NORTH CAROLINA
EDUCATION NEWS
May 2007
Copyright © 2007 Queue,
Inc.
Understanding
North Carolina High School Graduation Rates
Bell Names North CarolinaÕs Teacher of the
Year
Jane
Norwood, State Board Vice-Chair, Testifies to Congress on High School Reform
HP Awards More Than $7 Million in Education
Grants to Schools in the U.S. and Puerto Rico
Two North Carolina Youth Honored for
Volunteerism at National Award Ceremony in Washington, D.C.
School
Music Programs Get the Gift of Music
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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.
To
see North Carolina report:
http://www.all4ed.org/publications/wcwc/NorthCarolina_wc.pdf
James Bell, an eighth grade English teacher at Chowan
Middle School, Edenton-Chowan Public Schools, was named the 2007-08 North
Carolina Teacher of the Year. Bell succeeds Diana Beasley from Hickory High
School, Hickory Public Schools.
In accepting the award, Bell said his selection as
North Carolina's Teacher of the Year was as much about his students and
athletes as about himself. "It is the hundreds of students that I teach,
coach or just talk to every single day at Chowan Middle School. They are the
real reason that I have been successful as an educator." Bell said he
looked forward to representing North Carolina as "we hold ourselves to the
highest standards as we strive to lift our students to achieve well beyond
anyone's expectations."
Thanks to the NC Automobile Dealers Association
(NCADA), the state's Teacher of the Year receives a new automobile. Under this
partnership with the Public Schools of North Carolina, the NCADA also sponsored
the night's dinner, activities and awards.
Bell has nine years of teaching experience, six in his
current position. Professionally he is a member of the North Carolina
Association of Educators (NCAE) and is currently serving as its Building
Representative. He has made a number of staff development presentations
including "Tricks of the Trade" for first year teachers, explicitly
teaching reading strategies to middle grade students, reading strategies to be
used during and after reading, reading strategies and teaming in the middle
school, and using Thinking Maps while reading poetry. He is currently serving
on Edenton-Chowan's System Wide Literacy Team.
He has received several awards and recognitions
including the North Carolina Region One Teacher of the Year 2007-08,
Edenton-Chowan Schools Teacher of the Year 2006-07, Chowan Middle School
Teacher of the Year 2006-07, Albemarle Athletic Conference Coach of the Year
2006-07, and the North Carolina Region One Team of the Year 2005-06. Bell
received his Bachelor of Science in English with a minor in Journalism from
North Carolina Wesleyan College and his teaching certification from East
Carolina University.
The state's Teacher of the Year spends the school year
traveling the state as an ambassador for the teaching profession. Bell also
receives a one-time $7,500 stipend, a technology package from SMARTer Kids
Foundation, a trip to the International Space Camp, an international trip
through the NC Center for International Understanding, and a trip to the
National Teacher of the Year conference. In addition, the state Teacher of the
Year serves as an advisor to the State Board of Education for two years.
The other regional finalists were:
á North
Central Region: Sonya Kiser, North Johnston High (Johnston County Schools);
á Northwest
Region: Sherrard Pearce, Mooresville Sr. High (Mooresville Graded Schools
District);
á Southeast
Region: Beth Howard, Dixon Elementary (Onslow County Schools);
á Southwest
Region: Denise Andrews, North Belmont Elementary (Gaston County Schools);
á Sandhills/South
Central Region: Bridget Johnson, Vass-Lakeview Elementary (Moore County
Schools);
á Piedmont-Triad/Central
Region: Shawn Watlington, Greensboro Middle College (Guilford County Schools);
and
á
West Region: Jerome Hughes, Asheville High (Asheville
City Schools).
Dr.
Jane Norwood, Vice-chair of the North Carolina State Board of Education,
testified before the full House Education Committee on dropout prevention
policies, strategies to improve high school graduation rates, and the current
status of high school reforms. Norwood was a witness on behalf of the National
Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) in the latest of a series of
congressional hearings on the No Child Left Behind Act.
ÒWe
recognize that the institution of the American high school must undergo
sweeping improvements in order to prepare all students for todayÕs economy.
Effective high school reforms must focus on the core issues of literacy, high
school structure -- including use of the school day and the school calendar --
teacher quality, and dropout prevention,Ó Dr. Norwood told House Education
Committee members.
North
Carolina has taken great strides in focusing on these vital issues, moving
toward greater accountability with more accurate data, including the use of a
new four-year cohort graduation rate. State boards of education are similarly
engaged in efforts to improve the high school curriculum and raise student
achievement. Indeed, NASBE has undertaken multiple projects related to
graduation rates and accountability, including a partnership with the Gates
Foundation to redesign high schools.
