Newsletter of Phi Delta Kappa International, the Professional Education Association
VOLUME 45, NUMBER 3, SPRING 2001 (ISSN 0028-923X)

Chapters Celebrate Anniversaries
Kappans Promote Parent Involvement
Executive Director's message
Chapter Prepares Teachers for Job Hunt
In Memory of Bessie Gabbard
Kindergarten Project Promotes Reading
Gabbard Institutes Redesigned to Fit Local Needs
Foundation News
Sponsor a Book or Fastback
Book Notes
PDK Resource Connection
Program Takes Guesswork Out of Assessing Student Teachers
Membership Forum
Middle School in Focus
Louisville Hosts Third Legislative Council

Chapters Celebrate Anniversaries The Sacramento California Chapter, installed on 22 May 1927, will be celebrating its 75th anniversary during the 2001-2002 year. Three chapters are celebrating their 50th anniversaries. Those chapters and their installation dates are: University of Idaho (19 January 1952), Acadiana Louisiana (7 April 1952), and Edinboro Pennsylvania (21 May 1952). Sixteen chapters are celebrating 25th anniversaries. They are: East Central Florida (23 September 1976), North Iowa Area (23 September 1976), Southeastern Indiana (29 September 1976), Wisconsin's Headwaters (30 September 1976), California State University/Stanislaus (6 October 1976), Diablo (7 October 1976), Tri-State (6 November 1976), Thatcher Woods Illinois (8 March 1977), South Carolina State University (16 March 1977), Middle Georgia Area (6 April 1977), Northeast Georgia (7 April 1977), Eastern Puerto Rico (15 April 1977), Arecibo Puerto Rico (16 April 1977), Dubuqueland (25 April 1977), Lock Haven (27 April 1977), and Jersey Shore (14 May 1977). These chapters may take advantage of special resources offered to chapters celebrating diamond, golden, or silver anniversaries. Some of these resources include a board or staff person or a fastback author for chapters celebrating their 25th year, a distinguished lecturer for chapters celebrating their 50th or 75th anniversary, and complimentary Kappan subscriptions.

Kappans Promote Parent Involvement Kappans in the Western Arkansas Chapter want parents to know it's never too early to encourage children to read. To get the word out, PDK has joined forces with Parents As Teachers (PAT), a national volunteer organization that mentors families on educational interaction, such as reading to children. Local Kappans decided to help PAT by providing children's books for the group's Christmas open house. In November, Kappans met for pizza and assembled 500 "Reading Is Our Bag" literacy kits for PAT to deliver to area families with preschoolers. These kits were plastic tote bags decorated with holiday colors and filled with both a nutritious snack and a children's book. "The bags were prepared for the age levels of birth to one year, one-year-olds, two-year-olds, three-year-olds, and four-year-olds," explained Suzi McPherson, the chapter newsletter editor and project volunteer. Not only do the kits encourage families to read together, they also provide community recognition for Phi Delta Kappa. "Books donated by members did have a sticker inside stating that they were donated by our PDK chapter," McPherson related. The chapter received a $1,000 District III grant to get this project off the ground. Besides receiving the grant, the chapter project still is receiving support from eager Kappans. "In addition to the bags and supplies provided by the grant and local chapter donation, members are personally donating preschool-level books at each meeting for these kits," McPherson said. "The real impetus for this year's service project came from a presentation nearly two years ago by Judy Hogan on her then newly created PAT program," McPherson reported, explaining that Hogan is the director of Parents As Teachers and a fellow Kappan. "We were all so interested that we asked her to give an update last year. Judy is a PDK member, and we thought that we should support her efforts." Hogan's efforts have been followed by the chapter in the past two years as it reached out to the community. The chapter saw a point where it could step in to both help the growing program and keep the chapter's service aspect active. "The idea of stuffing the bags was exciting because we thought it would actively involve more members in the service project that we supported." McPherson said. She relates some Kappans may have missed the assembly party because of scheduling problems but that support from the members continues. "Unfortunately, the turnout for the first stuffing wasn't very high. We have had quite a number of books donated by members, though." The chapter has a history of service projects that promote literacy. "For several years we donated books and conducted readings at area day cares for low-economic families. The two years immediately prior to this, though, our service project involved quilts," related McPherson. Both projects have been featured in past issues of NN&Q. The quilt project brought together teachers and a local quilting guild to bring the craft into the classroom. However, the quilting project did not replace the chapter's literacy efforts, McPherson explained. Members continued to donate children's books each year. The PAT program gave the chapter the opportunity to once again encourage preschool children to read. Kappans are especially excited to be part of the success of PAT, which they plan to continue supporting. "The success and growth of the program is astounding," said McPherson. "The PAT program has doubled in participation in one year, with currently over 300 students being served." Hogan said the PDK-PAT partnership is so successful they are continuing it through the spring. Their most recent work night was February 27, where volunteers packed 125 more literacy kits. Hogan is excited about the partnership. "My feelings on this project are mixed: joy mixed with happiness. I am glad to involve PDK members, who are caring and passionate about teaching children," she said.

