Number of Foreign Students in the U.S. Hit New High Last Year

CARO’LS SUMMARY

President Obama is in China this week as part of his four-stop trip to Asia, having visited Japan and Singapore earlier this month, he arrived in Shanghai yesterday and will fly to Beijing later today. In a town-hall style meeting where the president spoke to college students in Shanghai–most were hand picked by the officials of the Chinese government–he praised their country for its spectacular rise in the global economy and said the United States welcomes their success. China experienced a sharp slowdown last year and early this year, but is now in the midst of another growth spurt. According to expert forecasters, the country’s economy is likely to grow by about 8 percent, by far the best performing major economy, accounting for much of the world’s economic growth this year. They are expected to surpass Germany as the world’s biggest exporter, and hit a trade surplus in excess of $200 billion.

One result of their country’s economic growth is an influx of Chinese students enrolling in U.S. colleges and universities, as the Chronicle of Higher Education article below reports. More Chinese families can afford to ramp up their children’s educational pursuits and many want to send them to the U. S. for higher education. According to new data from the Institute of International Education in its “Open Doors” report, “Some 671,616 international students attended U.S. institutions in 2008-9, an increase of almost 8 percent from a year earlier. First-time-student enrollments grew even more robustly, by nearly 16 percent.”

However, the news isn’t all good. “Everything has to be set against the economic crisis we’re mired in,” says Ken Curtis, assistant vice president for international education and global engagement at California State University at Long Beach. For example, a survey this fall of 700 institutions shows the downside: While half of the institutions reported foreign-student enrollment increases this year over last, a quarter experienced declines. A second recent survey, by the Council of Graduate Schools, found that growth in the number of first-time international students in American graduate schools was flat. Enrollments from India and South Korea, two of the three largest sources of foreign students, declined. “The question,” says Debra W. Stewart, the council’s president, “is the extent to which we can continue to rely on international students to feed our graduate schools.” Another issue is the decline in graduate enrollments. Both the Open Doors data and the council’s report suggest a shift in the makeup of the international student body in the U.S. The article reports: “If current enrollment trends hold, the number of foreign undergraduates, which includes students studying for associate or bachelor’s degrees, is poised to surpass the number of those pursuing graduate degrees.”

One reason for the declines in foreign-student enrollment is that students are looking elsewhere because the job outlook is bad here. “The U.S. was looked at as a land of opportunities. It was seen as a utopia for good students who were confident they would get jobs,” says Bindu Chopra, head of the Bangalore office of N&N Chopra Consultants, which advises students on studying overseas. “When they see that they are unlikely to get jobs, they’d rather not take loans and spend so much and go for a graduate degree.” Victor C. Johnson, senior adviser for public policy at Nafsa: Association of International Educators, says the recent slowdown points to the need for a national strategy for international-student recruitment. “We don’t want to wake up one day and find out that, because we have not adopted a national policy, we’re no longer competitive,” Mr. Johnson says. “We need to respond before it’s too late to do something.”

A big benefit to U.S. students is for students whose families can’t afford to send them abroad or who may have other reservations about foreign travel, an influx of international students means the world is coming to them. U. S. students need to become more globally minded and see their gifts and talents in the context of our global world. LifeBound’s book, Junior Guide to Senior Year Success: Becoming a Global Citizen, sets a new standard for getting ready for college by helping students think more broadly about their education in the global economy and how this impacts their future career. Study abroad and other programs are explored in the text, and students are exposed to real-life stories about “globe savers,” featuring people around the globe who are tackling some of our world’s biggest problems. For a review copy, please call the LifeBound office toll free 1.877.737.8510 or email us at contact@lifebound.com.

How can we help our U.S. students make the most of this opportunity to form relationships with students from other countries and become a global citizen?

How can we successfully balance and leverage integrating a high number of Chinese students on U.S. campuses while maintaining our recruiting numbers at the graduate level? What might be the alternatives to this prescribed method?

As this articles raises, how can we help ensure that Chinese students in the U.S. don’t cloister together rather than branching out while they’re here and forming relationships with their global counterparts?

ARTICLE
November 16, 2009
CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION
By Karin Fischer
The number of foreign students attending American colleges hit an all-time high in 2008, capping three consecutive years of vigorous growth, according to new data from the Institute of International Education.
Some 671,616 international students attended U.S. institutions in 2008-9, an increase of almost 8 percent from a year earlier. First-time-student enrollments grew even more robustly, by nearly 16 percent.

