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incremental changes herald the disappearance of K-12 age-graded public schools or the dominant patterns of teacher-centered instruction. What these gradual changes will translate into is a broad array of options for teaching and learning available to both teachers and students. About these ads var wpcom_adclk_hovering = false; var wpcom_adclk_recorded = false; var wpcom_adclk_theme = "Pilcrow"; var wpcom_adclk_slot = "wpcom_below_post_adsafe"; var wpcom_adclk_network = ( typeof wpcom_adclk_network === "undefined" ) ? "" : wpcom_adclk_network ; jQuery(document).ready( function() { function wpcom_adclk_hover_yes() { wpcom_adclk_hovering = true; } function wpcom_adclk_hover_no() { wpcom_adclk_hovering = false; } jQuery(".wpa").click(wpcom_adclk_click); jQuery(".wpa iframe").hover( wpcom_adclk_hover_yes, wpcom_adclk_hover_no ); jQuery(".wpa object").hover( wpcom_adclk_hover_yes, wpcom_adclk_hover_no ); jQuery(window).blur( function() { if ( wpcom_adclk_hovering ) { wpcom_adclk_click(); } }); }); function wpcom_adclk_impression() { var stat_gif = document.location.protocol + "//pixel.wp.com/g.gif?v=wpcom-no-pv"; stat_gif += "&x_ads_imp_theme=" + wpcom_adclk_theme; stat_gif += "&x_ads_imp_placement="+wpcom_adclk_slot; stat_gif += "&x_ads_imp_network=" + wpcom_adclk_network; stat_gif += "&x_ads_imp_theme_network="+wpcom_adclk_theme+"_"+wpcom_adclk_network; new Image().src = stat_gif + "&baba=" + Math.random(); return true; } function wpcom_adclk_click() { if (wpcom_adclk_recorded) { return true; } // no double counting var stat_gif = document.location.protocol + "//pixel.wp.com/g.gif?v=wpcom-no-pv"; stat_gif += "&x_ads_click_theme=" + wpcom_adclk_theme; stat_gif += "&x_ads_click_placement="+wpcom_adclk_slot; stat_gif += "&x_ads_click_network=" + wpcom_adclk_network; stat_gif += "&x_ads_click_theme_network="+wpcom_adclk_theme+"_"+wpcom_adclk_network; new Image().src = stat_gif + "&baba=" + Math.random(); wpcom_adclk_recorded = true; var now=new Date(); var end=now.getTime()+250; while(true){now=new Date();if(now.getTime()>end){break;}} return true; } if ( typeof GA_googleAddAttr == 'function' ) { GA_googleAddAttr("AdOpt", "1"); GA_googleAddAttr("Origin", "other"); GA_googleAddAttr("LangId", "1"); GA_googleAddAttr("Domain", "larrycuban.wordpress.com"); GA_googleAddAttr("BlogId", "8903150"); GA_googleAddAttr("PageURL", "https://larrycuban.wordpress.com/2014/12/31/predictions-about-technology-in-k-12-and-higher-education-for-2025/"); GA_googleAddAttr("AdSafe", "1"); GA_googleAddAttr("Autotag", "education"); GA_googleAddAttr("Tag", "how-teachers-teach"); GA_googleAddAttr("Tag", "technology-use"); GA_googleAddAttr("Tag", "how-teachers-teach"); GA_googleAddAttr("Tag", "technology"); GA_googleAddAttr("Partner", "AOL"); GA_googleAddAttr("theme_bg", "ffffff"); GA_googleAddAttr("theme_border", "bbbbbb"); GA_googleAddAttr("theme_text", "333333"); GA_googleAddAttr("theme_link", "1c9bdc"); GA_googleAddAttr("theme_url", "1c9bdc"); GA_googleAddAdSensePageAttr("google_page_url", "https://larrycuban.wordpress.com/2014/12/31/predictions-about-technology-in-k-12-and-higher-education-for-2025/"); GA_googleFillSlot("wpcom_below_post_adsafe"); } jQuery( window ).load( function() { if ( jQuery(".wpa script[src*='virool.com']").length > 0 || jQuery(".wpa script[src*='shareth.ru']").length > 0 || jQuery(".wpa iframe[src*='boomvideo.tv']").length > 0 || jQuery(".wpa iframe[src*='viewablemedia.net']").length > 0 || jQuery(".wpa .sharethrough-placement").length > 0 ) { jQuery( '.wpa' ).css( 'width', '400px' ); } setTimeout(function(){if(typeof GS_googleAddAdSenseService !== 'function'){new Image().src=document.location.protocol+"//pixel.wp.com/g.gif?v=wpcom-no-pv&x_noads=adblock&baba="+Math.random()}},100); } ); Share this:ShareTwitter29share-li

