Art education conferences 2005-2006

Following is a listing of conferences being held in the coming year by art education associations and others throughout the country. For more information or to register, please contact the individuals whose names, addresses, phone/fax numbers, or e-mail/Web site addresses are provided at the end of each listing.

ALASKA Early October; site to be determined. Contact: Jody Jenkins; (907) 783-2449, jody@alaska.net.

ARIZONA Nov. 4-6; Embassy Suites, Phoenix. "The Bridge to the Future." Presenting artists: Zarco Gerald with masks, music and diversity, and Gerald Heffernon with his startling realistic sculptural portrayals of animals and humanoids with animal features. Contact: Barbara Townsley, 10001 North 29th Place, Phoenix, AZ 85028; (602) 971-5768; e-mail: townsley2@cox.net; azarted.org.

CALIFORNIA Nov. 10-13; Sheraton Grand Hotel and Sacramento Convention Center. "Art Wants You: Body, Mind and Spirit." Keynote Speakers: Dr. Mary Ann Stankiewicz, past NAEA president; Peter London, author of Drawing Closer to Nature; Marilyn Stewart, author of Thinking Through Aesthetics. Contact: Lydia Vogt, 9855 Meacham Road, Bakersfield, CA 93312; (760) 749-0069, e-mail: lvogt6900@aol.com; caea-arteducation.org.

COLORADO Oct. 6-9; Pueblo Convention Center. Contact: Susan Pinkney-Todd, 4438 Newton Street, Denver, CO 80211-1350; phone and fax (303) 480-1682; susan_pinkney-todd @dpsk12.org.

CONNECTICUT Oct. 23-24; Farmington Marriott Hotel. Contact: Barbara Grasso, P.O. Box 484, Bristol, CT 06011; (860) 919-4994; e-mail: quinngrasso@aol.com.

FLORIDA Oct. 13-16; Radisson Hotel, Downtown Miami; "Art Now." There will be over 150 events at the conference, which includes hands-on major works, mini workshops, special interest sessions and general sessions. Participants will take away tools to use inside and outside of the classroom. Contact: Lisa Kammel, 402 office Plaza, Tallahassee, FL 32301; phone: (850) 205-0068, fax: (850) 942-1793; e-mail: lisa@faea.org; www.faea.org.

GEORGIA Nov. 3-6; Lake Lanier Islands Pine Isle Renaissance Resort. "Inspirations." Keynote speakers include: Carmen Lamas Garza, Becky Bailey. Contact: Patricia Spencer, Harmony Elementary, Bogan Rd., Buford, GA 30518; (770) 271-9014; e-mail: thespencers@bellsouth.net; www.gaea.armstrong.edu.

IDAHO Oct. 6-7; site to be determined; Boise. Contact: Peggy Fiske, P.O. Box 251, Kendrick, ID 83537; (208) 289-8020; e-mail: pegfiske@yahoo.com; mrphelpsart@yahoo.com.

ILLINOIS Oct. 20-22; Eagle Ridge Resort, Galena. "Reflections." Illinois art educators collaborate, learn, reflect and share with colleagues to improve upon their professional practice in art education. Contact: Sandra Strejc, 2711 Misty Brook Lane, Joliet, IL 60432, (815) 846-0365; e-mail: sstrejc@comcast.net; www.ilaea.org.

INDIANA Nov. 4-5; Marten House Hotel and Conference Center, Indianapolis. "The Power of Creativity: No Teacher Left Behind." Contact: Dorothy Duffala, 8963 Beall St., Dyer, IN 46311; (219) 365-8038; e-mail: dotartd@aol.com; www.aeai.org.

IOWA Oct. 14-16; Arrowwood Resort and Conference Center, Okoboj. "A Reflection of Time." Keynote speakers include: Roger Kukes, David Williamson, Portia Martinso. Contact: Tammy Hope, 304 5th Avenue, Rock Valley, IA 51246; (712) 470-0889; e-mail: Hoppet2002@yahoo.com; www.cedarnet.org/aei.

KANSAS Oct. 27-29; Olathe Holiday Inn. Contact: Kristin Herndon, 4343 S.W. 17th Terrace, Topeka, KS 66604; (785) 231-8865; e-mail: kdawn33@yahoo.com.

KENTUCKY Oct. 21-22; Berea College, Berea. "Art's Alive in 2005." Contact: Elise Melrood, Vendor Coordinator, 2558 Oakley Wells Rd., Richmond, KY 40475; fax: (859) 622-6658; e-mail: emelrood@ipro.net.

LOUISIANA Oct. 28-30; Cook Conference Center, LSU. "In Fine Form-Sculpture and 3-D Design." Contact: Russell Roper, 17865 E. General Forrest Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70817; (225) 753-2333; e-mail: roper01@cox.net or roper@ehsbr.org; laea.net.

MARYLAND Oct. 21; James Hubert Blake High School, Silver Springs. "Art: The Critical Link." Contact: Helen Smith or Joan Stoer, 850 Hungerford Dr., Rockville, MD 20850; phone: (301) 279-3834, fax: (301) 279-3147; e-mail: helen_smith@mcpsmd.org; www.mdarted.org.

MICHIGAN Nov. 3-6; Bavarian Inn Lodge, Frankenmuth. "Crossing the Bridge; Kunst and Ausdruck" will be a grand gathering to reawaken the senses. Our conference will be an opportunity to enrich our expressive approach to art making, integrating art and life." Contact: Julius Kusey, 2659 West Avon Road, Rochester, MI 48309; (248) 375-9409.

MINNESOTA Nov. 4-5; Earle Brown Heritage Center, Brooklyn Center, Blake Upper School, Minneapolis. "Mind, Vision Literacy: Learning Through Art." Variety of topics, strategies and skill development to help examine the importance of art-centered learning in education today. Contact: Mark Trampf, 2951 Polk St., NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418; (612) 789-3729; e-mail: aem@mn.rr.com; www.aem-mn.org.

MISSISSIPPI (with Tennessee) Nov. 3-5; Memphis College of Art, Memphis. "Walking in Memphis." Contact: Russell Bennet, 104 Dellwood Lane, Gray, TN 37615; phone: (423) 378-2480, fax: (423) 378-2470; e-mail: theartcoach@yahoo.com.

