Questions about newsletter? Please contact David Stoloff, email: stoloffd@easternct.edu

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT NEWS
Volume XIII, Fall 2002

Sixth Week of Classes Fall 2002 Edition -
October 7, 2002

best viewed at http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/news/021007.html
on the WWW; for past issues - Education Department News Index http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/newsindex.html

Education Dept. Homepage

Alumni News

Departmental Documents

Department Media

Please see the University Disclaimer.

*****

Words of Inspiration
the collection appears at http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/news/words.html

From the Milken Family Foundation http://www.mff.org/newsroom/news.taf?page=325

April 10, 2002

New Report Compares Teaching in U.S. with Eight Developed Countries

U.S. priorities regarding teachers differ from other nations’. Respect for the education profession has declined here and abroad.

The professional in-service training, requirements and responsibilities of American K-12 teachers outweigh those of teachers in many developed nations, according to Teachers’ Professional Lives – A View from Nine Industrialized Countries, a new report compiled by the Schools Around the World (SAW) program of the Council for Basic Education and funded by the Milken Family Foundation.

Study findings were released today at the SAW symposium, International Perspectives on Teacher Quality in an Age of Accountability.

The professional climate and circumstances of teachers in Australia, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Portugal and the United Kingdom were compared to those in the U.S. in an effort to uncover policies and practices that support teacher success and student achievement.

Pre-service teacher training and qualifications are emphasized in the eight foreign countries, while professional development is deemed less important. Typical pre-employment requirements abroad include rigorous academic and pedagogical study and certification processes, supported by strong practice teaching and induction programs.

By contrast, pre-service training and certification requirements of U.S. teachers are rarely rigorous, although professional development activities are mandatory throughout their careers.

Each of the eight international countries has a national or state curriculum that dictates what must be covered in each class and guides teaching. Only in the U.S. must teachers develop their own curriculum aligned with state standards and assessments.

Secondary-level teachers in the U.S. report a workload at least 30% larger than all foreign counterparts except those in Germany.

Teaching is considered a life-long career choice in most surveyed countries. Attrition rates in all but the United Kingdom are low. Like the U.S., 40% of U.K. teachers leave the profession within the first three years.

Many nations face overwhelming numbers of retirements as the teacher population ages; however due to slowing population growth, all but Australia project adequate numbers of replacement teachers.

In countries where teaching is prestigious, educator salaries are competitive and student achievement is high.

Teacher candidates in Japan are selected from the top 5% of high school graduates.
Japanese law requires compensation for teachers to be higher than that of other public servants with similar academic backgrounds.
In Japan and Germany, teacher salaries are comparable to those of university professors.

In most surveyed countries, teacher salaries are lower than other professions, and decline over time in comparison to other occupations. In those nations, teaching has seen a corresponding decline in status and appeal.

The United Kingdom’s 2001 Census reclassified teaching as a “lower profession,” alongside journalism and social work.
The 2-3% of British math majors who enter teaching programs are rarely high-achieving students from top universities.
In France, applications to teacher training programs have fallen nearly one-third.

Overseas, teachers are rarely held accountable for student achievement. Although most school systems conduct regular teacher assessments, these evaluations do not cover student achievement.

Results are primarily used as an advisory tool for promotion and professional development. The single exception is in the U.K., where performance-related pay for senior-level educators was recently introduced.

Holding teachers and schools accountable for student learning is an emerging trend in the United States. Some states are using gains in student achievement to gauge teacher effectiveness and determine salary bonuses.

The Council for Basic Education (CBE) advocates high academic standards for all students and exemplary teaching in our nation’s public schools.

Its Schools Around the World (SAW) program is an international partnership to further understanding of what constitutes higher levels of student achievement in science and mathematics.

Posted on October 4, 2002

****

Announcements

Teacher Quality Partnership Grant Program

The new Title II, Part A of ESEA creates Improving Teacher Quality State Grants to strengthen teacher quality and increase the number of highly qualified teachers and principals. In Connecticut, the higher education component of this initiative is known as the Teacher Quality Partnership Grant Program. It replaces the Eisenhower Professional Development Grant Program and the Connecticut Collaborations for Teaching the Arts and Humanities.