None of these incremental changes herald the disappearance of K-12 age-graded public schools or the dominant patterns of teacher-centered instruction. What these gradual changes will translate into is a broad array of options for teaching and learning available to both teachers and students. About these ads var wpcom_adclk_hovering = false; var wpcom_adclk_recorded = false; var wpcom_adclk_theme = "Pilcrow"; var wpcom_adclk_slot = "wpcom_below_post_adsafe"; var wpcom_adclk_network = ( typeof wpcom_adclk_network === "undefined" ) ? "" : wpcom_adclk_network ; jQuery(document).ready( function() { function wpcom_adclk_hover_yes() { wpcom_adclk_hovering = true; } function wpcom_adclk_hover_no() { wpcom_adclk_hovering = false; } jQuery(".wpa").click(wpcom_adclk_click); jQuery(".wpa iframe").hover( wpcom_adclk_hover_yes, wpcom_adclk_hover_no ); jQuery(".wpa object").hover( wpcom_adclk_hover_yes, wpcom_adclk_hover_no ); jQuery(window).blur( function() { if ( wpcom_adclk_hovering ) { wpcom_adclk_click(); } }); }); function wpcom_adclk_impression() { var stat_gif = document.location.protocol + "//pixel.wp.com/g.gif?v=wpcom-no-pv"; stat_gif += "&x_ads_imp_theme=" + wpcom_adclk_theme; stat_gif += "&x_ads_imp_placement="+wpcom_adclk_slot; stat_gif += "&x_ads_imp_network=" + wpcom_adclk_network; stat_gif += "&x_ads_imp_theme_network="+wpcom_adclk_theme+"_"+wpcom_adclk_network; new Image().src = stat_gif + "&baba=" + Math.random(); return true; } function wpcom_adclk_click() { if (wpcom_adclk_recorded) { return true; } // no double counting var stat_gif = document.location.protocol + "//pixel.wp.com/g.gif?v=wpcom-no-pv"; stat_gif += "&x_ads_click_theme=" + wpcom_adclk_theme; stat_gif += "&x_ads_click_placement="+wpcom_adclk_slot; stat_gif += "&x_ads_click_network=" + wpcom_adclk_network; stat_gif += "&x_ads_click_theme_network="+wpcom_adclk_theme+"_"+wpcom_adclk_network; new Image().src = stat_gif + "&baba=" + Math.random(); wpcom_adclk_recorded = true; var now=new Date(); var end=now.getTime()+250; while(true){now=new Date();if(now.getTime()>end){break;}} return true; } if ( typeof GA_googleAddAttr == 'function' ) { GA_googleAddAttr("AdOpt", "1"); GA_googleAddAttr("Origin", "other"); GA_googleAddAttr("LangId", "1"); GA_googleAddAttr("Domain", "larrycuban.wordpress.com"); GA_googleAddAttr("BlogId", "8903150"); GA_googleAddAttr("PageURL", "https://larrycuban.wordpress.com/2014/12/31/predictions-about-technology-in-k-12-and-higher-education-for-2025/"); GA_googleAddAttr("AdSafe", "1"); GA_googleAddAttr("Autotag", "education"); GA_googleAddAttr("Tag", "how-teachers-teach"); GA_googleAddAttr("Tag", "technology-use"); GA_googleAddAttr("Tag", "how-teachers-teach"); GA_googleAddAttr("Tag", "technology"); GA_googleAddAttr("Partner", "AOL"); GA_googleAddAttr("theme_bg", "ffffff"); GA_googleAddAttr("theme_border", "bbbbbb"); GA_googleAddAttr("theme_text", "333333"); GA_googleAddAttr("theme_link", "1c9bdc"); GA_googleAddAttr("theme_url", "1c9bdc"); GA_googleAddAdSensePageAttr("google_page_url", "https://larrycuban.wordpress.com/2014/12/31/predictions-about-technology-in-k-12-and-higher-education-for-2025/"); GA_googleFillSlot("wpcom_below_post_adsafe"); } jQuery( window ).load( function() { if ( jQuery(".wpa script[src*='virool.com']").length > 0 || jQuery(".wpa script[src*='shareth.ru']").length > 0 || jQuery(".wpa iframe[src*='boomvideo.tv']").length > 0 || jQuery(".wpa iframe[src*='viewablemedia.net']").length > 0 || jQuery(".wpa .sharethrough-placement").length > 0 ) { jQuery( '.wpa' ).css( 'width', '400px' ); } setTimeout(function(){if(typeof GS_googleAddAdSenseService !== 'function'){new Image().src=document.location.protocol+"//pixel.wp.com/g.gif?v=wpcom-no-pv&x_noads=adblock&baba="+Math.random()}},100); } ); Share this:ShareTwitter29 cl

