December 2009 Key Messages

American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA)

Race to the Top (RTTT)

The application for RTTT was released on November 12, 2009. The Department plans to apply for Race to the Top funds. The Commissioner is working closely with superintendents, principals, teachers, and other stakeholders committed to school improvement. The Department is developing a comprehensive strategy at the state level to address the four assurance areas (Effective Teachers and Leaders, Standards and Assessments, Data Systems, and Struggling Schools). The application and other information about the Race to the Top can be found at www.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop.

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

Qualified Zone Academy Bonds

$2.1 million remains in the state allocation for Qualified Zone Academy Bonds. Additional allocation is expected in 2010. Go to www.education.nh.gov/recovery for additional information and application forms.

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

Accountability, Assessment, Curriculum, and School Improvement

A. Advanced Placement Test Fee Program for 2010

The New Hampshire Department of Education (DOE) has applied to the U.S. Department of Education for funding of the Advanced Placement Test Fee Program for 2010. For the first time, this would include income eligible students taking International Baccalaureate exams as well as AP tests. The DOE expects notification in March. Schools should proceed on the assumption that income eligible students will be assisted.

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

B. NH-Alternate Assessment Individualized Coaching Sessions

Many December portfolio test administration coaching sessions are now full, but there are still open seats at the following sessions: December 8, 2009 at Plymouth State University, Main Campus-Plymouth (10a.m.- 4p.m.), and December 11, 2009 at White Mountains Community College, Berlin (10a.m. - 4p.m.). To register go to: iregister.measuredprogress.org. We are also offering individual coaching sessions by appointment at the NH Department of Education in Concord. To arrange a coaching appointment, contact one of our coaches directly by e-mail: Marie Cote at marie.cote@comcast.net or Allyson Vignola at allysonvignola@hotmail.com.

For more information about upcoming monthly statewide coaching sessions go to www.education.nh.gov, then choose NH Alternate Assessment and click on Coaching Sessions.

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

Certification

A. Physical Science Educator Certification

Certification as a Physical Science Educator has been eliminated as a new endorsement. In the future, teachers of Physical Science will have the option of being certified in Physics or Chemistry. Current educators who hold Physical Science Certification will be able to continue that certification through the usual 3 year renewal cycle.

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

Data Issues

A. i4see Data:

EOY 2008-2009 (End of Year) Final Report

The Bureau of Data Management will be publishing ADM in Attendance and Residence shortly after December 1, 2009. Please ensure that all anomalies have been resolved, that the EOY is certified, and that the Determination Report is correct. The Determination Report is located under the Analysis Tab on the Reports section of the i4see workbench.

BOY 2009-2010 (Beginning of Year)

Seventeen districts remain uncertified for Beginning of Year (BOY) data. These need to be certified as soon as possible. All Free and Reduced data should be submitted and the "Public Fall Enrollment Sign Off Report", located on the BOY Reports page, should have been sent to the Bureau of Data Management by December 1, 2009. Data Management plans to publish Fall Enrollment data by December 15, 2009. To finish the process, districts should also sign and send the BOY Reports "Fall Enrollment of Special Education Students in Nonpublic Schools", the "High School Dropouts", and "High School Completers" reports.

Other data issues

Please be sure that the Real Time Entry and Withdrawal for High School Students is now in progress. i4see Contacts will be notified by e-mail of any students who withdrew from another NH public high school to transfer into their public high school.

Contact: Sandy Hyslop, (603) 271-2831, shyslop@ed.state.nh.us

B. PerformancePLUS Listserv

If you wish to be added to the NH DOE PerformancePLUS listserv, send an e-mail to lkaim@ed.state.nh.us and ask to be added to the list. If your e-mail address changed this year we may need to add you back to the list. This distribution contains information about training opportunities, updates, and user guidance to support Performance Tracker and Assessment Builder.

Contact: Lisa Kaim, (603) 271-8049, lkaim@ed.state.nh.us

ESEA (No Child Left Behind Act)

A. Guidance in Meeting 100% Highly Qualified Teacher Requirements Section 2141(a)(c) LEA Highly Qualified Teacher Improvement/Accountability Plan

NCLB Section 2141 specifies that if the State Education Agency (SEA) determines, based on Local Education Agency (LEA) reports submitted under Section 1119(b), that an LEA failed to make progress toward meeting its annual measurable objectives (AMO) for two consecutive years, the LEA must develop an improvement plan that will enable it to meet such objectives and that directly addresses the issues that prevented it from meeting its objectives. During the development and throughout implementation of the plan, the SEA must provide technical assistance to the LEA and to schools served by the LEA that need assistance to enable them to meet the annual measurable objectives described in section 1119(a)(2).

