1. Graduation Rates Addressed at Summit
On Tuesday, March 2, the first-of-its-kind Wisconsin Graduation Summit aims to help educators raise graduation rates.
Eleven Wisconsin schools and community organizations which have had success in raising graduation rates will share their knowledge at the event, which also features presentations by State Superintendent Tony Evers, First Lady Jessica Doyle, AT&T of Wisconsin President Scott VanderSanden, and national dropout-prevention expert Sandra Covington Smith. An additional plenary session will feature students engaged in a conversation with educators about these issues.
Because of space limitations, only 57 Wisconsin school districts were invited to attend, all districts facing a range of challenges regarding graduation rates. To extend the reach of the presentations, the summit will also be videotaped and posted on-line for schools statewide. In addition, using donated funds from State Farm Insurance, the department will award 10 mini-grants to school districts or cooperative educational service agencies to host post-summit regional meetings.
The summit, a part of a national dropout Prevention campaign organized by America’s Promise Alliance, supports Evers’s agenda of ensuring that every child graduates ready for further education and the workforce. The alliance is the educational foundation established by former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and his wife, Alma.
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2. Young Entrepreneurs for 2010
Wisconsin’s 2010 Young Entrepreneurs of the Year have been announced by Commerce Secretary Richard J. Leinenkugel and State Superintendent Tony Evers.
Robby Blair of Northwestern High School in Maple, and Brittnee Buck of Tomahawk High School, will each receive a plaque from the governor, be recognized at an event at their school, and receive an Entrepreneurial Training Grant offered through the Small Business Development Centers. Additionally, videos they made about their businesses as part of the competition are featured on the Department of Public Instruction YouTube Channel.
Blair started Rob’s Hogs three years ago to sell hedgehogs as exotic pets. The idea was inspired by his own experience: a hedgehog is a pet that doesn't aggravate his allergies. Rob's Hogs has tripled its gross revenue since its launch now has waiting lists for pets.
Buck's business, Stick Um’ Graphic Designs, offers vinyl lettering, custom printed banners, apparel, and signage. Buck began her business at age 14. After outgrowing her parent’s basement, she moved to an office facility with regular hours and an additional employee.
Teachers from throughout the state nominated high school students for the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.
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3. Student's View of Evers Visit
Appleton sixth-grader Claire Hitter followed State Superintendent Tony Evers on his February 11 tour of Richmond Elementary School. Following are excerpts from her report:
- What does the fourth healthiest school in the nation look like? Well, that’s exactly what Wisconsin Superintendent of Schools Dr. Tony Evers came to find out...
- ...a student showed Superintendent Evers Richmond’s fresh fruit and garden cart, which has a great assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables available to all students who order hot lunch. He loved the garden cart and said it “had a lot of options and is also good for you.” Dr. Evers loved Richmond’s new Taste Testers Club, a group of students that test and rate possible hot lunch menu items. “A great program,” he thought about the new club.
- A tour of the LMC was next. In the LMC a group of students walked Dr. Evers through some of the fitness promotion activities at Richmond…. Dr. Evers loved the Safe Routes to School Advisory Team and thought it was a “great idea and program.”...
- He liked the Richmond community and overall he thought that Richmond was a “great school and place to be.”
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4. Educational Technology Grants
Fifty-four educational technology projects throughout Wisconsin will receive $5.2 million in federal funding, Governor Jim Doyle and State Superintendent Tony Evers announced.
The grants will impact 304 school districts and other local educational agencies, including a partnership among six western Wisconsin school districts and three private schools.
The Enhancing Education through Technology competitive grants are for projects during the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years that are based on research or are part of a research study.
The grants focus on using educational technology to raise achievement for all students. Additionally, 25 percent of funding is for staff development.
In addition to regular federal funds, the grants draw on allocations in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). This special funding will help districts add technology that may have been targeted due to budget constraints.
The federal grants target “high needs” districts based on income levels and federal census data. All grants went to these districts or consortia including such districts.
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5. On-line Video for Wisconsin Schools
A free online educational video service is now available for Wisconsin residents.
ECB VideoLink, a partnership between the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board (ECB) and BadgerLink, provides streaming and downloadable video programs for elementary, middle, and high school students and teachers.
More than 30 educational video series comprising more than 350 programs are available. They span the spectrum from art to zoology and are designed for use in PK-12 classrooms. Professional development series for teachers are also included.
All the series were chosen in cooperation with Wisconsin teachers and Department of Public Instruction content area specialists and are designed specifically to address the academic standards for Wisconsin students.
BadgerLink is an online library managed by the DPI. It provides access to quality online information resources for Wisconsin residents. The addition of educational videos provides extra tools for students and teachers.
To use the new video service, go to the BadgerLink website and click on ECB VideoLink, or use the BadgerLink search tools and look for ECB video in the results list. Videos may be watched immediately on a computer, or in some cases, downloaded for later use. Teacher materials and additional resources for most programs also are available online.
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6. Middle Schools Raise Funds for School in Kenya
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Several Wisconsin middle schools have combined forces with H2O for Life and the Wisconsin Association for Middle Level Education (WAMLE) to raise funds for Bondeni Primary School in Kenya.
The contributions will help Bondeni get a bore hole well, latrines, and hand washing stations.
Currently, an average of four Bondeni students are absent every day due to diseases resulting from the school's poor sanitation.
H2O for Life connects U.S. schools with those in developing countries to complete WASH (WAter, Sanitation, and Hygiene) in Schools projects. A nonprofit, all-volunteer organization run by teachers, parents, and students, it forwards one-hundred percent of contributions raised by U.S. schools to the WASH projects.
Along with collecting funds, H20 for Life helps students build an understanding of their partner school through curriculum and experiential learning.
During the last two years, students and staff in Wisconsin middle schools have raised money during March as part of the celebration of Middle Level Education Month.
The project lets middle level students connect with peers across the world, and joins a worthwhile philanthropic activity to content area standards and classroom activities.
Schools may contact WAMLE or H2O for Life to become involved in delivering WASH to schools in need.
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