June 6, 2008 |
Vol. 2, Issue 12 |
News Slices
Florida Students Outperform the National Average on Norm-Reference Test
The Department of Education (DOE) recently announced the reading and mathematics Florida Comprehensive
Assessment Test (FCAT) Norm-Referenced Test (NRT) scores for third through 10th grade. A portion of the
FCAT includes a national NRT, which is used to measure how Florida students are performing compared to students
nationally. In each grade, Florida students scored better than the national average score of 50. For more
information visit fcat.fldoe.org/mediapacket/2008/default.asp.
Summer Food Service Program Provides Free Meals To Eligible Students
The Department is reminding parents that children who are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals
during the school year can also receive meals during the summer. Through the Summer Food Service Program,
operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and administered in Florida by the DOE, qualified students can
continue to receive nutritious meals during the summer months when most schools are closed. To learn more about
the program, or to find out if your child qualifies, contact the DOE, Food and Nutrition Management at
1-800-622-5985, or visit www.fldoe.org/fnm/summerfood).
Recommended Recommended Summer Reading List Announced
Education Commissioner Dr. Eric J. Smith recently announced the Just Read, Families! Recommended Summer Reading List. The reading list encourages students to continue their reading efforts during the summer vacation months. Research indicates that children who do not continue to read while on vacation risk losing progress made during the school year. The Just Read, Families! suggested reading list can be found at www.justreadfamilies.org. The site offers parents the tools they need to nurture a reading-friendly environment at home during the break. Resources include links to county and municipal public libraries, tips for parents on reading with children and a list of recommended books for each grade level.
Physical Physical and Health Education Standards Available For Public Comment
The proposed revisions to Florida's physical and health education standards are now
available for public comment at the Physical Education and Health Education Review Web site at
http://tools.fcit.usf.edu/pereview/. To ensure that the standards are clear, concise and accurate, the
Florida Department of Education invites you to rate each of the benchmarks and provide your feedback to the
writers. Please submit your comments no later than July 17, 2008. If you would like to explore the source
materials from which these standards were derived, please review the Physical Education resources used by the
framers and writers of the proposed standards
(http://etc.usf.edu/flstandards/pe/resources.html).
Department Honored for Service to the Armed Forces Science Day
The DOE was recently recognized for its service to the armed forces in a ceremony at the
Governor's office. First Lieutenant Peter Bennett, a DOE employee and member of the Army Reserve, presented a
flag from the 160th Military Police Battalion to Governor Charlie Crist and Commissioner Smith. His battalion
was deployed in October 2006 for training in Fort Bliss, TX, followed by 12 months in Bagram, Afghanistan.
The Florida Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) also presented the DOE with the Patriot Award in recognition of its extraordinary support of employees who serve in the Florida National Guard and Reserve. Both awards will be proudly displayed in the Turlington Building. For more information about the ESGR, visit www.esgr.mil.
Astronaut to speak at Pensacola Junior College Month
Pensacola Junior College (PJC) will host astronaut Alan Poindexter at 4:00 p.m. on
June 18. Poindexter, a Navy captain and PJC alumnus, will share stories of his space adventure as a pilot of
the Atlantis space shuttle. He will also present a specially minted PJC gold medallion that was carried on the
5.3 million-mile space journey and participate in a question-and-answer segment with audience members.
Seeds of Success
Fulbright Hays Group Project Abroad Grant Awarded
The U.S. Department of Education recently awarded the Fulbright Hays Group Project Abroad grant to the University of Florida (UF) Center for Latin American Studies to implement a four-week curriculum development project in Ecuador and Peru titled, "The Andean "HATSS" Project: Reaching High Achievement for Teachers and Students of Spanish in Florida Schools."
The HATSS project is a collaborative endeavor between the UF Center for Latin American Studies, the UF College of Education and Florida's K-12 schools to design and implement innovative curricula using new educational technologies that will prepare students for an increasingly global and diverse society. For more information about the project, visit www.fldoe.org/SuccessStories/2008/05-20.asp.
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Seminole Community College Kitchen and Bath Program Wins National Recognition
SCC was one of only three community colleges to win the trophy. SCC is the only college in Central Florida
to offer the NKBA-endorsed Kitchen and Bath Specialization Certificate. Students receive professional hands-on
experience with state-of-the-art design software programs and learn current trends in the industry. For more
information, visit
www.fldoe.org/SuccessStories/2008/05-13-2.asp.
Tampa Student Group Named "Chapter of The Year" By Junior State of America For more information about JSA visit
www.fldoe.org/SuccessStories/2008/05-13.asp. Seminole Community College Recognized For HighOutcomes In its accreditation report, CoARC concluded that the SCC Respiratory Care program met or exceeded the national thresholds for 2004, 2005 and 2006. To learn more about SCC's Respiratory Care Program visit www.fldoe.org/SuccessStories/2008/05-08.asp. Florida Students Named U.S. Presidential Scholars
These students will be honored in Washington, D.C., June 21-24. From nearly 2.8 million graduating high
school seniors, approximately 3,000 students are identified as Presidential Scholar candidates. For
more information about United States Presidential Scholars, visit
www.fldoe.org/SuccessStories/2008/05-06.asp. |
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Branching Out 2008 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) School Choice Leadership Summit June 23-25, 2008 Orlando The Florida Department of Education Bureau
of Student Assistance 2008 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) School Choice
Leadership Summit will be held June 23-25, 2008, in Orlando, Fla.
This Summit provides a statewide forum for promoting successful
and effective implementation of NCLB public school options, including
Supplemental Educational Services (SES). Participants will have
an opportunity to discuss state and federal information updates
and technical assistance related to such topics as contract management;
development, implementation, and evaluation of Student Learning
Plans; monitoring and evaluation; and parent outreach efforts. State-approved
SES providers and school district tutors, program administrators,
office managers, district Title I coordinators, district SES administrators,
school administrators, and school site facilitators are encouraged
to attend. Please note that this is a mandatory meeting for all
2008-2009 state-approved providers according to the Request for
Applications for the 2008-2009 school year. Information regarding
Summit registration, hotel, and proposed agenda is available at
www.fldoe.org/flbpso/nclbchoice/ses/ses_meeting.asp.
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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. 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.
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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 offer 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). More than 5,000 educators are expected to attend this year. Registration and additional information on the conference is available at www.justreadflorida.com/conference. 2008 Juvenile Justice Education
Institute and Southern Conference On Corrections To register for the conference, go to www.criminologycenter.fsu.edu/jjeep. |
For more information on this electronic newsletter, please e-mail thecore@fldoe.org.