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Florida Education News
October 2008
Copyright © 2008 Queue,
Inc.
IN
THIS ISSUE:
Supporting Literacy Across the Sunshine
State : A Study of Florida Middle School Reading Coaches
Miami-Dade Chooses McGraw-Hill
Education's Online Reading Intervention Program
Berkshire Elementary School Project (West
Palm Beach, FL) Featured in American School & University
Broward County Public Schools Embrace
Videogaming in the Classroom
Bradford County School District Adopts Data
Analysis Program
Lee County Schools to Save $8.2 Million in Energy
Costs over the Next 10 Years
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While
the literacy skills needed to engage in the economy and public life have grown,
the literacy skills of many adolescents remain lowÑin 2007, only 31 percent of
eighth grade students performed at or above the proficient level on the
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), a national assessment that
informs the public about the academic achievement of elementary and secondary
students in the United States.
One
popular approach to improving student literacy is using school-based reading
coachesÑspecially
trained master teachers who provide leadership for the schoolÕs literacy
program and offer on-site and ongoing support for teachers so they can improve
the literacy skills of their students. While reading coaches are prevalent in
many schools across the nation, there is little empirical evidence regarding
the nature of coaching and its effectiveness in changing teacher practice and
practically no evidence related to coaching effects on student achievement,
particularly at the secondary level.
Given
the increasing popularity of coaching and its significant costÑin terms of
financial and human resourcesÑthere is a critical need for research in this
area. In 2006Ð2007, RAND sought to address this research gap by studying a
statewide reading coach program in Florida that is situated within a broader
state-led literacy policy, the Just Read, Florida! (JRF) initiative.
Established in 2001, the JRF initiativeÕs goal is that all students read at or
above grade level by 2012. One key component of this effort has been the
allocation of funds to districts to hire full-time, sitebased reading coaches.
To
understand FloridaÕs reading coach program and its implementation and effects
at the middle school level, our study examined the following research
questions:
1
How is the reading coach program being implemented by the state, districts,
schools, and coaches?
2.
What has been the impact of coaching on teachersÕ practice, studentsÕ
achievement in reading and mathematics, and other outcomes?
3.
What features of models and practices for reading coaches are associated with
better outcomes?
Full
report:
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2008/RAND_MG762.pdf
While
numerous recent authors have studied the effects of school accountability
systems on student test performance and school "gaming" of
accountability incentives, there has been little attention paid to substantive
changes in instructional policies and practices resulting from school
accountability. The lack of research is primarily due to the unavailability of
appropriate data to carry out such an analysis. This paper brings to bear new
evidence from a remarkable five-year survey conducted of a census of public
schools in Florida, coupled with detailed administrative data on student
performance. We show that schools facing accountability pressure changed their
instructional practices in meaningful ways. In addition, the authors present
medium-run evidence of the effects of school accountability on student test
scores, and find that a significant portion of these test score gains can
likely be attributed to the changes in school policies and practices that we
uncover in our surveys.
Full
report:
http://ncspe.org/publications_files/OP155.pdf
The Florida Department of Education has
released FCAT Science Lessons Learned: 2003Ð2006 Data Analyses and
Instructional Implications. The publication provides educators with detailed trend
analyses of student performance on FCAT Science in Grades 5, 8, and 11. It
includes summaries, observations, and statistical trends that provide a
comprehensive study of student performance by grade.
ÒThe Lessons Learned publications provide
educators with a wealth of knowledge about the past performance of students in
a variety of subjects,Ó said Education Commissioner Dr. Eric J. Smith. ÒThis
volume of the publication focuses specifically on science achievement, and
offers valuable insight for improving classroom education in this critical
subject area.Ó
In 2007, the Department convened a task
force of science curriculum supervisors and specialists, resource teachers,
school administrators, and Florida educators to examine and review student
performance in the subject of science. The task force used these insights to
draft observations and instructional implications to improve science
instruction in the classroom.
This is the fourth volume in the
DepartmentÕs Lessons Learned series. In 2007, the Department published two
volumes that analyzed reading and mathematics data for 2001Ð2005. The first
publication was released in 2002 and contained data results in reading and
mathematics from 1998Ð2000 and writing from 1993Ð2000. The next volume in the
set will be FCAT Writing Lessons Learned.
