Lieutenant Governor Matt Denn recently honored Bayard Middle School and Gallagher Elementary School  with the 3^rd annual “Lt. Governor’s Excellence in Parental Involvement Award.” Both schools are in the Christina School District and were selected by a committee of parents, teachers, administrators, and representatives from the business community. The schools will be recognized at the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce’s Superstars in Education awards on May 7, 2012.

Bayard Middle was selected for its dedication to increase family and community engagement. The school created a Family and Community Liaison Team and formed a Parent Cyber Café. The Café is an online group of parents  that meet monthly online to discuss important information about the school and their students. A Spanish language Parent Cyber Café is also in the works. In addition, the Family and Community Liasion Team hosts community walkthrough tours, actively seeks out mentors for its students, and partners with community members to support its instructional programs.

Gallagher Elementary strongly encourages parental participation in all school committees, and Principal Jacqueline Lee hosts a monthly parents’ coffee event. Every teacher sends out no less than two positive postcards a month to the parents of each student. In addition, Gallaher is a National Blue Ribbon winner for its significant narrowing of the achievement gap.

Also related to parent engagement, the Indian River School District is rolling out its “Passport to Innovation” family learning series, made possible by a statewide Race to the Top grant. The learning series is aligned with the district’s mission to engage families in S.T.E.M. (Science, Mathematics, Engineering, Technology) learning activities to increase student learning of these subjects. There are four events in which all ages can participate, and the entire Indian River School District community is welcome to participate. In each of the 4 distinctive events, community partners, IRSD staff, and families explore problems and knowledge in innovative ways; and related materials will be housed at the IRSD Parent Center and will provide parents new ways to become actively involved. If you would like to assist with the event or have additional questions, please contact Michele Murphy at the IRSD Parent Center (732-1522 or Michele.murphy@irsd.k12.de.us)

Ernie Dianastasis, Vision 2015 chair, said this on the announcement of Secretary Lowery’s departure, ” Lillian Lowery is one of those special people who comes along just a few times in one’s lifetime.  You know this type of person the first time you meet them.  They have the right balance of presence, poise, intellect, passion, empathy, sincerity, sense of purpose and incredible work ethic all in one.  She has an uncanny ability to call on some or all of these strengths to the degree she needs them for every situation or challenge she faces.  Much of Delaware’s success to date in transforming education can be directly attributed to her leadership abilities.  She will be sorely missed by the entire Vision 2015 team. ”

A week after the announcement, Governor Jack Markell nominated Mark Murphy, the Vision Network Executive Director to replace Dr. Lowery.  At the Vision Network, Murphy focuses on supporting school leaders to drive dramatic gains in student achievement by building leadership capacity from within.

“I have had the good fortune to work with Mark and I firmly believe he has the intellect, energy, compassion and leadership skills to lead this Department and our state-wide efforts to improve Delaware’s schools. In short, Mark has the right mix of actual experience in schools as both a teacher and principal, coupled with the hands-on working knowledge of our state-wide Race to the Top efforts to improve our schools,” Lowery said.

We congratulate Mark Murphy and commend him for his leadership in helping to develop the Vision Network as a premier school leadership development program.

Last Friday, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan visited Delaware to discuss Delaware’s progress in meeting its Race to the Top commitments. Dozens of stakeholders met with Secretary Duncan to have a candid conversation about the remaining challenges. Duncan’s comments and those expressed by other stakeholders mirror a report published this Monday by the Center for American Progress that evaluates states’ Race to the Top performances. In the report, Delaware was rated as “meeting expectations” in its overall evaluation. Areas identified as successes include the roll out of data coaches in every school, all district principals receiving coaching from University of Delaware’s Academy for School Leadership, and the piloted teacher-evaluation system. Looking ahead, potential challenges that were identified are the development of student growth measurements for subjects that aren’t currently covered by DCAS and an overall capacity issue.

