ELL Webcast Opportunity

Title III is happy to present an opportunity for you and your staff to attend a Webcast, free of charge.

Falling Through the Cracks: Meeting the Needs of Adolescent English Language Learners
October 28, 2008
2:00 to 3:30 p.m.
Conference Rooms 3 & 4
6500 Corporate Drive, Johnston
Maximum Participants: 30

To register for the Webcast, go to the Heartland Professional Development Web site at https://prodev.aea11.k12.ia.us/4DCGI/ES005392110901.

When it comes to dropping out of school, English language learners (ELLs) are a particularly vulnerable population. Deborah J. Short and Kate Menken, two leading experts in the field of English language teaching, highlight the key policy, academic and practical issues related to the high dropout rate for adolescent ELLs and recommend effective approaches and policies for addressing the problem. New York Times editor Joseph Berger will moderate this live interactive Webcast.

Target Audience:
• K-12 school language and content teachers
• K-12 district and site-based coordinators and administrators working with ELLs
• State education policy makers and other stakeholders
• Counselors working with At-Risk youth

Please consider sending a representative from your school to enjoy and learn from this informative free Webcast.

Guidance Available on House File 2679 -- Educator Quality

House File 2679 made some changes to the existing Student Achievement and Teacher Quality program. The Iowa Department of Education now has guidance available regarding these changes and how they may affect schools. Click here for a memo from the DE providing guidance and answering questions local school districts may have.

Registration Available for Iowa Core Curriculum Leadership Training Series

Partnership Directors have distributed to their public and nonpublic schools the registration information for the Iowa Core Curriculum Leadership Training Series. Registration is available via Heartland’s online registration system https://prodev.aea11.k12.ia.us/4DCGI/YYYYYYYYYYYYYYSRCH. Contact the Partnership Director in your region if you have questions or are in need of further information. Sessions begin in October and conclude in April 2009.

Details of the 2009 United Nations National High School Essay Contest

High School Principals:

Below are details for the 2009 United Nations National High School Essay Contest. You will find the general Web site link, the submission link, the rules and the judging criteria for the contest. Please pass this information on to your teachers and students.

Please find the 2009 judging criteria here.

Please find the 2009 official contest rules here.

Here is the general link to the U.N.’s 2009 National Essay Contest:
http://unausanationalhighschoolessaycontest.com/

Here is the link to submit all entries:
http://unausanationalhighschoolessaycontest.com/submit.php

If you have any questions, please contact:
Jessica Hall Graduate Student Intern
Iowa United Nations Association
Iowa City, IA 52245
(319) 337-7290