August 2009 Key Messages

American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA)

Qualified Zone Academy Bonds (QZAB)

$3.5 million remains in the state allocation for Qualified Zone Academy Bonds. Go to www.education.nh.gov/recovery for information and application forms.

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

Accountability, Assessment, Curriculum, and School Improvement

A. NH Alternate Assessment

NH Alternate Assessment Fall 2009 Educator Training workshops will be running in mid-September. Online registration opens August 15, 2009. For the first time, we are restricting participation and registration for the NH-Alternate Assessment Test Administration workshops to two person teams composed of one certified general educator and one certified special educator. If you have questions about this fall's NH-Alternate Assessment Training Workshops, please contact the department. For additional information on these workshops, please see the June 2009 Statewide Assessment Test Coordinator Memo www.education.nh.gov.

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

B. Constitution Day is September 17

This is a reminder that all schools receiving federal funds should plan to commemorate the U.S. Constitution and its significance in American life on Thursday, September 17. More information on Constitution Day and the Constitution Day essay contest can be found at www.education.nh.gov.

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

C. News for Fourth Grade Teachers and Others Interested in New Hampshire History

Gibbs Smith Education of Layton, Utah, announces the publication of its new text New Hampshire, Our Home this month. This should be a great help to elementary educators seeking to teach New Hampshire History. The text was written by New Hampshire resident Julie Baker. Among its contributors is NHDOE Social Studies Consultant Kenneth Relihan. Sample chapters of the work are available from the publisher or from Ken at the Department. A workshop on teaching the new text will be presented at the New Hampshire Council for the Social Studies conference on October 29 in Manchester.

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

D. Mathematics

Christine Downing, Mathematics Specialist, will be leaving the Department. Questions and inquiries about mathematics should be directed to Tim Kurtz, (603) 271-3846, tkurtz@ed.state.nh.us.

E. Reading Recovery

Principals of schools with Reading Recovery teachers in 2008-2009 will soon be getting the report of progress made by their students who received Reading Recovery instruction.

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

Certification

A. American Sign Language (ASL) Certification

The NHDOE has begun certifying teachers of American Sign Language. This is part of the 2005 change in the Minimum Standards which declared ASL a World Language for the purposes of the high school minimum offerings under Ed. 306.48. A workshop on teaching ASL will be offered at the New Hampshire Association of World Language Teachers on October 23-24 in Manchester.

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

B. Call for Reviewers

The Bureau of Credentialing's Office of Educator Preparation Program Approval is seeking experienced P-12 educators to serve as reviewers for a site visit to one of the state's 15 institutions of higher education that prepare future educators. Serving as a reviewer is a very positive and powerful professional development experience and enables one to learn about others' best practices and to share one's professional network. For more information on becoming a reviewer, please scroll down to "letter to potential program reviewers" and "reviewer application" near the bottom of the page at www.education.nh.gov.

Contact: Dr. Robert McLaughlin, (603) 271-2634, robert.mclaughlin@ed.state.nh.us

C. Critical Shortage Survey

Each year the Department of Education conducts a survey to determine which endorsements should be included on the Critical Shortage List. We will be asking for information on vacancies that exist on August 21, 2009. This is a district level collection. Superintendents will be e-mailed a spreadsheet. Please enter the data in the spreadsheet and send it back to jpipinias@ed.state.nh.us. This information is due August 28, 2009.

Contact: Judith Fillion, (603) 271-3855, jfillion@ed.state.nh.us

D. Educator Information System (EIS)

Each year the Bureau of Credentialing processes about 8,000 credentials for educator renewal. For the first time, through our EIS system, the majority of those renewals were completed online. The teacher assignment module, which will give SAUs the ability to file Personnel Action Forms (PAF) online, is expected to be ready by the middle of August. Additional information will be sent to the Superintendents.

