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Please see below as there are news feeds from The Grosse Pointe North Charter Class of 1970 Twitter Feed, Facebook Page, and the Chairperson's Blog. Also included (scroll down) is the Grosse Pointe North High School Twitter Feed and the Blog of the Principal of Grosse Pointe North, Tim Bearden.
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| GPN1970: Great day to be a Norseman! Congrats to Boys hockey in Frozen 4, Girls in State Championship, Boys BB in District Finals - GPNHS... |
| GPN1970: Great day to be a Norseman! Congrats to Boys hockey in Frozen 4, Girls in State Championship, Boys BB in District Finals - GPNHS... |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPN1970 - Thu, 08 Mar 2012 13:37:08 +0000) |
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| GPN1970: EPIC Instruction - GPNHS Principal's Office http://t.co/yOz7q7p4 |
| GPN1970: EPIC Instruction - GPNHS Principal's Office http://t.co/yOz7q7p4 |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPN1970 - Sat, 07 Jan 2012 15:06:58 +0000) |
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| GPN1970: What We Do / Happy Holidays - The Principal's Office GPNHS http://t.co/erbDrfKX |
| GPN1970: What We Do / Happy Holidays - The Principal's Office GPNHS http://t.co/erbDrfKX |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPN1970 - Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:39:07 +0000) |
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| GPN1970: Let's Fight It Together - Joe's Story - Cyber-Bullying - The GPNHS Principal's Office http://t.co/0tQJUf5d |
| GPN1970: Let's Fight It Together - Joe's Story - Cyber-Bullying - The GPNHS Principal's Office http://t.co/0tQJUf5d |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPN1970 - Thu, 17 Nov 2011 23:38:06 +0000) |
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| GPN1970: Flipping the Classroom - The Principal's Office - Grosse Pointe North High School Principal Tim Bearden http://t.co/4aRozjbK |
| GPN1970: Flipping the Classroom - The Principal's Office - Grosse Pointe North High School Principal Tim Bearden http://t.co/4aRozjbK |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPN1970 - Wed, 19 Oct 2011 22:34:41 +0000) |
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| GPN1970: 21st Century Skills Culture at High Tech High - GPN High School Principal's Office http://ow.ly/6JQrR |
| GPN1970: 21st Century Skills Culture at High Tech High - GPN High School Principal's Office http://ow.ly/6JQrR |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPN1970 - Fri, 30 Sep 2011 17:27:08 +0000) |
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| GPN1970: Projects, PLCs and the Finns - The Principal's Office - GPNHS Principal Tim Bearden http://ow.ly/6AIrg |
| GPN1970: Projects, PLCs and the Finns - The Principal's Office - GPNHS Principal Tim Bearden http://ow.ly/6AIrg |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPN1970 - Wed, 21 Sep 2011 17:10:02 +0000) |
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| GPN1970: Will Facebook ruin high school reunions? - San Jose Mercury News http://ow.ly/6y9gB |
| GPN1970: Will Facebook ruin high school reunions? - San Jose Mercury News http://ow.ly/6y9gB |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPN1970 - Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:10:04 +0000) |
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| GPN1970: Grosse Pointe school board continues_squabbling, with audience participation - Grosse Pointe Today http://ow.ly/5NMG9 |
| GPN1970: Grosse Pointe school board continues_squabbling, with audience participation - Grosse Pointe Today http://ow.ly/5NMG9 |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPN1970 - Tue, 26 Jul 2011 17:35:44 +0000) |
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| GPN1970: Harwood to lead Grosse Pointe schools_after split vote, as audience grumbles http://ow.ly/5DCUy |
| GPN1970: Harwood to lead Grosse Pointe schools_after split vote, as audience grumbles http://ow.ly/5DCUy |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPN1970 - Wed, 13 Jul 2011 16:13:55 +0000) |
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| GPN1970: Second rounds of interviews under way for Grosse Pointe school superintendent - Grosse Pointe Today http://ow.ly/5ChWk |
| GPN1970: Second rounds of interviews under way for Grosse Pointe school superintendent - Grosse Pointe Today http://ow.ly/5ChWk |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPN1970 - Tue, 12 Jul 2011 12:39:54 +0000) |
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| GPN1970: Congratulations Class of 2011 - The GPN Principal's Office http://ow.ly/5t5oh |
| GPN1970: Congratulations Class of 2011 - The GPN Principal's Office http://ow.ly/5t5oh |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPN1970 - Wed, 29 Jun 2011 16:16:53 +0000) |
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| GPN1970: Congratulations to all Class of 2011 graduates on a great career at North. Best wishes to all of you ...! - GPNHS http://ow.ly/5oTmx |
| GPN1970: Congratulations to all Class of 2011 graduates on a great career at North. Best wishes to all of you ...! - GPNHS http://ow.ly/5oTmx |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPN1970 - Thu, 23 Jun 2011 17:35:08 +0000) |
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| GPN1970: Three of five superintendent applicants_meet with Grosse Pointe school board - Grosse Pointe Today http://ow.ly/5mIo4 |
| GPN1970: Three of five superintendent applicants_meet with Grosse Pointe school board - Grosse Pointe Today http://ow.ly/5mIo4 |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPN1970 - Tue, 21 Jun 2011 13:09:18 +0000) |
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| GPN1970: 21st Century Education - Really??? - GPNHS Principal's Office http://ow.ly/5e9zc |
| GPN1970: 21st Century Education - Really??? - GPNHS Principal's Office http://ow.ly/5e9zc |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPN1970 - Thu, 09 Jun 2011 17:28:08 +0000) |
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| GPN1970: Grosse Pointe North Jazz Band_scores highest overall at Cedar Point - Grosse Pointe Today http://ow.ly/55X9P |
| GPN1970: Grosse Pointe North Jazz Band_scores highest overall at Cedar Point - Grosse Pointe Today http://ow.ly/55X9P |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPN1970 - Mon, 30 May 2011 17:10:03 +0000) |
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| GPN1970: Grosse Pointe North in Top 3 % of all High Schools!!! - The GPN Principal's Office http://ow.ly/51eyZ |
| GPN1970: Grosse Pointe North in Top 3 % of all High Schools!!! - The GPN Principal's Office http://ow.ly/51eyZ |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPN1970 - Mon, 23 May 2011 23:27:50 +0000) |
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| GPN1970: The Winds of Change and Financial Crisis - GPN Principal's Office http://ow.ly/4XQ1c |
| GPN1970: The Winds of Change and Financial Crisis - GPN Principal's Office http://ow.ly/4XQ1c |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPN1970 - Thu, 19 May 2011 00:39:32 +0000) |
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| GPN1970: Community Members sought for Grosse Pointe Public School System Strategic Planning Focus Group - Grosse Pointe Today http://ow.ly/4rz9J |
| GPN1970: Community Members sought for Grosse Pointe Public School System Strategic Planning Focus Group - Grosse Pointe Today http://ow.ly/4rz9J |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPN1970 - Fri, 01 Apr 2011 22:53:04 +0000) |
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| GPN1970: Congrats to GPS Sophomore, Hannah Meier, national indoor 1 Mile title & 1st in school history - GrossePointeToday http://ow.ly/4eyX2 |
| GPN1970: Congrats to GPS Sophomore, Hannah Meier, national indoor 1 Mile title & 1st in school history - GrossePointeToday http://ow.ly/4eyX2 |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPN1970 - Tue, 15 Mar 2011 03:29:29 +0000) |
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| GPNHS: Mr. Montague and North students work as part of Go Green Go Clean afternoon @ North H.S. - That's Norseman Pride!!! http://t.co/Wfd7FvCK |
| GPNHS: Mr. Montague and North students work as part of Go Green Go Clean afternoon @ North H.S. - That's Norseman Pride!!! http://t.co/Wfd7FvCK |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPNHS - Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:35:59 +0000) |
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| GPNHS: Mrs. Murray participates in North's "Go Green Go Clean" student / staff clean-up day at North. http://t.co/2NY3PgF6 |
| GPNHS: Mrs. Murray participates in North's "Go Green Go Clean" student / staff clean-up day at North. http://t.co/2NY3PgF6 |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPNHS - Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:33:29 +0000) |
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| GPNHS: Congratulations GPN Orchestra and Concert Band on Superior Ratings in Toronto!! |
| GPNHS: Congratulations GPN Orchestra and Concert Band on Superior Ratings in Toronto!! |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPNHS - Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:32:03 +0000) |
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| GPNHS: GREAT dance at GPN tonight. Congrats to all who helped put it together. Great crowd, great DJ, kids were perfect! |
| GPNHS: GREAT dance at GPN tonight. Congrats to all who helped put it together. Great crowd, great DJ, kids were perfect! |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPNHS - Sat, 31 Mar 2012 02:20:19 +0000) |
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| GPNHS: Congrats to all sailors in the 2nd annual Cardboard Boat Regatta at GPN pool. Awesome project!! |
| GPNHS: Congrats to all sailors in the 2nd annual Cardboard Boat Regatta at GPN pool. Awesome project!! |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPNHS - Wed, 14 Mar 2012 15:58:42 +0000) |
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| GPNHS: Great performances by GPN students in musical. Anything Goes- wonderful show! |
| GPNHS: Great performances by GPN students in musical. Anything Goes- wonderful show! |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPNHS - Sun, 11 Mar 2012 18:43:25 +0000) |
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| GPNHS: Congrats all winter student-athletes on great seasons. Two state runner-up teams, several individual All-State performances. Go Green! |
| GPNHS: Congrats all winter student-athletes on great seasons. Two state runner-up teams, several individual All-State performances. Go Green! |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPNHS - Sun, 11 Mar 2012 18:41:30 +0000) |
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| GPNHS: North boys hockey wins 6-3. State championship tomorrow @ 6 @ Compuware Arena. Go Green! |
| GPNHS: North boys hockey wins 6-3. State championship tomorrow @ 6 @ Compuware Arena. Go Green! |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPNHS - Sat, 10 Mar 2012 03:30:19 +0000) |
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| GPNHS: Great day to be a Norseman! Congrats to Boys hockey in Frozen 4, Girls in State Championship, Boys BB in District Finals - all this weekend! |
| GPNHS: Great day to be a Norseman! Congrats to Boys hockey in Frozen 4, Girls in State Championship, Boys BB in District Finals - all this weekend! |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPNHS - Thu, 08 Mar 2012 03:51:06 +0000) |
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| GPNHS: Congratulations Coach Gary Bennett on 500th win Friday evening. See story @ http://t.co/RnliBnP6 |
| GPNHS: Congratulations Coach Gary Bennett on 500th win Friday evening. See story @ http://t.co/RnliBnP6 |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPNHS - Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:57:50 +0000) |
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| GPNHS: Happy New Year! Welcome Back. Please visit our website for calendar information as the end of semester approaches. http://t.co/L4lBE9Ak |
| GPNHS: Happy New Year! Welcome Back. Please visit our website for calendar information as the end of semester approaches. http://t.co/L4lBE9Ak |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPNHS - Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:43:53 +0000) |
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| GPNHS: School's out for holiday break. Have a safe and happy holiday, see you on January 4th! |
| GPNHS: School's out for holiday break. Have a safe and happy holiday, see you on January 4th! |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPNHS - Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:57:58 +0000) |
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| GPNHS: North vs. South girls basketball at South tonight. Go Norsemen! Holiday concert at First English Church Thursday and Friday nights! |
| GPNHS: North vs. South girls basketball at South tonight. Go Norsemen! Holiday concert at First English Church Thursday and Friday nights! |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPNHS - Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:30:24 +0000) |
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| GPNHS: Check out the new post "To Test or not to Test..." on Principal Tim Bearden's blog @ http://t.co/tefNEhDz |
| GPNHS: Check out the new post "To Test or not to Test..." on Principal Tim Bearden's blog @ http://t.co/tefNEhDz |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPNHS - Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:29:31 +0000) |
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| GPNHS: Two days of Challenge Day @ GPN - Awesome experience. Thanks to volunteers and North students - great days. Be the Change!! |
| GPNHS: Two days of Challenge Day @ GPN - Awesome experience. Thanks to volunteers and North students - great days. Be the Change!! |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPNHS - Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:21:59 +0000) |
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| GPNHS: The GPN Band & Orchestra present Pops & Pastries on Saturday, Nov. 5! |
| GPNHS: The GPN Band & Orchestra present Pops & Pastries on Saturday, Nov. 5! |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPNHS - Wed, 02 Nov 2011 17:31:14 +0000) |
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| GPNHS: 1st quarter ends Friday. Check Pinnacle for grades! |
| GPNHS: 1st quarter ends Friday. Check Pinnacle for grades! |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPNHS - Wed, 02 Nov 2011 17:30:28 +0000) |
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| GPNHS: GPN Homecoming Parade begins at 5:30 in the Monteith parking lot. Game at 7:00. Go Norseman!! |
| GPNHS: GPN Homecoming Parade begins at 5:30 in the Monteith parking lot. Game at 7:00. Go Norseman!! |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPNHS - Fri, 07 Oct 2011 19:43:51 +0000) |
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| GPNHS: GPN's Drama Club presents "A Little Murder Never Hurt Anyone" tonight and tomorrow night in the PAC. Tickets are available at the door. |
| GPNHS: GPN's Drama Club presents "A Little Murder Never Hurt Anyone" tonight and tomorrow night in the PAC. Tickets are available at the door. |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPNHS - Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:16:13 +0000) |
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| GPNHS: Check out Principal Tim Bearden's new blog post @ http://t.co/FyMdy5Qr |
| GPNHS: Check out Principal Tim Bearden's new blog post @ http://t.co/FyMdy5Qr |
| Read More...(Source: Twitter / GPNHS - Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:14:54 +0000) |
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| Rankings Omissions... |
