SDE: Educator Currents Newsletter for all OK Educators

OK State Dept of Ed sent this bulletin at 04/03/2013 02:32 PM CDT

Free AP and Pre-AP Training

Take advantage of the free training available to any Oklahoma public school teacher. Click here for the AP Professional Development webpage to find times, dates and subjects.

This professional development is open to all teachersinterested in attending. Sessions include one- and four-day workshops as well as Advanced Placement Summer Institutes (APSIs) at the University of Oklahoma and the University of Tulsa. The website has the registration forms for all of the offerings.

If you have questions, please contact Cathy Seward at cathy.seward@sde.ok.gov or phone 405-521-4288.

Submit Teacher of the Year Applications

Access the 2014 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year Application packet by clicking here. Applications are to be postmarked or delivered to the SDE no later than June 7, 2013.

Be part of this wonderful opportunity that recognizes outstanding teachers, allows them to share their experiences with others throughout the state and the nation, and rewards them with thousands of dollars worth of gifts and scholarships.

New to the SDE Website

Check out these recent updates to the SDE Website:

Dynamic Learning Maps (Alternate Assessments)

IDEA-B Advisory Panel (Special Education)

Text of Administrative Rules Adopted by State Board

Thanks for Taking the OK School Speed Test

The State Department of Education and EducationSuperHighway would like to thank everyone who participated in the Oklahoma School Speed Test Month. Thanks to testers like you, we have gathered 73,334 Internet speed tests from 1,621 schools in Oklahoma.

With this data we can map the Internet speeds of 92% of Oklahoma schools, locate schools that need upgrades, and use evidence-based planning to make high-impact changes to improve Internetservices for Oklahoma’s students.

We will continue collecting School Speed Tests to add more data to our connection database and keep it updated here.

Thank you Oklahoma! Together we can upgrade every teacher and student to learning-ready Internet!

Inspire others around the country to action, tell us a story about your school’s Internet and let leaders know why having high speed internet matters to your classroom! Make your voice heard at: myvoice@educationsuperhighway.org.

AP Success Story

The State Department of Education's Office of Advanced Placement recently received a student success story from College Board and wanted to share it with educators from across the state. Click here to read the original letter in Spanish. An English translation is below:

"The Advanced Placement Program® has given me a chance to be the hope for the future. Ever since I came to this country four years ago, the AP® Program has allowed me to challenge myself beyond my own dreams. I would have never imagined the heights my level of learning could reach. Had it not been for the rigorous class work and homework my teachers assigned, I would not have developed the skills I needed to not just survive but also succeed in class. AP classes present many challenges, but with hard work and never-ending diligence, one can obtain success and reap the benefits that I know will last a lifetime.

When I came to the United States in 2008 from the Dominican Republic, I did not have a clue about AP, what it meant for me or how challenging it could be. Back in those days, I thought that the toughest challenges anybody could face were moving to a new country, making new friends and learning a new language — basically starting a new life all over again. But after I conquered my toughest challenge by achieving English proficiency after living only one year in this country, I needed to find a new outlet to test my academic potential. After two years in the U.S., I decided to take my first AP class, in world history. Once in class, I realized just how challenging it was, but I knew that the experience would help me to develop real-life skills such as time management, organization, leadership and better study habits. With a lot of dedication and diligence, I earned the top score of 5 on my first AP Exam. I was extremely happy with this result and I knew I was capable of challenging myself further.

At the beginning of my junior year, I embarked on an even greater challenge when I signed up for several more AP classes. There were many times when I thought I was out of my mind to take multiple college-level classes in one year. I figured that taking several AP courses at a time in high school was a really good stepping-stone to the even more demanding load I will experience as a college freshman next year. And I was confident of my long-term plan to better myself through education, with the hope of being successful in the future. This purpose fueled my motivation to succeed, and it led me to become an AP Scholar with Distinction. I succeeded in a task that seemed impossible, especially as a Latino student with only a few years in the country. That determination to push myself beyond all obstacles is what inspired me, proving that anything is possible with the right attitude.

AP has been so valuable to me because it has been my portal to the real world of rigorous college-level work. My AP classes have challenged me every step of the way, but they have also given me hope. As an immigrant, I knew the U.S. was the land of opportunity, where as long as I worked hard, I would be able to attend college. But now that I have taken and excelled in the Advanced Placement Program courses and exams, I not only see myself attending college but graduating as a top student from one of the best schools in the country. Because of AP Chemistry, I know my goal is to become a chemical engineer. AP converted me into a great student that has applied to schools like MIT, Princeton and Cornell with a real possibility of getting accepted.

Lack of hope for many Latino students simply means that they don’t have self-confidence, preparation and direction. These are all the things that the AP Program inherently offers to students like me. It wasn’t until I took AP that I saw what the future could hold. By unlocking many doors, AP has enabled me to be the hope for the future of our Latino community, but I shouldn’t be in the minority. Whether you are a student, a parent, a teacher or a politician — I challenge you to lead others to AP and give many Latino students that chance to make their dreams come true."

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