Printed copies of FCAT Science Lessons
Learned
will be shipped in early November 2008, to every district across the state for
teacher use. To view the publication, visit http://fcat.fldoe.org/lessonslearned.asp; for more information on
the FCAT, please visit http://fcat.fldoe.org/.
Two Florida Districts
Finalists
After six years of increased national attention on ÒBroad PrizeÓ
school districts Ð those urban school districts that have demonstrated the
strongest growth in student achievement in America while narrowing achievement
gaps between income and ethnic groups Ð The Broad Prize for Urban Education has
been doubled to $2 million by the board of governors of The Eli and Edythe
Broad Foundation..
Now viewed by many as the Nobel Prize of public education, The
Broad Prize is the nationÕs largest education award. The prize winnings go to
graduating high school seniors in the winning school district and four
finalists for college scholarships. With the doubling of The Broad Prize, the
scholarship awarded to each student will also double.
With this new increase, the winner of the 2008 Broad Prize,
which will be announced in New York City on Oct. 14, will now receive $1
million in college scholarships for graduating high school seniors. The four
finalist school districts will each receive $250,000 in college scholarships Ð
also twice as much as previously expected. The five finalists for the 2008
Broad Prize are:
á Aldine
Independent School District, Texas
á Broward
County Public Schools, Fla.
á Brownsville
Public Schools, Texas
á Long Beach
Unified School District, Calif.
á Miami-Dade
County Public Schools
When it was started in 2002, The Broad Prize was designed to
spotlight success in urban public education, which has been long criticized for
dismal test scores and growing achievement gaps, by identifying school
districts that were making the most progress in raising academic achievement,
particularly for low-income and minority students. The Prize was also intended
to showcase the Òbest practicesÓ of those school districts, with the hopes that
other urban districts around the country would follow suit, and to create
competition among districts to win the nationÕs top education prize.
Since The Broad Prize was first awarded in 2002, the following
districts have won the top honor:
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2007 - New York City Department of Education |
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2006 - Boston Public Schools |
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2005 - Norfolk Public Schools, Va. |
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2004 - Garden Grove Unified School District, Calif. |
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2003 - Long Beach Unified School District, Calif. |
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2002 - Houston Independent School District |
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Winning The Broad Prize has meant not only national attention
and recognition for the most improved urban American school districts but also
a boost to the morale of teachers, principals, students, parents and
surrounding communities. Realtors in some of these cities have touted the win
as a draw for prospective residents.
Fulfilling one of the goals of The Broad Prize Ð to showcase the
best practices Ð these winners have hosted numerous visitors to their
districts, sharing what has worked to improve student achievement. For example,
the Long Beach Unified School District has hosted visitors from as far away as
Romania and Japan to learn from their successful practices.
The most promising education reformers in the U.S. today are
looking to Broad Prize districts for guidance. For example, District of
Columbia Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee has turned to Joel Klein,
chancellor of the 2007 Broad Prize-winning New York City Department of Education
for counsel in implementing reforms. Urban districts around the country such as
the Dallas Independent School District have also begun to incorporate the goal
of winning The Broad Prize into their district strategic plans.
Since 2002, The Broad Foundation has awarded $6 million in Broad
Prize scholarships to more than 730 students in winning and finalist districts.
With the increase this year, graduating high school seniors in the winning and
finalist school districts will be eligible to receive $20,000 scholarships if
they attend a four-year university ($5,000 a year) or $5,000 scholarships if
they attend a two-year college or technical training ($2,500 a year).
