September 29, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 9 Area Local schools receive Teaching American History Grant Several area school districts have been named the recipients of the U.S. Department of Education’s Teaching American History Grant. Those districts include Ramsey, Franklin Lakes, Ramapo Indian Hills, Waldwick, Mahwah, Ridgewood, and Wyckoff. The Teaching American History Grant, Profiles & Perspectives in American History was one of 124 grants awarded out of approximately 500 applications. There were seven awards to school districts in New Jersey. The 15 school districts that are part of The History Consortium at The Hermitage received $999,947 for the next three years for high quality professional development of 30 history teachers each year. The TAH Grant comes with the option for an additional $500,000 for an extension of two years. The grant is open to American history teachers serving grades five through 12. The partners in the grant include The Hermitage, The Gilder Lerhman Institute of American History, Deep Well Data Services, and Spectrum Consulting. The Ridgewood Board of Education is the L.E.A. responsible for the financial management of the grant, Dr. Barbara Oberg of Princeton University is the lead historian, and Hank Bitten of Ramapo Indian Hills is the project director. Each year, the group will meet with three historians from universities. The historians and professional authors Alan Brinkley and Eric Foner of Columbia University, Maxine Lurie of Seton Hall, Allida Black of George Washington University, Perry Leavell of Drew University, John Murrin of Princeton University, Ann Gordon of Rutgers University, Richard Kahlenberg of The Century Foundation, and Hermitage Historian Dr. Henry Bischoff will share current research with the teachers, introduce profiles of ordinary and famous Americans, and teach the perspectives on issues. The first year of the project will focus on the Colonial period, the U.S. Constitution, and the Early Republic. The second year will focus on slavery, expansion, and the industrialization of America, and the third year will feature the twentieth century. The fourth and fifth years will emphasize American foreign policy and critical domestic and constitutional issues. The need for the TAH Grant was based on the results of a pre-test of 40 items taken by 60 teachers with a failing score of 51 percent. The weakest area was on the teaching of the American Revolution and Early Republic (1763-1815) with an average score of 42 percent. It was determined that the reason for these scores was that 67 percent of the teachers in the participating districts did not major in American history in college and the fact that 39 percent of the teachers have not taken a college level course in over five years, and an additional 31 percent have not had professional development in the past 10 years. The TAH Grant includes 13 days of seminars and workshops where teachers will read and discuss books, participate in seminars with historians, and conduct research. There are planned opportunities for teachers to research at The Hermitage (local history), Princeton University (Jefferson Papers), Rutgers University (Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton Papers), the FDR Library, and expectations for independent research at the Library of Congress and the New York Public Library, and presidential libraries and museums. Teachers will collaborate in teams to develop best practice lessons engaging students in problem-solving, decision-making, writing, simulations, historiography, media technology, and analyzing primary source documents. Participating teachers will take a pre and post-test and a benchmark for improvement has been set at an increase of 10 percent a year with the goal of 85 percent of the teachers receiving a passing score on a test based on national and college level questions. In addition, six master educators will observe each teacher four times during the year to evaluate the level of student engagement and critical thinking during the lesson. The collaborative best-practice lessons will be available on the Internet. The two history seminars scheduled for Saturdays and the evening “Kick-Off” event will provide a time for the public, teachers, and students to attend the presentation by one of the historians at The Hermitage. The Core Steering Committee began meeting in August to plan for the implementation of the grant. Students will directly benefit from the best practice lessons and engaging classroom activities, and teachers and administrators in urban and suburban districts will be encouraged to collaborate, share resources, and partner with universities and The Hermitage. Emmanuel (continued from page 8) readers in our community. Those miracles people in need. That has been the best part of the job -- meeting the wonderful people who give the items needed for our families, who volunteer time, and who contribute to our cause. The other part of the work that has deeply impacted me has been the incredible opportunity to speak with the parents of kids diagnosed with cancer and to witness the courage they bring forth when facing unbearable circumstances. That courage has always inspired me. By the time that you read this, Laura Savage will be the new regional director. By background, she is a case worker and fully understands the circumstances the families face. She welcomes your support on all levels, and I urge you to contact her and let her know how you might be able to help. ECF’s biggest needs remain: people to help write a check, people to coordinate a fundraiser, and people to help put a few hours in each week volunteering. Thank you for all of your support! WALDWICK CLEANERS & TAILORS Dear Advertisers, October is... Awareness Month Breast Cancer The staff of The Villadom TIMES has chosen this month to offer a focus on Women’s Health Issues and Breast Cancer Awareness. We look forward to your support by including your advertising message in this feature section throughout the month of October, which will afford us the opportunity to inform, share and educate our readers on issues of significance to all of us. 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