April 2009 Key Messages

American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA)

A. ARRA Web site

The Department of Education (DOE) has established a Web site for ARRA information (www.education.nh.gov/recovery). Please check this page regularly for the latest updates on the stimulus package. The information and links on this site are designed for educational entities and other stakeholders receiving ARRA funds. Additional information is provided for those who are interested in ARRA funds but may not be eligible for the education provisions under the Act. The DOE will closely with school districts and continue to make information available as it receives additional guidance from the federal government.

Contact: Lori Temple, (603) 271-6646, ltemple@ed.state.nh.us

B. National School Lunch Program Equipment Assistance Program

The ARRA provides a one-time appropriation of $100,000,000 for equipment assistance to school food authorities (SFAs) participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Funds have been allocated based on each State's school meals administrative expense allocation. Local SFAs may competitively apply for the NSLP equipment assistance grants. Priority will be given to SFAs for equipment for schools in which at least 50% percent of the students are eligible for free or reduced-priced meals.

The grant authority was provided to assist with the overall effort to stimulate activity within the American economy. Therefore, the intent of the $215,765.00 New Hampshire Department of Education allocation is to improve the infra-structure in the NSLP.

Criteria for awarding funds will be prioritized according to the Bureau of Nutrition Programs and Services identified percent of free and reduced-price applications on file. Schools that do not meet a 50% threshold should apply, since schools that may be eligible will not all apply. This will provide opportunities for schools with a lower percent of applications a chance to be considered for funding.

The complete ARRA package; introductory letter, instructions, application, agreement and claim form can be found on the Web site.

Contact: Elaine VanDyke, (603) 271-3860, evandyke@ed.state.nh.us or
Kathy Hodges, (603) 271-3861, khodges@ed.state.nh.us

C. Qualified School Construction Bonds (QSCB) and Qualified Zone Academy Bonds (QZAB)

The information and application forms for the QSCB and QZAB are now available on the Web site. Applications will only be accepted from districts that have already approved a bond for construction as of the date of the application. Applications are due to the Bureau of School Approval & Facility Management by 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12, 2009.

Please remember that these are not grants. They are zero interest bonds. Applicants are responsible for locating a financial institution that will handle these bonds. We will forward any information from banks who indicate to us that they will handle the QSCBs or QZABs. At present, we have no information from any banks.

Applicants will be given the opportunity to make a 5 to 10 minute presentation about their projects to the NH School Building Authority at 4:00 PM, on Thursday, May 21, 2009. The School Building Authority will evaluate and prioritize the applications for approval.

There will be another round of allocations in 2010. Districts that have not approved a bond this year will have an opportunity for QSCBs and QZABs next year.

Contact: Edward R. Murdough, (603) 271-2037, emurdough@ed.state.nh.us

Accountability, Assessment, Curriculum, and School Improvement

A. Release of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) Designations

2009 AYP reports for New Hampshire schools and school districts were released on April 6. Preliminary designations for new schools and districts in need of improvement (SINIs and DINIs) were also released. Individual school and district reports, together with school and district in need of improvement information, are available at www.education.nh.gov.

Contact: Deb Wiswell, (603) 271-3828, dwiswell@ed.state.nh.us

B. School and District Appeals of AYP status

Schools or districts intending to appeal their preliminary AYP designation must file an Intent to Appeal form by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, April 17. All appeals guidance documents and necessary forms can be found at www.education.nh.gov, then select "2009 AYP Results." For questions and information about filing an appeal, please contact Merry Fortier (mfortier@ed.state.nh.us, (603) 271-7382) or Deb Wiswell. Completed AYP Appeals (1 original and 3 copies) must be received at the Department by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 1.

Contact: Deb Wiswell, (603) 271-3828, dwiswell@ed.state.nh.us

C. New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) Science Test

The science test window is May 11-28, 2009 with pickup on May 29. Guidelines for participation at high schools and for elementary/middle schools are posted on the spring 2009 NECAP science page (www.education.nh.gov under Spring 2009 Science Materials, Information and Forms).

