The challenge is in creating tests that eliminate unneeded obstacles in measuring content knowledge for students with disabilities and students mastering English while not making the tests so simple that general education students can complete them without having to demonstrate their competence. Therefore, the Vanderbilt researchers hope that by following their field-tested questions, test creators can ask themselves the necessary questions in order to eliminate common problems that make tests less accessible.

Examples of items the checklist suggests include:
• using three multiple-choice answers instead of four
• more frequent, but shorter prose sections in reading comprehension evaluation
• using illustrations only when directly related to the answer.

The researchers state that these steps eliminate unneeded “distractors” while still adequately evaluating students’ actual knowledge of the material.

The need for creating accessible tests is largely driven by the testing requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. The law’s regulations allow a proportion of students with disabilities to take different types of tests than general education students. Two percent of all students, or about twenty percent of students with disabilities, can be counted as proficient when they take alternate tests based on modified, but grade-level, academic standards. Those tests can have fewer questions, fewer multiple-choice options and require a lower level of reading skill.

The Improve Group has done multiple evaluations with organizations and government agencies evaluating populations with disabilities or that are mastering English. There are complicated cultural and pedagogical issues involved in evaluating these types of populations. With the growing need to evaluate and address the issues concerning these populations, especially in education, tools such as the “Test Accessibility and Modification Inventory” need to continually evolve. Hopefully, such tools can be used to create better tests for all students.

The College Board recently released a report that stated that cost of college continued to rise as the economy has faltered, putting an increasing strain on families to keep up.

For the current academic year, the average list price of tuition and fees at four-year public universities rose $394, or 6.4 percent, to $6,585 for in-state students. However, many students don’t pay the full list price. At four-year public universities, in-state students receive grants and tax breaks that lower that average to about $2,885.

At private colleges, prices rose $1,398, or 5.9 percent, to $25,143, according to the annual report. At private colleges, grants and tax breaks lower the average net price to about $14,900.

While some private colleges now exceed $50,000 when room and board are figured in, they are the exception. Overall, 56% of four-year college students attend institutions where the list price for tuition and fees is less than $9,000. But they’ve done so largely by tapping rapidly growing endowments. Now, like family savings, college endowments have suffered great losses on Wall Street, just as demand for financial aid rises.

Some colleges may try to hold down prices, but experts say that in most cases the pressure to charge more will be greater as endowments and alumni giving decrease. The College Board report emphasized that, accounting for overall inflation, prices rose less than 1 percent this year, and actually declined at public two-year colleges. But that’s only because overall inflation was unusually high, about 5.6 percent.

It is not clear if college access will be a greater challenge for the foreseeable future, especially for students in low-income, immigrant and minority groups. At the Improve Group, we have done extensive work in higher education access. What has become clear through our project work is that finding new solutions to help students access college will become imperative considering the current economic environment. The need for work in this area is particularly urgent since most evaluations are out of context relating to our changing economic environment.

The Improve Group is currently in a reporting stage on our evaluation of the Performing Arts Workshop’s AEMDD grant work in the schools of San Francisco. Their emphasis for this grant is arts integration with special education classrooms and students. Teaching artists from “the Workshop” have been involved with General Education Classes with Inclusion (Special Education) Students and Special Day Classes (SDC). It has been very gratifying to observe the artists and students engaged in inclusive and beneficial learning activities. My pick for this week would like to celebrate those who are making inroads for inclusion of young people with disabilities.

This week’s pick: The Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation (MEAF) is honoring those who are embracing inclusion and offering the same opportunities to youth with or without disabilities. The MEAF Inclusion Champion Award is for those who are “helping to create a culture of inclusion within an organization or community or developing innovative strategies for inclusive programming in: school activities, after-school programs, community service, and leadership development.” Deadline to nominate individuals is December 1, 2008 and the maximum award amount is $1,000 for the charity of your choosing and a trophy for the nominated individual.. For more information on the nomination process please click here.

