1.  I was recently introduced to a new product called Ghost Line paper.  It is graph paper with very light lines.  The purpose is to help people make charts and graphs without the guidelines showing.  Go to http://www.ghostlinebrand.com/ghostlinesection.html for details.

2.  Cindy Doggett completed her Master's Degree project on Tracking Student Learning.  The focus was the LtoJ process in her classroom.  Of particular interest to me was the fact that her students each completed a histogram of the classroom movement from "L" to "Bell" to "J."  Each student's data folder had blank histograms.  The process was for students to look at the classroom scatter diagram and complete the histogram.  It will work to place six blank graphs on a sheet of paper with the x-axis and y-axis already labeled.  Students will then shade in the number of "0's", "1's", etc. for each week. A sample with six histograms is attached at the bottom of this newsletter.

3.  The American Society for Quality has an annual summer conference for school leaders.  For more information on this June 18-19, Colorado, seminar click on http://www.asq.org/conferences/education-summit/.

4.  Within a couple of days after I send out these newsletters, I notice that new subscribers are going to my website, http://www.ltojconsulting.com/Newsletter.html and signing up.  Thank you for recommending this newsletter to your friends.

5.  Pete Pillsbury, former superintendent in Marysville, CA and now associate with Ventures for Excellence, has co-authored a book which gives advice to new principals for their first 100 days.  I have read the book and found it full of practical, helpful advice.  The flyer that Pete has prepared is attached at the bottom of this newsletter.

6.  "Relentless exposure causes mastery," is a new quote from Jerry Fowler, former superintendent in Carlisle, PA and now professor at Shippensburg University.  Jerry is quite knowledgeable of the LtoJ process and gave me this quote to counter balance much current thought that one masters one topic, then another, etc.  The problem, as readers of this newsletter know, is that students forget prior "mastered" content.  The LtoJ process is clearly relentless exposure especially when districts connect the content over multiple years. Jerry's website is www.elworks.org.  I think you will find it helpful.

7. In a prior newsletter and in recent workshops I have suggested teachers experiment with the Cloze Technique and LtoJ tracking to monitor improvement in reading comprehension.  Attached is an example cloze passage for readers to experience.  The passage is from Permission to Forget. Please let me know if you are experimenting with cloze/LtoJ as a measure of reading comprehension.  I'd love to hear from you, Lee@LtoJConsulting.com.

8.  All prior newsletters and attachments are now posted on the LtoJ Consulting web site, www.ltojconsulting.com.  If you change e-mail addresses, please go the web site and sign up as if a new recipient of the newsletter.  Please include name, e-mail address and state, if USA, and country if outside of the US. 

Lee Jenkins, Lee@LtoJConsulting.com