Vision 2015’s major components align directly with Race to the Top’s core goals. As the state progresses in its Race to the Top plan, we also are working toward accomplishing the Vision 2015’s broader set of recommendations for having the best schools in the world for every student in Delaware. We will be publishing a full report on Delaware’s progress this fall. To see our most recent report, click here.

We still have a long way to go to meet our Race to the Top and Vision 2015 commitments. We will continue to report on progress toward these goals during the coming years, and we invite you to join us in this campaign to create outstanding Delaware schools.

Stay up-to-date by:

• Subscribing to our Vision 2015 email list.
• Attending your local school board meetings.
• Contacting your local legislators (legis.delaware.gov).

An overview of the state’s submitted application can be found here.

The United Way of Delaware in collaboration with Great Dames, Inc. has launched The Muriel E. Gilman Mentoring Program, Women in Action, focused on creating powerful mentoring relationships among aspiring and established women leaders in order to enhance their effectiveness as leaders in their personal, professional and community service lives. The program is being launched by United Way of Delaware to honor Muriel E Gilman, the first women executive and long-time board member of UWD, in a way that reflects Mrs. Gilman’s legacy of advocacy, volunteerism, and mentoring of aspiring community leaders in Delaware. The application deadline for mentors and mentees is March 30. For more info about the program, including links to the online applications, click here.

The University of Pennsylvania’s L.E.A.R.N., the Leaders in Education Advocacy & Reform Network, is hosting an education conference on March 31 to equip attendees with the background to develop specific tasks they can accomplish to improve public education.  The Conference will foster the development of long-term problem-solving for public education. The Delaware Department of Education Secretary and Vision 2015 Implementation Team Member Dr. Lillian Lowery will participate in the opening keynote panel “How to Bridge the Sectors to Rebuild Public Education.”  The event is free for students and teachers. To register and for more information, click here.

The Delaware Community Foundation has announced that more than 300 scholarships are available for the 2012-2013 school year. Last year, the DCF awarded more than $467,000 in scholarships. A complete list of the scholarships is available by visiting www.delcf.org/scholarships, and the submission deadline for the majority of scholarships is April 1. For more information, contact Richard Gentsch, 302.571.8004 or rgentsch@delcf.org.

The Delaware State Parent Advisory Council is hosting its statewide Title I conference, “Spring into Action,” on April 21. Parents and guardians are invited to participate in workshops with topics including IEPs and 504s, advocacy, and arts education. The keynote speaker is Attorney General Beau Biden who will be speaking about bullying prevention. There will be activities for children, as well as childcare for ages 3 through 5. Register for the conference by calling 302-722-7206 or by visiting www.despac.org.

Delaware Department of Education
Position: Education Associate, Delaware Stars and Workforce Compensation
Closing date: n/a
Link to posting: http://www.doe.k12.de.us/job/employment/rttt5.shtml
Description: This new position is funded with proceeds to be received through the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge (RTTT-ELC) award between 2012 and 2015. Through its RTTT-ELC application, Delaware has committed to putting our young children first and moving forward with reforms to strengthen our early care and education system. The goal is to create an exemplary early childhood system so that Delaware’s young children arrive at kindergarten ready for school success. The person hired will be responsible for overseeing implementation of the Quality Rating Improvement System and Workforce Compensation proposals outlined in Delaware’s winning RTTT application.

Position: Project Manager, Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge
Closing date: n/a
Link to posting: http://www.doe.k12.de.us/job/employment/rttt4.shtml
Description: This is a new position funded with proceeds to be received through the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge (RTTT-ELC) award between 2012 and 2015. Through its RTTT-ELC application, Delaware has committed to putting our young children first and moving forward with reforms to strengthen our early care and education system. The goal is to create an exemplary early childhood system so that Delaware’s young children come to kindergarten ready for school success. The person hired will be responsible for implementing the proposals outlined in Delaware’s winning RTTT-ELC application.

