text:
Volume VI, No. 8
Moving Mountains: Chartering to Improve Student Achievement
What's New
- From the U.S. Department of Education
- Charter Schools
- Closing the Achievement Gap
- Early Childhood
- Leadership
- Raising Student Achievement
- Reading
- School Improvement
- Teacher Quality and Development
- Charter Schools/Choice
- Raising Student Achievement
- School Improvement
- Teacher Quality and Development
- Technology
Moving Mountains: Chartering to Improve Student Achievement
Inside the ballroom, educators waited to hear their names called and to walk across the stage. A slideshow projected on a screen highlighted pictures of vibrant classrooms and smiling children. Principal Wanda Mallard could not help but feel as though she was participating in a graduation ceremony as she joined her colleagues from across the nation in Washington, D.C., last November for the No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools recognition banquet. For Mallard, and the community supporting International Studies Elementary Charter School (ISECS) in Albany, Ga., the Blue Ribbon Schools award plaque, much like a diploma, symbolized great achievement as well as a rite of passage. In 2007, ISECS earned the Blue Ribbon Schools award – the highest honor that the federal government bestows on schools – for dramatically improving student performance. ISECS' journey to become a high-performing school of choice was long and uncommon, fueled by one community's unique needs and persistent hope for children.
In her retirement, Mallard proudly looks back at ISECS' progress. The school now is headed by Zeda George, who has led other schools in the Dougherty County School System (DCSS). With George at the helm, ISECS continues to demonstrate the levels of achievement that earned it recognition as a Blue Ribbon School last year. On the most recent state achievement tests, 84 percent of fifth-grade students met proficiency targets in mathematics and 98 percent met those targets in reading. Every student reached proficiency in language arts.
|Today, ISECS serves 455 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Students are 84 percent black, eight percent Hispanic, seven percent white, and less than one percent American Indian or Asian/Pacific Islander, respectively, and 66 percent of the population qualifies for the federal free or reduced price meal program.
It wasn't always this way. ISECS traces its history to 1965, when it was established as Mock Road Elementary, a traditional public school in southwest Georgia. The school was created to serve a large population of students from military families who were stationed at the adjacent Albany Marine Corps Logistics Base. For decades, the school was one of the lowest-performing in the district.
In 1994, a tropical storm hit the area, causing the worst flooding in Albany's history. Mock Road Elementary was one of many schools that sustained damage, and 22,000 people in the city were displaced. Four years later, Albany experienced another flood. As a result, the population around the school considerably decreased. By 2000, the local Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Committee began considering the future of the Marine Corps base. Suddenly, the existence of Mock Road Elementary was in question.
A Community Acts to Save its School
Peggy Nielson, Albany's representative on the state board of education and member of the BRAC Committee, recognized that the quality of local schools could determine the Marines' long-term commitment to the area. With help from Mallard and representatives from the base, Nielson organized focus groups comprised of parents, community members, and teachers. The groups aimed to determine how Mock Road Elementary could improve performance and better serve families, particularly those stationed at the Marine Corps base. Nielson remembers, "We wanted to mine the wisdom of our customers. If you can compare education to a business, we wanted the input of our 'customers' in order to create the best 'product,' which is excellence for our students."
Out of these discussions came the idea to tailor the school's curriculum to its population. The district's military children, many of whom had exposure to various cultures and an international education through tours of duty with their parents, needed a seamless transition to learning in DCSS. To aid in this transition and provide families with a choice for their children's education, the focus groups selected the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme as the structure for the new curriculum.
School faculty spent a year researching the IB methodology. In 2004, they voted to implement the program, citing its strong international dimension and focus on rigorous academics, skills development, and study across a broad range of subjects. In 2004, Mock Road Elementary reopened as the International Studies Elementary Magnet School (ISEMS), but its journey toward success was not complete.
A Traditional Public School Experiments with Two Choice Models
Although the transition from a traditional public school to a magnet program offered ISEMS more freedom, much work had to be done to impact performance. To explore other options for improvement, Mallard and her faculty began talking about reconstituting ISEMS as a charter school.
|Nationally, charter schools have demonstrated that they can be better positioned to innovate and excel than traditional public schools. Under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), children who attend schools that are identified as needing improvement may choose to attend charter schools in their district. Charters offer choices for schools, too. Under the law, schools that have not met adequate yearly progress for four consecutive years may face corrective action and restructuring. Reconfiguration as a charter school is one option that many schools may find effective for turning around performance.
Charter schools are exempt from many state and local regulatory requirements and have greater control over budgets and personnel decisions. These freedoms come with added accountability, but studies show that charters are demonstrating success. In 2004, for example, researcher Caroline Hoxby found that, nationwide, 10 percent more charter school students reached proficiency on state reading and mathematics exams than traditional public school students.
The flexibility to overhaul ISEMS was what Mallard and others in the community believed could be the catalyst for marked improvement. A team was formed to gather research on charter schools and to learn how to write a charter petition. The team consisted of Mallard and her vice principal, the IB and curriculum coordinators, a literacy coach, teachers, parents, and community members. To gauge how families felt about another transition, surveys were distributed and meetings were held with representatives from DCSS and the Georgia Department of Education. DCSS Superintendent Sally Whatley saw benefits from the proposed curriculum that had the potential to reach beyond the lines of traditional school zones and impact the entire system. Nielson recalls that the district had little experience with charters, but that Superintendent Whatley, DCSS Board of Education Chairman Michael Windom, and ISEMS' administration were "willing vessels." She notes, "They opened themselves up to something new and said, 'Show us if chartering can improve this school.'"
After the team conducted site visits to other charter schools and interpreted results from surveys and meetings, ISEMS' faculty voted to transition to a charter model. Because the hallmark of most charter schools is a tailored program to the communities they serve, ISEMS included school and district staff and parent and community members in the review of its charter. Andrew Broy, director of the charter schools division for the Georgia Department of Education, notes, "The lesson that educators can learn from [this school] is that chartering is something they can grasp on their own. The principal and teachers at ISEMS didn't view chartering as forced on them by an outside entity. … They didn't view it as an onerous requirement. They chose it, and it's working."
At the Core of the Turnaround: A Mission-Driven Focus and Support for Teachers
As part of the reconstitution, teachers at the new International Studies Elementary Charter School (ISECS) were asked to reapply for their positions. Although the majority of teachers were reinstated, Mallard recalls that attitudes changed. "When I interviewed original staff and new applicants, I told them it would not be 'business as usual' at ISECS. It was a different school. We'd be driven by our new mission to develop high academic skills, an understanding of international ideas, responsible citizenship, and critical thinking in our students. I told them we were going to succeed."
When ISECS opened in 2005, the majority of startup funds were used to train staff in the IB methodology. Mallard felt strongly that every teacher should receive hands-on training, so Nielson worked for eight months to obtain additional state funds. ISECS educators observed IB pedagogical theory in action from Atlanta to South Carolina, to Canada. Trainers from around the world came to ISECS to share promising practices.
The investment in staff development paid off in 2006, as the Swiss-based IB Organization authorized ISECS to sponsor the Primary Years Programme, and educators from across the country are now visiting the school to learn effective instructional strategies.
For Every Learner, Success; For Every Parent, Involvement
Despite the fact that the majority of students come to the school with challenges stemming from low-income and traditionally underserved backgrounds, ISECS teachers believe that every student can learn. Based on the IB framework, students are expected to think critically and creatively, act with integrity, appreciate others' cultures and their history, and develop their natural curiosity to become independent learners.
Students develop these aspects of the IB "Learner Profile" through units of study in each subject area. From mathematics to art, units are organized based on six themes: Who We Are; Where We Are in Place and Time; How We Express Ourselves; How the World Works; How We Organize Ourselves; and How We Share the Planet. Mallard notes these inquiry-based themes engage students and have given ISECS' curriculum a logical structure. For added depth, the school requires that every student develop a portfolio of work or cross-disciplinary project that demonstrates mastery of studied concepts. Every student also must learn Spanish.
Just as students understand expectations, parents know they have requirements to meet. Every year, parents must contribute a minimum of 18 volunteer hours. As a result, the school has a family-oriented atmosphere. Parents can be found participating on the charter board, organizing fundraisers, or assisting in the high-tech literacy center.
DCSS Board of Education Chairman Windom states, "Watching ISECS transform itself through the hard work of parents, students, the community, and educators has been fulfilling. They made changes, they chose to improve, and they did it." In 2005 and 2006, the school was recognized by the Governor's Office of Student Achievement and the state department of education for the greatest gains in meeting and exceeding standards. Last year, ISECS was honored as a Title I Distinguished School.
A "Do-It Ourselves" Attitude Goes a Long Way
Nearly 2,000 miles to the west of Albany, founders of a charter school in Phoenix, Ariz., adopted a similar "do it ourselves" attitude to increase student achievement. Like ISECS, the Pan-American Elementary Charter School (PAES) overcame a difficult beginning to flourish as a school that caters to the needs of its population.
Educators Marta and Luis Pasos created PAES as a place where low-income Hispanic students could come to excel. PAES received its charter in 2001. Due to postponed building inspections and delayed state funding, many families gave up on enrolling during the inaugural year. Consequently, the school had to lay off teachers. In order to keep the fledgling school alive, the founders took out personal loans.
Despite this troubled start, PAES more than doubled its population by the end of the first year and, by the second year, it had enough funds to pay off the founders' debts and rehire teachers. Mrs. Pasos attributes this turnaround to "doing everything we can ourselves." Indeed, education at PAES is a family affair. The duo handles operating procedures, such as maintenance and payroll. Mr. Pasos even provides transportation by driving a bus. The Pasos' son recently became assistant principal.
Like ISECS, the Phoenix school considered its student population when developing its curriculum. According to Mrs. Pasos, the vast majority of students enter PAES achieving below grade level. An accelerated, full-day kindergarten program allows teachers to cover state standards in half a year and advance to first-grade standards by the latter half of the year. As a result, from the moment they enter, PAES students are on an accelerated track to achievement.
|PAES serves 325 students in kindergarten through eighth grade, nearly all of whom are Hispanic and qualify for free or reduced price meals. On the 2007 state exam, 78 percent of students reached proficiency in reading, 89 percent reached that target in mathematics, and all students reached proficiency in writing.
Chartering Enables Gains, Spurs Innovation
Although thousands of miles apart, administrators at PAES and ISECS agree that their success can be attributed to the flexibilities their charters allow. Mrs. Pasos states that by tailoring the curriculum and knowing the people she serves, she can "better meet their needs." DCSS was so impressed with ISECS' results that Dougherty Middle and High Schools are converting to international studies charter schools. ISECS will serve as the feeder for these new schools of choice.
When Wanda Mallard reflects on Mock Road Elementary School's seemingly insurmountable challenges and ISECS' subsequent successes – particularly as a No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon honoree – a verse from Dr. Seuss, one of her students' favorite authors, comes to mind. "Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So ... get on your way." Certainly, educators at the two charter schools in Albany and Phoenix will continue the legacy of moving mountains that get in the way of student achievement.
- Charter School Program
- Innovations in Education, K-8 Charter Schools: Closing the Achievement Gap
- Charter High Schools: Closing the Achievement Gap
- No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools Program
What's New
From the U.S. Department of Education
U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced that Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia have been approved to participate in a supplemental educational services (SES) pilot for the 2008-2009 academic year, allowing some or all districts in these states to offer SES to eligible students in Title I schools in year one of improvement status. (Aug. 4)
While Secretary Spellings congratulated Congress on the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, she also stated, "While the legislation takes some positive steps forward, it fails to create the necessary reforms in accessibility and affordability, and it falls short on strengthening accountability. More work can – and must – be done…" (July 31)
Twenty institutions in 15 states will share $2.4 million in grants over the next five years to improve special education teacher preparation programs. The awards announced by the U.S. Department of Education also are meant to ensure that graduates meet the highly qualified teacher requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. (July 29)
Secretary Spellings recently learned how mathematics may be used to putt a golf ball when Phil Mickelson, the number-two-ranked professional golfer in the world, visited the Department to emphasize the value of mathematics and science. Local students from the Washington, D.C., area participated in the lesson. (July 22)
Citing the need to communicate in languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Korean, and Hindi, Secretary Spellings announced $2.2 million in grants to school districts in seven states to help increase the number of Americans learning foreign languages that are critical to national security and commerce. (July 22)
Libraries in 59 low-income school districts will benefit from $18.2 million in grants, Secretary Spellings announced. The grants aim to improve students' literacy by increasing their access to up-to-date and technologically advanced school library materials. (July 18)
New grants will fund collaborative efforts between colleges and universities in the United States and Europe. Funds will be used to develop programs of study in a wide range of academic and professional disciplines and to encourage student exchanges. (July 18)
Secretary Spellings announced the approval of six states – Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, and Ohio – to use a differentiated accountability pilot. The pilot is aimed at helping states differentiate between underperforming schools in need of dramatic interventions and those that are closer to meeting NCLB's goals. (July 1)
A new report from the National Center for Education Statistics draws data from a survey that was designed to provide policymakers, researchers, and educators with information about technology-based distance education courses in public elementary and secondary schools nationwide. Findings indicate that, during 2004-2005, 37 percent of public school districts and 10 percent of all public schools nationwide had students enrolled in technology-based distance education courses. (June 27)
Charter Schools
Results from four studies show black students in public charter schools are outperforming their counterparts in traditional public schools on standardized tests. These studies are summarized in a new report PDF [494 KB] from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, The Color of Success: Black Student Achievement in Public Charter Schools. (Aug. 4)
