Signal Tribune Newspaper » Education

CSULB sending three teams to moot court nationals at Chapman School of Law

admin — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Front, from left: Professor Lewis Ringel, Ruth Anderson, Taylor Carr, Yasmin Manners Dr. Mike Walter, Ryan Chapman, Long Beach City Prosecutor Doug Haubert. Back, from left: Andrew Kemper, Robert Lane, Wyatt Lyles, Peter Vasillion" title="Moot court team" width="400" height="300" class="size-full wp-image-13246" />

California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) will be sending three teams to the American Collegiate Moot Court Association’s (ACMA) national tournament on Friday, Jan. 13 and Saturday, Jan. 14 at Chapman University School of Law in Orange.
The teams qualified for the national tournament with their performances at the 10th Annual Western Regional Moot Court Qualifying Tournament, hosted at CSULB in December.
At the regionals, CSULB earned two automatic bids, and two of its students earned top orator awards. Two teams– seniors Peter Vasilion, a business marketing major, and Andrew Kemper, a political science major; and juniors Ryan Chapman and Yasmin Manners, both political science majors– earned bids by advancing to the regional quarterfinals and Sweet 16 rounds, respectively.
Vasilion and Kemper notched their place in the quarterfinals with a 3-2 decision over Brigham Young University-Idaho. In the preliminary rounds at the regional, Vasilion and Kemper and Chapman and Manners won a combined 17 of the 18 ballots cast in their opening-night rounds.
Because of a commitment to study abroad by Kemper which would make him unavailable, Taylor Carr, a political science major, will take his place to team with Vasilion at nationals.
The third CSULB team will be a hybrid consisting of Wyatt Lyles, a political science major, and Kari Rice, a student from Carroll College (Montana), one of the institutions that participated in the Western Regional.
Carr and Lyles were CSULB’s top-ranked orators and won speaker awards at regionals. At nationals CSULB will have five students compete in the oral advocacy portion of the competition and four teams, a record for CSULB, entered into the written brief competition.
“I am immensely proud of our teams,” said Lewis Ringel, a CSULB lecturer in political science who is in his sixth year serving as director of the campus’ moot court program. “I am proud of them not just because they earned bids and awards, and because they worked so hard, but because they did this without any mooters in the class who had previous regional tournament experience.”
Ringel pointed out that of all the teams that advanced furthest in the 2011 regional tournament each had one or two experienced mooters while CSULB had none.
“We were rebuilding this year,” said Ringel. “I have a great staff of volunteer coaches and they provided me and our teams with sage advice during countless hours or practice rounds. This year’s team had to learn a lot and it had to learn it fast. I had to learn who could do what so I had to learn fast as well. Experience and leadership cannot be overlooked. Different members of this year’s class stepped up at various times– whether it was organizing meetings or getting a card for a team member whose family had suffered a loss– and in the end we achieved much of what we set out to do.”
Moot Court, also known as mock Supreme Court and Supreme Court Simulation, is a simulation of an appellate court proceeding. It involves teams of student contestants, clients burdened by a legal problem, briefs and oratory detailing of the dimensions of the legal problem before an appellate court, and the judging of performances by panels of law students, attorneys, professors, law faculty, or, on occasion, members of the judicial branch of government. Teams from colleges and universities throughout the nation will be arguing the same case.
This year’s hypothetical case, which will also be argued at the national tournament, asks two main questions: whether the federal government’s issuance of an administrative subpoena requiring a commercial Internet Service Provider (ISP) to turn over the content of a subscriber’s chat room dialogue violated the Fourth Amendment; and whether petitioner’s facilitation of a chat room in which conversations pertaining to allegedly threatening the president occurred was protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Moot court teams are made up of two individuals, and their combined oral argument must be 20 minutes with each member of the two-person team presenting a minimum of seven minutes. Not knowing which viewpoint it will be presenting, each team should have the ability to support both arguments. Moot court judges ask students questions and grade the students on the basis of their knowledge of the case, their response to questioning, their forensic skills and their demeanor.

