Springfield City Library: Library Links

Education

Government sites:

Massachusetts Department of Education: Contains resources and information for administrators, teachers, students, parents and community; educational technology; Education Reform Report; and press releases. Pages of documents, articles, and links to related sites.
MCAS: School District Results: Check here to find results of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System tests for the year 2004 and previous years for individual school districts.
MCAS Preparation: The Massachusetts Department of Education posts many of the questions that appeared on past tests as recent as the previous year, offering a good way to test yourself and practice your writing and test-taking skills.
Massachusetts Educators Career Center: This service assists educator candidates seeking new positions and school district administrators looking to fill positions. Educator candidates may post resumes and search for jobs. School district administrators may post job listings and search for candidates. Requires login.
U.S. Department of Education: News, resources, documents and links from the Federal government. Learn about laws affecting education, budget issues, financial aid, statistics, adult education, technology. Link to programs and services, publications and products of the Department of Education.
EROD: Education Resource Organizations Directory: A database intended to help identify and contact organizations that provide information and assistance on a broad range of education-related topics. For teachers, librarians, parents, researchers and others. From the U.S. Department of Education.
National Center for Education Statistics: News, reports and other information from the primary federal entity responsible for collecting and analyzing data related to education in the United States and other nations.

Higher Education:

Massachusetts Mentor: Information about colleges and universities throughout Massachusetts, with campus tours, online admissions, financial aid, student planners and other helpful resources.
Ready Set Go! to College: ReadySetGoToCollege.com was developed by the Massachusetts Department of Education and the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education as part of a joint effort to improve high school graduation rates and increase college readiness throughout the Commonwealth. Includes information about the important steps to take to plan for your college education: high school classes, tests, choosing a college, finding financial aid, and more.
Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts: Scholarships and interest-free educational loans from local donors are administered by the Community Foundation. Includes instructions, eligibility guidelines, and an online application or printable non-electronic application. The annual deadline for applying is March 31 and applications are available in January. In addition, the Community Foundation administers the MassMutual Scholars Program . Online application is required.
The Admissions Office: Extensive information for the college-bound high school student, including information about college entrance exams, financing higher education, and links to college and university admissions offices throughout the country.
Braintrack University Index: A world-wide college and university index. Includes over 5300 links to higher education institutions in 152 countries. Browse by country or alphabetically, or use the search engine.
College Board Online: Use the search engine to outline your education and career requirements and College Board Online will list the colleges which meet your needs. Links to other informative sites including online registration for the SATs.
CollegeNET: This attractive site offers searchable information and links to college web sites in the Unites States, Canada, and New Zealand. Students and advisors can locate financial aid and scholarship information, file online applications, and obtain material about standardized tests.
Educational Testing Service Network: Contains information on the SAT and other ETS tests (LSAT, GRE, etc.), schedules, and signups.
Financial Aid Resource Publications from the US Department of Education: Extensive guide with information about Federal student aid programs. Available in English and Spanish, with publications in HTML or PDF format.
FAFSA on the Web: You must now complete your free application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online. Full instructions for completing and filing the application are included. Available in Spanish and in accessible format, with additional information about aid programs.
fastWeb: Free scholarship and college searches are available at this site, which includes financial aid tools and calculators and tips for students, parents and teachers. Note: You must set up a mailbox and profile at the site in order to utilize the scholarship search service.
FinAid: The Financial Aid Information Page: Includes tools for calculating costs, savings, needs; information on sources of aid; links to lenders and others; and special interest categories (minorities, disabled, etc.). Sponsored by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.
First in the Family: Advice About College: Tips, fact sheets, videos and other resources for first-generation college students.
Peterson's Education & Career Center: Use this site to search for colleges and universities, study abroad and summer camp programs, or private secondary schools. Find out about financial aid, distance education and other special categories.
University Continuing Education Association: Learn about Continuing Education courses offered by the universities, colleges, and affiliated organizations belonging to the University Continuing Education Association. Information is available on Distance Education, including courses via correspondence study, video, cable, satellite or the Internet. Listings include new publications, seminars, conferences, and other special announcements of the UCEA.
Distance Education Clearinghouse: Very comprehensive source of links to the issues, facts, events, resources, technologies, and services relating to Distance Education.
Veterinarian Colleges: A guide to veterinarian colleges and universities in the U.S., and a blog on animal care issues.
Vocational Information Center: A vast collection of links regarding technical education - find schools, explore vocational and technical careers, research job trends, and much more.