Three education reform leaders were inducted into the National Public Charter Schools Hall of Fame during the National Charter School Conference in New Orleans, La. The recipients were Linda Brown, founder and executive director of Building Excellent Schools; Yvonne Chan, principal of Vaughn Next Century Learning Center in Pacoima, Calif.; and former state Senator Ember Reichgott Junge of Minneapolis, Minn. Also during the conference, Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement Doug Mesecar delivered remarks and announced the creation of a National Charter School Achievement Award to recognize high-performing charters that are dramatically improving student achievement. (June 3)
Many training programs aimed at helping charter school principals prepare for their jobs address issues including accountability and labor relations and incorporate hands-on components such as field experiences. According to a new report from the National Charter School Research Project, these programs may not prepare principals well in other areas such as raising and managing funds and communicating effectively with parents and the public. (June 2008)
Closing the Achievement Gap
An analysis of standardized test scores published in the July issue of Science, the magazine of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, reveals that girls are performing on par with boys in mathematics. The perception that boys do better in the subject tends to endure nonetheless, researchers say, which may discourage some girls from pursuing mathematics-related careers. (July 2008)
Early Childhood
Low-income and minority children could benefit most from preschool, but a new report finds that these children are the least likely to be enrolled in high-quality programs. In a report released by the RAND California Preschool Study, researchers estimate that only 15 percent of children who could benefit most are in programs that could prepare them for later success in school. (June 18)
A report from the American Association of School Administrators shows that there are not enough candidates to fill a looming number of vacancies in superintendent positions across the country. The report contains new data that profile the condition of the school superintendent pipeline; information regarding incentives and barriers for becoming a superintendent; and steps to ensure that there is a high-quality pool of candidates in the future. (June 2)
Raising Student Achievement
A first-of-its-kind "21st Century Skills Map" PDF [4.60 MB] has been developed by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills and the National Council for the Social Studies. The map provides educators with concrete examples of how 21st century skills can be integrated into daily classroom activities and highlights how these skills correlate with social studies. The map provides lessons that combine skills like critical thinking and creativity with interdisciplinary themes like civics and global literacy. (July 17)
The National Governors Association's (NGA) 2008 progress report PDF [657 KB] finds that only 16 states calculate and publicly report a graduation rate consistent with the formula agreed to in the Graduation Counts Compact. In April, Secretary Spellings proposed regulations to NCLB that would ensure all states use the same formula to calculate graduation rates. The proposed regulations mention the NGA formula as a model. (July 2008)
In 2005, 15 prominent business groups warned that a lack of expert workers and teachers posed a threat to U.S. competitiveness. The action plan asserted that by 2015, the U.S. would need 400,000 new graduates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The group's updated report PDF [218 KB] reveals that the number of degrees in those fields rose slightly in the earlier part of 2000, but has since flattened out at around 225,000 per year. (July 2008)
California students who struggle to pass the state's high-school exit exam can be identified as early as the fourth grade based on their grades, exam scores, and behavior, according to a Public Policy Institute of California report PDF [2.03 MB]. As a result, the report's authors suggest targeting more funds to students in early grades. (2008)
Children ages five through 17 enjoy reading for pleasure, although the percentage of children who read for this purpose declines as they age. The drop-off appears after age eight and continues through the teen years, according to the 2008 Kids and Family Reading Report from Scholastic and research firm TSC. The study also found that 90 percent of children surveyed believe that they "need to be strong reader[s] to get into good college[s]." (June 2008)
The College Board's National Commission on Writing has joined with the OII-funded National Writing Project and Reading Is Fundamental to promote early childhood literacy with a new publication. Our Book By Us! (Nuestro Libro ¡Hecho Por Nosotros!) is an activity book written in both English and Spanish, designed to encourage caregivers to read, write, and talk with their preschool-age children. (June 2008)
School Facilities
Climate change has spurred a surge of activity in "green" building efforts. At Sidwell Friends, a private K-12 school in Washington, D.C., a rooftop garden is not only a teaching tool, but it harvests rainwater and adds insulation as well. The garden is among a wide array of energy-reducing devices that have earned the school the designation of a "platinum building," the top rating in the U.S. Green Building Council's voluntary Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program. (August 2008)
School Improvement
Launched by the Public Education Network and funded by MetLife Foundation, a new Civic Index for Quality Public Education measures community support for public schools. The Web site helps communities identify strategies and resources to help improve support for public schools and aims to let communities know what they are doing right. (July 2008)
Using testing data from all 50 states, a new study from the Center on Education Policy seeks to answer whether student achievement has increased and achievement gaps have narrowed since NCLB was enacted. The study also includes a comparison between state test results and results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress. According to the study, scores on state reading and mathematics exams have risen since 2002, and achievement gaps between various groups of students have narrowed. (June 24)
Teacher Quality and Development
A study from the National Research Council reveals that teachers who earn advanced certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards are more effective than other teachers in raising student achievement. The study, however, does not detect a causal link. It is available for purchase online. (June 2008)
A new NASA Web site allows children to follow Buzz Lightyear, the Disney animated character from the popular Toy Story movie and series, on a mission into space. Children can complete mathematics and science games along the way, and read transmissions from Buzz and his crew. The educational games reinforce concepts like gravity, and enable children to practice metric conversions and review space history and technology. (August 2008)
The Education Commission of the States has created two new online resources for policymakers. The first is a database related to STEM subjects that includes information related to students' access to and the quality of high school-level STEM programs. The second is a database related to career and technical education that provides data on 13 state policy indicators linked to program access and quality for all 50 states. (July 17)
Innovations in the News
Charter Schools/Choice
At Common Ground, a charter high school in New Haven, Conn., students pursue the school's environmental theme with hands-on experiences that integrate core subjects, such as "Egg and Seed," which combines biology, ecology, and literature. The school is part of a nascent national consortium of some 120 like-minded charter schools in the Green Charter Schools Network. At Common Ground, students often begin high school performing several grade levels behind, but they quickly improve. [More—The New York Times] (July 27)
Parents in California have a new "one-stop shop" to compare the performance of their neighborhood schools. The California School Finder Web site, developed in partnership with Microsoft and Google, was the idea of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who unveiled the site by noting that parents should be able to find information on schools online as easily as individuals who are looking for a new car can compare various models. Parents can find schools by city, address, or ZIP code, and then they can compare schools based on test scores, demographics, and graduation rates. [More—The San Jose (CA) Mercury News] (July 16)
Mayors in Rhode Island have authority from the state to create charter schools. The new "mayoral academies" will constitute partnerships between mayors and charter school operators. These academies were championed in the legislature by Cumberland, R.I., Mayor Daniel McKee and other city and town leaders in the state. [More—The Buffalo News] (July 7)
Raising Student Achievement
The generosity of local philanthropists in Kalamazoo, Mich., to pay college tuition for students who graduate from the city's schools is not only increasing graduation rates, but also attracting new businesses and bolstering the local economy. "The Kalamazoo Promise," introduced in 2005, covers 65 percent of tuition costs at state colleges and universities for students who attend at least high school in Kalamazoo. The initiative also provides full scholarships for those students who attend school in the city from kindergarten through 12th grade. Kaiser Aluminum Corp. chose Kalamazoo from among three cities to build a new complex, citing the city's "Promise Initiative" as a major reason. [More—The Wall Street Journal] (July 28)
Nearly 70 school district representatives gathered last month in Houston to look at best practices for using data to manage various school functions, particularly those functions related to student achievement. The event was organized by the American Productivity and Quality Center, a Houston-based nonprofit formerly known for its work with corporations to improve performance and management strategies. One of the main differences between "best-practice districts" and the others that participated in the event was the use of data-specific professional development that helped teachers to use data in their classrooms. [More—Education Week] (July 23)
In Arizona, Gov. Janet Napolitano has partnered with a coalition of public and private entities to create the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Center. Housed in the nonprofit Science Foundation Arizona, the STEM Education Center "aims to promote teacher recruitment, training and retention, [and to] generate interest in mathematics and science among preschool through high-school students." The center also works to encourage students to pursue degrees in STEM fields. Phoenix-based Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold Inc., the largest publicly owned copper producer in the country, helped to create the new center with a $1.5 million donation. [More—The Arizona Republic] (July 16)
A summer program is making mathematics "hot" for both middle-school teachers and students from public school districts and 32 private schools in the St. Louis area. Teachers receive a week of intense professional development before teaming with their "aspiring mathematicians" – the 180 students from participating schools. The teachers and students join for two weeks of instruction. The effort is unique for its combination of teachers and students from public and private schools. It was made possible by a $1.5 million U.S. Department of Education grant. [More—The St. Louis Post Dispatch] (July 2)
"Invention" was the theme of a summer camp in Minnesota this year, where some 3,000 students exercised their creativity and problem-solving skills by building, dismantling, and inventing everything from boats to "fling things." Camp Invention is a national program in 47 states, serving an estimated 60,000 students each year. The camps started in Ohio with help from the Inventors Hall of Fame and the U.S. Patent Office. In Minnesota, 3M and Ford, among other corporations, helped sponsor 52 camp sessions statewide this summer. [More—Minnesota Public Radio] (July 2)
School Improvement
Baltimore City represented one of the bright spots in Maryland's release of results from the latest Maryland State Assessment. While there were improvements in achievement across the state, according to Gov. Martin O'Malley, "Baltimore is leading the way." Data-driven decision making, adherence to state curriculum standards, parent engagement, gifted education programs, and efforts to persuade gang members not to bring on new recruits from local schools were among the strategies that Baltimore City school leaders attributed to the dramatic increases in achievement. [More—The Baltimore Sun] (July 15)
In Los Angeles, the mayor's "Partnership for Los Angeles Schools" is opening two year-round high schools in communities where more than half of the students are expected to drop out before graduation. A total of 10 schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District have chosen to join Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's initiative, which plans to eventually serve more than 18,000 students. The partnership promises increased funding – based on private fundraising – and increased efficiencies in administrative budgets. [More—The Los Angeles Times] (July 1)
Teacher Quality and Development
Thanks to a new program from the Golden Apple Foundation, college students who aspire to be mathematics and science educators can teach alongside faculty at Illinois' highly regarded Math and Science Academy for five weeks this summer. The program, with support from a $341,000 U.S. Department of Education grant, also encourages the prospective teachers to consider careers in under-resourced schools. Similar Golden Apple Foundation programs in other core academic subjects are held at DePaul University and Elmhurst College. [More—The Chicago Tribune] (July 29)
Several school districts in Maryland are instituting pay-for-performance plans for principals and teachers. In Baltimore, principals can earn up to 10 percent of their annual salaries. Criteria for the bonuses are being worked out in light of principals' increased autonomy in managing schools. The most ambitious plan, which also constitutes the first in the state, is about to get underway in Prince George's County. The district received a $17 million federal grant for the effort. [More—The Baltimore Sun] (July 6)
The American Library Association, with support from the Verizon Foundation, has launched a study of teens' use of electronic gaming systems in public libraries. The study aims to analyze how games can improve players' literacy skills. Several libraries with spaces dedicated to electronic games are participating, such as the Quincie Douglas Branch Library in Tucson, Ariz., where pre-teens and teens gather away from adults to play on the Wii and PlayStation 2 game systems. A national panel of experts in gaming will monitor the investigation and develop a toolkit of strategies that libraries can use nationwide. [More—The AP] (July 21)
If the terms "mash-up" and "wiki" are not familiar to you, they may be in the future. They are attached to a growing movement of K-12 teachers using free educational resources on the Internet that can be changed and republished. Mash-ups are "digital medleys of content of various types" that teachers can adapt and revise based on their classroom use. Wikis are Web sites that teachers can develop with their classes, giving the students increased buy-in regarding content and instruction. [More—Education Week] (July 11)
Wikis were probably on the minds of attendees at the recent National Educational Computing Conference (NECC). The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) used the occasion to feature a new section on Apple's iTunes U that contains online resources for K-12 educators. Seven states along with individual school districts and other educational institutions are sharing resources via iTunes U. According to SETDA's executive director, "The new K-12 resources …address the critical need to engage students through technology-based resources in the core curriculum areas." Among state-level efforts to contribute to the new pool of resources are Michigan's MI Learning Institute and Florida's Center for Instructional Technology. [More—eSchool News] (July 2)
At another session during NECC, the Office of Innovation and Improvement released its latest guide in the Innovations in Education series, Evaluating Online Learning: Challenges and Strategies for Success, through a live web cast. Featured presenters were Tim Magner, director of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Technology, and a panel of online learning and evaluation experts. According to Susan Patrick, an attendee at the session and president and chief executive officer of the North American Council for Online Learning, the OII guide is the "first to fully address the issue [of] evaluating online programs in K-12 education." [More—Education Week] (July 2)
Office of Innovation and Improvement
Douglas B. Mesecar, Assistant Deputy Secretary
Office of Communications and Outreach
Lauren Maddox, Assistant Secretary
John McGrath
Doug Herbert
Executive Editors
Sherry Schweitzer
Tiffany Taber
August Feature Writer
Cynthia Cabell
Sr. Production Editor
Dramon Turner
Production Editor
Pamela Allen
Stacy Kreppel
Meghan Lerch
Todd May
Kelly Scott
Tiffany Taber
Issue Reviewers
Doug Herbert
Todd May
Tiffany Taber
Last Modified: 05/06/2009


