A Note from Midwestern States Region VP
Ileana Rodriguez
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 VP Ileana Rodriguez |
Fall Counselor Workshops are under way, and this year we are expanding our outreach to school counselors and educators across the region through the engagement of technology. One new initiative that is under way, Fall Counselor Workshops On Demand, is a resource for counselors across the region who cannot attend the face-to-face meetings. In addition, in the Midwestern Region we are offering the opportunity to engage in an online-based interactive Fall Counselor Workshop with the use of WebEx technology. This type of Fall Counselor Workshop allows counselors and educators to connect live with College Board educational managers to get the most up-to-date information on our programs and services for this academic year.
In October, the College Board will be hosting a special program for the Big 12 institutions, “What the New Era of Education Reform Means for Higher Education,” which will include dialogue about reform efforts for financial aid and insights into federal funding and priorities that impact higher education. This and other collaborative efforts with our membership are central to our mission.
Throughout the year, we make efforts to visit districts, schools and higher education institutions across the region. Our K–12 and Higher Education team experts are here to provide support for your efforts, initiatives and mission. If we have not visited your institution recently, please let us know, as we would greatly appreciate the opportunity to learn more about your goals and learn how we may be of service to you in your efforts.
Finally, we held our Midwestern Regional Council fall meeting last week. February may seem far away, but it will be here before you know it. Please plan to join us in Chicago Feb. 21–22 for the Midwestern Regional Forum 2010 — “Education: Transforming Our Future.”
Jeb Bush Talks AP® at Indiana’s
Education Roundtable
In an effort to boost student performance in Indiana, Gov. Mitch Daniels invited former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush to address the quarterly meeting of the Indiana Education Roundtable. Meeting Sept. 2 on the campus of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Bush, Daniels, Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett and 32 members representing business, education and the Indiana General Assembly discussed ways to improve educational opportunity and achievement for all Indiana students.
Bush was likely chosen to address the group because, as a two-term governor, he brought a tremendous number of education reforms to his state, including state-funded preschool, performance bonuses for teachers, alternative licensing for teachers without education degrees, third-grade promotion requirements and, above all, Florida’s school accountability system that he says his brother, President George W. Bush, borrowed when he created No Child Left Behind.
Bush said his brother’s education initiative, No Child Left Behind, has been effective, but, he says, Congress should make one significant change when it reauthorizes the law: offering credit to schools that demonstrate improved student test scores, not just higher passing rates. Currently, there's no incentive to help students who already are passing basic skills tests to improve their performance, nor for helping those who still aren’t passing. He believes that the law's goal of getting every ethnic and economic subgroup of students to pass a basic skills test by 2014 can't be met.
A major part of Bush’s presentation included strong support for the Advanced Placement Program® (AP®), particularly the efforts of the Florida Partnership for Minority and Underrepresented Student Achievement, which has expanded AP participation and performance among African American and Hispanic/Latino students. He pointed out that nearly 225,000 students in Florida took an AP Exam in 2008, up from just 75,000 in 2001 — a 200 percent increase. And Florida students passed 88,279 AP Exams in 2008, up from only 32,775 passing scores in 1999. He also noted that during this same period in Florida, graduation rates increased by 15 percent and dropout rates declined by nearly 3 percent.
Bush emphasized the importance of providing incentives, particularly when trying to increase rigor in schools. He described some of the incentives of the Florida Partnership, like a $50 AP teacher bonus for every passing score students receive on an AP Exam, up to $2,000; a $500 AP teacher bonus for the first passing score in a D- or F-rated school; and the waiving of PSAT/NMSQT® registration fees for all 10th-graders.
During the follow-up Q&A period, Bush was asked to talk a bit more about the AP Incentive program. Bush mentioned that professional development and the use of the PSAT/NMSQT were key components of the initiative, in addition to teacher and student incentives.
A PDF of Gov. Bush’s presentation is available at www.in.gov/edroundtable/2332.htm#090902meeting.
Upcoming Midwestern Region
2009 Fall Counselor Workshops
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Each fall, thousands of educators come together at dozens of workshops across the country for the College Board’s Fall Counselor Workshops. This year, we have a new way for you to participate: |
LIVE – ON DEMAND –
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Check back often, live sessions are updated regularly. |
Attend a free workshop in your region.
Register online at www.collegeboard.com/meetings
| 9/29 | Arturo Velasquez West Side Technical Institute, Chicago, Ill. |
| 9/29 | University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Ind. |
| 9/30 | IUPU-Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne, Ind. |
| 9/30 | Wayne State University, Detroit, Mich. |
| 9/30 | St. Louis University, St. Louis, Mo. |
| 10/1 | Kansas University-Edwards Overland Park, Kan. |
| 10/1 | Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wis. |
| 10/2 | Western Michigan University, Grand Rapids, Mich. |
| 10/6 | MB Building, Rosemont, Ill. |
| 10/6 | St. Mary's College, Notre Dame, Ind. |
| 10/7 | Schoolcraft College, Livonia, Mich. |
| 10/7 | University of Akron, Akron, Ohio |
| 10/8 | Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio |
| 10/9 | Indiana University Northwest, Gary, Ind. |
Events & Workshops
Click here to see events and workshops in the Midwestern Region.
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During this pivotal time in our nation, the College Board invites you to join us for two special opportunities to connect with education professionals dedicated to impacting change and increasing college readiness.
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The College Board |
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