NAEA (National Art Education Association) March 22-26, 2006; Chicago. Contact: NAEA, 1916 Association Dr., Reston, VA 20191; phone: (703) 860-8000; fax: (703) 860-2960; www.naea-reston.org.

NEBRASKA Oct. 7-8; Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha. Contact: Sr. Margaret Proskavec, Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE 68102; phone: (402) 342-3300; fax: (402) 342-2376; e-mail: mproskovec@joslyn.org.

NEW ENGLAND (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont) Nov. 4-6; Four Points Sheraton Hyannis (Mass.) Resort. Contact: Carol Gargon, P.O. Box 579, Moretown, VT 05660.

NEW JERSEY Oct. 10-12; Garden State Conference/Exhibit Center, Somerset. "Be Out There-Creating Connections." Keynote speakers include: Christo and Jean-Claude. Special events: Sanford Grand Slam, Crayola Connection, Artsonia Exhibit. Contact: Susan Bivona, 1 Knox Lane, Lebanan, NJ 08833; (908) 236-7971; e-mail: spbivona@earthlink.net; aenj.org.

NEW YORK CITY Oct. 29; Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School for the Arts. "Art Education: Nurturing the Artist Within Us." Twenty-fifth annual conference for the New York City Art Teachers Association. Contact: Nancy Kuperman, e-mail: PurpleLady49@aol.com; or Ruth Herzlinger, e-mail: ruth1112@earthlink.net.

OHIO Nov. 17-19; Renaissance Cleveland Hotel. Contact: Joan Maxwell, 248 E. Wilgus Drive, Russells Point, OH 43348, phone: (937) 843-3389; fax: (937) 686-8993; e-mail: joanmaxwell@charter.net.

OKLAHOMA Oct. 8; Cameron University, Lawton. Contact: Bob Curtis, 2305 N. Warren Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73107; (405) 942-9864;e mail: okartbob@msn.com; www.okarted.org.

OREGON Oct. 14; St. Mary's Academy, Portland. Contact: Maria Galati, maria_galati@ddouglas.k12.or.us; Shannon McBride, mcbrides@loswego.k12.or.us.

PENNSYLVANIA Oct. 20-23; Penn State Conference Center Hotel, State College. "Teaching, Learning, Centering ... Our Art in Pennsylvania." Featured speakers include Jane Golden from the Philadelphia Mural Arts Project and Faith Ringgold Contact: James Ritchey, 1232 Smithfield Circle, State College, PA 16801; phone: (814) 231-5067, fax: (814) 231-5070; e-mail: paea@verizon.net; paea.org.

SOUTH CAROLINA Oct. 6-8; Hilton, Myrtle Beach. "Every Artist has a Story." Featuring sculptor Patz Fowle and guest speaker Hope Irvine. Contact: Laura McFadden, 2210 Chadwick Dr., Florence, SC 29501; (843) 673-1135; e-mail: Imcfadden@fsd1.org; www.scaea.org.

TENNESSEE (with Mississippi) Nov. 4-5; Memphis College of Art, Memphis. "Walking in Memphis." Contact: Russell Bennet, 104 Dellwood Lane, Gray, TN 37615; phone: (423) 378-2480, fax: (423) 378-2470; e-mail: theartcoach@yahoo.com.

TEXAS Nov. 3-7; Austin. "Deepen the Art in Texas." Emphasis on strengthening the depth of the arts in schools, stressing the quality of challenge. Contact: Judy Shimp, 13140 Colt Rd., LB120, Suite 320, Dallas, TX 75240-5737; phone: (972) 233-9107 ex. 201, fax: (972) 490-4219, e-mail: judy@dondillon.com.

VIRGINIA Nov. 3-5; Williamsburg Marriott Hotel. "Variety of activities with focus on teaching through concepts, professional development and advocacy." Contact: Betty Tisinger, 105 Water's Edge Lane, Moneta, VA 24121; phone: (540) 297-7811, fax: (540) 297-7811; e-mail: tisinger@aol.com; VAEA.org.

WASHINGTON Oct. 14-15; Cascade High School, Everett. "Expanding Our Vision: All for Art and Art for All." Contact: Gale Riley, 14409 43rd Ave West, Lynnwood, WA 98037, phone/fax: (425) 745-2158; e-mail: deanbriley@seanet.com; waea.net.

WEST VIRGINIA Oct. 21-22; Blackwater Falls State Park, Davis. Variety of professional development opportunities through hands-on workshops, as well as informational sessions. The keynote speaker will be Robert Sabuda, best-selling illustrator and paper engineer, who has established himself as one of today's most innovative and inventive children's book creators. Contact: Thisbe Cooper, P.O. Box 504, Davis, WV 26260; (304) 866-4475; e-mail: thisbe@mountain.net; WVAEA.homestead.com.

WISCONSIN Oct. 27-28; Radisson Paper Valley Hotel and Convention Center, Appleton. "Collections of Identity." Contact: Jean McCulloch Harper, N 3289 County Road D, Clintonville, WI 54929; (715) 823-2731; e-mail: jmcch@frontiernet.net; www.wiarted.org.

COPYRIGHT 2005 Publishers' Development Corporation
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group

Education in Urban America

There was good news, bad news, and troubling nonsense associated with the December 17, 2003, release of scores for ten big cities in fourth- and eighth-grade reading and math on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).

The good news is that major urban school systems are willingly participating in NAEP, allowing their results to be held up for public inspection, and submitting to comparisons that can be harsh as well as revealing.

The bad news is that most students in these cities' systems performed dismally. In fourth-grade math, in only three of the ten jurisdictions did the percentage of kids scoring in NAEP's "proficient" range rise above the teens--and in just one did it beat the national average. In eighth-grade reading, at least two-fifths of the students were "below basic" in seven cities. In the six lowest-scoring cities, the percentages of reading-proficient eighth graders were grim: Chicago 15 percent, Houston 14 percent, Atlanta 11 percent, Los Angeles 11 percent, District of Columbia 10 percent, Cleveland 10 percent.

This shows that Washington's ambitious goal of getting every young American to the "proficient" level is akin to crossing the Grand Canyon, calling for heroic action on many fronts. Why, then, is the chairman of NAEP's governing board saying something different? An architect of the vaunted Texas education reforms, Darvin M. Winick is known for his reformist zeal. But not this time.

