U.S. News college rankings were announced on Tuesday: Harvard is number one ... again. Also, Princeton is second. Yale is 3rd with their Ivy League bias. But those are the national college rankings: Most in academia criticize this list that has a lot to do with money. When deciding which school is best for you or your child, you are able to check out the U.S. News Best Colleges 2011 which has a fairly useful matrix to some, although numerous don't agree.

Peter Orszag, who heads up the Office of Management and Budget, can be leaving his White House job. Officials close to Orszag have said he would be leaving for a while, but the July date was only recently announced to the public. As director of the White House budget office, Orszag has wielded significant powers within the government. The replacement for Office of Management and Budget head has not yet been announced.

This Tip of the Month comes from a workshop presentation done by Roxanne Hoke-Chandler, Massachusetts PIRC @ FCSN and Kim Hunt, President, Massachusetts PTA, at the 2009 Federation for Children with Special Needs' Vision of Community conference.

Research shows that parents have a major influence on a child's achievement. According to a handout prepared by the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), when parents are involved, regardless of income or background, children are more likely to earn higher grades and test scores, enroll in higher-level programs, attend school regularly, have better social skills, show improved behavior, graduate, and go on to postsecondary education.

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Related Tips:

Celebrate Ourselves!

Engage Students in Planning: A Lesson in Itself

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Most human beings enjoy sharing information and stories about themselves. Students are no different. Revealing special things about themselves can help students develop confidence and trust among their peers. This sharing of information can also assist teachers in finding out more about their students and plan lessons that tap into the needs and preferences of their class. Click on the title or "Read more" for sample questions you can use to build a more cohesive classroom and learn important information about your students.

At the heart of inclusive practices is the goal of meeting the needs of every child. In a classroom of diverse learners, this can be a challenging task.  Click on the title or "Read more" to read about involving students in the planning process.