If an LEA has failed to make AYP for three consecutive years under Section 1111(b)(2)(B) of Title I, Part A, and has failed for three years to make progress toward meeting its annual measurable objectives established under Section 1119(b)(1), the SEA must enter into an agreement with the LEA on its use of Title II, Part A funds under which the SEA will:

1. Develop (in conjunction with the LEA, teachers, and principals) professional development strategies and activities based on scientifically based research that the LEA will use to meet the State's annual measurable objectives for improving teacher quality.

2. Require the LEA to use these professional development strategies and activities; and

3. Prohibit LEAs from using Title I, Part A funds to fund any new paraprofessionals, except under certain limited instances such as:

• The hiring is to fill a vacancy created by the departure of any other paraprofessional funded under Title I Part A, and the paraprofessional meets Title I requirements, or
• A significant influx of population has increased student enrollment, or
• There is an increased need for translators or assistance with parental involvement activities.

Contact: Dr. Nancy Childress, (603) 271-6579, nancy.childress@ed.state.nh.us

Funding Issues

A. School Building Aid

• 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.

• Applications for new projects are due by December 31st.

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

Hearings

There are public rulemaking hearings, Wednesday, December 9, 2009, in the State Board Room at the Department of Education, 101 Pleasant Street, Concord, NH 03301. The hearings are scheduled as follows:

• 11:00 a.m. - Ed 315, Home Education
• 11:30 am. - Ed 507 and 612 Math for Middle and High School Teacher Certification and Teacher Preparation Programs
• 12:00 p.m. - Ed 403-405 Nonpublic School Approval
• 12:30 p.m. - Ed 1100 Standards for Education of Students with Disabilities

Deadline for written comments is December 23, 2009

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

NH High School Redesign

A. Board Examination/Move On When Ready

On November 6, 2009, Marc Tucker, Executive Director of the National Center for Education and the Economy, met with interested New Hampshire school administrators and others to discuss his proposal of Board Examination/Move On When Ready Systems. His talk outlined possible pathways a state might take and described details of implementation. A copy of the powerpoint presentation can be found at www.education.nh.gov.

Contact: Mariane Gfroerer, (603) 271-6691, mgfroerer@ed.state.nh.us

B. Success at Every Step

A new report from the American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) profiles twenty-three programs that primarily serve youth in middle school, high school, and postsecondary education and have been successful in preparing them for college and careers. The report, Success at Every Step: How 23 Programs Support Youth on the Path to College and Beyond, provides policymakers and practitioners with a short summary of the research findings for each program and a short description of why the programs work. The complete report, which includes five-page summaries of the programs featured in the report, is available at www.aypf.org/publications/SuccessAtEveryStep.htm.

Contact: Susan Randall, (603) 271-3809, srandall@ed.state.nh.us

School Approval Standards

This section applies to both public and nonpublic schools

School approval checklists with health inspection forms were due to the Department by December 1, 2009 for public and private schools whose approval expires June 30, 2010. Please send in the information as soon as possible if you have not already done so.

Minimum Standards reminder: RSA 189:11 requires instruction in United States and New Hampshire history, government and the constitutions of each in all public and private schools not later than in grade 8 and in a one-year course in high schools.

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

Professional Development

A. Cyberbullying Facts and Strategies for New Hampshire Schools

The Office of Safe & Drug-Free Schools at the NH Department of Education is sponsoring a free series of Cyberbullying Workshops in collaboration with the NH Attorney General's office and the NH Department of Safety. Workshops will take place

• January 22, 2010, North Country Education Services, Gorham
• January 28, 2010, Southwestern New Hampshire Educational Support Center, Keene
• January 29, 2010, Greater Manchester Professional Development Center

All Registration logistics are coordinated by the Professional Development Center hosting the Workshop. For more information go to www.education.nh.gov.

Contact: Molly A. Gosline, (603) 271-7381, molly.gosline@ed.state.nh.us

B. Supporting Student Course Planning Team Training: Early Childhood Education

The purpose of this training is to match the Career Technical Instructors at Secondary and Postsecondary in a career area - Early Childhood Education - to design a plan of study to assist students in understanding the courses they need to take in high school to best prepare for college. Dual credit options for students will also be identified and expanded. Key participants include (but is not limited to) high school guidance counselors, secondary and postsecondary instructors. This event will take place all day, January 13, 2010, at the NH Higher Education Foundation.

