January 2007
Copyright © 2007 • Queue, Inc.

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Education News

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Florida High School Graduation Rate

Florida's graduation rate was 71 percent in 2005-2006. That is a decrease compared to last year's rate of 71.9 percent. In 1998-1999, the graduation rate was 60.2 percent. Rates have continued to increase steadily since that time until this year.

Even with the slight decline, more students than ever — 136,070 — graduated on time in 2005-2006, an increase of 4,563 students. The State Board of Education and Florida Legislature recognize that high school students need more rigor and relevance in school to prepare them for the challenges of postsecondary education, the workplace and graduation.

A third of the state's school districts had an increase in the graduation rate. Four districts had significant increases or decreases with a more than nine percent change. Jackson County had the largest increase in the number of students graduating on time with a 9.1 percent increase, while counties with the greatest declines were Franklin County (-19.3 percent), Jefferson County (-14.6 percent) and Holmes County (-9.3 percent).

The A++ Plan for Education will increase the rigor and relevance of high school ensuring students stay engaged until graduation. Beginning next school year, ninth grade students entering high school will be required to earn 16 core academic credits and eight elective credits in order to graduate with a high school diploma. Core requirements consist of four credits of English and mathematics; three credits of social studies and science; one credit of fine arts; and one credit in physical education and health. To better involve students in planning and making decisions for their future, they will now select an area of interest for four of their eight elective credits as part of their personalized education and career plan. Students will choose from 440 approved major areas of interest and there will be flexibility so students can change their areas of emphasis if they wish. Major areas are available for students in high schools throughout Florida, including students with disabilities working toward a special diploma, students enrolled in career academies or magnet programs, and students in charter schools.

The graduation rate for African-American students was 56.9 percent, a slight decline of .2 percent. Florida's Hispanic students had a graduation rate of 63.7 percent compared to 64.5 percent last year. During 2005-2006, the graduation rate for American Indian students increased to 75.7 percent compared to 73.3 percent last year. Florida's Asian students also saw an increase in their graduation rate to 83.2 percent compared to 82.2 percent last year.

2005-2006 Dropout Rate

Florida's dropout rate is the percentage of high school students in grades nine to 12 from the year's total enrollment who are reported as dropouts by Florida's school districts. Florida's dropout rate has ranged from a high of 5.4 percent in 1998-1999 to a low of 2.9 percent in 2003-2004. This year, Florida's dropout rate was 3.5 percent, a less than one percent increase (5,535 students) compared to last year's rate of 3 percent. A third of the state's school districts had a decline in the number of dropouts.

The Dropout Prevention Task Force members are from across the state and represent faith-based, civic, juvenile justice, education and business organizations. The chair is Reverend Ken Scrubbs of Youth Outreach Community in Leesburg. The task force will convene its first meeting in January and meet each month until March when they will present recommendations to the Florida Legislature.

The dropout rate for African-American students was 4.7 percent compared to 3.9 percent last year. The dropout rate for Hispanic students was 4.3 percent compared to 3.6 percent last year. All other ethnicities except for Asian students also saw an increase in dropout rates. The difference between white and minority dropout rates narrowed further in 2004-2005, reflecting an ongoing trend since 1998-1999.

The Florida Department of Education bases its graduation rate on data that follows every student from ninth grade to graduation, yielding a more precise calculation. Florida stands alone nationally in its practice of documenting individual student records to determine a true, four-year graduation rate. A 2005 report released by the National Governors Association cited Florida as a national leader and model for calculating graduation rates.

To learn more about the A++ Plan for Education visit www.fldoe.org/APlusPlus/.

• 2006 Florida Graduation and Dropout Rates: http://www.fldoe.org/news/2006/2006_12_15/FloridaGraduationDropoutRates.pdf
• 2006 Florida District Graduation Maps (Map version of tables presented in 2006 Florida Graduation and Dropout Rates): http://www.fldoe.org/news/2006/2006_12_15/FloridaDistrictGraduationMaps.pdf
• 2006 Florida District Dropout Maps (Map version of tables presented in 2006 Florida Graduation and Dropout Rates): http://www.fldoe.org/news/2006/2006_12_15/FloridaDistrictDropoutMaps.pdf

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Do Shorter Hours Short-Change Florida Students?