Top

Schools:

Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks: Outlines of educational requirements for primary and secondary students in seven areas, pursuant to the Education Reform Act of 1993, are collected here. Most documents require the free Adobe Acrobat Reader for viewing.
Springfield School Volunteers: Springfield School Volunteers is a non-profit organization that has been matching the resources of the community with the needs of the students, teachers and principals of the Springfield Public Schools since 1969. In alignment with the district's priorities, our focus is to provide academic support for students in grades k-12 and to promote a culture of academic excellence among Springfield Public School students. A Springfield School Volunteer is any individual who is willing to share his or her time and talents to make a difference in the lives of students in the Springfield Public Schools. Tutoring for Springfield Public Schools students is available through this program. The student or parent should contact the teacher and express the need for tutoring in a particular subject. The teacher will complete a form listing the student's grade level and subject of academic difficulty and forward it to the Springfield School Volunteers (SSV) office. SSV will then work to match the student with a volunteer tutor. The tutoring generally takes place during the school day. The volunteers fill out an application and must pass a CORI. The placement process can take up to three weeks. Many volunteers are retired teachers or college students. The tutoring is offered free of charge.
Massachusetts School and School District Profiles: Check here for profiles of schools and school districts throughout the Commonwealth maintained by the Department of Education. Districts are listed alphabetically. Individual profiles include school population demographics, test scores, budget information and more.
Search for Public Schools: Searchable database of public schools and school districts throughout the country. Information provided includes name, address, school ID numbers and characteristics, student population and ethnicity. The National Center for Education Statistics also hosts a searchable databases of private schools.
U.S. Charter Schools Web Site: A resource for parents, staff and community members; with school profiles, interactive options, research materials and technical support for operating charter schools.

Alternative Education and Homeschooling:

Massachusetts Home Learning Association: MHLA has compiled a contact list of homeschooling support groups located statewide. In addition, this site provides information on curriculum, getting started with homeschooling, state and national legislation and organizations, and links to related resources and businesses. E-mail list and newsletter also available.
The Montessori Foundation: The most comprehensive site for information about Dr. Maria Montessori and the educational philosophy she pioneered. Facts on American and international programs, articles and resources, videos and other materials, the Montessori Leadership Institute and Montessori Academy for Peace, events, classifieds, and links to the Montessori community.
AERO: The Alternative Education Resource Organization: For material on changing education "to a more empowering and holistic form." This site, sponsored by a non-profit organization, offers information on, and links to, community schools, homeschooling, and finding private or public alternative schools.
A to Z Home's Cool Homeschooling Website: A huge site, with hundreds of pages of articles and links on every conceivable subject relating to homeschooling. Start with "Beginning to Homeschool."
Jon's Homeschool Resource Page: General information, lists of print resources, annotated links to web sites for resources, organizations and people, vendors' advertisements, and links to discussion and support groups for homeschoolers.

Top

Special Education

LDOnline: Sponsored by the Coordinated Campaign for Learning Disabilities, this site serves parents, children and teachers by including basic and detailed information about LDs, articles, political news, events, sources of help, esteem-building and self-advocacy issues, products, and several interactive elements.
Wrightslaw: "Accurate, up-to-date information on special education law and advocacy for children with disabilities." Detailed articles and other resources for parents, teachers, and attorneys.
Massachusetts Association of Special Education Parent Advisory Councils: Increase your network of support and educate yourself about public policy and resources. Includes links to Massachusetts special education regulations and laws, and many other local and national special education sites.
Hoagies Gifted Education Page: A huge repository of information for parents, teachers and "gifted" students themselves.