First he asserted that "the perception that students in urban schools do less well than others and have poor academic performance is not supported by the 2003 NAEP results." This is simply wrong. Their academic performance, by and large, is horrendous. And with rare exceptions, they do notably worse than the national average. Why encourage complacency in big-city school districts just when they need to struggle harder with painful reforms?

Winick turned next to the presentation of test results by race, noting (correctly) that minority youngsters "meet or exceed national averages" for students of the same race in some cities. OK, it's good to know that urban kids do no worse than same-race children elsewhere. But then he made this regrettable assertion: "When demographics and family economics are considered, students in the participating urban districts, on the average, are not too different from other students across the nation. The common perception that students in urban public schools do not achieve is not supported by the NAEP results."

The fact is that huge numbers of urban (and nonurban) youngsters in America are not achieving anywhere near satisfactorily--and that should be the main message. Moreover, at a time when our premier education goal is to close race-related achievement gaps, it is bizarre to settle for academic outcomes adjusted for "demographics and family economics." Such statements imply that poor and minority kids ought not be expected to attain proficiency and that we should be content if those in our big cities do as well (that is, as poorly) as similar kids elsewhere in the land.

Troubling nonsense, indeed.

Chester E. Finn Jr. is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution; chairman of Hoover's Koret Task Force on K-12 Education; and president of the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation.

COPYRIGHT 2004 National Review, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group

Leave no school behind: they're fighting for high-quality education. You can, too

Frederick Douglass called it the "pathway from slavery to freedom." W.E.B. DuBois considered it "the most fundamental" of civil rights, while Malcolm X hailed it as "our passport to the future." African-Americans have always understood the importance of education. Yet finding the best learning environment for our children in the current era of school choice has become an increasingly tough--and often frustrating--assignment.

The options have certainly grown. Today about two thirds of Black students go to public schools in their neighborhoods, while almost a quarter attend ones they choose, including magnet programs, charter schools, out-of-boundary transfers and other public options. The federal No Child Left Behind law, which requires school districts to publish annual "report cards" on their performance and provide tutoring or transfers from low-performing schools, gives families additional ammunition for finding the right academic and social fit. And the newly updated Individuals With Disabilities Education Act gives parents more power--and schools more money--to help evaluate and serve students with special needs.

But making the most of these options means parents have to be pickier--and pushier. Los Angeles tax attorney Shannon King Nash, for example, says she has earned "close to a Ph.D." tracking down support and therapies for her 6-year-old autistic son. The bottom line: Parents have to do their homework to know what to look for in an effective school as well as how to work with a school that doesn't quite make the grade. All over this country, visionary principals, gifted teachers and community activists are partnering with parents to help children flourish in our schools. We profile three of them on these pages and tell you how to empower yourself to get the best education for your child.

THE ADVOCATE

NATASHA MULLEN, 33, Cofounder, Seaford Parents for the Education of African-American Kids (SPEAK), Seaford, Delaware

HER STORY: NaTasha Mullen joined the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) at her children's school to have a greater impact on their education. But the mother of four quickly concluded that selling cookies "wasn't the involvement I was looking for." So Mullen, who lives in Seaford, Delaware, volunteered in the classroom.

Not long after she began, her training as a clinical psychologist helped her recognize a few telling signs of trouble. Juwan, 11, her second eldest (shown with Mullen), kept stumbling over simple questions about concepts he had mastered at home. "I knew he knew the answer," Mullen recalls. "I was almost ready to jump out of my skin to answer for him." After some testing, an audiologist confirmed that her son was hard of hearing on his right side. Additional testing revealed a "central auditory processing disorder," meaning he had difficulty understanding or acting on verbal instruction.

HER SOLUTION: Rather than flounder in the special-education bureaucracy, Mullen decided to work on improving the process for her child and the many others in their school system. She, along with her husband, Julius, a middle-school basketball coach, and three other parents and educators, cofounded a support group, Seaford Parents for the Education of African-American Kids (SPEAK), in April 2004. Their goal: to boost parental involvement and raise achievement. Cooperation, Mullen believes, opens more doors than confrontation.

THE RESULTS: SPEAK met with the school district to point out the federal mandate to improve achievement and, instead of demanding action, asked how "we" were going to raise scores. Their pitch focused not just on low-income and Black kids but special-education students as well. The approach worked: the school district supports SPEAK'S mission, and the group now hopes to use school facilities to launch a Saturday academy to provide mentors and remedial instruction. SPEAK also encourages parents to get involved by making contact with teachers every two weeks, whether by phone, E-mail or note, to talk about their child's progress and behavior issues rather than wait for problems--and tempers-to erupt. Mullen understands how intimidating the jargon of the school system, as well as facing off with teachers and administrators, can be. When issues inevitably arise, she advises parents to "take a notepad and pen to meetings at the school. Have questions ready and write down what people say. Let them know you mean business." Mullen also keeps a teacher-conversation log in a notebook, where she jots down the time, date and content of each call.

Although SPEAK is just under a year old, Mullen already sees a warmer school climate for African-American and special-needs students in her school district. She also feels more in sync with the teachers of her 13- and 9-year-old children. (The baby, age 4, is not yet in school.) Mullen, who "didn't have a very positive experience in school," says she is proud of how well the group is catching on. "It's as if they were just waiting for someone to ask."

HELP FOR CHILDREN WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES * National Association for the Education of African American Children With Learning Disabilities (aacld.org): Offers education and support for parents of children with learning challenges. * Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (chadd.org): Advocates for individuals with ADD/ADHD.

THE REFORMER

MONTRELL GREENE, Ph.D., 30, Superintendent of Schools, Cleveland, Mississippi

HIS STORY: Faith moves mountains. It can also budge a failing school system. That's what happened in July 2003 when Montrell Greene, a reform-minded superintendent of schools faced the daunting mission of turning around the East Jasper school district in Heidelberg, Mississippi, which included a high school rated among the state's ten worst. "An egregious number of kids functioned at a low level," Greene recalls of the 1,225 mostly poor Black students in the system. Teen pregnancy, truancy and other social issues compounded the challenge of raising achievement. So did low expectations, lack of resources, narrow-minded administrators and inexperienced teachers, Greene says. "Communities get the schools they demand," he believes. But as far as he could tell, no one was demanding much at all--not from parents, students or educators. "We needed a grassroots effort," Greene concluded. "We not only had to change the school--we had to change the whole culture." Trouble is, Greene says, poorly schooled parents may not see how a good education can open doors.