FROM YOUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR GEORGE KERSEY, JR.
All of us in Phi Delta Kappa honor the memory of a remarkable member -- Bessie F. Gabbard, who passed away on 10 February 2001. Bessie, who was the first woman initiated into Phi Delta Kappa, served on the Educational Foundation's Board of Governors since 1973 and was its chairperson for nearly 20 years. She was re-elected as chair of the Board of Governors just three weeks before her passing. All of us who knew Bessie Gabbard have a favorite "Bessie Story" (and there were many in her repertoire from which to choose). A favorite of mine relates to her PDK initiation. Within hours after the amendment to admit women was ratified in 1974, a conference call was arranged in order to initiate Bessie and ensure that she would be the organization's first woman member. As Bessie told the story, she was asked the standard five "I do" questions that constitute the initiation ritual. She dutifully responded with five "I do's." Bessie was wintering in Fort Lauderdale at the time, and her Aunt Sue was visiting her and overheard everything. When the ceremony concluded, Aunt Sue inquired of Bessie, "What has been going on?" Bessie, who never married, replied with a twinkle in her eyes, "I just married 91,000 men!" While her initiation into Phi Delta Kappa was not a marriage, it was a relationship characterized by extraordinary fidelity and love. Bessie Gabbard was introduced to this association by her colleague and mentor -- George H. Reavis. Reavis and Bessie Gabbard served together in the Cincinnati Public Schools. George Reavis provided Phi Delta Kappa with a bequest in 1966 of $500,000; that grant became the basis of our Educational Foundation. As Reavis and PDK leaders planned for the foundation, Bessie Gabbard routinely participated in those deliberations. Following Reavis' death, Bessie Gabbard was elected to his seat on the five-member Board of Governors. Bessie Gabbard cherished her relationship with Phi Delta Kappa; she often described Kappans as family. She never resisted an opportunity to promote membership in the association. She nurtured the foundation through service and through personal gifts, which totaled a quarter-million dollars. She took special pride in two foundation activities in particular: the summer camp for prospective teachers and our scholarship program for prospective educators. Memories of Bessie Gabbard abound and will remain a vital part of our organization's history. Those of us who were privileged to know her will remember her fondly for the rest of our lives. Her legacy is real, and it is enormous. That legacy will sustain Phi Delta Kappa for many years to come.

Chapter Prepares Teachers for Job Hunt The Sioux Falls South Dakota Chapter is helping college of education seniors prepare for the next big step before the classroom, the job interview. Chapter members contacted two area colleges to conduct mock job interviews for education seniors. These interview sessions both help future teachers get a feel for the type of questions that will be thrown at them in the hiring process and act as a "first step of trying to create awareness of what PDK is," explained chapter president Randy Podhaski. The meetings were conducted on the evening of December 6 at the University of Sioux Falls and at Augustana College. Both are private colleges that offer teacher education programs. The chapter conducted the meetings in December to help students who would be job hunting in the spring. "We hit on the first week of December," Podhaski said. He explained that the December program was early enough to give the students interview experience before they started their real interviews but late enough that the skills they learned would still be fresh in their minds. About 70 students attended the interview sessions at the two schools. The students met with Kappan volunteers at the career centers on their respective college campuses. About 25 Kappans interviewed the prospective teachers. The interviews allowed time for 20-minute question and answer sessions, followed by feedback for another 10 minutes per student. The members interviewing students were mostly principals and administrative staff that know the process and could give useful feedback. Students often do not understand the importance of their undergraduate work to employers. "A lot of these students have more experience than they realize," Podhaski pointed out. The sessions showed students what employers are looking for in candidates. Podhaski received good news from the career centers. Both schools reported that "the students felt they got a lot out of it," he said. In fact the interview sessions worked out so well that the chapter has been asked back by both colleges. Podhaski said they plan to continue this project. "We are hoping to make it an annual event," he said.