Florida schools offer fewer hours in school per year than many other systems. See below:

The difference between Houston and Broward or Dade amounts to 6 more weeks in school per year for Houston students.  How does this effect student learning? Comments welcome.

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Florida Scores 4 Out of 6, Tied for 2nd Highest Score in the Nation

Results of 2006 NCEA Survey of State Data Collection Issues Related to Longitudinal Analysis

In preparation of the launch of the Data Quality Campaign, the National Center for Educational Accountability (NCEA) conducted a survey, with the support of The Broad Foundation and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, about state data systems to determine the number of states that have built the infrastructure to tap into the power of longitudinal data. This report provides an overview of the findings of the August 2006 survey in addition to a state-by-state analysis of the policy implications of each state's data system.

The Power of Longitudinal Data

Longitudinal data matches individual student records over time, from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade and into post secondary education. States are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to improve student achievement. But without quality data, they are essentially flying blind. Policymakers need to act now to put in place the policies and resources to ensure that each state has a longitudinal data system and the culture and capacity to translate the information into specific action steps to improve student achievement. When states collect the most relevant data and are able to match individual student records over time, they can answer the questions that are at the core of educational effectiveness. Longitudinal data (data gathered on the same student from year to year) makes it possible to:

• Determine the value-added of specific schools and programs by following individual students' academic growth;
  
• Identify consistently high-performing schools so that educators and the public can learn from best practices;
  
• Evaluate the impact of teacher preparation and training programs on student achievement; and
  
• Focus school systems on preparing a higher percentage of students to succeed in rigorous high school courses, college and challenging jobs.

Based on responses to the 2006 NCEA survey, only a few states can answer each of these priority questions facing policymakers and educators today.
Which schools produce the strongest academic growth for their students? (23 states can answer this question)

• Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin

What achievement levels in middle school indicate that a student is on track to succeed in rigorous courses in high school? (5 states can answer this question)

• Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Texas, Utah

What is each school's graduation rate, according to the 2005 National Governors Association graduation compact? (26 states can answer this question)

• Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

What high school performance indicators (e.g., enrollment in rigorous courses or performance on state tests) are the best predictors of students' success in college or the workplace? (4 states can answer this question)

• Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Texas

What percentage of high school graduates who go on to college take remedial courses? (14 states can answer this question)

• Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Oregon, Texas, Vermont, Washington, Wyoming

Which teacher preparation programs produce the graduates whose students have the strongest academic growth? (9 states can answer this question)

• Delaware, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Mexico, Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia

For the complete report go to: http://www.dataqualitycampaign.org/survey_results/

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Kindergarten Readiness Results

Greatest percentage of students demonstrating early literacy skills ever

The 2006 Florida Kindergarten Readiness Screener (FLKRS) this year shows an increase in the percentage of students demonstrating early literacy skills. 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. Data from the readiness screening will also be used to calculate the readiness rate for private and public providers participating in Florida's Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Education Program. These data are anticipated to be released in February 2007.

Florida has implemented a statewide kindergarten screening for the past five years. The laws passed to implement Florida's VPK program required the Department of Education to select screening instruments that were aligned to the VPK Education Standards adopted by the State Board of Education. The FLKRS replaced the School Readiness Uniform Screening System (SRUSS) which previously was given to determine the readiness of students entering kindergarten.

The FLKRS measures 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 VPK standards address the areas of physical health, approaches to learning, social and emotional development, language and communication, emergent literacy, cognitive development and general knowledge, and motor development.

The FLKRS screening instrument includes selected measures from the Early Childhood Observation System™ (ECHOS™) and the first two measures of the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills™ (DIBELS™) for kindergarten. Specifically, the DIBELS measures are Letter Naming Fluency (LNF) and Initial Sound Fluency (ISF) to gather information on a child's development in emergent literacy.