Contact: Joan Fossum, (603) 271-8489, jfossum@ed.state.nh.us

C. Supporting Student Course Planning Team Training: Graphic Arts

The purpose of this training is to match the Career Technical Instructors at Secondary and Postsecondary in a career area - Graphic Arts - to design a plan of study to assist students in understanding the courses they need to take in high school to best prepare for college. Dual credit options for students will also be identified and expanded. Key participants include (but is not limited to) high school guidance counselors, secondary and postsecondary instructors. This event will take place all day, January 29, 2010, at the Walker Building, 21 South Fruit Street, Room 100, Concord, NH.

Contact: Kathleen Totten, (603) 433-1964 erpartnership@ccsnh.edu

Department Staff Updates

On November 4, 2009, Ed Murdough was honored with the Fire Service Award of Excellence by the New Hampshire Fire Standards and Training Commission/New Hampshire Fire Academy. He was recognized for his work on the Commission representing Commissioner Barry as well as his diligence in ensuring the safety of New Hampshire school buildings.

Regional Award

The New England Arts Assessment Institute (NEAAI), a collaborative of the New Hampshire and Vermont Departments of Education, received a prestigious Regional Award from the New England Theatre Conference (NETC) on November 14, 2009. The institute was recognized as a regional resource that provides 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. National experts, experienced coaches and best practices from around the nation are hallmarks of the New England Arts Assessment Institute. The NETC Regional Award is presented annually "for outstanding achievement in the American theatre." This years' New England Arts Assessment Institute will be held at Plymouth University, Plymouth, New Hampshire and is scheduled for the first week of August 2010.

Resources

A. Winter Sports Season is Here: Sports Concussion Education Kit available

The Family Resource Connection at the NH State Library has a copy of the education kit Heads Up: Concussion in High School Sports that it is available for loan to NH coaches, parents, and athletes. The kit contains practical, easy-to-use information, including a video and DVD featuring a young athlete disabled by a concussion, a guide, a wallet card for coaches, posters, fact sheets for parents and athletes in English and Spanish, and a CD-ROM with downloadable kit materials and additional concussion-related resources. For more information, contact the Family Resource Connection: 1-800-298-4321 (toll free in NH), FRC@dcr.nh.gov.

Other

Granite State Scholars

Each year, the Commissioner of Education is required to designate Granite State Scholars by March 31st. The designations are made from lists submitted to the Commissioner's Office by the high school principals within the state. The principals should send their lists in Excel or spreadsheet format to Mary Mayo at the New Hampshire Department of Education, 101 Pleasant Street, Concord, NH 03301 or mmayo@ed.state.nh.us. The list should also include the student's home mailing address. This year, the Department is asking that the names of the qualified students be sent to the Department any time after November 24, 2009 and no later than February 26, 2010.

The qualifications for designation are

1. Student must be a high school senior, under the age of 21

2. Student must be ranked in the top 10% of the senior class

3. Student must have scored at least 1200 on an SAT exam taken on or before January 31st of the student's senior year (or an equivalent score on ACT). The 1200 minimum SAT score - is the Reading and Math combined. The remaining SAT test date for 2009-10 is January 23, 2010.

In addition, home-school students are to be considered for designation, as well as students in high schools that do not rank order its students. These last two elements will require some thought about how to identify these students.

Contact: Sarah Browning, (603) 271-3879, sbrowning@ed.state.nh.us

Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST)

Nominations are now being accepted online until April 1, 2010 for the 2010 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. The PAEMST Online Application is now available at www.paemst.org. To apply, teachers must first be nominated for the award. Teachers may nominate themselves or someone else (e.g., principals, teachers, parents, or other members of the general public) may nominate them for this award. Once nominated, teachers will receive an e-mail with a login and password to access the online application. The application deadline for elementary school teachers (grades K-6) is May 3, 2010.

The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching is the highest recognition that kindergarten through 12th-grade mathematics or science teachers may receive for outstanding teaching in the United States. Awardees are recognized for their contribution to teaching and learning and their ability to help students make progress in mathematics and science. In addition to honoring individual achievement, the goal of the award program is to exemplify the highest standards of mathematics and science teaching.

