Greetings
Happy Reading
<Karen>
1
NATIVE VILLAGE YOUTH and EDUCATION NewsNovember 1, 2008 Issue 191
Volume 1
U.S. history books have Indians all wrong, says author
Study: Miami Fort not a fort, but a dam
Potawatomi Tribe visits Perry
Finnish pioneers, Ojibwe found common ground
Choctaw code talkers finally recognized
Warriors in Unifom: The Legacy of American Indian Heroism
Worl 13th recipient ever to win award
IUPUI professor's reburial of Native American remains earns international award
Cherokee Nation and Delaware Tribe of Indians Reach Agreement on Separate Federal Recognition
Immersive video game aims to revitalize American Indian languages
Saving language through music
Volume 2
National Indian Education Association Releases Honors List
ACLU Sues School District For Punishing Kindergarten Student Because Of Family's Religious Beliefs
Its Native Tongue Facing Extinction, Arapaho Tribe Teaches the Young
Real Girl of the Year awarded to Madison Bella King
State Adopts Navajo Textbook
School tailored for O'odham tribe enjoys success
Bush costs prompt exodus to cities
Haskell Indian Nations University in an uproar as embattled president stands firm
2008 RBC aboriginal scholarship winners
Blackfeet member utilizes old technology
Schulte receives Emmy Nod
Volume 3
President Signs Baca Bill Crating Native American Heritage Day 2008
US Supreme Court to rule on Hawaiian lands
Tribe Could Make History
Japan Officially Recognizes Ainu
Brutal Crackdown on Indigenous Protest
India: Tribe Dances in Mass Protest Against British mining Company
The National Children’s Study
Orchard serves as health, educational tool for Hopi
Sled dogs could hold clues to human health problems: researchers
Stop tranquillizing polar bears for research, NTI says
Newspaper receives cancer group's award
Historic garden offers glimpse into early Native American life
Volume 4
Pay-to-protect plan for Ecuadorian rainforest on the brink
Illegal eagles; Powwow popularity fuels a bird black market
Doubt, Anger Over Brazil Dams
Grand Canyon tribe working on flood-recovery plan
Beluga numbers unchanged
Supervisors briefed on salmon plague
Future Of Native American Traditions In Doubt
Nature meets culture
North by Northeast
Film at American Indian Museum Looks at Vanished Brooklyn Community
Oneidas to join Macy's parade
NATIVE VILLAGE Opportunities and websites
November 15, 2008 Issue 192
http://www.nativevillage.orgNative American Student Development Conference
Harvard Native American Program Visits Oklahoma
2009 Native American Student Artist Competition
America Recycles Day
Storytelling for the Holidays
Payless Shoes 4 Kids Program
Do Something Grants
Ho'omau Ka Huaka'I
Yes to Carrots!
Baseball’s League of Nations: A Tribute to Native Americans in Baseball
Free Indian Country Anti-Meth Training
Libraries Highlights
Reclaiming Our Heritage: The Monacan Indian Nation of Virginia
Awakening the Warrior Spirit Tour
When Challenger Flies
Daily News in Inuktitut
Crosses of the Earth
Create Your Own Dreamcatcher
Learn How to Play Chunke
Tribal Energy Handbook
NVision
Shadows and Reflections: Florida's Lost People
The Popham Colony
Kuwoot yas.ein: His Spirit Is Looking Out from the Cave
2)
NASA Launches the Endeavor Science Teaching Certificate ProjectAs part of NASA’s commitment to the effective preparation of K-12 science
teachers, formal educators are invited to apply to become a NASA Endeavor
Fellow. Each Fellow will be fully funded to complete a unique Online Certificate
in Applied Science Education with Teachers College, Columbia University.
Online courses begin January 2009 or September 2009 for the first two cohorts.
Applications for the January 2009 cohort are due Nov. 30, 2008.
Applications for the September 2009 cohort are due March 6, 2009.
