Hello AP/IB Boosters!
Contents
Saving for College Information Night at Heatherwood Middle School, February 24, 2005
November is college application time for Everett School District seniors and every other high school senior in our state and country. While that anxious time may be several years away for your kids, your college savings plan needs to be in full swing. To help you with that effort, the Heatherwood Middle School PTA and AP/IB Boosters are arranging for a college financial planning expert to give an evening presentation at Heatherwood to help parents understand the ins and outs of 529 plans, Coverdell accounts, Uniform Gift to Minors Act (UGMA) accounts, college costs, financial aid and other related topics. Pertinent documents will be available at the session and online.
http://www.apibboosters.org/SavingForCollege.html
Summer AP Institute for Teachers
Sammamish High School
Bellevue, WA
June 27th – 30th, 2005
http://www.bsd405.org/api/index.html
Learn AP® strategies from the masters!
Institute faculty are expert teachers and current readers for their respective examinations.
Art History, Yu Bong Ko, Tappan Zee HS, Orangeburg, NY
Art Studio, (new) Joann Winkler, Clinton HS, Clinton, IA
Art Studio, (exp) Jerry Stefl, School - Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Biology, Peggy O'Neil Skinner, Bush School, Seattle, WA
Biology, Darrel James, Fred C Beyer HS, Modesto, CA
Calculus AB, (new) Larry Peterson, Northridge HS, Layton, UT
Calculus AB, (exp) Gerald Pockl, John Marshall HS, Glendale WV
Calculus BC, Steven Olson, Hingham HS, Hingham, MA
Chemistry, (new) William Bond, Snohomish HS, Snohomish, WA
Chemistry, (exp) Cherilyn Smith, Yale Secondary, Abbotsford, BC, CAN
Computer Science, Don Kirkwood, North Salem HS, Salem, OR
Economics, Patricia Brazill, Irondequoit HS, Rochester NY
English Language, (new) Larry Scanlon, Brewster HS, Brewster, NY
English Language, (new) Mary Jo Potts, Webb School, Knoxville, TN
English Language, (exp) Marilyn Elkins, CA State University, Los Angeles, CA
English Literature, (new) Frank Briguglio, Iolani School, Honolulu, HI
English Literature, (new) James Cross, Lakewood School, Lakewood, CA
English Literature, (exp) Ellen Greenblatt, SF University HS, San Francisco, CA
Environmental Science, Mary Beth Bauer, Ingram Tom Moore HS, Ingram, TX
European History, Robert Eikenaar, Kelwona, BC, CAN
French Language/Literature, Mona Mulhair, Las Lomas HS, Walnut Creek, CA
German Language, Miriam Parris, Bowie HS, Austin, TX
Government & Politics - Comparative, Gray Pedersen, Lakeside School, Seattle, WA
Government & Politics - US, Peter Pew, Hart HS, Valencia, CA
Human Geography, Richard Gindele, Grandview HS, Aurora, CO
Music Theory, Michael Levi, College of St Rose, Albany, NY
Physics B/C, Martin Kirby, William S Hart HS, Newhall, CA
Psychology, Don Leach, George Washington HS, San Francisco, CA
Spanish Language, Milagros Juan-Ojermark, Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill, CA
Spanish Literature, Marcela Holland, Northgate HS, Walnut Creek, CA
Statistics, (new) Robin Levine-Wissing, Naperville HS, Naperville, IL
Statistics, (exp) Daren Starnes, The Webb Schools, Claremont, CA
US History, (new) Matt Tassinari, Palmdale HS, Palmdale, CA
US History, (exp) George Henry, Rowland Hall St Mark's School, Salt Lake City, UT
World History, (new) To be announced
World History, (exp) Andy Aiken, Boulder HS, Boulder, CO
Special Sessions:
Vertical Teams English, Christine Palmer, USAF Academy HS, USAF Academy, CO
Vertical Teams Math, Paul Heinrich, Mt View HS, El Monte, CA
Vertical Teams Science, Marian DeWane, Centennial HS, Boise, ID
Vertical Teams Social Studies, Matt Ellington, Ayala HS, Chino Hills, CA
College Counseling, Joyce Caufman, Rocky Mtn HS, Fort Collins, CO
Instructional Strategies Workshop Bellevue School District Staff
AVID Workshop AVID Staff
AP English Language and Composition Workshop, College Board, Online Event, February 26, 11:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (EST)
An introductory workshop with Renee H. Shea, professor of English at Bowie State University and a College Board Consultant.