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When we travel we open ourselves up to unknown possibilities.
Each of us sees the city through different eyes, lenses, filters, associations. The fleeting events we capture, the people we meet and the paths we follow combine to weave a unique story of our journeys.
Thousands of artists, curators, events and exhibitions make their way to Venice for the Art Biennale. This year's event begins with Art Instameet, when 20 international bloggers, journalists, photographers and instagramers record the exhibitions, events, people and places in town during the week.
They are accompanied by an urban toolkit to equip them for these moments. The Cahier notebook to contain sketches, notes and impressions. A small shell to collect mementos picked up along the way. A case to keep the tools used to record experiences by hand, on paper. Finally, the Evernote Smart Notebook serves to connect these real-world experiences to the digital realm. Stored in a Reporter bag, the toolkit becomes an analog cloud of objects and pixels that follows them wherever they go, allowing them to express their own unique points of view.
[Images taken from myDetour Venice]
Discover the event as told through 20 different reporters by following our Instagram account
@moleskine_world and #M_veniceinsta13 or check out our selection below:
[Left - right, from top: @r2photo, @gio_pesce, @gio_pesce, @ilarysgrill, @magbmag, @fammiunafoto, @gio_pesce, @celestalis, @celestalis]
Create your own urban toolkit on the Moleskine Store.

