MISSOURI EDUCATION
NEWS
May 2007
Copyright © 2007 Queue,
Inc.
Understanding
Missouri High School Graduation Rates
School
Music Programs Get the Gift of Music
Blue
Springs School District Guaranteed to Cut Energy Use by More Than 35 Percent
Two Missouri Youth Honored for Volunteerism
at National Award Ceremony in Washington, D.C.
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Graduation rates are a fundamental indicator
of whether or not the nationÕs public school system is doing what it is
intended to do: enroll, engage, and educate youth to be productive members of
society. In todayÕs increasingly competitive global economy, graduating high
school is a critical step towards securing a good job and a promising
future. Yet nationally, one-third of our students—about 1.2 million
each year—leave high school without a diploma, and graduation rates for
poor and minority students are even lower. The failure to graduate every child
prepared for the 21st century has serious consequences for both individual
students and the rest of American society. Yet, the unacceptably low graduation
rates of AmericaÕs youth have been obscured for far too long by inaccurate
data, misleading calculations and reporting, and flawed accountability systems.
Nationally, and for each state, Understanding
High School Graduation Rates illustrates the discrepancies in graduation rates
reported by government and independent sources, examines why this is important,
and describes three core policy areas that are fundamental to calculating,
reporting, and improving accurate graduation rates:
á
Use
of common, accurate graduation rate calculations
á
Statewide
data system that track individual student data from the time students enter the
educational system until they leave it
Policies
that meaningfully holds high schools accountable for improving student
achievement on test scores and increasing graduation rates so that
low-performing students are not unnecessarily held back or encouraged to leave
school without a diploma.
http://www.all4ed.org/publications/wcwc/Missouri_wc.pdf
Toshiba/National
Science Teachers Association ExploraVision Awards Program, one of the worldÕs
largest K –12 science and technology competitions, today announced its
first- and second-place national winners for 2007. (Full list of winners
attached.) This
yearÕs winning student teams imagined amazing advancements in fields such as
nanotechnology and polymer creation. They conceptualized future technologies
ranging from innovative treatments for diabetes and kidney disease to a
possible solution to the worldwide scarcity of drinkable water, a novel
treatment for drug addiction, a potentially lifesaving fire extinguishing
system, and an ingenious method for harnessing ÒwastedÓ energy from automobile
use. There was even an idea for a special dental hygiene device that would
brush all your teeth at once – and provide a song while doing it!
Three
8th grade students from St. Louis comprised the second-place winning
team in the 7-9 grade category. Their project, ÒPureWater,Ó could help save lives and
solve one of the worldÕs most pressing environmental problems—the
scarcity of drinkable water—by providing individuals with a portable
solution for removing contaminants from polluted water.
2007
Second Place Winners
- Grades 7-9
John
Burroughs School, St. Louis, MO
PureWater
An
efficient, low-cost individual water purifying tube that uses virus-fighting polymers
and molecular imprinting technologies to kill pathogens and filter toxic metals such
as arsenic in water to provide safe drinking water in areas where millions of
people suffer from
waterborne diseases and metal contamination. The PureWater drinking tube has an environmentally-conscious
design that can be recycled for use as a structural base in the construction of
homes.
NOTION
Music has begun the process of donating more than 600 copies of its music
composition software to high schools and colleges across the country.
The
contribution, valued at approximately $244,000, is being distributed over the
next few weeks to music departments that have experienced recent budgetary
restraints or have other needs that the software will address. The first round
of schools to benefit from NOTIONÕs donation include:
á Clayton High School, St.
Louis, MO
á Hazelwood West High and
Middle Schools, Hazelwood, MO
NOTION
software combines the best players, the finest instruments and the latest
recording technology. It was developed by recording the instrumental sounds of
London Symphony Orchestra at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. NOTION Music
makes software that is used by professional and hobbyist musicians around the
world allowing anyone, anywhere to write, record and play music as if working
with a full ensemble of musicians.
NOTION
still has a limited quantity of software available for school music
departments. To nominate a school, please send an email to: notionmusic@fleishman.com.
Missouri
School District Expects Big Savings
from Fast-Track Facility Improvements
To
better manage rising energy and maintenance costs, Blue Springs School District
leaders recently approved a 15-year performance-based solution with Siemens
Building Technologies, Inc. to improve the energy and operational efficiency of
the systemÕs 23 schools and other buildings. Equivalent energy cost savings for
the school district are projected to reach more than $600,000 annually and
generate approximately $370,000 in annual operational savings from reduced
maintenance and repair expenses.
These
projected cost savings will come as a result of a comprehensive program of
facility improvements that encompass mechanical heating, ventilation and air
conditioning systems, lighting retrofits, plumbing fixtures and building
automation control upgrades. The entire retrofit and upgrade project is
scheduled to be completed over the course of one summer break. The condensed
nature of the project alone will save the school district an estimated $450,000
in avoided construction costs and deliver a greater amount of energy savings
faster—something that will deliver significant cost savings earlier in
the projectÕs timeline.
