Idaho’s 8th grade students continue to outpace their peers across the nation in science. The Nation’s Report Card for Science 2011 was released today.
The average score of Idaho’s 8th graders at 159 was higher than the national average of 151 on the NAEP Science 2011. Seventy-five percent of 8th graders in Idaho performed at grade level or above on the assessment. This was about the same number of Idaho students as in 2009.
Eighth grade students in just six states outscored Idaho students.
For the first time, all 50 states, D.C. and Department of Defense Schools participated in the science assessment, which is voluntary.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation’s Report Card, is administered every two years for math and reading. It is usually only administered every four years for science; however, it was given to 8th graders in 2011 so comparisons could be made between students in the United States and other countries on the international assessment known as Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).
Students in the United States have lagged behind students in other countries in math and science on international assessments, such as PISA and TIMSS, in recent years.
Learn more about the NAEP Science 2011 in Idaho or across the country.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Sal Khan to Speak at Third and Final Installment of the ED Sessions at Egyptian Theatre Tonight
Sal Khan will address a sold-out crowd at the Egyptian Theatre tonight to discuss his revolutionary approach to learning.
Mr. Khan is the creator of the Khan Academy, a free online learning resource that has reached millions of students around the globe.
Khan Academy is a not-for-profit educational organization that offers more than 3,000 online instructional videos on a range of subjects with a special emphasis on mathematics and science. The videos, which are rarely more than 10 minutes long, allow students to learn in small steps and at their own pace. Students stay engaged, and Khan Academy even incorporates game-like elements like badges to reward students for reaching milestones.
Khan Academy also offers a huge catalog of practice problems, with accompanying step-by-step breakdowns of each problem, and a comprehensive data-tracking system so students and teachers can see how students are doing. Teachers across the United States have integrated Khan Academy into their classrooms to create a blended learning environment and raise academic achievement.
Sal Khan is also an advocate of the flipped classroom, where students view video lectures at home, and then work through problems in class with the help of their teacher. This maximizes the efforts of the teacher and gives students the help they need when working through problems.
Mr. Khan has been featured on the PBS NewsHour, CNN, NBC Nightly News and National Public Radio. In 2009, the Khan Academy received the Microsoft Tech Award for education. In 2010, Google provided $2 million to support the creation of more courses and to enable the Khan Academy to translate its core library into the world’s most widely spoken languages. In October 2010, Khan was tied for #34 in FORTUNE’s annual “40 Under 40,” a list recognizing business’s hottest rising stars and recently listed at number 7 on Fast Company’s list of the 100 Most Creative People in Business.
In March 2011, Khan was invited to speak at TED by Bill Gates, who claims to use the Khan Academy Exercise Software to teach his own children.
In March 2011, Khan was invited to speak at TED by Bill Gates, who claims to use the Khan Academy Exercise Software to teach his own children.
Tickets for tonight’s event were free and are currently sold out, but ticket holders who are not in their seats by 6:40 pm will have their tickets released and priority for those seats will go to the first people waiting in line.
The sessions will also be streaming live on www.KTVB.com at 7pm tonight, and they will be broadcast on partner TV stations statewide May 5th-13th. See Airdates/Times.
Watch the 60 Minutes Segment on Khan Academy: http://www.studentscomefirst.org/digitalLearning.htm
Learn more about the EdSessions: http://www.theedsessions.org/#home
Visit the Khan Academy Website: http://www.khanacademy.org/
15 DISTRICTS RECEIVE CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY GRANTS TO CREATE 21ST CENTURY CLASSROOMS
In March, after the State of Idaho passed the Students Come First reform laws, the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation donated $21 million to help create a 21st century learning environment in every classroom in every Idaho school. The grant money will be used specifically to fund a pilot of the Schoolnet instructional management system in 15 Idaho school districts before Idaho provides the tool to every classroom teacher.
The 15 school districts and public charter schools awarded are: New Plymouth, Sugar-Salem, Meridian, Cassia County, Lake Pend Oreille, Richfield, Minidoka County, Kuna, Buhl, Kimberly, Boundary County, Melba, Lakeland, Coeur d’Alene, and Anser Charter School.
“I am excited to partner with the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation to provide these Students Come First technology grants to help create the 21st Century classroom in every classroom across Idaho,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna said. “With these grants, Idaho teachers now have access to the current, accurate data they need to individualize instruction and raise academic achievement for every child.”