| We have received questions from some folks regarding the recently published U.S. News & World Report school rankings that does not include Grosse Pointe North in its ranked schools, yet published our performance results which clearly should place North rightfully in the top 650 schools in the United States. While this is not a ranking system that we recognize or have publicized in the past, we thought it important to respond. The author of this ranking, Robert Morse, did not contact Grosse Pointe North, nor has anyone from U.S. News & World Report contacted us. These rankings were apparently created based on information taken from existing state databases. In the past we have always been ranked in the Newsweek rankings and the Top Schools Rankings that is linked to from our website. Clearly, based on the rankings formula used by this service, our omission is a mistake.Please see the research email below which was compiled by assistant principal and testing / data coordinator Tom Beach. Using the information provided only from the U.S. news website, we should be ranked # 12 in Michigan, and # 636 in the nation. This national ranking is actually higher than rankings from other services. Unfortunately, it appears there has been a mistake of omission as we are not ranked anywhere. We do not know the reasons for the omission, and have contacted Robert Morse. Based on web traffic and information we have received there are multiple errors with this ranking system, and the researcher has been deluged with calls and complaints.I provide this information to all of you so you can respond in the event of any comments or questions from your school communities. I will also post it on my blog later today. We continue to advocate here for our wonderful students and staff. This week and next, with approx. 1370 students, North will administer over 600 AP examsâŚ.as Adam Sandler might sing â âNot too shabbyâŚ.â.From: Beach, ThomasTo: Bearden, TimSubject: ranking issueTim,I tried to contact Bob Morse at U.S. News & World Report without success.A quick look at websites indicate that we are not the only school with issues.Ranking #âs are listed by College Readiness scores. We are listed in his National and his Michigan report as âUnrankedâ, but it does give specific data for our school when you look it up by name of Grosse Pointe North.If I go to the list of ranked schools in Michigan and look at the data, they have should have placed us at #12 in the state just after East Lansing High School who is # 11 (43.2) and above Jennison High School that is listed as # 12 with 39.4 score (we are 40.8).On their National list, their same data should have placed us a # 636 in the nation. Westborough High School is #635 with a 40.9 College Readiness Score and Stillwater Area high School is # 636 at 40.7. (we are 40.8).South is # 3 in Michigan and # 391 in the country with a 49.4 rating.Below is contact information for Bob Morse who did the study. I was able to reach voicemail where the person identified themselves as him (Bob Morse). I left a message about our issue and have not received a response yet.Robert Morse Research Director U.S. News & World Report1050 Thomas Jefferson St. N.W.Washington, DC 20007-3871202-955-2000 rmorse@usnews.comWe were never contacted for information and he indicates on his data gathering page that he used state and U.S. gov. websites so the implication is that they made no attempt to contact schools individually.Below is the link that lists GPN and their data from their sitehttp://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/michigan/districts/grosse-pointe-public-schools/grosse-pointe-north-high-school-10177Below is the link to the Michigan rankings from their site where we should be #12.http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/michigan/districts/grosse-pointe-public-schools/grosse-pointe-north-high-school-10177Below is the link for the national ranking from their site where we should be at #636http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/national-rankingsBelow is the link to a web site on how he created the listhttp://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/college-rankings-blogBelow is a link about the âLaunch of the study indicating they looked at 22,000 schoolshttp://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/college-rankings-blog/2012/04/27/new-best-high-schools-rankings-launch-may-8 |
| Read More...(Source: - Thu, 10 May 2012 03:29:00 +0000) |
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| Grosse Pointe Shores Ambassador Council |
| The Grosse Pointe Shores has named an Ambassador Council with a goal of promoting the Shores community. As Grosse Pointe North H.S. is proud to serve the Shores families, we are partnering with the Ambassador Council to promote our school as a primary reason for families to choose the Woods or the Shores as a place to make a home. At today's Ambassador Council meeting, we will provide these talking points for realtors and Ambassador Council members to use as part of a marketing campaign - they highlight what a remarkable school North is:Grosse Pointe North H.S. â Talking Points 1. Academics a. Top 3% of High Schools in the united States by Top Schools Rankings (based on number of students taking AP and IB exams)b. Socioeconomically disadvantaged student population has doubled in past six years, but scores have stayed constantc. 150 more students took AP exams last year than five years agod. Made AYPe. Grade of âAâ on Michigan Department of Education Report Cardf. 9/10 on Great Schools National Rankingsg. Quiz Bowl team undefeated in league play for ten years, qualified for nationals each of past six years, State Champions in 2010, team has not lost to South in a decade.h. 22 AP courses offered, Partnership program in Applied Medical Researchi. Three Michigan Teacher of the Year teachers, National Earth Science Teacher of the Yearj. Students perform in the 99th percentile statewide on German Day Examsk. Over 600 AP exams administered last year with a 70% pass ratel. North and South the only two public Michigan high schools to have been in Top Schools Ranking each year of its existence2. College Paths a. 97% of students attend college, university or post-secondary institution.b. Approx. 80% of students attend four year universitiesc. This yearâs graduating class includes students accepted at Yale, the U.S. Naval Academy, Oxford University (England), the University of Michigan, and many other competitive admissions universities3. Athletics a. In top competitive division in MAC in most sports despite an enrollment below the conference median.b. Multiple league, district and regional champions. State Champions in baseball, Girls Basketball within past six years, this year both boys and girls ice hockey in State Championship games.c. More than 20 Varsity sports including Crew, Sailing, Ice Skating, Lacrosse, Field Hockey, and all traditional athletic teams.d. Recognized by the MHSAA and MIAAA as a Michigan Exemplary Athletic Program4. Artsa. Music program recognized by the Grammy Foundation as one of the Top 100 high school music programs in the United States.b. Award winning drama and musical productions.c. Award winning artists, with dozens of Scholastic Silver and Gold Key winners, National Gold Key winners.d. More than 200 students in award winning instrumental music programs including two concert bands, a symphony orchestra, jazz band, and pep band.e. More than 100 students in award winning vocal music programs, including a full choir, top chorale, menâs choir, womenâs choir, Acafella, Counter Pointe, and other vocal music groups. 5. Clubs / Extracurriculars a. GPN offers more than twenty clubs from activity to academic.b. DECA sends students to state and national competitions each year, with nine qualifiers for this yearâs International DECA business competition.c. Robotics Club with GM sponsorship.d. Close-Up program sends students to Washington D.C. each year.e. Diversity Club organizes many activities throughout the year.f. RATS â Radio astronomy club has won national awards, produced students whose work earned them full college scholarships, and has visited and participated in research at nationally and internationally recognized astronomy conferences and facilities. 6. School Climate a. GPN has a very collegial, close-knit faculty and administration with a âkids firstâ philosophy and approach.b. School Climate Initiatives include:i. Challenge Day â A nationally recognized program designed to strengthen studentsâ social and personal awareness. Approximately half of Northâs student body has been through this life changing program, and North is a leader in the area and state in Challenge Day initiatives.ii. Random Act of Kindness Week - A full week of activities designed around emphasizing kindness and generosity to others.iii. SADD Week â Students Against Destructive Decisions plans a full week of activities around encouraging positive decision making. Points of emphasis are online etiquette, cyber-bullying, driver safety, and teen alcohol and drug use.iv. Mix-It âUp Days â Students are encouraged by student M.C.s in the cafeteria to mix it up at lunch by sitting with new people, and rotating lunch tables.v. Challenge Day Tutorial â a tutorial course for students to design year long Challenge Day activities.vi. Student Video Announcements â Public Service Announcements by students for other students on topics of appropriate dress, behavior, and choices.vii. Freshman Only First Day â a highly acclaimed North program designed to transition students to high school in a non-threatening, open way. c. Community Relations â GPN has very positive community relations with our local municipalities. We work closely with the Grosse Pointe Woods public safety office, including supporting a wonderful Woods school liaison officer who services all North end schools in Grosse Pointe.d. GPN emphasizes positive school climate, and has a safe, welcoming hallway and classroom environment. Bullying and inappropriate or disrespectful behaviors are not tolerated, are dealt with quickly, strongly and with an educational focus, and student safety and comfort is a top priority for our staff. |
| Read More...(Source: - Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:21:00 +0000) |
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| Using Pinnacle Connect |
| Project Based Learning has been a building wide initiative at North this year as part of our building's Schools of the Future approach. In structuring our school's Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), we took on an approach that mirrored what we are asking students to do in classrooms. Our teachers chose PLC groups based on their interests and desires to learn in particular areas. One of our groups took on the project of better addressing school / parent communication. During the course of the year, one consistent issue was parents' difficulty in managing our online student information system.Our Parent Communication PLC created the following video to assist parents in managing their child's Pinnacle online viewer for grades and attendance: |
| Read More...(Source: - Tue, 03 Apr 2012 19:42:00 +0000) |
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| A Different Kind of "Posting"... |
| Recently our decision not to allow some posters that contained language that was inappropriate for school and contained overt political messages has generated some interest.Our response to inquiries on this topic is pasted below:Grosse Pointe North supports our students being passionate about important issues facing our nation and world, and in that vein has supported the students involved in Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) in a wide variety of ways. From this group's inception they have been fully supported by our school administration. We provided them funding for their first activity (when they otherwise had none), a recognition and remembrance for Americans whose lives were lost in the 9/11 attacks on our country. We have provided them meeting places, school facilities for activities, and bulletin board space for previous postings. They have been provided time on our school's video announcements. They have even been provided public venues for elaborate displays, and tables and space for recruiting students during our registration activities. Finally, we have allowed them to continue to meet regularly even when they were not able to secure a staff advisor in our school building, a requirement for all clubs. In short, we have been extremely supportive of this group, and applaud their passion and interest in important national and world issues.The only times YAF's activities have been limited have been when the content of their postings has been inappropriate for school hallways. We have worked with their leadership to provide guidelines and to discuss how to manage the appropriate balance we must maintain as a public high school. The recent request for posters by YAF included posters that contained thinly veiled references to extremely vulgar, vitriolic, and inappropriate language. The posters also were political in nature. I have met with the leader of the group in the past as well as his parent to give ideas as to how to manage this balance, offered to preview any posters prior to posting, and even offered my own time to supervise their meetings so that they would have an adult staff member present. The posters were not denied based on ideology, but rather based on their appropriateness for a high school hallway. We strongly support the right of these students to meet, and to discuss openly these issues in their meetings, however we must maintain a balance in terms of what is posted in our hallways. For example, posters from YAF encouraging students to meet to discuss the treatment of women in the political arena, but without expressing a political view or inappropriate language, would have not only been accepted, but applauded.Finally, some inquiries have referenced a bulletin board with the words "Black Power" across the top. This bulletin board was not approved by our administration, nor would it have been with those words. Based on a picture of the bulletin board I have since seen, the content appears to be a recognition of Martin Luther King, although I never saw this bulletin board in our school, and was not made aware that it had once existed until Friday of last week. This bulletin board was done by students as part of a project, and was up for less than a day before a teacher took down those words. The student involved had no idea that this phrase had any political meaning. The words "Black Power" would not have been allowed, and we have reminded staff that all postings on our bulletin boards must be approved by administration.We support YAF, as well as all of our student groups, their right to meet, and their right to open discourse. Nevertheless, we must maintain a balance in our school hallways that we expect all students to appreciate. |
| Read More...(Source: - Tue, 03 Apr 2012 19:20:00 +0000) |
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| What Do They Do All Afternoon? |