Applicants from New York City as well as the following states are encouraged
to apply for the first Endeavor Fellow cohort that begins in January 2009:
Florida, Virginia, Maine and Texas. Formal educators who work with a
high percentage of underrepresented student populations are encouraged
to apply. Eligible educators include in-service, alternative-route and pre-service teachers.
Endeavor Fellows will be selected by a diverse group of science education
professionals and represent 50 states, Puerto Rico and U.S. Territories.
Fellows will come together via the Internet, building an unprecedented online community of practice.
Endeavor Fellows will complete a series of online courses and Action
Research based on NASA content and educational materials. The Endeavor
online courses include a wealth of NASA assets and data, and teachers will
learn to access and implement data from educational materials developed by NASA.
The goal of the Endeavor Science Teaching Certificate Project is to give
teachers the cutting-edge tools necessary to contribute to the development
of a STEM workforce. Fellows may earn a special “Leadership Distinction”
by demonstrating their ability to “scale up” what they have learned beyond
the walls of their classrooms to the district or regional level.
U.S. Satellite Laboratory, Inc. of New York is designing and delivering the
Endeavor Fellowship Project with NASA and Teachers College, Columbia University.
Over time, the project will award over 200 Endeavor Fellows with one- to two-year
fellowships. Graduate credit for the courses is included.
3)
Hilton Pond 10-22-08 (Hummingbird Totals)
Now that November has arrived, we're pretty confident we won't be
seeing any more Ruby-throated Hummingbirds around these parts, so it's
time for our annual summary of this year's hummingbird field season.
To learn how many hummers we banded (a lot) and how many returned from
previous years (quite a few), please visit our 22-31 October 2008
installment of "This Week at Hilton Pond" at
<<
http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek081022.html>>
Along with the photo essay is our usual list of birds banded and
recaptured during the period.
By the way, there are a still few slots left for Week Two of our
annual Costa Rica hummingbird expeditions. If you miss your hummers
during the cold . . . dark . . . wet North American winter, we'll
let you gently hold and release some under a warm tropical sun in
February! See the link from our current photo essay if you're
interested.
4)
Infonews n°345 from 09/11/2008
Infonews this week is only about Obama's victory. His speech in Chicago was
splendid : here is where you can find the video, the mp3 file and the transcript,
plus some other information about who wrote the speech and who Anne Cooper is.
Then read some reactions, listen to songs, see some front pages and the official
poster. Then read about the new family coming to the White House and about
their new pet, find several activities around the speech of the biography of
Obama, including a crossword and a quiz, and finally see what addresses our
colleagues on the lists recommend you to use if you plan to invite your
students to write to the President.
Christine Reymond
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A new family at the White house
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Children
------------
On e-teach, Catherine Tertre recommends this video and transcript from CBS :"All eyes on the new family". This is a short article, level B1.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/06/eveningnews/main4580827.shtml
the dog will be a mutt
-------------------------
Since the victory speech in Chicago, the dog has become a major issue for many.
here is an article about Obama's reaction. Note the use of the word "mutt" used as
"crossed breed" (for a dog) and "mixed race" (for a man) : "a lot of shelter dogs are mutts, like me" Obama said.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=14&entry_id=32449
Here is a definition for mutt (the Webster didn't help there!), presenting it as a word
that can be either derogatory of affectionate.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-mutt.htm
White House Pets
-------------------------
Here are the present president's pets, including Ofelia, a longhorn
http://www.whitehouse.gov/kids/pets/
Barney is the most famous, with a whole page and several videos, and often
mentionned in the White House for Kids section
http://www.whitehouse.gov/barney/
http://www.whitehouse.gov/kids/
And on the "Presidential Pet Museum" page, you can find a complete list of all the
presidents and their pets. As you go back in history, you find more unusual pets like a goat, a pig.
http://www.presidentialpetmuseum.com/whitehousepets-1.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Learning Activities
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Activities around the Chicago speech level B1
-------------------------
Activities prepared by Annie Gwynn around the beginning of the speech.
