Back to School

According to the National Education Association, the New York schools have made significant strides in academic achievement over the past few years. In a nationwide comparison, the New York schools have improved student achievement, as well as the schools themselves. Though issues remain that challenge the New York educators, parents and the community can be assured that the New York schools are doing everything in their power to remedy these.

Students Are Achieving

Essential scoring on the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) exam has risen for the New York schools.

Fourth grader reading scores have risen by 26 percent between 1992 and 2003 for those students scoring in the highest two levels.

Writing scores have increased in the New York schools, making them among the nation’s best. Fourth graders now rank third in the nation on the NAEP, while eighth graders increased scoring by 43 percent between 1998 and 2002 in the highest two levels of the exam.

Math scores also have improved. Fourth grader scores nearly doubled between 1992 and 2003 at the two highest levels of the exam. Eight grader scores more than doubled at the highest two levels between 1990 and 2003.

The public New York schools have outperformed the private ones on Advanced Placement exams, courses through which high school students may earn college credit. Students attending public schools score higher in calculus, computer science, and physics.

College Entrance Exam scores have improved. More New York schools students are getting high scores on the SAT exam. Graduating seniors also have increased their scores on the math portion of the SAT by 28 percent since 1994, with a high score being 600 or above. Additionally, the New York schools are one of the top ten states, with high school graduates scoring in the top 20 percent nationally on the ACT and SAT exams.

More New York schools students are college bound! The New York schools are among the top eight states in the percentage of 18-24 year olds enrolling in college. This is good news for parents, the communities, and the businesses in New York.

New York Named One of Smartest States

New York has been named one of ten “smartest states” in the nation for its quality public elementary and secondary schools. Education Week gives the New York schools a grade of “A” (97 out of 100) for the high standards and accountability of the public schools.

Advanced Placement coursework is offered by 85 percent of the public schools, while only 60 percent of private schools offer them in the New York schools.

The New York schools students take more advanced coursework. The New York schools are among the top eight states in percentage of high school students taking upper level math courses and among the top ten states for advanced science coursework taken.

The New York schools are leading the nation in cutting edge Foreign Language Immersion Programs (FLIP). They are among the top ten states nationally in the percentage of public elementary schools offering FLIP coursework.

Quality teachers also push the New York schools in front of other states, with their middle and high school teachers among the most qualified in the nation.. The number of teachers in the New York schools that are nationally certified by the prestigious National Board of Testing Standards has nearly tripled since 2000. Math teachers with majors in their field for the seventh through twelfth grades place the New York schools among the top eight states, with similarly-qualified science teachers for the same grades placing the New York schools among the top seven states.

Lastly, the New York schools provide at least one computer for instruction for every 4.2 public school students.

The New York schools have come a long way over the past decade. The educators and administrators have much of which to be proud.

Kids bickering with you about what brand of jeans or bag to buy? Then it must be that time of year again - time to buy school supplies.

If you are a parent buying for your grade school children you’ve been learning the ropes for a few years. However, if your child is new to school or you’re doing your own school shopping for the first time, you can benefit from a heads up on how, what and where to shop.

You wont lose your mind and waste money if you follow these five tips.

DON’T DELAY

Shop early to avoid disappointment and get the best deals. Last minute shoppers will find their favorite stores are out of stock.

All of the items you need will be in the stores by August and don’t forget that the dollar stores will be a good place to get all of your pens, paper and accessories.

If you are running out of time then try a stationary or office supplies store. They will likely have all of the products in stock and save you time but be warned that it is unlikely they will be the cheapest.

BUY AT BIG BOX STORES

If you have a few friends that need supplies for their kids (or college buddies) consider buying in bulk at membership stores or other bulk stores.

Splitting cartons of pens, paper and other items will save you money, although they may not stock everything you need.

YOUR SCHOOL MAY HAVE WHAT YOU NEED

Your school may be able to buy supplies in bulk and share the expense between the parents or classmates.

Great savings can be had and also removes the hassle of shopping.

SEASON’S END SAVINGS

Now’s the time to stock up on summer and sport related clothing. If your child will be taking part in after school activities like swimming or gymnastics you can get a great deal on their gear with end-of-season sales.

Look for double-duty clothes that can be worked into fall and winter wardrobes as well. Skirts worn with thick tights, tank tops worn layered under long sleeve shirts and sweaters or cropped pants tucked into tall boots are all trends that move summer staples into trendy fall and winter wardrobes.

