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A Note from Interim Midwestern Region VP Fred Dietrich |
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| Interim VP Fred Dietrich |
We’ve started the new year here in the Midwestern Region with preparations for our 2008 Midwestern Regional Forum, which is coming up Feb. 10-12. More than 600 educators from the region and around the country are expected at the forum, which will be held at the Renaissance Chicago Hotel and feature more than 40 interesting sessions covering professional subjects for teachers, counselors, school and district administrators, admissions and financial aid professionals and community college administrators. Highlights will include a Town Hall Q&A with College Board President Gaston Caperton and keynote addresses by Kati Haycock, president of The Education Trust, and Linda Darling-Hammond, Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education, at Stanford University. We look forward to welcoming all the attendees to our region and sharing all of the good work that we do here.
Also this month, as we await the “AP® Report to the Nation,” Midwestern Region staff members are meeting with the chief state secondary school officers in each of the 13 states in our region to review 2007 AP Program data and to explore the further expansion of AP programs within each state. Our meetings started in mid-January and will conclude at the end of the month. We anticipate that these meetings will be productive and successful.
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Wisconsin Provided New Language in Legislation |
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New legislation in Wisconsin will allow the state to apply for federal funds to cover the costs of AP® Exams for low-income students.
Gov. Jim Doyle signed a bill in December that directs each school board to pay for the exams using federal, state, local or private funds.
Previously, the state’s laws said that schools and districts were responsible for covering these costs. These statutes meant the state could not apply for federal grants for those expenses.
State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster said, “We must continue to advance rigorous high school course work and ensure access to these exams for all students, including socioeconomically disadvantaged students. … For many students, the costs of these exams represent a significant barrier to taking the course work.
College Board staff members provided research and data to the state’s Department of Public Instruction to support legislative changes that would help the state qualify and compete for the grants. “This takes the burden off school districts,” said Patricia Renner, director of outreach in the Midwestern Region. “It allows the state to qualify for federal funds and makes it easier for schools to cover those costs.”
The deadline for applications for the federal grant program is in January, and the funds will be awarded in the spring. This change doesn’t guarantee that Wisconsin schools will receive grants, but it does make the state eligible to apply for up to $140,000 in federal funds in 2008.
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Midwestern Regional Forum in Chicago Feb. 10-12 |
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The College Board 2008 Midwestern Regional Forum, to be held Feb. 10-12 at the Renaissance Chicago Hotel in Chicago, Ill., will highlight the changes taking place in our schools and society and discuss ways to foster excellence and secure equity in years to come. The keynote speakers will be Linda Darling-Hammond, the Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education at Stanford University, and Kati Haycock, president of The Education Trust.
This year’s forum will offer attendees a variety of 50 sessions from which to choose. Day one will feature the Midwestern State Policy Luncheon, followed by a number of engaging topics, such as Extra! Extra! Learn All About It: Communications, Media and Admissions and Life Management Skills for Educators. The evening will culminate with A Taste of Chicago Reception and Buffet, offering attendees the opportunity to join colleagues for socializing and tasty cuisine.
This year’s Midwestern Regional Forum promises to bring three days of networking, dining and intriguing dialogue.
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(PDF)
