The ACTE report on Oklahoma’s CTE
http://www.acteonline.org/resource_center/OK_profile.cfm

Report: N.Y. offers best schools, D.C. worst
New York schools are the best in the U.S., followed closely by Massachusetts and Maryland, while the D.C. school system ranks as the country's worst, and was one of six systems nationwide to earn a D-plus in Education Week's 2008 Quality Counts report. The report's grading system weighs various factors such as student-achievement, state standards and school finance.

6 page report on the increasing use of YouTube
http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/Pew_Videosharing_memo_Jan08.pdf

Colleges Turn to Web Tools in Hunt for '08 Freshmen
http://redir.targetx.com/cgi-bin/email/redir.cgi?id=0000469424-75847386

Using Web 2.0
Looking for a great way to put Web 2.0 all together. Check out Colby College’s Admission Website
http://www.insidecolby.com/index.php

Be a Video All Star
A video competition for K-12 students
http://www.21centuryconnections.com/videocontest

United Linen-CareerTech Champion
United Linen put a nice post about CareerTech on their website about them being named a CareerTech Champion-Thanks United Linen
http://www.unitedlinen.com/?page=community_news

OKACTE Award Deadlines
Remember, if you want to nominate someone for an OKACTE award, the deadline is getting closer
www.okacte.org under About Us/Awards Program

Facebook photos get 100 high school students in trouble
Students need to be aware of what they are putting on Facebook, and this article provides some insight into why.
http://www.startribune.com/local/west/13549646.html

National Women’s Law Center Programs and Practices That Work
Deadline for awards for gender equity is January 25
http://nwlc.org/details.cfm?id=2775&section=education

Career Majors

Welcome to the Web (TA921408)
Did you know that CIMC has published the 5th edition of Welcome to the Web? The handy book is broken down by Occupational Areas with Internet Web sites to be used in the classroom. Activities in the back of the booklet can be copied and used for assignment activities. Sold in packages of 10. You can order copies for your instructors and friends for only $10 at www.okcimc.com

Preparatory Services

2008 NAEP Testing
The 2008 NAEP testing website: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/

Teacher Tactics Help Eighth-Graders Master Advanced Math
Although 55% of the students at Provo, Utah-based Dixon Middle School qualify for free or reduced-rate lunch, students in the school's eighth-grade geometry classes have been performing above the state average on the Criterion Referenced Tests since 2004. The school attributes the success to various teaching techniques, including requiring students to take lecture notes in math classes and administering review tests.
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695239010,00.html

Kids Plus Math Clubs Equals Confidence
Some students in Bob Fischer's math club at Honey Creek Middle School in Terre Haute, Ind., show up as early as 6:30 a.m. to work on problems before the school day starts.That may not add up, considering the math fears that many students harbor. But educators say a new program provided by a math organization is breeding success that leaves students eager to take on more math challenges.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-01-01-mathcounts_N.htm

Opinion: U.S. Not Making Progress in STEM Education
(From CareerTech Update, 1/2/08)Gordon R. Ultsch, Ph.D., a high school and college teacher of more than 30 years, writes that the realization that the U.S. is falling behind other countries in the teaching and learning of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects makes the news, but is followed with little progress. Ultsch pointed out that there are two reasons in particular for why the root causes of our lag in STEM teaching have not been addressed: first, teachers are not required to hold advanced degrees in the areas for which they were hired; and second, teachers' unions that foster and reward mediocrity and insist that everyone be treated the same, regardless of merit.
http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071231/OPINION/71230025/1015

Girls Narrowing Achievement Gaps in Math and Science
(From CareerTech Update, 1/2/08)More girls and women are getting involved—and succeeding—in math and science than ever before. Yet persistent gaps between girls and boys in math and science standardized test scores remain, as well as gaps, advocates say, in professional opportunities. The gaps are narrowing, though, in part because of girls' increasing involvement in math and science classes. According to Long Island Newsday, there is a growing participation by girls in a number of science programs. http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny-ligirls1231,0,2682247.story

OK High Schools That Work Newsletter
http://www.okcareertech.org/hstw/Final%20HSTW%20Newsletter%20Word.pdf

Incarcerated Teens Apprenticeship Program http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/625213.html


Professional Development

Digital Teacher Workshops for Teachers of Native American StudentsThe U.S. Department of Education's Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative, in collaboration with the Office of Indian Education, has launched a new Web site for teachers of Native American students. The Web site consists of workshops designed to provide professional development opportunities for teachers of Native American students in all grade levels and content areas. The workshops support mastery of academic content and application by modeling strong teaching methods that have been successful in the classroom and providing a classroom application component and additional resources.http://www.t2tweb.us/NativeAmerican/home.asp


Accountability

Mapping Oklahoma’s Educational Progress
A new report from the Dept of Education http://www.ed.gov/nclb/accountability/results/progress/oklahoma.pdf