For 2003, the Connecticut Department of Higher Education is authorized to award $663,199 in competitive Teacher Quality Partnership Grants for professional development projects for teachers, paraprofessionals and principals across 10 core academic subjects (English, reading or language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, the arts, history and geography). Preference will be given to proposals which address at least one of several priorities, among them projects that seek to:

· increase teacher mastery of subject matter, especially in mathematics, science and the essential themes which define the American experience

· recruit and prepare minority teachers, and

· improve the leadership skills of principals.

Applicants must be partnerships consisting of at least:

1) the division of a Connecticut public or independent institution of higher education that prepares teachers and principals,

2) one or more schools or departments of arts and sciences at that institution, and

3) one or more high-need schools or school districts in Connecticut.

Other schools, colleges, education groups and non-profit organizations may serve as additional partners. Please note that no single participant in an eligible partnership may use more than 50 percent of the partnership grant award.

Project periods may vary over a period of 17 months. Multi-year activities are allowed based on available funds and progress in meeting goals. Requested project amounts depend on the scope of the activities proposed; there are no minimum or maximum award limits. Proposals are due January 10, 2003 and grant awards will be announced February 7, 2003.

For more information about this grant program, please see

http://www.ctdhe.org/RFP/default.htm

****

Announcements

Education Department Faculty Meetings

usually on Thursdays, 12:30 - 1:45 in Webb Hall 115.

Committee on Admissions and Retention in Education meeting – October 10, 2002

Please submit agenda items to Mitch Sakofs – sakofsm@easternct.edu .

*****

Photos from the Diversity Seminar – September 4, 2002 - http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/news/photosf02/photosfall2002.html

*****

*****
A message from Hope Cook, Curriculum Center Librarian -

“Hi David and Education Faculty,

Just wanted to let you know that the Curriculum Center Computer Lab, Room 145 of the Eugene Smith Library is now open for your use!

Here are some of the highlights added to the Computer Lab:

·6 new PC's with Internet Access and equipped with educational and presentational software titles

·1 of the 6 PC's is setup as an instructor station. This station includes a projector that will allow the instructor the opportunity to project information to a screen, or if one prefers to the white board.

·We have also retained 1 Macintosh machine that is loaded with software and has Internet access.

·The computer lab also includes a VCR, Slide Projector, and Overhead Projector

·Additionally, students can use this room to work on classroom projects as we now have 2 Ellison Machines and several dies to cut letters, borders, etc.The lab is also equipped with a sink.

·The lab can seat up to 20 people and would be ideal for those teaching courses that contain some component of children's literature or the use of educational software.

Thank you!

Hope”

Dr. Jeanelle Bland has been appointed Curriculum Center Computer Lab liaison from the Education Department.

****

News from state sources and NCATE via Dean Kleine –

http://www.ecs.org/ecsmain.asp?page=/html/newsMedia/e-Connection.asp%23gr

Jim McKenna, Director of the CT Alternative Route to Certification program, sends this link to an article that he found encouraging:

A report by the National Association of State Boards of Education concludes

that ALTERNATIVE TEACHER CERTIFICATION programs can be effective tools for

addressing both teacher shortages and teacher quality concerns. The report

recommends that state policymakers ensure standards for alternative programs

are linked to academic standards for students.

http://www.nasbe.org/Front_Page/Press_Release2.html

****

NCATE news –

Here is a very useful collection of material responding to the demands for

"highly qualified teachers" coming from the White House, while the Secretary

of Education continues to bombard us with demands to let highly qualified

non-teachers into the classrooms! These notes and articles are from Jane

Leibbrand, Vice President for Communications, NCATE.

**************************************************

Dear Colleagues:

I know you are in the midst of a busy fall. Here are some items which

could be of help as you speak as an advocate for rigorous teacher

preparation requirements which help ensure highly qualified teachers.

Quality Teaching

I'm enclosing the fall issue of Quality Teaching, NCATE's newsletter. As

part of a cost-savings plan, it's now online:

http://www.ncate.org/pubs/qt_f02.pdf . I hope you will enjoy reading it.

