In order to gain valuable feedback from Kentucky students and to engage student leaders in learning by doing, Commissioner of Education Terry Holliday has created the Next-Generation Student Council.This group willmeet with the commissioner and Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) staff, both in person and virtually, to discuss how decisions made at the state level are affecting students throughout Kentucky and provide feedback – from a student perspective – on critical issues impacting Kentucky students and schools.
The Next-Generation Student Council is a year-long program for Kentucky public school students in grades 10-12. (NOTE: The members selected for the 2011-12 council will serve from January through June 2012 and will be eligible to reapply for the 2012-13 school year based on applicant criteria.) The council will play a vital role in providing input regarding issues that face education in Kentucky and work with KDE staff to develop ideas that will work to improve and transform education.
The council seeks students with refreshing ideas and thoughtful insight into how we can further improve our schools and student achievement. As such, we encourage students to apply who represent the diverse academic, geographic, demographic and school-size variables particular to our state.
Below are the application and FAQs for the council. Please read the FAQs prior to completing the application.Applications must be received no later than 4:30 p.m. ET, Wednesday, November 30.
A committee of KDE representatives will review and score all applications based on the answers provided to the questions. Appointments to the council will be based on how well the applicants communicated their ideas and goals. Then, 11 students will be selected for the council to serve during the 2011-12 school year.
Commissioner Holliday looks forward to getting to know this inaugural council and using the time together to generate results-oriented dialogue and solutions.
Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday will participate in the first-ever #AskDocH Twitter Town Hall on Thursday, October 6, from 4 to 5 p.m. ET. The town hall also will be presented live on the Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE’s) webcast channel.
Beginning today, Twitter users can submit questions to Commissioner Holliday using the hashtag #AskDocH.
“Communications is a priority for this agency,” said Holliday, a longtime user of Twitter(@kycommissioner), Facebook, blogs and other forms of electronic communications. “It’s important that we reach as many audiences as possible, and conducting this Twitter Town Hall provides direct feedback from and conversation with educators, parents, students, elected officials and others.”
KDE uses the KDE Twitter feed to share information and converse with the education community and the residents of Kentucky.
On Oct. 6, the live webcast of Commissioner Holliday’s Twitter Town Hall can be viewed here. To listen and/or watch, you must have Windows Media Player installed on your workstation. Once Windows Media Player is installed, simply click on the appropriate link to hear audio-only or view the video with audio.
To install Windows Media Player on your device, please click the appropriate link below.
Dr. Julia Link Roberts, Mahurin Professor of Gifted Studies at WKU, is one of two recipients of the Acorn Awards for teaching excellence, given annually to outstanding professors at Kentucky’s colleges and universities—one for a professor at a four-year college or university and one at a two-year institution.
Dr. Julia Roberts (left) received the Acorn Award on Sept. 23 in Lexington. WKU President Gary Ransdell (right) said Dr. Roberts is “a world leader in the education of gifted and talented students. Our gifted children are fortunate to have Julia Roberts leading this important sector of education in Kentucky.” (Photo courtesy of CPE)
David L. Cooper, professor of English and African-American history at Jefferson Community and Technical College, was also honored. Both recipients received a $5,000 honorarium and inscribed plaque.
The awards were presented Friday (Sept. 23) at the 23rd Annual Governor’s Conference on Postsecondary Education Trusteeship in Lexington, sponsored by the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education and Kentucky’s colleges and universities.
WKU President Gary Ransdell said Dr. Roberts is a superb teacher, scholar and researcher.
“She has been singled out by our faculty as a University Distinguished Professor. She is the holder of the Mahurin Professor of Gifted Studies,” he said. “More important, however, is her long and impressive record of innovation in creating WKU’s Center for Gifted Studies and the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky. She has become a world leader in the education of gifted and talented students. Our gifted children are fortunate to have Julia Roberts leading this important sector of education in Kentucky.”
Dr. Roberts, known as Dr. Julia on campus, said she was honored “to be recognized as a productive faculty member in the field of education, specifically in gifted education; for initiating and directing programming for gifted children and young people; and for leadership in state, national and international organizations in gifted education.”
Dr. Roberts has 46 years of teaching experience, including 35 at WKU. She is president-elect of The Association for the Gifted (a division of the Council for Exceptional Children), a member of the Executive Committee of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children and co-chair of the Legislative and Advocacy Committee of the National Association for Gifted Children. She is also a member of the board of the Kentucky Association for Gifted Education and the Kentucky Advisory Council for Gifted and Talented Education.
Dr. Roberts, a native of Kirksville, Mo., holds degrees from Oklahoma State University and the University of Missouri.
In his nomination letter, Dr. Ransdell said she was a brilliant teacher and a tireless advocate for gifted children, their families and their educators. During her tenure at WKU, programs she has led have touched more than 30,000 students, he said.
“The wonderful young people with whom I have had the privilege of working are the highlight of my career,” Dr. Roberts said.