ÒThis
project will cut energy use in an accelerated fashion and help us better manage
associated costs well into the future,Ó says District facility manager Dr. Bill
Cowling. ÒThe new, efficient equipment will also ease the maintenance burden on
our staff and allow us to provide our students and faculty with a more
comfortable and productive learning environment. In these times of increasing
energy costs, global warming concerns and air quality issues, the reduction of
energy usage provided by Siemens will also help us improve the environment and
benefit our community as well.Ó
The
efficiency improvements and retrofits slated for the project have been designed
to reduce electricity use, optimize cooling and heating energy demands and
water usage. Once completed, annual energy and other savings are anticipated to
reach 6,925,961 kilowatt hours of electricity, 13,304,000 cf of natural gas and
5,523 kgals of water. According to Siemens, over the 15-year contract period
this will reduce emissions of typical greenhouse gases (CO2, NOX
and SO2) by more than 100,000 tons(a).
Within
the scope of the agreement Siemens will also deliver a variety of value-added
services beyond the installation and integration of the energy efficiency
technologies. For example, Siemens will train a District employee to become a
Certified Energy Manager. This Nationally recognized certification provides a
knowledge base so the District can independently develop and implement
additional energy management strategies that are likely to result in additional
energy savings. Siemens will also train a District employee to become a
Certified Controls Technician which will help it better manage its new systems
with its own staff moving forward.
In
the spirit of public/private partnerships, and through its Building Education
program, Siemens is sponsoring two High School-level ÒProject Lead the Way
LabsÓ and the necessary equipment. Siemens is a leader in developing the
Industry Council for supporting Missouri and Kansas Project Lead the Way K-12
initiatives. Siemens is also donating the time of two professional engineers
(PEs) that work for the company who will participate in the DistrictÕs Robotics
Class Job Shadowing program. Siemens employees will interact with students in a
variety if ways, delivering lectures, conducting classroom exercises and
facilitating student projects.
Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning Pays Tribute
to Young Heroes as part of Four-Day Recognition Events
Two
Missouri students, Robert Schaaf, 18, of St. Joseph and Tessa Vellek, 13, of
Columbia were honored in the nationÕs capital for their outstanding volunteer
work during the presentation of The 2007 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.
The two young people – along with 100 other top youth volunteers from
across the country – received $1,000 awards as well as personal
congratulations from Indianapolis Colts quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Peyton
Manning at the 12th annual award ceremony and gala dinner reception,
held at the SmithsonianÕs National Museum of Natural History.
Robert
and Tessa were named the top high school and middle level youth volunteers in
Missouri last February. In addition to their cash awards, they received
engraved silver medallions and an all-expense-paid trip with their parents to
Washington, D.C..
Robert,
a senior at Central High School, established a community garden that has
produced more than five tons of fresh produce over the past two years for the
Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater St. Joseph. While volunteering at the food
bank during Christmas vacation in 2004, Robert learned that there was a
desperate need for more fresh produce. ÒPondering this fact while sorting cans,
I recognized it presented an exciting opportunity,Ó he said. ÒMy vision: a
charitable garden staffed by volunteers that would donate its produce to the food
bank.Ó
Robert,
who had helped his grandmother in her garden when he was young, was encouraged
to pursue his vision by the food bankÕs executive director. First, Robert
persuaded Missouri Western State University to let him use a half-acre of its
property for his ÒNever Grow Hungry Community Garden.Ó He then recruited a
dozen classmates and several adults to help; researched agricultural
techniques; and obtained donations of seeds, straw, tools and advice from
farmers and nurseries. After meeting regularly to plant and tend their crops,
Robert and his volunteers collected the harvest and delivered it to the food
bank, which distributed the produce to hundreds of hungry clients. The food
bank named Robert its Humanitarian of the Year, the first time a minor had
received this honor.
Tessa,
a seventh-grader at Smithton Middle School, is conducting an ongoing drive that
has collected more than 5,000 new and gently used books for schools and
shelters, and also raises money to provide books for disadvantaged youth who
lack reading materials at home. Tessa began her volunteer work after seeing
needy children on visits to India and Kenya. ÒI came home and quickly realized
that youth in my community had some of the same needs,Ó she said. Believing
that Òeducation is the solution to many of the worldÕs problems,Ó she decided
to focus on spreading her love of learning and reading to other young people in
Columbia.
To
support her book drive, Tessa makes flyers on her computer and distributes them
to friends, neighbors, schools and businesses, and then recruits friends to
help her collect, sort and deliver the donations. Sometimes she collects
clothing, toys, food items and toiletries for local shelters, as well as books.
For her ÒBooks 4 YouthÓ project, Tessa solicits monetary donations that allow
teachers to buy books and other learning materials for disadvantaged students
to take home. Five elementary schools have received funds from Tessa, and two
have started summer reading programs with the money. In addition, Tessa organized
a bike/walk event after Hurricane Katrina that raised $71,000 for the American
Red Cross. Tessa calls her activities ÒEuphoria,Ó Òbecause of the happy feeling
you get when you give to others,Ó she said.
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