Kentucky Teacher

The Heritage Institute, in conjunction with Antioch University and Project Amazonas, Inc., is offering a summer travel study course called Hands-on Amazon.

The course runs from July 20-28 and is limited to 15 participants.

Based in the Upper Amazon near Iquitos, Peru, the course is available for graduate credit, undergraduate credit or continuing education credit for educators or students in all disciplines. It is particularly well suited for science, social studies, sustainable agriculture or Spanish language specialists.

The course will give participants first-hand experience with the flora, fauna, people and culture, which they can bring back to their classrooms. Participants also are encouraged to volunteer in a service project in rainforest preservation or in helping local communities.

For more information and to see if this course is right for you, visit http://ptonline.org/hol/amazon/.

The Kavli Science Video Contest promotes STEM subject learning by challenging students to research, brainstorm and communicate creatively through video.

This year the contest theme is “Save the World through Science and Engineering,” inspired by the National Academy of Engineering’s Grand Challenges.

Students are asked to use their imaginations and investigative skills to tackle global challenges, explore new frontiers and to discover and discuss the inventions that will help mankind and improve life on earth.

Students in grades 6-12 can make a short video that shows how scientific discoveries and inventions can improve lives and change the world, either now or in the future.
The winners receive cash prizes. Entry deadline is March 21. For more information, click here.

The U.S. Department of Education (USED) has announced an opportunity for school districts to participate in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Completion Project for the 2012-13 filing year.

Research indicates that 90 percent of students who complete a FAFSA will enroll in postsecondary education. Through the project, participating districts will have access to FAFSA completion data and give students information about how to pursue a college education.

Districts with two or more high schools are invited to apply no later than March 2 for the opportunity of being selected through a randomized selection process.

More details and additional requirements are available at www.FSA4counselors.ed.gov.

Districts interested in participating in the FAFSA Completion Project for the 2012-13 FAFSA filing year, and that meet the technical and evaluation requirements, should send an e-mail to Dena Bates at FAFSACompletion@ed.gov. Include in the subject line “FAFSA Completion Project.” The e-mail should include the name of the local education agencies and the name, position, e-mail address and phone number(s) of a primary contact person.

Teachers or administrators in school district planning a new construction or renovation project can attend the High Performance Sustainable School Buildings Workshop providing site visits, case studies and design guidelines.

The workshop will be March 14-15 at the Galt House in Louisville.

To view workshop details and agenda or to register, click here.

The Kentucky Association for Environmental Education (KAEE) 36th annual conference is set for Sept. 14-15 at Lake Cumberland State Resort Park.

The call for proposals has officially opened, and an online submission form can be found here. The deadline to submit a proposal is April 15.

The theme of the conference is “Creating a Balance.” See more information on the conference at http://kaee.org/conference/.

Trooper Island Camp, located on Dale Hollow Lake near the Clinton-Cumberland County line, is a co-ed camp serving approximately 700 boys and girls ages 10 to 12. These students are selected by Kentucky State Police troopers to attend a free weeklong camp during the summer months.

The camp was developed by the Kentucky State Police in 1965 as part of a long-range program of public service to the youth of Kentucky.

The Trooper Island Scholarship fund helps prior campers continue their education. Two scholarships are given annually by the Trooper Island Board of Directors from applications received by high school seniors who plan to attend college or technical/vocational school.

The deadline to apply is April 1. For more information, contact Camp Director/Commander Sgt. Craig Sutton, P.O. Box 473, Albany KY 42602; (270) 433-5422.

By Matthew Tungate
matthew.tungate@education.ky.gov

Vice Chair Roger Marcum speaks with the board about the use of readers on state tests during the February Kentucky Board of Education meeting. Photo by Amy Wallot, Feb. 1, 2012

While acknowledging parent and teacher concerns, the Kentucky Board of Education decided last week to move forward with a new regulation that would limit the help special-needs students could receive on mathematics and reading fluency portions of the Kentucky Performance Rating for Educational Progress (K-PREP) tests.

The board discussed delaying the new regulation, which prohibits students from receiving help from a reader on state reading comprehension tests and a calculator on some state mathematics tests, until August – the start of the 2012-13 school year.