A component of the Idaho System for Education Excellence (ISEE) statewide longitudinal data system, Schoolnet (or ISEE Phase II) is a robust instructional management system. Schoolnet provides Idaho teachers with a single portal through which they can access current student information; track student progress; gain instant feedback on student performance; view and assess student growth; collaborate with other teachers; create, access, and share online lesson plans that meet standards; and access high-quality, standards-aligned digital content from leading education content partners like Discovery Education; all while reducing redundant data entry tasks and minimizing paperwork. Additionally, Schoolnet offers parental access to important student information, such as student growth reports, and allows parents to play a greater, more informed role in their children’s educations.
The state has been working for two years to identify this type of innovative technology that Idaho teachers and school leaders can use to ensure all Idaho students graduate from high school prepared to go on to postsecondary education and the 21st century workforce. The Schoolnet instructional management system was chosen last year after a rigorous selection process conducted by classroom teachers, school administrators, parents, school board trustees, and representatives of the business community.
Because of seed money from the Albertson Foundation, some functions of the instructional management system—such as access to content standards and lesson-planning tools—are currently available in every classroom across the state today. The 15 selected school districts will pilot additional tools that allow teachers to immediately assess students, monitor academic progress, and guide instruction on a daily basis. These tools will be rolled out to all schools statewide in the future.
Superintendent Luna visited several school districts in Idaho to present their grant awards. Here are pictures from that trip and a look at how some of the 15 grantee districts will use their grant funding to promote effective learning in their classrooms.
The Cassia County School District received a $194,600 grant. Cassia is an example of the geographical challenges that schools in our large, rural state face. Superintendent Gaylen Smyer explains: “Our school district is geographically larger than the state of Delaware.” Coordinating and collaborating with its rural schools is a task that will be made easier by Schoolnet. Smyer shared his excitement about the capacity to support high-quality instruction in the Cassia County Joint School District, saying Schoolnet will “allow you, in a very meaningful way, to improve and individualize your instruction.”
Joint School District No. 2 in Meridian received a $250,000 grant. Superintendent Linda Clark looks forward to what the additional grant money will allow her district to accomplish with Schoolnet. “This is a very significant amount of money,” said Clark, “and will enable us continue the work we’ve done to try to ensure that the data that gets uploaded into the ISEE system is correct, accurate.” Meridian plans to use the grant money to fund curriculum and assessment work as the district continues to align its materials to the Common Core State Standards and Idaho Standards. Clark was also pleased with the tools and content—especially content from Discovery Education—that would be available to her teachers through Schoolnet. “We are thrilled that the state has put content on there already and really, really thrilled about the Discovery announcement,” Clark said. “Most important of all is training teachers in how to use it to improve student achievement. That’s what it’s really all about…We are just looking forward to making really great use of this.”
The Minidoka County School District received a $150,000 grant. In Minidoka, Superintendent Scott Rogers asked his young students whether they “really like the iPads” they received. The answer was obvious from the cheers that erupted. Minidoka plans to hire staff to provide professional development to teachers so they can master the Schoolnet software. Training is already going on at the leadership level in Minidoka and will soon be available for teachers. School Board Chair Brian Duncan was pleased that, for the first time, the district would be able to provide teachers with real-time time data, allowing them to avoid grading stacks of paper and to know instantly how students have done. “We are excited,” said Rogers. “This is going to help us move forward and become a world-class school district.”
The Sugar-Salem School District received a $100,000 grant. The district will use its grant funding to finish a task it began some time ago—setting up and adding key hardware, like projectors and laptops, to create 21st century learning environments in its classrooms. It will also provide professional development to teachers to facilitate the use of Schoolnet. This will include helping teachers align curriculum to Common Core State Standards, which are an integral part of Schoolnet, and working with teachers on entering in lesson plans and other materials that are integrated with Schoolnet. Sugar-Salem will also be developing end-of-course assessments that will allow them to compare the performance of its students to the performance of students in other districts “If we’re not aligning our curriculum and aligning how we teach in the classroom to how the students are accustomed to receiving information, we’re not going to reach them as well as we could,” said Sugar-Salem High Principal Mark Gee. “We feel in Sugar-Salem that while it’s extremely important to have a highly qualified teacher that knows how to deliver this material, there needs to be a technological aspect to it in order for us to really reach the students on the level where they’re expecting that kind of education.”