Contents include the following:

Art discusses the increasing focus on teacher retention;

a new report provides an overview of teacher training requirements in

eight other industrialized countries--all require preparation in both

content and pedagogy--policy that stands in contrast to the

recommendations in the U.S. Department report on Title II, "Meeting the

Highly Qualified Teachers Challenge";

an educator responds to the U.S. Department of Education report,

"Meeting the Highly Qualfied Teachers Challenge," and

Donna Gollnick, Carol Vukelich, and Kathy Lake discuss performance

assessment practice.

News Clips

Next, I'd like to share some recent news clips with you. They are

representative of the media's focus on education this fall. The first clip

is especially disturbing. It shows that the No Child Left Behind Act

creates the paradoxical possiblity that its requirement for 'highly

qualified' teachers may actually lower standards for teachers. As

appropriate, please share your analysis of recent reports and news with

policymakers, along with a personal note from you. It's important to stay

in touch with your state and federal representatives to let them hear your

voice on the importance of strong state teacher preparation and licensing

requirements for teachers.

August-September Press Round Up

http://www.sacbee.com/content/opinion/story/3884224p-4909966c.html

"CA's 40,000 new 'highly qualified' teachers" Sacramento Bee 8/7

This article is priceless. The editorial exposes how inexperienced teachers

are being hired in California as a means to satisfy the terms of the No

Child Left Behind Act, and thus continue to receive federal funds. Under

the new definition, quietly adopted by the State Board of Education in May,

a teacher can be listed as 'highly qualified' even though he or she has yet

to earn a California teaching credential.

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/22/education/22TEAC.html

1 in 4 Teachers Is Not Trained in Field

NY Times 8/22

http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20020903/4412401s.htm

Standardize teachers before standardizing tests

USA Today 9/3

Editorial on the need for qualified teachers; highlights Ed Trust finding

that funding gap persists in low-income schools

from the August 26, 2002 edition of the Christian Science Monitor -

http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0826/p01s01-usgn.htm

As standards rise, too few teachers

As American schools reopen, a 15-year effort to "professionalize" the job

of teacher is running up against a strong counterforce ? the urgent need to

fill classroom vacancies.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A4380-2002Aug27.html

More Md. Teachers Not Fully Certified Washington Post 8/27

Teachers without full certification were hired in increasing numbers by

Maryland's 24 public school districts this year ? a trend running counter

to a new federal law.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59173-2002Sep9.html

Top Teachers Rare in Poor Schools Washington Post 9/10

Highly Qualified Instructors Quickly Move On, Hurting Education of

Low-Income Children. studies find several new studies note that the poorest

children are hurt by having the least experienced, and often the least

effective, instructors.

http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20020827/4393996s.htm

"Principals too quick to use 'teacher shortage' as excuse" USA Today 8/27

One-fourth of the teachers lack full credentials. The shortages are common

in big urban districts, where school leaders say they're often forced to

lower their standards when filling teaching jobs. USA Today mistakenly

blames administrators for placing teachers out of field.

NASSP responds:

Principals' Hands Are Tied

"It defies logic to propose that principals do not want fully credentialed teachers in every classroom, especially in a climate of rigorous academic standards and high-stakes testing."

Gerry Tirozzi

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2002-08-26-oppose_x.htm

Education secretary: Non-teachers could alleviate teacher shortage

Education Secretary Rod Paige yesterday said the teacher shortage could be

resolved by letting 'qualified non-teachers' into classrooms. Reg Weaver

takes exception and says he wants well prepared teachers for all students.

USA Today (9/17)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2002-09-16-education_x.htm

Minority teacher training stressed

Challenge made to black colleges

Rod Paige yesterday urged black college and university leaders to prepare

education students more thoroughly for teaching disadvantaged children.

Journal and Constitution (Atlanta) (9/17)

http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/today/news_d3686c0db126e17d00bc.html

I thought you'd enjoy seeing the last two clips together; both appeared on

the same day.

Use the NCATE Speakers Guide,

http://www.ncate.org/2000/speaker%27s%20guide%20nov2000.pdf to provide

assistance as you formulate editorials. The Guide contains NCATE's

messages, tips on writing editorials, and sample articles. Send us

published articles so that we can share them.

