in area classrooms.”
To read the entire press release, click here (PDF).
To read Professor Bain’s faculty profile, go to:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/faculty/bain
Professor Zint designs online resource for environmental educators
In recent years, Michaela Zint, an associate professor of environmental education and communication at the University of Michigan, found herself fielding an increasing number of calls from fellow environmental educators. All expressed a similar concern: how to evaluate their programs.
Environmental educators – whether K-12 teachers or instructors working for government agencies or non-profit organizations including universities – expressed a strong need for information to assess the quality of their programs.
These evaluations have become more important for environmental education programs as budgets shrink at funding agencies and foundations. As the cuts occur, there is more pressure on environmental educators to prove their programs are worth the investment and making a difference. In fact, many agencies and foundations now do not fund programs unless they incorporate evaluation.
Reflecting on her colleagues’ needs, Dr. Zint initiated a project to develop a web-based tool to assist and empower environmental educators in conducting their own evaluations. The result was “My Environmental Education Evaluation Resource Assistant” or MEERA, the latest version of which was launched this month. The site’s URL is www.meera.snre.umich.edu.
To read the entire press release, click here (PDF).
To read Professor Zint’s faculty profile, go to:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/faculty/zint
Mathematics teacher educators’ workshop deadline May 17
ThEMaT's Summer Workshop for Teacher Educators will take place between June 10-13, 2008, on the University of Michigan--Ann Arbor campus, for the second year in a row. If you are interested in applying for this workshop, please visit http://grip.umich.edu/ and fill out an application form no later than May 17, 2008. Please also feel free to send this information to anyone you think might be interested in coming.
ThEMaT (Thought Experiments in Mathematics Teaching) is an NSF-funded research project dedicated to the study of teaching in secondary algebra and geometry. As part of our work we have developed representations of teaching. These are classroom stories narrated by way of animations and graphic novel materials. The stories showcase how mathematical ideas come to exist in classroom interaction; the stories also make the work of teachers visible and showcase classroom discussions about mathematics. We have used them extensively with groups of teachers and found them effective to promote conversations about practice and about mathematics. We envision making these materials available to a limited number of partners who might be willing to collaborate with us using them in courses for teachers: either mathematics classes for teachers or education classes for pre-service or in-service mathematics teachers.
The purpose of the workshop is to preview and discuss activities and experiences we have created to use these stories as a context for the professional education and continued development of mathematics teachers. We are particularly interested in bringing to Ann Arbor a small group of experienced teacher educators and mathematicians who might be interested in collaboration being a part of our user community. While in the workshop, participants will get to know the materials and the activities we have around them, and they will work on creating resources to use along with the materials, as they sketch how they might use the materials with their own clients.
If you are interested in applying for this workshop, go to:
http://grip.umich.edu
To ask questions or request the opportunity to preview workshop materials, please contact S08-themat@umich.edu .
Professor O’Connor wins diversity award
Professor Carla O’ Connor has won University of Michigan’s Harold R. Johnson Diversity Service Award for her dedication to creating a diverse, and equitable society, as demonstrated through her scholarship on resilience and African American learners, through her contributions to undergraduate and graduate curriculum design and teaching practice, and through her many caring actions toward students, staff, and faculty.
To read Professor O’ Connor’s faculty profile, go to:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/faculty/oconnor
For more information about the Harold R. Johnson Diversity Service Award, go to: http://www.provost.umich.edu/programs/diversity_service.html
Professor Dynarski testifies before Congress about using tax incentives to increase college-going
Professor Susan Dynarski, who will join the faculty of the School of Education and the Ford School of Public Policy in August, testified before a House Ways and Means Subcommittee on May 1, 2008, proposing that the current education tax incentive system be simplified and modified so that families with the greatest need can benefit and college-going rates increase among low income students. Dr. Dynarski is currently an associate professor of public policy at the Kennedy School, Harvard University.
To read her testimony, click here (Adobe PDF).