chools or the dominant patterns of teacher-centered instruction. What these gradual changes will translate into is a broad array of options for teaching and learning available to both teachers and students. About these ads var wpcom_adclk_hovering = false; var wpcom_adclk_recorded = false; var wpcom_adclk_theme = "Pilcrow"; var wpcom_adclk_slot = "wpcom_below_post_adsafe"; var wpcom_adclk_network = ( typeof wpcom_adclk_network === "undefined" ) ? "" : wpcom_adclk_network ; jQuery(document).ready( function() { function wpcom_adclk_hover_yes() { wpcom_adclk_hovering = true; } function wpcom_adclk_hover_no() { wpcom_adclk_hovering = false; } jQuery(".wpa").click(wpcom_adclk_click); jQuery(".wpa iframe").hover( wpcom_adclk_hover_yes, wpcom_adclk_hover_no ); jQuery(".wpa object").hover( wpcom_adclk_hover_yes, wpcom_adclk_hover_no ); jQuery(window).blur( function() { if ( wpcom_adclk_hovering ) { wpcom_adclk_click(); } }); }); function wpcom_adclk_impression() { var stat_gif = document.location.protocol + "//pixel.wp.com/g.gif?v=wpcom-no-pv"; stat_gif += "&x_ads_imp_theme=" + wpcom_adclk_theme; stat_gif += "&x_ads_imp_placement="+wpcom_adclk_slot; stat_gif += "&x_ads_imp_network=" + wpcom_adclk_network; stat_gif += "&x_ads_imp_theme_network="+wpcom_adclk_theme+"_"+wpcom_adclk_network; new Image().src = stat_gif + "&baba=" + Math.random(); return true; } function wpcom_adclk_click() { if (wpcom_adclk_recorded) { return true; } // no double counting var stat_gif = document.location.protocol + "//pixel.wp.com/g.gif?v=wpcom-no-pv"; stat_gif += "&x_ads_click_theme=" + wpcom_adclk_theme; stat_gif += "&x_ads_click_placement="+wpcom_adclk_slot; stat_gif += "&x_ads_click_network=" + wpcom_adclk_network; stat_gif += "&x_ads_click_theme_network="+wpcom_adclk_theme+"_"+wpcom_adclk_network; new Image().src = stat_gif + "&baba=" + Math.random(); wpcom_adclk_recorded = true; var now=new Date(); var end=now.getTime()+250; while(true){now=new Date();if(now.getTime()>end){break;}} return true; } if ( typeof GA_googleAddAttr == 'function' ) { GA_googleAddAttr("AdOpt", "1"); GA_googleAddAttr("Origin", "other"); GA_googleAddAttr("LangId", "1"); GA_googleAddAttr("Domain", "larrycuban.wordpress.com"); GA_googleAddAttr("BlogId", "8903150"); GA_googleAddAttr("PageURL", "https://larrycuban.wordpress.com/2014/12/31/predictions-about-technology-in-k-12-and-higher-education-for-2025/"); GA_googleAddAttr("AdSafe", "1"); GA_googleAddAttr("Autotag", "education"); GA_googleAddAttr("Tag", "how-teachers-teach"); GA_googleAddAttr("Tag", "technology-use"); GA_googleAddAttr("Tag", "how-teachers-teach"); GA_googleAddAttr("Tag", "technology"); GA_googleAddAttr("Partner", "AOL"); GA_googleAddAttr("theme_bg", "ffffff"); GA_googleAddAttr("theme_border", "bbbbbb"); GA_googleAddAttr("theme_text", "333333"); GA_googleAddAttr("theme_link", "1c9bdc"); GA_googleAddAttr("theme_url", "1c9bdc"); GA_googleAddAdSensePageAttr("google_page_url", "https://larrycuban.wordpress.com/2014/12/31/predictions-about-technology-in-k-12-and-higher-education-for-2025/"); GA_googleFillSlot("wpcom_below_post_adsafe"); } jQuery( window ).load( function() { if ( jQuery(".wpa script[src*='virool.com']").length > 0 || jQuery(".wpa script[src*='shareth.ru']").length > 0 || jQuery(".wpa iframe[src*='boomvideo.tv']").length > 0 || jQuery(".wpa iframe[src*='viewablemedia.net']").length > 0 || jQuery(".wpa .sharethrough-placement").length > 0 ) { jQuery( '.wpa' ).css( 'width', '400px' ); } setTimeout(function(){if(typeof GS_googleAddAdSenseService !== 'function'){new Image().src=document.location.protocol+"//pixel.wp.com/g.gif?v=wpcom-no-pv&x_noads=adblock&baba="+Math.random()}},100); } ); Share this:ShareTwitter29https://larrycuban.wordpress.com/2014/