HIS SOLUTION: Greene drew up an action plan for seven immediate improvements--including a new literacy program, after-school tutoring and teacher training--and presented it to the community in every forum imaginable, including homes. He launched a media blitz and got sermon time in local churches to preach the value of education. He likened improving East Jasper schools to rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, brick by brick. He noted that college-educated workers earn $1 million more over a lifetime than those with no degree. "That alone was an awesome motivator," he says. His overall message: Accountability does not stop with the superintendent; everyone has a part to play in raising achievement. As momentum built for reform, Greene introduced parent contracts. Mothers and fathers pledged to check their child's homework at least twice a week, see the teacher at least once a month, volunteer ten to 25 hours a year, and guarantee the child would show respect to all adults at all times. It was a controversial move. "Look, Superintendent," one parent told Greene, 'I want to do my part, but all I have is a sixth-grade education. How can I be expected to help with homework?" Greene's answer: "You don't have to solve algebraic equations," but you can convey the importance of education by just asking about schoolwork. As Greene notes, "Parents and teachers have to be on the same page." The relationship can be uneasy, he says, "but you have to work together to accomplish a goal, which is student achievement."

At the same time, Greene reached out to local businesses and church groups, which responded by donating more than $3,000 to the school. The money helped provide teachers with small cash grants, reward top readers with free meals, and fund such reading initiatives as the principal's Book of the Month program. When data showed seventh and eighth graders were at greatest risk of failing, Greene established a school within a school to boost student contact with teachers and classmates. He brought in a curriculum specialist to align the instruction with state standards, doubled the time spent on reading and math, and provided after-school programs for the biggest strugglers--and a bus to take them home.

THE RESULTS: After less than a year on the job, Greene could point to a number of improvements. PTA membership had doubled by fall, with 40 percent of parents joining. More middle-school students were achieving straight As. And test scores improved just enough to lift the high school off the state's underperforming list. Yet Greene has had people fighting him every step of the way. He found himself in a political maelstrom last year when he tried to have the high school's longtime principal removed. And finally, last April, the board handed Greene his walking papers. Students flooded local news stations demanding his reinstatement. Parents protested. Though the firing was a blow, Greene is proud of what he accomplished. "We galvanized a community," he says. "We left a good road map for the kids."

Today Greene, who is studying to be a minister, is working the same magic in the college town of Cleveland, Mississippi, a wealthier district with 12 schools. He continues to preach the value of education at local churches. (Sample sermon: Get Your G.E.D.--God, Education and Dream.) This time, though, he works political channels as diligently as the parents. He says it's been a valuable life lesson.

RECOMMENDED READING

Learning While Black: Creating Educational Excellence for African American Children (Johns Hopkins University Press). The author, Wayne State University professor and early-childhood educator Janice E. Hale, charges the establishment with miseducating Black kids. Among her suggestions: educational-aid societies that, much like legal-aid societies, go to bat for parents and students in need.

THE VISIONARY

PATRICIA LONG TUCKER, 54, Principal, Benjamin Banneker Academic High School, Washington, D.C.

HER STORY: "Show me a good school, and I will show you a good principal," wrote Roland Barth. founding director of Harvard University's Principals' Center, in his book Run School Run (Harvard University Press). Benjamin Banneker Academic High School, a diamond in Washington, D.C.'s rough and troubled public-education system, certainly qualifies as top-notch. Its 406-strong, mostly low-income, almost exclusively Black student body far outscores most of the city's 19 other public high schools, and students go on to attend top colleges. As the visionary at the helm, veteran educator Patricia Tucker has made it her mission to raise the bar even higher. As Tucker told the hiring committee six years ago, "If it's not broken. I'm not going to fix it. I'm just going to improve it."

HER SOLUTION: Studies indicate that the biggest predictor of college success isn't high test scorns but taking the most challenging courses available. So Tucker increased the number of Advanced Placement courses and electives offered at the school and instituted a rigorous European diploma program called the International Baccalaureate, which requires passing a demanding battery of exams by writing extensive research papers in several subjects. "I want to create as many opportunities as possible for our students so they can explore and challenge themselves as much as possible," Tucker explains, She has also used her knack for fund-raising to forge corporate partnerships. Honda North America sponsors the school's It's Academic TV quiz-show team, while the local offices of international law firm Holland & Knight supports several school programs.

THE RESULTS: During her tenure, the school has built two new science labs and revamped the computer lab. And almost two thirds of the 23 students who chose to pursue the International Baccalaureate diploma have passed, a remarkable first-time success rate, The rest missed by a point or two. "I believe these students can do anything else can do," Tucker says. "The only ingredient--you need is to believe it. The kudos really belong to our kids."

RECOMMENDED READING

Picky Parent Guide: Choose Your Child's School With Confidence (Armchair Press). Some 20 million American children change schools each year. In this comprehensive guide, school-choice experts Bryan C. and Emily Ayscue Hassel cover everything from the importance of "fit" to questions for parents to ask when they visit schools.

A Change for the Better

How to make the most of the school you've got

Research shows that children with involved parents do better in school. As these tips prove, it doesn't take much to jump-start the relationship:

GET AN EARLY START. Communicate the importance and joy of learning by reading to your toddler. Discuss pictures in magazines. Have books on the coffee table. Choose a high-quality, child-centered preschool that encourages exploration while building social and academic skills.
GET TO KNOW THE TEACHER. Don't wait for midterm conferences to drop by the classroom, advises Theresa Cooper, a room from South Central Los Angeles who runs a support group for parents of special-education children. She communicates with her son's teachers regularly in writing by way of a spiral notebook. "You have to work with the teacher," she says. "They don't have to be the enemy." If the teacher isn't right for your child, however, use the chain of command--first the principal, then the superintendent's office--to transfer your youngster to another classroom.

GET INVOLVED. Showing up at school signals how much you care about what goes on there. So when you can, chaperone field trips. Join a committee. At the very least, monitor homework. Asking your child what she did in class that day signals that you're paying attention.

