May 9, 2008 |
Vol. 2, Issue 10 |
News Slices
2008 FCAT Writing+ Results Announced
According to the 2008 Florida Comprehensive Assessment
Test (FCAT) Writing+ results, a greater percentage of Florida students
are writing at or above grade level. The percent of students in grades
4, 8 and 10 scoring at or above Achievement Level 3 on the Writing+ exam
increased over the previous year. In addition, the majority of Florida’s
fourth-, eighth- and 10th-graders continue to score 3.5 and above on the
essay portion of the exam. This year’s results mirror Florida’s
strong performance on the 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress
(NAEP) Writing assessment.
Beginning at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, May 13, parents may view their students’ scores via the FCAT Parent Network at www.fcatparentnetwork.com using the secure login and password provided by their school.
Department of Education Applies For Federal Differentiated
Accountability Pilot Program
The Florida Department of Education has submitted its application for
the differentiated accountability pilot program to the U.S. Department
of Education. Announced in March by U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret
Spellings, up to 10 states will be selected to create a tiered approach
to address required interventions for Title I schools that do not meet
Adequate Yearly Progress under the No Child Left Behind Act. Florida’s
proposal links state and federal accountability systems to identify schools
that need focused preventive measures, those in need of more serious corrective
action and those that require intensive intervention such as restructuring
or closure. For more details, visit www.fldoe.org/news/2008/2008_05_05-3.asp.
Florida Receives International Reading Award
Florida was announced as one of only two states to receive a Five-Star Policy Award from the International Reading Association (IRA) this year. The award is part of the IRA’s Five-Star Policy Recognition Program, which encourages states and provinces to adopt and implement policies that support effective literacy instruction for all children. Since the program’s inception in 2001, only eight states have earned the award.
Florida Celebrates First Ever Math
Day
Schools across the state celebrated Florida’s
first ever Math Day on May 1. Each school in the state was invited to
teach a specific mathematics lesson based on the theme of financial literacy.
More than 40 lesson plans were written and submitted by Florida teachers
to be considered for the state Math Day lessons. Of the 40 submissions,
four were chosen to represent lesson plans for the high school, middle
school and elementary school levels.
The lesson plan winners are:
Grade 2: Mary Sims, Bluewater Elementary School, Okaloosa County, “A
Penny Saved is a Penny Earned”
Grade 5: Sarah Wright, Shalimar Elementary School, Okaloosa County, “Florida Food Round Up!”
Grade 7: Laura Brainard, Eau Gallie High School, Brevard County, “Let’s Go Shopping: Calculating Percents”
High School: Jenny Ellis, Palm Beach Gardens High
School, Palm Beach County, “Buy Now, Pay Later? Caveat Emptor!”
Department Holds Third Annual Bullying Prevention
Conference
The Florida Department of Education's Third Annual
Bullying Prevention Conference sponsored by the Department, the Florida
Institute of Education and the University of North Florida, provided participants
with comprehensive information about the various forms of bullying, its
causes and effective prevention strategies. More than 500 teachers, school
administrators, counselors, state agency representatives, community leaders,
law enforcement officials and parents attended the two-day conference.
Governor Crist Appoints Department of Education Chancellor to Biotech Task Force
Governor Charlie Crist announced that Florida Department of Education Chancellor of Workforce Education Lucy Hadi has been appointed to the Biotech Task Force for a term beginning April 17, 2008, and ending June 30, 2009. The Task Force has been assembled to study biotech competitiveness in the state.
Seeds of Success
|
Florida PTA Announces 2007-2008 Reflections
Recipients Lee County Middle School Wins Odyssey of
the Mind Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational
program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for
students from kindergarten through college. Students apply their
creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical
devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics.
For more on the story, visit www.fldoe.org/SuccessStories/2008/04-14-2.asp.
Florida Sunshine State Scholars Marion County Automotive Program Earns Nationally-Recognized
Certification Indian River Community College Wins Award
From National Group Oak Ridge High School Hotel Magnet Students
Win National Title |
|
Branching Out The Florida Community College at Jacksonville Department of Nursing is hosting the Fifth Annual Excellence in Patient Safety Conference June 5-6 at the Nathan H. Wilson Center, FCCJ South Campus, 11901 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville. The Patient Safety Conference is recommended
for all health care practitioners, educators and students, including
physicians, nurses, pharmacists, various technicians and therapists
in all specialties. For more information about the conference or
details on pricing and accommodations, visit www.fccj.edu/patientsafetyconference
or call (904) 766-6524. |
|
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. Great Florida Teach-In The Great Florida Teach-In is a statewide job fair sponsored annually by the Department of Education. The Teach-In provides a convenient forum that enables educators seeking employment in Florida to obtain interviews with school and district personnel responsible for hiring teachers. The event is free to candidates who may either register in advance or on site. To be eligible to attend the Teach-In, candidates must either hold at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution or have an expected graduation date of no later than August 2008. Representatives of approximately 30 school districts and 20 charter schools will be in attendance. Additionally, private and public colleges and universities will also be available to promote their education programs. For more information or to register, visit
www.teachinflorida.com/Recruitment/GreatFloridaTeachIn/tabid/210/Default.aspx.
|
|
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 combine forces with 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.