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com
World History in the Balance, College Board, Online Event, March 1, 6:30 p.m. (EST)
Professors Candice Goucher and Linda A. Walton will present this event. Goucher is a professor of history and director of the College of Liberal Arts at Washington State University in Vancouver, and Walton is a professor of international studies and chair of the history department at Portland State University in Oregon.
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com
The New SAT, Fifth Session, College Board, Online Event, March 3 at 3:00 p.m. (EST)
"This event will be presented by Brian O'Reilly, executive director of SAT Information, and moderated by Jack Joyce, director of College Planning Services."
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com
For Elite U.S. Teachers, Cachet and More Cash
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/education/2002178493_schools12.html
In Virginia, teachers who achieve the National Board Certification receive an extra $7,500 the first year, followed by annual $5,000 bonuses for the next nine years. Washington also rewards teachers who achieve this professional standing. It is a form of merit pay. We are for it.
The State of Math Standards 2005
The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation rates states’ educational standards. Washington State, once again, is a poor performer.
Washington’s Rating:
Clarity: F
Content: D
Reason: F
Negative Qualities: F
Overall Grade: F
"Overall, the Washington standards are poorly written and needlessly voluminous. Some standards, such as these for grades 5 and 9/10 respectively, are difficult even to understand:
Translate a situation involving two alternating arithmetic operations into algebraic form using equations, tables, and graphs (e.g., a snail crawls up 3 feet each day and slides back 2 feet each night).
Determine when two linear options yield the same outcome (e.g., given two different investment or profit options, determine when both options will yield the same result).
Other standards have little to do with mathematics, such as the following from different grade levels:
Explain or show how height and weight are different.
Explain or show how clocks measure the passage of time.
Explain how money is used to describe the value of purchased items.
Determine the target heart zone for participation in aerobic activities.
Determine adjustments needed to achieve a healthy level of fitness.
Explain why formulas are used to find area and/or perimeter.
Explain a series of transformations in art, architecture, or nature."
http://www.edexcellence.net/doc/mathstandards05FINAL.pdf
http://www.edexcellence.net/foundation/global/index.cfm
The State of English Standards 2005
Sadly, Washington State’s English Standards aren’t much better.
Final 2005 grade: F
"This [Washington’s English Standards] is a confusing document to read. Its organizational scheme has been poorly conceptualized. Communications is chiefly about listening and speaking but also includes analysis and criticism of the media. Writing mingles objectives for literary and non-literary writing, even though the document lists the genres for each separately. Reading does not have cleanly separated sections for literary/narrative and informational/expository objectives."
"Washington should eliminate those standards for the English language arts that seem to serve as expressions of some person’s or group’s particular political and social goals. Instead, it should craft sound and comprehensible academic expectations for literary study through the grades, using titles of recognized literary works as examples of its expectations. Without a few content-rich and content-specific standards pointing to a group of culturally and/or historically significant authors, works, literary periods, and literary traditions for the English language that outline the essential substantive content of the English curriculum, particularly at the secondary level, its standards cannot lead to uniformly high academic expectations for all students in the Evergreen State."
http://www.edexcellence.net/doc/FullReport%5B01-03-05%5D.pdf
Academic Competitions
Academic competitions can serve several purposes:
The following link has a list of superb academic competitions for middle school and high school students. Game on.
http://www.apibboosters.org/Competitions.html
Seattle Journalism Competition, April 7-10, 2005
Occasionally we will highlight an academic competition. The NSPA (National Scholastic Press Association) has a series of competitions and critiques for high school and middle school kids.
http://www.studentpress.org/nspa/
There is an upcoming event in the Northwest.
Seattle, The Experience Journalism Project.
http://www.studentpress.org/nspaseattle/nspaseattle.pdf