Contact: Christine Downing, (603) 863-2414 x2103, cdowning@newport.k12.nh.us
Jiffi Rainie, (603) 271-7450, jennifer.rainie@ed.state.nh.us
Gail Taylor, (603) 271-8266, Gail.J.Taylor@ed.state.nh.us

Wildlife Action Grants Available

Teachers interested in involving youth to make a difference for wildlife through habitat projects on schoolyards, public areas, or community lands can apply to the Homes for Wildlife Action Grant Program for start-up funds. This New Hampshire Fish and Game Department program provides mini-grants of $300-$600. Habitat projects create spaces for outdoor learning, and can range from a butterfly garden, to shrubs for birds, to a pond for amphibians - your imagination is the limit. The deadline for submitting proposals is February 1, 2010. For a proposal packet, write to Marilyn Wyzga, Public Affairs Division, N.H. Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03301; e-mail marilyn.wyzga@wildlife.nh.gov; or call (603) 271-3211.

2010 Toyota International Teacher Program to Costa Rica

The application for the 2010 Toyota International Teacher Program to Costa Rica, a fully-funded professional development program for U.S. educators, is available. Funded by Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., and administered by the Institute of International Education, the program aims to advance environmental stewardship and global connectedness in U.S. schools and communities.

The program will take place June 18 - July 3, 2010 and the deadline to apply is January 6, 2010. Please visit www.toyota4education.com for application instructions, FAQs, and to apply online. Full-time classroom teachers and librarians of all subjects for grades 6-12 are eligible to apply.

New Hampshire Environmental Educators (NHEE) Seeks Nominations for Environmental Educators Awards

NHEE is seeking nominations for three annual awards recognizing New Hampshire's outstanding environmental educators. The awards are open to all full-time New Hampshire public and private school teachers employed in grades K-12 and non-formal educators working in non-profit organizations, agencies, or businesses throughout New Hampshire. To receive an application form or for more details visit www.nhee.org or contact Ruth Smith, Awards Chair at ruthnaturally@myfairpoint.net or (603) 783-4656.

NH High School Short Film Festival Seeking Submissions

The New Hampshire Film and Television Office, an agency of the Department of Cultural Resources, is seeking submissions for the 2010 New Hampshire High School Short Film Festival, which will take place on Saturday, May 15, 2010 at the New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord. Students from NH public and private high schools are encouraged to start planning and producing their projects, which do not have to be created as part of a class assignment. The submission period opens February 1, 2010 and closes on March 31, 2010. More details are available at www.nhstudentfilm.com. Media arts faculty interested in receiving updates about the Festival via e-mail should contact film@nh.gov.

Letters About Literature 2010

The Center for the Book at the New Hampshire State Library is pleased to once again be coordinating Letters About Literature in NH. This national writing competition for readers nine years of age or older in grades 4 through 12 is sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, in partnership with Target Stores. Students are asked to write a personal letter to an author, explaining how his or her work changed their view of the world or of themselves. Young readers can select authors from any genre - fiction or nonfiction, contemporary or classic. Letters must be mailed by December 12, 2009 with the required entry coupon. For more information, visit www.nh.gov/nhsl/bookcenter/programs/letters.html.

2010 National School Change Awards

This initiative of the National Principals Leadership Institute is Co-sponsored by the American Association of School Administrators and recognizes six schools across America for having "significantly changed". Schools measure themselves against 16 specific criteria and consider the degree to which they have improved, grown, and significantly changed. This is a very valuable process, perhaps even more important than being one of the six awardees each year. A downloadable application form and more information is available at www.npli.org/nsca.

McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center

A professional development workshop will be held at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord on December 9th from 9a.m. to 3:30p.m. NASA Education Specialist Tom Estill will explain procedures for ordering and handling moon rock samples resulting in your receiving NASA certification. Current plans to return to the Moon by 2020 with the new Constellation program will be covered. Teachers and educators receive a 10% discount on memberships to the Discovery Center. Membership benefits include 10% off teacher workshops, 10% discount in the Science Store, and more. The Discovery Center is New England's premier air and space science center, offering 21st century interactive exhibits (permanent and traveling), simulation experiences, an observatory, an expanded NASA Educator Resource Center, world-renowned planetarium, special event spaces, science store and a café. The Discovery Center honors NH space pioneers Christa McAuliffe and Alan Shepard. More information on workshops, programs and events posted online at www.starhop.com. For more on memberships, call Dinah Martell at (603) 271-7827 x113.