Other high points include:
Being named one of the 55 most influential people in the history of gifted education
Serving as the founder and executive director of The Center for Gifted Studies, which is celebrating its 30th year of providing services to children and young people, educators and parents
Opening the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky after 10 years of advocating for a residential school for high school juniors and seniors with both talent and a high interest in careers in science, technology, engineering or math
Nancy Green, executive director of the National Association for Gifted Children, said Dr. Roberts has a national reputation as a mentor and instructor to teacher candidates, classroom teachers and parents.
“Through her longstanding and tireless commitment to teaching and education, Dr. Roberts has truly made a difference in both the field of gifted education and in the classroom,” she said. “Whether it’s through direct influence on children through Western Kentucky University’s summer programs or through a more strategic impact via national advocacy efforts, Julia Roberts is that rare leader who understands both how to shape policy on behalf of many and to directly touch lives one at a time.”
The Kentucky Advocates first presented the Acorn Awards in 1992. Recipients are chosen based on recommendations by faculty and students as well as self-written essays about their philosophy of teaching.
Contact: Julia Roberts, (270) 745-6323; or Sue Patrick at CPE, (502) 573-1652 ext. 308.
From time to time, we ask your assistance in promoting legislative priorities that affect the lives and educational opportunities for young people who are gifted and talented. Legislators benefit from hearing the thoughts of their constituents on policy matters and weigh those communications heavily when making decisions.
Members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources are examining and voting on an important piece of legislation that has the power to promote opportunities for schools of science and math. These Senators are the ones who will be considering the America COMPETES Acts prior to Memorial Day recess, so acting soon is imperative.
We encourage you to contact Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning to request that he votes to retain programs (specialized schools of science and math) in the America COMPETES Act. Should you have friends or family in other states willing to lend their voice, a full list of committee members by state can be found below.
One recommendation in the report Rising Above the Gathering Storm, states that it is important to keep the message that schools of math and science constitute a key strategy “to ensure that the United States maintains its leadership in science and engineering to compete successfully, prosper, and be secure in the 21st century” (p. vii). The need for specialized schools of science and mathematics is greater than ever, so please retain the language from the original America Competes legislation.
Retaining this language in the act has the potential to fuel additional STEM educational opportunities should the program receive federal funding.
We encourage you to note the following items in your message to Sen. Bunning:
• “As a member of the committee, you are in a position to ensure that the math-science high school language that is in current law is retained in the reauthorization of America COMPETES.”
• The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky is the time of program that represents the goals of the America COMPETES Act. The program is about enabling a twenty-first century workforce that is trained for advanced STEM careers. Moreover, the program assists promising future leaders in becoming more innovative, creative, and entrepreneurial.
• The Gatton Academy, which represents 95 of Kentucky’s 120 counties and has partnered with over 100 public high schools, demonstrates that specialized science and math schools have the ability to affect change across a wide geography of students and districts.
We ask that you fax a letter to Sen. Bunning’s office by Monday, May 17, 2010, at 4 p.m. EST. A tangible letter is less difficult to dismiss. Letters may be faxed to 202-228-1373.
by Corey Alderdice, Assistant Director, Admissions and Public Relations
Like our students, we never shy away from a challenge at the Gatton Academy.
When opportunities arise, we do our best to stay on the cutting edge. In my last post, I shared with you information about our Gatton to Go mobile phone app. Not too long after that post, Education Week–one of the premiere periodicals for US education news and commentary–spotlighted the Academy (membership required) as one of six schools representative of using mobile technology.
Cool, huh?
About a month ago, President Obama announced, as part of the Race to the Top initiative, that he would select one high school for which he would deliver the Commencement address later this Spring.
The contest relies on students and administrators working together to celebrate the exciting things taking place at their school:
The application’s four essay questions focus on demonstrating how the school is helping prepare students to meet the President’s 2020 goal of having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world. Applications will be judged based on the school’s performance and dedication to providing students an excellent education that will prepare them to graduate ready for college and career choices. Each question must be answered in full to qualify and data that substantiates each answer is strongly encouraged.
Looking at the Obama administration’s initiatives, we think the Gatton Academy is exemplary of what twenty-first century education can look like. Nontraditional and innovative learning environments, an emphasis on STEM subjects, reaching geographically, ethnically, and socially diverse student populations, and the assurance of post-secondary matriculation are certainly indicators that the Gatton Academy is an “Atypical High School.”
I’d like to take a moment to thank the students who were vital to the application process. Our Academy Avatars provided valuable insight in sharing their experiences as Academy students as the essays took shape. The students in the video below spent an afternoon just before Spring Break relating what makes the Academy so unique. Our students’ comments in print and video certainly make me proud of how they have embraced this experience. Finally, a special thank to Ami Karlage for helping me pull it all together and share our administrative data and responses that supplements the information provided by students.
Six finalists will be selected. From there, the public will vote for the top three. In the end, the White House and Department of Education will select the singular school that will receive this special honor. We’ll certainly keep you up-to-date as the competition progresses.
Until then, keep your fingers crossed and check out the student video and responses to the four essay questions.