To read the discussion paper prepared for the Hamilton Project, Brookings Institution, “College Grants on a Postcard: A Proposal for Simple and Predictable Federal Student Aid,” (February 2007) authored by Susan Dynarski and Judith E. Scott-Clayton, click here (Adobe PDF).
To view the hearing archives for the House Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures, go to:
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=detail&hearing=628
Associate Dean Krajcik explains significance of nanoscience-related education to Congress
On Tuesday, April 16, Associate Dean for Research Joe Krajcik testified about the National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act before the House Committee on Science and Technology in Washington, D.C. To read the testimony, go to:
http://science.house.gov/publications/hearings_markups_details.aspx?NewsID=2146
Professor Songer receives Faculty Recognition Award
Nancy Butler Songer, professor of science education and learning technologies at the School of Education, has been awarded a 2008 Faculty Recognition Award by the University of Michigan. Professor Songer is principal investigator of the BioKIDS/DeepThink research group, and has been recognized as a National Science Foundation Presidential Faculty Fellow and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Faculty who have demonstrated substantive contributions to the University through significant achievements in scholarly research and/or creative endeavors; excellence as a teacher, advisor and mentor; and distinguished participation in the service activities of University of Michigan are nominated for this award. A university-wide committee of distinguished faculty select up to five awardees, who receive the awards and stipends of $1000 in an October ceremony.
To view Dr. Songer’s faculty profile, go to:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/faculty/songer
Ken Burnley one of four finalists for the Eastern Michigan University presidency
Dr. Kenneth Burnley, a senior resident fellow at the University of Michigan School of Education, and director of the Education Leadership Center, is one of four finalists for the Eastern Michigan University presidency. Dr. Burnley, who received his degrees from University of Michigan, served as chief operating officer for the Detroit Public Schools from 2000-2005. He also served as district superintendent in Fairbanks, Alaska, and in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
To read an Ann Arbor News article about the finalists, go to:
<http://blog.mlive.com/annarbornews/2008/04/eastern_michigan_university_re.html>
To read a Detroit Free Press article about the finalists, go to:
<http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080417/NEWS06/80417050>
Hyman Bass is named Distinguished University Professor
Professor Hyman Bass has been awarded a Distinguished University Professorship by University of Michigan. This competitive and prestigious award is the highest honor that the University bestows on senior faculty "to recognize exceptional scholarly and/or creative achievement, national and international reputation, and superior teaching skills.” Dr. Bass’s outstanding contributions to the fields of mathematics and mathematics education are acknowledged with this prestigious appointment.
Each Distinguished University Professorship bears a special name, determined by the professor in consultation with her or his dean. Each professorship also carries with it an annual salary supplement of $5,000 and an annual research supplement of $5,000. In addition, newly appointed Distinguished University Professors are expected to deliver an inaugural lecture during the first year of appointment. The award will be presented at a special ceremony on October 8, 2008.
To view Dr. Bass’s faculty profile, go to:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/faculty/bass
Professor Valerie Lee wins prestigious Rackham Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award
Professor Valerie Lee has won a 2008 Rackham Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award. This competitive and prestigious award is one of the highest honors that the University bestows on senior faculty "to recognize those who have consistently demonstrated outstanding achievements in the areas of scholarly research and/or creative endeavors, teaching and mentoring of students and junior faculty, service and a variety of activities which have brought distinction to themselves and the University.” The award will be presented at a special ceremony on October 8, 2008.
To view Dr. Lee’s faculty profile, go to:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/faculty/lee/index.html
For more information about the Rackham Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award, see:
https://umich-rackham.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/umich_rackham.cfg/
php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1727
Dean Ball quoted in Education Week article; National Mathematics Panel press conference transcript available
An article on the relative dearth of research-based knowledge about the teaching of mathematics appeared in Education Week (online 3-28-08; print 4-2-08). In this article, Dean Deborah Loewenberg Ball, who chaired the National Mathematics Advisory Panel task group on mathematics teaching, explained the Panel’s findings, and outlined future directions for the next decade.