Position: Education Associate, Kindergarten Entry Assessment
Closing date: n/a
Link to posting: http://www.doe.k12.de.us/job/employment/rttt3.shtml
Description: This is a new position and is funded with proceeds to be received through the Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge (RTTT-ELC) award between 2012 and 2015. Through its RTTT-ELC application, Delaware has committed to putting our young children first and moving forward with reforms to strengthen our early care and education system. The goal is to create an exemplary early childhood system so that Delaware’s young children come to kindergarten ready for school success. The person hired will be responsible for implementing the proposals outlined in Delaware’s winning RTTT-ELC application.

Position: Education Associate, Federal Funds – Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge (RTTT-ELC)
Closing date: n/a
Link to posting: http://www.doe.k12.de.us/job/employment/rttt2.shtml
Description: This is a new position and is funded with proceeds to be received through the Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge (RTTT-ELC) award between 2012 and 2015. Through its RTTT-ELC application, Delaware has committed to putting our young children first and moving forward with reforms to strengthen our early care and education system. The goal is to create an exemplary early childhood system so that Delaware’s young children come to kindergarten ready for school success. The person hired will be responsible for managing the federal resources as outlined in Delaware’s winning RTTT application.

Position: Director, Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Office
Closing date: n/a
Link to posting: http://www.doe.k12.de.us/job/employment/rttt1.shtml
Description: This is a new position funded with proceeds to be received through the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge (RTTT-ELC) award between 2012 and 2015. Through its RTTT-ELC application, Delaware has committed to putting our young children first and moving forward with reforms to strengthen our early care and education system. The goal is to create an exemplary early childhood system so that Delaware’s young children come to kindergarten ready for school success. The person hired will be responsible for overseeing implementation of the proposals outlined in Delaware’s winning RTTT-ELC application.

Position: Financial Secretary, Human Resource Office
Closing date: March 25, 2012
Link to posting: http://www.doe.k12.de.us/job/employment/hro_fs.shtml
Description: This position is classified as a Financial Secretary and is in the Human Resource Office in the Financial Reform and Resource Management branch. Working with the Human Resource Officer, the incumbent will be familiar with a wide range of functions in the State’s Payroll/Human Resource Statewide Technology (PHRST) system and in First State Financials (FSF).

Innovative Schools
Position: Delaware Leadership Project Coach
Closing date: March 30, 2012
Link to posting: http://www.innovativeschools.org/content_pages/view/employment_opportunities#DLP%20Coach
Description: The DLP coach will be a knowledgeable about current Delaware DOE accountability tools, Race to the Top initiatives, leadership competencies, DPAS II, student assessment systems, and other reform initiatives. S/he must have experience with diverse, high-need educational environments and must be able to support the turnaround of a difficult school building.  The DLP coach is expected to know and understand the demands placed on schools by the DDOE, instructional expectations and regulations, budgetary and organizational matters, the leadership required to cultivate a climate for learning, and everyday managerial issues. The coach will be trained to successfully use the unique Facilitative, Competency-Based (FCB) Coaching methodology.  As a confidential thought partner for school leaders, the coach is expected to create a trusting, collaborative relationship, enabling principals to engage in critical and targeted reflection on their practice as instructional leaders.

Position: Managing Director of Human Capital Initiatives
Closing date: March 30, 2012
Link to posting: http://www.innovativeschools.org/content_pages/view/employment_opportunities
Description: Areas of major responsibilities include managing the Delaware Leadership Project and the Delaware Talent Management programs. The Delaware Leadership Project is an intensive principal training and certification program.  The program is Delaware’s first state-approved alternate path to certification for outstanding educators who would like to become principals of high-need schools. Innovative Schools is partnering with The New Teacher Project to offer Delaware Talent Management – a set of fundamental services that support effective school-level hiring practices and provide guidance on the management techniques that lead to better retention and student outcomes.