DIBELS™ Results

The DIBELS™ are a set of standardized, individually administered measures of early literacy development. They are designed to be short (one minute) fluency measures used to regularly monitor the development of pre-reading and early reading skills. Letter Naming Fluency measures a student's proficiency in naming uppercase and lowercase letters. Students are presented with a page containing letters in random order and are asked to name as many letters as possible within one minute. Students who name less than one or no letters are High Risk; students who name two to seven letters are considered Moderate Risk; students who name eight to 16 letters are considered Low Risk; and students who name 17 or more are considered Above Average.

Initial Sound Fluency measures a student's ability to recognize the beginning sound(s) in a spoken word. Students are shown pictures of objects and asked to identify the picture that begins with the sound presented by the examiner. Students are also asked to produce the beginning sound for an orally presented word that matches one of the pictures. Students are shown 16 pictures and allowed five seconds to provide a correct response. Students who respond correctly less than three or not at all are High Risk; students who respond correctly four to seven times are Moderate Risk; students who respond correctly eight to 11 times are Low Risk; and students who respond correctly 12 or more times are Above Average. Above Average and Low Risk indicate full readiness for learning reading skills in kindergarten. Scores for both measures are reported in the following categories:

• Above Average — the child's performance was at or above the 60th percentile;
• Low Risk — the child's performance was at grade level;
• Moderate Risk — the child's performance was moderately below grade level and additional intervention is needed; or
• High Risk — the child's performance was seriously below grade level and substantial intervention is needed.

Of the 182,278 students screened in 2006 on LNF, two-thirds or 69.9 percent were Above Average/Low Risk — an increase of nearly six percent. The number of students considered Moderate/High Risk declined more than five percent to 30.40 percent statewide when compared to last year.

Letter Naming Fluency Status Summary

Of the 176,957 students screened in 2006 on ISF, more than half or 63.44 percent were Above Average/Low Risk — an increase of three percent compared to last year. The number of students considered Moderate/High Risk declined more than three percent to 36.57 percent statewide compared to last year.

Initial Sound Fluency Status Summary

The attached charts and maps compare the 2005-06 and 2006-07 DIBELS results. On LNF, there were increases in the number of students entering kindergarten "ready to learn" in 92.53 percent of the districts (62/67 school districts). On ISF, there were also increases in 82 percent of the districts (55/67). Fifty-five counties improved in knowing initial sounds and only 12 counties saw a decline. Five counties increased in knowing initial sounds by 11 percent or more. For letter recognition, nearly all or 62 counties improved and only five counties saw a decline. Six counties increased in letter recognition by 11 percent or more. Gulf, Baker and Lafayette Counties improved more than 11 percent on both measures.

ECHOS™ Results

The ECHOS™ is an observational instrument that can be administered through a combination of individual, small group and whole class activities. This allows the teacher flexibility to elicit behaviors in more than one instance or setting, so that a student's score is truly a reflection of the student's abilities and strengths. Scores are reported in the following readiness categories:

• Consistently Demonstrating — the child demonstrated what he or she should know and be able to do at the beginning of kindergarten;
• Emerging/Progressing — the child demonstrated some of the skills he or she needs to know or be able to do at the beginning of kindergarten; or
• Not Yet Demonstrating — appropriate skill development was not yet demonstrated during the screening.
• Of the 184,124 students screened by the ECHOS™ in 2006, 42 percent were Consistently Demonstrating, 44 percent were Emerging/Progressing, and 14 percent were Not Yet Demonstrating.

"We believe that these improvements are direct results of our collaborative efforts to raise the awareness across the state of the importance of these emergent literacy skills through our development of and training on the VPK standards and our online literacy course," said Office of Early Learning Executive Director Shan Goff. "Preschool instructors and parents should take full credit for these gains."