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

Data Issues

A. New Hampshire Arts Education Survey

Your school still has an opportunity to complete the New Hampshire Arts Education Survey, a school by school data collection process to look at qualitative and quantitative aspects of arts education programs, until September 15, 2009. The information being collected is for the 2008-2009 school year. This is an online survey tool; details about accessing the online survey and instructions for completing it are on the Arts Web page www.education.nh.gov.

Now is the time to inform principals and music and art teachers about this final window of opportunity so that schools in your district can use data from the survey to inform programs in dance, music, theatre, and visual art. This work is a partnership project between the NH DOE and the NH State Council on the Arts.

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

B. School Information Updates

The pre-printed forms for updating school information (including principals' salaries) were sent out to each SAU and should be returned to Data Management as soon as possible.

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

C. School Safety Survey

NEW THIS YEAR - The School Safety Survey forms for each school should be completed online via the "myNHDOE Single Sign On System." After the data is entered the forms should be printed, signed, and returned to Data Management by August 20.

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

D. Schedule for i4see End of Year (EOY) Data

Prior to Certification: All state anomalies MUST be resolved.

August 1 - Superintendents "certify" EOY submissions and print, complete, sign, and send "Tuition Report Receiving," "Nonpublic 08-09 Special Education Students (A13N)," and "Nonpublic 08-09 Non-Special Education Students (A13 Other)" reports.

August 1 - October 31 - The DOE will review all submissions and contact schools with questions.

November 1st - Superintendents should print, sign, and submit remaining end of year reports (including Determination Report).

Please remember that NECAP labels were due by August 12th for all grades K-12.

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

Funding Issues

School Building Aid

School Building Aid is fully funded for FY 10. Payments will be made in October and April.

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

RSA 277:C requires that any construction work funded in whole or in part by state funds be reviewed for impact by the Division of Historical Resources. This is normally not a lengthy process. Beginning in FY 10, applications for School Building Aid will be required to include a copy of the approved Request for Historical Review form from the Division of Historical Resources. The form and other information on the process may be found at www.nh.gov/nhdhr/review.

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

GRANTS and REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS
ALL RFPs Can be Found on the Department Web site at www.education.nh.gov

A. OPEN NH Partnership Grants to Districts

New Hampshire e-Learning for Educators announces a "Request for Proposals" for districts to apply for an OPEN NH Online Professional Development Grant in one or both of the following areas:

• Development of Online District Professional Development Cohorts Grantees will establish a cohort of educators from within the district to fulfill part of their professional development goals with OPEN NH courses within any of the four sessions delivered in the 2009-2010 academic year in order.
• Development of OPEN NH Orientation Support and Promotion Grantees will host four orientation meetings for educators in their region of the state and will provide ongoing promotion of the OPEN NH course sessions and their orientation meetings.

Deadline: September 7, 2009

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

B. Technical Assistance to Local School Districts

The New Hampshire State Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education, is seeking proposals for up to three (3) individuals to provide technical assistance to school districts regarding State priorities:

• State Performance Plan (SPP)
• Annual Performance Report (APR)
• State assigned tasks
• School districts corrective action plans from Monitoring, Program Approval, Complaints, Due Process, and District Determinations

Deadline for Receipt of Proposals: Friday, August 28, 2009.

Contact: Barbara Raymond, (603) 271-3791, braymond@ed.state.nh.us

Initiatives

A. Board Examination Systems

Over the last two years, the department has sponsored meetings regarding the possible implementation of board examination systems (e.g. Cambridge University, International Baccalaureate, ACT/Quality Core) and "move on when ready" early college proposals, in conjunction with Marc Tucker and the National Center for Education and the Economy. District leaders interested in participating in a pilot study of these two initiatives should contact Paul Leather.

