Hello AP/IB Boosters!
Contents
Our last newsletter for the school year follows. It has been a very good year. Everett School District students have more AP choices than ever before. For that, we thank the district’s school board and administrators as well as all the AP teachers.
One of the highlights this year is the significant improvement at Jackson HS. The 6 period day (now the same as Cascade and Everett) was ushered in with much ado. JHS students learned they now have more choices: lots of AP courses, guitar, piano, percussion ensemble, and many others.
A fantastic JHS admin team is at the helm. As we said, a very good year.
Summer is coming up. While we welcome the break, those of us who follow education issues know it also, unfortunately, is a time when students lose some of their recently acquired skills – especially math and reading. This newsletter focuses on this topic.
http://www.asbj.com/2005/02/0205research.html
"Duke University’s Harris Cooper, a leading expert on summer learning loss, writes that long summer vacations break the rhythm of instruction, lead to forgetting, and require a significant amount of review when students return to school in the fall. Students’ overall achievement test scores drop by about one month, on average, over summer vacation. But in math computation, he says, students lose more than double that rate -- closer to 2.6 months. During summer months, few students practice math and spelling, subjects that require factual and procedural recall, Cooper writes.
In reading, summer loss is especially evident among students from poor families. Over the summer, studies show many students from middle-class and affluent families gain in general reading achievement, while disadvantaged children fall behind. Students from all income levels show diminished scores in reading comprehension by the end of summer, but the losses are greatest for low-income students.
Cooper suggests that families with adequate economic resources provide more books, trips to libraries, and other opportunities to practice reading. The University of Florida’s Richard Allington agrees, noting that the best predictor of summer reading loss is lack of books at home and limited access to library books.
For low-income students, the problem is compounded summer by summer. Allington calculates that by the time low-income students enter middle school, their summer reading losses are equivalent to a two-year achievement gap."
Bellevue School District, Required Summer Reading for all 6th – 12th Graders
http://www.bsd405.org/SummerReading/index.html
Bellevue School District Summer Reading 2005 Goals:
Washington State’s Summer Reading Program
http://www.governor.wa.gov/summerreading/
Governor Gregoire is continuing the Washington State tradition of encouraging students to read during the summer.
"As governor and as a mom, Governor Christine Gregoire believes that one of the best things children and families can do is develop a love for books. To maintain and enhance reading habits and skills, it is important that children read for at least 20 minutes each day—especially during the summer months. Participating in a summer reading program at a local public library or through school is a fun and easy way to ensure that reading becomes a vital summer activity."
The Governor has a reading certificate program that might be of interest to the elementary and middle school communities.
"This year, boys and girls who complete a school or library summer reading program can receive a special Certificate of Recognition, presented to them by a participating teacher or librarian. The certificate was created in partnership with State Librarian Jan Walsh, Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson, and Governor Gregoire. They believe that summer reading achievement by children in Washington State deserves to be recognized and celebrated! Children who wish to receive a certificate should sign up for a summer reading program at a participating public library or school."
The AP/IB Boosters Recommended Summer Reading
Two years ago, we caused a bit of a ruckus with our Summer Reading recommendation.
http://www.enterprisenewspapers.com/archive/2003/5/30/200352912262376.cfm
Our goals have always been to research best practices and propose changes in our district to improve student learning.
Here is our current recommended summer reading list.
http://www.apibboosters.org/SummerReadingAPIBBoosters.html
http://www.apibboosters.org/SummerReadingLists.html
http://www.apibboosters.org/SummerMathLists.html
The AP/IB Boosters List of Academic Events
As has been our tradition, we maintain a list of interesting academic events that are held throughout the year including the summer.
For your perusal:
http://www.apibboosters.org/events/Events.html
The Everett School District’s Recommended Summer Reading List
The Everett School District has programs that focus on summer learning. The school district also has a recommended summer reading list.
http://www.everett.k12.wa.us/reading/Summer%20Reading%20List
National Council of Teachers of English – Summer Reading
http://www.ncte.org/collections/summerread
"What could be better for a student's literacy skills than a summer filled with reading of all kinds?"
"Summer reading programs urge students to read during their summer vacations, developing and maintaining a lifelong habit of reading for pleasure. Further, such programs help students retain and sharpen literacy skills during the months that they are out of the classroom."
Kamiak HS Required Summer Reading
http://schools.mukilteo.wednet.edu/ka/library/summer_reading.htm
Similar to Bellevue, this is an example of using the web to efficiently disseminate information on required summer reading.
Kaplan New SAT Score Raising Classics
Sometimes students need a little incentive to open a book. Besides being interesting, these classics might just boost students’ all-important SAT scores.