IN MEMORY OF Bessie Gabbard (1905-2001) Bessie F. Gabbard served more than 30 years on the Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation Board of Governors, many of those years as its chair. She lent her name to the Gabbard Institutes and to the Gabbard Room in the PDK Rose International Conference Center. But to most Kappans and other friends, the distinguished woman who died on February 10 was simply, "Bessie." Bessie was PDK's "First Lady," in part because she was the first woman initiated into Phi Delta Kappa in 1974, when the constitutional amendment was passed admitting women into membership. In fact, she also was first in PDK's affections, selflessly dedicating her time and considerable talents to Phi Delta Kappa and the PDK Educational Foundation right to the moment of her death at age 95. Indeed, less than a month earlier, in mid-January, she had played host, as usual, to the foundation's Board of Governors at her home in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Only a few months before that, Bessie had finished penning her memoirs and put the manuscript into the hands of Arliss Roaden, her longtime colleague on the Board of Governors and the board's current secretary, who agreed to serve as editor. The book's publication lies ahead, but the highlights of her story are familiar to many Kappans: Bessie, the "Story Lady" of Cincinnati radio in the 1920s, learning to fly an airplane in the 1930s; later, Bessie, the world traveler and sponsor of foreign students; Bessie, the kindergarten teacher, the principal, the educator par excellence; and Bessie, the chairman of the board. (She preferred the title chairman to its alternatives.) It was Bessie's long association with George H. Reavis that brought her into the PDK family. In the mid-1960s Reavis, a prominent Ohio educator whom Bessie referred to as a friend and mentor, was seeking a way to perpetuate his lifelong interest in education. He approached Phi Delta Kappa with the idea of creating a foundation trust. Bessie accompanied Reavis on his first trip to Bloomington to explore the idea with then PDK Executive Secretary Maynard Bemis. Reavis' dream became reality with the establishment of the Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation in 1966, and Bessie took an active hand in its development. She recognized that Reavis, then age 84, was not going to be able personally to oversee the foundation's growth. But he had set the wheels in motion. "Once he had taken that giant step," said Bessie, "it was up to others to carry on." In 1970, the year George Reavis died, Bessie was appointed to the Board of Governors, a service she would give to the foundation for the next 31 years. The story of the Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation is Bessie Gabbard's story. In the silver anniversary history of the foundation, published in 1991, then Executive Director Lowell C. Rose wrote: Bessie is a warm and gracious lady who has literally dedicated the later years of her life to nurturing and polishing George Reavis' dream. She has provided leadership, enthusiasm, and inspiration. She has managed and developed the Reavis Farms in a way that has gained acceptance and respect in that small farm community. She has moved among Phi Delta Kappans at all levels, building support for and faith in the Educational Foundation. And at a time when most her age would be looking backward, she has continued to look beyond the current scene toward a new and expanded role for the Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation. During Bessie's tenure the foundation saw Reavis' original $500,000 contribution grow to a trust fund of more than $4 million. Today the foundation is able to oversee scholarships to students at all levels, to support a significant academic-scholarly publishing program, and to underwrite a variety of professional development activities for practicing and future educators. The foundation's Special Publications activity, for example, serves as the primary book publishing division of Phi Delta Kappa with more than 100 titles in its booklist. The fastback series was initiated in 1972 by then Editor of Special Publications Don Robinson and is still being published. The Gabbard Institutes, named in Bessie's honor, are another example of the foundation's reach. They have been a summer highlight at PDK since 1984, drawing hundreds of educators from across the nation and around the world to the International Office for a variety of collegial learning experiences. Scholarship grants for prospective educators, the author seminar lecture program, graduate fellowships, and many, many more of PDK's best known and most valuable programs are underwritten by the foundation. And in most, Bessie's fine hand of leadership is visible. Today PDK is facing the need to reinvent itself for the 21st century. No one saw more clearly than Bessie the need to stay current and, when necessary, to change. She put a fine point to this idea in her characteristically direct manner. In the title essay of the 1995 book, At the Threshold of the Millennium, she wrote: "Change is inevitable. And change is good. When some changes do not satisfy us, we start over - and change again." Bessie looked on life as a grand adventure and saw that living a life worthwhile required facing challenges, meeting them squarely, and relishing the experience. She was able to change, to start over, and to change again as the times demanded. After 95 years of living life fully, one feels certain, Bessie has now embarked on yet another grand adventure.