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

B. Statewide Standardization Project

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) and The New Hampshire Department of Education (NHDOE), have embarked upon a joint research and development project designed to address the educational reporting and record keeping needs for children and youth in New Hampshire who are court ordered placed and receiving a program of instruction in a state run facility or private residential facilities as a result of abuse, neglect, or juvenile justice cases. It is the intent of this project to set up a statewide electronic system which will serve as a reporting mechanism for local school districts, and appropriate state agencies. The system will allow access to relevant records and information to ensure that all students have equal educational opportunities and full access to the NH curriculum requirements.

The Southeastern Regional Education Service Center (SERESC), of Bedford NH, is the vendor working in collaboration with the various stakeholder groups in the research and design of this system. If you have any questions, or would like to be provided with further details, please do not hesitate to contact project directors at SERESC: Jane Bergeron: jbergero@seresc.net or Maryclare Heffernan mheffernan@seresc.net.

NH High School Redesign

A. Supporting Student Success Through Extended Learning Opportunities Institute

The Department, with sponsorship from the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, held a highly successful summer institute on "Supporting Student Success Through Extended Learning Opportunities." Larry Rosenstock, Principal of High Tech High School in San Diego, California was a keynote speaker. Issues such as High School Redesign, addressing the needs of underserved learners, and authentic learning strategies were highlighted. The second day focused on the use of performance and authentic assessment strategies. Students and educators from New Hope High School in Bristol, RI presented their E-Portfolio Performance Graduation Model. Materials and presentations will be made available on the NH DOE Web site shortly.

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

B. Raising the Compulsory Age of Education

The Department is gathering implementation questions regarding raising the compulsory age of education from 16 to 18 this month, in preparation for a new Technical Advisory on this topic. Please send promising practices, questions, or comments to Susan Randall, srandall@ed.state.nh.us.

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

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

a. School approval packets for public schools expiring June 30, 2010 have been mailed. Checklists with health inspection forms are due to the Department by December 1, 2009.

b. Fire inspection reports will now be submitted to the State Fire Marshal by the local fire department. Schools cannot be approved if fire safety violations are cited.

c. Packets for nonpublic schools will be sent in September.

d. Schools that are conditionally approved or that have been granted a Delay in Full Compliance by the State Board of Education will be changed to approved upon receipt of documentation indicating that all standards have been met.

e. Minimum Standards reminder: Ed 306.39 requires that all public schools provide a comprehensive school guidance and counseling program. Each public school district is required to have a written guidance and counseling policy and implementation plan. Elementary schools must have at least one certified guidance counselor for every 500 students. Middle and high schools must have at least one certified guidance counselor for every 300 students. Small schools may have part-time guidance counselors using the previous student counseling loads on a full-time equivalent (FTE) basis. Guidance directors are required in high schools with more than four guidance counselors and in districts with a total of more than ten guidance counselors throughout the district.

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

Special Education

A. New Hampshire Special Education Information System (NHSEIS)

The New Hampshire Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education, will provide on-site training for school districts who would like to use the Individualized Education Program (IEP) component of NHSEIS.

NHSEIS Training	August 2009
CAT AID Chapter 402	Tuesday, August 25, 2009 NHDoE - Room 15 1:00p.m.-4:00p.m.
Teachers as users regarding IEP development	Tuesday, August 25, 2009 NHDoE - Room 15 9:00a.m.-12:00p.m.

Contact: Santina Thibedeau, (603) 271-6693, sthibedeau@ed.state.nh.us

Professional Development

A. Arts in Education Partnership Conference

Save the weekend of October 30 to November 1, 2009, for the annual Arts in Education Partnership Conference, Maps & Journeys: New Perspectives on the Future of Arts Education in New Hampshire, sponsored by the NH State Council on the Arts, the Arts Alliance of Northern NH, and the NH Department of Education. The weekend will include arts education workshops, exhibits and presentations by NH Artist Fellows Alexandra de Steiguer (photographer) and Hideaki Miyamura (potter and glazer). Robert Morrison of Quadrant Arts Education Research, will give a report on NH's first Arts Education Survey of public schools, a partnership project of the NH State Council on the Arts and the NH Department of Education.