As a note of caution: make sure you’re aware of school dress codes when making fashion choices. Some schools forbid bare shoulders or skirts shorter than a required length.

THE RIGHT BAG IS KEY

Be selective when choosing a school bag for your kids. Care should be taken to make sure it has padded shoulder straps and is not carried below waist level to avoid injury. Try and pick one with a waist strap which will provide extra support.

Properly worm backpacks should be used for heavy books and not slouchy purses or hobo bags. If bags or sacs are to be used then make sure that you get one with a fitted strap that crosses the body. This will help spread the weight.

Every new school year holds possibilities and excitement. Have fun with back-to-school shopping and try not to stress out!

Whenever the school season is just around the corner, there’s only one thing that parents are thinking about - the impending costs. Education is a primary right and a pertinent need of every child but it can become very costly. Availing of scholarships and education grants for your children is the best way to get them through schooling. But of course, only a small percentage of children can be given these privileges.

There are simple and effective measures that parents can employ in cutting the costs of their children’s schooling, especially during the back-to-school season. Most often, these measures are often taken for granted, but don’t miss out!

Organize and Save

Keep an inventory of your children’s school supplies and keep it organized. If you are not organized, you will be spending more money on replenishing your supplies. Small things like pencils and crayons may not cost too much, but if you replenish your supplies unnecessarily, you are losing valuable money.

You should also try involving the kids when making the inventory. This will give them a sense of ownership for their things and would know where to take and put their things.

Tax Holidays

Tax holidays are often offered by many states during the back-to-school season. Price ceilings will be put on different school gears. You might want to do a little research and ask about the schedule and the details of the tax holidays in your area.

Bulk Buying

It’s a basic economic principle - “the more you buy, the more you save”. Well, this is applicable if you are buying a specific item which you will really need in the near future. In buying pencils, for example, you might want to buy a box rather than buying one for each of your kids. Face it, you will be needing to replenish these after some time, so might as well avail of the lower price by buying in bulk.

Transportation

You might want to consider buying your child a bicycle for him to bring to school. This, of course, is not always feasible. Finding a cheap and safe way to bring your children to school daily is an important thing. Car pools and school transportation services are options that you can look at.

Snacks

Whenever you have the time and energy to prepare food for your children, do so. You will not only be saving on the pocket money that you will give to them but you are also secured that your children are eating healthy and safe meals.

Getting your children through school is a hard task and a costly one. Saving money through practical and simple means can assist you in this endeavor. The benefits will eventually add up to bring a brighter future to your children.

As parents, college students and kids alike prepare for the back-to-school season, there are plenty of things on everyone’s minds. While university enrollees prepare to throw down hundreds on college textbooks, younger students are getting their school supplies lists from new teachers. However, there is one item that should be on every new school year list: anti-virus software.

These days, most every student uses a computer for homework, research and we cannot forget about games and music downloads. Using a PC is nearly mandatory in anyone’s daily life in the 21st century, especially a student’s. For many college students, heading back to campus means connecting their wireless routers to the university network, which may pose a greater threat than the Web connection from the comfort of your home.

The Information Age has opened doors to countless benefits, but also pitfalls. More students are expected to email professors or teachers with file after attached file of book reports and research papers. What about online classes? Many college campuses require students to participate in Web portal classroom discussions and work critiques, which utilizes file sharing.

Anti-virus software is a key component of any student’s desktop or notebook PC, mainly because of the high volume of downloads, emails and files that are sure to make their way into each and every computer. According to a consumer survey, about 78% of respondents intend to spend the most on school supplies, coming in over apparel and book bags. While school supplies used to mean folders, pens and post-it’s, items like anti-virus software are becoming the norm and the necessary. After all, the more you use a computer, the better your security and virus protection must be.

Going back to school is nothing fun but your kids still want to impress the crowds with the latest shoes, and clothes. The school supplies isn’t that important but you should still get quality notebooks and folders that are affordable. Since I will be going back to school soon I should know what clothes your children want.

For the teens it depends on a lot of variables. First you have to ALWAYS take them with you when you go shopping for school clothes. Otherwise you’ll be buying things that you think are the latest thing, when your child won’t like them at all. Then you’ll have to go with the hassle of returning everything. Before you go shopping, make sure to bring a list. It never hurts to be organized. Set up a list of supplies, clothes, shoes, and be ready for anything that is forgotten.