I grew up in a smaller, manufacturing town in Wisconsin. We had American Motors, American Brass, Simmons Mattress and other companies that have not survived the financial times. One of the factors facing the manufacturing and engineering sector today is a lack of skilled labor. Not everyone feels the call to white collar occupations and people are talented in a million different ways.

My now-retired father is one of the most talented men I know and his background is in the car and manufacturing industries. He can build furniture, add rooms to a home and restore a classic car with the kind of ease that others run a staff meeting or write a work plan. I have always been very proud of him and I am proud of the following funders who are trying to open up the spectrum of future job options for our youth.

This week’s pick: The Fabricators & Manufacturers Association Foundation and the Nuts, Bolts and Thingamajigs Foundation want to help nonprofits and educational organizations to provide manufacturing career experiences for young people through overnight or day camps in the summer. The FMA is a charitable organization that promotes metal forming and fabricating technology in manufacturing. The Nuts, Bolts and Thingamajigs Foundation helps young people to develop needed manufacturing skills and has actor John Ratzenberger of Cheers fame as the Foundation founder and spokeperson.

Camps should have hands-on programs targeting youth between the ages of 12 and 16 and preference will be given to those serving minority populations. Applications for funding summer 2009 camps must be submitted by December 12, 2008. Grants rage from $2,500 to $5,000. For further info on applying, please click here.

If you need a ride on November 4th you can call the nonpartisan Rides to Polls Coalition at 1-877-NOV-2008 (1-877-668-2008). These rides are a nonpartisan effort of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits.

I recently read an Education Week article detailing the final approval on an extensive and wide-ranging set of final regulations adding new requirements on states, districts and schools via the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The Bush administration approved these regulations as Congress has continued to find agreement in reauthorizing the 7-year old law.

The regulations will require states to:
• adopt the same method of calculating high school graduation rates;
• mandate that school districts take additionally steps to ensure students in low-performing schools know they’re eligible to transfer schools or enroll in free tutoring; and
• make public information comparing states’ student achievement to national scores.

A main implication of the rule changes is that it will require states to update their formal plans that explain how they will implement key elements of NCLB due to these new regulations. Changes in those formal plans (called workbooks) that the Education Department must approve, involves explaining how states will develop content standards, assess students in reading and mathematics in grades 3 through 8 and once in high school, and hold schools accountable for student performance based on the goal that all students will be proficient in those subjects by the end of the 2013-14 school year.

Among the most significant changes involve requiring all states to adopt the same method of calculating high school graduation rates. Under the new regulations, states must track the percentage of students within four years of entering high schools. The regulations say that state proposals that count students who graduate within six years as completing on time will be considered by the Education Department. Additionally, schools must publish rates for students in racial, ethnic and socioeconomic subgroups, as well as for students with disabilities and English-language learners.

States must report data based on these new regulations in the 2009-2010 school year. By the 2011-2012 school year, states must use the new method of calculating graduations rates as one of the measures to determine whether high schools make adequate yearly progress (AYP), which is the method of determining whether a school is meeting its goals under the NCLB law, as well as improving graduation rates for students in every group for which they publish graduation data.

In the Improve Group’s work with state school districts and education initiatives, we have found that consistently reporting data across time, let along across different states, is a stiff challenge for schools trying to meet the government requirements for collecting and evaluating data. New regulations such as these could be beneficial in evaluating multiple issues in education such as improving graduation rates for multiple populations, but training in strong data evaluation methods and tools to accurately collect and analyze data would be of great use to the education system.

I can’t count the number of hours I have spent in libraries and what that has done for my education and my well-being. I am happy to say I am raising two sons who also love libraries and are very lucky to attend public schools that have great library facilities. Our office staff enjoys time in the library which is extremely important to the field of research and evaluation. One of our own Improve Group staff members is currently seeking a Masters degree in library and information science.

My funder today wants to help school libraries and serve students who come from lower economic backgrounds by awarding money for needed library resources.

This week’s pick: The National Education Association Foundation believes “public education is the gateway to opportunity.” To assist in providing public schools with the resources they need for quality education the Foundation offers the NEA’s Books Across America Library Books Awards. Fifty awards of $1,000 each will be made to purchase books and other reading materials for public school libraries.

