SouthwesternA Note from Southwestern Region VP Richard Middleton
Found in Southwestern News
Apr. 2013
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VP Richard Middleton |
Dear Colleagues,
I hope you’re enjoying the early days of spring and reaping the benefits of your efforts so far in the academic year. I know students are eagerly awaiting word from their college choices, and many teachers and students are preparing for state assessments.
It’s a great time to consider how educators can work together to help students prepare for college and careers of their choosing.
We did just that at the Southwestern Regional Forum this winter in Dallas, with collaboration being the overarching theme. In dozens of sessions, professionals shared their experiences in and ideas pertaining to K–12 and higher education.
This was my second regional forum, and I was thrilled to see more than 700 colleagues from across the Southwest in attendance.
Southwestern Educators and Industry Professionals Gather for Annual Regional Conference
Found in Southwestern News
Apr. 2013
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The Southwestern Regional Forum was held Feb. 27–28 at the Westin Park Central in Dallas. The theme, “Collaborate! A Blueprint for Student Success,” allowed for great discussions on emerging challenges in education and identifying effective solutions. Industry professionals from Arkansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas gathered to share best practices and discuss critical issues in academic rigor and college readiness. Day one kicked off with a keynote address from Wes Moore, youth advocate and author of The Other Wes Moore. Moore urged attendees to stress the value of education and overcoming obstacles to their students.
Wes Moore Gives Inspirational Charge to Educators at Southwestern Regional Forum
Found in Southwestern News
Apr. 2013
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Youth advocate and author Wes Moore emphasized the importance of education in solving the larger problems plaguing our nation and our world at the opening plenary of the 2013 Southwestern Regional Forum.
In his book, The Other Wes Moore, Moore chronicles his own childhood from trouble to triumph as a stellar student, decorated veteran and Rhodes Scholar, and contrasts his story with that of another man named Wes Moore, who also grew up in Baltimore. The “other” Wes Moore fell into trouble as a juvenile, and as a young man was convicted of killing an off-duty police officer during a robbery. That man is now serving a life sentence in prison.
Fort Worth ISD Sponsors In-School SAT®
Found in Southwestern News
Apr. 2013
Eleventh-graders across the Fort Worth Independent School District took advantage of in-school administration of the SAT in February, increasing their opportunities for college and nurturing a college-going culture in their schools.
Working with administrators, teachers and counselors across the district, 3,575 students registered for the exam. That number represents more than 80 percent of the high school juniors in the district.
“It’s a challenge,” said Kay Wilson, a regional senior educational manager for the College Board, “but for students at 13 high schools in the district, this is a wonderful opportunity.”
Grants Add Resources for Middle School Educators, Students
Found in Southwestern News
Apr. 2013
The College Board’s Southwestern Regional staff assisted two Texas school districts in utilizing state and federal grants to innovate programs and services to help middle school students prepare to meet academic standards in English and algebra.
Sponsored by the Texas Education Agency, the College Readiness Initiative for Middle School Students (CRIMSS) grants are intended to help build college readiness as students move toward high school.
Teachers and students in Hardin-Jefferson ISD in Sour Lake and Lamar Consolidated ISD in Rosenberg have benefited from these projects, which focused on increasing college readiness among all students.
The North East Independent School District 1 of 3 Honored as AP® Districts of the Year
Found in Southwestern News
Apr. 2013
The College Board recently honored three school districts with the 2013 Advanced Placement® Equity and Excellence District of the Year awards, recognizing them as national leaders in expanding access to AP® courses while simultaneously improving AP Exam performance. From January through March, these achievements were celebrated at individual award assemblies attended by students, faculty, district administrators, College Board leadership and state leaders.
This year’s winners are: Glendale Union High School District (GUHSD) in Glendale, Ariz.; Chelsea Public Schools (CPS) in Chelsea, Mass.; and North East Independent School District (NEISD) in San Antonio.
Alyson Glass Named Southwestern Regional Recipient of Bob Costas Grant for the Teaching of Writing
Found in Southwestern News
Apr. 2013
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Alyson Glass, a teacher and chair of the English department at Geronimo Junior High and High School in Oklahoma, is one of six recipients of the 2013 Bob Costas Grants for the Teaching of Writing. The grant recognizes exceptional teachers for using innovative methods to inspire their students to write. The award was created to support teachers and to thank Bob Costas, the Emmy Award–winning broadcaster and author, for his generous public service work on behalf of the National Commission on Writing. Each winner receives a grant of $3,000 to support her or his innovative work. Glass has brought AP® English Language and Composition to her rural school and is developing exciting ways to teach analytical and persuasive writing. She is forming a creative writing club and a magazine to showcase students’ work.
