1. STEM Grants Awarded
Robotics lessons, an adventure week, and a career workshop series are among 13 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) instructional programs funded for the current school year from $59,400 in state grant money.
The grants support innovative STEM programs for students who are under-represented in those fields, including economically disadvantaged students, English-language learners, females, students of color, and students with disabilities.
"STEM fields offer high-skill, high-wage careers that should reflect the diversity of our schools and communities," said State Superintendent Tony Evers.
The grant program targets students at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
School districts requested more than $167,000 in the competitive grant program for projects that will be completed by June 30, 2010.
"This is a small grant program and demand far exceeds available state funds," Evers said. "School districts enthusiastically seek out funding to support innovative programming that will help their students gain a competitive edge for the technological world that awaits them."
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2. Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Webcast
A new DPI webcast goes over "The Nuts and Bolts of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS)." PBIS is a systemic approach to proactive, school-wide behavior based on a Response to Intervention (RtI) model.
PBIS applies evidence-based methods to boost achievement, enhance safety, decrease problem behavior, and establish a positive school culture. Schools implementing PBIS build on existing strengths, complementing and organizing current programming and strategies.
The PBIS model has been successfully implemented in thousands of schools in over 40 states, resulting in dramatic reductions in disciplinary interventions and increases in academic achievement. Data-based decision making is a hallmark of PBIS, allowing successes to be easily shared with all relevant stakeholders.
Participants in the webcast will gain a basic understanding of PBIS and will learn how to access PBIS training and technical assistance in Wisconsin.
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3. Marshfield Produces Both AP Scholars Again
Two graduates from Marshfield High School, Kara Faciszewski and Stephen Nordin, have been named Advanced Placement (AP) Scholars for Wisconsin. This is the third year that both State AP Scholars have been from the Marshfield School District.
The College Board's AP Program grants State AP Scholar Awards to one male and one female student from each state and the District of Columbia with grades of three or higher on the greatest number of AP exams, and then the highest average score (at least 3.5) on all AP exams taken.
The AP program offers students the opportunity to take college-level courses while in high school and to receive college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on the end-of-course AP exams. Scores of three, four, or five on AP exams generally are considered “passing” and worthy of credit at many universities.
In the 2008 “AP Report to the Nation,” Wisconsin had the highest participation and passing rates on AP tests in the 13-state Midwest region.
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4. Menominee Indian Middle School Wins National Award
The Menominee Indian Middle School has made a national list of 10 "breakthrough schools" that serve large numbers of students living in poverty and are high achieving or dramatically improving student achievement.
The awards are sponsored by MetLife and the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Honored schools receive a $5,000 grant and participate in activities to disseminate the news and spread the word about their successful practices.
Menominee Indian Middle School has 130 students. Unique for Wisconsin, its attendance area is almost entirely on Menominee tribal lands. This uniqueness is reflected in the school’s mission to ensure that each student has the opportunity to succeed culturally as well as academically. While located in the poorest county of the state and the 38th poorest county in the United States (measured by per capita income), the school has moved from being classified as "needing improvement" to being named a Wisconsin Middle School of Excellence. Staff and community attribute this success to the principal’s commitment to give everyone a "voice" in school operations. Teams oversee all facets of the school from student behavior to curriculum development.
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5. Three Opportunities for Students: College Savings, Diversity, Computational Linguistics
Fourth- through 10th-graders can win EdVest college savings accounts worth $500-$2,500 through essay and video contests sponsored by the Wisconsin State Treasury. Fourth- through 6th-graders write a 500-word essay on “Why I Hope to Continue My Education beyond High School," while 7th-10th-graders produce a video dramatizing the KnowHow2Go college preparation program. The deadline for both has been extended to December 21.
High schools throughout the state are invited to send students to the Northeast Wisconsin High School Diversity Leadership Conference, March 10 in Green Bay. Sectionals (aimed at students) cover topics such as college preparation, the unspoken rules in groups, Indian mascots and indigenous art, African music and dance, student religions, and GLBT issues. New this year is a performance poetry session for all students. Registration is first-come, first-served.
High school students can explore the incredible variety and beauty of the world's languages while challenging their natural problem-solving and analytic skills on February 4 in Madison. The 2010 North American Computational Linguistics Olympiad event qualifies students for an invitational in March, which leads to the International Linguistics Olympiad in Sweden. There are no fees.
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