Members of ICNS are sent a monthly report that provides information of interest to our nonpublic school administrators.  Included this month are reports of the ISBE staff recommended budget, our efforts in working with Illinois Legislators and brief summaries of news articles on educational issues.  Additional information may be obtained by following the hyperlinks that are imbedded throughout the Report. 

ICNS BOARD REPORT

• An additional mailing was recently sent to nonpublic schools that have not yet joined ICNS. There is still time to become a member. The yearly dues are just $50.  A   memberships form can be found on the ICNS web page.
• With the start of the new year, Brittan Bolin began work as a part-time contracted consultant on behalf of ICNS working with members of the General Assembly in Springfield.  She will serve as our voice in communicating with legislators on issues of interest to ICNS member schools.
• In February, ICNS will be meeting with Patrick Murphy from ISBE about implementing the new state recognition rules.  These newly adopted rules are somewhat different from the Policy and Guidelines, so changes will be needed to be made to the probe document 

ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

Representatives from ICNS were in attendance at all eight of the ISBE budget hearings. In addition, we were represented in two meeting with ISBE staff, and another session with the State Superintendent and Board President.  Issues of importance to our member schools, specifically those related to the elimination of textbook funding, parent transportation reimbursement and the reduced level of support from the Safety Block Grant, were the focus of those meetings. Just last week, the Illinois State Board of Education approved a staff recommended budget request for fiscal year 2011.  This proposal will be forwarded to the Governor where it may undergo revisions before its presentation to the General Assembly later this session. 

Our schools need to know that the $29.1 million in funding requested by ICNS for the Textbook Loan Program was not included in this proposal.  Also, in contrast to previous discussions where the Board was considering three separate budget scenarios (Reduced, Level Funding and Full Needs) the Board put forth only a Level Funding budget proposal.  This budget does include $18.7 million for the ADA Block Grant, but no funding for the Parent Transportation Reimbursement Program.

VOUCHER SEMINAR

The Illinois Policy Institute is hosting a summit on vouchers that will be held on February 5. Many cities have experimented with the policy of school vouchers, which can give low-income parents the ability to send their children to private schools. The idea is now being considered in Illinois, led by a proposal from state senator James Meeks. The education summit, In Our Hands, features a gathering of national experts on school choice.  The summit will highlight how vouchers provide students with access to better, safer learning environments—and how vouchers positively impact public schools as well, while potentially saving taxpayers millions of dollars.  The lunch session will be keynoted by the activist, pastor and state lawmaker, the Rev. Senator James Meeks.

When:       Friday, February 5, 2010

Time:        Panel discussion: 9:00 am – 11:30 am

                 Greeting/reception: 11:30 am – Noon

                 Luncheon/keynote address: Noon - 1:15 pm

Place:       190 South LaSalle, 40th Floor

Cost:         Complimentary

E-mail Katie Truesdell at Katie@illinoispolicy.org or call her at 312-346-5700 ext. 207 to RSVP.

CAPE OUTLOOK

The January 2010 issue of CAPE Outlook, a monthly newsletter from the Council for American Private Education, is available for download at:: http://www.capenet.org/pdf/Outlook351.pdf

In Outlook this month:

Congress Bars New Students from Scholarship Program

USDE Webinar for Private Schools

Chicago School in USDE Spotlight

Intel Schools of Distinction Awards

And More!

EDUCATION IN THE NEWS

• Greater depression than during the Great Depression - A new study finds that five times as many American high school and college students are dealing with anxiety and other mental health issues compared with youth of the same age who were studied in the 1930s. http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2010/01/11/study_youth_now_have_more_mental_health_issues/

• Building new theories about the preschool brain - For much of the past century, educators and scientists believed that children could not learn math before the age of five because their brains simply were not ready, according to The New York Times. Recent research has overturned this assumption, along with other conventional wisdom about the acquisition of geometry, reading, language, and self-control skills in class. The findings from a branch of research called cognitive neuroscience are helping to clarify when young brains are best able to grasp fundamental concepts. Teaching of basic academic skills, once based in tradition and guesswork, is now giving way to approaches based on cognitive science. In several cities including Boston, Washington, D.C., and Nashville, schools are experimenting with curricula to cultivate math skills in preschoolers. In others, teachers are using techniques developed by brain scientists to help children overcome dyslexia. And schools in a dozen states have begun to use a program intended to accelerate the development of young students' frontal lobes, improving self-control in class. "Teaching is an ancient craft, and yet we really have had no idea how it affected the developing brain," said Kurt Fischer, director of the Mind, Brain, and Education program at Harvard. "Well, that is beginning to change, and for the first time we are seeing the fields of brain science and education work together." http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/21/health/research/21brain.html?_r=1&em