1. Describe what makes your school unique. Discuss academic opportunities, community engagement activities, school culture, or other activities/policies/programming your school has in place that you believe to be the most compelling in convincing the President to choose your school for his inaugural high school commencement speech. (500 words or less)
As students of the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky, we’re proud to say that we believe our school is unlike any other in the country. We, along with our administration, have adopted the phrase “Atypical High School” to describe the living/learning environment at Kentucky’s only state-sponsored, residential high school for students interested in advanced careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
On a personal level, we feel honored that the state has invested in our individual academic futures. The Gatton Academy partners with over three hundred high schools around the state to meet the needs of their high-ability students. By combining the most important aspects of high school and collegiate learning environments, we have the best of both experiences.
The culture of the Academy is based on students who take pride in learning and embrace “smart” as something other than a four-letter-word. Our learning ceiling has been removed: we can embrace the academic challenges for which we’re ready through an unlimited supply of college classes. We’re daily given the chance to excel and reach our potential.
Our student body comes from a variety of diverse backgrounds. Since the program’s opening in August 2007, Academy students have represented eighty-seven of Kentucky’s one hundred twenty counties. Our school allows students from all social and economic environments to participate in advanced learning opportunities. The student from Appalachia or a small farming community can have access to same advanced instruction, labs, and resources commonly found only in urban areas.
With that in mind, we realize that the Commonwealth’s investment in our future requires giving back, both now and in the future. Because tuition, housing, and meals are provided at no cost to our families, it is our personal priority to give back to our communities across the state. Each Academy graduate averages twenty-four hours of community service. We share our love of science, seek to help other gifted young people, and do what we can to help lead the state to a better quality of life. Our passion for math and science is matched only by our desire to truly change the world.
The advanced STEM careers we’re pursuing will one day lead to a better state, nation, and world. Already, we’re engaged in cutting-edge research; genetic breakthroughs, alternative energies, saving endangered species—all of these subjects and more are part of our daily lives. We’re not just listening to the conversation, we’re contributing to it. Now, more than ever, both Kentucky and the United States need a well-trained and ambitious workforce that is ready to contribute to STEM fields. If we hope to retain our status as a global leader, students like us need to cultivate our passion for science and math. We’re excited and proud that the Gatton Academy allows us to accomplish that and so much more.
2. Describe how your school encourages personal responsibility and engages students. (200 words or less)
We attend the Academy because we want to be both personally and academically challenged in school. That we choose to risk our 4.0 grade point averages and commit to spending the necessary time and effort studying–often not necessary in some of our home school—highlight the desire of our study body to embrace the infinite possibilities ahead.
Because the Academy is a residential program, every part of our daily lives is a lesson in personal maturity and responsibility. Though there are many wonderful staff members who guide us through our challenges, we are responsible for getting up and going to class each morning. We make the time to study and prepare for class. Most of all, we very quickly learn how to say three sometimes difficult words: I need help.
In addition to our academic responsibilities, we also learn how to be responsible members of the community. Living together at Schneider Hall is a constant reminder that other members of the community deserve our respect. Each day we make the choice to live harmoniously with one another and to take into account the needs of those around us.
3. Describe specific steps taken by your school to prepare all students to graduate ready for a college or a career. (200 words or less)
While many high school students across the country take college-equivalent courses, over half of our peers in Kentucky graduate needing remedial classes in order to be ready to face the rigor of university study. By contrast, every class we take is for college credit and, at the age of sixteen, we have already begun to develop the diligence, effort, passion, and study habits to be successful in a college setting.
Not only is it an expectation, it is a reality that 100% of Academy graduates go on to attend a four-year college. Every student at the Academy works toward this goal constantly. This expectation is not set solely by the Academy staff: it is reinforced by our peers. We challenge each other while championing our friend’s successes.
Much could be said about the academic preparation that students receive, but what’s really important is the social and emotional lessons learned that makes transitioning to life in “real college” that much easier. Universities are excited about attracting Academy graduates because they know that we are mature, responsible leaders with experience in a collegiate community. WKU, the University of Louisville, and the University of Kentucky have established guaranteed scholarships for Academy graduates.
4. Describe specific steps taken by your school to promote academic excellence. (200 words or less)
Though our school has a curriculum that builds on state requirements and advanced STEM content, what is truly remarkable is that we are directed to pursue the subjects that interest us the most. In choosing classes, we select the challenge for which we are ready. Organic chemistry and discrete mathematics—coursework designed for college juniors and seniors—are common class selections for Academy students.
At the Academy, school is not something that lasts eight hours each day. With the combined living/learning environment, we take our classroom experiences back with us to the residence hall. Learning doesn’t stop just because we’re not in class. Because classes are so demanding and rigorous, the Academy has created support systems to help us succeed.
At the beginning of our time at the Academy, we receive coaching in how to learn and work at a collegiate level, including reading strategies, organizational skills, and note-taking. Throughout the year, we have quiet study hours each evening that provides us with an opportunity to work with our peers and with tutors and other staff. Moreover, through our Academy seminar series and service-learning projects, we expand our learning beyond the classroom, becoming better community members and leaders.