But the rosy data highlighted in the annual “Open Doors” report may obscure some potentially worrisome trends. Though graduate programs typically rely more on international students, enrollment grew far more strongly at the undergraduate level, where the number of students jumped 11 percent, than at the graduate level, where enrollments climbed a little more than 2 percent. What’s more, the increase in students pursuing undergraduate studies was largely dependent on enrollment from China, which shot up by 60 percent.

To view the entire article visit
http://bit.ly/3QPxuh

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For-Profit Colleges Say They Are Key to Obama’s College-Completion Goal

CAROL’S SUMMARY:

The Chronicle article below points out that for-profit colleges can play a big role in the Obama Administration’s goal of having the world’s highest number of college graduates by 2020. Several statistics are cited, most from the National Center for Education Statistics, unless otherwise noted as follows:

  • Approximately two million students attend for-profit colleges, or about eight percent of the college-going population
  • Between the 1996-7 and 2006-7 academic years, the number of associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees awarded by private, for-profit institutions rose at a faster rate than the number of those degrees conferred by public and private nonprofit colleges: The number of associate degrees conferred by for-profit institutions more than doubled during that 10-year span, to almost 118,000. For public institutions, the number increased by 22 percent, to 567,000, during the same period. At private, nonprofit colleges the number of associate degrees decreased by almost 11 percent, to 44,000. Associate degrees awarded by for-profit institutions made up 16 percent of all associate degrees awarded in 2006-7, up from 10 percent in 1996-7.
  • The number of bachelor’s degrees conferred by for-profit institutions increased even more quickly, to 71,000 from 12,000
  • Students at for-profit institutions also tend to complete associate degrees faster than students at nonprofit colleges: The average time to completion at a for-profit college is 25.4 months, compared with 32 months at a nonprofit institution.
  • Almost half of students enrolled at a for-profit college are the first in their family to pursue a higher education, and the same proportion of for-profit-college students come from families with an income below $40,000, according to the Career College Association.

For-profit institutions for all their merits also have their flaws.  Some scholars point out that proprietary institutions are less academically rigorous and offer a narrow range of degree options as compared to community colleges and state institutions.  Additionally, they have higher default rates on student loans than students at nonprofit colleges. The article also cites a report by the Government Accountability Office that disclosed shady practices by some officials at for-profit colleges who’ve helped students pass basic-skills tests or obtain invalid high-school diplomas so they could be eligible for federal aid.  The Obama administration is reviewing rules that govern for-profit institutions to address these issues.

Whether enrolling in a for-profit or traditional institution, many students enter college in the United States without the basic academic skills needed to be successful in their coursework. Researchers from the Manhattan Institute Center for Civic Information found that only 32% of students leave high school academically prepared for college (Greene & Foster, 2003). This percentage is even lower among Black and Hispanic students (20% and 16%, respectively).

Bridget Terry Long, an Associate Professor of Education and Economics at Harvard Graduate School of Education, has analyzed this issue, which lies at the intersection of K-12 and higher education. “These staggeringly [dismal] figures are especially disconcerting, because these students are likely to need remediation in college – and far less likely to complete a degree – than classmates who enter with higher levels of skill. Ultimately, not having a college degree means these individuals will have a harder time finding meaningful work in today’s knowledge economy.”

To read the results of her report, visit:

http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/leadership/LP101-407.html

LifeBound’s mission is to fully prepare students for success in the 21st Century starting at the fifth grade level, since middle school is when many students begin to slip academically and behavior patterns are formed that contribute to or detract from their future success in school and in life.  To receive review copies of LifeBound’s student success and transition materials, please contact us by calling toll free at 1.877.737.8510, email at contact@lifebound.com or visit us online at www.lifebound.com.

ARTICLE

Chronicle of Higher Education

By Jennifer Gonzalez

Washington

With about two million students in the United States now attending for-profit colleges, a number that is expected to double by 2015, leaders of those institutions say their sector must play a key role if President Obama is to meet his goal of having the world’s highest number of college graduates by 2020.

The institutions are still viewed with skepticism by some consumers and policy makers, but for-profit colleges have grown steadily. Their officials say the colleges’ performance records on enrollment and graduation demonstrate the extent to which they can fulfill America’s higher-education needs.