http://pagesperso-orange.fr/annie.gwynn/cours/presidents/tasks_obama_speech.pdf
and you can find the interactive version on Laurence Bernard's site for Martinique
http://absolutenglish.free.fr/spip.php?article16
you can download the corresponding videos in two formats, flv and wmv from her site
<
http://absolutenglish.free.fr/IMG/USelections2008/hellochicago.flv
http://absolutenglish.free.fr/IMG/USelections2008/hellochicago.wmv
Activities around the biography (level A2)
-------------------------
Laure Peskine recommends this lesson about "Famous People" created by Sean Banville in
BreakingNewsEnglish : a short biography of Obama, with mp3 file, transcript, and
several well designed exercises level A2.
http://www.famouspeoplelessons.com/b/barack_obama.html
Crossword
-----------------
BBC Learning English suggest this crossword, that I personally found not very convincing...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/quizzes/crosswords/
Quiz
-------
How stuff works offers a quiz about Obama, and also several pages presenting the man,
which students can use autonomously or that you can use for a webquest
http://history.howstuffworks.com/american-history/barack-obama.htm
http://history.howstuffworks.com/american-history/barack-obama-quiz.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How to write to B.Obama
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
on e-teach, several teachers were looking for an address to send a letter from their
students to B.Obama either as a personal reaction from the students or as a final task for the class.
Coralie Gilson found this page:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
and on eTeachNet, Sarah Rapnouil-Dunn suggests contacting him on his site as a senator
http://obama.senate.gov/contact/
or sending letters to one of those addresses:
Mr President-elect Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20500
or better still,
The Honorable Barack Obama
United States Senate
713 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-1305
and Francis Mayet on e-teach suggest contacting him through the site devoted to the transition : change.gov
http://change.gov/page/s/contact
On this site you can also learn about the inauguration
http://change.gov/learn/inauguration/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A la Une : A real, living Yoda, Gremlin and Furby
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pigmy Tarsier rediscovered
-------------------------------------
This is a tarsier, or Tarsius syrichta
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/59/Tarsier-GG.jpg/400px-Tarsier-GG.jpg
In its "in the News" section, the Scout report features a special report about the tarsier : a
species that was thought extinct in wild for 80 years and rediscovered recently.
http://scout.wisc.edu/Reports/ScoutReport/2008/scout-081121-inthenews.php#1
Discover the real animal through this very easy and visual fact sheet level A2
http://images.theglobeandmail.com/archives/RTGAM/images/20081119/wmonkey19/1119Monkey1000big.jpg
And here is a fact sheet with a detailed description of what it looks like, where it lives and how it behaves. Level B1 and above.
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/tarsier
It inspired Yoda, a Gremlin and Furby
-------------------------------------
This very tiny monkey "is also known to be the inspiration for the famous movie character
Yoda of Star Wars due to its small size but excellent hunting skills."
http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarsier
and the inspiration for the Gremlins and the Furby robot : read this article entitled :
"it's a furby, it's a gremlin, it's a tarsier!"
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2008/11/19/its-a-furby-its-a-gremlin-itsa-pygmy-tarsier/
Furby
---------
And here is what Furby was through a definition, a site of links, the instruction manual and
the excellent site "Furby autopsy" for technology orientated students. It was very famous
at the end of the 90s and they stopped making them in 2001.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furby
http://www.mimitchi.com/html/furby.htm
http://www.mimitchi.com/html/fbman.htm
http://www.phobe.com/furby/
Gremlins
---------------
Definition from Wiktionary: "A mythical creature reputed to be mechanically inclined and
mischievously inclined to damage or dismantle machinery. By extension, any mysterious,
unknown source of trouble or mischief.
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gremlin
Two pages on Wikipedia : the first more about the films, and the second more British, about the mythical creature.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gremlins
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GremlinResources for Primary School
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dangerous animals
----------------------------
The British Council has created a page about dangerous animals level A1/ A2, with flashcards,
songs, games, quizzes and a story. You could go from the Tarsier to this learning unit!
http://www.britishcouncil.org/kids-topics-dangerous-animals.htm5)
Recent grant opportunities from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) include...
