| Branching Out: |
| Review Florida Science Standards |
| FMEA In-Service Clinic-Conference |
| 2008 Effective Strategies Institute |
| Just Read, Florida! K-12 Leadership Conference |
|
|
December 14, 2007 |
Vol. 1, Issue 24 |
News Slices
New Education Commissioner
Dr. Eric J. Smith began his tenure as the new Florida
Commissioner of Education in December. The State Board of Education (SBE)
voted unanimously to select him to serve as Florida’s chief educational
officer responsible for providing full assistance to the SBE in enforcing
compliance with the mission and goals of Florida’s K-20 education
system.
“Dr. Smith has the skills and experience that Florida’s education system needs, and I look forward to working with him in the future,” said SBE Chairman T. Willard Fair.
Dr. Smith began his career in Florida more than 30 years ago as a classroom teacher. His commitment to affecting positive change in the field of education led him to several administrative positions in Florida school districts and eventually to 16 years of serving as a district superintendent in Virginia, North Carolina, and Maryland. His goals have remained constant throughout his career: to increase academic achievement of all students and to reduce the disparity in achievement among student subgroups. His success in consistently meeting these goals in individual districts bears testimony to his own passion to change students’ lives, the urgency he brings to the challenges involved, and the leadership he demonstrates in ensuring the involvement of all stakeholders.
Former Commissioner of Education
Retires
Education Commissioner Jeanine Blomberg recently
retired from the Florida Department of Education, following more than
three decades of service to Florida's education system. Blomberg was appointed
Commissioner of Education by a unanimous vote of the State Board of Education
in January 2007 after serving as Chief of Staff to then Education Commissioner
John Winn.
Under Commissioner Blomberg’s tenure, the
Department addressed the variations in the 2006 FCAT third grade reading
results and launched an external advisory group to review and analyze
Florida’s assessment tool. The Department also launched the www.myfloridateacher.com
Web site, established Kindergarten readiness rates and assisted with unveiling
the Ready To Work program. For more information on former Commissioner
Blomberg, visit www.fldoe.org/news/2007/2007_11_30-2.asp.
Second Report From Buros Institute On Third Grade
Reading FCAT
The second report from the Buros Institute regarding
the 2006 third grade reading Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT)
results was recently released. The independent report confirmed the Department’s
determination that the inflated scores for the 2006 third grade reading
FCAT were an anomaly, and the exceptions were the direct result of an
equating issue dealing with the placement of an anchor reading passage.
The report also referenced several recommendations made previously to
ensure this type of anomaly does not occur in the future. The Department
has implemented these recommendations for the 2007-08 FCAT, and will continue
to employ these findings on all future test administrations. For more
details, visit www.fldoe.org/news/2007/2007_12_10-2.asp.
Commissioner Smith Announces 2007 Kindergarten
Readiness Results
Education Commissioner Eric J. Smith recently announced
the results of the 2007 Florida Kindergarten Readiness Screener (FLKRS).
This year’s results show a continued increase in the percentage of
students demonstrating early literacy skills. The FLKRS measures Voluntary
Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) outcomes, that is, what students should know and
be able to do by the end of the VPK program as defined by the VPK Education
Standards. The screening results are used to determine the school readiness
of students entering Kindergarten, inform classroom instruction and provide
useful information to parents and teachers. For more information, visit
www.fldoe.org/news/2007/2007_12_12.asp.
Sixteen Florida Students Selected into Disney’s
Dreamers Academy
Sixteen Florida students were selected into Walt
Disney World Resort’s Disney’s Dreamers Academy, an innovative
program that will provide 100 teens the opportunity to go as far as their
dreams and imaginations will take them. The program was created for high
school teens from across the nation, and designed to immerse the students
in creative and non-conventional career opportunities. This is the first-ever
career enrichment program of its kind. The Academy will take place in
the Walt Disney World Resort, Jan. 17-20, 2008. For more information on
Disney’s Dreamers Academy, visit http://wdwnews.com. To log in, please
use username – Disney; and password – magic.
Palmer Electric Company Makes Donation to Seminole
Community College Foundation
Palmer Electric Company recently announced the donation
of $50,000 to the Seminole Community College Foundation for the Wharton-Smith
Center for Construction. The donation, which is eligible for a state matching
fund of $33,500, will be used to enhance and expand the College’s
newly launched Construction Management Program at the Center for Economic
Development in Heathrow. For more information, visit www.scc-fl.edu.