Position: Charter School Operations Manager
Closing date: n/a
Link to posting: http://www.innovativeschools.org/content_pages/view/employment_opportunities#Charter%20Ops%20Mngr
Description: In order to strengthen its back office support of charter schools in Delaware, Innovative Schools is seeking candidates to deliver quality services to existing and new charter schools. Innovative Schools is seeking individuals to provide support in budgeting, financial reporting, and the efficient administration of a charter school. Areas of major responsibility include: managing the financial operations of the charter school to include compliance with all State of Delaware statutes and regulations; managing the facility operations; managing the child nutrition program to ensure compliance with USDA regulations; managing student transportation by means of monitoring performance of transportation contracts; acting as key liaison with other charter school staff to ensure fiscal procedures are followed; developing and managing charter school budgets; and being the liaison between Innovative Schools and the charter school staff and provide support when needed.

Rodel Foundation of Delaware
Position: Program Officer, Policy
Closing date: n/a
Link to position: http://www.rodelfoundationde.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Program-Officer-Policy-Position-Description.pdf
Description: The primary role of the position is to provide management, leadership, and support for Rodel and outside partners’ projects on education policy issues such as teacher quality, low-performing schools, and college enrollment. The role requires strong critical thinking and analytic capability, exceptional writing and presentation skills, flexibility, good judgment, political savvy and the ability to manage complex local and national partnerships. To perform this job effectively, a Master’s Degree in Public Policy, or equivalent, is preferred, and a strong knowledge of state and national education systems, policies and practices is a must. In addition, 3 to 5 years of experience in policy development, research and analysis program management is strongly desired.

Position: Director, Communications and Strategic Engagement
Closing date: n/a
Link to position: http://www.rodelfoundationde.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Director-Communications-Position-Description-Final.pdf
Description: The Director of Communications and Strategic Engagement is responsible for initiating, directing, and implementing a comprehensive range of activities that strengthen the work of the Rodel Foundation and its principal program investment, Vision 2015. Central to this role will be the development of the Foundation’s communications and engagement plan as it undertakes its strategic visioning for 2020, and supports the articulation of the state’s education reform initiatives for the period. Principal responsibilities include the integration and successful implementation of a coherent external affairs program, including effective positioning, messaging, editorial development, media relations, stakeholder outreach, and select partner relations.

 
Christina School District
Position: Assistant Principal, Bancroft Elementary School
Closing date: March 24, 2012
Link to position: http://www.christina.k12.de.us/employment/Postings/2012/0217_AP-Bancroft.pdf
Description: The successful candidate will assist in leading the transformation of Bancroft Elementary School into a model of excellence through the implementation of the Transformation Plan designed for this Partnership Zone school that focuses on rapidly increasing student achievement, supporting the whole child, building a positive climate for learning, leveraging research and data-driven initiatives, effectively engaging families and communities, and building a high performing faculty and leadership team to achieve the school’s vision, goals, and aspirations.

Position: Instructional Coach, Bancroft Elementary School
Closing date: March 5, 2012
Link to position: http://www.christina.k12.de.us/employment/Postings/2012/0305-Instructional-Coach-Bancroft.pdf
Description: Christina School District is seeking a talented, motivated teacher committed to advancing excellence in teaching, improving teacher quality, and assisting teachers, principals and central office staff in delivery and implementation of the Christina School District’s Curriculum.

Project-Based Learning 101 is a three-day intensive workshop (March 19^th -21^st) designed to help educators effectively plan, implement and assess standards-based projects that engage students in instruction that is rigorous, relevant and hands-on. This is a Buck Institute for Education (BIE) Certified Event, and will be taught by Rhonda Hill (BIE Certified Project-Based Learning Facilitator and Trainer, and Instructional Support Specialist with Innovative Schools).

The Innovative Practices Showcase is a half-day event (March 29th) composed of three strands covering the basics of Project-Based Learning, Advisories and Internships, and Performance-based Assessment. Innovative Schools invites educators to see how these practices are embedded in 21st century school designs. Information sessions will be facilitated by Rhonda Hill – Innovative Schools’ Buck Certified Trainer; Kari Thierer – National Director with Big Picture Learning; and Envision Learning.   Schools are encouraged to send multiple representatives to learn how these innovative practices can be implemented in the classroom.