subset: commoncrawl


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I know that I'm very early with my Christmas decor. I usually start the day after Thanksgiving (I never go shopping on Black Friday) but when I stopped at Ikea I fell in love with the Ikea Margareta Fabric. My head was spinning, that's how excited I was!
|I love the Ikea Margareta Wood too. It would look great in a faux fireplace, wouldn't it?
While my mom was here I started working on a little (yeah right, it's huge) canvas.
This is what you'll need:
• four 2x2x8 furring strips for $6.88 (2 cuts at 50″ length, 2 cuts at 72″ length)
• 2 yards of Ikea Margareta (pine tree) fabric for $13.98
• 1 pack (8 screws) 2 1/2″ wood screws for $1.18
• stapler (HERE) and staples
• ornament hooks (HERE)
• flat ornaments (HERE )
• If you'd like to add lights to the canvas, you can buy 14″ inch grommets (or whatever fits your bulbs), attach them to the fabric where you want the lights and stick the bulbs from a white light garland through the grommet. I opted for no lights since I want my chandelier to be the lighting focal point and another reason is that the grommets were on the pricey side. It sure would look stunning to have the canvas lit!
You could also make an advent calendar! There are so many possibilities!
|I predrilled the holes and put the frame together with 2 screws for each connection.
|Then I stapled the fabric really tight to the frame. Make sure to keep it even, so the tree looks straight.
|I bent the hook from the right side into the hook that you can see on the left side,
to be able to just push them into the fabric and hang the ornaments.
|Lite weight ornaments work best and that's why I used these ornaments from an old Ikea garland.
|I just pushed the hooks into the fabric with the ornaments on it.
Do you notice something else? I hope so! Haha!
I changed out the crystals on my cellula chandelier.
|Look, I can see myself in the ornament 🙂
I usually have a small tree in the corner instead of the boxwood topiary. I might put it somewhere else this year. Not sure yet!
What do you think? I have to take some more pictures when it is dark outside because the chandelier looks beautiful. At least that's what I think.
Have a great weekend. I hope I'll be done with another exciting project by Monday.
Happy Friday und guten Tag!


text:
Sorry, but specific product you requested is not currently available. Hopefully you can find another option below.
Sweet Georgia yarns are hand-dyed in small batches, so every hank is just a teeny bit different! We do our best to visually match hanks for each order and will contact you via email if one or more hanks differ noticeably from the others. The beauty of hand-dyed yarns is that each hank is a unique work of art, so please be aware that there can be a variation in coloring, hue and saturation, even within the same dye batch.
Tough Love Sock is a perfect blend of color, warmth and strength to make an exquisite hardwearing sock yarn that can stand up to your affection and abuse.
We provide endless possibilities for you including yarn, knitting gifts, needles, kits, sale yarn, free knitting patterns, and more!Jimmy Beans Wool is Your Local Yarn Store... Online!


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You Are Here:
Home > Criminal Defense Issues > Eyewitness ID Reform
"Editorial: A Check on Bad Eyewitness Identifications," The New York Times, December 5, 2012.
"Exoneration for a Man in Prison for 2 Years," by Mosi Secret, The New York Times, October 26, 2012.
"Circuit Questions Eyewitness Account, Upholds Reversal," by Joel Stashenko, New York Law Journal, October 17, 2012.
"Mass. Inmates Get Bond at Sepcial Court Call, Boston Mayor Seeks $15M Over Crime Lab Test Issues," by Martha Neil, ABA Journal, October 16, 2012.
"Va. police required to have eyewitness ID policies," San Francisco Gate, July 5, 2012.
"After trend of wrongful convictions nationwide, Topeka police change witness identification methods," Lawrence Journal-World, April 27, 2012.
"When Memory Commits an Injustice," The Wall Street Journal, April 16, 2012.
"Eye of the Beholder," The American Prospect, January 13, 2012.
"Troy Davis Case Prompts Second Look at Eyewitness Identification Rules", Stateline, September 22, 2011.
"How Can Courts Trust Eyewitnesses?" New York Times, September 1, 2011.
"NJ Decision on Eyewitness Identification Could Have Broad Impact," Thomson Reuters, August 26, 2011.
"In New Jersey, Rules Are Changed on Witness IDs," New York Times, August 24, 2011
"New Jersey Supreme Court Issues Landmark Decision Mandating Major Changes in the Way Courts Handle Identification Procedures," Innocence Project, August 24, 2011.
"New Jersey Supreme Court Warns Eyewitness Identification Evidence Unreliable, Orders New Rules," Associated Press, August 24, 2011.
"Ellis works to halt wrongful convictions," Houston Chronicle, February 3, 2011."Looking across the racial divide: How eyewitness testimony can cause problems," The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, December 26, 2010."New Jersey is a leader in addressing problems with eyewitness testimony," The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 28, 2010.NACDL Press Release, Criminal
Defense Bar Secures Sweeping Reversal in Illinois Eyewitness
Identification Litigation Concerning Flawed Lineups Linked to More than
50 Wrongful Convictions, March 3, 2010.
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text: I have a Droid X, and the GPS does not seem to find the current location exactly, especially for navigation. This issue has been there for the past 3 - 4 months. I have tried clearing the aiding data using the 'GPS Test' app and starting the scan for satellites - but it does not seem to help. Yes I've tried using the phone in the open without any obstruction like trees or anything, and even when on the move - it fails to lock onto the current position. It rarely finds the position on the Google maps accurately, and in Navigation mode it doesn't work at all - it just says "Searching for GPS". Do you guys think the GPS is broken or malfunctioning ? I do have a $5 per month Warranty protection plan from Verizon, I'm planning to take the phone to their service center, have them take a look and may be get it replaced. Before that, is there anything I can do to fix it myself ? Thanks.


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November 7, 2008
In a poster presentation at the joint 2008 ICAAC/IDSA meeting in Washington, DC, a recent study described a peculiar type of Kaposi's Sarcoma (KS) beginning to emerge in healthy people with HIV. These individuals report higher CD4 counts (>300) and lower (<300) or undetectable viral loads, and yet show signs of this herpes-related cancer. The poster detailed the conditions under which this has been seen in health care settings. It confirms the reports from other cohorts of patients with similar signs of KS disease.
Early in the epidemic, KS was one of the most common symptoms of HIV disease with its characteristic signs of purple lesions on the skin. Itposed a serious health threat to those living with HIV, and quickly became an AIDS-defining condition in the 1980s. It is caused by HHV8, or human herpesvirus 8.
Typically appearing as red, purplish, brown or black bumps or blotches on the legs, face and genitals, KS can also spread internally through the stomach, intestines and respiratory system. Before HAART, a case of KS signaled a very weak immune system, often with CD4 counts below 150 and viral loads above 10,000. Although KS often is not painful, advanced disease can produce swelling and pain.
This retrospective study (11/04 to 07/08) conducted by the University of California San Francisco culled data on 10 gay men with signs of KS despite having healthy immune systems. CD4 counts averaged above 300 and viral loads below 300. The average age was 59, time living with HIV was 17 years, and time living with KS was 2.5 years. KS biopsies were prospectively performed.
Of the 10, 9 had at least one KS lesion on their lower limbs, and 7 only had lesions there. One had a lymph node involved while 3 had mild swelling. Two reported pain from lesions on their feet. None had internal KS, and none have developed it since. Nine were on HAART when diagnosed with KS, and all are currently on HAART.
Among those who did not undergo treating their KS, the disease has remained fairly stable. Of those who took therapy, it included surgical removal, radiotherapy, topical alitretinoin, intralesional vinblastine, or liposomal doxorubicin. All of these treatments have shown mild to moderate improvement in symptoms. None have faced eruptive KS or organ disease or have had other opportunistic infections.
Although the study's purpose was to collect the clinical symptoms and markers of this type of KS disease, the poster went so far to state that: "it is our recommendation that they should be managed conservatively". It stated that a person's adherence to HAART could be revisited to improve its effectiveness in controlling the KS. Also, it appears that protease inhibitors do not offer any more benefit over NNRTIs in treating this type of KS.
Prior to the AIDS epidemic two types of KS were seen. The first type affected older men, usually from the Mediterranean region. This form was slow, non-aggressive and rarely led to serious health complications. The second affected mostly young African boys and was typically aggressive -- spreading and causing disease rapidly.
Unlike the KS seen among people with HIV in the 1980s, these men show symptoms that persist yet are not aggressive, invasive or lethal. This type of KS appears more like the type affecting older Mediterranean men. Taken together with the data from other recent cohorts (Chan et al, Nasti et al, Martinez et al, and Krown et al), this study's observations perhaps show a changing landscape in KS disease. This may well call into question other emerging issues of aging with HIV disease.
|Please note: Knowledge about HIV changes rapidly. Note the date of this summary's publication, and before treating patients or employing any therapies described in these materials, verify all information independently. If you are a patient, please consult a doctor or other medical professional before acting on any of the information presented in this summary. For a complete listing of our most recent conference coverage, click here.
The content on this page is free of advertiser influence and was produced by our editorial team. See our content and advertising policies.