The 15 school districts and public charter schools awarded are: New Plymouth, Sugar-Salem, Meridian, Cassia County, Lake Pend Oreille, Richfield, Minidoka County, Kuna, Buhl, Kimberly, Boundary County, Melba, Lakeland, Coeur d’Alene, and Anser Charter School.
“I am excited to partner with the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation to provide these Students Come First technology grants to help create the 21st Century classroom in every classroom across Idaho,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna said. “With these grants, Idaho teachers now have access to the current, accurate data they need to individualize instruction and raise academic achievement for every child.”
A component of the Idaho System for Education Excellence (ISEE) statewide longitudinal data system, Schoolnet (or ISEE Phase II) is a robust instructional management system. Schoolnet provides Idaho teachers with a single portal through which they can access current student information; track student progress; gain instant feedback on student performance; view and assess student growth; collaborate with other teachers; create, access, and share online lesson plans that meet standards; and access high-quality, standards-aligned digital content from leading education content partners like Discovery Education; all while reducing redundant data entry tasks and minimizing paperwork. Additionally, Schoolnet offers parental access to important student information, such as student growth reports, and allows parents to play a greater, more informed role in their children’s educations.
The state has been working for two years to identify this type of innovative technology that Idaho teachers and school leaders can use to ensure all Idaho students graduate from high school prepared to go on to postsecondary education and the 21st century workforce. The Schoolnet instructional management system was chosen last year after a rigorous selection process conducted by classroom teachers, school administrators, parents, school board trustees, and representatives of the business community.
Because of seed money from the Albertson Foundation, some functions of the instructional management system—such as access to content standards and lesson-planning tools—are currently available in every classroom across the state today. The 15 selected school districts will pilot additional tools that allow teachers to immediately assess students, monitor academic progress, and guide instruction on a daily basis. These tools will be rolled out to all schools statewide in the future.
Superintendent Luna visited several school districts in Idaho to present their grant awards. Here are pictures from that trip and a look at how some of the 15 grantee districts will use their grant funding to promote effective learning in their classrooms.
Buhl
Buhl School District received a $100,000 grant. In addition to Schoolnet implementation, administrators in the Buhl school district plan to use some of their grant money to buy projectors, allowing them to turn their whiteboards into interactive whiteboards. They will also be using the money to purchase some mobile computing devices for teachers and students to use in the classroom. In accepting the district’s award, Popplewell Elementary School Principal Ron Anthony explained to his young students, “We’ve got good plans, big plans, to use this [grant] in the school district to increase the technology use…You guys are the lucky ones because you are going to get it for the rest of your career.”
Watch Principal Anthony Share His Plans
Cassia
The Cassia County School District received a $194,600 grant. Cassia is an example of the geographical challenges that schools in our large, rural state face. Superintendent Gaylen Smyer explains: “Our school district is geographically larger than the state of Delaware.” Coordinating and collaborating with its rural schools is a task that will be made easier by Schoolnet. Smyer shared his excitement about the capacity to support high-quality instruction in the Cassia County Joint School District, saying Schoolnet will “allow you, in a very meaningful way, to improve and individualize your instruction.”
Coeur d'Alene
The Coeur d’Alene School District received a grant of $249,919.84. District Superintendent Hazel Bauman said the district plans to use its grant money to hire “really good technology teachers,” who will learn the ins and outs of Schoolnet so they can instruct other teachers on how to get the most out of technology use in their classrooms. One teacher expressed excitement that, through Schoolnet, parents will soon be able to pull up student achievement information and stay better informed about how their students are doing. Some students, however, were less excited about the prospect of their parents checking in on their attendance and missing assignments.
Watch Superintendent Bauman Discuss Her District's Plans
Meridian
Listen to Superintendent Clark Share Her Plans for Grant Use
Minidoka
The Minidoka County School District received a $150,000 grant. In Minidoka, Superintendent Scott Rogers asked his young students whether they “really like the iPads” they received. The answer was obvious from the cheers that erupted. Minidoka plans to hire staff to provide professional development to teachers so they can master the Schoolnet software. Training is already going on at the leadership level in Minidoka and will soon be available for teachers. School Board Chair Brian Duncan was pleased that, for the first time, the district would be able to provide teachers with real-time time data, allowing them to avoid grading stacks of paper and to know instantly how students have done. “We are excited,” said Rogers. “This is going to help us move forward and become a world-class school district.”
