Kentucky Teacher

Principal Jennifer Hutchison, 4th-grade student Maya Griffin and 5th-grade student Mary Wilson greet U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Tony Miller at Picadome Elementary School (Fayette County) as part of the 2012 2012 Education Drives America back-to-school bus tour. Photo by Amy Wallot, Sept. Sept. 20, 2012

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Tony Miller spent time in Lexington last week as part of a national tour aimed at highlighting  notable school programs.

Miller visited Picadome Elementary School, where he watched a Japanese language class and praised the Fayette County Schools for offering Spanish, Chinese and Japanese instruction in all grades.

The visit was part of the 2012 Education Drives America back-to-school bus tour, in which U.S. Education Department officials crossed the nation by bus to see successful school initiatives, and gather input from local educational leaders.

During his visit, Miller joined a roundtable discussion on world language education with Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday, Fayette County educators, students, business leaders and representatives from the University of Kentucky and Transylvania University.

The number of Kentucky public high school students taking Advanced Placement (AP) examinations and scoring at high levels continues to rise, according to data released this week by the College Board.

Since 2008, the number of Kentucky public high school students taking AP examinations has risen by nearly 12,000. The number of tests scored at 3, 4 or 5 has increased by about 10,000.

The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program enables students to pursue college-level studies while still in high school. Based on their performance on rigorous AP exams, students can earn credit for college.

“These increases can be attributed to an enhanced focus on college and career readiness in Kentucky, exemplified by the efforts of AdvanceKentucky to expand the numbers of students who participate in AP courses and exams,” said Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday. “Schools in AdvanceKentucky’s cohorts contributed large percentages of qualifying scores, particularly among minority students.” Continue Reading

The Council for Economic Education (CEE) has launched an election video contest for K-12 classroom teachers.

This contest has students ask, via their teachers, for the best economic advice they can give our new president. Teachers should record one student, or a group of students, answering the question “What should the next president do to improve the economy?”

This contest is hosted on Facebook, therefore teachers who want to enter the contest will need access to Facebook. Not all schools allow access to Facebook, so please plan accordingly by uploading your video to Facebook via a computer not associated with your school, if necessary.

One winner will be chosen by CEE Facebook fans, and at least one winner will be chosen by one or more economists selected as judges by CEE. Prizes include a $500 American Express gift card for each teacher winner, and $25 iTunes gift cards for the student(s) featured in the winning videos. Continue Reading

Teaching Art Together (formerly Teacher Initiated Program) is a grant that enables teachers to collaborate with and bring a professional teaching artist to their schools.

Artists are available in a variety of disciplines (dance, music, video, folk arts, literary, storytelling, theatre and visual art) and are spread across the state.

The deadline for spring residencies is Oct. 15. Visit http://artscouncil.ky.gov/Grants/TAT.htm to learn more.

 TranspARTation is a bus subsidy grant that aids schools in paying for field trips to approved arts organizations. The grant amount is based on mileage from a school to the organization, and the minimum is $100.

The next deadline is Dec. 1 for field trips from January to June of this school year. There are four deadlines a year, so check out the one that is best for a school. Go to http://artscouncil.ky.gov/Grants/TranspARTation.htmto learn more.

 The Specialists with Arts Tactics (SWAT) Team is an opportunity for schools and districts to apply for a consultancy. The arts Continue Reading

The Kentucky Girls Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Collaborative, in partnership with the Center for Gifted Studies at Western Kentucky University, will hold its Fourth Annual Conference Oct. 12 in Bowling Green.

This year’s theme is “Collaboration: The Key to Successful Programming for Girls in STEM.” Educators, counselors, business and community leaders, parents and girls are invited to come meet others with a strong desire to see girls discover opportunities available to them within the STEM fields. Conference attendees will explore up-and-coming career opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and learn proactive steps to help girls overcome roadblocks to their success in these fields.

Keynote speakers include Claudia Rawn, faculty, University of Tennessee; Brian Mefford, founder and chairperson, Connected Nation; and Ron Crouch, director, Research and Statistics, Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet. During the conference, girls attending the conference will have the opportunity to talk to young women who are working in STEM fields about their strategies for success. Continue Reading

The Kentucky Center for School Safety (KCSS) recently announced the launch of a mobile application for rapid access to online resources and emergency procedures for elementary and secondary school leaders.

According to KCSS Executive Director Jon Akers, the mobile app can be used on any smartphone or tablet computer for rapid access to emergency response protocols and planning information when a crisis occurs.

The mobile app gives users access to such things as:

• emergency procedures checklist
• bomb threat or threat of harm reports
• accidents at school
• hostage situations
• bus accidents
• severe weather reports Continue Reading

The University of Kentucky Department of Physics and Astronomy welcomes the public to its astronomical observatory.

The program of public outreach is held on every second Thursday of the month.

For more information, go to https://pa.as.uky.edu/observatory.

Female high school students can apply for National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT) award.

The Student Technology Leadership Program (STLP) and the National and Kentucky Girls Collaborative will recognize the top Kentucky female at STLP State Championship March 28, 2013 at Rupp Arena.

The NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing honors young women at the high-school level for their computing-related achievements and interests. The award offers both national and local affiliate competitions to generate support and visibility for women’s participation in communities nationwide. The award is open now through Oct. 31.

Click here to apply or for more information go to http://www.aspirationsaward.org/.

Registrations are being accepted for the Kentucky Council for the Social Studies (KCSS) Annual Conference, Oct. 10-11 in Bowling Green.

There will be more than 40 content sessions, covering all things social studies. Full registration includes the luncheon on Thursday.

Accommodations can be made through Holiday Inn, University Plaza. Mention KCSS for a special room rate.

Register online at www.kcss.org. Purchase orders are accepted. For more information, contact Rick Daniel at (502) 485-3054.

The Kentucky Biofuels for Schools Program has a Biodiesel Learning Toolkit available for the classroom.

The toolkit consists of two self-paced learning modules with quizzes, curriculum guides, teacher resources and classroom posters. For more information or to get a copy of this free interactive CD, e-mail name and mailing address to kenya@bio-schools.org.

For more information about the program, see http://www.bio-schools.org/and follow the program on Twitter @bioschools and on Facebook.