To read the Education Week article, “Essential Qualities of Math Teaching Remain Unknown,” by Sean Cavanaugh:
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/04/02/31math_ep.h27.html
To read a transcript of Dean Ball’s statement at the release of the National Mathematics Panel Advisory Report, see:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/downloads/ball_nmp_trans.pdf (Adobe PDF)
District of Columbia Chancellor Michelle Rhee speaks at April 26 commencement ceremony
Michelle Rhee, the 37-year-old founder of the New Teacher Project, named chancellor of the Washington, D.C., schools in June 2007, was the School of Education Commencement speaker on April 26, 2008 in Hill Auditorium. The New Teacher Project aims to “bring new streams of accomplished individuals into hard-to-staff urban schools.” In a recent New York Times Sunday Magazine roundtable about education and philanthropy, Ms. Rhee was referred to as a ”disruptive force” worth investing in by Joel Klein, chancellor of the New York City school system since 2002.
To read the Chancellor’s Corner on the District of Columbia Public Schools website:
http://www.k12.dc.us/chancellor.htm
To read Michelle Rhee’s First Year Plan for the District of Columbia Schools:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/downloads/rheeplan.pdf
For information on the New Teacher Project:
http://www.tntp.org
To read recent New York Times Sunday Magazine article, “How Many Billionaires Does It Take to Fix a School System,” which mentions Ms. Rhee:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/09/magazine/09roundtable-
t.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
For more on the School of Education Commencement, see:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/commencement
Two School of Education faculty members win mentoring awards
Clinical Associate Professor Cathy Reischl and Associate Professor Lesley Rex have won prestigious university-wide awards for their work with graduate students. Cathy Reischl has won the Master’s Mentoring Award from Rackham Graduate School, and Lesley Rex has won the 2008 John H. D'Arms Faculty Award for Distinguished Graduate Mentoring in the Humanities. Cathy is the Faculty Leader for Elementary Teacher Education, and she coordinates an Elementary Master of Arts with Certification cohort; Lesley is Co-Chair of the Joint Program in English and Education, and she is Faculty Leader for English Education Programs. The awards will be formally presented at a ceremony on April 10, 2008.
For more information about the Rackham Master’s Mentoring Award, see:
https://umich-rackham.custhelp.com/cgi-
bin/umich_rackham.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1733
For more information about Cathy Reischl, see:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/faculty/reischl
For more information about the 2008 John D’Arms Faculty Awards for Distinguished Graduate Mentoring in the Humanities, see:
https://umich-rackham.custhelp.com/cgi-
bin/umich_rackham.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1726
For more information about Lesley Rex, see:
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~rex/
Fireworks Photo by: Maurice de Beijer
Dean Ball contributes to released National Mathematics Panel report
The National Mathematics Advisory Panel, convened in 2006 by President George W. Bush, released its final report on March 13, 2008. "Without substantial and sustained changes to the educational system, the United States will relinquish its leadership in the 21st century," the panel warns, calling for an immediate focus on teaching core topics and skills that provide the foundation for success in algebra and in equipping teachers with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary for effective teaching.
The panel received testimony from more than 200 individuals and 150 organizations, and reviewed more than 16,000 research studies. Dean Ball, an expert on mathematics teaching and teacher education, was named to the panel for her insightful work on mathematical knowledge for teaching.