Contact: Tim Kurtz, (603) 271-3846, tkurtz@ed.state.nh.us

D. Grade 11 NECAP Science Test - Online Accommodation Tool

Last month the Department announced the award of a new USED grant to develop and administer an online accommodation tool for large scale assessment. The first implementation of this online system has begun. All students who need this accommodated form of test administration and will be participating in the Grade 11 NECAP Science Test using the new online accommodation tools must be formally registered by school personnel as participating in the NimbleTools® project online by May 1 (4:00 p.m.). For more information on this project, go to: www.education.nh.gov and on this page, choose: Assessment Updates (center circle).

The official project Web site is www.nimbletools.com/necap This site provides a downloadable accommodated version of the NECAP Science Grade 11 Practice Test along with other support and tutorial videos showing the process of taking the test online.

Contact: Tim Kurtz, (603) 271-3846, tkurtz@ed.state.nh.us or
Gaye Fedorchak, (603) 271-7383, gfedorchak@ed.state.nh.us

E. NECAP Accommodations - Unique Opportunity to Review and Suggest Changes

The NECAP testing system is now 4 years old and so is its accommodation system. With Maine joining the NECAP states this year, now is the perfect time to review, identify needed changes, learn from each other, and update our statewide assessment accommodations to make them as effective as possible for our students. We need your input. On April 15th the Department held a focus group meeting to hear input from key stakeholder groups. We are seeking feedback from educators who work with students who have needed and tried accommodations during NECAP testing. In particular, we are encouraging guidance staff, ESOL staff, special education, teachers of the visually impaired, teachers of the deaf & hard of hearing, communication, speech, OT/PT, school psycholigists, and other interested to provide the Department with written feedback (due to the Department by April 24) that we can take to the other states as we conduct a comprehensive review of the NECAP accommodations.

Contact: Gail Taylor, (603) 271-8266, gail.j.taylor@ed.state.nh.us

F. NH Alternate Assessment - Request for State Approved Special Consideration (SASC)

Requests for medically-related special consideration exemptions from NH Alternate Assessment for the current school year must be submitted to the Department by April 17, 2009. This is the last day of data collection for the current year-long portfolio assessment process. Information and forms are available online at: www.education.nh.gov, on this page choose: NH-Alternate Assessment, then: 2008-2009 NH-Alt Materials and Information.

Contact: Tim Kurtz, (603) 271-3846, tkurtz@ed.state.nh.us

G. NH Alternate Assessment Recruiting Reading & Mathematics Content Specialists

NH is now developing content standard "links" that will be used in the assessment of students who participate in the NH-Alt Assessment. The work is designed to benefit a broader range of students in addition to those who participate in NH-Alt. Knowledgeable, certified content specialists at elementary, middle, and high school curriculum levels are needed to work on this project over two weekends in May (May 1-2 and 15-16). Panelists will be paid $200.00 per day and lodging, meals, and mileage will be covered. If interested, contact the Department by telephone or e-mail as soon as possible. Application forms are posted online at: www.education.nh.gov, then choose: Assessment Updates (center circle).

Contact: Gaye Fedorchak, (603) 271-7383, gfedorchak@ed.state.nh.us

H. Reading Recovery 3rd Grade NECAP Reading Study

This report examines New Hampshire Reading Recovery 3rd grade NECAP Reading Scores from 2007-2008 to see how well children scored on the NECAP reading test two years after having been in Reading Recovery. The results suggest that the majority of these children who entered first grade at the bottom of their class and reached grade level in Reading Recovery were able to maintain their gains into third grade. To obtain the full two-page report go to www.nhreadingrecovery.org/NECAP2008.pdf .