Blended learning, including “flipped” classrooms, continue to spread across the country. Many teacher and principal bloggers tout how they have integrated the use of new devices into daily lessons, including lessons for Common Core standards

With all of the above occurring, one would think that by 2025, age-graded schools and the familiar teaching and learning that occurs today in K-12 and universities  would have exited the rear door. Not so.

etting access to powerful electronic devices for all students and teachers is surely a victory for those who believe in better technologies solving teaching and learning problems. But access does not dictate use, especially the kind of use that vendors and  technophiles ardently seek

In the past four years, I have predicted that textbooks will be digitized, online learning will spread, and the onset of computer testing will create more access to devices across schools and accelerate classroom usage. These developments will occur incrementally over the next decade and will be obvious to observers but hardly dominant in K-12 age-graded schools.

While higher education textbooks  have shifted markedly to e-books and less expensive ways of getting content into students’ devices, the K-12 market remains a proprietary domain of a handful of publishers (e.g. Pearson, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and McGraw-Hill Education) in part due to the mechanics of  certain states (e.g.Florida, California, and Texas) dominating which texts get chosen.

12 online learning will also spread slowly, very slowly, as blended learning and “flipped” classrooms gain traction. Both of these innovative twists on traditional classroom teaching, however, will reinforce the age-graded school, not dismantle it.

At the end of the day, public schools can be the saviors of a nation. As the only institution in America that routinely sees 50 million young people a day, we have a chance to redefine our future. But instead of leading the way, we have lost our way and our mission, once clear as a bright sunny day, has become muddied and incoherent. Business and politics have so polluted our ranks that it has become increasingly difficult to distinguish among educational, political and business leaders

We give lip service to what is best for kids, but operationally, we don’t follow through. We are not allowed to. If we did what was best for kids, we would enforce behavioral codes uniformly, restructure our secondary schools to create a relationship rich culture, reform funding structures to ensure equality in opportunity, build strong home school partnerships and reestablish the teaching profession as the expert in all matters educational.

Until we regain our leadership role, public education will continue to be bullied and dragged into the mud. Teachers’ unions at all levels must reinvent themselves as leaders in best practices, and until that occurs, they will continue to loose footing with both the public and legal infrastructures of our country. Education leaders have embraced the conversation about single data point testing, instead of fighting against the flawed logic driving it. In backroom conversations, we all talk about the absurdity of it, but in public view, we refuse to take the lead, instead ignoring common sense and the legions of evidence that undermine its credibility.

But in most situations, school administrators and teachers cannot prevent you from saying something just because it is controversial.

true threat A defamatory statement Obscene

True Threats Whether you are in school or not, online or in-person, the right to free speech does not protect speech that a reasonable person would interpret as a serious expression of your desire and ability to harm him/her.

Defamatory Statements The right to free speech also does not protect false personal attacks against another person that are untrue, that harm someone's reputation, and that you knew, or should have known, were untrue when you said or wrote it.

Obscene Speech The right to free speech does not protect speech that deals with sex in a manner appealing to purely lustful interests in a patently offensive manner, and without serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.

For speech to be considered a "true threat," it must be something that a reasonable person would interpret as a serious expression of an intention to harm him/her.