Just Read, Florida! Announces 2008 Hazardous Weather
Awareness Week Essay Contest
Just Read, Florida!, in partnership with the Florida
Department of Community Affairs, Division of Emergency Management and
several other emergency management partners, is conducting a statewide
short essay contest aimed at high school students as part of the 2008
Hazardous Weather Awareness Week, Feb. 2-9, 2008. Students in grades nine
through 12 in all school districts are invited to participate in the statewide
essay contest. Each school winner’s essay must be submitted to Just
Read, Florida! by the principal of their school no later than Jan. 11,
2008, to be eligible for the contest. Each regional student winner and
their teacher will be awarded cash prizes and weather radios for their
achievements. For more information, resources and a complete list of contest
rules and deadlines, please visit www.justreadflorida.com/hwaw.
Stop the Spread of Germs
Educators and school staff can help slow the spread
of colds and flu this flu season by sharing a few simple tips. Be sure
to cover the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, and wash your hands
frequently with soap and water to dramatically reduce the spread of germs
and number of sick days taken. For hygiene materials, guidance information
and tools on flu prevention, visit the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention Web site at www.cdc.gov/flu/school/index.htm.
Seeds of Success
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Marion County Teacher Named State Art Teacher
of the Year Alachua County Environmental Team Collects
Scholarship For Their Clean Up Efforts |
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Branching Out Review Florida Science Standards The Department of Education Office of Mathematics and Science is providing public meetings, where members of the public will be allowed to provide input regarding the proposed new science standards. Below are scheduled dates and locations. All times are from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. For more details, visit www.fldoestem.org/center13.aspx. Jan. 3, 2008 Jan. 8, 2008 |
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FMEA In-Service Clinic-Conference Districts are invited to send music teachers to participate in the upcoming conference sponsored by the Florida Music Educators’ Association (FMEA) in cooperation with the Florida Department of Education. Conference activities begin at the Tampa Convention Center on January 9, and end with a series of All-State concerts on Jan. 12, 2008. The FMEA In-Service Clinic-Conference is the largest professional development conference for music educators held in any state east of the Mississippi River. The FMEA conference will offer more than 200 individual workshops and seminars for a variety of topics ranging from FCAT skills to assessment in the classroom and issues related to special learners. The conference is designed so every music educator – new or experienced – will find sessions of high interest. Sessions are also designed to support the issues foremost on every school campus in the state, particularly those related to literacy and other FCAT goals. The Elementary, Middle School, and High School All-State rehearsals and concerts are also an exciting and instructional part of the conference. Information about registration and lodging is available online at www.flmusiced.org. Online pre-registration deadline is Dec. 3, 2007. 2008 Effective Strategies Institute The 2008 Effective Strategies Institute will be held Jan. 15-18, 2008, at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort in Daytona Beach, Fla. The Institute is sponsored by the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network (NDPC), the Florida Department of Education, 21st Century Community Learning Centers of Florida, the University of Florida, Communities in Schools of Florida, Inc., and the Florida Association of Alternative School Educators. The Institute will feature three nationally renowned keynote speakers, including Dr. Krystal Kuykendall and U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Consuelo Kickbush. There will be more than 60 workshops representing district, state, and national research-based instructional strategies and best practices in dropout prevention and Exceptional Student Educational programs. District administrators, teachers, student services personnel, and program coordinators who provide services to students at risk of not graduating from high school are encouraged to attend. To register and submit proposals for presentation, please visit the National Dropout Prevention Center Web site at www.dropoutprevention.org/ndpcdefault.htm, and click on “2008 Effective Strategies Institute.” The registration fee is $195.00 before Dec. 21, 2007. After that date, the registration fee will be $225.00. Institute attendees are encouraged to make room reservations at the host hotel by Dec. 31, 2007, to obtain the conference rate of $134.00 per night. Just Read, Florida! K-12 Leadership Conference
The 2008 conference offers a variety of opportunities
for educators and administrators. More than 300 breakout sessions
will be geared toward providing essential information to school
leadership in the area of reading and literacy. There will be numerous
sessions presented by fellow principals, reading coaches, and district
leaders, giving you the opportunity to hear about the great literacy
initiatives taking place in schools throughout our state. Go to
www.justreadflorida.com/conference to learn more or register
today! |
For more information on this electronic newsletter, please e-mail thecore@fldoe.org.