1. AP Participation Still Growing Participation in the Advanced Placement program continues to grow in Wisconsin. Preliminary data from the College Board shows a 6.5 percent increase from the previous year, with 33,455 students taking AP exams last spring. Students of color were nearly 12 percent of AP test-takers. Even with increased participation, Wisconsin students do well on AP exams. The percentage of students earning at least a passing score was 68.4 percent, 9.1 percentage points higher than the national average. State Superintendent Tony Evers said expanding AP participation is one way the state is working for every child a graduate, ready for college and career. Wisconsin is offering lots of ways to engage students and help them pursue rigorous studies. Other recent efforts in this area include dual enrollment agreements and enhanced opportunities for online or blended learning. A fact-sheet, “College Credit and Work Experience in High School,” available from the Agenda 2017 Communication Resources page, provides more information. Back to Top 3. JoAnn Miller to Represent Wisconsin Teachers Science and Biology Teacher JoAnn Miller of Oconto Falls High School, is Wisconsin’s representative to the National Teacher of the Year program. State Superintendent Tony Evers noted Miller leads by example—seeking National Board Certification, taking additional coursework so as to provide cutting edge science instruction to students, living a commitment to helping both students and new teachers. Miller will receive an additional $6,000 from the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation (She already won a $1,000 Kohl Teacher Fellowship which resulted in her nomination, and $3,000 as one of Wisconsin's four Teachers of the Year). Miller pushes students to achieve through a science curriculum incorporating student-driven inquiry. “By creating a positive classroom environment that invites investigation, discovery, and curiosity, students can open their minds to a world of unforeseen knowledge,” she says. Her AP students master complex concepts by translating them into biology-themed children's books. She founded her schools annual Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Symposium, where over 300 students present original scientific research and projects to classmates, community members, and business leaders. Her Beaker Buddies program pairs elementary students with high school volunteers for labs and other activities that spark interest in science. Wide-ranging experiences and volunteerism outside of teaching prepared Miller to coach students on non-academic skills like pushing past personal barriers and knowing workplace expectations. Back to Top 4. PLCs to Improve Education for Students with Disabilities Wisconsin will receive $1.3 million in each of the next five years to promote high quality teaching for children with disabilities, primarily through a Professional Learning Community (PLC) approach. Twenty-two states are sharing $24 million per year in this cohort of federal State Personnel Development Grants (SPDG) from the U.S. Department of Education. Wisconsin will use the grant for a project called "Focus on PLCs." Educators at schools with a particular need to raise achievement, or reduce achievement gaps, for students with disabilities will form PLCs. In these groups, they will analyze data and decide on actions for their own classrooms. The grant will also continue to fund three projects initiated during a previous round of SPDG grant money in Wisconsin: the Early Childhood and Curriculum and Assessment Network, which uses an approach similar to PLCs to help young students with disabilities; the state's SPDG mini-grant program for colleges and universities, which enhances training for teachers related to students with disabilities; and helping the Parent Training and Information Center get parents involved in the PLC project. Back to Top 5. Financial Literacy Grants Twenty-four Wisconsin school districts are sharing $250,000 in state grants to enhance personal finance education. They were selected out of more than 50 applicants by the Governor's Council on Financial Literacy as part of a collaborative effort which also involved the DPI, the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), and the Wisconsin Women's Council. Funding for the program came from settlement funds received by DFI over the last couple of years. Wisconsin was the first state in the nation to develop content and performance standards defining what students should know about financial literacy. “Preparing students to understand and participate in their own financial well-being through education in personal financial literacy is essential if we want every child to graduate with the knowledge and skills needed for success in college and career,” said State Superintendent Tony Evers. These grants will help schools provide important financial literacy lessons to students. The programs that will receive the grants and the amounts they will receive can be viewed in the online news release. Back to Top 6. Student Conference from WEASSP Subscriber Submission! The Wisconsin Association of Student Support Programs (WEASSP) will host its 2012 Student Conference on Thursday, December 13, at the Country Springs Hotel in Pewaukee (just west of Milwaukee). The theme is “Life Long Empowerment: Students and Parents Advocating for their Future.” The event is open to both middle and high school students and will provide them with meaningful and motivational information to better prepare them for college and for future success. Students will have the opportunity to listen to college panel discussions and to speak firsthand with representatives from Wisconsin colleges. They will attend workshops on bullying, ACT preparation, personal development, and researching colleges and scholarships. Keynoting this year is Thelma Sias, Vice President of Local Affairs for We Energies. For information contact Kelly Ramirez, 414-443-8543, or visit the web site for registration materials. Deadline to register is November 9. The WEASSP board includes numerous representatives of the DPI and the Wisconsin Educational Opportunity Programs (WEOP). This story was submitted by a DPI-ConnectEd subscriber! We are looking for your news of exciting programs, promising practices, initiatives that could benefit from publicity, or your questions about working with Wisconsin students. E-mail just a sentence or two to benson.gardner@dpi.wi.gov, with "Story Idea" in the subject line. Back to Top | 
