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The 13Th Annual ISNA-CISNA Education Forum Welcomes You! 13th Annual ISNA Education Forum April 6th -8th, 2011 The 13th Annual ISNA-CISNA Education Forum Welcomes You! The ISNA-CISNA Education Forum, which has fostered professional growth and development and provided support to many Islamic schools, is celebrating its 13-year milestone this April. We have seen accredited schools sprout from grassroots efforts across North America; and we credit Allah, subhanna wa ta‘alla, for empowering the many men and women who have made the dreams for our schools a reality. Today the United States is home to over one thousand weekend Islamic schools and several hundred full-time Islamic schools. Having survived the initial challenge of galvanizing community support to form a school, Islamic schools are now attempting to find the most effective means to build curriculum and programs that will strengthen the Islamic faith and academic excellence of their students. These schools continue to build quality on every level to enable their students to succeed in a competitive and increasingly multicultural and interdependent world. The ISNA Education Forum has striven to be a major platform for this critical endeavor from its inception. The Annual Education Forum has been influential in supporting Islamic schools and Muslim communities to carry out various activities such as developing weekend schools; refining Qur‘anic/Arabic/Islamic Studies instruction; attaining accreditation; improving board structures and policies; and implementing training programs for principals, administrators, and teachers. Thus, the significance of the forum lies in uniting our community in working towards a common goal for our youth. Specific Goals 1. Provide sessions based on attendees‘ needs, determined by surveys. 2. Increase number of focused and specialized sessions given by experts (Muslim and non- Muslim). 3. Promote more independent Islamic high schools in the nation. 4. Reward attendees with professional development credits. 5. Create task forces to research solutions for unique problems faced by Islamic schools. 6. Provide stronger networking during and after the forum. May Allah SWT reward the efforts of our educators and the institutions supporting the cause of Islamic Education in North America. ISNA Program Development & Educational Services Department 1 13th Annual ISNA Education Forum April 6th -8th, 2011 ISNA-CISNA 13th Annual Education Forum April 6-8, 2011 EDUCATION FORUM PROGRAM COMMITTEE Abdalla Idris Ali Email: [email protected] Sadeq Al-Hasan Email: [email protected] Dr. Salah Ayari Email: [email protected] Sufia Azmat Email: [email protected] Iman Hashem Email: [email protected] Kathy Jamil Email: [email protected] Susan Labadi Email: [email protected] Necva Ozgur Email: [email protected] Patricia Salahuddin Email: [email protected] Magda Elkadi Saleh Email: [email protected] Farhat Siddiqui Email: [email protected] Fawzia Tung Email: [email protected] Safaa Zarzour (Program Chair) Email: [email protected] 2 13th Annual ISNA Education Forum April 6th -8th, 2011 Table of Contents: Samar Abdel-Aziz- Fundraising for Islamic Schools…………………………………………………………………………………5 Sharifa Abukar & Ala Shehdah-Using Acuity InFormative Assessment Data to Support Collaboration in Professional Learning Communities………………………………………………………………………………………………………17 Sadeq Al-Hasan, Magda Elkadi Saleh, & Sue Labadi-Effective Meetings………………………………………………24 M. Arshad Anwar- Teaching Quran through Technology………………………………………………………………………32 Salah Ayari-Stick to Arabic and Make it Easy…………………………………………………………………………………………38 Sufia Azmat & Aslihan Yildiz-Odeh-Bullying: Recognition and Prevention- A Proactive Approach with an Islamic Perspective………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………43 Hatem Baizan & Kristin Szremski-Palestine and Jerusalem: History curriculum project for Islamic schools…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………52 Tatiana Coloso & Aishia Neal- Hands-On Books Closed: Integrating Character Education in Islamic Studies……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……58 Dalia El Deeb & Souheil Zekri- Qur’an Curriculum beyond Memorization: Development and Implementation of a Skill-Oriented Assessment Model……………………………………………………………………….…64 Hamed Ghazali-Creating a Data-Driven Culture in Islamic Schools…………………………………………………………74 Promoting Spiritual Environment in Islamic Schools-Inam-ul Haq……………………………………………………..…83 Nuzhat Hye-Project Based Learning…………………………………………………………………………………………………….…84 Seema A. Imam- Response to Intervention (RTI) in Private Islamic Schools…………………………………….