If the school provides students with an e-mail address, it can impose rules on its use. For example, it can require that the address be used only for school-related purposes and can prohibit using the account in a way that interferes with another student's learning, such as sending flames or bullying messag

It may also monitor what you view, send, or receive on school-provided computers or e-mail account

Your school may prohibit all access to the Internet on any computer. Or your school may prohibit using school computers to access the Internet, including sites such as Facebook or YouTube, or using Hotmail or Gmail accounts, if school officials believe access is disruptive to the schoo

When you are using the school's computer and Internet access, school officials can see what you are sending and receiving onlin

Check your personal e-mail or non-school-related websites outside of school, on your own time, with a computer that does not belong to the school.

But merely because you are off campus, you are not free to say just anything. Remember, state and federal laws make it illegal to post threats of violence against a person or to advocate certain illegal action

Posting information on the Internet can be like publishing it in the newspaper. If the website is public, anyone can look at i

Keep in mind that school officials, college admissions officers, and potential employers are free to look at it.

Other people could take your posting and copy it to another website where you can't delete it

What's more, what you put on a public website may stay on the Internet foreve

Some would argue that grit is inherent in Albert Bandura’s research on self-efficacy, and that resilience is also part of i

tackling grit in my classroom and school.

Read Books About Grit

Talk About Grit

Share Examples

elp Students Develop a Growth Mindset

rol Dweck from Stanford University teaches us that students who have a growth mindset are more successful than those who think that intelligence is fixed. 5. Reframe Problems Using stories and examples from Malcom Gladwell's book David and Goliath, we talk about "desirable difficulties." Students need perspective about problems to prevent them from giving up, quitting or losing hope. 6. Find a Framework I use Angela Maiers' Classroom Habitudes as my framework. The KIPP framework specifically includes grit as one of its seven traits. Find one that works for your school and includes clear performance values. 7. Live Grittily You teach with your life. Perhaps that is why Randy Pausch's Last Lecture and David Menasche's Priority List resonate. These teachers used their own battle with death itself as a way to teach. But you don't have to die to be an effective teacher. Our own work ethic yells so loudly that kids know exactly what we think about grit. 8. Foster Safe Circumstances That Encourage Grit Never mistake engaging, fun or even interesting for easy. We don't jump up and down when we tear off a piece of tape because "I did it." No one celebrates easy, but everyone celebrates championships and winners because those take grit (and more). We need more circumstances to help kids to develop grit before they can "have it." Tough academic requirements, sports and outdoor opportunities are all ways to provide opportunities for developing grit. Verena Roberts, Chief Innovation Officer of CANeLearn says: One of the best ways to learn about grit is to focus on outdoor education and go out into the wild. Grit is about not freaking out, taking a deep breath, and moving on. 9. Help Students Develop Intentional Habits Read about best practices for creating habits, because habits and self-control require grit. 10. Acknowledge the Sacrifice Grit Requires Grit takes time, and many students aren't giving it. In their 2010 paper "The Falling Time Cost of College", Babcock and Marks demonstrate that, in 1961, U.S. undergraduates studied 24 hours a week outside of class. In 1981, that fell to 20 hours, and in 2003, it was 14 hours per week. This is not to create a blame or generation gap discussion, but rather to point out the cost of being well educated. We are what we do, and if we study less and work less, then we will learn less. Educators Need Grit Now we as teachers just need the grit to do whatever it takes to turn education around, and that starts with hard work and our own modern version of true grit. Teaching it and living it is now front and center in the education conversation. Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher's Profile Sign in or register to post Sign in to vote! (3) The Educational Benefits of GritThe character traits of determination, adaptability and reflection add up to a critical 21st century skill.<< Previous Next >> Learn More About Education Trends Latest Reconnecting Adults With Playful Learning A New Must-Read for All Educators Google for Educators: The Best Features for Busy Teachers What Is Personalization, Really? 20 Top Pinterest Tips Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher Computer Fundamentals, Computer Science and IT Integrator from Camilla, GA follow: http://www.facebook.com/coolcatteacherhttp://www.twitter.com/coolcatteacherhttps://plus.google.com/+VickiDavishttp://www.youtube.com/coolcatteacher/http://www.linkedin.com/in/coolcatteacher/http://www.pinterest.com/coolcatteacher Related Tags: Education TrendsCollege ReadinessResilience and GritCharacter EducationAll Grades In This Series T

busy students

flexibility

work ahead

work ahead

she did not miss any of the content in that class

science,

. Students are helping each other learn

s in a flipped classroom for

we spend most of our class walking around helping the students who struggle most

science

Giving students the ability to pause their teachers is truly revolutionary.