Advanced Placement (AP) Test Fee Program -- CFDA# 84.330B
FIPSE: Special Focus Competition, U.S.-Brazil Higher
Education Consortia Program -- CFDA# 84.116M
* Transition to Teaching Grant Program -- CFDA#s 84.350A,
84.350B, 84.350C
******************************************************************
Advanced Placement (AP) Test Fee Program (Federal Register:
October 31, 2008 [CFDA# 84.330B])
*******************************************************************
Purpose of Program: The AP Test Fee program awards grants to
eligible State educational agencies (SEAs) to enable them to pay
all or a portion of advanced placement test fees on behalf of
eligible low-income students who (1) are enrolled in an advanced
placement course and (2) plan to take an advanced placement exam.
The program is designed to increase the number of low-income
students who take advanced placement tests and receive scores for
which college academic credit is awarded.
Applications Available: October 31, 2008.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: December 15, 2008.
Eligible Applicants: SEAs in any State, including the District
of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States
Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands, and the freely associated states of the
Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of
Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau (subject to continued
eligibility).
Estimated Range of Awards: $2,164-$3,507,966.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $285,714.
Estimated Number of Awards: 42.
*******************************************************************
Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education; (FIPSE) --
Special Focus Competition: U.S.-Brazil Higher Education Consortia
Program (Federal Register: November 13, 2008 [CFDA# 84.116M])
*******************************************************************
Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to provide
grants or enter into cooperative agreements to improve
postsecondary education opportunities by focusing on problem areas
in postsecondary education or approaches to improve postsecondary
education.
Applications Available: November 13, 2008.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: December 18, 2008.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: February 16, 2009.
Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education (IHEs) or
combinations of IHEs and other public and private nonprofit
institutions and agencies.
Estimated Range of Awards: $30,000-$35,000 for the first year.
$210,000-$250,000 for the four-year duration of the grant. $25,000
for the first year for the two-year complementary grants.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $240,000 for the four-year
duration of the grant. $50,000 for the two-year complementary
grants.
Estimated Number of Awards: 14.
*******************************************************************
Transition to Teaching Grant Program (Federal Register: November
13, 2008 [CFDA#s 84.350A, 84.350B, 84.350C])
*******************************************************************
Purpose of Program: The Transition to Teaching program encourages
(1) the development and expansion of alternative routes to full
State teacher certification, as well as (2) the recruitment and
retention of highly qualified mid-career professionals, recent
college graduates who have not majored in education, and highly
qualified paraprofessionals as teachers in high-need schools
operated by high-need local educational agencies (LEAs), including
charter schools that operate as high-need LEAs.
Applications Available: November 13, 2008.
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: December 15, 2008.
Date of Pre-Application Meeting: December 4, 2008.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 21, 2009.
Eligible Applicants: A State educational agency (SEA); a high-
need LEA; a for-profit or nonprofit organization that has a proven
record of effectively recruiting and retaining highly qualified
teachers, in partnership with a high-need LEA or an SEA; an IHE in
partnership with a high-need LEA or an SEA; a regional consortium
of SEAs; or a consortium of high-need LEAs.
Estimated Range of Awards: National/regional projects,
$450,000-$750,000 per year; Statewide projects, $300,000-$650,000
per year; and Local projects, $150,000-$450,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: National/regional
projects, $600,000 per year; Statewide projects, $440,000 per year;
and Local projects, $300,000 per year.
Estimated Number of Awards: National/regional projects, 3;
Statewide projects, 5; and Local projects, 10.
