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Welcome!
What is
Urban Edge?
Urban Edge is a new membership service that provides CUBE with relevant information to help your
district become aware of education issues around the
country. We will glean news sources, blogs, research studies, and NSBA's wide range of expertise for timely information that guides CUBE districts in making sound decisions.
Innovations
Who
Wants to be a Millionaire?
Houston is setting the bar high by asking its
200,000 students to read a million books
(collectively) over the summer of 2008. The
schools and working with the Houston libraries to
help students find books to read for the summer and
they are even throwing some incentives in to get,
and keep, them motivated.
Link
to Houston Chronicle Story 5/9/08
A
Man with a Plan
With the popularity of shows like American
Idol and Dancing with the Stars, the arts
appear to be on the forefront of the minds of
Americans. But with legislative mandates and
No Child Left Behind, many school districts are
stretched to include the arts in the daily lives of
students. Mind-Trust, a non profit whose goal
is to find entrepreneurial ideas for public school
solutions, especially in poor communities, chose one
teacher's plan to create music and compliment the
core curriculum as well. The projects
submitted are intended to be relatively low-cost and
hands on for students in the Indianapolis Schools .
Link
to USA Today Story 5/2/08
Reports
and Studies
Chicago
Shows Great Gains in College Enrollment
Last year nearly half of the more than 17,000
graduates of Chicago Public Schools went on to
college. Since the district started tracking
post-secondary enrollment in 2004, Chicago continues
to see increases in college enrollment and the
gender gap is narrowing as well. Part of the
success is credited to the belief that college is
within reach for all students.
Link
to Chicago Tribune 5/13/08
Girls
and Boys, Separately Learning
Gender equality has been debated for
centuries, and single gender classrooms have been
examined by many districts in recent years.
Boston added its data to the mix recently, examining
large districts in Massachusetts and the impact that
single gender classrooms have on students, social
dynamics, and achievement. Although the topic
is considered controversial, the students
interviewed in the article point out the merits of
this style of learning.
Link
to Boston Globe 5/9/08
Less
Education = Earlier Death
According to a new study lead by the American Cancer
Society and the National Center for Health
Statistics, the gap between highly educated and
poorly educated people in the U.S. is
widening. In this report, there is some
surprising information about the relationship
between education and life-long health, shining the
spotlight on the importance of graduation from high
school as an important barometer for mortality.
Link
to Washington Post Story 5/14/08
(free registration)
Link
to Report from PLoSone
Blog-Watch
In
addition to NSBA's own BoardBuzz
and the Leading
Source blogs, there are some educationally
related blogs that are full of great information
which may lead you to research, data, or ideas for
your district. Take a look at The
Quick and the Ed, which is the non-partisan
educational think tank Education
Sector's blog.
On
Deck...
CUBE's
Issues Seminar is coming up June 19-22, 2008 at
the Four Seasons Hotel in Miami, Florida. Join
us for this important discussion on Family
Involvement throughout the weekend as we welcome
inspirational Karen Mapp, Miami Superintendent Rudy
Crew, and N.E.A. President Reg Weaver as our key
speakers. For more information, check
out the brochure.
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