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November/December Letter

Dear Colleagues,

The November newsletter contains some great topics of interest. As always, contact me any time with your questions, concerns and suggestions.

November/December Highlights:

Feedback Surveys

  • First Online Teacher Feedback Survey
    The “Teaching Tools” survey has now closed. Thank you to all 11,000 + teachers who responded. Remember that your feedback is important in helping the Department of Education to continuously improve its services for Florida teachers. This survey tool is a reliable way for teachers across the state to share their thoughts with those who help shape educational policy in Florida. Results for all surveys will be made available once the data has been collected. Results for the “Teaching Tools” survey will be made available in an upcoming “Just for Teachers” newsletter.
  • New Survey Available: Attention Kindergarten Teachers
    The “Kindergarten Teacher” survey, focusing on the transition from voluntary pre-kindergarten education programs (VPK) to kindergarten and the coordination of preschool and kindergarten programs, will close December 7, 2006. This survey is limited to kindergarten teachers only and is made available by the Office of Early Learning.

Hot Topics

  • Teachers Lead Program Stipend
    In response to recent questions relating to purchases made with Teachers Lead funds, Commissioner Winn recently issued a memo to all district superintendents to provide clarification about district responsibilities with regard to distribution of the stipend, as well as the responsibilities of the recipient. The memo responds to all of the issues about which teachers have been concerned. The memo was issued to district superintendents on Monday, November 6, 2006.
  • Attention Reading Coaches: Call for Proposals
    Save the date for the 6th Annual Just Read, Florida! Leadership Conference.
    The conference will be held August 5-7, 2007 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando. More than 4,000 principals, assistant principals and reading coaches are expected and this year’s conference will have over 300 breakout sessions. Currently, proposals for presentations are being accepted and due no later than January 12, 2007. If you are a reading coach who would like to submit a proposal to present at this year’s conference, please visit the conference website.
  • Supplemental Education Services: Opportunities for Teachers and Students
    Students currently enrolled in Title I schools identified as not making AYP (adequate yearly progress) for a period of three or more years are entitled to free supplemental education services per the No Child Left Behind act. Currently, less than half of the students enrolled in Supplemental Education Services (SES) in Florida are actually receiving those services. The Florida Department of Education has approved 200 SES providers statewide, however many of the providers have not been able to hire enough qualified tutors. As a result, many providers have after school employment opportunities for teachers and other qualified personnel. If you are interested in becoming an SES tutor, please follow the link above.
  • 2006 Release of FCAT Tests
    The Department of Education began releasing full-length FCAT reading and mathematics tests in 2005 beginning with grades 4, 8 and 10. Eight more previously taken FCAT tests for grades 3, 7, 9, and 10 were released this week for use by students, teachers and parents. They have been released in a new, interactive online format allowing users easy access to questions, answers, a fact sheet explaining uses for the test, and frequently asked questions. In an effort to promote parental involvement, educators may want to suggest to parents that, in addition to working with their children each day on class assignments and homework, they take a released FCAT test online with their child. Doing so will give parents insight into how their child may perform on a very similar test in the spring (except for grades five and six). This will also allow parents to pursue additional assistance for their child in certain skill areas, if needed.
  • Just Read, Families! Releases Holiday Reading List
    Just Read, Families! (a division of Just Read, Florida!) has released a holiday reading list available on its Just Read, Families! web site. The initiative is aimed at bringing families together as well as encouraging children to continue reading during the holiday break. The list provides age-specific book suggestions as well as resources such as: links to county and municipal libraries, tips for parents on how to read with children, and recommendations for books with holiday themes including Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Ramadan.

Special Opportunities

  • Florida Educational Technology Conference (FETC)
    FETC is one of the largest, most successful conferences in the United States devoted to educational technology attracting teachers, principals and deans, district administrators, curriculum designers, media specialists, technology directors and various other educators. The conference program is designed so educators and administrators have an opportunity to learn how to integrate different technologies across the curriculum – from kindergarten to college – while being exposed to the latest hardware, software and successful strategies on student technology use. The conference will take place Wednesday, January 24, through Friday, January 26, at the Orange County Convention Center’s South Complex in Orlando, Florida. Early Registration closes on Dec. 20, for those mailing in registration forms and Jan. 3 for those choosing to register online.
  • French Teacher Scholarship to Study in Paris
    Each year the Winthrop-King Institute for Contemporary French and Francophone Studies at Florida State University offers two high school French teachers in Florida a $6,500 scholarship to spend the month of July in Paris. The scholarships are available to teachers with at least five years of experience teaching French and who teach at least two French courses per year. The application deadline is January 10, 2007.
  • State French Competition: Le Congrès de la Culture Française en Floride
    Featuring a variety of events for students and teachers of French, this annual competition is set to take place March 22-24, 2007 in Orlando. Students may compete in a variety of French language events and have opportunities to win scholarships, cash awards and travel to France and Quebec. For information on how to register, visit the Congrès website.
  • HP Technology for Teaching Grant Initiative
    In 2007, HP will award approximately $10 million in cash and equipment to schools in the U.S. and Puerto Rico through the HP Technology for Teaching Program, including reinvestment for selected projects previously funded. The HP Technology for Teaching Grant Initiative is designed to support the innovative use of mobile technology in K-16 education, and to help identify K-12 public schools and two- and four-year colleges and universities that HP might support with future grants. Applications will be accepted between January 8, 2007 and February 15, 2007.

Did you know?

  • The FCAT, a 10th grade level test, was developed in response to concern that the previous high school exit exam (HSCT) only required 8th grade level knowledge for graduation.
  • Before a question is used on the FCAT, it must be reviewed and approved by grade level teachers, curriculum specialists and others, including parents, principals, test experts, and community representatives. These reviews involve over 600 people annually and occur before and after a question is field tested. All of this happens before a question is accepted for scoring purposes and used on an actual test! Last year there were a total of 76 different FCAT test development committees that met over 38 weeks and involved 677 people. If these individuals do not approve each question, it is either revised or thrown out. If any one member of a review committee does not like a given test question, that question is thrown out. Only the best, most objective questions are accepted.

I wish you a safe and restful holiday break.

Best Regards,
Nicole