Jane Leibbrand

Vice President for Communications

NCATE

2010 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Suite 500

Washington, D.C. 20036

tel. 202/466-7496

fax: 202/296-6620

e-mail: jane@ncate.org

website: http://www.ncate.org

****

An interesting resource shared by Dean Kleine –

Schools are under increasing pressure to use practices based on scientific evidence (e.g., evidence-based programs). Our colleagues at the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) have developed a helpful guide for evaluating curricula that foster and promote social and emotional learning. Safe and Sound: An Educational Leader's Guide to Evidence-Based Social and Emotional Learning Programs will be published sometime in late October but you can review and download a pre-publication copy at their website: www.casel.org. An accompanying CD will provide comprehensive descriptions and ordering information for all of the programs reviewed. This will be an invaluable guide for school districts.

****
back to top

Announcement from Neil Williams, HPE Dept Chair

Please alert Ed Dept faculty and students:

HPE 210 (3 credits) does NOT satisfy the GER V.B. physical education requirement in any manner; nor does HPE 201(1 credit).

Thanks for your assistance in this matter. Several EDU students have called about this in just the first two days of the term.

Neil

****

A message from Professor Ross E. Koning, PhD
Chapter President ECSU-AAUP
Biology Department - Goddard Hall
email: Koning@EasternCT.edu
http://Koning.EasternCT.edu/

Greetings ECSU-AAUP Faculty,

I am pleased to announce that our on-line (html) version
of the 2002-2006 CSU AAUP-BOT Collective Bargaining
Agreement is on-line at the usual URL:

http://www.easternct.edu/aaup/cba.html

This version is, of course, unofficial...but we have worked
hard to make it identical with the printed version in content,
and have hopefully corrected most of the printed version's
flaws.

We encourage you to try it out. All internal and some external
references are linked so navigation is better than in the print
version. You can also use the find and find-again feature of
your browser to search for words in the contract...so finding
items is perhaps easier. On the down-side, the contract is now
in a single file that is sometimes slow to open if you are on a
modem connection...but we think your patience will be rewarded.

I also encourage you to right-click (PC USERS) or click-hold-drag
(Mac USERS) on the CBA link on the home page to DOWNLOAD
the contract to your hard-drive for improved loading times. Our
home-page is:

http://www.easternct.edu/aaup

Best wishes for the fall semester.

ross

Professor Ross E. Koning, PhD
Chapter President ECSU-AAUP
Biology Department - Goddard Hall

****

message from Bernetta Steadman, Assistant Director, Admissions, ECSU:

I came across this website (http://www.nasbe.org/) and thought you might be interested in the Minority Teacher Recruitment Conference/Exhibition.

It would be a good opportunity to attract qualified minority individuals to our grad and certification programs. Let me know what you think. Perhaps this is something you could coordinate in conjunction with the Admissions Office if you feel it is a worthwhile endeavor

I would suggest reading about the exhibitor info.

****
Call for Graduating Senior Information

A request from Institutional Research -

Please share news about the plans of graduating seniors.

If they are going on to graduate school, please provide the graduate's name, undergraduate major,
graduate university, location (city, state), field of study and degree program sought, and any information
on scholarships and/or fellowships.

If they have been accepted for employment positions, please provide the graduate's name,
undergraduate major, company, location (city, state), position, salary.

Please email the information to David, who will compile it for the department. Thanks.

*****
Other Events

ECSU - ThinkQuest for Tomorrow's Teachers Projects

Faculty members and students from Eastern Connecticut State University are participating in a US Department of Education grant to Prepare Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology with ThinkQuest
[ http://www.thinkquest.org] and 13 other universities throughout the US. This project's homepage may be at http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/dept/pt3.html .

Alumni news may be found at http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/news/alumninews.html.