Shoes are of course essential. You may need more than one pair. Sandals and flip-flops are pretty popular. You don’t have to buy the flip-flops at Victoria secret or Abercrombie because k-mart and target all have them. You also need good sneakers for gym class. My favorites are Nike air. They are small, lightweight, and very breezy. They also come with cool neon stripes and many different colors. For everyday use Chuck Taylor’s converse are great! They have many different types, colors, and styles. The ones I like the best are high tops because they don’t chaff your ankles as much as the regulars. Another favorite of teens are slip-ons. Rocket Dog is the newest thing because they come with all these cute designs. But the backs are very rough on the ankles. Of course there are many other brands that look the same but the main goal is to find cute comfortable shoes.

For summer school clothes there are many trends. Shorts and a tank top are always worn during the summer. But in school you have to make sure the tank tops don’t have spaghetti straps. The best brands for summer tank tops are probably Hollister, Abercrombie and Fitch, and Victoria Secret (as long as its appropriate). Shorts and Capri’s are great for summer but it’s also good to have a thin pair of jeans for when mosquitoes are hungry. Light blue Tommy jeans are really comfortable! One very popular trend is multi-colored plaid fabrics on Capri’s and shorts. One good brand of shorts is Tyte jeans but Abercrombie is good too. Be sure to shop around in other stores for better prices.

For the right teen trend colors look for bright sunny colors. Hot pinks, bright blues, and neon greens. Funky designs are in as long as they are bright colors mixed with black. They really stand out with any color shorts.

The last item of clothing for school is a jacket. You might not think so in the summer but inside the school it gets pretty cold. A thin trench coat would be very cute and comfortable. Big cottony Abercrombie jackets are in style. They have a good feel, are warm, and won’t get worn out in the wash. Also check Target for cute cheaper jackets.

EXPENSIVE BRAND TIP: If you like Ed Hardy Tees and can’t afford to pay so much for it, check out L.O.L because some shirts look like Ed Hardy but cost a lot less.

It is said that a good quality education is one of the best legacies a parent can bestow on his or her children. Now, with non- traditional methods of learning such as home schooling programs, you can assure your child or children of quality education without the debilitating costs of exorbitant sending them to good private schools.

Also, most public school educational systems does not allow for customization of teaching styles to cater to your child or children’s needs as well as foster an environment for learning that is best suited for your child or children. For these reasons, non traditional home schooling education is gaining popularity and perhaps it won’t be long before this non traditional method will be considered mainstream.

In the meantime though, it is in your best interest as a parent to ensure that the quality of education that you bring to your child or children through home schooling is at par or even better than traditional methods he or she can experience in a classroom setting.

For this purpose you must equip your child in proper education, taking in consideration that there are certain levels that your child must reach in terms of learning to be able to qualify for good a college or university in case your child wants to continue pursuing higher education after earning a high school degree.

To achieve this, you might want to consider incorporating a certified web based curriculum for your child or children to ensure that he or she can achieve a good result for a high school degree.

Citizen’s High School is a good alternative to traditional schooling for your child or children. This web-based institution provides quality learning programs for your child to earn an actual high school diploma, not a more than a GED. Their accredited high school program will allow your child or children to earn a high school degree without losing the flexibility and freedom afforded by a home schooling system. Furthermore, they offer a cost-effective way to achieve all this.

Keystone High is more than the usual online school because Keystone has solid experience working with parents and children from a home schooling background. In fact, the backbone of Keystone is the fact that it was formed to actually supplement home schooling programs specifically aimed for better education for a parent’s high schooler.

Keystone does not want to take away or take the role of the parent-teacher in the home schooling program. Instead they are there as allies to lend a professional service to ensure that your child or children get the most out of a home schooling program for high school level individuals.

A successful school attitude is built on confidence. Parents want to treat mistakes as opportunities to learn and encourage children to ask questions. Otherwise, children may lack confidence because they view asking questions or making mistakes as signs of weakness, rather than strengths that will help them learn more.

Some children feel insecure about trusting their own judgment and abilities because they depend too much on other people for direction and approval. Parents want to avoid only saying, “Good job.” Instead, describe what made it “good” and point out any effort or improvement the child showed. This helps children know what to do next time and not need constant approval from others.

Parents also should avoid paying children for good grades or giving stickers for success. They usually discourage children or they might work in the short run, but won’t teach self-motivation.