For more information about these two events and to register, click here.

PBL 101 Workshop
March 19, 20 & 21, 2012
8:30am – 4:00pm each day
Delaware New Tech Academy
399 North Market Street Ext
Seaford, DE 19973

To register, click here.

Innovative Practices Showcase
March 29, 2012
1:00pm – 5:00pm
Maple Dale Country Club
180 Maple Dale Circle
Dover, DE 19904

To register, click here.

The first stage of work has begun on developing the statewide Kindergarten Entry Assessment, as part of the state’s winning Early Learning Challenge – Race to the Top plan.  The kindergarten assessment was a key factor in Delaware’s win, and Governor Markell spoke to its importance in his State of the State.The state is seeking a research partner to assist in the formation of a Kindergarten Entry Assessment Advisory Committee that will address questions about implementation to ensure that the assessment is appropriate and not burdensome.

Additionally, Help Me Grow, which is a resource for services for young children, which is integrated with Delaware’s early learning plan has begun rolling out programs. The resource center will be operated by United Way with a 2-1-1 line for parents, healthcare providers, and child care centers, connecting those with the appropriate services, information, and resources. Since research demonstrates that earlier detection and treatment produces more effective treatment and fewer costs later in the child’s life, Help Me Grow is aimed to have a positive effect on the rest of the child’s life and the community.

We will continue to feature developments in Delaware’ early learning plan in the newsletter. Stay tuned!

Delaware’s sole representative to the White House’s science fair was Sussex Technical High School student Priyen Patel, of which 100 students across the United States participated. His science project was “Over-the-Counter and in Your Water? The Most Effective Filtration of Pharmaceuticals.”  Patel participates in his school’s Science Olympiad program and was a finalist in last summer’s Delaware BioGENEius award.

Terri Sharpe, a teacher at Central Middle School, is a February honoree in the Delaware Showcase of Excellence in Digital Learning program. She incorporated the study of economics into social studies classes for her 7th grade students through a program called “Standard of Living/ Mystery Nations.” The students studied factors that determine standard of living, among other __. This program was also highlighted by the Delaware Department of Education as part of its Digital Learning Day recognition.

H.B. duPont Middle School was recently named by the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce to be among its Superstars in Education awards. The school offered an innovative program to teach geometry to 7th graders. Teacher Jeannette Otley developed the Gingerbread Geometry Project to enhance her students’ knowledge and skills in geometry while building a gingerbread house during the holiday season. This project, along with others from across the state, will be recognized at the Superstars in Education awards ceremony this spring.

Newark Charter School student Rumi Khan was recently recognized in a The News Journal profile, highlighting his technological achievements. Although he is only twelve years old, Khan has created a successful app game “Dare to be Square: The Adventure of the Red Square” and a blog about science. He also is a member of his schools’ Math Team and Academic Challenge.

Congratulations to those Delawareans who go above in beyond in advancing science, technology, engineering, and math and help put Delaware on the map for STEM education.

Gauger-Cobbs Middle, in the Christina School District, is one of a number of schools in the Vision Network that have invested additional time this year in building a culture of success for students.  Each of their students is creating a GPS (Goal, Plan, Strategy) sheet for Reading and Math so they can know exactly where they are, exactly where they want to go, and how they are going to get there.  Teachers will help students through this process and will identify students that need additional help for an informal mentoring program.  Together, they will ensure that students have greater ownership of their achievement targets and that everyone is working from the same plan achieve success.  Amy Grundy, Principal at Gauger-Cobbs reflected, “We believe that having students set goals is very important work.  As educators, we need not only to help students set goals, but more importantly support them to achieve their goals.  “Goal Setting/Goal Doing” has been a school wide effort and we are looking forward to celebrating positive outcomes for all of our students!”

For more information about the Vision Network, please contact Michael Rasmussen at michael.rasmussen@vision2015delaware.org, or to learn more about the work at Gauger-Cobbs Middle, please contact Principal Amy Grundy at Grundya@christina.k12.de.us.