Planning
back to top

Past surveys of our graduates are available on the WWW -

an analysis of the survey of teacher education program graduates 1996-98
http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/assessment/survey9698.htm

results of the survey of teacher education program graduates - 1996-1998 -
http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/assessment/surveyresults9698.htm, and

results of the survey of teacher education program graduates - 1998-2000 -
http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/assessment/gradsurvey2001.htm

survey of interests in graduate programs -1999,
http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/assessment/gradinterestsurvey1999.htm

survey of interests in graduate programs - 2001
http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/assessment/gradinterestsurvey2001.htm

Planning forms for field experiences and student teaching for Spring 2003 are now posted at

http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/dept/stinfo.doc

and

http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/dept/stpreferencefall2003.doc

                                             *****
                               Research and Creativity Activities -
chronicling the ongoing progress of the Education Department at Eastern Connecticut State University
                   also found at http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/news/rca.html

Fifth Report
July 11, 2002

Our Graduates Speak

                  An analysis of survey data provided by ECSU program completers
                     concerning their professional preparation and Connecticut’s
                                    Common Core of Teaching

                                               An
                               Eastern Connecticut State University
                                         Research Brief

Prepared by

Mitchell Sakofs
Director of Educational Experience

Spring 2002

Introduction

As part of an ongoing effort to improve program quality in the Eastern Connecticut State University
Education Unit, a survey was sent to ECSU graduates who were recommended for teaching certification
from 1999 through 2001. This survey was designed to explore two main issues, i.e.,

· their assessment of the BEST program and
· their assessment of the professional preparation they received at Eastern in terms of Connecticut’s
Common Core of Teaching.

Questions concerning BEST were modeled after a state survey designed to probe how certified teachers
assess the professional preparation they received through institutions of higher learning; questions
concerning Connecticut’s Common Core of Teaching were taken from the Common Core documentation
found on the Connecticut State Education Department’s website. Questions probing our graduates’
assessment of BEST as well as the professional preparation provided by the ECSU Education Unit were
structured to allow for responses on a 5-point Likert Scale with 5 = Strongly Agree, 4 = Agree, 3 =
Undecided, 2 = Disagree, and 1 = Strongly Disagree. See Exhibit 1, page 4.

This report presents student assessment data of the professional preparation provided by ECSU’s
Education Unit. An analysis of BEST data will be reported in another document.

Procedure

Three hundred and forty surveys were mailed to students who were recommended for teaching
certification from 1999 through 2001.

Data were analyzed using SPSS. Data transformations from interval to categorical data were
performed so percentages in the following categories for each question could be calculated: Negative,
Undecided and Positive. The procedure to create these categories was as follows: if a respondent
indicated a negative response to a question, e.g., in response to a question they scored a 1 or 2, the
variable was recoded into a Negative category. Likewise if they scored a question 4 or 5, the variable
was recoded into a Positive category. A response of 3 was recoded as Undecided.

Results

· 340 surveys mailed, 20 were returned as undeliverable and 95 were returned with completed surveys.
This is a 30% response rate.
· Percent of respondents within each program were as follows: 45% Early Childhood, 17% Elementary,
8% Middle, 12% Secondary and 18% HPE.
· Percent of respondents within each degree category offered were as follows: 76% Undergraduate, 10%
Post-baccalaureate and 14% Graduate.
· Mean scores on the 18 aspects of Connecticut’s Common Core of Teaching ranged from a low of 3.5 to a
high of 4.2. See Exhibit 2, page 10.
· Percentages for the recoded data concerning Connecticut’s Common Core of Teaching in the POSITIVE
category ranged from a high of 91.5% to a low of 59%. See Exhibit 3, page 17.
o The areas scoring 90% or above positive were:
§ Q21B, how students learn and develop
§ Q34B, share responsibility for student achievement
§ Q38B, demonstrate a commitment to students
o The areas scoring 80% to 89% positive were:
§ Q22B, Understand how students differ
§ Q26B, Recognize need to vary instructional methods
§ Q27B, Select learning tasks to make subject meaningful
§ Q29B, Instructional opportunities support academic, social and personal development
§ Q30B, Use of verbal and non verbal media/foster individual and collaborative inquiry
§ Q33B, Conduct as a professional
§ Q35B, Continually engaged in self-evaluation

o The areas scoring 70% to 79% positive were:
§ Q24B, Understand the central concepts of the discipline I teach
§ Q25B, Know how to design and deliver instruction
§ Q28B, Establish and maintain appropriate standards of behavior
§ Q31B, Employ a variety of instructional strategies
§ Q32B, Use of various assessment techniques
§ Q36B, Seek out opportunities to grow professionally
§ Q37B, Serve as a leader in the school

o The areas scoring below 70% positive were:
§ Q23B, Proficient in reading, writing and mathematics