Kindergarten Project Promotes Reading If children are going to succeed, they need to learn to enjoy reading. And the best chance that schools have to help kids enjoy reading is in kindergarten. The Cochise County Arizona Chapter conducted the PDK Kindergarten Literacy Project in area schools to encourage kindergartners to develop a love of books. Janet Bobar, co-director of the project, explained that Kappans visited kindergarten classes to read a book to the children. They also donated 25 books to each classroom library. It is important for schools to teach a love of reading to students as early as possible, Bobar said. Reading to children is a great way to encourage them to read on their own. The chapter particularly wants the children's parents to pick up where PDK left off. To encourage that, it is important to involve the children's families, and the best time to do that is when the children are in kindergarten. "It's hard to involve families when children are above a certain age. Kindergarten is when most families are interested. Families support kindergartners," Bobar explained. "We thought this might be a good idea for parents to learn from," she said. And it has had some success. Bobar reported that parents have visited some of the classrooms and read the donated books to the classes. With the influence this project has had on the kindergartners, Bobar believes the project is an ideal starting point for encouraging families to read. More than a dozen Kappans volunteered time on the project, from visiting kindergarten classes to planning the project and purchasing the items. In addition, chapter members who taught in the visited schools served as important contacts and helped arrange the readings. The Kappan readers carried bookbags and wore T-shirts printed with the project logo, which featured a cartoon of a boy and a girl studiously reading and writing, framed by the words, "Phi Delta Kappa" above and "Kindergarten Literacy Project" below. Bookplates on the inside covers of the books also included the logo. Bobar explained that the use of the logo made the chapter and its service projects more visible in the schools and communities. The chapter already is planning how to expand the project to reach more classes in the Cochise County area. The chapter is receiving additional support from local and national businesses, such as bookstores and book publishers, to help offset the cost and increase the scope of the project. Bobar reported that the donations not only will help the chapter reach more kindergarten classes but also will allow them to expand it to include older students. "Troll and Scholastic have sent books, allowing us to broaden the project to first grade," Bobar said. The project is a hit with the kindergartners so far. The Huachuca Mountain kindergarten, for example, sent a five foot by four foot "thank you" poster to the chapter. It read, "Dear PDK, Thank you so much for the great collection of books. We love them!" followed by crayon signatures of the children interspersed with flowers, stars, and hearts.   Diane Hrach shares a favorite book with the kindergarten class at Huachuca Mountain Elementary School in Sierra Vista as a part of the Cochise County Arizona Chapter's Kindergarten Literacy Project.

Gabbard Institutes Redesigned to Fit Local Needs The first Gabbard Institutes to meet outside Bloomington, Indiana, will be held this summer. Four of this year's five institutes will be held in different regions of the country to better match the institutes with needs of schools in these regions and to allow many more Kappans to attend. This summer's institutes are: Curriculum Alignment: 18-21 June 2001, Bloomington, Indiana. This institute includes four days of hands-on instruction in aligning the Indiana State Standards to the curriculum. Classroom Management: 25-29 June 2001, West Long Branch, New Jersey. Monmouth University is the setting for this week of best classroom management techniques, including Discipline with Dignity and brain-compatible approaches for motivating reluctant learners. Literacy for All Learners: 25-29 June 2001, Orlando, Florida. This institute will focus on early literacy issues and will tackle the issue of literacy at the middle and high school level. Teaching Diverse Learners: 23-27 July 2001, Breckenridge, Colorado. The focus for the first two days will be on strategies to reach and teach non-English-speaking students. The last three days will be spent investigating differentiated instruction. Principals at Work: A Seminar for Instructional Leaders: 30 July - 1 August 2001, Chicago, Illinois. This institute, hosted in partnership with the Coalition of Essential Schools, focuses on the topic of Leadership and School Reform. For more information about the Gabbard Institutes, visit PDK's website or contact CPD&S at the International Office.