Applicants must be public school librarians, teachers or education support professionals. Seventy percent of the students in applicant schools must be eligible for free or reduced lunch. The deadline to apply is November 20, 2008. Applications are online and submitted via email. Click here to learn more.

In order for students to participate in our Performing Arts Workshop evaluation, their parents must first give consent. Last year, we found that many parents had not returned consent forms. We didn’t know if these parents truly did not want their child to participate in the evaluation or if they simply forgot to return the form. This year, we wanted to decrease the number of parents who forgot to return forms, so we enlisted the help of the teachers and offered an incentive for their help.

We consulted with teachers that were involved in last year’s evaluation and asked them suggestions for an incentive for their classrooms that would help motivate parents to return forms. Based on their advice, we are offering teachers with high response rates a $100 gift card to be used in the classroom for healthy snacks or other classroom supplies. This incentive has been highly successful so far; two weeks before the surveys are due back to us, we’ve already had three packets returned with 100% response rates.

We believe the incentive works so well because it motivates parents to return their forms and it also motivates teachers to follow up with parents that do not return forms. The incentive is given for offering the consent form, so parents who choose not to participate in the evaluation are not “counted against” the classroom total. We just ask that teachers let us know that the parents declined to participate in the study.

In offering an incentive, our goal was to ensure that each parent knew about the evaluation and was able to make an informed choice about whether their child would participate. Thanks to the help of the teachers, we have achieved this goal. We’ve found that the right incentive can do wonders for motivating people to proactively participate in evaluation.

In the past month I have had the pleasure of conducting interviews on a 20-year arts education initiative in the State of South Carolina. I learned a great deal from those who have been involved in this ever-evolving and fully-engaged effort to integrate arts education so that every school child in South Carolina has the opportunity to experience and reap the benefits of what the arts disciplines have to offer. I have been particularly impressed with the management of this statewide initiative and the time talented individuals have put into making it a success.

One of the lessons I learned from their experience is the importance of getting the right people involved and impassioned about the work at hand. Everyone brings specific skills to the table. My funder this week is looking for skilled people to help in urban education settings through residencies in K-12 school districts.

This Week’s Pick: “The Broad Residency is an opportunity to use your education, business experience and passion to make a difference in a management career that truly counts.” The Broad Foundations offers two-year managerial placements in urban school districts and charter management organizations to have an impact in areas such as, new school openings, budgeting, operational efficiencies and human services.

Residents earn starting annual salaries of $85,000 to $95,000. Those with an advanced degree, four years of work experience, and who work in more than one area of business (marketing, strategic planning, budgeting, etc.) may apply. Having an ability to lead, strong problem solving skills and a real interest in urban education are desired. Interested candidates should submit a resume online at www.broadresidency.org.

Schedule to Apply:

• Resumes submitted by Dec 1
• Full applications by Dec 15
• Followed by phone interviews
• In person interviews by Feb/Mar
• Final interviews Apr
• Offers no later than May 29
• Residency begin Jul/Aug 09

One of the key findings of the Rand Corporation’s 2005 research on early childhood education was that “early childhood intervention programs have been shown to yield benefits in academic achievement, behavior, educational progression and attainment, delinquency and crime, and labor market success, among other domains.” (See http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9145/index1.html). This plus many, many other early ed research projects support the need for enriching early childhood opportunities for children. The funder I am looking at today feels the same way.

This Week’s Pick: The A.L. Mailman Foundation offers the Mailman Family Foundation Grants “to promote the building of sustainable systems that provide access to high quality early learning experiences for all children.” Their funding priorities are:

• System-wide change
• Creating quality curriculum tools
• Providing families, teacher and caregivers knowledge and support to nurture and inform children

An application to the Foundation begins with a letter of inquiry - with the next deadline of December 1, 2008. Final submissions are by invitation only. Interested organizations must be 501©3 nonprofits with a national reach or a scope that entails more than one state. Typical grants amounts are in the $25,000 to $35,000 range. For more information and application guidelines, click here.