Lafayette, Roosevelt schools named national finalists for academic gains

admin — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:57:57 +0000

The National Center for Urban School Transformation (NCUST) announced Tuesday that Lafayette Elementary School, 2445 Chestnut Ave., and Roosevelt Elementary School, 1574 Linden Ave., are finalists for the NCUST 2012 National Excellence in Urban Education Awards.
The two Long Beach schools serve large numbers of disadvantaged students, including many Latino and other students who are learning English as a second language, yet they have far surpassed the state’s goal of 800 on a scale of 1,000 on the Academic Performance Index. Lafayette’s API is 860, while Roosevelt’s is 840.
“This national honor again shows that Long Beach schools excel at serving all populations of students despite many challenges, including tough economic times,” said LBUSD Superintendent Christopher J. Steinhauser. “Congratulations and thank you to everyone who has worked so hard in these school communities.”
Among the thousands of urban schools throughout the nation, 48 presented applications documenting that they met all the rigorous criteria for the National Excellence in Urban Education Award. Those 48 schools are the Center’s Honor Roll Schools for 2012. Among those 48 schools, 27 (including the two Long Beach schools) presented superior evidence of excellence and were named finalists.
“In many respects, this was the most competitive field of applicants we have ever reviewed,” said NCUST Executive Director Joseph Johnson, Jr. “If every school in America served diverse populations of students as well as the National Excellence in Urban Education Award schools, achievement gaps would be eliminated.”
NCUST officials will now visit Lafayette and Roosevelt early next month to determine whether the schools will be among about 12 that will receive the top award.
Prior winners of the NCUST honor in the Long Beach Unified School District include International Elementary (2010), Signal Hill Elementary (2008), Tucker Elementary (2008) and Edison Elementary (2007).
“The students, teachers, support staff, parents, and community at these schools are already winners,” Johnson said. “You should be proud of the difference they are making in the lives of the students they serve and their role as a model for urban schools throughout the United States.”

More Information
ncust.org

Assistance League’s auxiliary provides Burnett Elementary with hundreds of filled backpacks

admin — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 19:01:02 +0000

Rick Rackers Auxiliary of Assistance League of Long Beach delivered more than 700 backpacks last Saturday to schoolchildren attending Burnett Elementary School. Pictured are Taila Thompson and Demetrious Jefferson. " title="pic for page 10" width="324" height="432" class="size-full wp-image-12095" />

Make A Difference Day, celebrated each year on the fourth Saturday in October, is the nation’s largest day of volunteering. On Oct. 22, as part of Assistance League of Long Beach’s Operation School Bell program, Rick Rackers Auxiliary of Assistance League of Long Beach participated in this national day of community service by delivering more than 700 backpacks to in-need schoolchildren attending Burnett Elementary School.
The Burnett students each received a backpack containing two white polo shirts, one pair of pants, one pair of shorts or a skort, a package of socks, three pairs of underwear, a warm jacket and basic school supplies. They also received a book donated by the Molina Foundation Book Buddies Program.
The fog-filled morning turned bright with the smiles exuding from hundreds of happy schoolchildren wearing their new backpacks. While volunteers from Rick Rackers, Assisteens, Molina Foundation, UPS, and their families distributed the backpacks, Burnett students entertained the crowd with lively music and Ballet Folklorico. Beta Pi Sigma Sorority Tau Chapter sold coffee and snacks with proceeds being donated back to the school.
“I truly couldn’t be more grateful for the dedication and support we received in putting this day together,” said Mary Lee Freeman, Rick Rackers philanthropic programs chairperson, who received hundreds of thank-you notes from the children at Burnett.
Rick Rackers Auxiliary of Assistance League of Long Beach is a nonprofit volunteer organization whose purpose is to carry on a program of philanthropic work to improve the lives of children in the community. Assistance League of Long Beach’s Operation School Bell program provides approximately 7,500 school uniforms to students of the Long Beach Unified School District annually. For more information on Rick Rackers, Operation School Bell, or Assistance League of Long Beach, or to receive information on upcoming events, call the Assistance League of Long Beach Philanthropic Center at (562) 627-5650.