Contact: Helen Schotanus, (603) 271-3841 hschotanus@ed.state.nh.us

I. National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

NAEP assessments for mathematics, reading, and science have been completed for the 2009 State-Level NAEP in grades 4, 8, and 12. In New Hampshire, this meant assessments in over 300 participating schools involving an estimated sample size of 7,000 to 8,000 students per grade (4, 8, and 12). Though final statistics are not yet available there appeared to be a high participation rate for selected schools and students randomly selected to participate. This assessment was the first State-Level NAEP that included grade 12. Results for the Mathematics and Reading sections of the assessment are due to be released in the Fall. The Science results will be available in the Winter or early Spring of 2010. These results will include state-level grade 12 data for the first time in NAEP's 50 year history.

Contact: David Gebhardt, (603) 271-2298, dgebhardt@ed.state.nh.us

J. Advanced Placement Test Fee Program

The NHDOE has been awarded funding of the AP Test Fee program for 2009 (including for the first time in NH, International Baccalaureate test fees). NHDOE will be able to reduce the cost of AP exams for income eligible students to zero. IB fee reductions are subject to discussion, but will at least equal AP fee waivers.

Contact: Kenneth Relihan, (603) 271-6151, krelihan@ed.state.nh.us

K. Mathematics and Science Summer Learning Experience (MSSLE)

A Mathematics and Science Summer Learning Experience (MSSLE) is being planned for July 27-29, 2009. It will be held in Nashua, NH. The intent of the institute will be an extension of last summer's mathematics institute and to offer professional development opportunities relating to research, leadership, and best practices in mathematics and science education. Schools and districts will have the opportunity to bring teams who will be able to participate in sessions designed and facilitated by national, regional, and state mathematics and science leaders. Topics being considered for sessions include the following: integration of mathematics and science with literacy goals at the elementary level, developmental milestones in mathematics, why learning problems occur, curriculum topic studies in mathematics and science, developing PLCs relating to mathematics and science content, common student misunderstandings/misconceptions, teaching in a standards-and competency-based environment, developing inquiry based science instruction, and promoting mathematical habits of mind. Mark your calendars now and look for more information in future Key Messages from the NH DOE. This event can be funded with Title II Redistribution funds.

Contact: Christine Downing, 271.3844, Christine.l.downing@edstate.nh.us (for mathematics)
Jan McLaughlin, 271.3856, jmclaughlin@ed.state.nh.us (for science)

Certification

A. Educator Renewals

All renewals will be completed online, through the new Educator Information System (EIS). The implementation timeline should be finalized this week. It is anticipated that EIS will be available in May. The superintendents will be presented with an online list of staff due for renewal and the boxes will need to be checked for those recommended for renewal. Districts will not receive paper renewals. Educators will be able to go online, review data, and pay for the renewal by credit card or send in a check. Specific information will be sent to Superintendents in the near future.

Contact: Denise Littlefield, (603) 271-4196, denise.littlefield@ed.state.nh.us

B. Substitute Teachers

The Bureau of Credentialing is frequently asked, "are there administrative rules governing the certification/approval of substitutes?" The answer is "no," the criteria for employment of substitutes is determined by the local school district. However, there is a rule that limits the number of days a non-certified substitute may function in a particular classroom. Ed 503.02 stipulates that a school district may employ a non-certified teacher who may teach up to 20 consecutive days during the school year in the same position without holding an endorsed credential. For a non-certified "long-term substitute," the superintendent should request "Permission to Employ."

Contact: Denise Littlefield, (603) 271-4196, denise.littlefield@ed.state.nh.us

Data Issues

A. Arts Education Survey

The Arts Education Survey is available as a PDF at www.education.nh.gov. Download the PDF version to see all the survey questions and begin collecting data. There are several other supporting documents on this Web page including a User's Guide, Data-Driven Decision Making, Top Ten Reasons, Gaining Access to the Arts Ed Survey Online and a Definitions document. The Arts Education page of the NH DOE Web site will continue to house updates about the survey and any supporting documents to help you with your questions. Survey data entry closes May 15, 2009.