| On Tuesday, March 13th North has a half day for students. In the afternoon of this day, our teachers will attend professional development activities. I was talking with my own kids (who are also the benefactors of half days this week), and they asked why I have to work in the afternoon when they get the time off (out of the mouths of babes...). I told them that teachers are also learners, and that they use days like this to learn new techniques, strategies and ideas for the classroom. In fact, I often have high school students or parents ask me "What do the teachers do all afternoon on half days?".During professional development time for our staff we have a wide variety of activities and approaches. One of the great things about North's staff is that we have some extraordinary teachers, and an atmosphere conducive to teachers learning from one another. For this particular inservice, we are using (as we often do) our own in-house "experts" to share ideas with their colleagues. As a glimpse into what we do here at North on these days, the below pasted section is part of an email that I sent to our staff describing the activities from which they can choose for tomorrow's inservice.North is truly a "Professional Learning Community" of committed, dedicated teachers who share openly for the purpose of giving our students the best possible experience:Our format for next Tuesdayâs inservice is a conference style âcafeteriaâ format, with multiple session choices each time slot. Thanks so much to all who have offered (or agreed after begging and/or arm-twisting) to share their expertise with the rest of us. We have a great lineup, with a diversity of offerings. The sessions include:⢠Michigan Teacher Evaluation Model (Jon Dean â Asst. Supt. For Human Resources & Educational Development) â Our new Asst. Supt., Jon Dean, will lead a discussion and Q&A regarding Michiganâs new teacher evaluation model, and the timeline and charge given to the Governorâs Council to develop a model based in part on student academic growth. ⢠Sow & Reap Instruction that Works (Sue Speirs â North Science Dept.) â In Robert Marzanoâs book Classroom Instruction that Works, he examines nine instructional practices that reap achievement growth. Sue will do an overview of those research based practices, and how to âsowâ instructional seeds. ⢠Classroom Response Systems ( Mike Spears â North World Languages / District Technology Curriculum Specialist) - Mike Spears will do an introductory session on Senteo Clicker Response Systems, as well as give a brief introduction to other âfreeâ response systems such as cell phone / text based systems and how they can be employed in classrooms.⢠Collaborative Tools (Andrew Taylor â North Social Studies Dept. ) â Andrew is presenting at MACUL this week on Web 2.0 collaborative tools to foster student collaboration outside of the classroom. In addition to familiar tools like Ning and various social media platforms, Andrew promises introduction to other tools with which you will probably be unfamiliar.⢠Moodle â (Karen Villegas â North Media Specialist) â Beginning next year Wayne RESA will no longer support the Blackboard platforms used by many of our teachers. Karen will give an introduction to Moodle as the Blackboard alternative. For those who are currently on Blackboard she will demonstrate how to move information to Moodle, and for new users introduce how to get started. ⢠Ipads in the Classroom (Don Pata & Gary Abud â North Science Dept.) â Don and Gary will demonstrate the ways they are using their ipads in the classroom, as well as exploring future uses for tablet technology. ⢠Class A Data Management â (Greg Johnson â North Math Dept. / District Data and Assessment Specialist) â Greg will demonstrate how to run assessment data that is warehoused in Class A, as well as explore the possibilities for uploading and storing our own formative and summative assessment data.We may add a session choice or two. A sign-up sheet will be available by the teacher mailboxes after 2:00 today. Please choose one session for each time slot. Most sessions will run in multiple time slots. Each staff member will have the opportunity to attend three 40 minute development sessions. Our time schedule for Tuesday:8-10:55 Students on traditional half day schedule11:00â 12:25 Staff Cohesion Lunch & Activity in gym 12:30 â 1:10 Session 11:15 â 1:55 Session 22:00 â 2:40 Session 32:40 â 3:00 Follow-up Qâs with presenters, work time on your own to explore topics coveredThanks!Tim |
| Read More...(Source: - Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:57:00 +0000) |
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| Uncommon Purpose |
| On Friday evening, North Girls Varsity basketball Coach Gary Bennett achieved a remarkable milestone with his 500th win as a varsity coach. Our very young team defeated Dakota High School, previously unbeaten in the league, in an effort former principal Jim Steeby described as being one of "uncommon purpose". Coach Bennett is not the kind of coach to ever ask players to play for him, which is exactly why they sometimes do. Anyone who has ever seen one of Coach Bennett's teams play knows that our program is built on effort - for one of his teams to be recognized as playing with "uncommon purpose" is quite a statement as our teams always play with urgency and intensity.The following was read on the P.A. following the game:Ladies and Gentlemen,We respectfully ask that all spectators remain seated for recognition of a truly special occasion and man.Each school has an iconic figure â a teacher or coach â who represents all that the school aspires to and stands for. At Grosse Pointe North High School, that figure is Mr. Gary Bennett. Coach Bennett would you please join me at center court.With tonightâs victory, Grosse Pointe Northâs own Gary Bennett has reached a coaching milestone by capturing his 500th win as a varsity basketball coach. Beyond the wins and losses, Coach Bennett has come to represent what all Norsemen should aspire to be, a person of integrity, compassion and commitment who has achieved this remarkable record by always putting his student-athletes first. For Coach Bennett, winning takes a distant second to doing things the right way, giving a winning effort, and his team reflecting the values of North basketball in their effort at every practice and in every game. During his 36 year career as a teacher and a coach, North graduate Gary Bennett has now amassed 500 victories, won multiple league, district and regional crowns, and coached the 2008 Class A State Champions. Far beyond those wins, Coach Bennett has through his example taught hundreds of young people how to conduct themselves with class and integrity.Every young Norseman wants to play for him, and every young coach wants to be like him. We are so proud and honored to recognize Coach Bennett with tonightâs historic game ball, and ask that you join us by standing and recognizing the man who epitomizes educational athletics at North High School, Coach Gary Bennett. In today's educational environment, I worry that the times of coaches and teachers like Gary Bennett may be gone. Teachers who teach and coach in the same building for more than thirty years will be rare indeed in the future with the kind of teachers and coach burnout that's a fact of life today. I hope that our student-athletes and their parents recognize, as I do, how fortunate they are to be taught by a man who does everything with "uncommon purpose". Our athletic director, Ben Bandfield, just remarked to me that he was going to tell Coach Bennett "500 is a nice number, but 1000, now that would be really special...". I couldn't agree more...Gary Bennett is a once in a lifetime teacher and coach. |
| Read More...(Source: - Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:40:00 +0000) |
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| Common App Leads to Uncommon Results |
| Each fall top students across the nation wait anxiously for results of their college admission applications during the early decision cycle in the fall. Historically, the bulk of our top students received acceptances during this period. While many of our students did receive acceptances to their first choice schools this year, many other students received deferral letters. The deferrals are not denials - they delay the decision on the application until the early spring. This has caused some understandable consternation among some of our highest performing students and their parents, so we set out to learn more about this process.The higher than usual number of deferrals first came to our attention with students who applied for early decision to the University of Michigan. Traditionally, North sends anywhere from two to three dozen graduates a year to Michigan - one of the top schools in the country. This year we had many acceptances, but far more than the normal number of deferrals. We had students with grade point averages over 4.0, ACT scores of 30 and above, and comprehensive leadership and service backgrounds who were deferred by Michigan. For the first time in my 24 years as a teacher and administrator, I contacted an admissions office.We were told by Michigan that the reason for the deferrals is that Michigan has received an incredibly high number of early decision applications now that it is one of the schools across the country that accepts the "common app". The "common app" is a common application that students can fill out one time and use for multiple universities. The convenience of this process vs. filling out elaborate apps for each university has led to higher numbers of applications. Michigan received 20,000 applications for early decision, and expects another 20,000 throughout the regular admissions cycle. 40,000 applicants for approx. 6000 undergraduate spots - very competitive. As a result of the high number of apps, Michigan has been very conservative in their early admissions cycle.In speaking with other schools across the state and nation, this circumstance is not unique to North or Michigan. Every school has seen the impact of more universities using the common app. The New York Times recently published an article detailing the national story of a more heterogeneous early admission class, and decreased numbers of early admission decisions for students at top high schools : http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/14/education/early-admission-applications-rise-as-do-rejections.html. We anticipate that most of our students in this dilemma will receive acceptance letters in the spring after 7th semester grades are in, but in the meantime, some of them are considering other options. I expressed to the University of Michigan our concern that at a time when the state is struggling economically, the flagship university of our state is risking losing some of the best and brightest students in Michigan to other universities, including out of state universities. Several of our top students are now considering leaving Michigan for schools that accepted them during the early admission process.The competitive nature of the early decision period only serves to highlight the importance of students taking the most rigorous courses we have to offer, and the importance of a commitment to excellence in those courses. It is also a reminder that as our world becomes smaller, more and more international students have access to resources that put them in competition with our students. As much as people want to compare our results with our sister school of Grosse Pointe South or other schools in Michigan, the truth is that our students are in global competition. Both our school and our students must recognize that fact and continue to raise the standards for excellence that have always separated North from other schools. For more on this story see Bridge Magazine's recent article at http://bridgemi.com/2012/01/common-app-hits-star-student-with-uncommon-adversity/#.TxWABZj5GYc |
| Read More...(Source: - Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:25:00 +0000) |
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| EPIC Instruction |
| At the beginning of this school year we had an inservice for staff designed to look at different ways to deliver instruction built around a theme that instruction for today's generation of students has to be "EPIC". EPIC is an acronym coined by Tim Elmore for instruction that is Experiential, Participatory, Image Rich and Connected. EPIC instruction certainly looks different than traditional lecture delivery, and it feels different for students and teachers alike. Our approach of evolving to a project based model of instruction is built on the platform of EPIC instructional delivery.Well-known New York educator Pedro Noguera has often said, "I can spend all day teaching my dog Spanish - that doesn't mean that at the end of the day he can speak it". For years education has been built on the instructional delivery model of teachers lecturing, students taking notes, and subsequently "regurgitating" the information. One need go no further than personal experience to evaluate whether that model led to long term retention...in my case I can say unequivocally that I no longer remember much of what I "learned" during my college experience (and no, it's not because of the number of years that have passed...).More recent research is clear that retention and "learning" is based largely on experience. Few of us learn by having someone tell us information. EPIC instruction is based on the premise that students must experience and participate in the learning and the delivery of learning, and that the role of the teacher must transform into one of "guide on the side" vs. "sage on the stage".This article details that transformation through the lens of experiences of a college physics instructor. As I visit the classrooms of our building, I can say with a high degree of certainty that EPIC instruction works, it's more engaging, and develops a deeper understanding of material.Physicists Seek To Lose The Lecture As Teaching Toolby Emily HanfordJanuary 1, 2012Listen to the StoryAll Things Considered[7 min 50 sec] Add to PlaylistDownloadTranscripttext size A A A January 1, 2012 from APM The lecture is one of the oldest forms of education there is."Before printing someone would read the books to everybody who would copy them down," says Joe Redish, a physics professor at the University of Maryland.But lecturing has never been an effective teaching technique and now that information is everywhere, some say it's a waste of time. Indeed, physicists have the data to prove it.When Eric Mazur began teaching physics at Harvard, he started out teaching the same way he had been taught."I sort of projected my own experience, my own vision of learning and teaching â which is what my instructors had done to me. So I lectured," he says.He loved to lecture. Mazur's students apparently loved it, too. They gave him great evaluations and his classes were full."For a long while, I thought I was doing a really, really good job," he says.But then in 1990, he came across articles written by David Hestenes, a physicist at Arizona State. Hestenes got the idea for the series when a colleague came to him with a problem. The students in his introductory physics courses were not doing well: Semester after semester, the class average never got above about 40 percent."I noted that the reason for that was that his examination questions were mostly qualitative, requiring understanding of the concepts rather than just calculational, using formulas, which is what most of the instructors did," Hestenes says.Hestenes had a suspicion students were just memorizing the formulas and never really getting the concepts. So he and a colleague developed a test to look at students' conceptual understanding of physics. It's a test Maryland's Redish has given his students many times.Here's a question from the test: "Two balls are the same size but one weighs twice as much as the other. The balls are dropped from the top of a two-story building at the same instant of time. The time it takes the ball to reach the ground will be..."The possible answers include about half as long for the heavier ball, about half as long for the lighter ball, or the same time for both. This is a fundamental concept but even some people who've taken physics get this question wrong.To get to the answer, Redish went to the second floor of the physics building. A group of his students was on the sidewalk below. When he reached the top, he dropped two balls from the roof.The two balls reached the ground at the same time. Sir Isaac Newton was the first person who figured out why. He came up with a law of motion to explain how two balls of different weights, dropped from the same height, hit the ground simultaneously.While most physics students can recite Newton's second law of motion, Harvard's Mazur says, the conceptual test developed by Hestenes showed that after an entire semester they understood only about 14 percent more about the fundamental concepts of physics. When Mazur read the results, he shook his head in disbelief. The test covered such basic material."I gave it to my students only to discover that they didn't do much better," he says.The test has now been given to tens of thousands of students around the world and the results are virtually the same everywhere. The traditional lecture-based physics course produces little or no change in most students' fundamental understanding of how the physical world works."The classes only seem to be really working for about 10 percent of the students," Arizona State's Hestenes says. "And I maintain, I think all the evidence indicates, that these 10 percent are the students that would learn it even without the instructor. They essentially learn it on their own."He says that listening to someone talk is not an effective way to learn any subject."Students have