LBUSD seeking donations of musical instruments for students

admin — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 18:56:20 +0000

Developments in the law prohibiting public schools from charging students most educational fees are changing the way instrumental music instruction is offered statewide, including locally, according to a press release issued by the Long Beach Unified School District.
The prohibition against charging students for participation in certain educational activities will affect a number of areas of education. For instrumental music, that means LBUSD is planning to provide a musical instrument for any child who wants to participate in the program, free of charge. Parents cannot be required to rent or buy their child’s instrument.
Billions of dollars in statewide cuts to public schools have made the situation all the more challenging.
For now, the most noticeable changes to music programs this year are affecting the elementary grades. While elementary parents can still be encouraged to voluntarily buy or rent an instrument for their child, there is a need for thousands of musical instruments at local schools. Monetary donations toward the cause are being accepted by the nonprofit Long Beach Education Foundation at lbschools.net/give.
Both new and good-quality, functioning used instruments are being accepted. Those with instruments to donate can call (562) 997-8175 or bring them to a collection day scheduled for 9am to noon Saturday, Nov. 5 at the Teacher Resource Center, Room C, 1299 E. 32nd St., in Signal Hill.
As the school district gathers additional instruments, elementary parents are noticing a few changes to music programs. Elementary students who are interested in instrumental music are being selected for the programs this month on a lottery basis. Once those students are selected, schools determine how many of those students choose to provide their own instruments. Remaining instruments at each school will be offered to students on a waiting list.
Most of the interested LBUSD students are being accommodated through the lottery approach, but only because elementary students this year are sharing sets of instruments and cannot take them home to practice. Parents are advised not to buy or rent an instrument until their child is accepted via the lottery process.
In addition to the lottery approach, LBUSD has suspended third-grade strings along with beginning woodwinds and brass in fourth and fifth grades this year. Remaining programs at the elementary level include beginning and advanced violin in fourth and fifth grades, and advanced winds in fifth grade. The school district aims to restore the suspended programs when it has enough musical instruments.
Nearly 1,000 violins are needed for fourth and fifth graders at a cost of about $265,000, said James Petri, LBUSD music curriculum leader. Petri estimates that about 275 trumpets are needed in fourth and fifth grades at a cost of about $126,000.
The school district also needs cellos, flutes, clarinets, saxophones and trombones.
Music programs at several LBUSD schools have earned national honors for their excellence, including GRAMMY Signature School awards. Students here routinely perform with some of the world’s top musicians at national and international festivals.

Governor-signed LB College Promise Act expected to increase transfer, retention rates

admin — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 19:10:25 +0000

Governor Jerry Brown has signed SB 650, the Long Beach College Promise Act, authored by State Senator Alan Lowenthal. The legislation was sponsored by both Long Beach City College and the Long Beach Unified School District to support the Long Beach College Promise– a seamless education program designed to increase college success for students in the greater Long Beach area.
“The passing of the Long Beach College Promise Act is a historic moment for Long Beach City College and the Long Beach Unified School District,” said Eloy Ortiz Oakley, president of Long Beach City College. “This bill will give our institutions more flexibility to ensure that our students are adequately prepared to enter higher-education institutions and to transfer in a timely fashion. We are extremely thankful to Senator Alan Lowenthal for his leadership.”
“We commend Gov. Brown for signing this important legislation,” said Christopher J. Steinhauser, superintendent of Schools for the Long Beach Unified School District. “SB 650 will allow our schools to further implement the Long Beach College Promise, a nationally recognized collaboration with our community college and state university. Together we’re preparing more students for success in higher education and in the workplace.”
SB 650 establishes an innovative model that provides participating LBUSD students with an aligned sequence of rigorous high school coursework leading to capstone college courses while students are still in high school. These capstone courses count for LBCC course credit. The bill also gives the Long Beach Community College Board of Trustees the authority to create a specialized LBUSD cohort of students and assign them priority enrollment and course registration.
The goals of the College Promise Act include:
• increasing the percentage of school district students who attend college directly from high school
• increasing the percentage of school district students who are determined, by assessment or other means, to be prepared for college-level English and mathematics by the commencement of their first regular semester at the college
• increasing the number of students who successfully complete college-level English and mathematics in their first year
• increasing the number of school district students who earn a degree or certificate at the college, or successfully transfer to a four-year university, within four years of graduating from high school