GET HELP. The No Child Left Behind act requires states to provide tutoring, transportation and other enrichment for students in chronically low-performing schools. Tight budgets mean parents may have to push for such services. Or, if you can afford it, hire a tutor.

GET POLITICAL. Sometimes you have to join the system to change it. Ron Price, a parent in Dallas, got so fired up about Black children's being left behind in city schools that he ran for school board at age 29 and won. In a few short years he has helped transform failing schools by forcing principals to pledge to improve achievement in front of TV cameras. "It's tough love, but it was needed," he says.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO TO FIND A GOOD SCHOOL

Some tips from educators, parents and other experts: Do your homework. "Parents should spend some time getting the facts," recommends Gerry House, who heads the Institute for Student Achievement in New York. For starters, she says, read the report cards that federal law requires each school district to publish. Available online, these school snapshots contain such valuable information as test scores, graduation rates, teacher quality and other key details to help assess and compare quality. Also check the curriculum, which should contain rigorous courses.

Roam the corridors. "You can tell a lot about a school just by walking around," says Bob Chase, author of The New Public School Parent: How to Get the Best Education for Your Elementary School Child (Penguin). Do you hear happy sounds, or is it too noisy to think? Chaotic hallways are a bad sign. So are bare walls and stale displays of children's artwork.

Visit classrooms. "Make some observations--are children talking with each other and allowed to compare and contrast, or do they sit there taking notes and doing repetitious drills and worksheets?" House asks. If not, the school isn't setting high standards.

Check the culture. How teachers "incorporate the culture and identity of students" in their instruction is crucial for Susan Goodwin, coauthor of Teaching Children of Color (RTA Press). Black children should "see themselves in the literature and curriculum," she says, not just on posters during Black History Month.

Quiz teachers. Ask what the teacher's expectations are for her pupils. Talk about aspirations, and ask how he or she would support a child like yours.

Weigh the extras. A rich assortment of extracurricular activities--study halls, drama and labs, not just athletics or day care--is another hallmark of excellence, as is extra help for strugglers.

Mary Lord is a freelance writer in Washington, D.C.
Should Your Child Be Tested for Special-Needs?

Here's how to tell, and how to get help

The route to diagnosing a child with special needs can take parents through a gauntlet of pediatricians, psychological evaluations, legal research and support groups. To get your child what she or he deserves, follow these suggestions:

Trust your gut. The school psychologist told Nancy Tidwell, a business owner in Columbus, Ohio, that her son, then in elementary school, was "just a little disorganized" and lazy. But she suspected a learning disability. Tidwell found a private psychologist to do an evaluation, which confirmed her suspicions. That experience led her to create the National Association for the Education of African American Children With Learning Disabilities (aacid.org).

Get an outside evaluation. School districts sometimes steer parents to a few handpicked psychologists who will pinpoint only those disabilities for which the system can provide services, Find a private psychologist who's trained to evaluate learning disabilities--and be prepared to fight your health insurer or school district to cover the cost.

Know your rights. Special-needs students have the federal right to a quality education. For most, that entails the school's developing an individualized education plan, or IEP, for delivering speech therapy, untimed tests or other accommodations. The recently reauthorized Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) strips away some bureaucratic barriers, allowing families and educators to forgo formal meetings each time they need to tweak an IEP. Visit the Harvard Civil Rights Project online at civilrightsproject.harvard.edu for more information. Seek support. There are a host of national and grassroots advocacy groups accessible on the Web that help parents fight for special-ed services.

COPYRIGHT 2005 Essence Communications, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group

Extra Credit: entrepreneurship education is coming of age in America's classrooms.

Find out which schools make the grade in our 2nd annual top 100 entrepreneurial colleges and universities
by Mark Henricks

Entrepreneurship education used to be a few courses taught in a few business schools. Then it became a lot of courses in a lot of business schools. Now it's becoming much more, including full-fledged doctoral degree programs, university departments, endowed professorships, and even a change in the way entire universities approach educating their students.

"The great new turf in the next three to four years is the massive support for 'entrepreneurship across the curriculum efforts," says David Newton, founder and CEO of TechKnowledge Point Corp., the Santa Barbara California-based venture research firm that compiled the data for Entrepreneur's 2nd Annual Top l00 Entrepreneurial College and Universities. Newton, who is also professor of entrepreneurial finance at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, and other entrepreneurship educators say the cross-curriculum movement promises to institutionalize entrepreneurial thinking in higher education outside of the business school, making it part of far more students' educations.

"It's having biology, sociology, pre-med, engineering and sports medicine students take one or two entrepreneurship courses during their studies," says Newton. The reason educators are embracing entrepreneurship is that entrepreneurial thinking is becoming recognized as fundamental to developing skills in analysis, communication, critical thinking, innovation and other competencies of higher education. "A high-quality liberal arts education is now viewed as a perfect complement to an entrepreneurship education and perspective, and vice versa."

Other educators see similar expansion of entrepreneurship education. "It's going beyond the traditional boundaries of business schools in terms of where it's located," says William B. Gartner, professor of entrepreneurship at the University of Southern California. Indeed, entrepreneurship programs have sprung up at universities that don't even have business schools, appearing as part of sociology, engineering or other curricula.

While entrepreneurship is spreading across more curricula and institutions, it is also being refined, according to the results of our 2004 study. This year's ranking looked at an increasing number of characteristics to improve precision. Among the changes Newton describes are more carefully defining incubators and technology transfer initiatives, and allowing subcategories within program offerings where there's more than one focus.

More data and greater precision are good ideas from the prospective student's point of view, says Scott Shane, professor of economics and entrepreneurship at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. "There's getting to be a much greater divergence among the providers of entrepreneurship education," says Shane. "It matters more where you're getting your education. It used to be that everybody offered the same thing. Now people are focusing on different topics, using different tools, and applying different techniques in the classroom. It's more important to be an educated consumer."

Changes between the first rankings in 2003 and this year's are many but are mostly modest. Five programs, including Babson College; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; The University of Arizona; University of California, Berkeley; and University of Maryland, College Park, repeated as members of the top tier of national Comprehensive programs. Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania (Wharton), however, both dropped out of the top tier (see "Changing of the Guard" on page 76).

