June 18, 2015
College courses save high schoolers thousands

One hundred fifty-five thousand two hundred fifty dollars.

That's the amount that Alleghany High School College Liaison Pam Hall estimates the graduating class of 2015 saved by completing 207 college classes through Wilkes Community College, East Carolina University or UNCG iSchool as part of NC New Schools' Rural Innovative Schools initiative.

Alleghany High School seniors graduating in 2015 saved $155,250 by taking college courses during high school through the Rural Innovative Schools initiative. The school is one of 18 traditional high schools from 11 North Carolina districts participating in the initiative, which launched in 2011. 

The seniors were honored during a scholarship assembly on Wednesday, May 27. Students who had completed at least three college courses wore a special green and gold cord with their cap and gown. Valedictorian Kaylee Andrews unveiled the "check" during the assembly to recognize the students' accomplishment. Among the class, Kaylee earned the most college credits, successfully completing 10 courses.

In addition to the savings, the senior class earned $563,495 in college scholarships, including nearly $115,000 from the local education foundation.

"We can't thank you at NC New Schools enough for all you have done for our students at Alleghany High School," Hall said in an email.
STEM Industry Day connects teachers, business
More than 125 teachers from innovative public secondary schools across North Carolina will see the 21st century workplace in action Monday, June 22, during first-hand visits to 13 Charlotte-area employers that rely on workers with strong skills in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM in shorthand.

Increasingly, teachers and employers must work together to ensure that teaching and learning are both relevant and focused on the competitive job market graduates are entering. As teachers gain more industry-based experiences and better understand the modern workplace, they're better equipped to bring the world of work into the classroom.

STEM Industry Day, hosted by NC New Schools, provides that exposure through learning experiences developed by participating employers. Site hosts include 100 Gardens, Carolina's College of Health Sciences, Coca Cola, Duke Energy, Great Wolf Lodge, Legrand, Livingston and Haven, NC Research Campus, Plants for Human Health Institute, Queen City Forward, S & D Coffee, Siemens and UNC Charlotte Optics labs.

Risk versus reward in the classroom
By Dan Miller, NC New Schools instructional coach

In life we often make decisions based on a risk reward ratio. We might not call it that. We might not even be conscious of the process as it's taking place, but it's there. Do I speed on the highway? Is the reward of the time saved worth the risk of a possible ticket?

The same process takes place in education by teachers and students alike. Students decide if the risk of answering a question they're unsure of is worth the reward that may come from answering correctly. Teachers ask themselves if the risk of both instructional and planning time needed to redesign a lesson or unit is worth the potential reward of deepening student learning and understanding. 

 

What if it doesn't work?

The truth is that powerful teaching and learning includes risks. This year, I have been fortunate to work with many teachers willing to take risks and to try new strategies and to rethink lessons. When Jamie Hill at Chase High School invited me to help work on a unit plan she was revising, I don't think I fully appreciated the risk she was taking or was willing to take at the time. But she had taken a risk.


 

Read more about Mrs. Hill's multimedia Holocaust unit and whether her risk paid off...

SMT Center honors school and business partners
The North Carolina Science, Mathematics and Technology Education Center awarded three of its top prizes to partners of NC New Schools this spring. Duplin County teacher Kirk Kennedy, LORD Corporation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Research Triangle Park all earned recognition for their work in STEM education. Click on the images below to watch videos profiling the three winners:



LORD Corporation:
Business and Industry Award in Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education
Kirk Kennedy:
 Outstanding 9-16 Educator Award in Science, Mathematics, and
Technology Education
U.S. EPA, RTP: 
Partnership Award in
Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education
Education design leaders to keynote Institute
Two education design leaders focused on success for all students will headline the 2015 Summer Institute next week. Hundreds of teachers and principals from partner schools and districts across the nation, along with business, community and higher education partners, will attend the three-day annual professional learning extravaganza at the Embassy Suites Charlotte/Concord Convention Center

On June 23, 2015, Dr. Daniel P. King, superintendent of the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo
Independent School District (PSJA ISD) will speak about his experience in rural Texas designing districts that ensure college access for all students. King's district has become a state and national model for dropout prevention and recovery. Under his leadership, the number of annual high school graduates has almost doubled and the four-year graduation rate has increased from 62.4 percent to 90.1 percent. The district is also working to ensure every student has the opportunity to earn at least 12 college credit hours by high school graduation, with many students earning an associate degree. 

The following day, Sam Seidel, author of Hip Hop Genius and student lab director of the Business Innovation Factory, will speak about the importance of district design and student engagement in ensuring all students graduate ready for successful lives. Seidel has taught in a variety of settings, from first grade through community college and is a passionate and experience leader in education transformation. He has worked with leading national education organizations, including the Black Alliance for Educational Options, Bug Picture Learning, Jobs for the Future at the Association for High School Innovation. 
This Edition's Sponsors
      Golden Leaf     
Goodnight Educational Foundation
 
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