Foundation News by Scott Hutchinson, Development Officer PDK has long been involved in promoting the future of our profession. The organization currently offers a variety of programs to cultivate the next generation of teachers, including the Future Educators of America, the only pre-collegiate teacher recruitment program organized on a national basis; endowed scholarships; our Summer Camp for Prospective Teachers; and the Frymier Student Institute for Ethical Leadership. These highly successful programs for potential educators continue to be funded through individual contributions, the PDK Educational Foundation, and the schools from which the students come. Each year, approximately 160 high school students travel to Bloomington, Indiana, for a career-shaping series of workshops and activities at the Summer Camp for Prospective Teachers. The activities at the camp include practicing various aspects of teaching, team building, and exploring the resources to take the next step, college admission. The activities at the ethical leadership camp revolve around the seven values identified by Dr. Jack Frymier in his Study of Core Values, published in 1994: civility, cooperation, freedom, honesty, learning, responsibility, and service. It is service that yields the greatest impact from this program through the value of the projects led by students when they return home. One large high school now celebrates the seven values through posters, slogans, poems, and logos. At another high school, alumni of our ethical leadership camp established a Volunteer Service Council with more than 200 members. While many of the students at this camp come from schools that have joined the League of Value-Driven Schools, others come from schools and other organizations that have learned about it from other sources. During this spring, both chapters and major donors to the Educational Foundation were encouraged to provide scholarships for students to attend these two life-changing summer activities sponsored by PDK. A contribution of $200 or more by a chapter or individual enables these young people to shape the future of education. Anyone else wishing to contribute specifically to these two programs of the Educational Foundation should designate their donation, "Summer Camps." Claire Nisonger has endowed a fellowship in honor of her late mother. The Ruey Witten Fellowship will assist students who have excelled in their student teaching as they continue their education to become elementary music teachers. In the realm of grants, our work continues as consultants with the Lawrence County, Indiana, Community Foundation in their application for an $11 million grant through the Lilly Endowment's Community Alliance to Promote Education program. Because of our efforts, another community foundation has hired PDK to coordinate their planning process and to prepare their proposal for a $5 million Lilly Endowment grant to promote education.

Sponsor a Book or Fastback Many chapters sponsor fastbacks or books as a focal point for a chapter project, to commemorate an important milestone such as a chapter anniversary, or to honor an individual whose work has affected the chapter. The sponsorship procedure is a simple one: First, a chapter wishing to sponsor a fastback or book contacts the Director of Publications and Research at the PDK International Office with a request to sponsor an upcoming publication. Second, if sponsorships are available, the chapter sends a check payable to the Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation. The chapter contribution for a fastback sponsorship is $500; sponsorship of a book is $1,000. Fastback sponsorships are taken on a "first come, first served" basis. Book sponsorships are individually arranged. Third, for fastback sponsorships, about two months prior to publication each sponsoring chapter is sent an annotated list of upcoming titles and asked to indicate a first, second, and third choice. Finally, the editor notifies the chapter of the fastback assigned to it for sponsorship. Sponsoring chapters are acknowledged in the publication and may include a short, special statement if they so desire. Sponsoring chapters receive free copies of the sponsored publication: 150 copies of fastbacks, 40 copies of books. And, another benefit of sponsorship, the chapter may invite the publication's author to present a seminar-lecture at a future chapter meeting. The author's honorarium and travel expenses for the chapter visit will be paid by the PDK Educational Foundation. The Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation initiated the sponsorship program in 1978. Since then, many chapters have taken advantage of this opportunity. The benefits of fastback and book sponsorship far outweigh the minimal cost of the contribution, which is used to offset the honorarium paid to the author of the publication. Sponsors for the spring 2001 fastbacks, which will be published in April, include the following chapters: Broward County Florida, Kennesaw Mountain Georgia, Sinnissippi Illinois, and University of South Dakota. Interested chapters may obtain a brochure about the sponsorship program by contacting Terri Hampton at the PDK International Office.