This conference, taking place at AMC Highland Center at Crawford Notch in Bretton Woods, brings school educators and parents together with teaching artists and arts resources to design Artist Residency in School project grants and improve the quality of arts education in New Hampshire. To learn more, and for registration details, visit www.nh.gov/nharts or www.aannh.org or contact Catherine O'Brian, arts education coordinator, NH State Council on the Arts, at (603) 271-0795 or Catherine.R.OBrian@dcr.nh.gov.

B. Electronic Mentoring for Student Success (eMSS)

Through Mathematics and Science Partnership (MSP) funding, the NH DOE is pleased to announce the availability of electronic mentoring through the New Teacher Center and the University of California at Santa Cruz. This program is available for middle and high school mathematics and science teachers who are in their first through third year of teaching. NH has trained online mentors who have been participating in this program for the past few years. Funding for new mentees is available through the MSP funding and NH DOE. There are a certain number of slots available so act quickly. To learn more about the eMSS program, use the following link: www.newteachercenter.org/eMSS/menu.php?p=home.

Contact: Christine Downing, 582-7340, Christine.downing@yahoo.com

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

OPEN NH (New Hampshire e-Learning for Educators) offers a variety of group discounts for SAUs, districts, or schools. Discounts include 25 seats in our 7 week online courses for $1900 and 5 seats for $450. The OPEN NH Fall 2009 Session will begin on October 6th. Districts can also request the special delivery of any of our courses at the 7-8 week time frame of their choice. To request a special delivery course, a designated team leader should complete a Special Course Delivery Registration form available online and send it to the OPEN NH Project Coordinator for processing, or contact the OPEN NH project coordinator.

The OPEN NH Fall 2009 Session will run from October 6th through November 24th. The list of courses running in the fall, as well as descriptions of all courses in the OPEN NH catalogue, can be found on the Web site www.opennh.org. A new online registration process will be available shortly for the fall session. Please visit the Web site for updates.

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

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

D. Reading Recovery 2009-2010 Class Begins August 17

There will be a new Reading Recovery Training Class during the week of August 17. Applications to take the course, (graduate credits from UNH) are available on the Department of Education Web site at www.education.nh.gov.

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

Resources

Reference Desk

The Reference Desk quick-response service at the Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast and Islands (REL-NEI) is available immediately to answer your education questions. The Reference Desk, using available evidence and research, provides quick-turnaround responses to questions submitted by education stakeholders around the Northeast and Islands Region. It offers references, referrals, and citations in brief reports generated quickly, sometimes within a few days. Responses contain links to relevant Web sites, research reports, and journal articles, as well as targeted referrals to organizations or government-funded centers that might provide more information or offer technical assistance. To visit the Reference Desk go to www.relnei.org/referencedesk.2009-07-11.php.

REL-NEI is run by Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), the American Institutes for Research (AIR), and WestEd's Learning Innovations program. REL-NEI is one of 10 Regional Educational Laboratories funded by the Institute of Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education. REL-NEI provides rigorous research that is relevant to national education priorities, responsive to local needs, and usable for policy and practice. More information about REL-NEI can be found at www.relnei.org.

Other

Gifted and Talented Conference

The New England Conference on Gifted and Talented will be held on October 22-24, 2009, at the Radisson Hotel, Nashua, NH. This conference is for educators, counselors, health professionals, and parents of the gifted and talented. The conference is co-sponsored by the six New England state advocacy organizations and the New England Departments of Education. More information can be found at www.necgt.org.

Healthy Kids Annual Back-to-School Campaign

NH Healthy Kids is preparing for their annual fall Back-to-School campaign. For many years, they have sent postcards to all NH schools to include in students first day of school packets. There are an estimated 20,000 uninsured children and teens in our state; however, most of the children in NH schools have health insurance. This year, instead of sending a postcard home to nearly every family in New Hampshire, their field team will deliver postcards to schools in the fall to display. We hope that this will help to reach those children who are uninsured and are potentially eligible for their program. If you would like more information please visit www.nhhealthykids.com or contact Amy Ellrod at (603) 228-2925 x226 or aellrod@nhhealthykids.com.