For the U-M press release about Dean Ball’s contributions to the National Mathematics Advisory Panel Report, see:
http://www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/story.php?id=6407
For the National Mathematics Panel final report, Foundations for Success:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/downloads/MathPanelFinalReport.pdf (Adobe PDF)
For more information on the National Mathematics Advisory Panel, see:
http://www.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/mathpanel/index.html
To see Dean Ball’s web page:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/dean/index.html
To go to Deborah Loewenberg Ball’s academic web site:
http://www-personal.umich.edu/%7Edball/
To read a Washington Post article on the report:
http://www.washingtonpost.com
School of Education sponsors summit for education leaders with Wayne State and Michigan State
On Friday, March 14, “Creating a Brighter Economic Future in Michigan: Education, Talent, and Public Policy”—an economic summit for the state’s education leaders—was held in East Lansing at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center from 8:30 a.m.- 3:15 p.m. The event, designed in response to the expressed concerns of participants at the Education Leadership Center’s financial summit, held last August in Ann Arbor, was collaboratively planned by Dr. Kenneth Burnley, Director, Education Leadership Center, University of Michigan School of Education; Dr. Barbara Markle, Assistant Dean, Michigan State University College of Education; and Dr. David Arsen, professor, Educational Administration, Michigan State University College of Education.
To view the conference agenda, click here (Adobe PDF).
Report from CAE shows growing wealth gap between higher education institutions
A Council for Aid to Education report shows that even as Congress presses wealthy colleges and universities to spend more of their endowments, they continue on a fund-raising streak that will widen the wealth gap in higher education. In all, colleges and universities raised about $30 billion, 6% more than the previous year. But nearly one-third of that increase, $518 million, went to just 20 institutions. (from Education Commission of the States e-clips service, 2/21/08)
To see the report, go to:
http://www.cae.org/content/pdf/VSE%202007%20Survey%20Press%20Release.pdf
To read a New York Times article on the report, click here.
Professor Valerie Lee quoted in Free Press article
School of Education professor Valerie E. Lee was quoted in a recent Detroit Free Press article (2-18-08), “Are Smaller Schools the Answer?” To see the complete article:
http://www.freep.com/
To view information about her recent co-authored book, Schools Within Schools: Possibilities and Pitfalls of High School Reform (2007):
http://store.tcpress.com/0807747521.shtml
To view Dr. Lee’s faculty profile, go to: http://www.soe.umich.edu/faculty/lee
Professor Betsy Davis elected to board of leading organization in science education
B
etsy Davis, an associate professor in science education at the University of Michigan School of Education, was elected to a three-year term to the Board of Directors of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching (NARST), the leading international organization for research in science education.
To view Dr. Davis’s faculty profile, go to:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/faculty/davis
Professor Bob Bain named “Educator of the Year” by Michigan Council for the Social Studies
At the 2008 Annual Conference of the Michigan Council for the Social Studies in Dearborn, which is being held February 17-20, Dr. Robert Bain was named “Michigan Educator of the Year” for his contributions to the development of the state’s new social studies grade level expectations.
To view the Michigan Social Studies Standards document, go to:
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/SS_HSCE_210739_7.pdf
To view Dr. Bain’s faculty profile, go to:
http://www.soe.umich.edu/faculty/bain
Dean Ball delivers Charles W. Hunt Invited Address at AACTE Annual Meeting
In an invited address to 1200 teacher educators and deans, Dean Deborah Loewenberg Ball urged her colleagues to work together to make the teaching of skillful practice the core of teacher education. Pointing out that skillful teaching is needed at scale if the nation is to reduce serious achievement disparities in this country, she argued that good teaching is much more intricate work than most people realize, and that it therefore requires professional training for large numbers of people to do it well. “We need a system of initial and continuing teacher education that can reliably help prepare ordinary people for effective professional practice in teaching.” In Ball’s lecture she used examples of the work going on at the School of Education to illustrate to the audience what it would mean to focus teacher education on teaching practice.
Dr. Beth Kubitskey receives AACTE dissertation award
Recent UM School of Education graduate, Dr. Beth Kubitskey, was presented with the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education Award for
Outstanding Dissertation at the 60th Annual Meeting, in New Orleans, LA, on
February 7, 2008. Dr. Kubitskey is an assistant professor in the Department
of Physics and Astronomy at Eastern Michigan University, in Ypsilanti. For
more information on the American Association of Colleges for Teacher
Education, go to http://www.aacte.org
Read the Press Release from AACTE (Adobe PDF)
