FSCA NEWS

New Bully Prevention Recommendations Released

2009-07-03T22:46:00.001-04:00

New Bully Prevention Recommendations Released

By WINK News

Story Created: Jul 2, 2009 at 2:44 PM EDT

Story Updated: Jul 2, 2009 at 7:47 PM EDT

At a middle school in Wisconsin, students perform in front of a class - in what is called ‘social improvisation’. In the performance, one student is bullied, while others stand around and watch, or giggle…

http://www.winknews.com/features/education/49709687.html

State University System Regional Admissions Workshops

2009-07-03T13:32:00.001-04:00

The Board of Governors Office and the State University System (SUS) Admission Directors are pleased to announce that the annual SUS Admissions Tour will continue this year. The tour will convene as follows:

FSU Sept. 2 FIU Sept. 8

UNF Sept. 3 FAU Sept. 9

UCF Sept. 4 NCF Sept. 10

USF Sept. 11

At each workshop, school counselors will have an opportunity to received timely information needed to advise students on postsecondary options available to them. School counselors will also be able to interact with the presenters and ask specific questions and gather information about admissions and other related postsecondary topics. Registration information and an agenda for each session will be available by August 1st at http://www.flbog.org/admissiontour. If you have any questions or need additional information regarding the tour, please e-mail admissionstour@flbog.org

Power to Learn - PS 119 Fifth graders become Internet Smart!

2009-07-01T20:37:00.001-04:00

http://www.powertolearn.com/in_your_community/new_york_city/events.shtml?196

Number of Florida Schools Earning 'A's Climbs To All Time High

2009-06-26T16:13:00.001-04:00

Florida schools experienced their most successful year to date according to the 2009 school grades results released. Driven by a significant increase in the number of “A” grades, more than three quarters of all public schools are considered to be high performing (receiving either an “A” or “B”), the largest number yet since the inception of school grades. The results also indicate that the number of schools earning an “F” decreased to its lowest point in three years.

Of Florida's 2,954 graded public schools earning "A" through "F" grades this year:

1,822 earned an "A" (62 percent), an increase of 237 schools compared to last year.
495 earned a "B" (17 percent), a decrease of 47 schools compared to last year.
420 earned a "C" (14 percent), a decrease of 145 schools compared to last year.
173 earned a "D" (6 percent), an increase of 18 schools compared to last year.
44 earned an "F" (1 percent), a decrease of 1 school compared to last year.

Sexting, Cyberbullying, Online Predators...

2009-06-26T12:47:00.000-04:00

Interested in finding out more about these topics? Here’s how—download version 7.0, the newest version of the NetSmartz Tweens, Teens, and Parent/Community presentations at www.NetSmartz.org/Presentations.

These presentations are revamped and better than ever! Check out our:

Eye-catching graphics and images to aid comprehension
Tween and Teen presentations timed for their attention span
Long and short versions of the Parent/Community presentation to fit any schedule
Coverage of the latest tech trends
More conversational speaker notes
Increased audience engagement
Augmented presenter’s notes, including new FAQs and glossary

Once you’ve downloaded the presentations, share your feedback. Help us make even more improvements by filling out the survey you’ll receive with the links to the presentations.

Having troubles downloading the presentations? Send me an e-mail (lnathan@ncmec.org) with your complete address and I’ll send you a copy of the presentations on CD.

Crash Course for Parents

2009-06-26T11:28:00.000-04:00

Crash Course for Parents
Generation M: Teens and Technology

Digital Technology 101 offers guidance and advice on how to monitor some of the most popular communication tools used by teens today. You may have heard about them on television news or relented to your teen’s wishes to buy the latest and greatest gadgets. But have you had an opportunity to learn exactly what your teen already knows about digital technologies?

http://www.theantidrug.com/advice/teens-today/teens-and-technology/crash-course-for-parents.aspx

PA-07-180: School-based Interventions to Prevent Obesity (R01)

2009-06-24T18:49:00.001-04:00

http://www.grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-07-180.html

School-Based Interventions to Prevent Obesity (R01) 2009 Submitted: 6/22/2009

National Institutes of Health – School-Based Interventions to Prevent Obesity (R01)

The National Institutes of Health offers funding for School-Based Interventions to Prevent Obesity to encourage the formation of partnerships between academic institutions and systems for the implementation of school-based interventions that reduce the prevalence of obesity.