To succeed in school, children need two crucial skills: organizational skills to get their materials home and back to school and time management skills so they complete their work.

Every child needs to be at least somewhat organized to succeed in school. At the least, parents need to provide children with organizational supplies. If a child or parent is not naturally organized, it’s helpful to have a reliable system to follow.

Be sure your child’s “system” is simple. I tend to be more organized than most people, but don’t go so far as alphabetizing my soup. Yet, I once had a teacher present an organizational system for my third grader that was so complicated it took me several weeks to figure it out. In the end, I scrapped it and helped my child come up with a system that would work for her and still meet the teacher’s goal of being more organized.

An organizational system must meet the needs of parents, teachers and children, but be easily adaptable to a child or teacher’s particular needs. A key feature is getting color-coded folders for each subject so children can quickly find their subject materials at a glance. Color-coding also helps children file their assignments correctly, so they will bring home their assignments and return them to school.

In the past, pulling together such a system took a lot of searching, but now there are products like the Mead & Scholastic pre-organized color-coded school supply system for children in grades 3 – 6. This unique system includes all the necessary supplies in color-coded subject-specific formats and even includes curriculum-specific reference materials. So if children (or parents) forget how to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius, or what a preposition is, it’s in the front of that subject’s notebook.

To teach children time management and good study skills, establish a consistent routine. Let children choose whether they will always do their homework immediately after school or after dinner, if they need some time to unwind or play before sitting again.

Provide a specific uncluttered space for homework. Be available for questions and support, but don’t hover or do too much for children. Instead of giving children answers, ask questions that help children figure out the answer independently. This provides children lifelong learning skills.

Success in school is like a three-legged stool in which the parent, teacher and student each play a vital role. The parent’s role in school success is that of a “supporting cast member.” Parents can best support the child and teacher by being encouraging, helping children get organized and teaching children to be independent, instead of doing too much for children.

Every enthusiast wishing to become an exceptional chef needs to choose the best Arts Culinary School. An ideal culinary school provides the students with all the training and learning necessities to excel in this field. The arts culinary school includes different specialization fields such as food writer, gourmet, restaurant owner, a baker and so on. It entirely depends upon the students that what kind of work in culinary field they need to consider after graduating from the culinary school.

Tips To Choose The Best Arts Culinary School:

Few basic tips an individual needs to follow are as mentioned below:

* 1. Accreditation by government bodies: This is the foremost and crucial step while selecting the best arts culinary school. Check out the school’s accreditation.

* 2. Level of Courses: Individuals need to decide whether they want to take admission for short duration courses, diploma, certification courses or degree.

* 3. Peers ratings: Check from the graduated friends about the teaching standards and overall quality of the particular arts culinary school.

* 4. Affiliations with companies: An individual needs to see if the school provides any placements after completion of the courses. Some schools have their hotels, so student need not have to search for job.

* 5. Strength of the students: Select the school having ample amount of international students. It enables them to get acquainted with diverse groups, which is useful in hospitality learning.

* 6. Competency of Teachers: Teachers in the school need to be competent with strong experience levels. They help in creating better students.

* 7. Other facilities: Check the accommodation, transportation, meals, free internet and other facilities.

* 8. Location: The culinary school needs to be located at ideal place. It has to be readily accessible and free from any health concerns.

* 9. Practical Training: The best Arts culinary school is the one which provides hands on training in popular restaurants. It also helps the students to earn a stipend during their vacation break.

* 10. Education costs: Check the fees structure of culinary school. Compare the fees with other arts culinary school and choose the best arts culinary school.

Importance of Choosing the Right Culinary School:

There are various culinary schools located across various places in the world who claim that they are the best. An individual can directly visit the school or can surf the federal websites that rank and provide the accreditation to the arts culinary schools. But choosing the right school becomes really difficult. Hence, a student needs to adhere to certain guidelines before choosing the best culinary school.

When you plan a class or school trip there are some easy to follow tips that will help you and your class members get the most out of the experience. Planning and carrying out a school trip can be an incredibly stressful adventure if you don’t plan correctly, but as the trip planner you should get to have fun too. Follow these easy school trip planning tips to help minimize your stress level and maximize your enjoyment of the trip. Please note that these tips are primarily focused on middle school and high school group travel topics. Older groups may not require this much attention.