More
broadly, Norwood explained to the committee, the overarching goals of the No
Child Left Behind Act—100% student proficiency and closing the
achievement gap—cannot be achieved without effective high school reforms.
ÒThe
Ô3 RÕsÕ of high school reform—Reform, Relevancy, and Reading—must
be incorporated into state and federal policies,Ó said Norwood.
á Reform – promoting
intervention and recovery efforts as part of the comprehensive restructuring of
high school.
á Relevancy – crafting policies
sensitive to the unique circumstances, interests, needs, and demands of
students and schools and cognizant of the real world impact and reaction at the
school and classroom level.
á Reading – dramatically
improving the reading abilities of high school students. Students lacking the
necessary literacy skills are more likely to drop out, go to jail, and be
unemployed.
ÒIn
todayÕs world, we, as education leaders, must communicate the message that a
high school education and a high school diploma have become a bare necessity
and should be a minimum expectation—if not a basic right—for all
students. We have an obligation to protect and promote this right. Effective,
meaningful, and rigorous high school reform policies are needed at the local,
state, and federal levels in order to increase graduation rates, prevent
dropouts, and raise overall student achievement,Ó said Norwood.
Dr.
NorwoodÕs written testimony and that of the other hearing witnesses, including
former Governor Bob Wise, as well as an archived webcast of the hearing are
available on the House Education Committee website at http://edlabor.house.gov/hearings/fc042307.shtml.
Grants Promote
Student Interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
HP
is awarding 172 K-12 public schools and two- and four-year colleges and
universities in the United States and Puerto Rico more than $7 million in
mobile technology, cash and professional development.
The
grants, part of the 2007 HP Technology for Teaching grant program, are designed
to improve student achievement through the innovative uses of technology in the
classroom while encouraging student interest in careers in technology,
engineering, math and science, including environmental science. During the
2007-2008 academic year, grant projects will affect nearly 42,000 students.
Since
2004, HP has contributed a total of $36 million in HP Technology for Teaching
grants to more than 650 schools worldwide. During the past 20 years, HP has
contributed more than $1 billion in cash and equipment to schools,
universities, community organizations and other nonprofit organizations around
the world.
ÒHP
empowers students and teachers to succeed through innovative uses of technology
and training,Ó said Bess Stephens, vice president, Philanthropy and Education,
HP. ÒWe invest in schools to increase educational attainment and contribute to
the development of a skilled, diverse workforce in the future.Ó
Since
the inception of the HP Technology for Teaching initiative, grant recipients
have reported a positive impact on teaching and student achievement as a result
of the program.
ÒThe
HP Technology for Teaching initiative is an exemplary comprehensive
philanthropic education program,Ó said Leslie Conery, deputy chief executive
officer, International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). ÒAs a result
of the professional development, community building and HPÕs commitment to
sharing best practices, grant recipients are reporting a direct, positive
impact on student learning.Ó
K-12
grants
HP
is awarding nearly $4.1 million in cash and equipment to teams of five teachers
at 130 K-12 public schools in the United States. Preference was given to
schools serving low-income students and projects including a math, science or
environmental component.
The
award package, valued at more than $31,000 for each team, will include five HP
Tablet PCs, five multimedia projectors, five HP digital cameras, five HP
Officejet All-in-Ones, software and accessories, and a cash stipend for each
teacher.
Teachers
will also participate in a professional development program sponsored by HP and
led by ISTE, during which they will receive customized mentoring and learning
opportunities and will participate in an online learning community to share
best practices.
Grant
recipients represent schools in 37 states and the District of Columbia. In many
grant proposals, teachers and students plan to use mobile technology outside
the classroom to learn about their environment and then enhance their learning
inside the classroom through the Internet.
Higher
education grants
HP
is awarding 42 two- and four-year colleges and universities in the United
States and Puerto Rico a total of $2.9 million in cash and equipment. Each
recipient package will include HP products, including HP Tablet PCs, and a
faculty stipend valued at more than $68,000 per award.
The
higher education grants support course redesign to help increase the number of
students graduating with degrees in business, engineering, computer science and
environmental science. The program aims to enhance student success as faculty
members adopt technology-enhanced instruction in their classrooms.
This
year, several projects will use HP Tablet PCs in conjunction with geographic
information system (GIS) and global positioning system (GPS) software to assist
undergraduate science students with field data collection and data
visualization.