Watch Superintendent Rogers Discuss His District's Grant
Watch School Board Chair Brian Duncan Share About Schoolnet
Sugar-Salem
Watch Principal Gee Explain Sugar-Salem's Approach to Technology
Here is the full list of grantees and the amount each district received:
Thursday, April 26, 2012
IDAHO STUDENTS LEARN HANDS-ON LESSONS IN GLOBAL ECONOMICS
More than 500 high school students from across Idaho descended on Taco Bell Arena this week to prove their knowledge, creativity and enthusiasm for global economics.
Busy day at the International Economic Summit at Taco Bell Arena on Tuesday, where 500 high school students from across Idaho got hands-on lessons in global economics.
It’s all part of the International Economic Summit, a one-day simulation of the global economy and what happens when countries compete for scarce resources, form strategic alliances, debate global issues, invest in long-term development projects, interact with global economic institutions, and seek to stabilize and advance the global economy. At the Summit, students break up into teams, representing more than 100 nations of today's complex world.
The Summit is an effective learning experience for high school and university students on globalization, international relations and economics, and is now being replicated in other states and countries.
Leon Maynard, president of the Idaho Council on Economic Education, said, “We are building a new generation of global students, citizens & entrepreneurs who have the knowledge, skills & passion to cooperate, compete & prosper in the world’s highly competitive economy. This is essential to our long term economic growth, prosperity and freedom.”
After a full semester of studying, researching and preparing their economic strategies, high school teams from Capital, Borah, Skyview, Nampa, Bishop Kelly, North Star Charter and Cambridge high schools met at Taco Bell Arena for the final one-day competition of their economic studies project.
Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna helped celebrate the event yesterday by speaking with students and handing out awards to the top teams.
“The hands-on lessons students learned today at the International Economic Summit will be invaluable going forward in their lives,” Superintendent Luna said. “When our students graduate from high school, we know they will not just be competing with students in other states but with students all across the world. That is why we passed Students Come First and took the necessary steps to ensure all students – no matter where they live – are prepared to graduate from high school and go on to postsecondary education with the skills they need to compete and be successful in the 21st Century.”
Superintendent Luna congratulated six students from Bishop Kelly High School and their teacher Marta Watson for taking home top honors at the International Economic Summit on Tuesday.
At the end of the day, it was Team Morocco from Bishop Kelly High School that proved not only that they understood the concepts of international relations, business and economics but could apply them to help solve real world economic issues. Team members included Benito Skinner, Morgan Wissel, Ariana Tobe, Blaze Gamboa, Mark Nicola and Taylor Judy. Their economics instructor, Marta Watson, has led student teams at economic competitions for more than 10 years.
“I am so impressed with what students are learning here today at the Economic Summit,” Superintendent Luna said. “Not only are they learning about economics, but students learn lessons in geography, history, leadership, public speaking and teamwork. It is a great learning experience for the future.”
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
THOUSANDS OF IDAHO PUBLIC SCHOOL JUNIORS TAKE THE SAT TODAY
Nearly 17,000 public school juniors across Idaho today took part in the first-ever Idaho SAT School Day. Idaho SAT School Day was created as the result of a 2007 Idaho state law instituting new graduation requirements to ensure more students graduate from high school prepared to go on to postsecondary education or the workforce. One of the law’s requirements is that all Idaho students, beginning with the high school class of 2013, complete a college entrance exam before the end of their junior year. Through the passage of Students Come First during the 2011 Idaho legislative session, lawmakers appropriated $963,500 for schools to offer the SAT, during regular school hours, to the class of 2013 at no cost to the students or their families.
“Idaho has now joined other states in creating SAT School Day, a critical piece of Students Come First that will help every district and public charter school ensure students not only graduate from high school but are prepared to go on to postsecondary education after high school,” said Tom Luna, Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction.
The SAT is already administered to all public school students in the states of Maine and Delaware, as well as in school districts throughout Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, and Texas.
“Ensuring that as many high school students as possible have the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in college is more important now than at any point in our nation’s history,” said College Board Vice President James Montoya, a former dean of admission. “College is a major family financial investment, and doing well on the SAT is one way to maximize that life-time investment. When used in combination with high school grades, the SAT is the most valid predictor of first-year college success.”