Contact Marcia McCaffrey, (603) 271-3193, mmccaffrey@ed.state.nh.us

B. New Hampshire Educator Survey: Highly Qualified Teacher (HQT)

The New Hampshire Educator Survey for the 2008-2009 school year will be available online April 20, at www.education.nh.gov. Directions are available on the survey form and on the HQT Web page at www.education.nh.gov. Please complete surveys by May 15, 2009.

Contact: Nancy Childress, (603) 271-6579, nancy.childress@ed.state.nh.us, (for HQT information)
Contact: Adam Heard, (603) 271-5449, aheard@ed.state.nh.us, (for Technical Assistance)

C. Race and Ethnicity

The United States Department of Education has modified the collection and reporting requirements for racial and ethnic data for students and school district staff effective school year 2010-2011. LEA's will be required to collect racial and ethnic data for students and staff using a two-part question. The first question would be whether or not the respondent is Hispanic/Latino or not Hispanic/Latino. The second question would ask the respondent to select one or more races from the following five racial groups: 1) American Indian or Alaska Native; 2) Asian; 3) Black or African American; 4) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; 5) White.

The DOE has met with several district coordinators and Student Information System vendors to discuss the implementation of the new collection and reporting requirement. Additional guidance and recommendations will be forthcoming.

Contact: Irene Koffink, (603) 271-3865, Irene.koffink@ed.state.nh.us

D. MS-22 Forms (Report of Appropriations Actually Voted)

A completed Form MS-22 (Report of Appropriations Actually Voted) for each school district must be forwarded to the Bureau of Data Management within 20 days of the close of the school district meeting as required by RSA 198:4-a, II.

Contact: Ron Leclerc, (603) 271-3876, rleclerc@ed.state.nh.us

E. School Board Members

In accordance with RSA 671:31 the forms to update information about school board members were due back to the Bureau of Data Management by April 1. Please contact the office if your new school board information will not be finalized until their April meeting (or later).

Contact: Anne Hartshorn, (603) 271-8307, ahartshorn@ed.state.nh.us

F. Tuition Rates, 2008-09

The form showing tuition rates for 2008-09 were due to the Bureau of Data Management by April 1.

Contact: Kathleen Schoeneman, (603) 271-2778 or kschoeneman@ed.state.nh.us

Funding Issues

A. School Building Aid

a. Please submit Form A24F and any other missing documentation as soon as construction projects are complete. We cannot make the final payment on any project with missing documentation.

b. Please inform the Department of the results of bond votes as soon as possible.

c. The State Treasurer has scheduled the April payment of School Building Aid to be released on April 20th.

d. Project Status Reports will be mailed in April to verify the entitled amounts of School Building Aid for each district in FY 10. It is very important that SAUs check this information carefully and make us aware of any discrepancies.

Contact: Marjorie Schoonmaker, (603) 271-3620, mschoonmaker@ed.state.nh.us

Grants and Requests for Proposals

A. Adult High Schools

Applications for Adult High School Grants are available from the Bureau of Adult Education. An adult high school program provides an alternative route for students 16 years and older to gain a high school diploma. Completed applications for the next school year must be submitted to the Bureau of Adult Education by June 1, 2009.

Contact: Art Ellison, (603) 271-6698, aellison@ed.state.nh.us

ALL RFPs Can be Found on the Department Web site at www.education.nh.gov

B. Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Program Services To Youth.

The Department of Education, under its contract with the Workforce Opportunity Council, is seeking proposals to provide Workforce Investment Act (WIA) program services to youth. These Request for Proposals (RFPs) were originally released on 11/26/2008 with a closing date of 2/4/2009. The receipt of stimulus funds has provided the opportunity to re-release these RFPs. WIA Request for Proposal (RFP) for PY09 in-school youth and the RFP for out-of-school youth have been reissued and a third RFP has been established for summer employment for youth ages 14-24 during the period 5/1/09-9/30/09. Proposals will be accepted until all funds are fully obligated; however, proposals not meeting the requirements of the RFP will not qualify for funding. Eligibility and program requirements, as well as funding restrictions, are provided on the www.nhworks.org Web site.