BOOKNOTES WHOSE VALUES? PUBLISHED · Researcher Barbara Bernache-Baker tackles the question of values and sexuality in a study of New England college preparatory schools that makes for fascinating and insightful reading. Her work dispels some of the mystique surrounding prep schools and what they teach. Whose Values? is available in a casebound edition with a dust jacket for $49; member discount price, $38. As a trade paperback it lists for $24; member discount price, $18. SPRING FASTBACKS COVER MANY TOPICS · The eight spring fastbacks include such topics as what Hollywood can teach our schools, substitute teaching, what constitutes an "adequate" education, looping, teacher lore, alternatives to retention and social promotion, and other thought-provoking topics. The fastbacks are $3/copy; $2.25/copy for members. A discount schedule is available for volume purchases. Take note: Because of rising production costs, fastback prices will soon be going up. Now would be a good time to place a standing order at the old price. Simply call 1-800-766-1156 and ask to speak to Susan Wehrly. She will gladly enter your credit card order for the next 16 fastbacks to be published. The annual standing order price is only $24. That's a savings of 50% off the single-copy list price for the same 16 titles. INTERNATIONAL SERIES LOOKS AT U.K. · The newest volume in the PDK International Studies series is James E. Green's Education in the United Kingdom and Ireland. North American educators will be especially interested in this volume because of shared language and heritage. Green's study of schooling in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland is interesting, informative reading. This book is the seventh in the International Studies series. It lists for $15 as a trade paperback; the member discount price is $12. THREE NEW HOT TOPICS PUBLISHED · A busy spring season saw the publication of three new titles in the popular Hot Topics series: Moving Beyond Retention and Social Promotion, edited by ElizaBeth McCay; School Choice in America: The Great Debate, edited by Kim K. Metcalf, Patricia A. Muller, and Natalie A. Legan; and Technology and Learning: Putting the Research to Work, edited by David M. Moore, Barbara B. Lockee, and David R. Moore. Each volume includes research and professional opinion articles on the given topic. Like the many other titles in this long-running series, each comb-bound, lay-flat volume is priced at $30. The member discount price is $25. A multiple-copy discount also is available. NEW RESOURCES AVAILABLE THROUGH CPD&S · PDK's Center for Professional Development and Services is offering several new books from other publishers. No discount is provided to members, however. Among the titles are Discipline with Dignity for Challenging Youth ($24.95), Evaluating Professional Development ($34.95), and Designing Surveys that Work: A Step-by-Step Guide ($18.95). Find books and other resources in PDK's online catalog.

PDK Resource Connection by Donovan R. Walling, Director of Publications and Research Meeting Your Research Needs One of the three basic tenets of Phi Delta Kappa is research. Therefore PDK offers a range of resources related to research (including evaluation), ranging from a call-up literature search service to online information and from published research collections and summaries to how-to books. Following are some highlights: PDK's Center for Evaluation, Development, and Research (CEDR) offers literature searches using an in-house database that includes Phi Delta Kappan articles back to 1970, fastbacks, Research Bulletins, monographs, books, and other materials distributed by PDK. To request a search, individuals need simply to contact the CEDR office by phone or e-mail (cedr@pdkintl.org). CEDR also provides technical support for research projects by chapters, both directly and through the publication of the CEDR Forum newsletter. CEDR publications include the Research Bulletin, which is published in each issue of News, Notes, and Quotes; the Hot Topics series of collections of research and professional opinion articles; and the Research for the Practitioner series of research summaries. CEDR also publishes a variety of books and monographs that are research-related. CEDR-supported research includes the Poll of Teachers' Attitudes Toward the Public Schools and awards for outstanding doctoral dissertations. On a broader level, each of PDK's nine districts receives project funds that can be used to support area- and chapter-based research and other activities. Additional research can be found in the form of the annual PDK/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools, the results of which are published in the Kappan each fall. PDK's Center for Professional Development and Services (CPD&S) provides community support by offering the PACE program. PACE stands for Polling Attitudes of Community on Education, and the program is a way for communities to tailor the PDK/Gallup Poll for local opinion sampling and community involvement. The latest PDK/Gallup Poll also can be found on the PDK website at www.pdkintl.org/kappan/kpol0009.htm. It is in the Kappan area, as is an author index to the most recent volume year of the Kappan. Print resources on research and evaluation include a variety of books, such as A Hands-On Guide to School Program Evaluation, Qualitative and Action Research: A Practitioner Handbook, Administrator Evaluation Handbook: How to Design a System of Administrative Evaluation, Legal Research, An Educator's Guide to Finding Resources in the Public Domain, Evaluating Professional Development, Action Research Facilitator's Handbook, and Getting Excited About Data. These titles and many more can be found in the annual PDK catalog and on the website. Finally -- and only because I am out of space -- CPD&S also offers a variety of decision-maker services, such as a customized opinion survey, which are done in cooperation with CEDR and the Center for Survey Research at Indiana University. Talk about one-stop shopping! Whether you plan to conduct research or need to read the findings of other researchers, Phi Delta Kappa International likely can provide the resources or point you in the right direction.