 To view the entire article visit

http://bit.ly/3TFUnn

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Job Woes Exacting a Toll on Family Life

CAROL’S SUMMARY:

As the title of the New York Times article below reveals, when parents are under stress from a job loss their children also feel it. In this economy, unemployment is equally scary for both adults and children, and kids will pick up on the nonverbal cues and sense the stress. The article also cites a recent study from the the University of California, Davis, which “found that children in families where the head of the household had lost a job were 15 percent more likely to repeat a grade.” In an earlier study, Ariel Kalil, a University of Chicago professor of public policy, and Kathleen M. Ziol-Guest, of the Institute for Children and Poverty in New York, “found that adolescent children of low-income single mothers who endured unemployment had an increased chance of dropping out of school and showed declines in emotional well-being.”

Psychologists agree that being honest with children about a parent’s job loss is better than trying to hide it from them, but you also don’t want to overwhelm them with details. School psychologist Dr. Karen Mackler of the Lawrence Public Schools says, “Give them facts in doses they can handle. You do not want children thinking or feeling they are the cause of the stress. Reassure them that this is a temporary setback and that you will get through it as a family. Straightforward communication in times of stress will actually strengthen the family unit.”

Additionally, real opportunities exist for parents to model resiliency to their kids and show their ability to be creative with new opportunities, such as working with a career coach and volunteering while out of work. These are skills parents want their children to use when facing their own setbacks. Career coaching can help give parents the tools for being proactive in their job search and figuring out what the next best steps might be. Coaching techniques, which center around asking powerful questions, can also help parents connect with their children and form a closer bond as a family, which is key to surviving difficult times. Today many schools offer programs on coaching skills to help parents open the lines of communication with their kids. For more information about coaching, please visit www.lifebound.com and click on “coaching,” or call us toll free and we can let you know when we might be presenting at a school in your area offering parent sessions on coaching skills. Parents who are out of work need all the support we can give.

ARTICLE:
Job Woes Exacting a Toll on Family Life
By MICHAEL LUO
New York Times
Published: November 11, 2009

THE WOODLANDS, Tex. — Paul Bachmuth’s 9-year-old daughter, Rebecca, began pulling out strands of her hair over the summer. His older child, Hannah, 12, has become noticeably angrier, more prone to throwing tantrums.

Initially, Mr. Bachmuth, 45, did not think his children were terribly affected when he lost his job nearly a year ago. But now he cannot ignore the mounting evidence.

To view this entire article visit www.nytimes.com

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Racial Achievement Gap Still Plagues Schools

The big question posed by the NPR story below that has yet to be answered is whether lower-level classes can hold students to higher standards, or whether any sorting system sends the wrong message to students about their ability to learn. Tracking has been a fundamental aspect of education in the U.S. since the early part of this century when public schools devised a system of curriculum tracks in order to accommodate the diverse group of students attending school for the first time. Recently, tracking has generated a large volume of research and policy analysis. Here’s a summary from the National Center for Education Statistics:

“There has been much debate over whether or not tracking creates unequal quality in educational experiences and later opportunity (Oakes, Garnoran, and Page 1991). There is also concern about whether tracking perpetuates, rather than alleviates, differences in children created by socioeconomic stratification (Oakes 1992). This issue has been particularly relevant for educators and researchers concerned about equal access to education by minority students who, in racially integrated schools, are disproportionately represented in curricula designed for low-ability or non-college-bound students.” The National Center for Education Statistics also reports: “Postsecondary students who take remedial reading are about half as likely as those who take no remedial courses to earn a degree or certificate.”
Source: http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2004/section3/indicator18.asp

Typically, students are assigned to levels by a combination of grades, test scores and teacher recommendations. Columbia Principal Lovie Lilly, who is African-American, conducted research on the experience of black students at her school while studying for her doctoral degree. “Black children in higher-level classes were ignored, or perceived that they were being ignored, or did not feel comfortable going to the teacher after school to get help,” Lilly says. “They gave up and decided to go to level three classes where at least there were other black children.”

Remediation is also costly. Here are annual estimates from one district that tracks this data, Maryland Public Schools:

  • Families pay: $283 million
  • Taxpayers pay: $978 million

How can schools boost the lowest performers while improving achievement for all?

What role do learning styles and multiple intelligences play in the educational outcomes of students?

How can we better prepare students for a love of learning and college level work?

ARTICLE:
Racial Achievement Gap Still Plagues Schools
by Nancy Solomon
October 28, 2009
NPR

American schools have struggled for decades to close what’s called the ‘minority achievement gap’ — the lower average test scores, grades and college attendance rates among black and Latino students.