The Tales of Edgar Allan Poe: A Kaplan New SAT Score-Raising Classic
Wuthering Heights: A Kaplan New SAT Score-Raising Classic
Frankenstein, By Mary Shelley
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, By Kaplan
These Kaplan books have hundreds of SAT words highlighted throughout the book. Definitions are provided on the facing page. It’s a gimmick but it just might work. Students won’t have to keep referring to a dictionary as they read on the beach or other comfy spots. The definitions of tricky words are embedded in the book near the text where they are used.
These books are available directly from Kaplan or Amazon, Borders and other book retailers.
http://search.csmonitor.com/2005/0524/p11s01-legn.html
"If you want to get boys to read, assign F. Scott Fitzgerald's ‘The Great Gatsby.’ So say students at the all-boys Haverford School in suburban Philadelphia.
The reasons the boys give the novel high marks? It's short. Its characters and scenes move fast. The prose is terse, the style vivid and lively. Several male characters are ‘at sea,’ so to speak, despite lives which at first glance appear glamorous and successful. What's more, it's a tale that sparks questions about values and meaning at an age when boys themselves are searching."
American Library Association: Outstanding Books for the College Bound and Other Lifelong Learners
http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/outstandingbooks/outstandingbooks.htm
Arlington (Virginia) Public Schools Summer Math Review
http://www.arlington.k12.va.us/instruct/math/math_summer_reviews.htm
"Summer Reviews are provided by APS for mathematics review during the summer. The reviews are divided into weekly assignments for a consistent review throughout the summer. Answer keys are provided."
Hatboro Horsham High School, Required Summer Math Packet
http://www.hatboro-horsham.org/hhhs/site/default.asp
"In a continuing effort to increase the mathematics comprehension and competency at a level in compliance with the Pennsylvania State Standards, the teachers of the high school mathematics department have designed Summer Math Packets for every student taking a math course at the high school.
This is an opportunity for students to use the math skills with which they are already familiar. As in many activities, such as playing a musical instrument or participating in a particular sport, if skills are not practiced, some level of proficiency may be lost. By completing the packet, each student has the opportunity to practice previously learned math skills. Also, each student is more prepared for the sequential math course chosen by that student.
This is a mandatory summer assignment, much like the summer reading assignment. The assessment, in September, will be two-fold:
Packets will be assessed for completion on the first day of math class. Answers, along with all necessary work, are to be brought to class on the first day of class.
A test on the material in the packet will be given during the first full week of math class.
The intent of this activity is to keep students’ skills from regressing over the summer."
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) – Illuminations Project
Everett School District personnel kindly provided information on the NCTM’s Illumination Project.
"The Illuminations Project is designed to illuminate the vision for school mathematics described in NCTM's Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. Illuminations is a partner in the prestigious MarcoPolo Internet Content for the Classroom program."
http://www.illuminations.nctm.org/
Online lessons (grade specific) are provided. Here is a sample on percentages for students in grades 6-8.
http://www.illuminations.nctm.org/index_d.aspx?id=249
The June broadcast of EDUCATION NEWS will provide parents information on service-learning and will share resources to help them to help their children to become engaged citizens. Researchers, educators and community partners will address questions such as:
Advanced Placement Institute for Teachers, Bellevue, WA, June 27 - 30, 2005
http://www.bsd405.org/api/index.html
"Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to attend AP® classes taught by highly qualified presenters in forty different sessions! Combine four days of intense AP training with the beauty and mystique of the Pacific Northwest and the metropolitan Seattle area. This Institute focuses on providing the Advanced Placement "door of opportunity" for all students. Teachers at all levels, elementary through high school, are provided with instructional strategies and AP® grading standards. Each participant will receive 2005 free response questions, exam rubrics, and sample student responses."
College Fair, Seattle, August 7, 2005
Colleges That Change Lives
Information Session and College Fair
Meydenbauer Center
11100 NE 6th Street
Bellevue, WA 98004
Sunday, August 7, 2005
5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
http://www.ctcl.com/events_Seattle.html
"40 of America’s most remarkable colleges and universities are now found at
-- a dynamic web site featuring the schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives. Addressing current issues (as well as challenging old myths) that influence college choice, CTCL.com encourages students to make the search process a well-informed journey that leads to the best possible outcome: finding the right college fit. Continuing a tradition started in 1998, the CTCL schools will offer information sessions and college fairs nationwide in 2005. We invite interested students, families, and college counselors to join us to learn more about the Colleges That Change Lives. There is no fee charged for these events, and pre-registration is not required."
Music at the Market
In the early part of summer, the Jackson HS Band is scheduled to play at several of the popular Central Market Weekend BBQs in Mill Creek.
http://www.central-market.com/millcreek/
Have a good
summer. We will see you in September.