Program Takes Guesswork Out of Assessing Student Teachers Judging a student teacher's performance has long involved the personal perceptions of the classroom teacher and university supervisor. A new guide available from PDK will help standardize the process and make it less subjective. Evaluation of Student Teachers, available from PDK's Center for Professional Development and Research (CPD&S), combines the Interstate New Teacher Assessment Support Consortium (INTASC) standards and a performance-level assessment based on the work of Charlotte Danielson. The guide, developed at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, will help in the assessment of student teachers' abilities by taking the guesswork out of defining their ability level. The INTASC standards have been adopted by about half of the states as a way to assess the readiness of new educators for licensure. The standards define a core of 10 common principles of teaching knowledge and skills that new educators should achieve. By scoring each aspect identified by INTASC in a rubric based on Danielson's design, new educators will get a concrete idea of their ability. "This guide helps everyone involved make a good formative evaluation of the student's work," Shari Bradley, director of CPD&S explained. "The students, their classroom teacher, and their university supervisor all use the guide to track achievement during student teaching. It shows the students where they stand in their development of necessary skills. And it can be used to help the students improve while they are still in the classroom, thereby giving them a better chance at achieving proficiency in the standards." A supplement to the guide is the Portfolio Handbook, also created at Ball State, which demonstrates understanding of the standards through examples of the student teacher's work. Together, the two instruments help show that the teacher understands and practices the INTASC standards. The Portfolio Handbook will be packaged with three guides (for the student, the classroom teacher, and university supervisor). Bradley reported that Evaluation of Student Teachers will be indispensable for all colleges that have adopted the INTASC standards. "All colleges and universities that train teachers will find this useful, whether they have adopted the INTASC standards or not," she added. For more information about Evaluation of Student Teachers, contact the International Office.

Membership Forum by Billie Spellman, Director of Membership Q: My local chapter has surrendered its charter. How can I keep my PDK membership? A: We always regret losing a chapter and appreciate your loyalty. You can still tap into the services provided by the International Office even though your chapter has ceased its operation. Also, there is always the possibility that the chapter may be reactivated or that a new chapter will be chartered in your area. In the meantime, your longevity with the organization will continue to accrue, and you will continue to enjoy the other benefits of membership in PDK. Q: How can I send the Kappan to a colleague who is not a member? A: The easiest way to send the Kappan to a nonmember colleague is simply to purchase a gift subscription for that person. That can be done by calling the International Office. The cost for a one-year subscription is $44. You also should think about inviting that colleague into Phi Delta Kappa. That provides your colleague not only with the Kappan, one of the most influential journals in education, but also with the many other benefits of PDK. Q: I am the membership vice president of our chapter. Can I send membership applications and fees to the International Office prior to the initiation? The chapter wants our candidates to begin receiving services as soon as possible. A: Your concern over getting services to your candidates as soon as possible is appreciated. However, the PDK Bylaws state that an individual must be initiated in order to become a member of a chapter. One option is to schedule more frequent initiations. Some chapters hold initiations monthly so that their candidates do not have to wait to benefit from membership. Q: I have not received any meeting notices or newsletters from my chapter. Why? A: You should be receiving meeting announcements and newsletters from your chapter on a regular basis. However, there are a couple of reasons why you might not be receiving them. First, you should make sure that your chapter has your correct address. Second, as you are aware, local chapter leadership depends on volunteers. Where there is strong leadership, the chapter thrives. Unfortunately, some chapters have difficulty filling their leadership posts and thus might not have the volunteers needed to conduct a mailing. If this is an issue in your chapter, perhaps an opportunity has been presented for you to step forward to assume the leadership roles that will preserve the welfare of the chapter. Regardless of why you are not receiving chapter mailings, you need to contact one of your chapter officers. You can get the contact information for your chapter officers by calling the International Office. Have a question about membership? Send it to Billie Spellman at the Phi Delta Kappa International Office.