Contact: Bonnie St. Jean, (603) 271-3805, bst.jean@ed.state.nh.us

Hearings

Initial Proposal Ed 507 and 612, Science for Middle and High Schools Certification and Teacher Preparation Programs.

There will be a public rulemaking hearing, Wednesday, May 13, 2009, 11:00 a.m.

Deadline for written comment is May 27, 2009. For text of the rules go to www.education.nh.gov.

Contact: Mary Mayo, (603) 271-3189, mmayo@ed.state.nh.us

Initiatives

A. Follow The Child: New Hampshire's Decision Support System

The New Hampshire Department of Education has contracted with the Center for Educational Leadership and Technology (CELT), of Marlborough, MA, for the design, development and implementation of a comprehensive longitudinal data warehouse and decision support system. The longitudinal data system will include individual student level data and aggregate data. Advanced reporting and analysis capabilities will make this a valuable resource for Department program managers, policy analysts, and other education leaders to effectively use data to support individual student success.

Contact: Irene Koffink, (603) 271-3865, Irene.koffink@ed.state.nh.us

NH High School Redesign

A. Implementing Principles of High School Design

Paul Leather, along with Arthur "Skip" Hansen, of the New England Secondary School Consortium, have been meeting with Regional NH School Administrator Association and High School Principal groups to review progress on implementing principles of High School Design. Three meetings have taken place in the Lakes Region, two in the Southwest, and one in the Southeast. Principals and Superintendents have informally reviewed their progress in implementing course-level competencies, developing appropriate assessments of student mastery, and standards based grading, sharing promising practices and implementation issues. State and regional groups are urged to connect with Paul to schedule a time to address these High School Redesign issues before the end of the school year.

Contact: Paul Leather, (603) 271-3801, pleather@ed.state.nh.us

School Approval Standards
This section applies to both public and nonpublic schools

A. Fire Inspections

The requirement for annual fire inspections of schools in RSA 153:14 became effective on January 1, 2009. The State Fire Marshal has developed a new inspection reporting form to be used by local fire departments. For School Year 2008-2009, the Office of School Approval distributed copies of our old form for inspections that were due by December 2008. Some schools did not have their inspections completed by December. There seems to be some confusion in the field over the two forms. The Department of Education (DOE) will accept a fire inspection report on either form. There is no need to have the fire departments complete one form for the DOE and another form for the Fire Marshal. Beginning in School Year 2009-2010, we will no longer ask schools to submit fire inspection reports to the DOE. We will obtain the fire inspection information from the State Fire Marshal. Schools with fire safety violations will continue to be placed on conditional approval for a maximum of three years.

Contact: Ed Murdough, (603) 271-2037, emurdough@ed.state.nh.us

B. Designations For Schools

Proposed designations for schools expiring June 30, 2009 were mailed March 13, 2009. Schools have 30 days to respond if they feel the designation is incorrect. Please call if you did not receive your proposed designation.

Schools in their third year of conditional approval will need to request a Delay in Full Compliance from the State Board of Education if standards will not be met by June 2009. This requires an appearance in person by the superintendent and a representative from the local school board.

Contact: Marie Morgan, (603) 271-4125, mmorgan@ed.state.nh.us
Leslie Higgins, (603) 271-3759, lhiggins@ed.state.nh.us

C. Minimum Standard Reminder

Ed 306.08, Instructional Resources, addresses requirements for resources normally provided in the school library/media center. Ed 306.18(a)(4) requires schools to have a written plan for the organization, acquisition, maintenance, replacement, and updating of instructional resources.

