DOCUMENT RESUME ED 460 984 UD 032 539 AUTHOR Thomas, Alice P., Ed. TITLE Plain Talk about K.I.D.S. (Kids Inclined toward Difficulty in School). A Summit on Educational Change: Transforming Crisis into Success. Proceedings (New Orleans, Louisiana, March 3-5, 1997). INSTITUTION Center for Development & Learning, Covington, LA. ISBN ISBN-0-8388-222-3 PUB DATE 1998-00-00 NOTE 349p.; For the 1995 proceedings, see UD 032 538. PUB TYPE Collected Works Procee'dings (021) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC14 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Academic Achievement; *Attention Deficit Disorders; Class Size; Conferences; Delinquency; *Educational Change; Elementary Secondary Education; *High Risk Students; Juvenile Justice; *Learning Disabilities; Parent Participation; Special Education; *Teaching Methods ABSTRACT The "Plain Talk about K.I.D.S.(Kids Inclined toward Difficulty in School)" summit is a biennial conference that addresses the challenges of educational change from several strategic directions at once, combining theory and research with concrete strategies and solutions from the educational, medical, judicial, business, and parental professions. The 15 papers presented in this proceedings are followed by 10 chapters, each containing a report of a panel discussion. These discussions considered teaching methods, home and school relationships, assessment, justice, teacher education, and other aspects of educational change. The delivered papers are: (1) "Paying Attention to Attention and Anxiety" (Edward M. Hallowell); (2) "What Technology Holds for the Future: Mrs. Eldridge's Arm" (John Gage); (3) "Cohesion's Lessons: When the Learning Process Fails To Connect" (Melvin D. Levine); (4) "Self-Worth, Resilience, and Hope: The Search for Islands of Competence" (Robert B. Brooks); (5) "What Does It Take To Learn? The Effects of Class Size on Learning" (Charles M. Achilles); (6) "A Teaching and Learning Quilt" (Priscilla L. Vail); (7) "Rights vs. Reality: Knowing the Child Is More Important than Knowing the Law"(G. Emerson Dickman, III); (8) "Writing-itis: A Common but Often Overlooked Problem Experienced by School Children" (Glenda C. Thorne); (9) "To Medicate or Not To Medicate" (Gerard A. Ballanco);(10) "Plain Talk from a Parent's Point of View" (Ruby Bridges Hall); (11)"Life Skills for the Juvenile Offender: A New Approach for the Criminal Justice System" (David Admire);(12) "Improving Teacher Education in Collaboration with Schools" (Jeffrey Gorrell and Robert K. Wimpelberg); (13) "The Indispensable Role of Informed Parents" (Anne Ford);(14) "Children with Vulnerabilities: When Will We Turn on the Lights?" (Allan Berman); and (15) "All I Have Learned about Learning" (Bernice McCarthy). Each chapter contains references. (Contains 1 figure and 10 tables.) (SLD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. , °RIDS INCLINEQ, DIFFICULTY IOCHOOL U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION PERMISSION TO REPRODUCEAND CENTER (ERIC) DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL X Thisdocument has been reproduced as HAS received from the person or organization BEEN GRANTEb BY originating it CI Minor changes have been madeto Abu Thoena improve reproduction quality qigr r Ae eveloprnenf Points of view or opinions statedin this 1/7 q document do not necessarily represent TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESUURCES official OERI position or policy INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 1 Plain Talk About KI.D.S.* *Kids Inclined toward Difficulty in School A Summit on Educational Change: Transforming Crisis into Success ALICE P. THOMAS, M.ED. EDITOR Founder and Executive Director Center for Development and Learning (CDL) Covington, Louisiana Educators Publishing Service, Inc. Cambridge, Massachusetts 3 ev2,y% 401 Educators Publishing Service, Inc. 31 Smith Place Cambridge, MA 02138 1089 1-800-225-5750 www.epsbooks.com Copyright CD 1998 by Educators Publishing Service, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic or mechani- cal means, including photocopying, without permission in writing from the publisher. Printed in U.S.A. 4 To my husband David, and my children, Russell and Amanda, for their love, lessons, faith, wisdom, and hope. Contents Preface ix Acknowledgments xi I. PRESENTATIONS Chapter One Paying Attention to Attention and Anxiety 1 EDWARD M. HALLOWELL, M.D. Chapter Two What Technology Holds for the Future: Mrs. Eldridge's Arm 17 JOHN GAGE, PH.D. Chapter Three Cohesion's Lesions: When the Learning Process Fails to Connect 33 MELVIN D. LEVINE, M.D. Chapter Four Self-Worth, Resilience, and Hope: The Search for Islands of Competence 41 ROBERT B. BROOKS, PH.D. Chapter Five What Does It Take to Learn? The Effects of Class Size on Learning 51 CHARLES M. ACHILLES, ED.D. Chapter Six A Teaching and Learning Quilt 71 PRISCILLA L. VAIL, M.A.T. Vi Plain Talk About KID.S. Chapter Seven Rights vs. Reality: Knowing the Child Is More Important than Knowing the Law 89 G. EMERSON DICKMAN, III, J.D. Chapter Eight Writing-itis: A Common But Often Overlooked Problem Experienced by School Children 105 GLENDA C. THORNE, PH.D. Chapter Nine To Medicate or Not to Medicate 113 GERARD A. BALLANCO, M.D., FAAP Chapter Ten Plain Talk from a Parent's Point of View 123 RUBY BRIDGES HALL Chapter Eleven Life Skills for the Juvenile Offender: A New Approach for the Criminal Justice System 129 THE HONORABLE DAVID ADMIRE Chapter Twelve Improving Teacher Education in Collaboration with Schools 145 JEFFREY GORRELL, PH.D. ROBERT K. WIMPELBERG, PH.D. Chapter Thirteen The Indispensable Role of Informed Parents 161 ANNE FORD Chapter Fourteen Children With Vulnerabilities: When Will We Turn on the Lights? 