Podcast appearances and mentions of robert balfanz

The Dana Farber Cancer Institute, affiliated with the Harvard Medical School, has been accused of publishing studies that contain data manipulation. STAT's Angus Chen tells us more. And, more than three months after the start of the war, the question remains: what is next for Gaza? Khaled Elgindy, senior fellow and director of the program on Palestine and Palestinian-Israeli Affairs at the Middle East Institute, shares some perspective. Then, in some states a child's truancy results in parents — often single mothers — being prosecuted and jailed. Johns Hopkins University School of Education professor Robert Balfanz talks about the criminalization of absenteeism and the consequences for students and parents.

Nearly three years into the pandemic, students and teachers in the U.S. are still trying to close the education gap formed by COVID-induced school shutdowns and remote learning struggles. Robert Balfanz, a researcher at the Johns Hopkins School of Education, joins Geoff Bennett to discuss the challenges facing students nationwide and efforts to stem the country's learning loss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Some believe that growing interest in social and emotional learning is just a distraction from the academic mission of schools, but Robert Balfanz argues that only by educating the whole child can schools prepare students for adult success. Today Marty West talks with Balfanz about why he thinks social and emotional learning is a natural outgrowth of the standards and accountability movement and about the research behind his views. Balfanz is a research professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education and the author of “An Integrated Approach Fosters Student Success,” which is part of an EdNext forum on the role of social and emotional learning. https://www.educationnext.org/integrated-approach-fosters-student-success-forum-should-schools-embrace-social-emotional-learning/ https://www.educationnext.org/should-schools-embrace-social-emotional-learning-debating-merits-costs-forum-balfanz-whitehurst/

EARLY WARNING SIGNS OF DROPOUTS:Co-Founder of Diplomas Now, Dr Robert Balfanz is our guest along Rene Patten Director of Early Warning Systems for Boston Public Schools. Presented by KNOWLEDGEWORKS

EARLY WARNING SIGNS OF DROPOUTS:Co-Founder of Diplomas Now, Dr Robert Balfanz is our guest along Rene Patten Director of Early Warning Systems for Boston Public Schools. Presented by KNOWLEDGEWORKS

In this episode of the EdNext podcast, Robert Balfanz talks with EdNext editor-in-chief Paul Peterson about chronic absenteeism and about some successful efforts to identify students who are chronically absent and assign them mentors who work with students individually to reduce absences from school.

Shawn & Troy discuss their first sessions at NMSA09. Advisory: 2 Truths & a lie – have students make 3 statements: 2 are true, 1 is a lie. Section the room into thirds. Have the other students move to one of sections that they think is the lie. On Our Mind: Shout out to March Wells III: Thanks for being on the podcast with us! Shout out to our NMSA traveling buddies: Jennifer Fryzel, Andrea Melaragni, Nancy Kiefer, Kathy MacDonald, March Wells III, Fran Delaney, Vickie Molnar! Shout out to Dr. M. Monte Tatom and Susie Highley for saying, “HI!”, at the NMSA conference. Webspotlight: Breakthrough Learning Conference: https://sites.google.com/site/breakthroughforum/home Triand: Trusted by thousands, Triand is the national, state-standards based, social teaching tool. Find resources, share lesson plans, create tests, view reports, make teaching fun. http://my.triand.com/ NMSA09: Session 1- 10 ways to scaffold super summaries across the curriculum. Dr. Lori G. Wilfong Kent State Unversity Shawn’s Session 1: Dr. Robert Balfanz on Why Middle Grades Matter! Why Middle Grades Matter Finding 1 half or more of eventual dropouts can fall off the path to graduation in the middle grades. Asked how early in the middle grades could we identify students who, without intervention, likely would not graduate. Wanted reliable and valid inidcators Collectively wanted the indicators to produce a high yield of future non-graduates. Four sixth grade indicators emerged 1. Attending less than 80% of the time. 2. Receiving a poor final behavior grade in a core course. 3. Failing Mth. 4. Failing English. Sixth graders with any one of this indicators had 25% or lower graduation rates. Colectively indicators identified 40% of all dropouts.

How and why do schools and communities succeed when they focus on supporting students? Creating personalized learning environments where students are supported by qualified, caring adults is crucial to keeping kids from checking out and dropping out. Research and common sense reaffirm that not only educators, but communities must invest in supporting students to stay in school because we all pay the price when students drop out.

