No Child Left Behind
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 is having a profound impact on school- and district-level teaching and student achievement. This mandate directly impacts school-based investments in technology and teacher training. Federal assistance is being allotted to schools to help them meet these needs.
NCLB targets six fundamental areas that will characterize federal education assistance:
- Accountability
- Literacy
- Focus on what works
- Professional development
- Education technology
- Parental involvement
Gale focuses on the same concerns addressed by the NCLB when developing our education solutions. We believe the effective integration of technology into classroom instruction can and will result in higher levels of student achievement.
Technology
The keys to raising student achievement are providing students with a solid foundation of basic skills and to motivate them to learn. Technology — such as computer literacy and good online research techniques — helps accomplish this goal. It helps teachers stimulate young minds in ways that make a lasting difference. It engages students and spurs imaginations.
Finding the right technological solutions that meet your school's curriculum needs is important in enhancing student achievement. Gale offers a great selection of online references — such as the in-depth singular focus of Biography Resource Center, to the easy-to-understand cross-curricular coverage of Kids InfoBits — sure to become a part of a student's everyday life. Good online research skills taught during a student's developing years will assist them not only for a particular homework assignment but for the rest of their lives.
Be sure to check out our online catalog to see all of Gale's superior electronic references.
Professional Development
Just as no child will be left behind, neither will their teachers. Gale has developed programs and products that provide teachers new skills and help them hone existing ones. From the online presence of InfoTrac Professional Collection, to Video Journal of Education's video courses and Gale Professional Development Workshops, we offer something to meet every school's training needs and budgets.
For more detailed information, go to our Professional Development page now.
Literacy
According to the U.S. Department of Education, "Reading has always been a key ingredient for students to be successful in school, yet the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) shows serious deficiencies in children's ability to read, particularly in high-poverty schools. Even in wealthier schools, more than a fifth of fourth-graders were unable to reach NAEP's basic level in 2000 and about two-thirds of fourth-graders in high-poverty schools were unable to reach the basic level in that year's survey. The Reading First program is designed to help states, school districts and schools address this issue and to ensure that every child can read at grade level or above by the end of third grade through the implementation of instructional programs and materials, assessments, and professional development grounded in scientifically based reading research."
To promote reading and comprehension, Gale participates in the
Accelerated Reader and Scholastic Reading Counts! programs.
We have assembled a diverse collection of books — all at a 3
Download Acclerated Reader information in .pdf format here.
Visit any of the sites above to explore their offerings further.
NCLB has also developed Improving Literacy through School Libraries. The U.S. Department of Education states, "This new program is designed to improve the literacy skills and academic achievement of students by providing them with access to up-to-date school library materials; technologically advanced school library media centers; and professionally certified school library media specialists.
School libraries are critical to meet schools' instructional goals and objectives. They promote literacy by developing and encouraging reading. Based on the most recent Schools and Staffing Survey findings (school year 1993-94) about half (52 percent) of schools with library media centers did not have a full-time state certified librarian and about one-third of students were in such schools. Twenty percent of schools with library media centers did not have a librarian at all. About 35 percent of teachers believed that library or media materials were not adequate to support their instructional objectives.)
Gale is a leader in providing school media centers with award-winning references in both print and electronic media. View all of our award-winning products and see which ones are right for your library.
NCLB also requires schools to conduct a needs assessment to clearly identify the areas in which their school library media centers require improvement. Gale provides each school with consultative needs assessments. Schools work with our professional and knowledgeable representatives who have been extensively trained in identifying strengths and need areas and identifying the right resources to strengthen them.
Parental involvement
We believe parents are critical in support of the learning process. Young minds should not turn off when the final school bell rings. Kids have questions, even questions that may stump their parents. Where can a family find answers for school projects after school when the local library is closed? GALE. We understand there is no timetable to learning and encourage research any time of day. All of our online products provide 24/7 remote access from home. Use any of these parent letters to provide your students and their families with access to our products from home.
Focus on what works!
What do Newsweek's 100 best high schools have in common? High goals. And Gale.
Every one of the top schools* (According to Newsweek, June 2, 2003, "The 100 Best High Schools in America") provides Gale reference products to its students. From print collections to online databases, Gale has the resources your school needs to help achieve its high goals.
The best high school in America uses Gale. Congratulations to the International Academy of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Newsweek's best high school uses these Gale reference products:
- History Resource Center — United States
- History Resource Center — Modern World
- Literature Resource Center
- Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center
- Student Resource Center Gold
In addition, each year Gale gathers teachers and media specialists from around the country for a weeklong advisory board to discuss the ever-changing world of school resources. New and innovative resources have been created, as well as updates and modifications made to existing products based on suggestions made at these K-12 advisory board meetings. Gale is always interested in what you have to say and will work with you to develop the products needed to make sure "no child is left behind."