to be active in developing their knowledge," he says. "They can't passively assimilate it."This is something many people have known intuitively for a long time â the physicists just came up with the hard data. Their work, along with research by cognitive scientists, provides a compelling case against lecturing. But with budgets shrinking and enrollments booming, large classes aren't going away. You don't have to lecture in a lecture hall though.Mazur's physics class is now different. Rather than lecturing, he makes his students do most of the talking.At a recent class, the students â nearly 100 of them â are in small groups discussing a question. Three possible answers to the question are projected on a screen. Before the students start talking with one another, they use a mobile device to vote for their answer. Only 29 percent got it right. After talking for a few minutes, Mazur tells them to answer the question again.This time, 62 percent of the students get the question right. Next, Mazur leads a discussion about the reasoning behind the answer. The process then begins again with a new question. This is a method Mazur calls "peer Instruction." He now teaches all of his classes this way."What we found over now close to 20 years of using this approach is that the learning gains at the end of the semester nearly triple," he says.One value of this approach is that it can be done with hundreds of students. You don't need small classes to get students active and engaged. Mazur says the key is to get them to do the assigned reading â what he calls the "information-gathering" part of education â before they come to class."In class, we work on trying to make sense of the information," Mazur says. "Because if you stop to think about it, that second part is actually the hardest part. And the information transfer, especially now that we live in an information age, is the easiest part."Mazur's approach is one of many developed in response to evidence that traditional lectures don't work. Among the advocates of these approaches there's an increasing sense of urgency about how to help more students do better."We need to educate a population to compete in this global marketplace," says Brian Lukoff, an education researcher at Harvard. "We can't do that by just sort of picking out 10 percent and saying, 'Oh you guys are going to be the successful ones,' and you know we need a much larger swath of that population to be able to think critically and problem-solve."But ask anyone involved with efforts to lose the lecture and they'll tell you they encounter resistance. Sometimes the stiffest opposition comes from the students."Revamping my entire education, you know, philosophy for this one class was a bit daunting," says Ryan Duncan, a sophomore in Mazur's class.But he adapted and says he learned more in Mazur's class than he did in his other physics course at Harvard.Maryland's Redish says when he lays out the case against lecturing, colleagues often nod their heads, but insist their lectures work just fine. Redish tells them â lecturing isn't enough anymore."With modern technology, if all there is is lectures, we don't need faculty to do it," Redish says. "Get 'em to do it once, put it on the Web, and fire the faculty."Some faculty are threatened by this, but Mazur says they don't have to be. Instead, they need to realize that their role has changed."It used to be just be the 'sage on the stage,' the source of knowledge and information," he says. "We now know that it's not good enough to have a source of information."Mazur sees himself now as the "guide on the side" â a kind of coach, working to help students understand all the knowledge and information that they have at their fingertips. Mazur says this new role is a more important one.American Radioworks is the documentary series from American Public Media. You can find more of their reporting on this issue at "Don't Lecture Me." |
| Read More...(Source: - Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:23:00 +0000) |
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| College Ready? |
| In a recent post, I examined the issue of college readiness, and Michigan's reliance on that standard as a lens to view student achievement in Michigan on a K-12 basis. Schools in Macomb County, in conjunction with the Macomb Intermediate School District, recently did an examination of college readiness standards, and reliance on that measure. The results are very interesting, and cast serious doubt on Michigan's reliance on college readiness as a standard. The conclusion that college readiness is a complex standard that requires multiple data points is one that is eminently sensible. Pasted below is Macomb's analysis:College and Career ReadinessAnother ViewpointMay 23, 2011In recent weeks, the Michigan Department of Education has been referencing three statements related to the current state of education and student college readiness in Michigan. The statements, which have been repeated by the Governor and media, are misleading and lack the breadth to form the basis of a valid discussion of student readiness for college and careers. The first statement is âOnly 16% of the graduates from the Class of 2010 from Michigan High Schools are college and career ready.â Secondly, â238 schools in the state have zero percent of the students who are proficient in college and career readiness benchmarks.â And finally, âBetween 61%- 70% college freshman in Michigan need remedial classes.â The purpose of this document is to support the goal of making certain every student in the state is prepared for post-secondary achievement. However, we have researched the above statements and find all of them misrepresent the college readiness of students in Michigan. Further, these figures do not present a fair and accurate report to parents about their studentsâ ability to succeed beyond high school. First, the term âcollege and career readinessâ, according to the American College Test (ACT), is based on a limited study from 2005 that is outlined in Appendix A. Based on this study, the ACT âcollege and career benchmarksâ represent ACT scores that reflect students who score as well or better on a particular benchmark. When individuals incorrectly state only 16% (according to the ACT publication entitled, The Condition of College and Career Readiness, Class of 2010 the percentage for Michigan is actually 19%) of the 2010 graduates in Michigan are college and career ready, they are referring to the percentage of students who took the ACT (120,930 students tested in Michigan in 2010) and scored at or above the four benchmark scores as determined by ACT.(http://www.act.org/research/policymakers/cccr10/pdf/ConditionofCollegeandCareerReadiness2010.pdf) Michigan is only one of six states in the nation that requires all students to take the ACT during their junior year. Illinois tested 145,520 students in 2010 resulting in 23% of their students reaching proficiency in all four subtests of the ACT. Of the six states that test 100% of their students on the ACT, Michigan (at 19%) is higher than Kentucky, Wyoming, and Tennessee. All juniors in Michigan have been required to take the ACT since 2008. Previous to that, in 2006 (72,751 students) and 2007 (78,135 students) the percentage of students meeting or exceeding all four ACT âcollege and career readinessâ benchmarks, was 25% and 26%. Those percentages would exceed the national average in 2010. In examining the national data provided by ACT, and comparing the highest ACT results from the Class of 2011 in Macomb County, with a proportionally similar group of students in Massachusetts (of which 41% met all four College and Career Benchmarks â the highest in the nation), 60% of the Macomb students reach a proficient level for meeting or exceeding all four benchmarks. Furthermore, 61% of Macomb County high school students five years beyond graduation have completed an associate or four year degree. Dr. Ernie Bauer, Director of Research Evaluation and Assessment Programs from Oakland Schools states, â[t]o announce that only [16%] of Michigan students are âcollege-readyâ is misleading [and incorrect] â unless one begins by explaining that if Michigan studentsâ ACT scores were just like those of other U.S. students, the percentage deemed to be âcollege-readyâ could be at a level such that 20% would meet or exceed one of the benchmarks, but 80% would not meet that level since one of the four Benchmarks is at the 80th percentile rank nationally.â College and Career readinessâ has been prevalent in educational research for years, and is one of the major issues at the national level. The College Board has published numerous articles on âcollege and career readinessâ indicators. One of those articles states, âComprehensive assessment should involve the use of multiple measures, and data should be collected from multiple sources. Indices based on only one metric are convenient and easily understood [or misunderstood], yet thousands of students with poor admission test scores or poor grades succeed at college each year. Likewise, thousands of students with high test scores or grades fail to complete their first year, are placed on academic probation or do not succeed at college based on other outcomesâ (Mattern, Shaw and Kobrin, 2010; Milewski, Kobrin and Camara, 2002, p. 147). The second statement related to the 238 schools in the state where students did not reach one of the ACT âcollege and career readinessâ benchmarks again misrepresents the state of education in Michigan. An analysis of these schools is included in the chart found in Appendix B. The majority of the schools on this list are drop-out recovery programs or alternative high schools with small populations. 18% are charters and only 900 students (less than 1%) from our state are enrolled in comprehensive High Schools. Therefore, continuing to reference the 238 number paints all Michigan High Schools with a negative broad brush and is misleading to say the least. And finally, the figure that between 61% - 70% of the students entering college needing remedial classes is inaccurate. According to a report in May, 2009 from the Michigan Office of the Auditor General, 22% of the students at community colleges in Michigan enroll in at least one developmental (remedial) education course. This rate is better than the situation across the nation, as the report also states nationwide 42% of community college freshmen are enrolled in remedial classes.(http://www.audgen.michigan.gov/comprpt/docs/r032065107.pdf) The final conclusion of this document is not to oppose the goal of making certain every student in the state is prepared for post-secondary achievement. The purpose is to dispute these numbers as unreliable in describing students and their college readiness. Continuing to use these figures as the only indicators of readiness for college or careers does not represent our students, local school districts, colleges, universities, parents and communities in this state. Leaders must be responsible in reporting this type of information otherwise they may jeopardize our communities and the economic recover of the state. The information presented is, rather, meant to frame the discussion about educational reform using multiple indicators and not draw inaccurate conclusions. Therefore, extreme caution should be used in referring to the figures of 16%; 238 schools and a 61%-70% remediation rate to describe the students in Michigan. If we want to know how well we are preparing our children for college, Michigan should track student success in college four and five years after High School graduation. We would also suggest starting with individual student data and analyze multiple assessments to determine the best course of instruction for each student. We need to make certain the data we are analyzing are a reflection of all of the qualities that deem a student to be ready for the next test, the next grade, and post-secondary education. âCollege readiness metrics can inform educational policy and even inform educational decisions, yet we must recognize the limitations of projections and predictions, especially as they could result in unintended negative consequences for students and schools.â (Wiley, A., Wyatt, J., Camara, W.J. The Development of a Multidimensional College Readiness Index, The College Board, 2010, p. 14). We all agree on the ultimate goal of making sure each student is successful â letâs make sure we are using multiple data points from a comprehensive assessment system to determine a studentsâ readiness. The last thing we want to do is tell a student, âthey arenât college readyâ based on one index. |
| Read More...(Source: - Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:57:00 +0000) |
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| What We Do / Happy Holidays |
| Each year at North on the day before the holiday break we host a luncheon for the previous year's graduates who are home from college. Before and after the lunch they get to wander the building with the kind of freedom they didn't have as students, see their former teachers, and re-connect with friends and faculty. It is truly one of the best days of the year, as we get to see the fruits of our labor in the successes of these great representatives of our high school and community.Our entire administrative team was standing in the hall together today during passing time, and we reflected on the growth that takes place in the four years of high school. Asst. Principal Tom Beach remarked how amazing the transformation is. Our students come as freshmen, some wide-eyed and naive, some surly and cynical, and some every stop between those two extremes. When they come back as alumni, they are mature, positive, excited about their futures, and thankful for their experiences here. It's a great reminder that what we do every day matters.Happy holidays to our entire North family - we wish health and happiness for all. |
| Read More...(Source: - Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:48:00 +0000) |
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| To Test Or Not To Test... |
| In a recent post, I discussed Michigan's decision to raise cut scores on state standardized tests to equate to the ACT college readiness standards. In general, I have never argued against raising the bar for achievement in any area, when the bar represents a standard I would want my own children or self to be able to achieve. In this case though, after some reflection and exploration, I'm not so sure.College readiness sounds like a good standard. The ACT defines college readiness as "the acquisition of the knowledge and skills a student needs to enroll and succeed in credit-bearing first-year courses at a post secondary institution (such as a two- or four-year college, trade school, or technical school) without the need for remediation" (ACT, 2011,1). The ACT determined that in 2011, only 25% of high school graduates met the college readiness standards in all four areas - English, reading, mathematics and science.The ACT results regarding college readiness, are shockingly low if taken as real. According to their data, only one in four high school graduates is truly ready for all aspects of academic life in college. I started thinking about whether that could be true, and realized that the number of subjective factors influencing college readiness made it unlikely if not impossible for such a conclusion to be drawn with any reliability. Among the many factors:* Rigor of the college course* Competency of the professor (s)* Maturity of the student* Non academic factors such as mental health and stability* Curriculum of the college course* Physical Health* Desire of college professors to "weed out" lower performing students* Attitudes and behaviors such as time management or study skills* Contextual knowledge such as how to apply to colleges and adjusting to campus life* Whether students live on campus or offThere are dozens of factors that contribute to a student's success (or lack thereof) in college. Beyond that, it is interesting to me that we accept college and university standards as ours without accountability on their parts. Colleges and universities, and their professors, are not held to the same kind of public accountability standards that public schools are. In fact, it benefits colleges and universities to require students to take remedial level courses before advancing, because then those students are paying additional tuition fees.North is undertaking a study of our recent graduates and tracking their progress in colleges and universities to evaluate the reality of college readiness standards. We're planning a survey of recent graduates, their progress in college, the extent to which any took remedial college courses, and looking at a variety of factors that could contribute to their potential success or failure. Most importantly, we urge all of our students and parents to evaluate needs individually with the assistance of teachers, counselors and administrators to identify areas to strengthen in college preparation.Finally, if you want to really know what our kids are up against, and whether these tests assess problem-solving skills and knowledge that is truly relevant to their future success in college and workplace, take one of the tests and see for yourself. You may be surprised - see this article link for the account of a school board member in another state who did just that.http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/when-an-adult-took-standardized-tests-forced-on-kids/2011/12/05/gIQApTDuUO_blog.html |