Middle School in Focus The following books are resources related to middle-level education, but several also have broader applicability to teaching K-12. Those titles available through Phi Delta Kappa are indicated with links; however, not all titles are published by PDK. What Every Middle School Teacher Should Know, by Trudy Knowles and Dave F. Brown. The authors blend research and realistic applications to show how to create effective learning environments. Published by Heinemann. www.heineman.com Beyond Tracking: Finding Success in Inclusive Schools, edited by Harbison Pool and Jane A. Page. A range of perspectives is presented in 25 articles by such writers as Robert Slavin, Paul George, Jeannie Oakes, Anne Wheelock, and others. Published by Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation. The Internet and the First Amendment: Schools and Sexually Explicit Expression, by Fred H. Cate. Many middle-schoolers are just beginning to use the Web as a study tool. This book discusses important related legal issues. Published by Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation. Cases for Middle School Educators, by Theresa Gayle Siskind. Nineteen real-life cases bring to life theories and methods of middle-level education. Published by Scarecrow Press (Technomic Books). www.scarecrowpress.com Improving Classroom Questions, by Kenneth R. Chuska. All learning begins with questions. Chuska shows how to plan questions that lead to maximum student learning and higher-level thinking. Published by Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation. Teachable Movies for Elementary and Middle School Classrooms, by John Hulse. More than 100 films available on video are described in this handy audiovisual resource book. Published by Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation. Transforming Middle School Science Education, by Paul DeHart Hurd. The author draws on a half-century of experience and current thought to present a vision for improving science education. Published by Teachers College Press. www.teacherscollegepress.com Conflict Resolution in the Middle School, by William J. Kreidler and Rachel A. Pointer. This collection of books includes a curriculum guide and a student workbook. Published by Educators for Social Responsibility; available from Phi Delta Kappa International. I Read It, But I Don't Get It, by Cris Tovani. Step-by-step strategies demonstrate how teachers can help adolescents develop new reading comprehension skills. Published by Stenhouse. www.stenhouse.com Books available from Phi Delta Kappa International may be purchased by phoning 1-800-766-1156. Ask for the Order Department. The complete PDK catalog can be found online. Contact the publishers as noted for availability of the other titles on this page.

Louisville Hosts Third Legislative Council The 2001 Phi Delta Kappa International Legislative Council will meet in Louisville, Kentucky, on November 1-4. At the council the main activity will be a series of general sessions to conduct the business of the association, which includes acting on legislation from the nine districts and electing PDK's next president and two vice presidents. The four-day gathering also will incorporate meetings of the board of directors, the district representatives and area coordinators, and numerous committees. Legislative councils are held in odd-numbered years to vote on legislation from the district conferences, which occur in even-numbered years. The district conferences held last fall approved 183 pieces of legislation, including 33 proposed amendments to the PDK Constitution and Bylaws. Any amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws approved by the Legislative Council will be sent to the chapters for ratification. All Kappans are invited to attend the Legislative Council, though only area coordinators may vote on legislation. Kappans may attend the general sessions, legislative committee meetings, meal functions, district meetings, presentations, and a number of professional development activities. This year one Kappan will be sponsored to attend the council through the Paul H. Henkin Kappan Leadership Award. This award, funded by a generous grant from the late Paul H. Henkin, will be granted to a Kappan who has been in the field less than four years and works directly with children. For more information on this opportunity, contact the Educational Foundation at the International Office. This spring the chapters voted on a field of nine candidates for international office, narrowing the group to three finalists. The area coordinators will vote at the Legislative Council to elect one of these individuals as president-elect. The remaining two will be named vice presidents. The newly elected president-elect will assume the presidency of Phi Delta Kappa International in 2003. Also at the Legislative Council, current President-Elect Eve Proffitt will be sworn into office as President, succeeding outgoing President Rick Kolowski.               The 2001 Legislative Council meets at the Galt House Hotel, located on the Ohio River.