We often move too fast for some students and too slowly for others

overall interaction increases: teacher-to-student, and student-to-student. Because the role of the teacher has changed from presenter of content to learning coach,

students with special needs can watch the videos as many times as they need to learn the materia

carry out meaningful activities instead of completing busywork.

Because we were not just standing and talking at kids, many of the classroom management problems evaporated.

. Because students are coming with the primary focus on learning, there are two real questions now: Is each student learning? If not, what can we do to help them learn? These are much more profound questions, and when we discuss them with parents, we move the focus to a place that will help parents understand how their students can become better learners.

As it turns out, many of them were watching right alongside their children and learning science

flipping opens the doors to our classrooms and allows the public in

prerecord a lesson for our students ahead of time when we knew we were going to be gone

in which students move through the material at their own pace.

flipped-mastery mode

Our journey has been a process that has occurred over several years, and we recommend that those interested in flipping make the change gradually.

Their new plan to impose spending caps on school budgets might help accomplish that goal

The cap means officials could not present to voters any budget plan that resulted in a more than 2 percent increase in per-pupil costs. And it’s this language that teachers object to the most. Allen says it’s a blunt policy instrument that will inflict serious harm on public schools.

If a vote for a community exceeds 2 percent per pupil in expenditures, it’s deemed to have failed,” Sharpe says

But the most contentious provision in the bill calls for a hard cap on per-pupil spending increases.

But even diehard proponents of education funding reform say the House Education Committee’s approach could do more harm than good.

“It’s unfortunate, taking away more authority from local school boards and local decision makers and local voters,” Scheuermann says.

The House Committee on Ways and Means will d

bate the proposed spending cap when lawmakers return to Montpelier next week. Sh

arpe says the version of the cap in the education committee’s bill is admittedly flawed, insofar as it fails to recognize various factors that might make a per-pupil spending increases of more than 2 percent necessary for some districts.

No Child Left Behind demands that after one year of enrollment, ELLs must take statewide assessments, and the results must be integrated into the school's accountability measures. Enrolling large numbers of adolescent ELLs can put the school at risk of failing to make adequate yearly progress.

In these times of increasingly meager resources in which schools are paring down to essential programs and making contingency plans to deal with statewide budget cuts and federal program funding reductions, adolescent ELLs are often viewed as an unwelcome presence in schools, a drain on the limited resources available. Increasing the challenge is the reality that many immigrant adolescents enter secondary schools with a triple whammy—little or no English, interrupted or limited formal schooling, and limited literacy in any language.

There is no more diverse learning cohort than that grouped under the term adolescent English language learner. Although many of these students are newcomers (immigrants who arrived within the past five years), others have always called the United States home.

now, for example, that 57 percent of adolescent learners classified as limited English proficient were born within U.S. borders and thus are second- or third-generation residents (Batalova, Fix, & Murray, 2007). These students have often achieved oral proficiency but lag behind in their ability to use English for literacy and content learning for reasons that may be only partly related to second-language status—for example, mobility and switching between language programs (Short & Fitzsimmons, 2007).

Some immigrant students arrive in the United States with fully developed academic literacy in their native language and a strong record of academic achievement in their home countries. Filip, for example, entered U.S. schools in 9th grade after having attended a high-level academic school in the Czech Republic. Within two years, he had gained a command of academic English and was performing above grade level. Contrast Filip with Ben, who emigrated from the Sudan at age 16 after experiencing the trauma of civil unrest and a severe interruption in formal schooling, which resulted in a limited foundation in literacy in any language. Rosaria, unlike either Filip or Ben, is a U.S.-born English language learner. Although her home language is Spanish, at 17, her social language outside the home is English. However, her writing exhibits many of the linguistic differences of an immigrant English learner, and she reads at the 5th grade level.

Such reforms must also take into account the particular context of each school—its demographic profile, existing program models, community culture, and so on. With this caveat in mind, a number of principles and practices support improved achievement for adolescent ELLs as well as for their native-English-speaking peers.

there is surprising agreement in what constitutes best practice for adolescent English language learners. It is up to school leaders to implement the school reforms that work and to think outside the traditional boxes that have restricted the achievement of these students.