Typically, schools place children who are falling behind in remedial classes, to help them catch up. But some schools are finding that grouping students by ability, also known as tracking or leveling, causes more problems than it solves.

To view this entire article and listen to NPR visit www.npr.org

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Transfer Students Less Engaged in Campus Activities, Survey Finds

CAROL’S SUMMARY:

The Chronicle article below reports on the results of a new study, by the National Survey of Student Engagement, known as Nessie, which found that transfer students do not engage in “higher impact” activities such as internships, study abroad or project work with faculty as do “native” students who attend the same school freshmen through senior year. The study also distinguished between two groups: “horizontal” transfer students, who made transfers between four-year colleges; and “vertifical” transfer students who transferred from community colleges to four year institutions. Here’s a sampling of the statistics:

* 62% of native seniors said they participated in internships versus only 49% of horizontal-transfer students and 43% of vertical-transfer students.
* The biggest gap was in study abroad: only 7% of vertical students compared with 15% of the horizontal group; 20% of the native students studied abroad.

The report also stressed the importance of a culminating senior experience that “integrates and synthesize learning within the academic major, provides opportunities to reflect on the overall college experience and may facilitate the transition to life after college.” Experts say we need to place the same emphasis on transfer students that we do on incoming freshmen and to sustain that engagement through all four years of college.

If students today don’t get experience outside of school from a part-time job, one or more internships and volunteer work, they often lack the valuable “soft skills” that success outside of school requires. In addition to learning about how to do work, follow-up on projects and see things through to completion, students also get exposed to what they do and don’t like which can be valuable for narrowing down career choices. Many students today will need to start in an area that is not their dream job, but if they work with that starting point and develop their skills as well as knowledge, they will likely be moving upwards and onwards to more rewarding work with better pay.

ARTICLE:
Chronicle of Higher Education
Transfer Students Less Engaged in Campus Activities, Survey Finds
By Ben Terris
November 8, 2009

Not all transfer experiences are created equal.

So says the latest National Survey of Student Engagement, which for the first time compared data from students who had made “vertical” transfers, from community colleges to four-year institutions, and students who had made “horizontal” transfers, between four-year colleges.

“It’s important that we look at these two groups as distinct populations,” says Alexander C. McCormick, director of the survey. “After all, they change institutions for very different reasons and should therefore have different experiences.”

To view this entire article visit www.chronicle.com

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Educational Video Games Mix Cool With Purpose

CAROL’S SUMMARY:
Today’s generation of students loves video games and some companies are trying to put this passion “to good use.” In the article below, children “are playing educational video games as part of their school curriculum, in after-school programs or via the Web from home.” Sasha Barab, professor at Indiana University, created Quest Atlantis, a game that incorporates science. Barab states in the article, “Partly what I have to argue to teachers is that there’s value seeing that content bound up in a real-world story.” These educational video games are online for interaction and collaboration, use core subjects such as physics and math to finish a task or trial and work toward solving problems that relate to the real world. In Gamestar Mechanic players even have to defend their solutions to other Gamestar Mechanic players. Alan Gershenfiled, a former executive at Activision and the founder of E-Line Media, says “You’re essentially designing a digital system for others. That’s a very powerful 21st century skill.”

A New York City public school called Quest to Learn opened this fall and focuses on game-based learning. While this high initiative is a great start to engaging students in learning, how can traditional schools incorporate such educational video games in to their curriculum? How can publishers work to create content which truly involves students in creating their own learning? How will the role of teachers need to change to become a skilled facilitator given the scope of interactivity which technology provides?

ARTICLE:
New York Times
November 2, 2009
Educational Video Games Mix Cool With Purpose
By STEFANIE OLSEN

One of KC Phillips’s favorite video games is the Xbox shoot-’em-up Halo, because, he says, his dad taught him how to play it when he was younger.

Now 15 and a high school sophomore in Madison, Wis., KC views the game with a more discerning eye. Last year, he played Gamestar Mechanic, an educational video game that asks players to solve a set of puzzles in order to win enough power to design and create their own video games.

“Now every single time I play video games, I really think about how the designers built it and what mechanics went into it,” he said.