The discussion arose following a plea from Betty Muntz, executive secretary for Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children and other comments about the regulations.

Muntz, at one point choking back tears, told the board, “Students aren’t prepared this year. Teachers are not prepared this year.” Continue Reading

By Susan Riddell
susan.riddell@education.ky.gov

Craig Scharf talks with his STEM Academy students Josh Lindsey and Vaughn Reed about entering the Team America Rocketry Challenge at Muhlenberg County High School. Photo by Amy Wallot, Jan. 6, 2012

Craig Scharf, who taught college classes prior to coming to Muhlenberg County High School, could always spot the students who were prepared for his classes from the ones who weren’t.

“I could tell the kids who had a good background in research and critical thinking from the ones who hadn’t,” said Scharf, who has been at the recently consolidated Muhlenberg County High for 10 years. “I come from a research background, and I honestly believe students who think for themselves and can master independent research will be best prepared for college.”

With that in mind, Scharf and his colleagues at Muhlenberg County High launched an effort this school year that aims to help students better prepare for college by taking a rigorous series of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) classes.

The STEM Academy, as it is called, is an outgrowth of a Project Lead the Way (PLTW) biomedical science program the school started in 2009. The biomedical science program was such a hit with students that administrators decided to form an entire STEM Academy.

“The academy was brought on board to increase the rigor of our course offerings, provide in-depth training for our instructors and put real-world applications and technology in the hands of our students,” said Principal Matt Perkins. Continue Reading

Commissioner Terry Holliday

Twenty-six million dollars is a big number.

That is the amount some are estimating it will cost Kentucky taxpayers to raise the compulsory school attendance age from 16 to 18.

I and the Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) have counted such a change as a top priority in past legislative sessions. The 2012 session is no exception.

We believe the change is in line with reform efforts we have been undertaking as part of Senate Bill 1 (SB1) – a piece of legislation passed in 2009 with the overwhelming support of the House and Senate.

That bill has numerous components and directives, but at the end of the day it calls on us to do one thing for all Kentucky students: Prepare them for college or the workplace. In turn, those prepared students will succeed and benefit our commonwealth.

Given that mandate, how can we then deem it acceptable for a 16-year-old to drop out of high school without the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed? How can we turn our backs on the students that likely need us the most? These students may be some of the hardest to reach, but they also are some of the most vulnerable.

There are those who see dropouts not as a problem, but rather a solution that rids our schools of unmotivated students who can be disruptive and uncooperative. (Dropouts, by the way, also rid schools of SEEK funding they would receive had those students stayed in school.) Continue Reading

Henry Hunt, center, receives the Joseph W. Kelly Award from the Kentucky Board of Education. Also pictured are Joseph Kelly, left and KBE chairman David Karem. Photo by Amy Wallot, Feb. 1, 2012

Henry Hunt, chief operating officer for Dataseam, is the recipient of the 12th annual Joseph W. Kelly Award.

The award was presented to Hunt Wednesday by the Kentucky Board of Education at its regular meeting in Frankfort.

“As chief operating officer of Dataseam, Mr. Hunt works diligently to fulfill the company’s mission, which is ‘By using technology as a vehicle to advance the commercialization of research, promote ongoing education statewide, and provide next-generation economic opportunity, Dataseam helps provide a brighter future for all Kentuckians,’” said Kentucky Board of Education Chair David Karem. “Since its inception in 2004, Dataseam has placed over 15,000 computers in 48 school districts across the state. The computers are linked throughout the state on the Dataseam Grid and allow students and teachers to blog, share ideas and resources and create online video galleries of their work on the Dataseam Champions in the Classroom site. Additionally, researchers located at the University of Louisville’s James Graham Brown Cancer Center utilize the computers to process research data collected from the sites, forward research and commercialize ideas.”

Hunt was nominated by Carrie Nath, executive director of the Governor’s School for the Arts.

“Henry Hunt exemplifies the Kelly Award’s purpose of recognizing business leaders who enhance the educational opportunities for children on the school, community and state levels,” she said. Continue Reading