• LN IS Percent Change Data: http://www.fldoe.org/news/2006/2006_12_08/LN_IS_Percent_Change_Data.xls
• LN IS Percent Change Maps: http://www.fldoe.org/news/2006/2006_12_08/LN_IS_PercentChangeMaps.pdf
• LN IS AA LR At Or Above Average 2005-06: http://www.fldoe.org/news/2006/2006_12_08/LN_IS_AA_LR_AtOrAboveAverage_2005-06.pdf

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Fixing Failing Schools

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has fundamentally reshaped debates about American schooling by mandating that students in each district school make “adequate yearly progress.” Schools and districts that fail to improve are subjected to a five-year “cascade” of remedies and sanctions. These detailed prescriptions are intended to force low-performing schools and districts to improve and provide new options for their students.

Now available is a comprehensive five-year assessment of the implementation of all NCLB remedy provisions. Until now, NCLB as a whole has attracted extensive analysis and even more opinion, but complete and rigorous examinations of its remedy provisions have been sparse—especially when compared to the attention lavished upon the law’s testing and reporting sections. This assessment was conducted by a wide-ranging group of renowned education scholars and analysts.

The 12 studies, produced by researchers in eight states for the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, credit the five-year-old law with creating some school improvement, but doubted that it can solve some of the most intractable problems…

The studies cite a series of problems both from a national perspective and from case studies in California, Colorado, Florida, Michigan, and New Jersey. A common theme is the ability of schools to block the changes envisioned by the law…

Individual reports are available at: http://www.aei.org/events/eventID.1351,filter.all/event_detail.asp

To read more about the studies go to: http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2006/12/01/study_says_localities_curb_ed_reform/

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Key Education Facts and Figures for Florida

The Education Watch State Summary Reports provide state-specific data on:

Achievement Gaps:

• How many students are proficient in reading and mathematics on state assessments? How do proficiency rates on state assessments compare to proficiency rates on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)?
• How do achievement gaps between groups compare across states? Where are gaps the smallest? Where are they the biggest?
• What are the trends in student achievement over time? Which states are making the biggest gains?

High School and College Attainment Gaps:

• What is the on-time high school graduation rate for different groups of students?
• How many high school graduates enroll in college?
• What is the college graduation rate for different groups of students?

Opportunity Gaps

• What are the participation and success rates for different groups of students in high-level courses such as Advanced Placement (AP)?
• Which students are most likely to have teachers who have even a college minor in the subject they’re teaching?
• How much state and local per-pupil funding is provided to schools in low- versus high-poverty districts? Which states provide the most funding to low-income districts? Which states provide the least?
• How affordable is college for each state’s lowest income students?

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A Deeper Look at Achievement Across States: NAEP Data Tables

While no state is yet where it needs to be in terms of educating poor and minority students, some are doing a much better job than others. To help state leaders, researchers, and advocates explore these differences and identify states from which they might learn, the accompanying NAEP Data Tables allow for easy state-to-state comparisons of scale scores for different groups of students. They include tables that look at student achievement and gap trends over time. For example:

• Low-income eighth-graders in Massachusetts score 21 points higher in math than low-income eighth-graders in neighboring Rhode Island (273 vs. 252).
• In 2003, reading scores for African-American fourth-graders were 14 points higher in Connecticut than in Delaware. Over the last five years, however, African-American reading scores increased by 23 points in Delaware while in Connecticut, they decreased by 2 points. Delaware’s African-American fourth-graders now read at higher levels than their peers in Connecticut.
• The gap in math achievement separating Latino from White eighth-graders in Minnesota is 10 points larger than the gap in Virginia, a state educating a similar proportion of Latino students (33 points vs. 23 points).

The wide variation between states in achievement for the same groups of students demonstrates just how important state policies and practices are. “If race and poverty mattered more than what happens in schools, then NAEP scores for low-income students and students of color would be more consistent from state to state,” said Daria Hall, senior policy analyst for the Education Trust.

Focus on Opportunities to Learn

The data are clear: what states do matters a lot when it comes to student achievement. But far too often, state policies and practices work to the direct disadvantage of low-income and minority students. For example:

• In New York, schools in the highest poverty districts have $2,065 less to spend per pupil than schools in the most affluent districts.
• In Illinois, students in high-poverty secondary schools are more than three times as likely as students in low-poverty schools to have a teacher lacking even a minor in the subject they’re teaching (47 percent vs.15 percent).
• In Michigan, African-American students represent 20 percent of the state’s K-12 enrollment but just 5 percent of the students enrolled in Advanced Placement English Language and Composition courses.