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SecondsOut breaks down the matchup and figures out who will win
By: Mike Sloan (email@example.com): Cinco de Mayo weekend is always the best weekend of the year because of two things: The Kentucky Derby and the biggest boxing event of the year (depending on what the September card will be). What's even better is that the boxing event is always in Las Vegas and it always features at least one of the biggest stars in the entire sport.
This time around, it's the world's greatest boxer pound-for-pound, Floyd Mayweather Jr., taking on the tough-as-nails and extremely skilled Robert Guerrero. No, it's not the dream matchup between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao or even "Canelo" Alvarez, but for what it's worth, Guerrero will suffice. The reason is because "The Ghost" is a tremendous fighter in his own right, a man who has been in or around the top ten P4P list for years.
For your enjoyment, SecondsOut.com has painstakingly combed through the Mayweather-Guerrero matchup, broke down each man's skillsets in the most important categories of any fight, and figured out exactly what will happen. So if you want to know who will win the fight before it even happens, continue reading:
Punching power: All Mayweather does is run around the ring. He never fights back, he never punches. All he does is run away from his opponents. Or something nonsensical along those lines. The fact of the matter is that while Floyd doesn't have the crushing power of, say, Lucas Matthysse or Nonito Donaire, he can flat-out crack. He flatted Ricky Hatton with basically one punch; removed a dopey and unsuspecting Victor Ortiz from consciousness; badly floored and rocked Juan Manuel Marquez; hurt Zab Judah, etc. No he's not a huge puncher but if he tags you cleanly, you're going to feel it and if you don't watch yourself, Floyd will take you out. Guerrero has similar power, but since his hands aren't as fast as Mayweather's and considering he's nowhere near as accurate, his power is a few notches below Money's by default. Mayweather has stopped five of his last twelve opponents, so has Guerrero. The difference is that Guerrero hasn't stopped anybody in over three years. Advantage: Mayweather.
Speed: Guerrero has fast hands. Mayweather has blurry hands. You can see a lot of Guerrero's punches before they land. You rarely see Floyd's. And Mayweather is much more precise. This one is kind of unfair. Advantage: Mayweather
Size: They are the same height, though Mayweather is the naturally larger man. Plus Mayweather has a two-inch reach advantage. This category is usually a vapid waste of time anyway. Advantage: Push
Age factor: This is really the only category that could come into play as an advantage for Guerrero. He's six years younger than Mayweather and Mayweather has been getting hit a little more in his recent fights than ever before. If Mayweather somehow turns old and his reflexes aren't what they used to be, then Guerrero has a shot at making this fight really interesting. Youth and a desire to prove everybody wrong could be huge. Advantage: Guerrero
Chin: It's hard to tell if Floyd is chinny because he rarely ever gets tagged cleanly. Yes, he was stunned a bit by Judah and Shane Mosley had him in tremendous peril, but those are two future Hall of Fame fighters who pack considerable power in their fists. Joel Casamayor knocked Guerrero down when they fought, but Robert has never shown any indication that his jaw is made out of a light bulb. Since Mayweather has much better defense and Guerrero tends to get hit with too many punches throughout the course of a long fight, I'd put my money on Mayweather being able to stay on his feet longer than the Ghost. Advantage: Mayweather
Defense: This one is not a contest. Advantage: Mayweather
Experience: Also another no-contest. Though he's been heavily criticized over the years for not fighting the absolute best of the best (blame the promoters more than anything), Mayweather has tackled some all-time greats: Diego Corrales, Marquez, Oscar de la Hoya, Hatton, Mosley, Judah, Jose Luis Castillo (twice), Genaro Hernandez, Arturo Gatti, Angel Manfredy, Miguel Cotto. Regardless if some of them were past their primes – name one fighter who has only fought elite guys at their physical peaks – Mayweather has laid them all to rest. Guerrero has locked horns with the likes of Casamayor, Selcuk Aydin, Michael Katsidis, Orlando Salido and Vicente Esobedo. No comparison. Also, Mayweather has been on the biggest stage under the brightest lights for about a decade; the same cannot be said about Guerrero. Advantage: Mayweather
Intangibles: Guerrero has absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain with this fight. If he loses, he was supposed to. If he wins, he will have scored one of the biggest upsets in boxing over the past 20 years and it'll almost guarantee him at least one more huge payday. Mayweather has to win this fight because he is expected to. However, here is where it gets interesting, but only if you fall victim to the typical "boxing expert" nonsense that, in all actuality, is bogus:
There has been much written about Floyd being inactive for a year and that he could have some ring rust. (After letting out a long sigh of frustration) there is no such thing as ring rust if you stay busy and in shape. You don't have to always be fighting on a regular basis, but if you're in the gym and staying fit – like what Floyd is famous for – he can take four years off and never miss a beat. He was flawless against Marquez (he was out for almost two years); he destroyed Ortiz, the sucker punch notwithstanding (he was out for about 18 months); after regrouping from the second round, he tore apart Mosley worse than anybody had before (he was out almost nine months). Go back and look throughout history of fighters being out for long periods of time and never missing a beat: Felix Trinidad against Ricardo Mayorga; Bernard Hopkins against Enrique Ornelas and Winky Wright; Muhammad Ali against Jerry Quarry the first time; etc. The list goes on and on. The excuse of "ring rust" is due to a fighter not taking himself seriously during his downtime and not staying in shape. Fighters who fall victim to the ring rust myth are those who balloon in weight between fights or who are inconsistent in the ring. The reason? Not continuously staying in boxing shape. "Ring rust" will not be a factor in this fight.
Another area of nonsense is the fact that Floyd will have his father in his corner and not his Uncle Roger. It's been written many a time already that this switch will cause unknown damage and confusion in the corner, which will in turn hurt Mayweather. That's laughable. Mayweather is so focused and in such great condition physically and mentally that he can have Bobby "The Brain" Heenan in his corner and it won't make a difference.
Another good one is the six-fight, three-year deal Mayweather signed with Showtime/CBS will also be a distraction for him, creating more pressure on him to fight better. Does anybody actually believe this? The real intangible is that Guerrero is fighting on the biggest stage in the biggest fight of his life. Will he shell up and make too many mistakes because of nerves? All other intangibles are a wash. Advantage: Mayweather
The bottom line: Guerrero is great and he'll fight well in this fight. He will give Mayweather a much tougher fight than most expect. However, as good as he is, he's not on the same planet as Mayweather. It'd be cool to see him pull off the upset, especially considering all that he's gone through with his wife's leukemia and all, but the fairytale ends on Saturday night inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mayweather will take a few rounds to figure out Guerrero's southpaw style and once he does, well, just pop in tapes of all other Mayweather opponents over the years once he's figured them out. The same will happen against Guerrero. The one difference is that Guerrero is so damned tough and so determined that he'll open himself up to beautiful counters late and it'll be what does him in. Mayweather will seize complete control and start to tag him over and over and over until the referee (or his corner) stops the fight in the 11th. Bank on it.
You can also contact Mike Sloan at www.facebook.com/mikesloan19 or follow him at www.twitter.com/@mikesloan19
© 2000 - 2011 Knockout Entertainment Ltd & SecondsOut.com


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Positioned beneath Sony's flamboyant NX flatscreens, the EX line is squarely aimed at mainstream TV buyers. These are not screens designed with cost-no-object electronics and from a cosmetic standpoint are more Ugly Betty than Heidi Klum. However they're difficult to resist when common sense budgeting takes precedence over runaway indulgence.
This particular model has been a bestseller for Sony for months and it's easy to see why. With Freeview HD (for on-tap hi-def without subscription), DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) compatibility and USB media playback, plus the IPTV feast that is the Bravia Internet Video service, the 32-inch KDL-EX403 ticks many of the must-have check boxes on our replacement TV list.
A cursory glance at the side of the screen will confirm that the backlight employed is traditional CCFL (cold-cathode fluorescent), rather than super-slim LED. While this means the set has girth, it's refreshing to see uniform illumination on an LCD TV in the midst of the current vogue for hotspot-plagued edge LED screens.