Eligible applicants include public/state and private controlled institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, Tribal Governments, or faith-based and community organizations.

Deadline: July 6, 2009

Please contact National Institutes of Health directly for more specific grant information and to apply: http://www.grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-07-180.html

Impact Evaluation of the U.S. Department of Education's Student Mentoring Program

2009-06-24T12:32:00.000-04:00

The latest quick review from the WWC evaluates a study of the Student Mentoring Program (SMP), a federal grant program that matches participants with an adult or peer mentor to discuss academics, relationships, and future plans. The study, Impact Evaluation of the U.S. Department of Education’s Student Mentoring Program, examined the effects of the program on students’ interpersonal relationships, academic outcomes, and delinquent and risk behaviors. See how the WWC rated this study by visiting http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/publications/quickreviews/studentmentoring/index.asp.

Jamie Vollmer - Educational Speaker: Nostesia

2009-06-23T14:05:00.000-04:00

http://www.jamievollmer.com/nostesia.html

A Closer Look at the Principal-Counselor Relationship

2009-06-21T21:21:00.001-04:00

The report, “A Closer Look at the Principal-Counselor Relationship,” shares the findings of the survey, which showed a strong agreement among principals and counselors about the most important characteristics of these relationships — communicating openly, sharing ideas, sharing information, including school counselors on leadership teams, jointly setting goals, mutual trust, mutual respect, sharing a vision, sharing decision making and a collective commitment to equity and opportunity. Here are the survey’s key findings:

· Principals and counselors both ranked communication and respect as the two most important elements in the principal-
counselor relationship.

· Principals and counselors both saw time as being the biggest barrier to collaboration between them.

· Principals had a better match between their perceptions of how important an element is to a successful principal-counselor relationship and the extent to which they saw that element as being present in the principal-counselor relationships within their own schools. When elements were rated as important, principals tended to rate them as being more present than did counselors.

· When asked what one thing they would change that would lead to an improved principal-counselor relationship within their own schools, both principals and counselors most frequently mentioned communication, followed by respect/understanding.

· Principals and counselors agreed that the most important activities for a counselor to engage in to improve student outcomes are helping to promote student personal growth and social development, and helping students with career planning.

· While both principals and counselors agreed that supportive administrative tasks are less important for counselors to engage in to improve student outcomes, principals saw these tasks as taking up less of counselors’ time than counselors said they took.

· Both principals and counselors saw state test scores as the area where gaps between subgroups most needed to be addressed in their schools.

· When asked about the roles of principals and counselors in education reform efforts, both principals and counselors most often said that the role of the principal is to be a leader and the role of the counselor is to be an advocate.

http://www.connection-collegeboard.com/09june/advocacy_8.html

The hard dilemmas facing migrant families

2009-06-19T10:20:00.001-04:00

Florida's approximately 20,000 documented migrant students face dual challenges to receiving high-school diplomas and continuing to college, The Tallahassee Democrat reports. The economic realities that push their parents to frequently move for work, combined with the English-only state assessment tests, make a hurdle many can't overcome. If they do graduate and pursue higher education, the financial strain often pulls a family downward, since additional part-time jobs or extra hours in fields at subsistence wages can't lift migrant families to financial stability. Though many migrant parents want to save their kids from the same life, they're stuck. Lori Rodriguez of the Florida Department of Education says most migrant children are first-generation English speakers, and usually their parents are illiterate in their native tongue. "These parents can't even read what's sent home to them [in Spanish]," she explains. "For those of us who are from educated families -- it's very difficult to understand." Rodriguez believes a first step is communication. States with large migrant communities must have better outreach, stressing the need to stay in one district for their children rather than bounce around to where work takes them.
Read more: http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20090612/BREAKINGNEWS/90611019/Money++policies+obstacles+for+migrant+students+in+Florida?s+education+system

United We Serve

2009-06-18T23:26:00.001-04:00

The President has said that the challenges America faces are unprecedented, and that we need to build a new foundation for economic growth in America. The Administration has begun this work with dramatic new investments in education, health care, and clean energy, but we cannot do this alone here in Washington. Economic recovery is as much about what you're doing in your communities, as what we're doing in Washington – and it’s going to take all of us, working together. Serve.gov makes it easy for you and all Americans not only to find ways to serve in your communities, but also to create and promote your own service projects.

