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If you have international education initiatives that
would be of interest to those in other parts of the
country, please send an email to:
hsingmaster@asiasociety.org
If you would like to view past issues of the Newsletter
please visit: www.internationaled.org/digest
| Education in China: Lessons for U.S. Educators |
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Education in China: Lessons for U.S. Educators,
documents the observations of several delegations of
U.S. K-12 education leaders who travelled to China from
2003-2005. Issued by Asia Society, the Business
Roundtable, and the Council of Chief State School
Officers, the report makes recommendations for what
U.S. education leaders should do to respond to the rise
of China and to learn from its successes.
Read more by clicking the link below.
Education in China »
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| School Spotlight: Asia Society's International Studies Schools Network |
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This month we are introducing a new monthly column
that will highlight best practices and innovations in
international education in K-12 schools throughout the
nation. These "School Spotlights" will focus on
providing examples of exemplary schools, programs,
curriculum, and instruction in the field that can serve
as models for replication.
This month we are featuring Asia Society's International
Studies Schools Network (ISSN), a unique national
network of small secondary schools developed by Asia
Society with a generous grant from the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation that are designed to provide
underserved students the opportunity to engage in
rigorous study of other world regions, languages, and
cultures in order to prepare them for college, the
changing workforce, and a lifetime of learning. The
International Studies Schools Network, is currently
comprised of five public schools opened in 2004 and
2005 serving low-income communities in New York City,
Los Angeles, and Charlotte and, by 2007, will grow to a
dozen schools in four regions nationwide, including
schools in Philadelphia (PA), Houston (TX), Austin (TX),
and Denver (CO).
A member of the ISSN, the College of Staten Island
High School for International Studies, was featured in
an Education Week article as an example of
innovative technology use and international
partnerships. Visit
http://internationalstudiesschools.org/news.htm to read
this article and learn more about the schools. In
addition, look for an interview with Bill Gates on the
state of America's high schools on The Oprah Winfrey
Show the week of February 20th.
ISSN »
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| State Spotlight: Washington and Massachusetts |
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The Washington State Coalition for International
Education held its International Education Leadership
Summit: Expanding Chinese Language Capacity on
January 30, 2006. The event, attended by nearly 60
business and education leaders and a number of elected
officials, explored the possibility of reaching a "tipping
point" for interest in expanding Chinese language
capacity in the U.S. and Washington State. In the
afternoon, there was a workshop for over ninety
participants from higher ed, K-12, and community
schools on "Heritage Language Learning and Teaching."
Learn more by clicking the link below.
Meanwhile, the Massachusetts legislature is
considering "An Act Promoting International Education,"
sponsored by Representative Kay Khan. If passed, it will
enable the MA Department of Education to promote
international education and create granting
opportunities for individual school districts to develop
international education programs. The Massachusetts
Initiative for International Studies (MIIS) has been very
active in supporting the legislation and organized a
hearing to support the bill. For more information
visit:
http://www.primarysource.org/miis
Washington Summit »
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| Professional Development and Grant Opportunities |
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Trainers in Mandarin Chinese Needed:
The US Department of Education proposes to offer
professional development workshops for Mandarin
teachers this summer. If you are an experienced
teacher and wish to be a faculty member, go to:
http://www.ed.gov/teacherinitiative
Applications due March 17.
Advanced Placement Test Fee Program: The
U.S. Department of Education is making awards to State
educational agencies to enable them to cover part or all
of the cost of test fees of low-income students who are
enrolled in an Advanced Placement class and plan to
take an Advanced Placement test. The deadline is
February 21, 2006. For more information:
http://www.ed.gov/programs/apfee/index.html
Advanced Placement Incentive Program Grant:
3-year competitive awards to State educational
agencies, local educational agencies, or national
nonprofit educational entities with expertise in providing
advanced placement services. Grants must be used to
expand access for low-income individuals to Advanced
Placement programs and some of the eligible activities
include: teacher training, books and supplies, and
participation in online Advanced Placement courses.
These grants could be used to expand lower-income
students' access to internationally oriented course and
world languages. Deadline is April 4, 2006. For more
information:
http://www.ed.gov/programs/apincent/index.html
Grant Opportunities »
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| CED Releases Education for Global Leadership |
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On February 9, the Committee for Economic
Development (CED), a non-profit, non-partisan
organization of more than 200 business leaders and
university presidents, released Education for Global
Leadership: The Importance of International Studies and
Foreign Language Education for U.S. Economic and
National Security. It warns that the United States
will become less competitive in the global economy
because of a shortage of strong foreign language and
international studies programs at the elementary, high
school and college levels.
The report recommends:
*Teaching international content across the
curriculum and at all levels of learning, to expand
American students' knowledge of other countries and
cultures.
*Expanding the training pipeline at every level
of education to address the paucity of Americans fluent
in foreign languages, especially critical, less-commonly
taught languages.
*National leaders-political leaders as well as
the business and philanthropic communities and the
media-should educate the public about the importance
of improving education in languages other than English
and in international studies.
The report was released at a Washington DC luncheon
forum that featured speeches by Senator Norm Coleman
of Minnesota, Senator Paul Sarbanes of Maryland, and
Congressman Rush Holt of New Jersey. The Honorable
John Brademas, President Emeritus, New York
University, Alfred T. Mockett, Chairman & CEO,
Corinthian Capital, and CED President Charles E.M. Kolb
presented the findings and recommendations of the CED
report. A roundtable discussion will be held in San
Francisco to officially launch the report on the West
Coast.
For more information, including the executive summary
and recommendations, click the link below to be taken
to the CED website.
Committee for Economic Development
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