……91 Kathy Jamil- Creating Collaborative Teams for Improving School Achievement……………………………………96 K. Rizwan Kadir-Endowments for Islamic Schools………………………………………………………………………………103 Susan Labadi- Mind Over Task: Capturing the Best in Participatory Techniques…………………………………107 Zahir Lewis-Etiquette with the Quran………………………………………………………………………………………………..113 Samia Ramzi Nabhan-How the IB-DP Programs Enhance Education for Arabic as a Second Language …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...119 Sawsan Maddah & Tamer Osman- Transforming Islamic Studies and Arabic Classes into the Most Beloved Classes in the School………………………………………………………………………………………………………………126 Abdul Malik Mujahid- Preparing Weekend Islamic School Teachers to Give their Best………………………132 3 13th Annual ISNA Education Forum April 6th -8th, 2011 Necva Ozgur & Amira Al-Sarraf How to Become a U.S. Dept. of Education National Blue Ribbon Schools…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………142 S. Fatima Quadri- The Ensaar Program………………………………………………………………………………………………..151 Habeeb Quadri & Denis Jarvinen - National Islamic Studies Standards and Assessments Program Analysis: The Good, The Bad, and The Future………………………………………………………………………………………155 Sarah Said-Humor Me with Staff Development…………………………………………………………………………………...163 Sarah Said, Ghada Fahmy, Anbereen Ali- Teaching Students to Use All Tools in the Writer’s Strategies for 6 + 1 Traits in Writing Instruction…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………171 Najeeba Sayeed -Miller & Stephanie Varon-Hughes – From Conflict Resolution to Prevention………..…177 Amina Shareef & Adrien Chauvet- Future Leader Development: Discourse Analysis to Understand and Negotiate Islamophobia………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………184 Ala Shehdeh- Working Towards Harmony: School Wide Discipline and Anti-Bullying Policies based on Islamic Principles. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………203 Fawad MS Yacoob-Developing Student Leaders and Activists: Integrating Academics and Community Outreach …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….209 DISCLAIMER: ISNA makes no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the contents of printed material or presenter opinions and statements, and expressly disclaims liability for errors, omissions, and content in communications 4 13th Annual ISNA Education Forum April 6th -8th, 2011 Fundraising for Islamic Schools Samar Abdel-Aziz Abstract________________________________________________________________________________ The work of Islamic schools is remarkable and praise-worthy, and many schools are accredited and serve their communities in invaluable ways, including a high level of professionalism, academic competency, and a focus on nurturing student growth. However, in order to continue the work they do, these private schools require funds. Although the need for funds is recognized, the task is often delegated to people without a system or process. This paper will serve as a first step to empowering fundraisers and development committee members to successfully raise money by providing them with tools, skills, and resources. About the Author______________________________________________________________________ Samar Abdel-Aziz attained a pharmacist degree from St. John's University in New York 1982. She currently is a Pharmacy Director for Biomed Pharmaceuticals, Home Infusion Pharmacy and has been involved with fundraisers since 1998 when New Horizon Elementary School, Irvine Campus was scheduled to be built. Samar chaired the Development Committee for 7 years at New Horizon and 5 years at Minaret Academy in Anaheim. Her Passion is fundraising for Muslim students and Muslim schools as well as Social Service efforts. And she fundraised for MPAC, Kinder USA and other Non Profit organization. Samar Has received awards from New Horizon, Minaret Academy and MPAC for her support and leadership drive in fundraising area. She also received the eagle award from Personal Development International and has reached highest level of Leadership seminars at PSI She is a Neuro Linquistic Programming coach. Fundraising for Islamic Schools______________________________________________________ INTRODUCTION Fundraising is a necessary part of any non-profit organization. The guidelines provided in this paper are aimed to serve as a tool for fundraising for any private, Islamic school, but the experiences that inform these guidelines are based on fundraising for elementary Islamic education. Fundraising is based on tapping into people‘s desire to help and give. Islam teaches that wealth is not diminished from charity, and people do indeed want to give, even in times of hardship. In fact, giving charitably in difficult times is encouraged Islamically. 5 13th Annual ISNA Education Forum April 6th -8th, 2011 God reminds us in chapter 3, verse 134 of the Quran that those who have good character are the ones ―Who spend [in the cause of Allah]
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