1. When planning a class or school trip plan to take along a medical professional.

If your budget allows for it, and you need another chaperone on the trip, consider asking your school nurse to go along on the trip with you. Other alternatives could be the parent of a student in the class that is a nurse or physician. You should plan on giving this person a reduced price on the trip, but in return you will not have to worry as much about what to do if a student gets sick after you leave. If at all possible always take the school nurse on the trip. They have liability coverage through the school just in case something goes wrong.

2. Plan ahead and make sure your chaperones are kept busy during the trip.

Taking more chaperones on trip than you need is not necessarily a good thing. Sometimes adults can be even more of a pain than the students can, especially if that adult looks at the class trip as a vacation for themselves rather than as an educational experience for the students.

3. Ban alcohol on your trip.

I’m not talking about just students, I’m also talking about adults. Many PTA and other groups have passed resolutions that forbid any adult on a school trip from consuming alcohol even if no students are around. First, this policy sends the right message to your students. Second, it is a good safeguard against a parent calling your principal and complaining because their daughter told them that one of your chaperones was down drinking in the hotel bar last night.

4. School trip chaperones should be provided with a guidebook.

Make a planning packet specifically for your trip’s chaperones that spells out your expectations, their duties, and a more in-depth itinerary than the one you give to the students. You should also include in this guidebook a trip roommate listing, airline flight assignments, travel agent emergency numbers, and cell phone numbers for you and your trip nurse.

5. Always have an emergency plan in place for your trip participants.

Give each student a wallet sized card with cell phone numbers, hotel numbers, and other important information to use on the chance that they get separated from the group. If your class trip takes you to a country that does not speak your language, always include on the card a sentence or two in the native language explaining how to contact you. Tell your students to present this card to only to a police officer or someone they believe they can trust and to only use it if needed.

6. ALWAYS have a discipline plan set up for your class or school group.

For more information on this very important aspect of planning a school trip please visit my articles on School Trip Conduct Policies, Group Discipline While Traveling and others in the Educational Travel Section.

Students,  stop me if you heard this one before: “What college to you plan on attending”?

If you are a high school student reading this, I’m sure this isn’t new to you.   Here’s another one: “What do you want to do when you graduate?”   Seriously though, how many times have you heard this from friends or family?  You may get annoyed with this, but if you really think about it, all they want to know is what your plans are for the rest of your life.  That’s not a hard question to answer is it?!  OK, it is, but for those of you who are tired of being put in a situation where you feel discouraged answering these sometimes awkward questions, here’s a little advice.

Starting your freshman year in high school, there are several tips you should consider to help keep you on the right track.   Here are a few:

High School Class Curriculum

First off, make friends with your guidance counselor and make sure they are aware of your intentions of a college career.  They will help position you in the classes that will best prepare you for a college curriculum.  They may not know everything there is to know regarding every career or even what the financial aid strategies are, however they bring in a lot of value at this stage.

All colleges specify how many math, English, social studies, science, and foreign language classes applicants should take to qualify for their freshman class.  So, make sure you are taking the right courses and enough of them.  This is where your guidance counselor can be your ally.

AP Classes/Exams

Advanced Placement courses are designed to allow students in high school to take individual college level classes in subjects of their choosing.  These classes enable the student to study an area in greater depth and therefore challenge him or herself with college level courses.  They are a great opportunity for students to learn new skills while also increasing favor among admission officers when it comes time to apply to college.  Colleges are looking to enroll students who challenge themselves and can succeed in college-level courses.    There is an exam given at the end of each term; if you pass this exam, you may receive college credit, therefore saving you time and, more importantly, money!   As you can imagine, these courses are challenging, so a word of caution:  do NOT bite off more than you can chew.   The last thing you want is for your other grades to suffer.

College Visits

Would you buy a car without taking a test drive?   Same thing applies when selecting a college.   If you are unsure of what colleges you want to attend, start with the schools in your surrounding area for practice.   You will find campus visits to be extremely helpful in narrowing your list further.   So, visit your state schools as well as private campuses.   Also, if at all possible, try to schedule your visit while school is in session.  This is extremely important.   It allows you to witness the students and the campus in action.  Are these the kind of students you see yourself around for the next 4 or 5 years?  I recommend what I call the “bench test.”   At the end of each campus visit, find a bench and just sit.  Then ask the question, “Is this the place for me?”

The bridge from high school to college is one of the most defining moments in a student’s life.   With this being said, be sure to use your time and energy while in high school to your advantage by challenging yourself and exploring your interests so that when it comes time to make your decision, you have done your due diligence.