• Tracking the debate on tracking - Two new studies are "reviving tough questions" about the student tracking debate, according to The National Journal. A study from the Brookings Institution is critical of the movement against tracking, and in a comparison of tracked and detracked middle schools in Massachusetts found that schools with more tracks in math classes were associated with more high-performing students and fewer failures, and vice versa. Detracking means reducing the number of subject-area courses offered in a given grade in a given school, or in other terms, moving toward a heterogeneous class. On the other hand, a report out of the University of Colorado takes the opposite stance. It gives recommendations on best practices for moving towards heterogeneous classes drawn from three case studies. "The research on tracking is as clear as anything in the field of education," said Kevin Welner, the second study's author. "It is a destructive practice that has the undeniable effect of lowering expectations and opportunities for students who have already fallen behind." On the surface, says The National Journal, whether to group by ability is a debate about best practices in education. In practice, however, the discussion inevitably revolves around race and equality, since students in low-track classes are overwhelmingly minority and low-income. Read more: http://www.nationaljournal.com/njonline/no_20091214_5320.php

• Extended learning time, higher student performance? - As more and more schools experiment with an extended learning day, it's become important to build a base of knowledge about how schools are using extra time and what outcomes they're seeing. The National Center on Time & Learning has compiled a nationwide database of schools that have added learning time to their schedules, and its accompanying analysis suggests that extra time might play a role in boosting middle and high school achievement, reports Education Week. The center found a "moderate association" between increased time and how well students did on their states' standardized English and mathematics tests compared with their peers in nearby schools on regular schedules. Another analysis in the study found that schools that added the most time had better student performance in grades 7 and 10 than those that added less time. No similar pattern was found at other grade levels. The authors of the study emphasize that the data are not complete or representative enough to support a definite conclusion, but hope the results will prompt further research about practices and outcomes of extended-time schools. An-Me Chung of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, which has supported and studied after-school programs and extended learning time in schools, welcomes the study but said the focus was too narrow. "What is it that is happening during that time that's different? I would like to have seen more about that," Ms. Chung said. "Learning needs to be the focus here, not just time." Read more: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/12/09/14time.h29.html?tkn=QLXF8OnlYyhPWE7s20MjZSzxt%2B8LK3%2Fiwja8 See the report: http://www.timeandlearning.org/databasefullreport2009.html See the database: http://www.timeandlearning.org/eltschools_db/search.html

• Recession fuels shift from private to public schools (USA Today) - Some parents are pulling children from private schools, which saves money, but also creates some disruption. http://www.districtadministration.com/newssummary.aspx?news_date=2010-01-07&news_id=53993#top

GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Fiskars: Project Orange Thumb

Fiskars Project Orange Thumb grants Fiskars garden tools and materials such as plants, seeds, mulch, etc. to eligible gardening groups. Maximum award: $1,000 in implements and materials. Eligibility: gardens and/or gardening projects geared toward community involvement, neighborhood beautification, horticultural education, and/or sustainable agriculture. Deadline: February 19, 2010.

http://www.fiskars.com/content/garden_en_us/Garden/ProjectOrangeThumb/grantprogram

National Summer Learning Association: Excellence in Summer Learning

The Excellence in Summer Learning Award recognizes an outstanding summer program that accelerates academic achievement and promotes positive development for young people. Maximum award: national recognition, increased press opportunities, conference presentations, and complimentary registrations, professional development opportunities for staff, and increased publishing opportunities. Eligibility: public or private organizations or agencies (schools, community-based organizations, libraries, universities, faith-based organizations, etc.) serving young people between the ages of kindergarten and 12th grade over the summer months. Deadline: February 24, 2010.

http://www.summerlearning.org/?page=excellence_summer

Sodexo: STOP Hunger Scholarship

The Sodexo STOP Hunger Scholarship program supports the education of young people working to end hunger in communities across the United States, and brings attention to the innovative and effective solutions they are implementing toward ending hunger in their lifetime. Maximum award: a $5,000 scholarship award and a matching $5,000 grant in their name for the hunger-related charity of their choice. Eligibility: students enrolled in an accredited education institution (kindergarten through graduate school) in the United States who can demonstrate an ongoing commitment to hunger-relief activities in their community. Deadline: February 26, 2010.

http://www.sodexofoundation.org/hunger_us/scholarships/scholarships.asp

Best Buy Scholarship Program

The 2010 Best Buy Scholarship Program will award scholarships to students based on their outstanding commitment to and involvement in community service, along with solid academic performance. Maximum award: $1,000. Eligibility: 9–12th grade students from private, public, alternative, or home schools, graduating with plans to enter a full-time undergraduate course of study at an accredited two- or four-year college, university, or vocation technical school in the U.S. no later than fall 2010. Deadline: February 15, 2010. - http://communications.bestbuy.com/communityrelations/scholarships.asp

Disney/YSA: Friends for Change Grants

Disney's Friends for Change Grants encourage kids everywhere to work with their friends to help the planet. The Friends for Change Grants will fund kids' projects that help the environment and engage children ages five to 18 as leaders in their communities. Maximum award: $500. Eligibility: schools, organizations, and individuals planning service projects. To be eligible, projects will need to be done any time during 2010 and should include one service or celebratory component on Global Youth Service Day, April 23-25, 2010. Deadline: January 29, 2010. - http://www.ysa.org/grants/announcements/friendsforchange