This summer, President Obama is calling on all of us – young and old, from every background, all across this country – to participate in our nation’s recovery and renewal by serving in our communities. From June 22 to September 11, United We Serve will begin to engage Americans from coast to coast in addressing community needs in education, health, energy and the environment, and community renewal.

http://www.serve.gov/

mathematics remediation

2009-06-18T12:51:00.000-04:00

Memorandum that clarifies issues related to the implementation of section 1008.30(3), Florida Statutes, as revised in 2008 by Senate Bill 1908, regarding mathematics remediation. It provides updated information on district high school mathematics course options related to the statutory requirement that high school students be offered opportunities to remediate prior to high school graduation.

As high school counselors discuss course options with students, it is important to explain the differences between entry and exit expectations for Mathematics for College Success and Mathematics for College Readiness and to inform students of which postsecondary courses they most likely will be prepared for when they get to college. Since Mathematics for College Readiness is aligned with a college level mathematics course in The Florida College System, it should be considered college preparatory rather than remediation. It is a mathematics course option that meets high school graduation requirements. Therefore, the high school mathematics remediation option, Mathematics for College Success, should be made available to those students who do not meet the State Board of Education defined cut score of 72 on the CPT and indicate an interest.

The memorandum may be viewed at:

http://info.fldoe.org/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-5428/sb1908HSMC.pdf

Mental Health Needs of Low-Income Children With Special Health Care Needs - Issue Brief No. 9

2009-06-18T12:48:00.002-04:00

Mental Health Needs of Low-Income Children With Special Health Care Needs

CHIRI™ Issue Brief No. 9

Children with special health care needs (CSHCN) comprise 13.9 percent of all children in the United States. Nearly 22 percent of households with children include at least one child with a special health care need. Early intervention has been shown to minimize the impact of mental health problems in children and significantly reduce the need for more costly interventions. This Issue Brief summarizes a Child Health Insurance Research Initiative (CHIRI™) study that compared the prevalence of mental health problems among CSHCN to family perceptions of mental health needs.

http://www.ahrq.gov/chiri/chiribrf9/chiribrf9.htm

Grant Information: Resources to Get You Started | Edutopia

2009-06-18T12:48:00.001-04:00

http://www.edutopia.org/grant-information

FTCE - Urgent Need for Pilot Test Participants

2009-06-16T21:35:00.000-04:00

Eligible pilot test participants include students, those certified within the last three years, or individuals with a degree in the pilot test field. Current certification in the pilot test field is not required, but you should have an applicable background including coursework or experience in the pilot test field.

Thank you for your continued contributions to and assistance in the development of the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE). We are entering the final stages of development for the Guidance and Counseling PK-12 test and we must request your assistance once more.

Unfortunately, a number of early registrants did not attend the pilot test sessions they had signed up to attend. We are now in critical need of additional examinee responses for the items currently being administered on pilot test forms. To meet this need, Pilot Testing Registration for Guidance and Counseling PK-12 has been re-opened until June 20, 2009.

How You Can Help

Please share this pilot test information with faculty, teachers, and colleagues who are preparing juniors, seniors, or graduate teacher education students, and degree holders in the pilot test subject areas to inform them that registration has been re-opened to increase participation. Please encourage all those who have registered to complete the pilot test.

There are many advantages to participation (test taking experience, gift cards) which have been outlined in previous emails. An equally significant reason to participate is that pilot testing offers an opportunity to play an essential role in the development process. The success pilot testing is especially crucial given that the recently developed test items cannot be administered on operational test forms without appropriate pilot test data.