Conclusions and Recommendations

This research reveals how graduates of the ECSU teacher certification programs view the efficacy of
their professional preparation within the context of Connecticut’s Common Core of Teaching.

For these findings to meaningfully guide programmatic changes, it is recommended that:

1. faculty review their course syllabi to better understand how the dimensions of the Common Core are
expressed in course content, and
2. review the data provided here to determine which elements of the Common Core need to be more
substantively addressed in courses. While it may seem reasonable to look to strengthen aspects of the
program that students found wanting, it may be that faculty chose to strengthen areas of strength, as
they are deemed central and appropriate for pre-service teacher preparation.

This document may also be downloaded from
http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/news/graduatesspeak02.doc
as a WORD document.

Searches
back to top

searches pending approval - we had request an additional faculty member in Elementary Education.

Opportunities

Teacher Quality Partnership Grant Program

· increase teacher mastery of subject matter, especially in mathematics, science and the essential themes which define the American experience

· recruit and prepare minority teachers, and

· improve the leadership skills of principals.

Applicants must be partnerships consisting of at least:

1) the division of a Connecticut public or independent institution of higher education that prepares teachers and principals,

2) one or more schools or departments of arts and sciences at that institution, and

3) one or more high-need schools or school districts in Connecticut.

For more information about this grant program, please see

http://www.ctdhe.org/RFP/default.htm

The Summer Institute for Future Teachers grant and the Institute for Future Teachers Using Technology grants have been refunded. David Stoloff is seeking student assistants who would contact local school principals and teachers to plan and implement the formation of more Future Teachers Clubs/Young Educators Societies in our region. Please contact David Stoloff - email: stoloffd@easternct.edu, 860- 465- 5501 for further details.

Jamie Hendricks shared this link to the Mansfield Schools employment website -
http://www.mansfieldct.org/MBOE/Employ/docs/Web%20Posting%206.02B.doc

*****

Recently acquired media - in the Chair's Office or on the Web
back to top

Teaching Our Youngest: A Guide for Preschool Teachers and Child-Care and Family Providers. (2002) Early Childhood-Head Start Task Force, US Dept. of Education and US Dept. of Health and Human Services.

America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being 2002. Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics.

Notes from the 2002 Creative Advance - "Creativity Through Diversity" - Thursday, August 22, 2002, Eastern Connecticut State University.

Evaluator's Report on the May State On-Site Review of ECSU's Teacher Education Programs. Received May 31, 2002.

Institutional Overview and Response to Standards, Self-examination report on Teacher Preparation
Programs at ECSU, March 2002.

Portfolio Responses for BEST program, 2001-2002.

Precondition Report for the Education Unit - April 2002, NCATE document

Handbooks for the Development of Teaching Portfolios 2001-2002 - Connecticut State Department of
Education - most subjects

General Education Committee's General Education Program Proposal

Wednesdays - A Compilation of Short Stories written by Eastern Connecticut State University
Graduate Students

Educational Technology Resource Documents from the Connecticut State Department of Education.

American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) Public Policy Agenda - 2002.

The BEST Program Portfolio Resources 2001-2002: School Year

BEST 2001-2002 Rubrics.

Faculty Handbook.

Our Reading/Language Arts room, Webb Hall 113, has been enriched with past issues of Phi Delta Kappan, Academe, Syllabus, Converge, Governmental Technology, Journal of Teacher Education, and other resources. Please feel free to use and encourage your students to use these materials.

*********
Please contact David Stoloff at (860) 465-5501, email: stoloffd@easternct.edu if you have any
questions or comments on this newsletter. Please invite others to receive this newsletter and be added
to the Education Department e-mailing list by contacting David Stoloff.