As I continue to pay on a multitude of health care bills for my oldest son’s operations I feel immensely lucky to have an employer who offers health insurance to help ease some of the huge financial burden these bills pose. I know that my retired parents do not have health insurance. I worry about them and the thousands of others who are not adequately covered. Today’s funder has grants to help nonprofits serve this underserved population.

This Week’s Pick: McKesson International is a health care pharmaceutical and IT software company. Every year the McKesson Foundation grants $5 million in support of non-profits in the communities where they have an employee presence. The Foundation primarily funds direct health care services for uninsured and underinsured children for specific projects and programs, but general operating support will be considered in some circumstances.

Online applications for the $5,000 to $50,000 grants are accepted throughout the year and decided upon on at the end of the calendar year with distributions made the following March.

501©3 nonprofits in the following communities are eligible to apply:

Atlanta, GA
Broomfield, CO
Canada
Carrollton, TX
Charlotte, NC
Chicago, IL
Delran/Philadelphia
Dubuque, IA
Hadley, MA
Hartford, CT
Lakeland/Orlando, FL Livonia, MI
Los Angeles, CA
Memphis, TN
Newton, MA
Pittsburgh, PA
Richmond, VA
San Francisco, CA
Scottsdale, AZ
Springfield, MO
Twin Cities, MN

I conduct interviews for the Improve Group and I speak with people from all walks of life. Just recently, I have had the privilege of speaking to a wide constutuency of community members - small social service non-profits, deans of colleges, foundations officials, teachers, state representatives, and minority group organizers. Everyone relays their economic concerns about the impact shrinkng budgets have on services. With the amount of unease around our country’s financial situation, whenever possible, I will do my best to find opportunities for sustainability in my upcoming Grant Gazings.

This Weeks’ Pick: The Archibald Bush Foundation is devoted to community involvement in problem solving by providing many avenues for funding. The opportunity I want to highlight today supports mid-sized arts organizations through the Foundation’s Regional Arts Development Program II (RADPII).

“The intention is to fund successful applicants for a period of 10 years in a series of separate grants.” Use of this grant money should emphasize organizational long-range planning, improvement and accountability.

Minnesota, North and South Dakota humanities and arts organizations with annual operating budgets larger than $250,000 but no greater than $5 million for the last three fiscal years are eligible to apply. Deadline for applications is November 17, 2008 at 5:00 pm.

November 4th is coming soon! Please encourage your clients—new voters, those who have moved, or those who have changed their names since the last election—to register ASAP. We have until October 13th at 4:30 pm to pre-register voters.

• Important info about voter registration: http://www.mncn.org/mpp/doc/sixsteps.pdf
• Frequently asked questions about voter registration: http://www.mncn.org/mpp/doc/faq.pdf

Transportation• If clients or people you know need transportation to the polls (wheelchair accessible available) they can set up rides ahead of time by calling
1-877-NOV-2008 (1-877-668-2008). Reservations are recommended, but not necessary.
• Individuals can also call their political party to get a ride.

Other resources related to voting• For info on special populations such as homeless individuals, people who have been charged with felonies, and more http://www.mncn.org/mpp/registration.htm
• Also, if problems arise the day of the election have clients call 1-866-OUR VOTE
• Absentee voting starts October 3rd. To help clients understand the process and register (Hennepin County):
http://www.co.hennepin.mn.us/portal/site/HCInternet/menuitem.3f94db53874f9b6f68ce1e10b1466498/?vgnextoid=a9199bb82e9fc010VgnVCM1000000f094689RCRD

Access Philanthropy is offering workshops on grant writing and prospect research for new and experienced development staff. From October 2008 through February 2009 the following topics will be covered:

• Grant Writing and Prospecting
• Corporate Funders - Minnesota Based and Outstate
• On-Line Grant Applications
• Grant Writing and Prospecting for Board Members and Others
• Working with Family Foundations
• Nooks-n-Crannies Funders

Fees for each session are $65. Go to www.accessphilanthropy.com for more details on the workshops and how to register.