News Slices:
Florida Department of Education Launches New Program to Help Schools In Need of Improvement
Florida Community Colleges Are Top Producers Of Nation’s Associate Degrees For Sixth Year In A Row
Applications Due for the 2009 U.S. Senate Youth Program
Seeds of Success:
Escambia County Junior Wins National Silver Medal
School Awarded for Integration of Economics Classes
Brevard County School Board Hailed as Leader in Florida Arts Education
Grant Enhances Math, Science, and Energy Education In Osceola County
Branching Out:
Florida Association for Staff Development Leadership Conference

 

August 1, 2008

Vol. 2, Issue 16

News Slices


Florida Department of Education Launches New Program to Help Schools In Need of Improvement
The Florida Department of Education launched a federal pilot program that grants flexibility in the targeted assistance provided to schools in need of improvement. Targeted support services will include school improvement planning, professional development and curriculum alignment. Florida’s participation in the pilot program gives the department flexibility in determining the level of its involvement in each school’s improvement efforts. For more on the story, visit www.fldoe.org.

Florida Community Colleges Are Top Producers Of Nation’s Associate Degrees For Sixth Year In A Row
For the sixth year in a row, Florida community colleges rank among the top producers of associate degrees in the United States. According to Community College Week’s annual Top 100 report conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Florida institutions lead America’s more than 1,200 community colleges in an array of degree categories. For more on the story, visit http://www.fldoe.org/news/2008/2008_07_22.asp

Applications Due for the 2009 U.S. Senate Youth Program
The 47th Annual United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) is now accepting student applications through Oct. 27, 2008. Two student winners from each state will participate in the USSYP Washington Week, March 7-14, 2009, and receive a $5,000 undergraduate scholarship to the college or university of their choice. Interested students should contact Annette B. Pitts at (850) 386-8223 or ABPflreaED@aol.com.
Seeds of Success

Escambia County Junior Wins National Silver Medal
Barrett White, a junior at Washington High School in Escambia County, was recently recognized at the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards at Carnegie Hall in New York City. His writing entry in the poetry category was awarded a national silver medal and placed in the top one percent of more than 100,000 judged artworks and manuscripts. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards was founded in 1923 to support aspiring young artists and writers. For more information, visit www.artandwriting.org.

School Awarded for Integration of Economics Classes
Polk County school Gause Academy in Bartow, Fla., received a Governor’s Award for Excellence for its integration of economics into business classes. The award recognizes schools, teachers and classes for innovative and creative teaching and learning of economics, free enterprise and financial literacy.

Brevard County School Board Hailed as Leader in Florida Arts Education
The Brevard County School Board has been named the 2008 honoree for the School Board Award from the Arts for a Complete Education/Florida Alliance for Arts Education (ACE/FAAE). The School Board Award is the highest honor conferred by the Alliance, and recognizes Florida School Boards that have implemented and sustained exemplary arts education programs that provide a creative learning environment for outstanding student achievement.

Grant Enhances Math, Science, and Energy Education In Osceola County
The Education Foundation of Osceola County has been awarded a grant in the amount of $25,000 by the Progress Energy Foundation. The grant will fund a program to help math and science teachers who wish to motivate and increase the interest of students in math, science and energy education. To learn more, visit the Osceola Foundation Web site at www.foundationosceola.org.

Branching Out

Florida Association for Staff Development Leadership Conference
Sept. 22-24, 2008
St. Pete Beach

The annual Florida Association for Staff Development (FASD) Leadership Conference will be held at the Tradewinds Island Grand Resort in St. Pete Beach Sept. 22 – 24, 2008. All educational personnel who have an interest in receiving, delivering or supporting high quality professional development are invited to join FASD members to participate in professional learning surrounding state of the art technology to support professional development, teacher and school leadership principles which align with high quality professional development, and support structures for new teacher induction programs. The conference will offer a blend of learning opportunities from experts and well as school-based practitioners in these, and other topics related to improved professional development. For more information, visit www.fasdonline.org.
 
 
 
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