As part of Idaho School Day, every SAT registration includes up to four free score reports that can be sent to colleges and scholarship services. Registering for the SAT also enables students to participate in the College Board’s Student Search Service®, through which students can let colleges, universities and scholarship programs know they are interested in hearing from them. Students participating in the Student Search Service also have the opportunity to receive educational and financial aid information from colleges, universities and scholarship programs.
The SAT is the oldest and most widely used college entrance exam in the nation. Divided into three subsections, the SAT tests the reading, mathematics and writing skills students learn in their high school coursework. More than two million students take the SAT each year, and SAT scores are used in the admission process at nearly all four-year colleges and universities in the United States. The University of Idaho, Idaho State University, Boise State University, Brigham Young University, Utah State University, the University of Washington and Washington State University are among the many Idaho-area institutions that accept SAT scores for admission purposes.
The SAT®
Created by educators to democratize access to higher education, the SAT® is a highly reliable standardized measure of college readiness used in the admission process at nearly all four-year, not-for-profit undergraduate colleges and universities in the United States. Aligned to high school curricula, the SAT tests the reading, mathematics and writing skills and knowledge students acquire during high school. The SAT also measures how well students can apply their knowledge, a factor that educators and researchers agree is critical to success in college. The SAT is consistently shown to be a fair and valid predictor of college success for all students. Studies regularly demonstrate that the best predictor of college success is the combination of SAT scores and high school grades. In addition to admission, colleges often use the SAT for course placement and scholarships. During the 2010-11 school year, the SAT was administered to more than two million students worldwide. For further information, visit http://sat.collegeboard.org/.
About the College Board
The College Board is a mission-driven not-for-profit organization that connects students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the College Board was created to expand access to higher education. Today, the membership association is made up of more than 5,900 of the world’s leading educational institutions and is dedicated to promoting excellence and equity in education. Each year, the College Board helps more than seven million students prepare for a successful transition to college through programs and services in college readiness and college success — including the SAT® and the Advanced Placement Program®. The organization also serves the education community through research and advocacy on behalf of students, educators and schools. For further information, visit http://www.collegeboard.org/.
“Idaho has now joined other states in creating SAT School Day, a critical piece of Students Come First that will help every district and public charter school ensure students not only graduate from high school but are prepared to go on to postsecondary education after high school,” said Tom Luna, Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction.
The SAT is already administered to all public school students in the states of Maine and Delaware, as well as in school districts throughout Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, and Texas.
“Ensuring that as many high school students as possible have the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in college is more important now than at any point in our nation’s history,” said College Board Vice President James Montoya, a former dean of admission. “College is a major family financial investment, and doing well on the SAT is one way to maximize that life-time investment. When used in combination with high school grades, the SAT is the most valid predictor of first-year college success.”
As part of Idaho School Day, every SAT registration includes up to four free score reports that can be sent to colleges and scholarship services. Registering for the SAT also enables students to participate in the College Board’s Student Search Service®, through which students can let colleges, universities and scholarship programs know they are interested in hearing from them. Students participating in the Student Search Service also have the opportunity to receive educational and financial aid information from colleges, universities and scholarship programs.
The SAT is the oldest and most widely used college entrance exam in the nation. Divided into three subsections, the SAT tests the reading, mathematics and writing skills students learn in their high school coursework. More than two million students take the SAT each year, and SAT scores are used in the admission process at nearly all four-year colleges and universities in the United States. The University of Idaho, Idaho State University, Boise State University, Brigham Young University, Utah State University, the University of Washington and Washington State University are among the many Idaho-area institutions that accept SAT scores for admission purposes.
The SAT®
Created by educators to democratize access to higher education, the SAT® is a highly reliable standardized measure of college readiness used in the admission process at nearly all four-year, not-for-profit undergraduate colleges and universities in the United States. Aligned to high school curricula, the SAT tests the reading, mathematics and writing skills and knowledge students acquire during high school. The SAT also measures how well students can apply their knowledge, a factor that educators and researchers agree is critical to success in college. The SAT is consistently shown to be a fair and valid predictor of college success for all students. Studies regularly demonstrate that the best predictor of college success is the combination of SAT scores and high school grades. In addition to admission, colleges often use the SAT for course placement and scholarships. During the 2010-11 school year, the SAT was administered to more than two million students worldwide. For further information, visit http://sat.collegeboard.org/.
