| Branching Out: |
| Florida's 3rd Annual Bullying Prevention Conference |
| Advanced Placement Summer Institute for Administrators |
| 7th Annual Just Read, Florida! K-12 Leadership Conference |
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March 14, 2008 |
Vol. 2, Issue 6 |
News Slices
College Reach-Out Program Celebrates
25th Anniversary
The College Reach-Out Program (CROP) celebrated 25 years of accomplishment in helping thousands of Florida's economically disadvantaged and underrepresented students attain personal and academic success. A half-day celebration took place at the Capitol where education officials, legislators, parents and students gathered to honor the program's achievements throughout the years.
Since its inception in 1983, the program has helped more than 100,000 students through increased access to positive role models, rigorous and challenging coursework, up-to-date training materials and tutoring from board-certified instructors. The CROP enrolls most students in middle school, thereby preparing them early for future success in college. For more on the story, visit www.fldoe.org.
College Goal Sunday
Thousands of Florida students who need money for college took the first step to getting financial aid at College Goal Sunday during the weekend of Feb. 24, 2008. College Goal Sunday provides opportunities for college-bound students to access millions of dollars in free money for their education. Financial aid experts shared their knowledge during College Goal Sunday, a free statewide event to help students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This form is required to receive federal and state financial aid for college tuition. Students who successfully submit the FAFSA could receive as much as $10,000 in free money through state and federal need-based financial aid programs. As an added bonus, at least one student attending each College Goal Sunday site walked away with scholarship money in their pockets.
The Florida Department of Education hosted College Goal Sunday at community college and university campuses, high schools, and community centers across the state. The Division of Community Colleges secured a grant from the Lumina Foundation to offer College Goal Sunday with the goal of expanding the program to serve every county in Florida. The number of sites has grown from 28 in year one to 56 in 2008. During the first two years of Florida's College Goal Sunday, nearly 6,000 students took advantage of the once-a-year program to get free expert assistance to complete the complex FAFSA accurately. In this, the third year of the program, 6,600 students received help with the FAFSA, representing a 30 percent increase from 2007, and a 660 percent increase in attendance from 2006.
"Before I heard about College Goal Sunday, I wasn’t sure I could afford college. The experts there answered all of my questions and told me about the average costs for books and tuition," said Cheyenne McGregor. "With the help I received, I got money to attend Florida A&M University where I’m now a freshman in the School of Journalism. I was also excited to win the $500 scholarship drawing."
Department of Education Announces Math and Science
Partnership Grants
The U.S. Department of Education's Mathematics and Science Partnership (MSP) program recently awarded Florida a $5.9 million federal grant to fund educator training on the state's new world-class mathematics and science standards. The grant was issued to The Partnership to Rejuvenate & Optimize Mathematics and Science Education (Florida PROMiSE), a partnership between the University of South Florida, the University of Florida and Florida State University.
In addition to the three universities, the Florida PROMiSE partnership includes the school districts of Hillsborough, Duval, Seminole and Miami-Dade counties, Panhandle Area Educational Consortium (PAEC), Heartland Educational Consortium (HEC), North East Florida Educational Consortium (NEFEC), Florida Virtual School and Horizon Research.
Through Florida PROMiSE, eligible teachers will receive training on the latest teaching methods and strategies for the newly revised standards. Based on leading national and international mathematics and science standards, the revised standards incorporate the latest knowledge, concepts, and techniques that form the educational foundation for students to compete in the global economy of the future. For more information about the program, visit www.fldoestem.org/FLDOE_STEM/Florida_MSP_Programs.aspx.
State Board Member Tapped To Serve On National Career Education Panel
State Board of Education member Phoebe Raulerson was recently appointed to a national panel to promote excellence in career technical education. The National Association of School Boards of Education (NASBE) selected Raulerson to serve as part of a 26-member task force charged with finding innovative ways to integrate career and technical education opportunities into the nation's high schools.
The task force will examine career and technical education issues that influence policy decisions for state boards of education such as access to programs, teacher preparation and certification, curriculum, standards and tests, industry certifications, school business partnerships, and alignment to high school reform efforts.