6)
ED REVIEW
November 21, 2008
...a bi-weekly update on U.S. Department of Education activities relevant to the Intergovernmental and Corporate community and other stakeholders
STUDENT LOAN ACCESS
With lenders currently committing loan volume to colleges and universities for the upcoming school year, Secretary Spellings and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson detailed their experience and success at improving the functioning of the loan marketplace and providing liquidity and stability in the near term under the Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act (ECASLA) and outlined additional action to implement the extended ECASLA. For the current school year, the law's programs have been largely successful. Loan originations are exceeding last year's pace: in the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP), there have been $41.8 billion in originations through October 31, compared to $39 billion at this time last year, while in the federal Direct Loan program, there have been $17.9 billion in originations, versus $12 billion at this time last year. Also, lenders are strongly utilizing the Education Department's participation interest and loan purchase programs: 19 lenders have been approved for the Purchase of Participation Interests program, in which the agency purchases a 100% interest in pools of loans held by a custodian, providing near-term liquidity to lenders; 12 lenders have made use of this program and have, through October 31, received $8.7 billion in payments, representing 50% of current disbursements; and, under the separate loan purchase program, two lenders have sold $62 million in loans to the agency. For the upcoming school year, the Department will replicate the participation interest and loan purchase programs. Terms and conditions are anticipated to be largely consistent with the prior year's programs, although the Administration may need to refine the pricing and terms of these programs to ensure that they result in no net cost to the federal government. Also, the Administration intends to provide liquidity support to one or more conforming Asset-Backed Commercial Paper conduits. These conduits will purchase FFELP loans, supplying longer-term stability in the marketplace. The Department intends to make all fully distributed, non-consolidated FFELP loans awarded between October 1, 2003, and July 1, 2009, eligible for this program. (Update: Until these conduits are operational, or until February 28, 2009, whichever comes first, the Department will also purchase certain 2007-08 FFELP loans, to minimize disruptions in the interim period -- see http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2008/11/11202008.html.) Meanwhile, the agency has taken the steps necessary to ensure the Lender of Last Resort program is ready, should it be needed. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2008/11/11082008.html.
Other student loan news:
Secretary Spellings and Undersecretary Sara Martinez Tucker (see below) recently presented to Congress the Department's plan for a "rational approach to federal student aid." It includes: a simplified Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA); a federal student aid target that sets the maximum amount of federal subsidized aid (grants and subsidized loans) the neediest student could receive; a federal student aid commitment that determines a specific student's eligibility; and the consolidation of programs into single grant (Pell), loan (subsidized loan, unsubsidized loan, and Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students in both the FFELP and Direct Loan programs), and work-study (Federal Work-Study) programs. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO http://www.newamerica.net/blog/files/A%20Rational%20Approach%20to%20Federal%20Student%20Aid%20-%20Final.doc.
Undersecretary Tucker announced she was leaving her position to return home to California. The Department's General Counsel, Kent Talbert, will be delegated the responsibilities of the Undersecretary. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2008/11/11122008.html.
The latest Education News Parents Can Use broadcast (archived at http://www.connectlive.com/events/ednews/) explored the issue of paying for college and advocated using federal aid first.
______________________________________________________________________
USING TECHNOLOGY
The Secretary's new white paper about technology, "Harnessing Innovation to Support Student Success: Using Technology to Personalize Education," gives the "lessons learned" from three roundtable discussions (held over the past 18 months) with representatives from across the education and technology landscape, from teachers to executives, and a roundtable discussion with students. The conversations were frank and informative, with a view into the potential and the challenges of employing technology to help transform education. Participants identified five key areas where federal, state, and local governments can better collaborate: (1) online learning and virtual schools, (2) transforming data into knowledge and action, (3) broadband connectivity, (4) research efficacy and impact, and (5) school leadership and professional preparation. http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/os/technology/reports/roundtable.html.
NCLB UPDATE
On November 19, the Secretary announced the release of the "Reading First Impact Study: Final Report." This report, a follow-up to April's interim study, presents an additional year of data (from 2006-07) on student reading comprehension and classroom instruction in 248 schools (125 Reading First schools and 123 non-Reading First schools) and information on the impact of the program on first-grade students' decoding skills. While the report found no statistically significant difference in reading comprehension, Reading First had a significant impact on students' decoding, phonics, and fluency skills -- three of the five basic components of reading. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20094038.asp AND http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/reading/readingfirst-report.html.
The Department has unveiled the full slate of 2008 American Stars of Teaching award winners -- one from each state and the District of Columbia. These outstanding classroom teachers, across all disciplines and grade levels, were honored this fall with special assemblies for improving student achievement and using innovative strategies to make a difference in the lives of their students. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO http://www.t2tweb.us/AmStar/Prior.asp.