Our new Twitter feed (MSMatters), we discuss events: # NMSA's Middle Level Essentials Conference April 23-24, 2009. Robert Balfanz will be keynoting. He has done a bunch of research on 6th grade transition factors that has been cited by NMSA. # NMSA ‘09 Invitation Video # Michigan Association of Middle School Educators Annual Conference March 12 & 13 at White Pine Middle School in Saginaw Township. Mr. Ron Clark will be keynoting. Approximately 20 days left for the early registration discount. # Ohio Middle School Association’s Annual Conference will be February 19-20 in Sandusky, OH. Keynote speakers this year include Mr. Mark McLeod and Mr. Ty Sells. # North Carolina Middle School Association's Annual Conference will be March 16-17 in Pinehurst, NC. Keynote speakers include Bill McBride and Rick Wormeli. Ron Williamson from Eastern Michigan University will also be speaking at the conference this year. # The National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform will be holding their annual conference in June. See the flyer at their website for details. # Teacher Preparation Symposium information at NMSA. # NMSA is accepting presentation proposals to their Annual Conference in Indianapolis next year. The deadline has been extended to February 8, 2009. Applications can be made online. # Interested in a Science Quiz show online and in a virtual game show environment? Try The Second Question. # NECC is coming this summer! Here's an excuse to travel to Washington D.C. # If Mr. Berckemeyer dawdles on getting us the Kindles, soon we'll want these from Plastic Logic. "Did you bring pencil, eraser, and epaper with you to class today?" # Classroom 2.0's Ning Blog: "The topic this Saturday (January 31) is "Classroom Blogging" with guest speaker Kathy Cassidy, author of blog "Primary Preoccupation". Kathy will discuss classroom blogging platforms, the pros/cons of blogging platforms and how she uses her classroom blog with her students. Our Newbie Question of the Week will be: "What is a blog and how do I find good blogs to read?" Information on how to watch or join in at http://live.classroom20.com. # Second Life notices: * 1/31 Basic Skills Workshop: Appearance (ISTE Island 3) * 2/3 ISTE Speaker Series (TBA) * Video: Educational Uses of Second Life Shout outs: 1. Paul Nichols, thanks for letting us know you're listening! 2. Ron Miller, thanks for the email. 3. Jenny McAvoy-Anteau, congrats on your SL presentation! Web spotlight: http://www.onceuponaschool.org/ News: Online Safety Technology and Learning Gates Foundation Listener Letter

Items, Events, Calendar, Eclectic Stuff (truc et chose) 1. NMSA's Middle Level Essentials Conference April 23-24, 2009. Robert Balfanz will be keynoting. He has done a bunch of research on 6th grade transition factors that has been cited by NMSA. 2. NMSA ‘09 Invitation Video 3. Michigan Association of Middle School Educators Annual Conference March 12 & 13 at White Pine Middle School in Saginaw Township. Mr. Ron Clark will be keynoting. Approximately 20 days left for the early registration discount. 4. Ohio Middle School Association’s Annual Conference will be February 19-20 in Sandusky, OH. Keynote speakers this year include Mr. Mark McLeod and Mr. Ty Sells. 5. The National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform will be holding their annual conference in June. See the flyer at their website for details. 6. Teacher Preparation Symposium information at NMSA. 7. NMSA is accepting presentation proposals to their Annual Conference in Indianapolis next year. 8. Interested in a Science Quiz show online and in a virtual game show environment? Try The Second Question. 9. NECC is coming this summer! Here's an excuse to travel to Washington D.C. 10. If Mr. Berckemeyer dawdles on getting us the Kindles, soon we'll want these from Plastic Logic. "Did you bring pencil, eraser, and epaper with you to class today?" 11. Thing To Try This Week: Create a flash mob of faculty at the corner of one of your hallways. Ideas for the flash mob can be posted here at www.middleschoolmatters.com. 12. From Steve Hargadon's Classroom 2.0: "Looking for Lincoln: Changing Views of History, Changing Views of Race" with speaker Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. 13. 14. Second Life notices: * 1/25 ISTE Island Tours * 1/27 ISTE Seminar: Virtual Renaissance & Education - Virtual Harlem's role as a learning community. * 1/29 Data Visualization around the Campfire on ISTE island. * 1/31 Basic Skills Workshop: Appearance (ISTE Island 3) * 2/3 ISTE Speaker Series (TBA) Webspotlight- http://www.studystack.com/ • Hernando School Board says administrators should get raise, despite what they say • Suit filed over longer middle school day • Standards Help Minn. Vie With Top Nations • An Early Warning System: by promptly reacting to student distress signals, schools can redirect potential dropouts onto the path to graduation. * A final grade of F in mathematics. * A final grade of F in English. * Attendance below 80 percent for the year. * A final “unsatisfactory” behavior mark in at least one class. Solutions: * Whole-school interventions: Weekly or monthly attendance parties, one individual who intervenes at the first absence, placing or creating a school culture that rewards intrinsically or extrinsically good attendance. * Targeted interventions * Intensive interventions