Pilot Test Registration

Online 2009 FTCE registration is open now. Online pilot test registration and additional information are available at our FTCE Program Web site.

Please contact the Aaron Graczyk at the Evaluation Systems FTCE program office with any questions at (413) 256-2893.

Thank you,

Emily Moreau
Evaluation Systems
Pearson

Rigorous Academic and Social Supports Key to Student Improvement

2009-06-16T21:28:00.001-04:00

http://www.ihep.org/assets/files/programs/pcn/Roadblocks.pdf
Without strong academic and social supports, many historically disadvantaged students will be unable to meet more rigorous academic standards, according to Removing Roadblocks to Rigor from the Pathways to College Network. To build up academic and social supports for students at all levels, the report recommends that education leaders take the following actions: enhance training and make more efficient use of school counselors; infuse principles of adolescent development into training programs for teachers and principals; provide more incentives for teachers to engage with students in meaningful ways; make assessments a priority; and pay special attention to how social relationships within institutions foster emotional support and academic achievement. Pathways to College Network, 4/09

OJJDP Promotes Internet Safety

2009-06-15T16:54:00.000-04:00

OJJDP Promotes Internet Safety

June is National Internet Safety Month. The purpose of this observance is to raise awareness of the dangers to which children may be exposed on the Internet and ways in which they can be protected from them.

Online safety is everyone's responsibility. Parents need to be vigilant about their children's use of the computer and cell phone. Teachers need to promote responsible Internet usage by students. Internet safety organizations need to help youth develop the decision-making skills needed to use the Web safely. Only through such coordinated efforts can we maximize the benefits of the Internet, while minimizing its dangers.

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) supports a number of programs and activities designed to raise awareness about the importance of online safety and to help protect children and youth from online exploitation and victimization.

Resources:

To obtain further information about OJJDP supported initiatives to promote Internet safety, visit:

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is a component of the Office of Justice Programs in the U.S. Department of Justice.

Subscribe or unsubscribe to JUVJUST and OJJDP News @ a Glance.

Browse past issues of JUVJUST.

Ed Sec'y Wants Increased Rigor in School Reform Reporting : June 2009 : THE Journal

2009-06-12T20:02:00.001-04:00

Ed Sec'y Wants Increased Rigor in School Reform Reporting

by Dave Nagel

At a conference of the Institute of Education Sciences Monday, United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan implored researchers and state agency workers to apply increased rigor when analyzing and reporting on school reforms.

"Education reform is not about sweeping mandates or grand gestures," Duncan said, according to information released by the U.S. Department of Education. "It's about systematically examining and learning, building on what we've done right, and scrapping what hasn't worked for kids."

Adequate reporting on successes and failures is central to school reform efforts, Duncan said, in order to allow schools to expand on practices that work and eliminate those that don't. But it's also critical for states applying for State Fiscal Stabilization Funds, as they need to provide "assurances" that they're making progress in the key areas of school reform. These include:

· Adopting standards to prepare students for the workforce and post-secondary education;

· Recruiting and retaining effective teachers, "especially in classrooms where they're needed most";

· Improving low-performing schools; and

· Creating data systems to track student progress and the effectiveness of teachers.

In his speech, Duncan emphasized this last point in particular--the creation of data systems to track achievement. He said one of his "top priorities" would be to support states in their efforts to develop such data systems.

"Hopefully some day we can track kids from pre-school to high-school and from high school to college and college to career," he said. "Hopefully we can track good kids to good teachers and good teachers to good colleges of education."

http://www.thejournal.com/articles/24469/

Sharing the Dream: $3000 Grant for Principals

2009-06-12T20:00:00.000-04:00

Sharing the Dream: $3000 Grant for Principals

If you are a principal of an elementary or middle school and would like to strengthen community involvement with your school, you'll want to consider the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and MetLife Foundation grant, Sharing the Dream. The grant targets improving student learning through "community leadership, communication, ownership and involvement...." To enter, you'll need to submit information about your school and a five-page or less narrative about the project you want to do during the 2009-2010 school year. If you win, you'll receive a grant for $3000, resources related to community involvement, and a write-up in NAESP publications. Entries are due by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, July 8, 2009; grants will be announced by September 1, 2009.