Ball State University; California State University, Fresno; St. Louis University; University of Oregon; and University of Portland appeared for a second year in the top tier of the regional Comprehensive program rankings. Elsewhere, new faces showed up, including Temple University among national reputation institutions and Auburn University in the regional group.

GAINING STATUS

In general, the popularity of entrepreneurship continues unabated in higher education. "It's growing rapidly on a long-term trend," says Shane. "If anything, the trend of entrepreneurship education is stronger than business in general. We're seeing declining enrollment in MBA programs but increasing enrollment in graduate entrepreneurship programs." One mason for rising enrollment in entreprencurship programs is the growing number of college students, thanks to a baby boomlet now washing through higher education. Another reason is the changing perception of traditional employment as a source of security. "The social contract with large companies has broken down," says Shane. "People view starting their own companies as less risky than employment."

Today's students represent another shift, away from those who flocked to e-commerce programs and other flash-in-the-pan features of premillennial business education. "A few years ago, I was getting very disturbed because, when students thought about entrepreneurship, they thought it meant a quick investment and a lot of money," says Don Kuratko, professor of entrepreneurship at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. "We're starting to see students learn how to really be entrepreneurs, how to bootstrap, how to manage, how to be committed to creating something with value."

Entrepreneurship education is also changing. Today's courses are more likely to be taught by a professional academic with a doctorate and an orientation toward research than an adjunct professor with a resume as a successful entrepreneur. This is leading to the development of a basic framework for teaching entrepreneurship, says Michael H. Morris, a professor of entrepreneurship at Syracuse University. "There aren't standard curriculum models in entrepreneurship," he says. "But they're emerging." Those models typically include a course on writing business plans, providing consulting to small businesses, studying entrepreneurial finance, and managing innovation as main elements.

One of the solid trends in entrepreneurship education is toward experiential learning. Competitions for the best business plan or elevator pitch, opportunities to consult to real world small businesses, simulations, incubators, on-campus venture funds and other approaches provide students with learning experiences that many educators deem more effective than the conventional textbook approach. "We're seeing more students getting out of the classroom and into the practice field," confirms Kuratko. "There's a move away from classroom teaching to the field approach."

Change is also caking place in the research programs related to these entrepreneurship programs. A keystone research project, me Panel study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics, began in 1996 and involved contacting more than 64,000 U.S. households in the search for nascent entrepreneurs. The researchers wound up with 830 people who were willing to let their business startups be studied for two years. The study seeks to answer four fundamental questions, including 1) Who is starting businesses? 2) How do they go about it? 3) Which efforts are most likely to produce new firms? 4) Why do some startups create high growth firms? Specific topics covered were strategies, opportunity evaluation, networks, financial characteristics, management teams and more.

"It's the largest random sample of people who are getting into business," says Gartner. "You name it, it's all there. It's the mother lode of information about entrepreneurial processes, and we've just begun to analyze it." Results are starting to be published in academic journals, and Gartner believes the Findings will overturn many myths about new-venture creation and revolutionize the way entrepreneurship is taught. "For instance, it will challenge our thinking of the importance of venture capital," says Gartner. "If we're teaching in general about how to finance companies, the VC mode is probably not relevant."

BIG MAJOR ON CAMPUS

Entrepreneurship education has clearly arrived on the academic scene, as endowed professorships, research funding, scholarships, and even entire departments of entrepreneurship multiply on campuses across the nation. Behind the proliferation of technology-transfer programs, multidisciplinary curricula and swelling enrollments is another perhaps more profound but less visible trend: a change in the esteem in which entrepreneurship is held.
he boom in entrepreneurship education in the last decade, to a considerable degree, reflected universities' pursuit of donations from entrepreneurial alumni. While that allure lasted, entrepreneurship education was on probation in the view of many academics. But now that the dotcom dollars have dried up, entrepreneurship is still around and has become a significant and lasting component for literally hundreds of higher education institutions.

Behind that is yet another change: a shift in regarding entrepreneurship education less as a business school subject, or how-to instruction on starting a business, and more as a way of approaching behavior. Interest in entrepreneurial processes is permeating universities and corporations, where starting an enterprise isn't necessarily the de sired end result.

"Our purpose is to develop or uncover in students their own entrepreneurial perspective," says Kuratko. "We're trying to make them understand they have a creative and innovative side that can be used and applied at the proper time in their lives. For our economy to excel in the 21st century, we need entrepreneurial thinkers. That's what we're preparing our young people to be."

ABOUT THE RANKINGS

Entrepreneurship programs typically fall into one of three categories: Comprehensive (offering the widest variety of resources), Entrepreneurship Emphasis (a smaller number of entrepreneurship faculty, courses and. initiatives), or Limited Curriculum (only a few faculty teaching a limited number of courses). The study identified and ranked So schools with Comprehensive entrepreneurship programs at nationally prominent colleges and universities (see "Top 50 Programs/National" on page 78). Another 50 programs were ranked at the regional level (see "Top 50 Programs/Regional" on page 80). In addition, 61 schools with Entrepreneurship Emphasis programs and 118 schools with Limited Curriculum programs were ranked (log on, to www. entrepreneur.com/topcolleges to see these rankings). Within each category, programs have been ranked into four tiers--programs within the same tier have comparable offerings and resources--and am listed alphabetically within each tier.

The rankings were performed by TechKnowledge Point Corp. in Santa Barbara, California. Founded in 2001 by David Newton, TechKnowledge Point (www.techknowledgepoint.com) remains the world's first and only 240 online research and referral exchange for entrepreneurship and enterprise development. Its proprietary database has comprehensive information for 1,000-plus collegiate entrepreneurship programs and centers worldwide, more than 2,500 faculty profiles, and more than 500 journal article synopses. The research staff includes Laurie Bauman, Heath Bradbury, Sergei Gritsenko, Jay Lorentzen and Karen Wells.

UP TO THE CHALLENGE

Kate Spisak (pictured) didn't start out to major in entrepreneurship, The 22-year-old senior at Ball State University, in Muncie, Indiana, began as a business major and got interested in entrepreneurship because of the promise of challenge and independence. "I was unsure what direction I wanted to go," says Spisak, "but I couldn't see myself sitting at a day-to-day job doing the same thing over and over."