To date, students in the following Broad Prize winning or
finalist school districts have received Broad Prize scholarships:
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School District |
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Year Broad Prize Finalist/Winner |
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Number of Scholarships |
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Aldine Independent School District, Texas |
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2004-2005 |
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30 |
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Atlanta Public Schools |
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2002 |
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13 |
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Boston Public Schools |
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2002-2006 |
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119 |
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Bridgeport Public Schools, Conn. |
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2006-2007 |
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27 |
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Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, N.C. |
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2004 |
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15 |
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Garden Grove Unified School District, Calif. |
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2002-2004 |
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101 |
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Jefferson County Public Schools, Louisville, Ky. |
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2003 |
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14 |
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Jersey City Public Schools, N.J. |
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2006 |
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18 |
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Long Beach Unified School District, Calif. |
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2002-2003, 2007 |
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86 |
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Houston Independent School District |
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2002 |
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55 |
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Miami-Dade County Public Schools |
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2006-2007 |
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39 |
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New York City Department of Education |
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2005-2007 |
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103 |
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Norfolk Public Schools, Va. |
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2003-2005 |
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77 |
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Northside Independent School District, Texas |
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2007 |
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17 |
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San Francisco Unified School District |
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2005 |
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18 |
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Total |
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2002-2007 |
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732 |
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Broad Prize scholars have a higher graduation rate than the
general population of minority and low-income students who graduate within six
years.
Each year, 100 of the largest school districts in the country
that serve a significant percentage of low-income and minority students are
eligible for The Broad Prize Ð there is no application or nomination process.
The five finalists are chosen by a review board of more than 15 education
experts that reviews academic performance data that has been collected and
researched in-depth over the past year. The winner is then chosen by a jury of
prominent individuals including former secretaries of education Rod Paige and
Richard Riley, former governors John Engler of Michigan and Jim Hunt of North
Carolina, and other leaders from business, education and public service. The
jury reviews the performance data and reports from qualitative site visits.
For more information about The Broad Prize, please visit www.broadprize.org.
Miami-Dade
County Public Schools, the fourth largest school system in the nation, has
selected Glencoe/McGraw-Hill's Web-based Jamestown Reading Navigator(TM) as its
reading intervention solution for high school students. Educators across the
country applaud the program for its technology-driven approach and
age-appropriate content to improve adolescent literacy. Approximately 25,000
students will use the program over the next five years in the Miami-Dade County
district.
Educational
Interiors Showcase Honors the NationÕs Most Outstanding Learning Environments
Berkshire Elementary School, West Palm Beach, FL was selected
for inclusion in Penton MediaÕs American School & University¨ 2008
Educational Interiors Showcase. It is featured in the August 2008 edition of
the magazine and also on the Web at www.SchoolDesigns.com. The annual
competition honors educational interior design excellence, and spotlights
projects representing some of the most effective learning environments in
America.
A jury of American Institute of Architects (AIA) members and
education administrators evaluated submissions from architectural firms,
schools and universities across the country. Berkshire Elementary was among 109
projects chosen for the Education Interiors Showcase. AS&U is a monthly
educational facilities, purchasing and business administration magazine
reaching 65,000 facility planners, school and university administrators and
architects with this issue.
Featured projects include designs that took essential elements
of education design Ð security, creating an environment for learning, a
healthful environment Ð and packaged them into an award-winning facility. In
making the selections, the jury considered sustainability, character, long-term
appropriateness of materials and colors, innovation, safety, balancing
collaborative spaces and being adaptable to current and future technology.
The Berkshire Elementary School, the largest elementary school
in the District with 148,000 SF of educational spaces, is designed specifically
to address the space needs of the 1048-student population, while providing a
safe and intimate setting for the individual attention needed to address the
hearing-impaired and deaf student population.
The new media center, a colorful and vibrant setting created to
reflect the Hispanic heritage of the student population, is flooded with
natural light to provide an active environment that allows for private reading,
computer learning, and group activities simultaneously. Additionally, the library
is placed on the floor above the administrative area, providing a bridge to the
community during the evening, while keeping the educational spaces secured.
This
study describes how six state education agencies and three local education
agencies in the Southeast Region are adopting and implementing Response to
Intervention, an education approach designed to provide effective,
evidence-based interventions for struggling learners.
Response to Intervention has garnered recent interest from
policymakers, researchers, and educators. Studies of its effectiveness have
found it promising (Compton et al. 2006; McMaster et al. 2005; Speece and Case
2001; Torgesen et al. 1999). And state education agencies are increasingly
interested in the approach. Yet few published studies describe the experiences
of states as they plan and implement Response to Intervention.
This report helps address that need. It supplies basic
information about state planning and implementation of the approach in Alabama,
Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
Although the report focuses chiefly on states, it also illustrates implementation
of Response to Intervention with examples from three local education agencies.