Florida Report: http://www2.edtrust.org/edtrust/summaries2006/Florida.pdf

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Seven Florida Public Schools Receive National Blue Ribbon School Recognition

Seven Florida public schools were recently honored as a part of the No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools (BRS) program during a Washington, D.C., ceremony. The program recognizes elementary and/or secondary schools that are academically superior or that demonstrate dramatic changes in student achievement in reading and mathematics for all students. The BRS program’s purpose is threefold: identify and recognize outstanding public and private schools across the nation, make research-based effectiveness criteria available to all schools so they can assess themselves and plan for school improvement; and encourage schools to share best practices based on a common understanding of criteria related to educational success.

The Florida public schools that received this recognition in 2005-2006 are as follows:

• William S. Talbot Elementary School, Alachua County
• Key Biscayne K-8 Center School, Miami-Dade County
• MAST Academy, Miami-Dade County
• Warfield Elementary School, Martin County
• Okaloosa Walton College Collegiate High School, Okaloosa County
• Windy Ridge School, Orange County
• Tarpon Springs Fundamental Elementary School, Pinellas County

There are two assessment criteria that must be met to nominate a school:

• At least 40 percent of the students in the school must come from a disadvantaged background (Free or Reduced Lunch [FRL]; Title I eligible, Limited English Proficient [LEP]; or Migrant). This group of students must show dramatic improvement in Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) scores in both reading and mathematics for all students in the school for the most recent three years (at a 60 percent proficiency level on the FCAT or higher).
• Regardless of demographics, the school must be in the top 10 percent of schools in Florida as measured by the FCAT in both reading and mathematics for the most recent three years.

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Florida Charter School 10-year Anniversary Report

Florida charter schools are serving diverse populations and closing the achievement gap

The Florida Department of Education has released a report commemorating the tenth anniversary of Florida charter schools, which have provided parents an additional public education option. The report highlights the history of charter schools in Florida, provides student demographic information, and compares achievement of students in charter schools with those in traditional public schools.

Like all public school students in Florida, charter school students are assessed through the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). Overall, the performance of Florida's charter school students on the FCAT is on par with, and in some cases exceeds, the performance of students attending traditional public schools. Further, charter schools are closing the achievement gap between white and minority students at a rate similar to that of traditional public schools.

A greater percentage of charter elementary and middle schools students are reading at or above grade level as compared to their traditional public school counterparts. In addition, the percentage of charter middle school students proficient in mathematics surpassed their traditional public school peers for the first time this year. While the percentage of proficient charter school students still falls below traditional public school students at some grade levels, significant progress has been made to reduce or eliminate the gap that once existed.

Florida's charter schools have also seen their student populations become increasingly diverse. On average, the state's charter schools serve a slightly greater proportion of minority students than traditional public schools, with a significant increase in the enrollment of Hispanic students from 2 percent in 1996-97 to 29 percent last school year. In terms of minority student performance on the reading and mathematics FCAT, charter and traditional public schools have experienced similar decreases in the achievement gap between white and minority students at all school levels.

"During the last 10 years, Florida's charter schools helped students — especially our minority students — achieve academic success," said Florida Board of Education Chairman T. Willard Fair and founder of one of Florida's first charter schools, The Liberty City Charter School. "These schools focus on the individual needs of students and challenge them to reach their full potential."

The Hispanic student population at charter schools appears, on average, to be more proficient in reading and mathematics than the Hispanic student population at traditional public schools. While the achievement gap has narrowed at a similar rate in charter and traditional public schools, the magnitude of the actual gap between white and African-American and white and Hispanic students at charter schools is smaller across all school levels when compared to traditional public schools.

Last year, enrollment in Florida charter schools topped 92,000, which equates to about 3 percent of Florida's total public school population during the 2005-06 school year. Enrollment in Florida's charter schools is projected to surpass 100,000 students this school year. Ten years later, there are approximately 175 times more the number of students enrolled in charter schools in their first year (1996-97). Florida is ranked second in the nation in public charter school student enrollment.