| Read More...(Source: - Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:55:00 +0000) |
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| Let's Fight It Together - Joe's Story - Cyber-Bullying |
| Cyber bullying is a real issue that impacts young people in today's social media environment. Almost every conflict that arises between students at North either began online or through texts, or is prolonged electronically. Yesterday I went with members of the North staff to a Cyberbullying workshop and saw this video. It is a poignant look at the kind of daily issues with which our students are faced.The week after Thanksgiving we will be holding class assemblies to discuss a variety of issues with our students, and this is one of our topics. I urge parents to discuss cyber bullying, online etiquette, and online safety with their sons / daughters and to closely monitor their social network profiles and activities. The benefits and potential of social networking are limitless, but the potential pitfalls and inherent dangers are real concerns. |
| Read More...(Source: - Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:54:00 +0000) |
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| Changing "Cut Scores" Means a Change in State Expectations |
| At North or expectations for student achievement have never been about achieving proficiency on state standardized tests. We believe that our students can, and should, surpass the state proficiency standards. Michigan has made the decision to change the "cut scores" on its state standardized tests, effectively raising the bar in terms of what is considered "passing".Imagine for instance, that you are a student in a course and the teacher tells you at the beginning of the year that 60% is a passing score. You, as a student, have higher expectations for yourself, and determine that 80% is your minimum. Nevertheless, midway through the term, the teacher changes his mind and tells you that in order for you to be ready for the next course in the sequence, you need to score at least an 85 and that is his new passing score. Your 80, which was previously higher than necessary to pass, is no longer passing. That example is analogous to what Michigan has done - the state has changed what is considered proficient (or passing) on the MEAP and MME tests. The state has determined (rightly in my opinion), that we need to hold students at all levels to the standard of college readiness, and has scaled scores all the way down to 3rd grade in terms of what score means a student is on track to be college ready when they graduate from high school.The immediate result of this change in cut scores will be schools reporting achievement results that are significantly lower than in past years. This change will be more dramatic at the elementary and middle school levels where the cut scores have been historically much lower than at the high school level. Nevertheless, high schools will also see a reduction.At the high school level, the most dramatic differences will be in math and science. On average, if we applied the new cut scores to last year's tests, we would have between 25 and 34% fewer students demonstrating proficiency in math, science and social studies.State proficiency test scores are intended to give schools, students and parents an indicator as to where a student is at a given point in time. We use this data to find focus areas for improvement, and to ensure all of our students are ready for college. North has led the district, and been a leader in the state and in the country in innovative programming for struggling learners. Our challenge is growing, and we are determined to meet the new expectations and exceed them as we have done in the past.The result of these changes is that some Grosse Pointe students who exceeded the previous proficiency standards, will be found deficient under the new cut scores. At North, we believe in raising the bar, and know that our students and teachers will rise to meet new challenges. While we will see initial dips in proficiency percentages, we share the state's belief that setting high standards yields results, and we will continue to work to ensure all students are college ready.If you have questions about the state's new cut scores, or about state standardized testing, please don't hesitate to contact me, or any member of our administrative team. |
| Read More...(Source: - Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:43:00 +0000) |
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| Flipping the Classroom |
| Recently there has been a lot of discussion in the world of education regarding the concept of "Flipping the Classroom". Essentially, the idea is that instead of students practicing that which they've learned as part of a homework assignment, they do the practice in class under the tutelage of the teacher, and use time outside of the classroom to investigate concepts either through video, text or web based resources. This idea is analogous to the coach of an athletic team who has his players study the playbook on their own time, but uses practice to actually perfect their work. While I'm not sold on the concept as a wholesale change from the way we use class time now, there are certainly some possibilities for this approach.The Khan Academy (http://www.khanacademy.org) is dedicated to providing a free education to anyone, anywhere in the world. The website offers thousands of videos on a wide variety of topics - especially mathematics - that can be used as the presentation of new material, or as reinforcement of lessons introduced in the classroom. In some schools which have adopted the "Flipped Classroom" teachers from the school are creating videos and podcasts to deliver instruction, and using class time to practice what was presented.Students and parents will experience some lessons where teachers experiment with this approach, and we would love to hear feedback. In the meantime, visit the Khan Academy site for resources to augment instruction here at North. For more on the Khan Academy approach view this clip. |
| Read More...(Source: - Wed, 19 Oct 2011 18:47:00 +0000) |
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| 21st Century Skills Culture at High Tech High |
| Often I hear adults bemoaning the fact that kids text more than they talk. Many adults believe that students' digital communications have resulted in them being less effective in interacting face to face. While that may be true, and to a certain degree I agree that face to face interaction is a real skill that we must teach, it is also apparent to me that the advent of social media and various technologies has not only not hurt our students' ability to interact - these technologies have enhanced that ability.Our students are more thoroughly connected, and more broadly connected to a variety of people, than ever before in our world's history. Almost every student is a content creator - volumes of content is published every day on Facebook and various social media sites. Kids are writers on Facebook and blogs, filmmakers on You Tube, critics on all these sites, composers on Garage Band and iNudge, graphic designers on Glogster, moderators in various groups, and content creators in any number of wonderful ways. They interact with one another in both surface, superficial ways and deep, meaningful ways. Adults who do not see the relevance and importance of social media and available technologies run the risk of losing valuable relationship opportunities and credibility.Every generation of adults has pined for the "good old days" when things were the way they remembered as a kid - sometimes with good reason, and other times through rose colored glasses. A critical lesson we need to learn from history is that change will occur - we can't slow the sands of the hourglass nor the evolution of human ingenuity. As educators, the greatest "fail" with today's students is to resist the technologies that are the lifeblood of our young people. By embracing those technologies, we not only gain their potential benefits, we build credibility, empathy and engagement opportunities with our students.For a look at a "school of the future" to see that embracing technology, creativity, and project based learning is a way to not only cultivate confident, competent, creative problem solvers, but also a way to build strong relationships, see the video of California's High Tech High: |
| Read More...(Source: - Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:13:00 +0000) |
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| Projects, PLCs and the Finns |
| Each year at North we pick some focus areas around which we build staff development and professional development activities. These areas are those which we think will have direct impact on student achievement and building culture. For the 2011-2012 school year we are focusing intently on classroom instruction strategies and techniques, and as a result have rebuilt our Professional Learning Community model as well as adopted a strong focus on project based learning as a building initiative.We have a weekly late start that allows staff to meet with colleagues on issues related to student achievement. In the past teachers were assigned based on which courses they taught, and met with teachers who taught the same courses or courses in the same sequence. Our building leadership team of teachers and administrators felt that model was getting stale, and not providing the impact on instruction that we want out of the time commitment.This year we built a new model of PLCs that has staff members joining professional learning communities focused on a variety of areas related to instruction and building culture. For example, we have some staff members exploring 21st century learning strategies, others in a collaborative group to share Smart board tips, another group doing a book study of Doug Lemov's Teach Like a Champion, and a variety of other groups. Teachers will be part of these small learning communities for nine weeks, and then rotate to a new group. In addition, every fourth PLC will continue to be department and course related. At the end of each nine week cycle, the group will report out "TED" talk style on their work with the intent being that the entire teaching staff benefit from each small group's work. We have come up with the term REAL (Responsible for Education, Achievement and Leadership) for our new approach. Now we are running REAL PLCs.In addition to the change to our PLC approach, we are promoting an instructional shift towards project based learning as a fundamental approach. Research is strong that engaging, project oriented approaches lead to deeper understanding of content. Beyond the achievement impact, this approach cultivates creative solution funders. As we prepare students for the rapidly evolving 21st century, the skill to creatively approach and solve problems is at a higher premium than ever before. Each week we are recognizing a "Project of the Week", and staff are sharing ideas about how to use project learning. While many teachers used projects in the past, we are now turning towards a focus on building instruction around this approach.The country which has led the way recently in student achievement is Finland. In the below pasted article, blogger Patrick Bassett examines the Finnish model. Among his conclusions are that project based learning and effective professional learning communities are two of the strengths of the Finnish model. We're confident that these approaches will help keep North at the top of the achievement spectrum, and give our students the best possible preparation for the world in which they will live.The Finnish ModelPatrick F. BassettFall 2008NAIS President Patrick F. BassettEditorâs Note: A shorter version of this article was published by Education Week.In Finland, there are virtually no private schools. Why not? Because the public schools in Finland function like independent schools in the U.S., and the results are very good.Finland has been in the news of late, especially since the publication of the most recent PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) testing results revealed that students in Finland outperformed those of all other OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development) countries. How did they do it? An article in The Economist1 â reporting on an analysis of the Finland system by McKinsey, an international consulting firm â offers some insights.Here are the factors, according to McKinsey, that were not in play for Finlandâs success:Itâs not high pay for teachers, since Finnish teachers are not paid particularly well, and the countries that do pay their teachers the most (Spain, Switzerland, and Germany) do not perform as well.Itâs not more years of schooling, since compulsory school education starts at grade 1 (age 7) and ends in grade 9 (age 16), after which virtually all (95 percent) of Finlandâs students voluntarily attend either upper secondary academic school (headed for university) or upper secondary vocational school (headed for the workplace or to further higher education in polytechnic institutes).Itâs not small class sizes, since Finnish classes are often 30 students with only one teacher (and few specialists, and the teachers are expected to teach all skills and subjects).Just after the McKinsey report was issued, I happened to be in Helsinki, attending the Microsoft School of the Future International Summit, and two fortuitous events occurred that allowed me to learn firsthand how the Finns educate their kids. First, I was so jet-lagged the morning I arrived that I followed a group with badges that looked like mine (from a distance), boarded their bus, and ended up, not at my conference, but at a Finnish school for a half-dayâs observations. Second, after I took a taxi to rejoin the Microsoft School group, I wandered into a presentation by an official of the Finnish government who laid out the specifics for what drove the nationâs educational success. What I learned from both the accidental school visit and the official presentation were the other factors not in play for Finnish success:Itâs not a longer school day or longer school year, since school runs from 8:00 am to noon or 2:00 pm, depending on the age of students, and the school year is no longer than in the U.S.Itâs not nationally centralized control (like that of the French) but rather national curriculum standards with local implementation. (A Finnish third-grade teacher told us that, of the 25 periods per week of classes, about five are dictated subjects/skills from the national standards; in the rest, she improvises.)Itâs not accreditation. There is none in Finland. The federal ministry, with some periodic sampling testing to assure quality control, trusts the local authorities to meet the national standards.Itâs definitely not high-stakes testing, since most of the testing that occurs is formative, not summative. As noted, the government does do periodic sample testing of students to make certain the students, their schools, and the system continue to perform highly (and intervenes aggressively if a school falls behind), but the government refuses to publish the test results for the press or public, eschewing the mania of League Tables in Great Britain and school rankings in the U.S. based on test scores.So what exactly is it that makes the Finns so successful in educating kids? Very simply, as the McKinsey Report points out, three factors: âget the best teachers; get the best out of teachers; and step in when pupils start to lag behind.