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Crystal Space 2.0 Documentation
Public API Reference
This is the Application Programmer's Interface (API) reference for Crystal Space. This manual documents the abstract interfaces, classes, and functions available to clients of the Crystal Space software development kit (SDK).
The Crystal Space user manual is also available for this release online at: /docs/online/manual-2.0
This public developer API is also available online for this release at: /docs/online/api-2.0
The Crystal Space home page is at: /The API reference consists of the following sections:
Generated for Crystal Space 2.0 by doxygen 1.6.1


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Linked by the_randymon on Thu 17th Jan 2013 22:19 UTC
"Linux fans hope that the interface changes in Windows 8 will drive more users to Linux. But the open source operating system is facing interface challenges of its own. Part of the problem is that - after so much controversy within the Linux community - there are so many interfaces to chose from. But the new version of Fedora - a desktop focused version of Red Hat's distribution of Linux - is offering users an easier way to choose between the many flavors of Linux GUI."
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by stabbyjones on Fri 18th Jan 2013 11:36 UTC


text:
Used Car - 2002 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S55 AMG in Houston, Tx
Please Call For Price
About This 2002 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S55 AMG
Vehicle Location:
Houston, Tx
Call For Price
Exterior Color:
Interior Color:
Stock Number:
Fuel Economy Estimates
City MPG
Highway MPG
Combined MPG: 19
Estimated Monthly Fuel Cost: $117.11*
*Based on $1.78 per gallon and 15k miles per year.
Actual costs may vary.
Actual costs may vary.
Send This Vehicle To Your Smartphone
Seller's Description and Comments:
Located at Ultimate Motorsport Inc in Houston, Tx. Call Ultimate Motorsport Inc today at 281-657-7293 for more information about this vehicle.
Vehicle Options:
- Abs Brakes
- Air Conditioning
- Alloy Wheels
- Am/fm Radio
- Automatic Headlights
- Automatic Load-leveling
- Cassette Player
- Cruise Control
- Daytime Running Lights
- Driver Airbag
- Driver Multi-adjustable Power Seat
- Electrochromic Exterior Rearview Mirror
- Electrochromic Interior Rearview Mirror
- Electronic Brake Assistance
- First Aid Kit
- Fog Lights
- Front Air Dam
- Front Heated Seat
- Front Power Lumbar Support
- Front Power Memory Seat
- Front Side Airbag
- Full Size Spare Tire
- Genuine Wood Trim
- Heated Exterior Mirror
- High Intensity Discharge Headlights
- Interval Wipers
- Keyless Entry
- Leather Seat
- Leather Steering Wheel
- Manual Sunroof
- Navigation Aid
- Passenger Airbag
- Passenger Multi-adjustable Power Seat
- Power Adjustable Exterior Mirror
- Power Door Locks
- Power Sunroof
- Power Trunk Lid
- Power Windows
- Rain Sensing Wipers
- Rear Window Defogger
- Second Row Side Airbag
- Separate Driver/front Passenger Climate Controls
- Side Head Curtain Airbag
- Steering Wheel Mounted Controls
- Subwoofer
- Tachometer
- Telematics System
- Telescopic Steering Column
- Tilt Steering
- Tilt Steering Column
- Traction Control
- Trip Computer
- Trunk Anti-trap Device
- Vehicle Anti-theft
- Vehicle Stability Control System
Carfax Vehicle History Report:
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2002 Mercedes-Benz S-Class ReviewThis car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale.
The benchmark ultra-luxury sedan.
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class has been on the road going on two years now, but the technology found in the these sedans remains the benchmark for the class. Under that understated skin lurks the heart of a robot. Microprocessors and onboard sensors instantaneously determine many of the forces acting upon the car, filter the data, and adjust the car's handling for you.
Starting with the S500, the S-Class was redesigned in the spring of 1999 for model year 2000. The car came out lower, sleeker (most aerodynamic efficiency in a passenger car), smaller, and roomier.
Four distinct models comprise the Mercedes S-Class. All are four-door sedans with different single-overhead-cam engines using three valves per cylinder.
S500 ($80,200) comes with a 302-horsepower 5.0-liter V8.
S430 ($71,850) uses a 275-horsepower 4.3-liter V8.
The new S600 ($115,200) marks the debut of the newest Mercedes engine, a 362-horsepower 5.8-liter V12.
And the hot-rod S55 AMG ($99,500) is powered by a hand-built 5.4-liter V8 producing 354 horsepower with 391 foot-pounds of torque. Standard equipment on the S55 AMG (classified as a Low Emissions Vehicle, even with all that power) includes an active suspension, 18-inch AMG Monoblock alloy wheels with high-performance tires, ventilated front seats, AMG aerodynamic enhancements, and a trunk-mounted CD changer.
S600 features the active suspension, high-polish 17-inch alloy wheels, greater levels of wood and leather trim, a suede-like Alcantara headliner, Parktronic, four heated and power-operated seats, four-zone climate control, CD changer and digital cellular phone with voice control.
S430 and S500 both come with Airmatic air suspension, GPS navigation, Tele Aid with enhanced functions, full leather upholstery, Bose audio system, ESP Electronic Stability Program, and a sunroof.
S430, S500, and S600 can be equipped with a Sport package that sharpens styling and handling. It includes an AMG front air dam, rear apron and side skirts, plus 8.5x18-inch front and 9.5x18-inch rear AMG Monoblock alloy wheels with 245/45YR18 front and 275/40YR18 rear high-performance tires.
Our S500 did not include any of the other many thousands of dollars in available options. Among them: $2190 for a CD changer and cellphone; $5770 for all four power seats; $1880 for four-zone air conditioning; $2960 for active suspension; and $2875 for adaptive cruise control, which uses radar to maintain the distance you program between your car and the car ahead of you. Mercedes was the first to offer this technology, although others are coming (Infiniti Q45, for one). It won't do panic stops for you, so you need to keep your foot near the brake pedal. And because it works with cruise control, presumably your S500 won't make you a captive in a car chase, if the car ahead suddenly accelerates.
For 2002, there is an option Mercedes calls Keyless Go, which uses a small card instead of a keyfob, as well as a button on the shift lever, which shuts off the engine. Among the very few other 2002 changes are standard Daytime Running Lights (sigh), and a semantics change on one climate-control button: a simple, unmistakable 'AC OFF' finally replaces the mysterious 'EC' (hip-hip-hooray!). Of course, now there's a new button called 'ERGO' (therefore?), which replaces the third seating/mirrors memory position.
The S-Class cars are big, long, rich and luxurious looking, unmistakably Mercedes, with flagship rather than dramatic styling. If you can separate the styling from the image, it's not dramatically eye-catching. It says rich, at least as much as gorgeous. In the parking lot of our credit union, from the rear at least, it almost got lost among the common sedans.
The upswept window line is lovely, but the AMG Monobloc wheels seem too big and solid looking. On our S500 they housed massive 18-inch Michelin Pilot Sport tires-a two-inch jump over the standard 16-inch tires-as part of the optional Sport package ($4,900), which also includes the AMG aerodynamic bodywork.
From your throne behind the wheel, the S500 might make you feel like master of the universe. A long strip of burl walnut sweeps across the instrument panel from door to door, its bend and taper reminiscent of the graceful lines of an archer's bow. Leather doesn't get much lusher than the charcoal Nappa in our S500 (except for Exclusive Nappa in the S600), and the rear bench seat feels like an expensive sofa. There's a cavernous 40.3 inches of legroom back there, just one inch less than the front-and the rear seat reclines, too.
'The design goal was to reduce driving stress as much as technology and good design sense would allow,' says Mercedes. Yes but … watch out for the ambush by an oxymoron; technology and good design sense often fight for control. The S500 instrument panel includes about six dozen switches and controls, some of which have icons for German functions, and the translation into sign language sometimes comes out Greek. Press a switch, just for fun. 'Airmatic Vehicle Car Rising,' a message on the panel tells you. We never saw a 'Car Falling' message, which may be evidence that Mercedes engineers truly believe they can defy gravity.
The car comes with its own video training course. The glovebox is crammed with operating manuals in black leather packets, including a separate one for the standard COMAND system (COckpit MANagement and Data). This includes the GPS navigation system and Tele Aid, which is basically a cellular help line for specific problem situations. For 2002, Tele Aid includes traffic reports and concierge services. Then there's the optional InfoServices, which provides web-based customized information including news, stock quotes, sports and weather.
Reduce driving stress? The sheer mass of the manuals is stress-inducing. It's daunting to think about all you have to learn to master the controls so you can feel like master of the universe. And even if you fully understand them, it would take so much attention to keep the car perfectly tuned and the potential for information optimized, that a co-pilot would be very helpful. Maybe that's where the voice command feature comes in. Some stuff you can just tell the car what to do, and hope it understands you. After you learn its language.
Silly us, we thought the trunk lid was stiff, until we realized it just doesn't like to be controlled by human hands. A fingertip maybe, then the Pneumatic Door and Trunk Closing Assist does the rest. For 2002, an interior trunk release has been added for safety.
Ergonomics-wise, the center console has great support for your right knee, bracing your throttle foot. But there's nothing on the left, no real dead pedal, and not enough seat support for your thighs, so your legs get pitched during aggressive cornering. We know, the S500 is a luxury car, not a sports car, but if you offer a suspension that boasts level cornering, the driver can be expected to use it.
The roofline, the C-pillar, creates a blind spot when you look over your right shoulder. But there's no blind spot through the windshield, not even in the spray of a truck in the rain, thanks to powerful wipers with no less than six nozzles to spray washer fluid.
Naturally, the Bose sound system is state of the art. More things that can be optimized, more programmable features. Soundstage positioning, it's called. According to Mercedes, 'From a driver in the car alone, listening to talk radio, to a car full of people, listening to symphonic or vocal music, there is an audio setting to make the listening experience more enjoyable.' But the quality of the rock 'n' roll we listened to didn't knock our socks off. Maybe we didn't have our soundstage positioned perfectly. Don't they have engineers for that, at concerts?.
Driving Impression
The S500, like other luxury Mercedes, is in its element on the Autobahn. If all that was ever asked of the car were to drive on smooth, straight roads at 120 mph, it would be unbeatable, great value for 85 grand. Set the cruise control by using big digital numbers displayed on the speedometer screen, then sit back and relax. You got your optional Adaptive Cruise Control which watches your tailgating, your ESP which helps control the car when you can't, your Brake Assist which slams them on when you don't hit them as hard as you should, your Adaptive Damping for the shocks, your traction control, your rain-sensing wipers, your 10 airbags (frontal, doors, and airbag curtains over the windows), your high-intensity xenon headlights, and your automatic Tele Aid emergency calling for that slim chance that you would need it.
The Airmatic suspension uses compressed air in bellows-like springs in each corner, to maintain constant ride height regardless of load. On the highway, the car is lowered by about an inch, which improves aerodynamics and thus fuel mileage. Airmatic also incorporates the adaptive damping system, which allows you to adjust the shock absorbers according to road conditions, load and speed. This is not the same as the more complex active suspension, which is optional on the S500 (standard on the S600 and S55 AMG), and which virtually eliminates body roll in cornering, squat under acceleration, and dive during braking.
We must say we were surprised that the suspension wasn't perfect. It rocked over shallow holes in the road at 10 mph, and we could feel it lift from side to side over rough or grooved surfaces, at the speed limit. We could feel a jiggling in the steering wheel, over bumps on an otherwise smooth road.
The Sport package on our test model didn't alter the shocks or springs, although it did increase the wheel size from 16 to 18 inches, fitted with very smooth-riding and grippy Michelin Pilots. The Airmatic suspension with Adaptive Damping has three settable positions for shock stiffness, and we found the firm setting to be quite livable even around town.
As expected, the ride itself is quiet, real quiet. But at idle the engine was a little noisier than expected. However, when the hammer is dropped the big V8 makes neat noises. The car is most fun when it's using its torque and growling. This big, elegant luxury car can feel like a hot rod.
The specs say the engine produces its full 339 foot-pounds of torque between 2700 and 4250 rpm, and we're not about to challenge a dynamometer with the seat of our pants, but it didn't feel like the V8 hit its sweet spot until nearly 4000 rpm. And when you floor it at 3000 rpm, it kicks down a gear, to get more power even if theoretically (and paradoxically) it loses torque. The five-speed electronic transmission is even mapped to downshift two gears at once, in some situations.
The car is super-smooth and quiet again as the revs increase into the 5000-rpm range, so it's easy to hit the 6000-rpm rev limiter in second or third gears when you're in the manual shift mode. One time we floored it in third gear to pass on a two-lane, it kicked down into second on its own, and hit the rev limiter on the way back up.
On a wet freeway, with cruise control set at 72 mph, the traction control got a workout. Whenever the tires hydroplaned in puddles that formed in the freeway grooves, you could feel the wheels spinning and biting, spinning and biting. It was interesting to blast through them like this, with no feet. A few times the cruise control deactivated because the brakes were automatically dabbed.
That traction control made us a little nervous once, pulling onto a two-lane from the side of the road. Truck suddenly comes barreling over the hill at us. Spun a little gravel to get out of there. Except, our traction was still being controlled even after our rear wheels were on pavement; for whatever reason, the car didn't believe we should be acceleratin.
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More Than 200,000 Animals Slaughtered at Nepal Sacrifice Festival
Hundreds of thousands of Hindus gathered at a temple in southern Nepal on Tuesday for a ceremony involving the slaughter of more than 200,000 animals, a festival that has drawn the ire of animal-welfare protesters.
A Nepalese minister said it was the largest sacrificial slaughter of animals in the world.
Animal rights groups and activists including the actress Brigitte Bardot have condemned the event, which takes place every five years in the Nepalese village of Bariyarpur, Sky News reported.
But Nepal's government says it will continue with the "centuries-old tradition" and will deploy armed police to keep the peace, Sky News reported.
Protests have occurred in recent weeks in towns near the Gadhimai temple and in the capital Katmandu by animals rights activists and other religious groups. However, Hindu organizers refused to halt the slaughter saying it was a centuries-old tradition.
"People have deep faith in the goddess and they believe that sacrificing animals will bring them good luck and prosperity for their families," said Mangal Chaudhary Tharu, a priest at the Gadhimai temple, according to Sky News.
"I don't think the mood will be spoiled by the animal rights campaigners. They have the right to raise their concerns."
More than 200,000 buffaloes, goats, chickens and pigeons will be killed Tuesday and Wednesday at the temple in the jungles of Bara district, about 100 miles south of Katmandu, to honor the Hindu goddess Gadhimai.
"Thousands of terrified buffaloes will have their heads cut off by drunken devotees," said Bardot, according to Sky News.
"I have dedicated my life to protect animals and the best gift I could receive for this lifelong struggle would be the announcement of the stopping of ritual sacrifice."
Pressure group Animal Nepal claims the festival represents "extreme cruelty," Sky News reported.
Chief government administrator in the area Taranath Gautam said hundreds of thousands of people began lining up in the early hours of Tuesday, and the animal sacrifice rituals had started.
The Gadhimai festival is celebrated every five years. Participants believe sacrificing the animals for Gadhimai will end evil and bring prosperity. Many join the festival from the neighboring Indian state of Bihar, where animal sacrifices have been banned in some areas.
Critics say the killings — carried out by slitting the animals' throats with swords — are barbaric and conducted in a cruel manner.
"We were unable to stop the animal sacrifices this year, but we will continue our campaign to stop killings during this festival," said Pramada Shah of the Animals Nepal group.
Government minister Saroj Yadav said he believed the festival was the biggest animal sacrifice in the world. "We haven't heard a bigger number. ... We are certain this is the largest one," Yadav said.
The slaughtered animals are taken back by devotees to their villages and eaten during a feast. The meat is considered blessed and consuming it protects them from evil.
The Associated Press and Sky News contributed to this report.


