Minnesota Students' Scores Mixed on Nation’s Report Card
Today the National Center for Education Statistics released the 2015 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) showing mixed results for Minnesota students. “While we can be proud of our students’ relatively strong performance compared to other states, it would be a mistake to be complacent given that there is still significant room for improvement,” said Commissioner Brenda Cassellius.
Read news release.
Minnesota Awarded Three Grants to Support Nutrition Efforts
There is no doubt that access to healthy, nutritious meals is a key component of a child’s development. In an effort to strengthen school meal programs, the Minnesota Department of Education is happy to announce that it is the recipient of three grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Totaling over half a million dollars, the grants will provide for increased training, education and accountability. “If a child comes to school hungry, they are unable to focus on their learning. It is critical that we provide students with the nutrition they need to succeed in the classroom,” Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius said.
Read news release.
Professional Development and Evaluation Resources
Looking to strengthen your principal evaluation program? Check out these new resources. Promising practices are activities, strategies, and approaches that have been shown to be effective through experience and/or research and have led to positive outcomes. To date, MDE has collected and published 10 Promising Practices that have been used successfully by districts around the state. These practices can be used as exemplars, providing a valuable source of tested ideas. Find a practice that works for your district.
Visit the new Principal Evaluation Promising Practices web page.
Opportunity to Pilot Principal Leadership Survey
The Minnesota Department of Education is working with stakeholders and the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Midwest to develop a survey to be administered to teachers regarding principal leadership. We are seeking schools or districts representing various school sizes, regions and demographics to participate in piloting the survey in January-February 2016. Interested or have questions? Please email Michael Coty or call 651-582-8658 by Friday, November 13, 2015.
Which state produces the most honey in the United States?
North Dakota. (Minnesota is sixth on Statista's top ten list of honey producers.)
Source: Statista
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Memories of Minnesota School Shooting Lead NFL's Decker to Tackle Bullying
Eric Decker never actually heard the gunshots.The New York Jets wide receiver remembers being in the school lunchroom when the "Code Red" ominously blared over the intercom. Read more on MPRnews.
500 Minnesota Districts Eating Farm-to-School Lunches
Students at 1,351 schools across Minnesota are eating nutritious, locally-grown meals through the Farm to School program. Visit Fox9 for full article.
Minnesota Lawmakers Review Student Time Spent Testing
Having reined in the amount of time K-12 students spend on local tests, Minnesota lawmakers now are looking to cut back on assessments required by the federal government. Read full Pioneer Press story.
Number of Low-Income Students Grows in Twin Cities Suburbs
The number of students, at Apple Valley's Greenleaf Elementary, who qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a federal indicator of poverty, has jumped 380 percent in the past decade. Read full story at MPRnews.
Submitting Your First College Application!
Last week of College Knowledge Month and seniors at participating high schools have been attending college fairs, conducting research into the many postsecondary options available, and figuring out career paths that interest them. The final step is to submit a college application. Many of the students participating will be the first person in their family to attend college. Congratulations to all who are applying and wishing you every success! Read Oct. 23 post.
Statewide Effort to Increase Graduation Rates Gets a Boost
Graduating high school is more than the end of a student’s time in the public school system, it marks an important milestone in their journey to career and college. A high school diploma opens up a multitude of options for students, which is why there is a statewide effort underway to reach a 90 percent graduation rate for all high school students by 2020. Learn about the GradMinnesota Initiative.
Young Scholars: Finding and Developing Talent in Underserved Populations of Gifted Learners Workshop, Dec. 3, 2015
Attention: Gifted education coordinators and specialists, classroom teachers, administrators, and early childhood educators. Register now for this December 3 workshop. The Young Scholars model is designed to find students with high academic potential from diverse backgrounds at an early age, and to nurture their potential so that they will be prepared to engage in advanced learning opportunities as they progress through school. Hear from Dr. Carol V. Horn and three local schools with Young Scholar programs.
Kids Safe Online 2016 Poster Contest
The Minnesota Department of Education is pleased to be partnering with MN.IT Services, Multi State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), and the Jacob Wetterling Foundation to promote safe online behavior and the 2016 Kids Safe Online Poster Contest. Contest is open to all Minnesota public, private and home-schooled students in grades K-12. Visit contest site for submission form and contest rules.
Poster entries should be submitted to: Kids Safe Online 2016 Poster Contest, Attn: L. Hildebrant, Minnesota Department of Education, 1500 Hwy 36 West, Roseville, MN 55113-4266. Submissions must be received by December 18, 2015.
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