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/southeast/pdf/REL_2008063.pdf
Implementation
to Support School Improvement Initiative at 24
Title I Middle Schools
The power of immersive video games to engage and maintain
studentÕs attention in classrooms has captured the attention of yet another
leading K-12 school district. Broward County Public Schools (BCPS), the
nationÕs sixth largest school district, today announced that it will begin
delivering supplemental pre-algebra and algebra concepts to students at 24
middle schools using Tabula DigitaÕs DimensionMª (http://www.dimensionm.com/) video gaming
software. Broward County joins other notable counties in Florida such as
Orange, Seminole, Palm Beach, Volusia and Pinellas in adopting the video games
as a learning tool.
ÒStudents naturally like to learn through games, and the
three-dimensional, virtual world format is deeply engaging. ItÕs a high impact,
motivating learning tool that greatly assists when teaching a complex subject
like algebra,Ó said Jeanine Gendron, Ed.D., director for the districtÕs department
of instructional technology. ÒThat subject is especially challenging during the
middle school years, and quite often children become turned off because they
view it as difficult. But from observing students using this program, we know
that Tabula Digita is going to have a profound positive effect on the attention
of our middle school learners.Ó
The decision to bring the Tabula Digita (http://www.dimensionm.com/) immersive
math games to Broward County began with an extensive internal review process,
complete with product demonstrations and testing. District math supervisors and
educators from BCPS first spotted the video game software at the 2008 National
Council of Supervisors of Mathematics (NCSM) annual conference in Salt Lake
City.
Bradford County School
District have adopted their data analysis program, Student Performance
SnapShot. Bradford County School District has recently adopted Student
Performance SnapShot as its data analysis provider. Carol Clyatt, Director of
School Improvement & Accountability for Bradford County Schools, says,
"Snapshot provides data in a format that teachers can easily understand
and immediately apply. It is user friendly with charts and graphs that give
explicit details. The trainer made it seem like child's play, and those who
attended the initial training walked away confident and excited."
SnapShot takes key data that
schools collect on their students, such as test scores and demographics,
analyses it, and presents it in an easy to comprehend format. By simplifying
data analysis, teachers and administrators are able to make the best use of
their time and maximize their impact on student performance and school
improvement.
FPL Services has won a contract with the Lee County School Board
to dramatically improve energy efficiency at 25 schools, saving the district
$8.2 million over 10 years. Under the contract, FPL Services will design, build
and help finance comprehensive energy conservation upgrades at the schools. The
conservation measures are projected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by
nearly 64,000 tons over 10 years, which is the equivalent of taking more than
10,000 cars off the road for a year or planting roughly 1.5 million trees.
Lee County Schools will not have to spend any current capital
budget dollars to fund these energy and water resource conservation
improvements. Through a mechanism called performance contracting (as provided
for in Chapter 1013 of the Florida Statutes), 100 percent of the capital
improvements will be funded by savings in energy and water reduction usage and
operating and maintenance costs Ñ guaranteed by FPL Services so the school can
invest more in its core education mission. The Lee County Schools will take
advantage of the future savings resulting from the energy-efficiency
improvements to leverage third-party financing of the infrastructure upgrades
and energy conservation measures.
This new program represents the Lee County School BoardÕs second
round of energy upgrades with FPL Services. In 2006, 14 schools underwent
infrastructure overhauls to utilize less energy and water resources. Together
with this new phase, all 39 upgraded schools are expected to save Lee County
Schools an average of $1.3 million per year, every year, for the next 10 years
or more.
Of the 113 schools in Lee County, the 25 selected consumed the
most energy per square foot, a measure known as energy intensity. The goal of
the project is to help the county advance its operational efficiencies and
access the latest energy-saving technologies.
ÒThe idea Éis to make our buildings more efficient, and in doing
so enjoy cost savings. Certainly in many instances it will also improve our
learning environment with lighting that is more conducive to students being
able to do their studies and read their materials,Ó said Dr. Jane E. Kuckel,
vice chairman of the Lee County School Board. ÒFPL Services has a proven track
record for success with us, and we are confident their team of experts will
help us save money even as we cut our carbon footprint in our county.Ó