About the College Board
The College Board is a mission-driven not-for-profit organization that connects students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the College Board was created to expand access to higher education. Today, the membership association is made up of more than 5,900 of the world’s leading educational institutions and is dedicated to promoting excellence and equity in education. Each year, the College Board helps more than seven million students prepare for a successful transition to college through programs and services in college readiness and college success — including the SAT® and the Advanced Placement Program®. The organization also serves the education community through research and advocacy on behalf of students, educators and schools. For further information, visit http://www.collegeboard.org/.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Idaho's Dual Credit for Early Completers and 8-in-6 Programs
One of the lesser-known but critical parts of Students Come First is the Dual Credit for Early Completers Program. High school students now have the opportunity to complete their state high school graduation requirements early and take up to 36 dual credit courses free of charge—essentially earning up to two years of college credit before ever leaving high school!
This is an exciting and unprecedented opportunity for every Idaho student. The Dual Credit for Early Completers Program started last year. This year, the Legislature also approved what is known as the “8 in 6 Program” to help students finish their state graduation requirements early, if they choose. Here is more about each of these programs, how they complement each other, and how your children can participate!
Dual Credit for Early Completers (Idaho Code 33-1626) started in 2011 as part of Students Come First (SCF) and is a critical way in which the state is helping to motivate more students in high school and prepare them for postsecondary education. The Dual Credit for Early Completers program aims to ease the financial burden placed on families when their students go on to postsecondary education, whether it is college or professional-technical school.
Idaho has had dual credit opportunities for some time, but not every student has been able to access or afford these opportunities. Now, under the Dual Credit for Early Completers program, Idaho high school seniors who complete all their state-required high school graduation requirements early (excluding the senior project and the senior math requirement) are now eligible to take up to 36 college or professional-technical credits of dual credit courses during their senior year—all paid for by the state.
Students can take these courses while staying in the high school setting. The state will pay up to $75 per credit hour for these dual credit classes. Idaho’s colleges and universities currently charge this cost for dual credit courses. Students who choose to take dual credits from another institution of higher education can use this money to help defray costs. Students can access dual credit courses no matter where they live via the Idaho Digital Learning Academy, the Idaho Education Network, or from teachers within their own school.
The 8-in-6 program (Idaho Code 33-1628) was approved by the Idaho Legislature this year to help Idaho students take advantage of the dual credit opportunities provided by the Dual Credit for Early Completers.
The 8-in-6 program is so-named because it is designed to help students complete 8 years of schoolwork (2 years of middle school, 4 years of high school, and 2 years of postsecondary or trade school) in just 6 years. Students accomplish this by taking courses over the summer and by taking overload courses during the school year. It is important to note that 8-in-6 does not reduce the amount of time students spend in the classroom; it simply increases learning to throughout the year.
Students who participate in the 8-in-6 program can more easily finish their state graduation requirements early, allowing them to take full advantage of the Dual Credit for Early Completers program and complete up to an associate’s degree before they finish high school—all paid for by the state.
The 8-in-6 program does not pay for dual credits but does help students take overload courses so they can finish their high school graduation requirements early, positioning them to participate in the Dual Credit for Early Completers program, which will cover the costs of up to 36 dual credits.
Through the 8-in-6 program, the state provides funding for the Idaho Digital Learning Academy (IDLA) to offer online summer and overload courses to program participants for a subsidized cost of $75 per credit. Program participants may take up to two overload credits per school year and two online credits per summer (for a total of four per year) at this subsidized rate. The program is limited to 10% of students in each district, and it maintains high academic accountability standards for continued participation.
If you or your child is interested in participating in either the Dual Credit for Early Completers program or the 8-in-6 program, please be sure to contact your school counselor or building principal to learn more. More information also is available online at http://www.studentscomefirst.org/dualCredit.htm.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
First Lady, Governor Honor Stem Teachers with GIANTS Award
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| From Left: Award Winners Elizabeth Brubaker, Jason George, Dick Jordan; First Lady Lori Otter; Honorable Mentions Mike Stansel, Tauna Johnson, and Paul Shaber. |
Timberline High School (Boise) teacher Dick Jordan; Jason George of Vision Charter School (Caldwell); and Lakeland School District’s (Rathdrum) Elementary Gifted and Talented teacher Elizabeth Brubaker were awarded $2,000 each as recipients of the Governor’s Industry Award for Notable Teaching in STEM (GIANTS).