â Examining each of these imperatives dramatizes the Finland success story.Get the Best TeachersAs weâve known in the U.S. education industry for a long time, the single most important factor for student and school success is high-quality faculty. While the U.S. public system identifies âhigh-qualityâ as âhighly-qualified,â meaning âcertifiedâ (i.e., having an education degree or having taken a battery of education courses), independent schools in the U.S. have long rejected that definition in favor of hiring âhigh-qualityâ teachers, meaning those who have a degree in the subject they love and teach (i.e., math and physics majors, not education majors, teaching math and physics). Part of the rationale for the independent school path for hiring liberal arts graduates from competitive and selective universities (also, incidentally, the strategy of Teach for America, which attracts the top echelon of graduates from Americaâs most selective universities to teach in public schools) is that education programs generally have the lowest status in universities and attract the weakest students.âThe quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachersâThe Economist article quotes a South Korean official who notes that, âThe quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachersâ and cites studies in Tennessee and Texas that have shown that, if you take pupils of average ability and give them to teachers deemed in the top fifth of the profession, those students end up in the top 10 percent of student performers. Conversely, if you give them to teachers from the bottom fifth, they end up at the bottom. Also, the article cites The New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce report (Tough Choices or Tough Times), which observes that American public schools typically recruit teachers from the bottom third of college graduates.I learned from the Finnish Ministry that âgetting the best teachersâ means that all teachers must have masterâs degrees and that only 10 percent, the cream of the crop of undergraduates, are accepted into the teacher training program. The ministry deliberately restricts access to the program, believing that restrictions increase attraction (a strategy also employed by Teach for America, which routinely attracts five or more candidates for every position). In Finland, itâs not the money but the status and prestige of teaching that attracts the best and brightest into the profession. Ditto for Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong, where teachers are also revered (and, I might add, in U.S. independent schools, where faculty status, power, and influence are high and unionization virtually nonexistent).Takeaway #1: To improve educational outcomes in U.S. schools, we need to develop a winning strategy for attracting talent. In cultures like ours that donât give high status to teaching, more money may have to do (until we successfully elevate the professionâs status). Interestingly, we have an opportunity to front-load higher starting salaries as our more highly paid veteran boomer teachers are about to retire. Alternatively, we can also recruit teachers on the campuses of our 250 or so highly selective colleges and universities for the undergraduate academic and leadership elite who âwant to give backâ or make a difference in the social structure of the nation.Get the Best Out of TeachersA second arena in which American education falls short, in both public and private segments of the industry, is in âprofessionalizing the profession.â While there is much talk and some progress in creating âprofessional learning communitiesâ (PLCs) for teachers, and there is some promise in creating digital communities, we fall far short as a country of what our competitors in the world marketplace are committed to. In Finland, groups of teachers visit each otherâs classrooms and plan lessons together, in a system called âlesson studiesâ that include âroundsâ just like the medical profession. Teachers also get an afternoon off per week for professional development (including for school substitutes).Takeaway #2: American schools are way too under invested in annual professional training and could benefit immensely from creating true PLCs focused on peer learning, peer observations, and collaborative lesson-planning. In fact, a huge improvement in professionalizing the profession would occur if teacher evaluations were linked to engagement in PLCs and demonstrations of what is learned (which the Irish are moving towards doing with ePortfolios, as I learned at the Microsoft School of the Future International Summit).Step in When Pupils Start to Lag BehindA factor contributing to the success of the Finnish system is the use of early and powerful intervention when a student begins to fall behind. Frequent diagnostic testing (âformative testingâ) at early stages reveals students who need extra help, and the Finns provide it intensively (with one special-needs teacher for every seven special-needs students in some schools). The McKinsey report points out that, in Finland, about a third of students receive remediation.Interestingly, education spending in Finland is also weighted toward the middle school years: Finland spends about the same as its OECD counterparts in the lower primary grades (grades 1â5), a lot less (much bigger classes) in the upper secondary years (grades 10â12), but a lot more in the middle years (grades 6â9) because this is the time when kids begin to fail and drop out. How sensible is the Finn model to increase resources at that point to prevent kids from the disaster of failing at school? In Finland, there are no dead-end streets down the education highway.Takeaway #3: It turns out that all kids can learn, given good teachers, early and intensive intervention, and a supportive school and peer culture. U.S. schools need to move from a medical model (learning disabilities) to a diversity model (learning differences), and re-orient themselves to identify, value, and use a studentâs strengths as âworkaroundsâ and palliatives to weaknesses.Other FactorsFinland is a small, homogeneous country of five million, with a common value of high regard for education. Literacy and fluency are a national priority, contributing to good results in literacy examinations. Children see adults reading all the time, since Finns on average check out 18 books from the library per year. (Itâs minus 40 degrees for long spells in the winter, so indoor activities like reading are popular.) The Finns, by policy, are committed to fluency in foreign language, as there are two national languages, Finnish and Swedish, taught throughout school. Just about everyone I met also spoke English, in part because Finnish TV uses no dubbing â only subtitles, so children hear English all the time.Children feel safe and supported in Finnish schools: the environment is colorful and filled with light, the children have a single teacher in multi-age learning groups âwhere differences are taken for granted,â and no grading is used in assessments.Few textbooks are used, the Finns preferring project- and problem-based approaches integrated with learning in the larger community, and tempered with lots of practical education elements and daily chores at the school. ICT (Information and Communication Technology) is integrated at all levels, including media literacy. The Finns are naturalists and the ecosystem important to them, so field trips focus on nature and produce a country of environmentalists.Play is important, too. There is universal support for high-quality preschools, which most students attend, but whose emphasis is play, not early prep. Once in the compulsory school system (grades 1â9), kids go outside for 30-minute recess for unstructured play every day, including all winter long. After school, students walk to nearby recreation centers for more sports and play.Aside from the reindeer jerky with lingonberries as an appetizer for most meals and the group âclothing optionalâ saunas in the hotel, what was there not to love in Finland? My most striking takeaway from the Microsoft School of the Future International Summit was how so many countries have adopted a huge commitment to re-engineering schools and developing the skills for the 21st century. The British are rebuilding or renovating all their schools over the next 15 years. The Singaporeans are emphasizing creativity and imagination. The Abu Dhabians are talking about leadership training for young women. The Irish are driving down the high-tech highway at full speed. And the U.S.? Tinkering with the No Child Left Behind Act, clinging to standardized testing, and complaining about the difficulties that diversity presents. Meanwhile, the Finns have got their act totally together. |
| Read More...(Source: - Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:13:00 +0000) |
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| Happy New Year |
| For those of us in education, and for our young people, the real Happy New Year is the start of a new school session!Welcome back to North, and to the 2011-2012 school year. It has been an exciting week at North with the return of students, the introduction to our new freshmen - the Class of 2015 - and our evening parent orientation meetings.North begins 2011-2012 with a new Mission Statement. Our mission is "Excellent instruction, every class, every day". Every staff meeting, every teacher professional development experience, every professional learning community meeting is focused on the same thing - providing every student an excellent experience every day. In the words of Bill and Ted (for those of you old enough to get the reference), our goal is to "Be Excellent".North is coming off an outstanding year with achievement standards and gains that will be a challenge to match, but with our philosophy solidly grounded in putting kids first, everyone here is committed to making our already outstanding school an even better place for the young people we serve.Our staff began the year with an emphasis on project learning, and you will see our initiative to make this approach an integrated, embedded part of instruction in virtually every class. Our teachers are committed to cultivating creative problem-solving skills in their classrooms.North High School is all about kids - we pride ourselves on the relationships we build, and the results those relationships garner both in student achievement and in real connections to our students. For our returners, welcome back, and for those new to North, welcome.Happy New Year Norsemen!!! |
| Read More...(Source: - Thu, 08 Sep 2011 16:20:00 +0000) |
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| North Earns an "A", More Achievement Successes |
| The 2011 State of Michigan MME (Michigan Merit Exam) scores are back with good news for Grosse Pointe North. On the heels of moving up 250 spots on the national Top School Rankings to the top 3% in the nation, North saw improvement gains in every tested area of the MME except social studies which stayed constant with 89% students proficient.North was up 4% in reading, 3% in writing and science, and 2% in math. In addition, the achievement gap between low performing sub-groups and our highest performing groups has narrowed considerably. In the three years since North implemented our High Schools 2.0 and freshman academic team models, the achievement gap has narrowed by 21 percentage points in math, and 11 percentage points in English Language Arts (ELA).The really good news is that gains in narrowing the achievement gap have not come at the expense of our top performing student groups. In our five year achievement analysis from 2007 through 2011, achievement at the top end has remained constant or grown in ELA and math despite reduced state funding and staffing, and despite the fact that the number of socioeconomically disadvantaged students in the testing population has tripled in that time. North is maintaining a high level of performance with all students, while seeing our lowest performing students steadily improve.Finally, once again, the state has given North High School an "A" on our state report card, validating the hard work by students and staff. It's a great time to be a Norseman! |
| Read More...(Source: - Wed, 06 Jul 2011 19:37:00 +0000) |
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| Generation iY? |
| At the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals (MASSP) state conference this week, state principals were treated to a keynote address by author Dr. Tim Elmore, who wrote Generation iY: Our Last Chance to Save Their Future. In his talk, Dr. Elmore identified students born after 1990 as part of the "iY" generation, who, in his words, are all about "i". He presented some great context for comparisons between this generation and previous generations in the U.S. What I found most interesting was the fact that his list of strategies fits very well with the emphasis we have placed at North High School on experiential learning.Dr. Elmore suggested the acronym EPIC for instruction that works for the iY generation:E = Experiential. Generation iY learners don't only learn through experiences, they require this form of learning to be engaged.P = Participatory. Generation iY learners have grown up in an environment of participation in everything - even television shows such as American Idol, which are hugely popular with this generation, emphasize their participation.I = Image rich. Today's students are inundated by images, and are accustomed to an environment that lives the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words. C = Connected. Connected to each other, to their teacher, to cohorts across the world, and to the greatest tool for gathering information ever invented - the internet.EPIC could be an acronym to describe the process of project based or authentic learning. Heading into the 2011-2012 school year, we will increase our emphasis on classroom learning environments that are project based, and instruction that is EPIC.... |
| Read More...(Source: - Tue, 28 Jun 2011 18:44:00 +0000) |
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| Congratulations Class of 2011 |