Selection: the development of criteria for choosing items to include in the portfolio based on established learning objectives. Collection: the gathering of items based on the portfolio's purpose, audience, and future use. Reflection: statements about the significance of each item and of the collection as a whole. Direction: a review of the reflections that looks ahead and sets future goals. Connection: the creation of hypertext links and publication, providing the opportunity for feedback.

Electronic portfolios are more popular in higher education than in K-12, Barrett added, because they require access to technology in classrooms.

based on what is important to them, their unique knowledge, and their unique skills.

The six dimensions of social-media-literate leadership

instant communication

ncorporate video streams into their blogs

That unease soon vanished with practice

Leveraging

Equally important is the skill of creating and sustaining a body of social followers who help to spread and reinforce the message.

n traditional corporate communications, consumption is a mostly passive act: you are pretty much left alone to make sense of messages and to assess their authenticity and credibility. In the social-media realm, information gets shared and commented on within seconds

engage more closely with stakeholders

To achieve this goal, leaders must become tutors and strategic orchestrators of all social-media activities within their control

agile

School administrators and teachers grappling with the often confusing and contradictory premises of these popular initiatives can draw on three useful sources of information: (1) meta-analyses of research studies regarding program effectiveness and instructional practices that support and enhance achievement, (2) studies of the initiatives' effect on English language learners' English language acquisition and academic achievement, and (3) databases that compile language assessments administered to large populations of English language learners over time and across grade levels. Several myths about the instruction of English language learners do not stand up to scrutiny when examined through the lens of this research base.

The "One-Size-Fits-All" Myth

Schools throughout the United States use a variety and range of theoretically sound programs to meet the needs of their specific populations of English language learners, who vary in demographic and linguistic characteristics.

For instance, bilingual programs are appropriate and effective in schools that serve concentrations of students who use a common native language

In many schools, however, English language learners speak a number of different native languages; such schools often use English as the common language of content-area instruction. Therefore, some state agencies and language-minority educators advocate a mix of services and program types in response to each school district's demographic mix—an approach that contradicts the state laws requiring a default model of sheltered English immersion

The "Language of Instruction" Myth

But according to Education Week, cumulative and comparative studies based on National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) scores suggest that statewide mandates limiting bilingual education in California, Arizona, and Massachusetts have produced "less-than-stellar" results (Zehr, 2008, p. 10).

Proponents of the ballot initiatives mandating sheltered English immersion argue that bilingual education is the reason for low levels of English proficiency among immigrant students—especially Latinos, the group served by the vast majority of the bilingual programs.

(Parrish, Pérez, Merickel, & Linquanti, 2006). The study found that students participating in English-only education programs had no statistically significant advantage in terms of academic achievement over those in bilingual education programs that parents chose through the waiver process under the law.

Thus, ballot initiatives have not realized their goal of improving English language learners' academic achievement.

In denying the injunction against the implementation of Proposition 227, the U.S. District Court in Valeria G. v. Wilson (1998) ruled that structured English immersion was based on delivery of English language and content instruction that was "sequential" rather than "simultaneous."

This focus is based on the belief that the "problem" facing these students is essentially a "language problem.

K-12 Program Continuity and Coherence Programs for English language learners must be proven models with a demonstrated track record. Programs must have long-term goals and continuity in the curriculum as students move up through the grade levels. As students' listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in English grow, the focus of instruction should shift, and instruction should be differentiated according to students' language levels (Mora, 2006). Differentiating the curriculum in this way requires monitoring students' progress toward performance benchmarks in English language proficiency, literacy, and content-area learning (Gottlieb & Nguyen, 2007)

Targeted Professional Development Educators must view the education of language-minority students as a shared responsibility. Teachers must have ample professional preparation in how to use appropriate curricular materials and teaching strategies to promote English language learners' achievement. Both new and experienced teachers need intensive professional development above and beyond the teacher education coursework required by the state credential and certificate programs. For example, teachers should be knowledgeable about second-language acquisition and cross-linguistic transfer so that students learning in their second language can capitalize on the commonalities in literacy with their native language, regardless of whether their instruction is in dual languages.

Local school districts must have the freedom and support to establish sheltered English immersion programs and/or bilingual education programs depending on community values, parental choice, and available resources. Policies must allow flexibility in use of students' native languages—especially for development of literacy skills. In states with anti-bilingual mandates, local jurisdictions should apply liberal and open interpretation of petition and waiver requirements to support parent empowerment and involvement in program selection.

Research-Based Policies to Replace Politically Based Policies