“Dick, Jason, and Elizabeth serve as a model of how educators can work with industry to enhance science and technology education.” Governor Otter said. “Teachers have a tremendous responsibility to prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s workforce. More than ever, we need teachers who can inspire students to lives spent in discovery, learning and achievement. Those teachers who excel deserve our support and recognition.”
The GIANTS program was initiated by the Office of the Governor and is sponsored by the Science and Technology Roundtable, a group of industry leaders including the Micron Foundation, Idaho National Laboratory, URS, Hewlett-Packard, LCF Enterprises, and Idaho Power Company. With support from the State Department of Education and Office of the State Board of Education, as well as the Discovery Center of Idaho, GIANTS recognizes teachers for their efforts to link industry and the economic future of Idaho to the classroom through the enhancement of science and technology education.
Honorable Mention awards of $500 each were presented to three additional teachers: Paul Shaber of Fruitland High School, Mike Stansel of Rocky Mountain Middle School (Idaho Falls), and Tauna Johnson from Genesee Elementary School.
All the participating teachers were nominated by the student council and/or parent groups at their school for making science exciting, challenging and relevant. A cash prize of $500 goes to each school/student council that nominated the GIANTS award recipients, with a cash prize of $100 going to each school/student council that nominated the Honorable Mention award recipients.
The GIANTS partners are firmly committed to the advancement of science and technology education and consider it vital to Idaho’s economic future. The Governor, First Lady and industry partners congratulate this year’s winners and honorable mentions for their significant contributions to education.
Elementary School GIANTS Awardee:
The 2012 elementary school winner is Elizabeth Brubaker who teaches Lakeland School District’s Elementary Gifted and Talented classes. Elizabeth has a bachelor’s degree from Bowling Green State University and a master’s degree from the University of Connecticut and was recognized as IBM and Classroom Magazine’s Computer Teacher of the Year for Idaho in 1990.
Elizabeth is passionate about encouraging kids to be inventive and creative and was instrumental in the creation of the Invent Idaho program as well as the co-author of the book Inventing for Kids.
Elizabeth engages her students in FIRST Lego League, Mars Rover competition and other hands-on learning through science and research experiments. She also engages with area companies and subject matter experts to bring industry into the classroom.
Middle School GIANTS Awardee:
The GIANTS Middle School Teacher is Jason George of Vision Charter School in Caldwell. As a teacher and mentor, Jason has developed the entire school’s science curriculum. He also developed an innovation science mentoring program for school’s elementary teachers and has given numerous staff developments, teaching both methods and best practices for effective science instruction, K-12.
He leads groups of students through a variety of science competitions and challenges including Future Cities, Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, and the QuikScience Challenge through the Wrigley Institute of Environmental Studies at the University of Southern California, winning honors in each. Jason also coordinates a school-wide science night each year as a culminating activity for students to show their mastery of the scientific method. By using guest speakers and connecting his students with the community, they are able to see real-world application.
Jason has a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology Education as well as a minor in biology from Northwest Nazarene University; he is also working towards his master’s degree in science education at Montana State University.
High School GIANTS Awardee:
The GIANTS High School Awardee is Dick Jordan. He serves in many roles at Timberline High School in Boise, teaching biology, environmental science, modified biology, physical science, AP biology, and AP environmental science. He was recently honored as the Idaho Science Teacher Association’s Teacher of the year and was a state finalist in the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Math and Science.
Dick is the advisor/founder of TREE (Teens Reconnecting to Earth Experiences), Timberline’s outdoor/ecology club, as well as the DaVinci Club, Timberline’s Math/Science/Mythbuster/Chess club. Within the classroom setting, he designs programs and projects with DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality) and the National Park Service to help students get outdoors while learning and caring for the environment. Some examples include launching LifeOutdoors.org and OutsideDay.org involving the community, high school students, and elementary school students.
He holds bachelor’s degree in Biology and a minor in Spanish from Idaho State University, master’s coursework in wildlife and fisheries science at Texas A&M, and a master’s of education degree in Education, with a focus on integrating technology in the classroom, from Walden University.
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