Healthy People, a national initiative that provides health promotion and disease prevention objectives to improve the health of all Americans, has opened its proposed 2020 objectives for public comment. The national health objectives, updated every 10 years to reflect new... [...]
Given the uncivil discourse that's dominated most of the health care reform debate, should those of us who place children at the center of our decision making approach the coming reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) with... [...]
A report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released yesterday shows that in 2008 almost 15 percent of U.S. households were food insecure, meaning they had difficulty putting enough food on the table at times during the year. This... [...]
Late last week Vice President Joe Biden hosted an event to highlight jobs saved or created with money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Two ASCD members were featured at the event: Jill Neustadt, a math content coach... [...]
It’s clear the H1N1 flu pandemic will pose significant challenges for educators this school year. In this month’s “Is It Good for the Kids?” column, ASCD Executive Director Gene Carter emphasizes that in addition to prevention and monitoring efforts, schools... [...]
Today at ASCD's LEAP Legislative Institute, Gene Wilhoit, executive director of CCSSO and leader of the Common Core Standards Initiative, spoke with ASCD members about the Initiative's work to develop K-12 reading and math standards. He emphasized that the standards... [...]
"A variety of circumstances have amounted to what could be called education policy's perfect storm," writes ASCD Executive Director Gene Carter in this month's "Is It Good for the Kids?" column. He cites the new president and administration being poised... [...]
Districts and schools across the country are bracing for H1N1 as the new school year begins. The virus took hold in dozens of camps this summer, prompting concerns among school officials that kids will be bringing more than new backpacks... [...]
The work of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governors Association (NGA) on their Common Core Standards Initiative has generated a lot of conversation in education circles. The groups' draft English and math college- and...' [...]
Panelists at today's ASCD policy briefing on Capitol Hill, "Moving from Highly Qualified to Highly Effective Teachers," agreed that teacher quality is critically important for student achievement and that sustained, deliberate, capacity-building professional development is a necessity for educator success....' [...]
Today's Supreme Court decision that the strip search of student Savana Redding was a violation of the Fourth Amendment is a clear affirmation of student rights and a stirring lesson about civics, law, and students’ constitutional protections. But it's difficult... [...]
Education Week released its annual Diplomas Count report earlier this month, and as usual, it's chock full of interesting information. This year's publication includes updated state-by-state graduation rates, as well as a look at the rates over a 10-year period.... [...]
Yesterday 46 states and the District of Columbia formally agreed to work together to create common academic standards in math and English language arts through an effort led by the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State... [...]
Educators have a unique opportunity to drive school improvement with their stimulus dollars, but the current economic climate has weakened the capacity of many schools and districts, making it difficult for them to thoroughly explain and answer questions about their... [...]
As many of you know, ASCD's Whole Child Initiative is based on the belief that students must be healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. Since we launched the Whole Child Web site just over two years ago, we have noticed... [...]
Education Week’s Technology Counts 2009 report, Breaking Away from Tradition, was released last week. The report focuses on how online learning has evolved over the past few years, and how it has expanded opportunities for raising student achievement. Here are... [...]
ASCD unveiled its 2009 Legislative Agenda at Annual Conference this past weekend. This agenda comes at an especially critical time because President Obama and his new administration are about to transform the nation’s education system through a variety of policy... [...]
ASCD announced its Outstanding Young Educator Award (OYEA) winners at today's opening General Session at Annual Conference. Marc Cohen, principal of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Germantown, Md., took home the administrator award and Bijal Damani, an... [...]
During his inaugural address yesterday, President Obama listed some of the serious challenges that face our nation. "Our health care is too costly, our schools fail too many, and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy... [...]
This month’s episode of the whole child podcast focuses on how to develop students’ global understanding. Listen to Kate Berseth from EF Education, a leader in international exchange programs, talk about how much American students have to learn about the... [...]
ASCD launched the first phase of its new and improved Web site today. We've worked hard over the past several months to create a site that allows users to more easily find information and interact with our online content. ASCD’s... [...]
It's clear from Inservice coverage of the vice presidential debate and the three presidential debates that education hasn't been a top issue during this election season. In fact, the country's economic meltdown has dominated political conversations of late, and the... [...]
We’ve all seen the stats on the rising number of overweight or obese children as well as the increased percentages of students diagnosed with preventable diseases, such as type two diabetes. Poor nutrition and sedentary lifestyles are top culprits and... [...]
“During my 16 years as a full-time classroom teacher, my professional life has literally been defined by standardized testing,” writes Bill Ferriter in his commentary released today with the findings from the 40th annual Phi Delta Kappa International (PDK)/Gallup Poll... [...]
ASCD Executive Director Gene R. Carter begins his latest Is It Good for the Kids? column by describing a struggling Baltimore high school’s unhealthy climate: chaotic classrooms and hallways, disrespectful and apathetic students, rampant truancy, and dismal turnout by parents... [...]
That's right! The whole child is now on Facebook. Today ASCD launched its Whole Child Initiative page on Facebook to help spread the word to parents, students, and the general public about the importance of ensuring each child is healthy,... [...]
You don't have to look much further than the front page of your newspaper to see how differences and misunderstandings about religion and beliefs remain at the crux of many of today's conflicts. A recent Washington Post article covered calls... [...]
At Thomas Edison Elementary School in Port Chester, N.Y., sick students receive quick medical attention at the school's health center, and a dentist visits weekly to provide care. A bilingual family caseworker helps parents advocate for their children's education, and... [...]
Given the heightened awareness of our impact on the environment and a growing drive to "go green," it was only a matter of time before the green movement hit classrooms. The National Environmental Education Foundation has launched its National High... [...]
What does a director of an elementary and secondary school in Caguas, Puerto Rico, have in common with a social studies teacher in Park City, Utah? Both are members of ASCD's 2008 class of emerging leaders. ASCD's Emerging Leaders Program... [...]
ASCD is excited to announce the launch of ASCD Middle East. Sharing ASCD's mission and vision, ASCD Middle East will provide professional development and capacity building to the region's educators and will ensure that ASCD resources and programs are aligned... [...]
In his latest Is It Good for the Kids? column, ASCD Executive Director Gene Carter muses whether No Child Left Behind will be reauthorized in 2008 or remain unchanged until a new president takes office. Regardless of the timing, he... [...]
Valerie Truesdale recently took office as ASCD's new president. Truesdale is superintendent of Beaufort County School Dictrict in Beaufort, S.C., which serves over 19,000 students in the most rapidly growing county in the state. ASCD shares her school district's vision... [...]
Deirdra Grode, ASCD's 2008 Outstanding Young Educator and a middle school social studies and language arts teacher at Hoboken Charter School in Hoboken, N.J., expects her students to "view the world with critical minds and be leaders of positive change... [...]
ASCD's "The Next Chapter: Books Bash and Beyond," a service project and celebration to support revitalization in New Orleans schools, will kick off the 2008 Annual Conference & Exhibit Show on Friday, March 14, in New Orleans, La. Conference attendees... [...]
Education Week released its annual state report card last week. Quality Counts 2008: Tapping Into Teaching, Unlocking the Key to Student Success reveals what many of us have long suspected: teachers in most states earn less than professionals in comparable... [...]