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May we suggest: United Center for a Bulls game, so everyone can see what a real pro basketball team looks like. (We would make a football related joke, but lost that right for awhile.)
Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose scores past San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan at the United Center. The Bulls defeated the Spurs 109-99.
Dennis Wierzbicki-US PRESSWIRE
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(a) A fixed-price supply contract may authorize Government acceptance of a variation in the quantity of items called for if the variation is caused by conditions of loading, shipping, or packing, or by allowances in manufacturing processes. Any permissible variation shall be stated as a percentage and it may be an increase, a decrease, or a combination of both; however, contracts for subsistence items may use other applicable terms of variation in quantity.Long Evening Open McCartney Neck Stella Back Sleeve High Gown Orange 0FxWZt Dress Mini Floral Lavender WAYF Duffy vw8xqI54
ARRONDISSEMENT Dark Dark ARRONDISSEMENT 14ème Sneakers ARRONDISSEMENT Blue Sneakers Sneakers Blue 14ème 14ème (b) There should be no standard or usual variation percentage. The overrun or underrun permitted in each contract should be based upon the normal commercial practices of a particular industry for a particular item, and the permitted percentage should be no larger than is necessary to afford a contractor reasonable protection. The permissible variation shall not exceed plus or minus 10 percent unless a different limitation is established in agency regulations. Consideration shall be given to the quantity to which the percentage variation applies. For example, when delivery will be made to multiple destinations and it is desired that the quantity variation apply to the item quantity for each destination, this requirement must be stated in the contract.Willa Jersey Tory Dress Colour Navy Block Burch USxxn5WwqO
(c) Contractors are responsible for delivery of the specified quantity of items in a fixed-price contract, within allowable variations, if any. If a contractor delivers a quantity of items in excess of the contract requirements plus any allowable variation in quantity, particularly small dollar value overshipments, it results in unnecessary administrative costs to the Government in determining disposition of the excess quantity. Accordingly, the contract may include the clause at Golden 'S Sneaker Golden Goose 'S 'Superstar' Goose Golden Goose 'Superstar' Golden Sneaker 'Superstar' 'S Sneaker fqAB0, Delivery of Excess Quantities, to provide that—Limited Sneakers Red Edition Converse Red Sneakers Converse Limited Limited Edition Converse Edition FIqFRwfv
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Construction contracts may authorize a variation in estimated quantities of unit-priced items. When the variation between the estimated quantity and the actual quantity of a unit-priced item is more than plus or minus 15 percent, an equitable adjustment in the contract price shall be made upon the demand of either the Government or the contractor. The contractor may request an extension of time if the quantity variation is such as to cause an increase in the time necessary for completion. The contracting officer must receive the request in writing within 10 days from the beginning of the period of delay. However, the contracting officer may extend this time limit before the date of final settlement of the contract. The contracting officer shall ascertain the facts and make any adjustment for extending the completion date that the findings justify.Handbags Nat Nat Nin Nat Black Handbags amp; Black Nin amp; amp; 4qTrwz4Trainers Top McCartney Multi White High Canvas Stella 6qIwnBFRq
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When Donna Schildt Avery began reporting for her local newspaper in the town of Conesus, N.Y., the grandmother of four had no idea she would soon become the first woman elected supervisor in Livingston County in 1995. On Thursday, Aug. 26, on the 90th anniversary of national women's suffrage, Avery will be among the many women whose journey into politics will be publicly available in an online resource dedicated to the first women elected to political office in New York State.
Created by the Susan B. Anthony Center for Women's Leadership at the University of Rochester, the First Women website provides personal accounts from the women and their surviving relatives, in addition to a searchable county-by-county database about the first women elected in New York State.
According to Nora Bredes, director of the Anthony Center, the site was created to "insure that the work of these women will not be lost or forgotten, and is available to people wanting to learn more about the political pioneers of New York State. These are women who broke cultural barriers and continued work that Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton launched when they began the drive for women's suffrage."
Over the past year, Bredes and Anthony Center program director Rebecca Rafferty have worked with county historians, librarians, and political researchers to gather information on the first known women elected to a variety of local, state, and national offices, from the county level to the United States Congress. Bredes said this is the first time that people will have access to this information in one place.
Bredes and her staff plan to continue to update the site, which they describe as a work in progress, with the goal of establishing a complete record of every first woman who ran and served in New York's village, town, county, and state governments, and on the federal level. "By being able to look back to people like Ruth Sears Baker Pratt, the first woman from New York elected to the House of Representatives (in 1923), you're able to see that these women are not that different from women serving in government today. Their mission to serve their communities paved the way for the glass ceiling-cracking political career of Hillary Rodham Clinton," she said.
The online resource will go live at 3 p.m. on Aug. 26, in celebration of Women's Equality Daythe day the women's suffrage amendment became law.
"Voting was the first step to women's political engagement, but Anthony never saw it as the end of our ascendance," commented Bredes. "Voting rights were a first plateau on the road to women's full equality in American society."
For more information on the First Women website and to access the new site, visit www.rochester.edu/sba/ or contact Nora Bredes or Rebecca Rafferty at email@example.com.


