Learning a Language

We note a website that is the home of language courses developed for the US government Foreign Service Institute:

These courses were developed for the United States government and are in the public domain. This site is dedicated to making these language courses freely available in an electronic format. This site is not affiliated in any way with any government entity; it is an independent, non-profit effort to foster the learning of worldwide languages. Courses here are made available through the private efforts of individuals who are donating their time and resources to provide quality materials for language learning.  

From Amharic to Yoruba, the site is a trove of language learning materials. We have learned that Rosetta Stone, the popular language learning business, has decided not to provide their courses any longer to public libraries as the subscriptions expire. This should provide an alternative to that service.

Education Commission of the States

Resource Shelf, a favorite source for new sites, has singled out this resource for particular commendation:

 

We’re pleased to introduce you to the Education Commission of the States (ECS) website, and we’ve invited Kathy Christie, Vice President, Knowledge Management & ECS Clearinghouse, to provide the details:

The Education Commission of the States (ECS) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit interstate compact created by the states and the U.S. Congress that helps governors, legislators, state education officials, business leaders and others identify, develop and implement public policies to improve student learning at all levels. ECS is the only nationwide interstate compact devoted to education. The ECS website is the nation’s most extensive website devoted to education policy. The site is organized to help users access information in the way that policymakers most typically ask for it:

• “What are other states doing?”

• “What should I read and/or what does the research say?”

• “Where else can I get information?”

It features comprehensive packages of information on a growing number of early learning, K-12 and postsecondary issues, ranging from broad overviews to in-depth policy analyses.

Special features include:

• The only comprehensive, publicly accessible database of state education policy enactments — accessible by issue area or by year (2000 to current, updated weekly)

• A small but steadily growing collection of vetted research studies from which the major findings and policy implications have been culled and presented in a user-friendly fashion

• 50-state databases on state policies related to major issues such as high school reform, virtual schools, teaching recruitment and retention, etc.

Some recent releases of note include:

• Virtual High Schools — A new ECS Database examines state virtual high schools. A total of 18 datapoints provide information on: (1) student curriculum and access; (2) finance; (3) teaching quality; and (4) program quality/accountability.

• High School Level Accountability — This database provides 50-state information on the indicators, notifications/supports, sanctions and rewards established in state policy in response to state-level accountability initiatives. Policies relate to high school-level (not district-level) accountability.

 

The Recent State Policies/Activities file reveals such topics as Background Checks. A recent law passed by Illinois was signed into law 09/11/2207 pre-K-12. It amended the Privacy of Child Victims of Criminal Sexual Offenses Act:

Provides that when a criminal sexual offense is committed or alleged to have been committed by a school district employee or any individual contractually employed by a school district, that criminal history record information must be provided to the superintendent of the school district immediately upon request. http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/95/HB/PDF/09500HB3512lv.pdf Title: H.B. 3512