Part of the challenge of the entrepreneurship program for Spisak is the final senior project to write a business plan. "We draw it up, create it, and go through management, marketing and finding the financing," she says. "At the end of the semester, we present it to a board of business professionals [who] judge how well we put together and presented our plan. We find out right then whether we graduate. It's pass/fail; if you don't pass the business plan class, you don't graduate."

Spisak plans to graduate on schedule, after which she's not sure. "But that's the beauty of entrepreneurship," she says. "The doors are open. I can be qualified to work in any kind of business. It's a jack-of-all-trades major, because you learn about every department and you learn how to speak entrepreneurially."

CHANGING OF THE GUARD

Harvard Business School and the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School are recognized as among the best sources of business education in the United States, if not the world. So it was no surprise when Entrepreneurs 2003 rankings placed both schools' entrepreneurship education programs in the top tier. This year, however, both were replaced in the top tier by other programs. Given that neither school made significant changes to its entrepreneurship offerings, what's the explanation? In a word: focus.

"This list is not 'top business schools' overall, including finance, international business, marketing and such," reminds David Newton, whose company, Santa Barbara, California-based TechKnowledge Point, compiled data for the 2003 and 2004 rankings. "This ranking is only entrepreneurship. We measure more than 60 separate program dimensions, and schools like Arizona, DePaul, Maryland and others have made entrepreneurship theft flagship effort. They now have some of the best course offerings, faculty, special initiatives and opportunities for venturing."

Newton also says rankings move based on a change of relatively few points in a school's score, or in that of other schools. "The reality is, Harvard and Wharton are still in the top 50 schools in the United States," he says. "But the rankings do place them within a given [tier of schools) in the top 50 that are most similar to them in terms of entrepreneurship."

TOP 10 NATIONAL/REGIONAL PROGRAMS

AS RANKED BY PROGRAM DIRECTORS, FACULTY AND ALUMNI

1. Babson College

2. The University of Arizona

3. University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)

4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

6. University of Colorado at Boulder

7. Southern Methodist University

8. University of Southern California

9. Wake Forest University

10. Ban State University

For more top 10 lists, go to www.entrepreneur.com/topcolleges.

TOP 5 PROGRAM DIRECTORS

AS RANKED BY THEIR PEERS

1. Bill Bygrave, Stephen Spinelli, Jeff Timmons: Babson College

2. Don Kuratko: Ball State University

3. Start Mandel: Wake Forest University

4. Rudy Treichel: Temple University

5. Fred Kiesner: Loyola Marymount University *

* This school offers an Entrepreneurship Emphasis program. For mote information and to see the complete list of the top 10 program directors, log on to www.entrepreneur.com/topcolleges.

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

For a complete listing of the collegiate entrepreneurial program rankings, visit www.entrepreneur.com/topcolleges. For detailed listings, sorts and comparisons, plus complete Analysis of more than 60 criteria for 500-plus entrepreneurship Program nationwide, go to www.entrepoint.com.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Entrepreneur Media, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group

Why Online Education Is More Important Than Food Or Drinkby Kacy Carr

Focusing on the importance of online education is why I ask you to step back in time to when your children were babies. Remember when you taught them to talk/walk. Remember hearing babys first word like dada/mama one of the most pleasurable experiences in your life. Remember that special moment when baby took his/her first steps where you waited in anticipation to welcome them with open arms of which baby fell into after the third step.

Remember the time when your back was turned for a split second and baby had scaled the height of the staircase causing panic and hysteria. You would beg baby to stay put while you challenged those stairs at a pace beyond belief to secure babys safety. Remember the nights you paced the floor trying to ease babys pains.

Can you remember what your child found important in their early years of growing up? Well let me remind you, it was their age. Numbers played an important role and meant so much to the children e.g. if you asked your child their age you got the exact figures like 5 years and 19 days old. Sense of power was given to the oldest of the street gang because the leader was 5 days older than contester.

If your child had a scuffle with another kid and come of the worst those words from mum/dad like well go hit them back were useless because you had the famous words thrown back into your face, I cant they are ten days older than me. So you see how important numbers meant to your child when growing up. Why change things now when they are even more essential than you could imagine. Online education besides eating and drinking is the next best thing to survival.

Why is education more important than food and drink. Without it no decent meal on the table.

Caring for your teen the right way is to encourage them to further their education. Without doubt this will prove to be the best parental move you could ever make. If baby is still a toddler then nurture them with more knowledge. Remember as vital education is, children need to grow up in the way nature intended and that is to play and enjoy their childhood. There is no need to push more than necessary to force is not the answer. If your child is pushed then expect a rebellious unhappy child. Online education is this answer for this, depending on the age of the child learning programmes on the internet are carefully devised so baby gets to learn as well as enjoy.

Education has to be number one priority for all parents who want their child to succeed or at least have a chance in leading a comfortable life. It is sad to say without an education under your belt you get to stay at the bottom of any list for advancing forward. There are people who disagree with the system and how it works meaning no knowledge no hope. I also feel the same but hey think about it, it is not a bad thing to know a little more.

Just a reminder, we queue outside our home towns travelling hundreds of miles to keep a dental appointment. Patient lists as long as your arm is still on the increase for hospital treatment. And I am afraid the education system will be next when a time limit is imposed on when we can or can not further our education. Unless you do something fast expect to stand in that forever growing queue as long as the china wall to collect your social security.

About the Author

Act now before you have no say when you can further your education. For proven results go to http://www.allaboutonlineeducation.com. Nurture babies http://www.good-baby-showers.com

Do Marriage Counselors Do More Harm Than Good?by Larry Bilotta

Before you begin screening marriage counselors to help you save your marriage, you MUST consider the potential drawbacks of marriage counseling so you can get all your facts straight FIRST. This article will help you avoid making a costly mistake that could not only set you back financially...but cost you your marriage as well.

In July of 1999, at a conference for professional marriage counselors, a credible marriage counselor by the name of Dr. William J. Doherty, gave a shocking report on the state of marriage counseling to his fellow professionals.

According to Doherty, most marriage counseling is HAZARDOUS, not helpful to your marriage.

Therapy-based, American style marriage counseling (practiced by most marriage counselors) can actually do more HARM than good in your marriage.