Contact: Marie Morgan, (603) 271-4125, mmorgan@ed.state.nh.us
Leslie Higgins, (603) 271-3759, lhiggins@ed.state.nh.us

Professional Development

A. New England Arts Assessment Institute

The NE Arts Assessment Institute is in its fourth year of providing high quality professional development in arts assessment and assessment literacy for use by classroom teachers, arts administrators, and other providers of arts education in dance, music, theatre and visual arts. This institute brings national experts, experienced coaches and best practices from around the nation together in one place to create a learning environment that is conducive to engaging participants and building knowledge for the improvement of arts education. The institute is a collaboration of the New Hampshire and Vermont Departments of Education and is being held August 4-7 at Castleton State College in Vermont. More information can be found at newenglandarts.ning.com.

Contact: Marcia McCaffrey, (603) 271-3193, mmccaffrey@ed.state.nh.us

B. Arts Education Professional Development Day

The spring "Chat & Chew" will be held on May 22, 2009. This forum will offer a guided information and review session for high school competencies in the music, visual art, dance and theatre. Each participant is required to bring a hardcopy of the materials you use related to the high school competency-based graduation requirement for one course. Copies will be made on site and everyone will go home with a set of materials from participants. There is no cost for this workshop. Lunch will be provided. Registration is limited to 22 music teachers, 22 visual art teachers, and 6 slots dance/theatre/curriculum coordinators.

Contact: Marcia McCaffrey, (603) 271-3193, mmccaffrey@ed.state.nh.us

C. Math-in-CTE Project Enters Second Year of Implementation

Math-in-CTE is research-based, sustained professional development for mathematics teachers and Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers who work as teams to develop math-rich lessons for CTE students. Now in the second year of technical assistance from The National Research Center for Career and Technical Education, training will begin with a week of professional development July 20-24, 2009. This second year of implementation will expand into two new content areas - Culinary Arts and Marketing - while continuing the community of practice that has developed around this process.

Contact: Patricia Tormey, (603) 271-3893, ptormey@ed.state.nh.us

D. OPEN NH Offers Discounts for Districts for e-Learning for Educators Online Professional Development Courses

OPEN NH (New Hampshire e-Learning for Educators) offers a variety of group discounts for SAUs, districts, or schools. Discounts include 25 seats in our 7 week online courses for $1900 and 5 seats for $450. Districts can also request the special delivery of any of our courses at a time of the district's choosing. To request a special delivery course, a designated team leader should complete a Special Course Delivery Registration form available online and send it to the OPEN NH Project Coordinator for processing, or contact the OPEN NH project coordinator.

The OPEN NH Spring 2009 Session will run from March 31st through May 19th. Complete list of courses running in the spring, as well as descriptions of all courses in the OPEN NH catalogue, can be found on the Web site www.opennh.org.

Graduate credits are available through Plymouth State University at an additional cost.

Contact: Stan Freeda, (603) 271-5132, sfreeda@ed.state.nh.us

Resources

Poison Prevention Education Kit Available to NH Teachers

The Family Resource Connection at the New Hampshire State Library has recently acquired "Quills Up-Stay Away! A Poison Awareness Program," an education kit that teachers of young children can use to raise their students' awareness about poisons commonly found in homes, schools and elsewhere-and what they need to do if they find something poisonous. Educators wishing to borrow the "Quills Up-Stay Away!" program or other safety resources for children, or who would like to learn more about the Family Resource Connection's free lending library, should contact the library at 1-800-298-4321, FRC@dcr.nh.gov. For more information, visit www.nh.gov/nhsl.

Other

Change in New Hampshire Childhood Vaccination School Requirements

Beginning with the 2009-2010 school year, children entering elementary school, sixth graders, and those who turn 11 years of age will be affected. This change, under New Hampshire law, RSA 141:C, involves the chickenpox, and tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (Tdap) vaccines. For additional information about vaccinations, go to www.dhhs.nh.gov/DHHS/IMMUNIZATION/default.htm or call the NH Immunization Program at (603) 271-4482.