Parent & Teacher Resources:

Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators: Teachers and educators will find web sites here that are useful for school classes and subject assignments. Slide shows are included that provide accessible basic Internet training.
Directory of Civic Engagement & Leadership Development Programs for Massachusetts Youth: The Directory is a new and essential resource for introducing young people to a diverse array of civic education opportunities in the Commonwealth. The listed programs greatly expand young people's choices for learning about the electoral and political processes, leadership, and community activism. Published by the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts.
Resources for Children Experiencing Grief: A selection of books, suitable by grade, for preschool children through teens who are experiencing grief due to the loss or illness of a loved one. Includes online and other resources for adults and educators.
ERIC: Educational Resources Information Center: One of the most important and extensive databases of information for the educational professional, part of the U.S. Department of Education.
Electric Teacher: Very helpful site for educators. Includes online tutorials for Power Point, Photo Draw, Front Page, and Word, as well as aids for building websites for and with students, lesson plans, themed web resources in the areas of science, social science, and holidays, and extensive links for elementary education.
50 State Teacher Education Certification Map: Click on the map for the state you are interested in to find materials on state certification requirements.
The Gateway to Educational Materials: Collections of free lesson plans. Includes more than 15,000 resources. Browse by topic or search by keyword. Limit by grade level, pre-K to adult. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education.
iLoveSchools.com: An online service which lets teachers request donations of specific materials for their classroom, then matches the requests with potential donors. There is also a directory of additional programs offering support to schools, arranged by state.
Handwriting for Kids: Printable worksheets for teaching and learning manuscript and cursive writing. Includes individual letters, combinations, common words and sentences.
Online Directory of ESL Resources: A searchable directory of web-based lesson plans, clubs, and documents of interest to ESL teachers, teacher educators, and administrators.
National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition & Language Instruction Educational Programs: Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the NCELA site contains online publications, a newsletter and roundtable, and links to other sites of interest to assist teachers to implement the effective education of linguistically and culturally diverse students in the United States.

Adult Education / Literacy

Springfield Adult Basic Education Directory: A directory of educational resources for adults and out-of-school youth for Basic Literacy, Pre-GED, GED, English as a Second Language, Transition to College, MCAS help for out-of-school youth, & Family Literacy. (In WORD format.)
Massachusetts Adult Literacy Hotline: The Massachusetts Adult Literacy Hotline provides referrals to over 300 adult education programs that offer one-on-one tutoring, small-group or classroom instruction to adult learners. We provide information about basic reading, math, adult basic education, English language training, family literacy, GED preparation or testing sites.
ESL: English as a Second Language Classes: A list of free ESL classes offered by organizations in Springfield.
Springfield O.W.L. Adult Education Center: Adult education classes, including GED preparation and ESOL, are available through the Springfield Public Schools.
Educational Opportunity Centers for Massachusetts: The Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC) is a program that provides educational access services to low-income adults (age 19 and above) who are interested in returning to school. Their goal may be to complete a high school program, or enroll in a post-secondary education or a training program. A project of the Colleges of Worcester Consortium, Inc.
WGBY: Adult Education: WGBY, the local PBS station, is broadcasting the award-winning series designed to prepare adults for the GED test. The series runs for half a year and covers all GED topics, but you may start watching the series at any point and still benefit from it. The settings, characters and subject matter for the lessons are taken from everyday life. Check here for broadcasting schedules, telecourses offered by local educational institutions, and other information.
America's Literacy Directory: Search the database for literacy, GED and ESL programs for adults, young people, children, and people with learning disabilites or for volunteer opportunities. From the National Institute for Literacy and its partners.
GED Testing Service: Definitive information for anyone preparing for or promoting the test, including sample questions, explanation of the changes made in 2002, and local GED contacts. Also includes a history of the GED and instructions for obtaining transcripts.

updated : March 30, 2011