| The Class of 2011 walked across the stage at North's commencement exercises on Thursday, June 16th, and headed into the world armed with all the tools they acquired in the Grosse Pointe Public Schools System, and with their enthusiasm and idealism for making the world a better place. I've been asked by many (ok...3, but I'm sure they spoke for many...) people for the transcript of my commencement address, which is pasted below. It's not the same without the excited faces of our graduates in front of it, or the pageantry of the event, but the message is heartfelt to a fine group of young people. The last names have been reduced to first initials for the purpose of this publication. Best wishes to the Class of 2011 and happy summer to all.Good Evening Parents, Esteemed Faculty, Administration, Members of the Board of Education, and most importantly â members of the Graduating Class of 2011As those of you who know me, or may have been subjected to one of my speeches before, may know, Iâm not big on ordinary. In fact, it is very possible that I may well be the only high school principal in the nation this year to use his commencement address to quote Sister Souljah, author of Midnight â A Gangster Love Story, who wrote, âIf you go outside, you can find a thousand stones on the ground. They are lying around everywhere. You can just pick any one of them up anytime and put it right into your pocket, or throw it back on the groundâŚit has no value so who cares. But when a stone is a precious jewel, it is surrounded and protected. Youâll have to work very hard to earn it, and even harder to keep it for yourself.â That quote cuts two ways â we have to work hard to earn things that are precious to us. The ordinary is easy to achieve â itâs the extraordinary that presents challenges. Conversely, if we want to be coveted for our extraordinary qualities, we must surround and protect ourselves in the way precious jewels are protected. We canât allow ourselves to be used and thrown away. Graduates â you have been surrounded and protected by your families, your teachers and administrators, and this community. As you head into a world outside this protective umbrella, we will all still be here for you, but you will become the gatekeepers of your own special gifts. In doing so, I challenge you to BE EXTRAORDINARY.So I set out to write a speech about being extraordinary - because that really is what life should be about right? â I finished it and I think it was pretty good, but I wasnât sure it was what anyone would call âextraordinaryâ. In it I quoted Sister Souljah, and I went on to use lots of anecdotes to give it a personal touch that was tailored to just this class. I mean, thatâs pretty good right? But not extraordinaryâŚExtraordinary things happen every day in otherwise ordinary times and places. I mean in my first draft I wrote about how in order to be extraordinary, one has to take risks, and I thought of Mike W. asking me to ask his girlfriend to prom over the P.A., and me doing it. Pretty risky, and pretty extraordinaryâŚI wrote about how we have to have fun in life, and how turning the mundane into something memorable and fun is important. I thought about telling how Andrew P. and Steve D. made a valiant, if failed and misguided effort to sneak into each class photo for the yearbook and were successful in getting in the freshman and sophomore photo until some heads up juniors foiled their plot. I wrote about how later in the year Andrew P. and Andrew V. turned what could have been a mundane four hour bus trip to Chicago with the band and orchestra into four hours of frivolity and school appropriate fun, and then asked me to give a shout out to my fellow Bus 2 riders in the commencement speech (consider yourselves ..uhâŚâshouted outâ to by the wayâŚ) â those things were examples of one of the most extraordinary things people can do â make lifeâs journey a little more fun for everyone. Pretty good for the speech right? But not really an extraordinary speechâŚThen I thought about mentioning all the extraordinary things - big and small â I remembered about this class like Jadon Câs smile and the kind words he has for everyone, Micaela Lâs feisty and competitive spirit, Stephen Morrison turning down MIT â for Harvard, Evan Lockâs leprechaun impersonation, Will Râs leadership and musicianship in the drumline, Sean Kâs dedication to working with our special needs students, Katie Mâs vocal talents, Natasha Eâs journalistic talents, and EJ Wâs classic GQ sense of styleâŚall extraordinary people with extraordinary qualities. I could talk about all of that, but would you listen â is it extraordinary to just talk about extraordinary people and talk about the greatness that I know is in each of you?I want to give you an extraordinary message because you are an extraordinary group of young people, so I put aside that first message and started thinking about how to make it better. For example, I thought about releasing balloons (Balloons released from behind the stage) with every seniorâs name on one to signify you getting your wings and flying â but I thought that might be a little cheesyâŚ(Mrs. Davison starts playing Freebird on the piano) I looked on You Tube and found a video of two extraordinary high school graduates doing a phenomenally funny and poignant speech accompanied by music, and thought about asking Mrs. Davison to play Freebird on the piano while I quoted âIf I leave here tomorrow would you still remember me? For I must be travelinâ on now â thereâs too many places Iâve got to see. If I stayed here with you things just wouldnât be the sameâ as the message for each of you (those are the lyrics to Freebird for those of you born after 1980) to give to explain your need to pursue the goals and dreams you have in mind for your bright futures.- - then I thought â âno â not original enoughâ⌠(Davison shrugs â hands up in air)I thought about doing as Iâve done in the past and asking some special seniors like David L. (David stands up with charts / signs to hold up) to come up here with me and hold up some funny signs or do a Top Ten List with meâŚbut then I thought â âbeen there â done thatââŚFinally I decided that youâre all way too bright to be taken in by gimmicks like those. You remember when you were little and your Dad told you that he didnât want a present for Fatherâs Day, and he would rather have your homemade card? This is my homemade card - What I need to tell you comes from the heart. In my years of experience as a father, husband, teacher, coach and administrator Iâve decided the one thing that is most extraordinary and that allows a person to shine like a precious jewel amongst a sea of rocks is caring. Care enough about yourself to take a chance on making your dreams reality. Care about those you love so much you put their needs before yours. Care about your friends, co-workers, fellow students and everyone you know to reach out when theyâre suffering and let them know they can count on you. Care enough to take a stand in the face of injustice. Believe that through caring, compassion and commitment you can make a difference in the world that will last long beyond your lifespan. Thatâs truly extraordinary.In Nicklebackâs song âIf Today Was Your Last Dayâ, the band sings âMy best friend gave me the best advice. He said each day is a gift and not a given right. Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind, and try to take the path less traveled.â Class of 2011 â heed that advice âcare about each day as if it were a special gift, and use that gift to do extraordinary things. There is greatness in each of you, and Iâm proud to have been your principal. Congratulations, and best wishes. |
| Read More...(Source: - Thu, 23 Jun 2011 11:41:00 +0000) |
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| 21st Century Education - Really??? |
| North teacher Andrew Taylor recently sent me a link to a blog post at http://teachpaperless.blogspot.com/ that was an actual final exam from a paperless social studies classroom. The concept is intriguing, and I think that after looking at the exam most people will have two reactions: one - this is a great authentic assessment - very true to the work historians might have to do, and the methodologies they would employ, and two - can anyone really do all of this in two hours and fifteen minutes?!?View the exam post at http://teachpaperless.blogspot.com/2011/06/exam-day-demonstrating-understanding.html.As I perused the page, elsewhere under favorite posts I found a great post speculating what things in education will be obsolete by 2020. While the technology world evolves this rapidly, I'm not sure I believe education will (it never has...), but one could make an argument that at least some of these changes will happen, and perhaps should. Take a look, and please feel free to comment on those changes you expect to happen, or others not included on this list:21 Things That Will Become Obsolete in Education by 2020 Last night I read and posted the clip on '21 Things That Became Obsolete in the Last Decade'. Well, just for kicks, I put together my own list of '21 Things That Will Become Obsolete in Education by 2020'.1. DesksThe 21st century does not fit neatly into rows. Neither should your students. Allow the network-based concepts of flow, collaboration, and dynamism help you rearrange your room for authentic 21st century learning.2. Language LabsForeign language acquisition is only a smartphone away. Get rid of those clunky desktops and monitors and do something fun with that room.3. ComputersOk, so this is a trick answer. More precisely this one should read: 'Our concept of what a computer is'. Because computing is going mobile and over the next decade we're going to see the full fury of individualized computing via handhelds come to the fore. Can't wait.4. HomeworkThe 21st century is a 24/7 environment. And the next decade is going to see the traditional temporal boundaries between home and school disappear. And despite whatever Secretary Duncan might say, we don't need kids to 'go to school' more; we need them to 'learn' more. And this will be done 24/7 and on the move (see #3).5. The Role of Standardized Tests in College AdmissionsThe AP Exam is on its last legs. The SAT isn't far behind. Over the next ten years, we will see Digital Portfolios replace test scores as the #1 factor in college admissions.6. Differentiated Instruction as the Sign of a Distinguished TeacherThe 21st century is customizable. In ten years, the teacher who hasn't yet figured out how to use tech to personalize learning will be the teacher out of a job. Differentiation won't make you 'distinguished'; it'll just be a natural part of your work.7. Fear of WikipediaWikipedia is the greatest democratizing force in the world right now. If you are afraid of letting your students peruse it, it's time you get over yourself.8. PaperbacksBooks were nice. In ten years' time, all reading will be via digital means. And yes, I know, you like the 'feel' of paper. Well, in ten years' time you'll hardly tell the difference as 'paper' itself becomes digitized.9. Attendance OfficesBio scans. 'Nuff said.10. Lockers.A coat-check, maybe.11. IT DepartmentsOk, so this is another trick answer. More subtly put: IT Departments as we currently know them. Cloud computing and a decade's worth of increased wifi and satellite access will make some of the traditional roles of IT -- software, security, and connectivity -- a thing of the past. What will IT professionals do with all their free time? Innovate. Look to tech departments to instigate real change in the function of schools over the next twenty years.12. Centralized InstitutionsSchool buildings are going to become 'homebases' of learning, not the institutions where all learning happens. Buildings will get smaller and greener, student and teacher schedules will change to allow less people on campus at any one time, and more teachers and students will be going out into their communities to engage in experiential learning.13. Organization of Educational Services by GradeEducation over the next ten years will become more individualized, leaving the bulk of grade-based learning in the past. Students will form peer groups by interest and these interest groups will petition for specialized learning. The structure of K-12 will be fundamentally altered.14. Education School Classes that Fail to Integrate Social TechnologyThis is actually one that could occur over the next five years. Education Schools have to realize that if they are to remain relevant, they are going to have to demand that 21st century tech integration be modelled by the very professors who are supposed to be preparing our teachers.15. Paid/Outsourced Professional DevelopmentNo one knows your school as well as you. With the power of a PLN in their backpockets, teachers will rise up to replace peripatetic professional development gurus as the source of schoolwide prof dev programs. This is already happening.16. Current Curricular NormsThere is no reason why every student needs to take however many credits in the same course of study as every other student. The root of curricular change will be the shift in middle schools to a role as foundational content providers and high schools as places for specialized learning.17. Parent-Teacher Conference NightOngoing parent-teacher relations in virtual reality will make parent-teacher conference nights seem quaint. Over the next ten years, parents and teachers will become closer than ever as a result of virtual communication opportunities. And parents will drive schools to become ever more tech integrated.18. Typical Cafeteria FoodNutrition information + handhelds + cost comparison = the end of $3.00 bowls of microwaved mac and cheese. At least, I so hope so.19. Outsourced Graphic Design and WebmasteringYou need a website/brochure/promo/etc.? Well, for goodness sake just let your kids do it. By the end of the decade -- in the best of schools -- they will be.20. High School Algebra IWithin the decade, it will either become the norm to teach this course in middle school or we'll have finally woken up to the fact that there's no reason to give algebra weight over statistics and IT in high school for non-math majors (and they will have all taken it in middle school anyway).21. PaperIn ten years' time, schools will decrease their paper consumption by no less than 90%. And the printing industry and the copier industry and the paper industry itself will either adjust or perish.Posted by Shelly Blake-Plock at 9:45 AM |
| Read More...(Source: - Thu, 09 Jun 2011 12:23:00 +0000) |
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| North Points of Pride |
| Each year we compile a "Points of Pride" list that includes a look at some of the achievements and milestones in the various departments at North. My apologies to any person or group who has been omitted as I'm sure there are other significant accomplishments not included. Nevertheless, it is clear that North is a special place with a lot of great things happening.Grosse Pointe North Points of Pride 2010-2011Building⢠North made AYP and earned an âAâ on the Michigan Department of Education report card⢠In 2011 North was ranked 912th in the nation (top 3%) and 7th in the state in the Top Schools Rankings based on AP / IB testing.⢠Student Association won the Award of Excellence from the Michigan Association of Student Councils MASC.⢠Student Association sponsored a blood drive that saved 113 lives, and adopt a family that brought a holiday meal and gifts to 76 local families in need.Business Education⢠Business Education Department entered an articulation agreement with Macomb Community College allowing students to receive college credit for successful completion on our Information Processing/Digital Technology Course.⢠Business Education is pursuing the possibility of becoming CTE Certified beginning in the 2012-2013 school year.⢠Membership in DECA significantly increased for GPN and was recognized with a 100% participation plaque for 2010-2011 School Year.⢠The DECA District Competition was held in January 2011 at Chippewa Valley High School where 28 GPN students competed and all qualified for the State Competition March 18-20, 2011.⢠The DECA State Conference took place in March 2011 at the Amway Grand Plaza in Grand Rapids, Michigan 28 students from GPN competed.⢠Seven students qualified and participated at the DECA International Conference held in Orlando, Florida in April/May 2011. Receiving recognition for their Leadership and Management abilities.We are looking forward to another successful DECA school year in 2011-2012 with many returning members.Counseling Center⢠North counselors completed their second year in their flexible schedule program that allows them to meet personally and individually with the parents of every junior to discuss college plans⢠The North Counseling department successfully transitioned to using Docufide for the submission of electronic transcripts for all college applications. North counselors also presented the âhow toâ of this process at the âUrban Counselorsâ Workshopâ held at Wayne State University.⢠Groups running throughout year: Grief, 2 girlsâ groups⢠Two counselors working with Freshman and Sophomore Assist classes on a weekly basis.English DepartmentVallhalla staff for their 2010 publication:⢠National Scholastic Press Association â First Ranking⢠Michigan Interscholastic Press Association â Gold Medal⢠Columbia Scholastic Press Association â Silver Medal⢠American Scholastic Press Association â First Place Ranking⢠The North Pointe student newspaper was one of two publications to earn a Silver Crown award from Columbia University, the highest honor given to any Michigan high school in 2010.⢠Eighteen students earned recognition from the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association for individual work.