To view this entire article visit www.nytimes.com

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The Impact of Teachers

CAROL’S SUMMARY:

Who are your most memorable teachers? What did they do that made such a lasting impression on you? For one thing, you were probably inspired by them to achieve more, and they may have been instrumental in helping you experience a learning breakthrough. The breakthrough wasn’t just about the math problem or getting back the second draft of your essay. It was about an emotional connection to the teacher’s belief in you as a student. Teachers have long-lasting impacts on the lives of their students, and the greatest teachers inspire students toward greatness. One example of a great teacher is Michele Washington, who received Chicago’s prestigious Golden Apple Award in 1989. No one at Golden Apple knew at the time, but Washington had been living on and off the streets since she was 15. “I was into bad stuff. I sat in crack houses. I saw people get shot at. Anything you can think of, I probably saw it or experienced it,” Washington recalled. “School was an escape from the realities I had to face at home and in my neighborhood.”

Washington started at DePaul University in the late summer of 1989 with financial assistance from Golden Apple. College was literally a way to escape that life, but she didn’t completely extract herself from it, continuing to let the distractions get the better of her. With steadfast guidance and assistance from Golden Apple, Washington pulled herself together and graduated. After a brief stint in adult education, she took over a 6th grade science class at Oscar Mayer School in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood.

Wanting to help more kids and realizing the positive impact that she could have on youth, the desire to lead and become a principal began to surface. Washington went back to school to get a master’s degree in a program designed for people who want to be principals at Hispanic schools. “I know there is something bigger I need to do. I accept that, and I’m ready for it,” she said. “Golden Apple was my lifeline. I owe them so much. And thanks to what they gave me, I now know what my purpose is.” Now the first African-American school administrator in Cicero, Illinois, Washington is completing her Ph.D. studies.

Source: http://www.goldenapple.org/pages/golden_apple_achievers/159.php

Teaching is a complicated job. It demands broad knowledge of subject matter, curriculum and standards; enthusiasm, a caring attitude and a love of learning; knowledge of discipline and classroom management techniques; and a desire to make a difference in the lives of young people. The article below announces that the Gates Foundation is conducting a study on teacher quality, which is met with some criticism because teachers often feel threatened in their roles today, perhaps more than ever. Hopefully, the study will not only champion teachers to renew their passion for their profession, but it will honor teachers who are building a stronger, better-educated society.

How can we help ensure that our nation’s 1,450 colleges, universities and departments of education are doing an outstanding job of preparing teachers for the realities of the 21st century classroom?

How can we extend effective professional development approaches to the 2.4 million teachers working in 85,000 k-12 schools in the United States that contribute to strengthening the profession and improving the schools?

How can we help teachers boost their emotional intelligence so that they engage students in the classroom and inspire them to become lifelong learners?

ARTICLE:
Nearly 100 schools sign up for Gates-funded teacher quality study
by Anna Phillips
November 3, 2009

A two-year project to study what makes a teacher good or bad is taking root in some of the city’s schools after struggling to bring teachers on board.

The United Federation of Teachers and the city’s Department of Education announced in September that they had joined forces to promote a study of teacher effectiveness paid for by the Gates Foundation. The $2.6 million project, called Measures of Effective Teaching, will look at ways of measuring teacher quality beyond using test scores.

A UFT special representative, Joseph Colletti, said 96 schools, most of them high schools, have signed onto the project. The goal is to have 100.

To view this entire article visit www.gothamschools.org

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The Greatest Generation (of Networkers)

CAROL’S SUMMARY:

As the debate continues on the pros and cons of media multitasking, the article below offers a balanced perspective:

“This generation has a gift for multitasking, and because they’ve integrated technology into their lives, their ability to remain connected to each other will serve them and their employers well. Others contend that these hyper-socializers are serial time-wasters, that the bonds between them are shallow, and that their face-to-face interpersonal skills are poor.”

What does the research show? According to this article:

“Young workers spend more time than older workers socializing via their devices or entertaining themselves online. In a 2008 survey for Salary.com, 53% of those under age 24 said this was their primary “time wasting” activity while at work, compared to just 34% for those between ages 41 and 65. Online social networking while at work hampers business productivity, according to a new study by Nucleus Research. Almost two-thirds of those with Facebook accounts access them at their workplaces, the study found, which translates to a 1.5% loss of total employee productivity across an organization.

A study this year by psychology students at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Ga., found that the more time young people spend on Facebook, the more likely they are to have lower grades and weaker study habits. Heavy Facebook users show signs of being more gregarious, but they are also more likely to be anxious, hostile or depressed. (Doctors, meanwhile, are now blaming addictions to “night texting” for disturbing the sleep patterns of teens.)”