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Verlander and Hamels tune up for opening day starts as Phillies beat Tigers 4-1
LAKELAND, Fla. – Cole Hamels tuned up for his first opening day start by pitching three scoreless innings for Philadelphia while Justin Verlander worked into the sixth inning Wednesday as the Phillies beat the Detroit Tigers 4-1.
Hamels gave up one hit, walked one and struck out three. He'll start next Monday night at Atlanta.
Verlander allowed one earned run and five hits in 5 2-3 innings, striking out five and walking one. He'll start Monday at Minnesota.
Tigers rookie reliever Bruce Rondon gave up two runs on two hits, two walks and a balk and got just two outs. He entered camp as the favorite to win the closer's job, and has a 5.84 ERA this spring.
Ben Revere raised his spring average to .325 with two hits for the Phillies. Torii Hunter doubled and singled for the Tigers.


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0 Comments
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The food was beyond delicious
Langan's is definitely a great place to take a group or date!
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The burger was a perfectly cooked plump beef patty. It was visibly juicy & delicious
Very nice & relaxing Pub
Great place to go after a Broadway Show!
The place has nice decor, friendly staff. Lots of TV's showing American and English football.


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2011 GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Selections Announced
(For a complete list of 53rd GRAMMY Awards nominees, click here.)
In continuing its mission to preserve and celebrate music year-round, The Recording Academy has announced the newest additions to its legendary GRAMMY Hall Of Fame, adding 30 recordings to a collection that now totals 881 titles. The collection is on display at the GRAMMY Museum.
"The GRAMMY Hall Of Fame represents all genres of music, acknowledging the diversity of musical expression for which The Academy has become renowned," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. "These musical treasures have brought us timeless recordings, and each of them deserves to be memorialized. These recordings are living evidence that music remains an indelible part of our culture."
The dynamic group of 2011 inductees range from the Beatles' "Penny Lane" to the Jackson 5's "I'll Be There." Other recordings include Al Jolson's "My Mammy," the Marvelettes' "Hey Mr. Postman," Willie Nelson's "On The Road Again," the Original Broadway Cast recording of Brigadoon, Prince & The Revolution's Purple Rain, and Otis Redding's "I've Been Loving You Too Long." Other inductees with selections include Joan Baez, Mildred Bailey, Ray Charles, Jimmy Cliff, Fats Domino, Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra, Al Green, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Hank Williams With His Drifting Cowboys, among others.
Established by The Academy's National Trustees in 1973, the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame was created to honor recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance that are at least 25 years old. Recordings are reviewed annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of the recording arts, and final approval is made by The Recording Academy Trustees.
For a complete list of 2011 GRAMMY Hall Of Fame inductees click here.
Tune in to the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards live from Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. For updates and breaking news, please visit The Recording Academy's social networks on Twitter and Facebook.


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Let the games begin.... The meeting the other night could have been a discussion... but it was not.  It was all about stumping and volume, and that's why I did not feel comfortable "voting."  The voices courageous enough to stand up and suggest something different were very quickly silenced by loud, angry, drunken ones.  Great.
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Henry Winkler on Dealing With Dyslexia
A growing list of entrepreneurs, politicians, writers, actors and medical professionals struggle with dyslexia but work around it. Actor Henry Winkler shares his personal experience, and WSJ's Melinda Beck breaks down the latest research, on Lunch Break. Photo: Getty Images.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... I'm Wendy downs Henry Winkler will play the funds was told he was due to the governor of Connecticut was called mentally Apple ... have ... dyslexia their examples of high achievers who affliction may have helped them succeed Joinus now ... I get to see better health reporter Melinda Beck an actor Henry Winkler from happy days thanks so much to both of you from being for being here ... analysts have said you set the stage with the signs here with me is one in five Americans have some degree of dyslexia neurological issue ... makes me difficult ... scientists and doctors think their brain the brains may work to family and actually help them be more creative ... one now thinking actually seen the brain at work and used in studies comparing ... a normal readers even compared to ... bring him that he dislikes the FA actually see on different parts of the brain might not and in the ... normal readers ... are stealing areas that ... sound out words carefully and then went back to ... the store is ... that they looked like their meanings their sounds and can retrieve them on a management plan ... we see that ... it would be dyslexia ... have much less activity back here says that only students sounding words app ... and may even read very accurately that goes very smoothly ... Henry II one of the great actors of of of my pot I was watching the show I'm growing up ... I had the days I once took a little that now when you were little it was very difficult for you I understand with dyslexia ... being in school and I'd tell us a little bit about ... how you how you dealt with the depletion light of growing up ... okay can I just say ... I'd like to think it is a challenge rather than inflation ... aam you know it the learning challenge on ... it ... what happens is you say to yourself wow I don't think I'm stupid ... I dont wanna be stupid but the outside world is telling you that you are ... so it's really hard ... to balance it out ... is really hard to reconcile what you hear and what you feel ... and ultimately on ... what I tell almost every child and meets ad nauseum ... is that how you learn has nothing to do with how agreed to walk ... and I knew and when debts of their wealth whatever you are on the sets a and trying to read from scripts and so what how she managed bear with this challenge ... when you know you don't manage you you negotiate ... it is so difficult even now ... all when when I meet other actors for a new project around the table we just finished shooting ... arrested development for the new season ... stands ... it ... I am embarrassed by all this time later ... I'm being more slowly on a stumble ... but if you want something ... you just plow ahead in you figure out how to get it done ... and a tumble and I think it can memorize some of your scraps correct ... well when I was auditioned I would memorize it in the waiting room ... as much as Michael and ... I got the sense of the C ... I when he came ... and I and leave the rest of it and they would sit with you know you're not reading ... all want to always read ... TV news the essence of the town ... that's right and and brain creativity two and a leather that's what other people you talk to ... hide who they are turning dislikes into or until puffed and a career stated this ... from using their brains are coming for some of the folks who spoke with ... what I really think paleontologist and Montana ... I'm sailing on this night ... he graduated from high school with ... Aunt Tina's he went out of college ... he always wanted to the dinosaur Hunter and he's made some banana spectacular ... dinosaur finds in the Western hemisphere and ... now he's got three honorary degrees and MacArthur genius grant ... and ... he likes to quote Albert Einstein saying that ... reading is overrated ... and here scientists ... what you do to make the discoveries yourself when you don't have to read about the identity of I think that's very good advice I Henry last word to you if your Guinea get advice to somebody today ... on this sounds with dyslexia what what would you tell them ... okay ... I will tell them and they have agreed to sign ... any severe jaunt to figure out what is special about them ... the DVR agreed avocado growers BBT are great dancers maybe they are engrossed urchins ... to get down ... and give it to the world ... the world needs ... they are special ball ... great advice Henry Winkler thank you so much for Joinus Melinda Beck ... promotion thank you more for you in the Pursell Journal section Mockridge and I hear it