2-1-1 NH

2-1-1 NH is a statewide comprehensive information and referral resource for health and human services. As of June 11, 2008, any citizen in New Hampshire can pick up a telephone and dial 2-1-1 to find out about programs and services that meet their needs all for no cost. Live call specialists quickly access the person's particular situation and direct the caller to the resources that best meet their needs and for which they qualify. Managed by United Way, the 2-1-1 call center is embedded into PSNH's state-of-the-art customer call center in Manchester. Handouts on 2-1-1 are available for the public use at United Way Offices throughout the state and through many service providers or online at www.211nh.org.

Social Services Web Site

The Community Partnership of Southern Arizona (a not-for-profit provider of behavioral health services in southern Arizona) has just launched a module that should be of significant benefit to anyone who is trying to find information about social services in any of the 50 states. From the bottom right side of the Home Page, www.cpsa-rbha.org there is a link to National Information, where an individual has direct access to 19 state specific sets of information for each state (plus DC), including NCCBH Providers and NCCBH Associations.

April is National Poetry Month

The Center for the Book at the NH State Library is hosting an online celebration of National Poetry Month. Each day in April the work of a different New Hampshire poet will be featured on our blog at nhbookcenter.blogspot.com. The poems will be available as part of the Center for the Book's blog, or through special RSS feed and a widgit that will allow anyone to add this celebration of Granite State poetry to their own Web site or blog. All postings will remain available after National Poetry Month.

Bring the Family to Discover Wild New Hampshire Day

Bring the family to Discover WILD New Hampshire Day - Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the grounds of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department on Hazen Drive in Concord. Admission is free. At the event, more than 35 outdoor, wildlife, environmental and conservation groups from throughout the state will present exhibits and demonstrations exploring all that's WILD about New Hampshire. See retriever dogs in action, big trout and salmon in a real stocking truck, trained falcons and battling bull moose. Throughout the day, enjoy ongoing exhibits, presentations, walks and demonstrations. Visit www.WildNH.com for details.

Archaeology Field School

The 2009 Summer Archaeology Field School, co-sponsored by the NH Division of Historical Resources and Plymouth State University, will be held in two 2-week sessions from June 21 through July 17 in Randolph, NH. Science and Social Science teachers will have an opportunity to participate in a dig on a 12,000 year old site and obtain graduate level continuation credits. For more information, visit www.nh.gov/nhdhr/scrap09.htm or contact Richard Boisvert, (603) 271-6433 or richard.a.boisvert@dcr.nh.gov.

Going the Distance with School-Based Professional Learning

The National Staff Development Council (NSDC) summer conference is July 18 to 22, 2009. This conference is about inspiring, informing, and helping teacher leaders and administrators provide the most powerful forms of professional learning to all teachers with whom they work. Programs are led by the practitioners - principals and their teacher leaders - who are making significant improvements in schools. Come to Boston and learn from colleagues who will share their accomplishments as well as their challenges and lessons learned. Experience learning and networking that will transform teaching and leadership practices into those that impact student achievement. For more information visit www.nsdc.org/conferenceSummer09/.

Watershed Ecology: Summer Institute for Science Teachers

This institute is taking place July 20-24 and 27-31, 2009, at the Meredith Community Center in Meredith. Learn about everything aquatic in New Hampshire in this two-week course co-sponsored by the NH Fish and Game Department and the University of New Hampshire, with additional instructors from the NH Department of Environmental Services and the private sector. For more information go to www.wildnh.com/Education/ed_calendar.htm or contact Judy Tumosa, (603) 271-0456, judy.l.tumosa@wildlife.nh.gov.

Parent Forum on Gifted Education

The NH Association of Gifted Education have joined with the gifted and talented program in Manchester to present a parent forum on May 7, from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. High Ability Children: Seeking Balance at Home and at School will feature a panel of professionals and parents experienced in teaching and raising high ability children. For more information go to www.nhage.org or call 624-6300, x140.

Acrobat Reader format. You can download a free reader from Adobe.