167 ALLAN BERMAN, PH.D. Chapter Fifteen All I Have Learned about Learning 179 BERNICE MCCARTHY, PH.D. 7 Contents * vii H. PANEL DISCUSSIONS 183 Chapter Sixteen Theory, Policy, Practice, and Reform: Reality-Based Action Plans 183 Chapter Seventeen Revolutionizing Teacher Education 209 Chapter Eighteen Best Practices In Elementary School 225 Chapter Nineteen Best Practices In Secondary School 239 Chapter Twenty Medication 255 Chapter Twenty-One How to Help at Home 273 Chapter Twenty-Two Accountability 287 Chapter Twenty-Three Home/School Relationships 301 Chapter Twenty-Four Assessment 311 Chapter Twenty-Five Justice 323 Appendix Resource Organizations 337 About tbe Speakers 339 8 Preface (4' Time, tradition, and society present a woeful foe, but there are dreams that even the shalpest sword cannot pierce, dreams that are not of the dreamer but of themselves. It is these dreams that create their creators, those untarnished by fear or doubt, that ultimately become the truth. Russell Thomas, age sixteen, on ending discrimination PLAIN TALK ABOUT K.I.D.S.*, a biennial summit, addresses the challenges of edu- cational change from several strategic directions simultaneously. It combines cutting- edge theory and research with concrete strategies and solutions from the educational, medical, judicial, business, and parental (yes, parenting is considered an "equal" here) professions. The PLAIN TALK 1997 summit was attended by 579 participants from sixteen states. And why were they here? Current educational systems and schools are failing to address the learning needs of far too many of our children. PLAIN TALK offers an opportunity to have the dynamics of the learning process demystified and to build a network of professions and professionals committed to impacting change. And in 1997, that it did. We live in exciting times for education. As our nation moves toward the new century, many new challenges and opportunities face us. We have a duty to act re- sponsibly as concerned citizens who want to influence the new shape and scope of education available to all of our children. This is a mandate that deserves our undi- vided attention and investment, for a vibrant educational system is the cornerstone of our communities and our society. Those who attended PLAIN TALK 1997 gave unified focus to how they might become a part of the solution. PLAIN TALK ABOUT K.I.D.S.* 1997 was an enormous success, not only be- cause of all the knowledge and wisdom shared during those three days; it was, for most of us there, a spiritual binding of purpose and dedication. Those of us who were there left more enlightened, more positive, more committed, and more deter- mined than when we came. The following pages of these proceedings are an at- tempt to renew the commitments made during those three days for those who attended, and to share these commitments with a broader community of interested parents and professionals. The educational, medical, judicial, business, and parental professions are rep- resented within the following chapters. Each has its unique contribution. Each rec- ognizes an unavoidable responsibility to our children. By exchanging information and building on the expertise unique to each yet common to all, we can expect to influence a more effective and efficient educational evolution together. Each chapter will give the knowledge, research, and viewpoint of its author, ix Plain Talk About K.ID.S. with subjects ranging from anxiety to technology and from roles of parents to life skills for juvenile offenders. Each may be read separately; but together they speak strongly about what we can do to improve our educational systems and schools public, parochial, and privatefor all children, and especially for those who are at risk. We know this: All children can learn, all children want to learn, and all children deserve to learn by being taught in ways that increase their opportunities for success. All across America, children are failing, and schools are failing to respond. Educated children are more likely to grow up to be responsible, productive community members. Schools do not exist in a vacuum. They are interconnected with and dependent upon all of usour communities, our organizations, and our institutions. It is not enough to talk about school reform. Our entire society must buy into educational change for it to be effective.