⢠Individual awards were presented for National Scholastic Press Association Spring Write-Off Competition⢠90% of students testing earned a three or higher on the AP English Language and Composition Exam⢠88% of students testing earned a three or higher on the AP English Literature and Composition ExamMath⢠Four students were finalists in Part I of the Michigan Mathematics Prize Competition given throughout Michigan. They scored among the top 1000 students from over 14,000 participants invited to take part II of the exam in December 2010.Social Studies⢠The Quiz Bowl Team won the MAC League and qualified for nationals, completing its 8th consecutive undefeated regular season.⢠Department members organized the Grosse Pointe North High School participation in the AIDS WALK DETROIT , and including the last several years, raised over $67,000; the largest contribution in the tri-county area!⢠18 students traveled to Washington D.C. for one week to participate in the Close-Up Program with their teacher/chaperone.⢠22 Economics students placed in the top 20% on the National Financial Capability Challenge!⢠A Social Studies teacher received the Fulbright-Hayes Group Project scholarship and studied in Russia for four weeks.⢠A Social Studies teacher participated as a Social Studies Olympiad judge.⢠Social Studies is actively involved in clubs: Diversity Club, Student Association, and Ufology Club. There are five teacher advisors.⢠Every Social Studies homeroom class adopted a family in the Adopt-a-Family Program.⢠100s of students attended field trips including Anthropology âdigsâ and zoo trips, American Legal Systems court proceedings observations, and visits to the DIA, the Ford Rouge Plant, and the Holocaust Memorial.⢠Hundreds of students participated in Challenge Day, a nationally recognized program (organized by the Diversity Club, along with their sponsors)Band and Orchestra⢠At the Dixie Classic National Adjudicators invitational in Chicago, North Band and Orchestra received a Full Orchestra âSuperiorâ rating, the Concert Band received an âExcellentâ rating, and the Symphony Band received a âSuperiorâ rating.⢠The Woodwind section from our Symphony Band received the âMost Outstanding Woodwind Section Awardâ and one student received an âOutstanding Soloist Awardâ.⢠A near record number of students participated in 64 events in the District MSBOA and Ensemble Festival. At this festival:o Many students received 1st and 2nd division medalso 23 events received a superior division award at state levelo 11 events received an excellent awardo 2 students selected to participate in the Michigan Youth Arts Festival⢠The Instrumental, Vocal and Drama programs performed for over 3,000 people in the musical Curtains.⢠The North Jazz Band performed at âMusic on the Plaza, and recorded their 6th disc.⢠They also traveled to Cedar Point to participate in a National Music-in-the-Parks Festival bringing home a superior rating.Science Department⢠Group of students took the Chemistry Olympiad Exam at the University of Michigan Dearborn⢠Science Olympiad Team competed at the Local Science Olympiad competition earning a 1st place in three Academic Pentathalon and a 4th place in the Chemistry Lab⢠Eleven students from the Radio Astronomy Team spent 4 days in Green Bank, WV at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory⢠Senior students conducted research projects at Wayne State University Medical School over the summer studying traumatic brain injury and researching alterations in the brain⢠First Annual Physical Cardboard Boat Regatta held with approximately 250 students and fifty boats were involved. Students spent one month working on research, development, decoration and completion of their boats that had to float two student rowers across the school pool.⢠Worked to make GPN a certified State of Michigan âGreen Schoolâ⢠Recycled over 5,000 lbs of paper⢠Students in Applied Medical Research experienced rotations in every major unit of hospitals: Beaumont Grosse Pointe, St. John Main Campus, and the Surgical Institute of Michigan. Students observed hip and knee replacements, brain surgery, labor and delivery, heart catheter procedures and emergency departmentâs cases.⢠The second annual Sweet Tooth Symposium served as a highlight of the year.⢠One science teacher was awarded the American Physiology Society Fellowship. This is a paid summer research position. She was one of only 17 in the nation awarded this fellowship.Art DepartmentArt Center Awards presented to students for:⢠Product Design â Excellence⢠Photography â Excellence⢠Illustration â ExcellenceRainy Day Art Awards⢠Painting â Best Use of Product⢠Ink â Best Use of Product⢠Pencil â Best Use of ProductArt Honor Award⢠Metal â Excel lanceSenior Juried Art Awards were presented in the following categories:⢠Michigan State Senator Bert Johnson Photography Portfolio Award⢠Honorable Judge Ted Metry Award for Portfolio and Animated Story⢠Council Member Arthur Bryant Excellence Award⢠Council Member Kevin Ketels Excellence in Photography Award⢠Council Member Rodd McConaghy Award for Excellence⢠Lorenz Award for ExcellenceGrosse Pointe Art Center Awards presented by Amy DeBrunner, GPAC Director⢠Excellence in Illustrative Drawing⢠Excellence in Graphic Design⢠Excellence in Drawing⢠Excellence in Metal Design⢠Excellence in PaintingAhee Jewelers⢠Recognition of ExcellenceScholastic Awards for 9th, 10th & 11th grades⢠3 Gold Keys⢠5 Silver Keys⢠7 CertificatesScholastic Awards for Seniors⢠3 Gold Key Art Portfolios⢠3 Silver Medal National Scholastic WinnersOther awards presented to seniors:⢠3 Gold Keys⢠5 Silver Keys⢠8 CertificatesAthletics⢠North athletic teams compete almost exclusively in the top two divisions of the 36 team Macomb Area Conference despite enrollment that puts us in the lower half of the league.⢠Numerous teams won conference and state tournament level titles, and numerous athletes competed in the state finals in sports such as tennis, wrestling, cross-country and track.⢠At least 8 seniors from North athletic teams have signed letters of intent to play intercollegiate athletics. |
| Read More...(Source: - Fri, 03 Jun 2011 13:16:00 +0000) |
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| Schools of the Future |
| In coming weeks at commencement exercises across the nation, speakers will make the point that commencement means the beginning of something rather than the end. In keeping with that idea, while we are at the end of another school year, schools are embarking on plans for the future. There is much discussion in the education world today about "Schools of the Future" and what form(s) they might take. Through the years, public education has changed very little in some respects, and dramatically in others. As the world and our technologies change more rapidly than any time in the world's history, I thought this article abstract was an interesting look at the possible paths the schools of tomorrow might take:
What Will Schools of the Future Look Like?
In this thoughtful Education Week article, Richard Elmore and Elizabeth City of the Harvard Graduate School of Education ask us to think ahead 10-15 years and guess the proportion of student learning that will take place in schools (versus elsewhere). âThe availability of relatively cheap technologies offering direct access to knowledge of all types creates opportunities for students to experience a dramatic increase in the choice of what they learn, with whom they choose to learn, and how they choose to learn,â say Elmore and City. Right now, most schools have resisted the digital revolution, sequestering computers to special labs, using laptops as digital typewriters and presentation producers, and treating social networking as a subversive activity. Will that change in the years ahead? Here are three possible scenarios for 2025:
⢠Fighting for survival â Schools look much the way they do today, but expand the use of laptops, interactive whiteboards, digital lessons, digital grading, and new ways to communicate with parents and schedule meetings, while teachers continue to control access to content and learning. âIn this instance,â say Elmore and City, âschools will increasingly become custodial institutions, isolated from the lives of their students and the learning environment beyond their walls.â
⢠Controlled engagement â Schools define learning goals and map out the best pathways, then use technology to open portals for students to learn from a wider world. For example, a school in Alabama participates in a two-way bilingual cooperative with a school in Shanghai, with teachers using video technology and shared materials to alternate between English and Mandarin lessons. âTeachers are less gatekeepers of knowledge and more knowledge brokers,â say Elmore and City. âSchool leaders become less managers of instruction, and more entrepreneurs connecting their organizations to the broader learning environment. Schools become less places where students go to learn from adults, and more places where adults and students get together to enter a broader learning environment.â
⢠Open access to learning â There are broad standards for content (like the Common Core) and general guidance on how students and parents can get access to learning, speculate Elmore and City, but schools âare on their own, competing with other types of service providers and learning modalities for the interest and loyalty of students and their parents. A family might combine services from two or three different organizations into a learning plan for its children â tutoring for âbasicâ academic content, active learning and access to the digital environment at an experiential learning center, and physical and kinesthetic development from sports and recreation center.â Students might take as long as sixth months in one learning environment â a language program or a biology expedition â accumulating digital learning portfolios of their learning that would be used to apply to colleges. All this would be funded by per-student grants adjusted to family income, language status, and disabilities.
âSchools, as we presently know them, would gradually cease to exist and be replaced by social networks organized around the learning goals of students and their families,â say Elmore and City.
Which of these scenarios makes the most sense? The authors suggest that we find our way toward the answer by:
⢠Talking with students and educators about what school could and should look like;
⢠Visiting schools that are breaking the mold;
⢠Using new school construction and renovation projects as opportunities to think differently about what configuration will maximize student learning.
âBeyond Schoolsâ by Richard Elmore and Elizabeth City in Education Week, May 18, 2011 (Vol. 30, #31, p. 24-26) http://www.edweek.org
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| Read More...(Source: - Tue, 31 May 2011 14:04:00 +0000) |
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| North in Top 3 % !!! |
| The Top Schools rankings were released this weekend in the Washington Post. The rankings were done by Jay Matthews who began this ranking system for Newsweek. The rankings are based on a ratio of AP or IB tests taken to graduates from a school.In this year's ranking, North is ranked as 912th in the nation, up over 250 spots from last year. That ranking puts North in the top 3% of schools in the nation!! 1910 schools are ranked, with the requirement of a ratio of greater than 1.0 of tests taken to graduates.In Michigan, North is the 7th highest ranked high school in the state out of hundreds of schools. Based on research done last year by board member Brendan Walsh, we believe North and South are the only two Michigan schools which have been ranked in the Top Schools rankings each year since their inception.We have wonderful staff and students, doing wonderful things. You can see the entire list at:http://apps.washingtonpost.com/highschoolchallenge/schools/2011/list/national/ |
| Read More...(Source: - Mon, 23 May 2011 19:00:00 +0000) |
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| More on Testing |
| The following is an excellent article about the position California's governor has taken on standardized testing in the state. It presents a different side to this controversial issue - one with which I largely agree...California Governor Puts the Testing Juggernaut On IceBy Anthony Cody on May 18, 2011California Governor Jerry Brown has taken a big step towards reducing the testing mania in the nation's most populous state. Up until his administration we have been on an accelerated path towards the comprehensive data-driven system that test publishers and corporate reformers have convinced leaders is needed to improve schools. But in the May budget outline from Brown's office, he makes it clear he is putting on the brakes.From the Thoughts on Public Education blog comes this:Gov. Jerry Brown is proposing to suspend funding for CALPADS, the state student longitudinal data system, and to stop further planning for CALTIDES, the teacher data base that was to be joined at the hip with CALPADS.What is even more encouraging is the explanation Brown offers, which shows a great deal of understanding of these issues. The document states:A number of problems have been identified with California's state testing, data collection and accountability regime. Testing takes huge amounts of time from classroom instruction. Data collection requirements are cumbersome and do not provide timely - and therefore usable - information back to schools. Teachers are forced to cub their own creativity and engagement with students as they focus on teaching to the test. State and federal administrators continue to centralize teaching authority far from the classroom.The (Brown) Administration proposes to deal with these issues by carefully reforming testing and accountability requirements to achieve genuine accountability and maximum local autonomy. It will engage teachers, scholars, school administrators and parents to develop proposals to(1) reduce the amount of time devoted to state testing in schools;(2) eliminate data collections that do not provide useful information to school administrators, teachers and parents; and(3) restore power to school administrators, teachers and parents.The goal is to improve the learning environment in every classroom, thereby encouraging the demanding pursuit of excellence. The May Revision proposes to suspend funding for CALPADS in 2011-12 pending this continued review of data collection requirements.Praise be!Jerry Brown is unusual among our nation's governors. He got a bit more involved than most in on-the-ground school reform while he was serving as mayor of Oakland. He learned the hard way how schools are a reflection of deeper social issues. In a statement he wrote to respond to Arne Duncan's Race to the Top a year and a half ago, while he was California's Attorney General, he said:You assume we know how to "turn around all the struggling low performing schools," when the real answers may lie outside of school. As Oakland mayor, I directly confronted conditions that hindered education, and that were deeply rooted in the social and economic conditions of the community or were embedded in the particular attitudes and situations of the parents. There is insufficient recognition in the draft regulations that inside and outside of school strategies must be interactive and merged.Even more revealing was what he wrote about federally-driven education "reform":The basic assumption of your draft regulations appears to be that top down, Washington driven standardization is best. This is a "one size fit all" approach that ignores the vast diversity of our federal system and the creativity inherent in local communities. What we have at stake are the impressionable minds of the children of America. You are not collecting data or devising standards for operating machines or establishing a credit score. You are funding teaching interventions or changes to the learning environment that promise to make public education better, i.e. greater mastery of what it takes to become an effective citizen and a productive member of society. In the draft you have circulated, I sense a pervasive technocratic bias and an uncritical faith in the power of social science.We all know that Secretary Duncan did not heed Jerry Brown's thoughtful advice, and still has not. But Brown's proposed budget takes on the testing machine from the top, and that is a very hopeful sign. |
| Read More...(Source: - Thu, 19 May 2011 13:04:00 +0000) |
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