In his book, OUTLIERS, Malcom Gladwell explores the work of Dr. Alan Schoenfeld, a math professor at Berkeley, who studied and videotaped countless students working on math problems. What he found, is that successful students were willing to take up to twenty minutes or more trying to figure out a problem through persisting, experimenting, reviewing the issues, trying a new tact, thinking out loud and simply not giving up. Success, according to Schoenfeld, is a function of persistence and not quitting—a willingness to work for twenty-two minutes when most people would give up after thirty seconds. This principal applies to any area of learning or school work. Only with mastery can the time to do tasks be shortened.

How much is texting promoting the instant gratification tendency which flies in the face of working twenty-two minutes on something whether it is math, or putting together a model airplane, sewing a dress or fixing a broken lamp? How much are our students willing to take the time to work towards mastery and to what extent might a preponderance of social networking threaten students’ ability to do quality work, follow-through and gain real understanding?

ARTICLE:
The Greatest Generation (of Networkers)
by Jeffrey Zaslow
Wall Street Journal

A 17-year-old boy, caught sending text messages in class, was recently sent to the vice principal’s office at Millwood High School in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The vice principal, Steve Gallagher, told the boy he needed to focus on the teacher, not his cellphone. The boy listened politely and nodded, and that’s when Mr. Gallagher noticed the student’s fingers moving on his lap.

He was texting while being reprimanded for texting.

“It was a subconscious act,” says Mr. Gallagher, who took the phone away. “Young people today are connected socially from the moment they open their eyes in the morning until they close their eyes at night. It’s compulsive.”

To view this entire article visit www.online.wsj.com

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The School Volunteer Jobs That Most Help Your Kids

CAROL’S SUMMARY:
The Wall Street Journal article below highlights the volunteer roles in school that allow parents to deliver the biggest benefit to their children. To help your child in school, the writer suggests picking volunteer stints that enable you to:

* Learn about classes and curriculum.
* Build relationships with teachers and staff.
* Show the value you place on education.
* Learn how problems at school are resolved.

While every parent can choose to volunteer for projects or assignments according to their own areas of interest and ability relevant to the school’s needs, the research-based advice cited in this article helps steer parents toward the best volunteer options according to their children’s developmental stages as they move through elementary, middle school and high school. For example, children in grades k-5 typically love to see their parents in the classroom, so if you have to choose, helping out with a classroom party or being a chaperone on fields trips trumps serving on the board where kids don’t get to see what you’re doing. In addition to volunteering, the experts underscore an even bigger way to positively impact your child’s life: coaching.

“If you lack time to volunteer, or if you find yourself at the bottom of a long waiting list of wannabe school helpers, don’t despair: How you coach your child at home matters far more.

Throughout school, the most important parental role of all is to shape your child’s attitude toward learning and school, communicate high expectations, and help him or her set goals and solve learning problems,” summarizes the WSJ education author, Sue Shellenbarger.

LifeBound is committed to helping parents learn coaching skills so they can motivate, inspire and connect with their kids. Next week we’re launching a new series of sessions around coaching at schools throughout Jefferson County and in Colorado Springs with coaching facilitator Maureen Breeze, the co-author of LifeBound’s new book, Critical and Creative Thinking for Teenagers. For more information about LifeBound’s coaching resources for parents at your school, please visit our web site at www.lifebound.com and click on the “coaching” button, or email us at contact@lifebound.com or call toll free 1.877.737.8510.

ARTICLE:
The School Volunteer Jobs That Most Help Your Kids
by Sue Shellenbarger
October 7, 2009
Wall Street Journal

Rosa Rivera receives so many invitations to volunteer at her children’s school and other activities that the dozens of daily emails and calls about various projects can be “just overwhelming,” says the mother of two.

At her children’s stage, ages 7 and 9, her top priority is to take the projects that will help them most in school and life, says Ms. Rivera, Austin, Texas. But it can be hard to figure out which projects those are. “You’re pulled and stretched in so many directions, now more than ever,” she says.

Cash-strapped schools are leaning hard on parents for help this fall. Some 53% of parents plan to volunteer at their children’s schools, up from 44% last year, says a poll of 1,086 parents by Harris Interactive and GreatSchools, a nonprofit parent-involvement group. The re-opening of schools this fall has triggered a 50% increase in volunteer signups at VolunteerSpot.com, a Web site for organizing volunteers, to 75,000 from 50,000 last summer, says Karen Bantuveris, VolunteerSpot founder.

To view this entire article visit www.online.wsj.com

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