The Long Beach College Promise will allow the public education institutions in Long Beach to move their partnership to a new level and to help create a model through which California can begin to increase college completions at a scale and pace to meet President Obama’s 2020 completion goals.

More Information
longbeachcollegepromise.org

CSULB grad among eight international finalists in Electrolux’s Design Lab contest

admin — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:47:04 +0000

CSULB graduate Matthew Schwartz’s Electrolux design" title="Pic for page 14" width="504" height="336" class="size-full wp-image-11614" />

CSULB graduate Matthew Schwartz’s Electrolux design

Matthew Schwartz, a Cal State Long Beach (CSULB) design graduate, has turned his senior project into an all-expense paid trip to London, where he will compete as one of eight finalists in Electrolux’ Design Lab 2011 with his concept of the Onda Portable Microwave.
Founded in 2002, the annual global design contest was created to find and support the emerging talents of industrial design students and recent graduates in the area of home appliances design.
Each year, students from around the world submit ideas for future appliances based on a certain theme. This year’s theme was “intelligent mobility.”
Electrolux received more than 1,300 entries for this year’s competition and chose 25 as semifinalists before whittling that number down to eight finalists, who will now present their designs in London on Sept. 7.
Schwartz and the other seven finalists from Australia, Canada, Finland, New Zealand, Slovakia and South Korea will present their concept appliances to a jury of expert designers, who’ll chose the winners based on the criteria of intuitive design, innovation and consumer insight.

Kids and drivers alike must be ‘road ready’ for that first day of school

admin — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:45:53 +0000

With the first day of school right around the corner for many children, the Signal Hill Police Department has issued the following information to remind residents to prepare their kids to arrive at school and back home safely on their first, and every, school day. At the same time, drivers need to be extra vigilant as well.
“If at all possible, parents should walk or ride with kids to school before that first day, teaching them the safest routes and their road safety and personal safety rules,” said Signal Hill Police Sergeant Chris Nunley. “Remind your kids how important safety on your streets is to you and them– that they need to be careful every time they leave the house. Drivers, especially those dropping off kids, need to stay focused and on the lookout for children.”
The Signal Hill Police Department will be strictly enforcing traffic and parking laws around school areas. In addition, they offer the following advice:
Safe walking, bicycling and driving practices can only be effective if parents teach their kids early and often, and set good examples themselves:

Walking
• Always cross at an intersection or crosswalk, if available, and look both ways before crossing.
• When no cars are coming, walk– do not run– across the road, and keep looking for cars while crossing.
• At intersections with traffic lights, watch for turning cars and obey all traffic signals.
• Always walk on the sidewalk.
• If there are no sidewalks, be sure to walk facing traffic to see what’s coming.
• Don’t run between parked cars and buses, across the street, or through a parking lot.
• No cell phone talking or texting while going to or from school. Watch what’s going on around you.

Bike riding
• Always wear a helmet.
• Always ride on the right side of the road– never against traffic.
• Ride single-file.
• Watch out for dangerous things in the roadway, such as storm drains, gravel, pot holes and trash.
• Stop at all stop signs and at all traffic lights. Be extra careful at crossroads.
• Maintain control of your bike. Don’t swerve or make sudden turns.
• Watch out when riding next to parked cars. Drivers may open doors or pull into the street.
• Listen for cars approaching from the side or behind you. Never wear headphones.
• Know road signs and obey them.
• Always be prepared to stop.
• No cell phone talking or texting while riding. Watch what’s going on around you.