In May 1996, legislation authorizing the creation of charter schools as part of Florida's state system of public education was signed into law and was effective in July of that year. Charter school applications were submitted and approved by schools boards in Escambia, Leon, Miami-Dade, Polk and Walton Counties, resulting in the state's first five charter schools — Escambia Charter School (Escambia County), C.K. Steele-LeRoy Collins Charter Middle School (Leon County), The Liberty City Charter School (Miami-Dade County), the APPLE School (Polk County), and Seaside Neighborhood School (Walton County). Today, there are more than 350 Florida charter schools — the third largest charter school system in the county.

Charter schools are among the fastest growing school choice options in Florida. Charter schools are public schools that are independently designed and operated and committed to improving the academic achievement of every student. Charter schools are largely free to innovate, and are open to all students, regardless of income, gender, race, or religion. Charter schools tend to attract students who struggle academically and cover a spectrum of educational needs from specializing in the performing arts to technical training.

To view the complete charter school tenth anniversary report, visit www.floridaschoolchoice.org/information/charter_schools/files/Charter_10Year_Book.pdf.

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Annual Report Charts Florida’s Participation in School Breakfast Program - Florida Ranks 2nd

During the 2005-2006 school year, 465,301 low-income Florida students participated in the School Breakfast Program, according to the School Breakfast Scorecard 2006. The Scorecard is issued annually by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) to measure participation in the School Breakfast Program.

For every 100 low-income children that participated in the National School Lunch Program, 46.5 also received free and reduced-price breakfasts. If Florida schools increased school breakfast participation by serving 60 out of 100 low-income children eating lunch, they would help 134,566 more children and gain an additional $28,008,008 in federal funding.

In Florida, 99.0 percent of schools that offer school lunch also offer school breakfast, ranking Florida 2nd out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The School Breakfast Program began as a pilot program in 1966 as a way to make sure children were able to start the school day ready to learn. Numerous studies have found that breakfast in the morning improves children’s school achievement and health.

“Reaching a lot more children with breakfast in schools is probably the cheapest and fastest way to improve children’s learning and health, improve attendance and, of course, reduce hunger,” said Jim Weill, president of the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC). “It’s essential that more schools serve breakfast, adopt steps like breakfast in the classroom and reach out to more children.”

Nationally, the program has grown to include 7.7 million low-income children. To get even more children and schools participating, FRAC recommends that all schools participate in the school breakfast program, even offering universal breakfast, which provides breakfast at no charge to all students who want it. Schools can encourage higher participation among children by providing breakfast in the classroom, “grab and go” breakfast or offering breakfast after first period. These successful strategies have been used by states to boost participation in the program.

The full report, School Breakfast Scorecard 2006, is available at http://www.frac.org/pdf/2006_SBP.pdf

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Florida State Board of Education Honors High-performing Principals
The Florida State Board of Education on Tuesday has honored middle school principals who improved their school’s grade by two or more letter grades this past school year. Since 1999, when the A+ Plan for Education was implemented, schools have improved from only 515 schools earning an "A" or "B" to 2,077 schools in 2006 – four times the number of high-performing schools seven years ago and 234 more than last year (up from 1,843). Three of every four Florida schools were considered high performing in 2006.

Principals recognized by the State Board of Education: http://www.fldoe.org/news/2006/2006_12_08.asp

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Apopka High School Project

Skanska  has been awarded the contract to manage construction of a school project in Apopka, Florida, in the US. The customer is Orange County Public Schools.

The project involves the Apopka High School campus that will be extended with nine buildings totaling 32,500 square meters. Ranging in height from one to three stories, the buildings will house classrooms, music rooms, an auditorium, gymnasium and offices. The school’s new cafeteria is being designed as a multi-purpose facility.

The project also includes renovation of several buildings as well as construction and design of outdoor facilities and parking lots.