Chinese Police Academy Delegation Visits Pat Thomas
Tallahassee Community College's (TCC) Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy recently hosted a delegation from the Tianjin Police Officer Academy in Tianjin, China.
Both the Tallahassee Police Department and Leon County Sheriff's Office participated in the exchange. The Chinese delegation visited the classrooms of corrections and law enforcement students. They also observed skills demonstrations on the Academy's driving and firing ranges and at its Tactical Entry House and Defensive Tactics facilities.
In addition to the Tianjin Police Officer Academy, TCC has partnerships with other Chinese institutions of higher learning, including a faculty exchange program with Tianjin Foreign Studies University (TFSU) and a pre-admissions program with Peylng Experimental School. Through the program, Chinese students will come to TCC for intensive language study and cultural enrichment during the 2008 summer semester. The College also partners with Florida State University's summer program in China.
Seeds of Success
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Escambia County Teacher Receives National
Recognition For Technology Florida Schools Honored By Magnet Schools
of America Two Plant City Teachers Recognized for Excellence IRCC Educator Named Adult Education Teacher
of The Year Musgrove will be presented with the Edward M. Easley Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award, along with a plaque and $1,000 award, from the Commission on Adult Basic Education at the commission's national conference in St. Louis in April. Musgrove, of Fort Pierce, has been teaching English as a Second Language classes at IRCC since 1992. He developed a curriculum so his students could take certified nursing assistant classes while learning English. He previously served as a medic during the Vietnam War and worked 15 years in the building industry. MCC OTA Program Manager Awarded Leadership
Fellowship The AOTA and AOTF work together to address the critical need for strong occupational therapy leaders within the academic community and to build the profession's capacity to influence and lead. Chasanoff is participating in a Leadership Mentoring Program conducted by the Mentoring Company. The program began in January and will end in September at a meeting in Denver, Colo. Recent Seminole Community College Graduate
Wins National Interior Design Award Satoshi Serizawa's work was selected from entries submitted by colleges and universities across the United States. He won second place in the kitchens category. Serizawa, who graduated in December with an Associate in Science Degree, will accept his award in April at the NKBA national conference in Chicago. The award includes an all-expense paid trip to the conference and a $1,500 scholarship. |
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Branching Out Florida's 3rd Annual Bullying Prevention Conference April 24-25, 2008 Orlando Florida's 3rd Annual Bullying Prevention Conference, sponsored by the Florida Department of Education, Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, will be held April 24-25, 2008, at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, to raise awareness and provide prevention information and tools about bullying. Prevention specialists, school guidance counselors, teachers, principals, Safe and Drug-Free Schools Coordinators, school health educators, school psychologists/social workers, School Resource Officers (SROs)/law enforcement, staff development directors, etc., are encouraged to attend. To register, please visit https://www.aceofflorida.org/Register/Register01.cfm?lngEventDateID=238&lngEvent=132. |
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Advanced Placement Summer Institute for Administrators The Advanced Placement (AP) Summer Institute for Administrators will take place at the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort on June 25-27, 2008. Teachers, principals and district personnel are invited to participate to discuss a variety of topics about AP programs. This year's institute will focus on building equity in AP programs, teaching strategies and the relationship of the course to the AP Exam. For more information, please e-mail sro@collegeboard.org. |
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7th Annual Just Read, Florida! K-12 Leadership Conference The Just Read, Florida! office is pleased to announce the 7th Annual Just Read, Florida! K-12 Leadership Conference to be held June 29 - July 2, 2008, at the Orlando World Center Marriott. This year's Leadership Conference will also combine forces with the Division of Public Schools and the Office of Mathematics and Science to present a strand of curriculum sessions focusing on innovative best practices for K-12 curriculum and implementation of the new standards (in lieu of the annual fall K-12 Conference). This year's conference is expected to be the largest ever with an audience of more than 5,000 educators. Registration and additional information on the conference is available at www.justreadflorida.com/conference/. |
For more information on this electronic newsletter, please e-mail thecore@fldoe.org.