Driving
• It’s especially important to slow down and watch out for kids at the beginning of the school year. Students are excited, and their uncertainty with the new school schedules may hinder them from paying attention to traffic conditions and their own safety. Simply put, children may not be watching for traffic. California’s maximum speed limit in school zones is 25 miles per hour when children are present and near the road. Remember, ALL drivers are responsible for every child’s safety near school zones or school busses.
• One of the dangers kids may face can actually be other parents. Distracted or hurried parents sometimes forget about safety once their own kids have been dropped off. Stay extra alert in or near school driveways or drop-off zones.
• What’s good for the kids is good for drivers too– no cell phone talking or texting while driving. Watch what’s going on around you, and make sure your kids won’t be calling you while you are driving.
• When school buses stop to load or unload passengers and their red lights are flashing, all vehicles must stop– in both directions. If the bus stop is on a divided highway, then only those vehicles approaching from the rear must stop.

School bus riding
• If your child rides a school bus, make sure that he or she knows to remain seated at all times, to keep the aisles clear, not to throw objects, not to shout or distract the driver, and to keep his or her hands and arms inside the bus.
• The school bus is one of the safest modes of transportation, but everyone must do their part to be safe when traveling near buses that are transporting kids, whether in motion or stopped.

Research shows children of highly involved parents are the most successful in school

admin — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:44:42 +0000

After a peaceful summer, parents and children often dread the approaching school year and its seemingly inevitable homework wars. These conflicts arise when students are overwhelmed by academic demands and their parents function as taskmasters.
However, in contrast to current assumptions, the latest findings in the fields of education, psychology and neuroscience clearly show that the best way for parents to help their children succeed in school is to become highly involved.
Daniel Franklin, Ph.D., is an educational psychologist and board-certified educational therapist who has worked with families for over 25 years. “The best way to prevent homework wars is for parents to become active collaborators, not task masters,” Franklin says. “Parents need to give themselves permission to help their children in an effective, empathetic and collaborative manner.”
Franklin bases his relationship- and strength-based approach on both well-established learning theory and recent findings that show the brain is a social organ and that children learn best in a highly collaborative one-on-one dynamic with an adult.
For example, Benjamin Bloom, one of the nation’s leading education researchers, found that students who receive one-on-one support significantly outperform those who only receive traditional classroom instruction.
Franklin teaches parents that collaborating is not only ethical, but also essential for children who struggle in school. And, there is no better time than now to change their approach. “Homework is something to do with your children, not something you make your children do,” he says. “The start of the school year is one of the best times to provide extra support.”
He offers these tips to help students start strong and finish ahead:

Discuss the benefits of help
The first step is for parents to have a frank discussion with their children about why getting school help is valuable and the best means for success. Children are receptive to the idea that parents will be teammates, working together to make decisions about what, how and when tasks will be completed.

Be enthusiastic
Children model their parents. When parents are excited about learning, children will likely follow. Parents should find ways to be enthusiastic and interested in everything their children are learning, even the mundane.

Get informed
Parents succeed as collaborators when they take responsibility to fully understand what their children are expected to know. Parents should frequently check their children’s school websites for daily homework assignments and information, and contact teachers whenever needed.

Read and explain
When children are still learning to read, it is very difficult for them to learn from reading. The most efficient way to help them understand concepts is for parents to read the written material themselves and then explain it. Diagrams, illustrations, maps and other visual aids are helpful.

Actively help children study for tests
Parents should help their children develop effective study materials for each test. When parents insist that students do this on their own, it diminishes the small reserve of physical and mental energy children have left at the end of the day.

Be the organizer
Parents should organize their children’s backpacks, binders and study areas. For example, create a wall calendar exclusively for school-related matters, such as assignment due dates, tests and project deadlines. Parents should also give their children a sense of timeline, such as how many weeks are in each quarter or semester and when exams are held.

For research sources, visit michigan.gov/documents/Final_Parent_Involvement_Fact_Sheet_14732_7.pdf. For a list of recommended books, visi franklined.com/about-recommended-books.php.