The Achiever newsletter (http://www.ed.gov/achiever/), now available solely online, focuses on how successful schools across the U.S. are working toward the goal of the No Child Left Behind Act: to have every student reading and doing math at grade-level by 2014. The latest story spotlights a Philadelphia magnet middle school -- one of 320 schools honored with a Blue Ribbon School award -- where eighth-grade performance at the "advanced" level (the highest of four levels on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment) has increased from 29% in 2004 to 77% in 2008 in reading and from 13% in 2004 to 67% in 2008 in math.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Although the Department is operating under a continuing resolution, several new grant competitions are in progress. For example, the Advanced Placement (AP) Test Fee Program awards grants to states to enable them to pay all or a portion of AP test fees on behalf of eligible low-income students who are enrolled in an AP course and intend to take an AP exam. Only states are eligible to apply. Applications are due December 15. And, the Transition to Teaching Grant Program funds the development and expansion of alternative routes to full state teacher certification and the recruitment and retention of highly qualified mid-career professionals, recent college graduates who have not majored in education, and paraprofessionals to teach in high-need schools operated by high-need school districts. States, high-need districts, and partnerships of states, districts, and for- and non-profit organizations are eligible to apply. A notice of intent to apply is due December 15. Applications are due January 21, 2009. http://www.ed.gov/GrantApps/ lists all competitions that are currently underway, with links to electronic application packages, forms, and other information.
SURVEY DATA
Don't miss these insightful reports, based on survey data:
"Community Service and Service-Learning in America's Schools 2008" (http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/role_impact/performance_research.asp#LSA_2008), from the Corporation for National and Community Service, finds 68% of all K-12 schools offered or recognized service opportunities for their students, up from 64% in a similar study conducted in 1999. High schools are especially supportive of community service, with a whopping 86% recognizing student service, up from 83% in 1999. However, while school-based community service has remained robust, the percentage of schools with service learning has declined from 32% in 1999 to 24% in 2008.
"National Survey of Student Engagement: 2008 Results" (http://nsse.iub.edu/NSSE_2008_Results/), from Indiana University's Center for Postsecondary Research, summarizes the views of 380,000 first-year and senior students at 722 four-year colleges and universities on five benchmarks: (1) level of academic challenge, (2) active and collaborative learning, (3) student-faculty interaction, (4) enriching education experiences, and (5) supportive campus environment. A primary conclusion? The quality of undergraduate education varies far more within institutions than between them.
"Open Doors 2008" (http://opendoors.iienetwork.org/), published annually by the Institute of International Education, reports on Americans studying abroad and international students in the U.S. During the 2006-07 school year, 241,791 Americans studied abroad -- an increase of 8.5% from 2005-06. The leading destinations were the United Kingdom (14.6% of total), Italy (12.5%), and Spain (10.7%). Ecuador (+29.6% change from previous year), South Africa (+28%), and Argentina (+26.2%) reported the largest percentage increases. On the other hand, during the 2006-07 school year, 623,805 international students studied in the U.S. -- an increase of 7% from 2005-06. The top sending countries of origin were India (15.2% of total), China (13%), and South Korea (11.1%), while Vietnam (+45.3% change from previous year), Saudi Arabia (+25.2%), and China (+19.8%) reported the largest percentage increases.
USA LEARNS
On November 7, the Department's Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) officially launched USA Learns (http://www.usalearns.org/), a web site providing the approximately 11 million adults who have low levels of English proficiency with accessible and free English language training. The launch of the site completes one of the goals in President Bush's August 2007 announcement of 26 immigration reforms his Administration would pursue within existing law, including the assimilation of new citizens and helping immigrants learn English to expand their opportunities in America. Upon entering the site, users can choose directions in either English or Spanish and then pick which level they need: beginner or immediate. Once inside the modules, the instruction is almost exclusively in English. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2008/11/11072008.html.