Healthy Schools Initiative - Fitness and Wellness Course

This free class will begin on September 14 and will end on December 18, 2009. All assignments and discussion forums for this class are online and all participants are expected to complete the assignments within the timeframe established by the instructor. The final project for this class is the completion of the UNH Cooperative Extension Healthy Schools Wellness Assessment Tool. Participants completing this course will receive 45 CEU'S/Staff Development hours. If you have questions please e-mail Martha Judson at mbjudson@aol.com. Registration deadline is August 20, 2009, to register please call Shirley Clark at 225-5505. For more information about Healthy Schools visit extension.unh.edu/FoodNutr/ChngScne/ChngScn.htm.

Historic Preservation Courses

Plymouth State University is offering 3 courses this fall that lead to a Certificate in Historic Preservation. Principles of Historic Preservation, Historical Preservation Methods and Documentation, and Cultural Property Law are each 3 credits and will be taught in Concord. Courses begin the first week in September. To learn more, visit www.plymouth.edu/graduate/heritage/historic_preservation.html or contact Stacey Yap, program coordinator, at staceyy@plymouth.edu, (603) 535-2333.

Call for Volunteer Nominations from NH Schools for the Spirit of NH Awards

We know that there are many examples of students and adults in the schools who have contributed to the improvement of their community through volunteerism and are worthy of recognition. This awards program recognizes outstanding contributions to volunteerism and expands on the many local and regional volunteer recognition events that occur throughout NH each year. This year, the Spirit of NH Awards Gala will be November 10, 2009. Nominations are accepted on an on-going basis but must be received by September 15, 2009 to be considered for an award at the November 10th event. Visit the Volunteer NH! Web site at www.volunteernh.org or call (603) 271-7200 for more information and nomination forms. Volunteer Service Nominations in the Youth, Adult, and Senior categories are also eligible for the Governor's Volunteer of the Month Award.

Contact: Brenda Cochrane, (603) 271-3743, bcochrane@ed.state.nh.us

Sports Concussion Education Kit Available

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

New England Water Environment Association, Inc. (NEWEA) Grant Proposals

The newly formed Humanitarian Assistance Committee is seeking grant proposals from NEWEA members for humanitarian and community type projects throughout New England. Grant applications may be submitted on behalf of groups, individuals, and or organizations. The grant application must be submitted by a NEWEA member. For more information go to www.newea.org/AboutUs/AwardsRecognitions/HumanitarianAssistanceGrant/tabid/353/Default.aspx.

Wal-Mart Foundation - Wal-Mart Store and Sam's Club Giving Program

The Wal-Mart Foundation supports programs and initiatives addressing education, workforce development, economic sustainability, and health and wellness. Grant awards range from $1,000 to $5,000. Eligible applicants include organizations with tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3), recognized government entities, volunteer Fire Departments, K-12 Public Schools/Districts, Charter Schools, Colleges, Universities, Private Schools with tax-exempt status, and faith-based organizations. Please contact the Wal-Mart Foundation for more specific grant information and to apply: walmartstores.com/CommunityGiving/8916.aspx.

The Rachael Ray Show

The Rachael Ray Show is looking for nominations for the BEST school lunches in America. They are looking for nutritious, delicious school lunches that put smiles on kids' faces. If you are interested, please submit the following to Karina Mancebo (kmancebo@kingworld.com) as soon as possible:

• Name of the lunch (including sides) as it appears on the school lunch menu
• General ingredients of the dish
• Picture of the school lunch (as it is served - lunch tray, plate, etc.)
• Name and contact information of the school and principal