2007
HP Technology for Teaching grant recipients - North Carolina
East
Forsyth High School, Kernersville
Elizabeth
City State University, Elizabeth City
Fairmont
Middle School, Fairmont
Piedmont
Community College, Roxboro
River
Road Middle School, Elizabeth City
Williston
Middle School, Wilmington
Hae Rhee Chung, a senior at the North Carolina School
of Science and Mathematics (Durham; Leslie Brinson, advisor), and Diane Caitlin
Saunders, a senior at Riverside High School (Durham Public Schools; Elizabeth
Christenbury, advisor), were recently selected as two of the most promising
scientific leaders in North Carolina's 2007 high school graduating class. They
will represent North Carolina as delegates in the 44th session of the National
Youth Science Camp¨ held near the National Radio Astronomy Observatory at Green
Bank, West Virginia, to be held June 27-July 23.
Chung is a National AP Scholar and has received the
Siemens Advanced Placement Award (one of two for NC). She received Honorable
Mention at the 2006 iGEM intercollegiate synthetic biology competition as a
part of the Duke University iGEM team. Chung also is a developmental attachŽ
for the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCCSM), a NC State
Science Fair place winner, and leads the Korean Seminar at NCSSM as a teacher.
She is a concert pianist and an accomplished violinist, having played with
several local symphonies and the North Carolina Symphony.
Saunders is a National Merit Scholarship Finalist and
an AP Scholar with Honor awardee. She attended the Governor's School of North
Carolina after her junior year. A scholar-athlete, Saunders is an
all-conference selection on both the field hockey and lacrosse teams. She is an
accomplished artist, having won many awards on local, state, and national
levels.
Four additional high school seniors were selected for
their outstanding achievement in science and will serve as alternate delegates:
Travis Price, Northwest Cabarrus High School (Cabarrus County Schools; Joanne
Driscoll, advisor), Nathan Bihlmeyer, Franklin Academy (Wake County; Sam
Wheeler, advisor), Lu Liu, Broughton High School (Wake County Schools; Laura
Woods, advisor) and Haowei Claire Tong, West Forsyth High School
(Winston-Salem-Forsyth County Schools; Sean Bennett, advisor).
Super
Bowl MVP Peyton Manning Pays Tribute to Young Heroes
as Part of Four-Day Recognition Events
Two
North Carolina students, Caroline Johnson, 17, of Wilmington and Mason Park, 11,
of Raleigh 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.
Caroline
and Mason were named the top high school and middle level youth volunteers in
North Carolina 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.
Caroline,
a junior at John T. Hoggard High School, started a club at her school to raise
money and public support for victims of genocide, natural disasters and other
crises around the world. Before moving to North Carolina last August, Caroline
learned about the crisis in Darfur, Sudan, and became active in her Kansas
schoolÕs Save Darfur Club. ÒI became very upset and moved by the entire
situation,Ó she said. Caroline intended to launch a Darfur club at her new
school in Wilmington, but after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the Gulf Coast,
decided to expand her focus and work on behalf of people everywhere who need
funds and attention.
She
secured approval for her new ÒG.A.P.P. ClubÓ (for Global Awareness and Peace
Promotion) from the student council, and recruited a teacher advisor and
student members. The club now meets every week and schedules one or two
activities a month. It has conducted a frappacino sale for UNICEFÕs AIDS fund,
a bake sale for earthquake victims in Pakistan, awareness campaigns for genocide
victims in Sudan and Uganda, and events to raise money by selling candy,
bracelets and buttons. ÒI hope and believe that we have shown our fellow
students that it is very cool and very important for young people to be
involved in things that some might say are too big or too faraway for us to be
able to help,Ó said Caroline.
Mason,
a sixth-grader at West Millbrook Middle School, has helped raise nearly $48,000
for the American Diabetes Association, the American Heart Association, and the
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society over the past five years. ÒDiseases are out there
so we have to help those who have them and keep raising money so scientists can
find a cure to stop them,Ó he said. In his first volunteer effort, Mason
participated in a local school walk when he was just 6. ÒIt was a great feeling
to know that even at such a young age I could be involved and have such an
impact on others,Ó he remembered.
Now
he engages in several fund-raising campaigns a year, participating as a team
member in nationally sponsored events, and also pursuing his own fund-raising
activities, such as washing cars, selling lemonade, recycling cans, setting up
collection jars, canvassing for donations, and holding yard sales. In the
process, Mason has given speeches to audiences of up to 3,000 people, appeared
in TV and radio public service announcements, led flag ceremonies and sang the
national anthem, and sent hundreds of letters and e-mail notes to potential
sponsors. One year, he even asked Santa Claus and birthday party guests to make
donations instead of bringing him gifts. ÒItÕs the greatest feeling in the
world knowing that I am part of someone elseÕs success,Ó said Mason. ÒIf
everyone would take the time to help change someoneÕs life, the world would be
a much better place filled with happiness and hope.Ó
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 Cary Christian School,
Cary, NC
á Winston-Salem State
University, Winston-Salem, NC
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.
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