Record number of LBUSD schools meet state academic goals

admin — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:43:13 +0000

A record 82 percent of local schools met schoolwide Academic Performance Index (API) targets set by the state, despite severe cuts in public education funding in California.
The percentage of Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) schools meeting the state’s ultimate goal of 800 on the API grew significantly this year, surpassing the state’s performance and the state’s rate of improvement, according to the LBUSD. The district’s share of schools meeting or exceeding the state goal is 54.5 percent, up six points over last year. Statewide, 49 percent of schools met the state goal, a three-point increase over last year, according to a news release issued Wednesday from State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson.
For LBUSD, the latest results represent an important victory considering the school district has cut more than $200 million from its budget over the past three years. LBUSD showed strong growth in the middle grades, where it had recently made several adjustments to curriculum and instruction.
“We saw some phenomenal gains this year in areas where we reworked instruction and provided additional professional development,” said Christopher J. Steinhauser, LBUSD superintendent of schools. “I’m extremely proud of our employees, parents and everyone who’s provided exemplary support to our students during these tough times.”
Some of the most improved middle schools, and their API point gains, are:

Butler, 49
Franklin, 57
Hamilton, 42
Hoover, 55
Jefferson, 29
Lindsey, 51
Marshall, 49
Washington, 35

The middle schools implemented a number of changes aimed at improving student achievement last year, including self-contained sixth-grade classrooms at many campuses. Such classrooms create a more gradual transition to middle school by allowing students to stay with one teacher for the entire day rather than switching from class to class. Middle schools also placed more students into eighth-grade algebra and provided the extra support needed to master this college gateway course. The result was that roughly 200 more students this year became proficient in eighth-grade algebra compared to last year. To boost writing skills, the middle schools implemented a new Write for theFuture program that builds upon the elementary writing program, Write from the Beginning.
The API is a numeric index that ranges from a low of 200 to a high of 1,000. While entire school districts also are rated with this index, the official number for LBUSD cannot yet be calculated accurately because the school district is still awaiting results for its 17 year-round schools, which have later testing schedules.
For more information on the API, read Torlakson’s news release at cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr11/yr11rel62.asp.

Health dept. offering Tdap vaccination to youth to prevent whooping cough

admin — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:42:04 +0000

The City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) will offer free Tdap vaccine to students in grades 7 through 12 at one more public clinic scheduled before the school year begins. The clinic is open to students in both public and private schools.
The Tdap vaccine provides protection from whooping cough, which has been present in California in epidemic levels in the last year.
A parent or guardian must be present, and they are advised to bring any records of previous vaccines. The free immunization clinics are a joint effort of the Health Department, California State University, Long Beach School of Nursing and the Long Beach Unified School District. The vaccine is provided by the federal Vaccine For Children’s Program and the California Department of Public Health.
Free Tdap vaccine will be available Tuesday, Sept. 6 from 1pm to 3pm at Tucker Elementary School, 2221 Argonne Ave.
All students in grades 7 through 12 need to have a Tdap booster recorded in their school immunization record. The Tdap requirement was enacted into state law last fall and became effective July 1, 2011. One dose of Tdap after the age of 7 meets the school requirement. Schools in Long Beach began notifying parents about the upcoming Tdap deadline late last year and about 68 percent of students have already submitted their Tdap records. All students who have not already met the requirement will be asked for their Tdap record when they return to school.
More than 9,000 cases of whooping cough were reported in California in 2010, including 10 infant deaths. The number of cases was the most since 1947. So far this year, more than 1,900 cases of whooping cough have been reported. Most cases of whooping cough occur between May and November, so the start of school often brings additional cases.
For students who have not already had their Tdap, getting it as soon as possible will not only make school registration easier but it will also provide protection at the time it is needed most. For information about Tdap and other school immunization requirements, visit ShotsForSchool.org. For more information, call the Long Beach Health Department Immunization Project at (562) 570-4212.