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Sarasota County School District to Install Interactive Whiteboard Technology in 3,300 Classrooms

Sarasota County School District in Florida voted unanimously last week to implement Promethean's new "Activboard+2" in all of the district's 3,300 classrooms. This will be a mainstay in NeXt Generation Learning through the 2007 school year, and as part of an overall equity initiative in classroom technology.

The new Activboard+2 consists of an interactive whiteboard, short-throw projector (a projector requiring only three feet of throw distance), an adjustable mount and integrated software programs enabling the delivery of hundreds of thousands of digital learning resources to each classroom. Because the Activeboard+2 does not require ceiling-mounted projection equipment, implementing the all-in-one system is quicker and cheaper on the school district than traditional systems.

"We wanted a system that provides our teachers with state-of-the art technology and that works with our curriculum," said Mike Horan, Sarasota County Curriculum Director. "Our teachers are thrilled."

The Sarasota County School Board voted to implement the new Activboard+2's in phases starting with 1,050 classrooms immediately in Phase One, with two additional phases scheduled next year. Logical Choice Technologies, Inc, an authorized reseller for Promethean, provided the district with a comprehensive installation and professional development plan. Promethean's Teaching and Learning Consultants, who worked as K-12 classroom teachers in the past, will help with classroom, video, and online instruction.

The Activboard+2 offers teachers two choices of lesson development software: Activstudio or Activprimary, a program designed specifically for early learners. Each solution interfaces with the internet and includes a built-in resource library containing thousands of images, interActive lesson Activities, maps, sounds, and lesson plan templates. Both software solutions have been proven to make lesson development quick, easy and multimedia-rich. Sarasota teachers will also have access to thousands of ready-made lesson plans, aligned to state education standards, in a searchable database at Promethean's user community and online resource center, Promethean Planet (www.prometheanplanet.com).

In contrast to traditional projection systems, Promethean's Activboard+2 includes an integrated short-throw projector co-developed exclusively for Promethean by Sanyo, the Japanese electronics company. The projector is mounted to the board by a strong steel arm positioned three feet away from the interactive whiteboard, operated by remote-control. The height can be adjusted to appropriate heights for users including those with disabilities. The projector also dramatically reduces the "shadow effect" that can distort content images on the board. A connections module allows teachers to link their computers to the board via serial or USB ports, or wirelessly using Bluetooth technology.

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Miami-Dade County Public Schools District Reform Initiative

Twenty-Two Corrective Action Schools Using Research-Based Math Curricula

Miami-Dade County Public Schools has expanded implementations of Carnegie Learning’s research-based Cognitive Tutor® programs as part of the District’s continuing effort to improve student performance. Carnegie Learning has been used in Miami-Dade County middle and high schools for several years and, since January 2006, the District has purchased nearly $500,000 of new Bridge to Algebra, Algebra I, and Integrated Math Curriculum Kits for which Carnegie Learning provided professional development services involving 11 schools in the secondary school-reform initiative and three corrective action schools. In total, Carnegie Learning curricula is used in 51 schools throughout the county.

“Our first purchase of the Carnegie Learning curricula was made in 2002 and we subsequently conducted a third-party study that showed the Cognitive Tutor students scoring significantly higher than conventional curriculum students on the FCAT,” said Marcus Anglin, District Mathematics Supervisor. “The difference was more pronounced for ESE students, which was particularly important to us. We are seeing both quantitative and qualitative results of the program that indicate our students are more enthusiastic, more engaged, and performing at higher levels using the Carnegie Learning curricula.”

Because Carnegie Learning’s pedagogy is scientifically based, the curricula are increasingly at the forefront of high school transformation initiatives in large urban area school districts such as Los Angeles; Portland, Oregon; Denver; and Chicago, where the curricula are being piloted with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

“Our curricula evolve from cognitive science research on how students think, learn, and apply new knowledge in mathematics,” said Dr. Steve Ritter, Chief Product Architect for Carnegie Learning. “We use an artificial intelligence model to identify weaknesses in each individual student’s mastery of math. This customized approach to understanding each student's conceptual understanding is unique and resonates with students who historically struggle with the abstract nature of higher math.”

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