New recommendations for a problem as old as time itself

2009-06-12T13:25:00.001-04:00

A new movement is afoot, writes Dr. Perri Klass in The New York Times, to give bullies and their victims long-deserved attention, of the kind they have received in Europe. Americans are moving past the idea that bullying is a normal part of childhood, and are recognizing it as a long-term risk -- in the case of victims, for suicidal thoughts and depression; for perpetrators, reduced likelihood of finishing school or holding down a job. In its policy statement on preventing youth violence, the American Academy of Pediatrics will include a new section on bullying. This will recommend that schools adopt a prevention model developed by Professor Dan Olweus of Norway, which focuses attention on the largest group of children, bystanders. "Olweus's genius," lead author Dr. Robert Sege said, "is that he manages to turn the school situation around so the other kids realize that the bully is someone who has a problem managing his or her behavior, and the victim is someone they can protect." Through class discussions, parent meetings, and consistent responses to every incident, a school broadcasts that bullying is not tolerated. A pediatrician can be a first line of defense in this process, notifying schools when he detects or is told of bullying by his patients.
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/09/health/09klas.html

Getting a handle on 'college readiness'

2009-06-12T11:33:00.000-04:00

The 2009 edition of Education Week's "Diplomas Count," examines an idea of particular currency right now, backed by President Obama, that some form of postsecondary education is crucial to student success after high school. What "college readiness" means is open to debate, however, with no consensus on how to measure it or ensure all students attain it. From a practical standpoint, many high schools aren't equipped to help students navigate the college-application and financial-aid system -- particularly schools in low-income areas. Advocates are now pushing for a revamped NCLB that would assess high schools in part based on indicators such as how many students enroll in two- or four-year colleges, and how well they do in entry-level credit-bearing coursework there. The most significant sign of momentum in state policy, the report finds, is an increase in the number of states taking steps to craft a definition. For 2009, 20 states have described the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in entry-level college courses. These range from course-taking recommendations to minimum scores on standardized tests. Seven states include academic elements and/or "soft skills," such as time management and successful study habits, as prerequisites for success in college.
Read more: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/06/11/34exec.h28.html

Possible Interview Questions for School Counselors

2009-06-11T22:03:00.002-04:00

http://www.schoolcounselor.com/resources/interview.htm

10 Answers You Should Know Before Your Job Interview - Dumb Little Man

2009-06-11T22:03:00.001-04:00

http://www.dumblittleman.com/2009/06/10-answers-you-should-know-before-your.html

Federal investigation into 64 Florida school districts

2009-06-11T15:26:00.000-04:00

Federal investigation into 64 Florida school districts

Lee, Charlotte, Hendry, Desoto, and Glades counties on the list

By WINK News

Story Created: Jun 1, 2009 at 7:43 PM EDT

Story Updated: Jun 1, 2009 at 8:00 PM EDT

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA- Sixty-four school districts across Florida are now under investigation for civil rights violations, including five southwest Florida districts.
The U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights is looking into complaints that the districts may be denying rights to special needs students.
The complaints were filed by Collier ESE Reform, an advocacy group made up of Collier County parents with Special Needs children.
"This is very good news. I've been receiving emails all morning from attorneys and advocates because they appreciate and realize the problem that's going on in this state," said Catherine Cannivet on behalf of Collier ESE Reform about the new investigation.
OCR will check to see if procedural safeguards that are guaranteed under the Americans with Disabilities Act are being followed properly by the school districts.
Districts receive federal funding to honor these safeguards, which gives the U.S. Department of Education the jurisdiction to investigate complaints, according to the OCR letter sent to Cannivet.
Last fall, OCR found the Collier County School District was in violation of section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act and issued a resolution.
However, Collier Schools are now being investigated again due to complaints that they may have violated that resolution.
The Collier County School District would not comment on this situation when CALL FOR ACTION first reported the OCR Investigation.
Spokespeople for the Lee and Charlotte County School districts said they are taking the matter seriously and providing OCR with whatever information they need to conduct their investigation.