All hope is NOT lost however, for the rising number of struggling couples. There ARE more effective alternatives to marriage counseling - they are so effective in fact that even professional marriage counselors are admitting that couples need MARRIAGE EDUCATION more than they do marriage therapy.

In June of 1999, USA Today reported that, "Even fans of marriage counseling are saying disturbing things. Research shows that it doesn't work as well as we once thought and it might not last." That report reinforce the research that shows a great majority of marriage counselors conducting therapy have had no formal training at all.

This research further documented that two years after couples went through marriage counseling, 25% of the couples were WORSE OFF than before they started the therapy.

Up to 38% of them actually divorced.

Perhaps what's even more shocking is the fact that therapists who actually work with COUPLES, are in the minority.

80% of all private practice marriage counselors in the U.S. say they conduct marriage therapy, yet only 12% are in a profession that requires them to take EVEN ONE course on dealing with couples.

If you ask marriage counselors about their approach, the vast majority will tell you that they find working with individuals much more "productive" than working with couples.

Dr. William J. Doherty stated, "Couples therapy is the most difficult therapy of all because every session starts with the threat of divorce".

After training marriage counselors for a living, in his 1999 address at the conference for professional marriage counselors, Dr. Doherty called the methods of marriage counselors, "Hazardous to your marital health."

He established four ways that marriage counselors have produced DESTRUCTIVE outcomes in marriages.

According to Doherty, there are four ways marriage counselors can do more harm than good in your marriage...

1. By being incompetent

2. By being neutral

3. By pathologizing (telling you why your marriage is "sick")

4. By being overtly undermining (attempting to break up the marriage)

INCOMPETENT: In the case of incompetent marriage counselors, the counselor has not been trained to work with couples together. They believe working with two people is an expanded version of working with one, but it is not. An individual is easy to listen to, but a battling couple is not. Working with couples requires skill, structure and a very different approach than one-on-one therapy.

NEUTRAL: These marriage counselors, Doherty claims, are not neutral about marriage at all. When a counselor appears to be neutral, but actually takes sides with the more self-oriented spouse, they are undermining the marriage. "When a counselor uses the language of individual self interests, it undercuts the moral commitment that is owed to the marriage." Doherty stated.

PATHOLOGIZING: Pathologizing is when marriage counselors build a case insisting that the couple has a "sick" relationship. They actually ENCOURAGE couples to get a divorce by saying things like, "Why SHOULD YOU hang in there? Why be a victim?" These marriage counselors make couples believe that they're being abused, which causes both spouses to draw their only conclusion: "If the professional thinks this is over, then I should too."

UNDERMINING: While telling couples what they should do is against the code of ethics of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, many therapists still do it. These therapists say phrases like, "You should probably end this marriage." or, "If you're going to stay sane, you should move out." Undermining therapists urge husbands and wives to sever their relationships with family members and spouses.

If you're looking for a good marriage counselor, Dr. Doherty urges you to ask questions first. Learn about the therapists' values by asking questions like these:

1. Are you self taught, workshop-trained or college educated in working with couples?

Bad Answer: College educated.

Good Answer: Self taught or workshop trained and they speak convincingly about how their program saves marriages.

2. What is your attitude about saving a troubled marriage vs. helping a couple break up?

Bad Answer: "It's not my decision. Couples have to make their own decision." (This is an evasive answer...not a good sign.)

Good Answer: "I help couples find ways to stay together and help them understand and overcome their problems."

3. Where do you stand when one spouse wants to stay and the other wants a divorce?

Bad Answer: "I try to get people to understand their own feelings." (This is a focus on the individual, NOT the couple.)

Good Answer: "This is normally what I see with couples. I have ways to help them both handle this in positive ways."

4. What percentage of your practice involves both husband and wife?

Bad Answer: "I find working with husbands and wives individually to be more practical."

Good Answer: "All of it. When both people are with me and following my process, I find they have the greatest success rate."

5. Of all the couples you treat, what percentage stay married and have a better marriage in the end?

Bad Answer: "100%" or "I don't keep that type of information."

Good Answer: About 70 to 80% stay happily married, while the rest drop out of my process and are unwilling to finish.

The difference in the answers you receive from marriage counselors is the feeling you get when you talk with them. Bad answers feel evasive or vague while good answers are confident and positive.

Now that you know the right questions to ask, you can confidently screen marriage counselors, separating the GOOD from the bad. But if you're hesitant about bringing a marriage counselor into your marriage, as Dr. Doherty suggested, marriage education might be the answer you're looking for.
About the Author

Larry Bilotta, an expert on restoring broken marriages, gives struggling couples new hope by openly sharing his secret to turning his own 27 year nightmare of a marriage into something rich, fulfilling and lasting. Larry's special report, The "Secret Path" to Divorce teaches you how find out if you're already on this slippery slope and how to stay off it forever. Get your FREE Special Report at http://www.stopyourdivorcein4weeks.com/secret.html.

Online Degree Program: No Stopping You Now!by Susan Dean

Just when you thought that you couldn't manage going to college or university to obtain that degree that you need, we come to tell you about the option of an online degree program that will help you obtain your degree without actually going to university or college. Yes that is right. You heard correctly.

Surely you have heard of studying by correspondence or perhaps long distance learning, well this type of learning is even better than that as everything is done online. You have the opportunity to choose the university or college that offers the course you want and still be living in another place no where near. This type of online degree program can offer you the opportunity to gain Associates, Bachelor's and even your Master's if that is what you really want. You have the opportunity to study the Arts, Business, Computers, Health & Medicine, Social Sciences and even Trades if that is to your liking. The sky is the limit.

You may be someone that cannot afford to move house to gain your education or perhaps you have to work to support yourself and your family. Then again, may be your employer wants you to gain an extra degree but doesn't want you to physically go to university because he needs you to keep working. Whatever the reason, it doesn't matter because you have a fabulous opportunity to get that degree and graduate successfully while participating in an online degree program.

There are so many universities, colleges and even high schools around the world that offer these types of educational learning programs. This is an opportunity not to be missed. Why not take the time to check out these universities and colleges and find out what options are available to you right now and see what suits you and your needs.

About the Author

Susan Dean is the webmaster and publisher of http://www.online-degree-shop.com. Visit her site for discount online degrees.