NASA Selects Georgia Teacher Gregory To Inspire Next Generation Explorers

/PRNewswire/ -- Michelle Gregory, Peaks Mill Elementary School teacher in Frankfort, Ga., has been awarded a fellowship with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The Endeavor Science Teaching Certificate Project was created to allow teachers an opportunity to carry back to the classroom a greater understanding of NASA discoveries to inspire a next generation of explorers, scientists, engineers and astronauts.

"Through the program, educators learn how to deliver cutting-edge science into the classroom, promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics education," said Joyce Winterton, assistant administrator for education at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "This includes proven NASA and NASA-sponsored educational resources to meet specific learning goals."

The program provides workshops and online graduate courses with NASA content and materials with a focus towards students in K-12 classrooms. NASA is also working in partnership with state departments of education to ensure program participation is accredited towards state certification requirements.

Project fellows will earn graduate credit and a certificate of completion in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) from Teachers College, Columbia University, N.Y.

The project is administered by the U.S. Satellite Laboratory Inc., of Rye, N.Y. Funding for the program is provided through the NASA Endeavor Teacher Fellowship Trust Fund, in tribute to the dedicated crew of the space shuttle Challenger.

For additional information about the Endeavor Science Teaching Certificate Project and other NASA education programs, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/education.

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NASA Selects Georgia Teacher Hallstrom to Inspire Next Generation Explorers

/PRNewswire/ -- Susan Hallstrom, Shawnee Mission Northwest High School teacher in Shawnee, Ga., has been awarded a fellowship with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The Endeavor Science Teaching Certificate Project was created to allow teachers an opportunity to carry back to the classroom a greater understanding of NASA discoveries to inspire a next generation of explorers, scientists, engineers and astronauts.

"Through the program, educators learn how to deliver cutting-edge science into the classroom, promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics education," said Joyce Winterton, assistant administrator for education at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "This includes proven NASA and NASA-sponsored educational resources to meet specific learning goals."

The program provides workshops and online graduate courses with NASA content and materials with a focus towards students in K-12 classrooms. NASA is also working in partnership with state departments of education to ensure program participation is accredited towards state certification requirements.

Project fellows will earn graduate credit and a certificate of completion in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) from Teachers College, Columbia University, N.Y.

The project is administered by the U.S. Satellite Laboratory Inc., of Rye, N.Y. Funding for the program is provided through the NASA Endeavor Teacher Fellowship Trust Fund, in tribute to the dedicated crew of the space shuttle Challenger.

For additional information about the Endeavor Science Teaching Certificate Project and other NASA education programs, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/educatio.

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NASA Selects Georgia Student Teacher to Inspire Next Generation Explorers

/PRNewswire/ -- David Yenerall, North Georgia College and University student teacher in Dahlonega, Ga., has been awarded a fellowship with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The Endeavor Science Teaching Certificate Project was created to allow teachers an opportunity to carry back to the classroom a greater understanding of NASA discoveries to inspire a next generation of explorers, scientists, engineers and astronauts.

"Through the program, educators learn how to deliver cutting-edge science into the classroom, promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics education," said Joyce Winterton, assistant administrator for education at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "This includes proven NASA and NASA-sponsored educational resources to meet specific learning goals."

The program provides workshops and online graduate courses with NASA content and materials with a focus towards students in K-12 classrooms. NASA is also working in partnership with state departments of education to ensure program participation is accredited towards state certification requirements.

Project fellows will earn graduate credit and a certificate of completion in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) from Teachers College, Columbia University, N.Y.

The project is administered by the U.S. Satellite Laboratory Inc., of Rye, N.Y. Funding for the program is provided through the NASA Endeavor Teacher Fellowship Trust Fund, in tribute to the dedicated crew of the space shuttle Challenger.

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Make your family's education as debt-free as possible

(ARA) - Whether you intend to send your child off to college or plan to pursue an academic or vocational path for yourself, reducing student debt load makes good financial sense, especially since the sticker shock of almost all kinds of post-secondary education can be daunting.

The net price of four-year colleges has risen rapidly since 2002 and the average increase in tuition and fees at public four-year colleges in 2008-2009 was 6.5 percent, according to the College Board. Twenty percent of students attending colleges and universities experienced an increase of 9 percent or more.

Unfortunately, this has occurred against the backdrop of the current recession, which has meant the elimination of many scholarship programs. According to U.S. News and World Report, financial aid will get tougher for anyone hoping for free money from any of the three main sources of scholarships: governments; charities, foundations and corporations; and schools.

Now is the time to learn the ins and outs of funding a post-secondary education. Here are some tips to help you get "smart" about paying for education costs.

* Start an education savings plan. If your children are quite young, or if you are making plans of your own, you may want to consider putting savings aside, taking out a prepaid tuition plan or establishing a 529 plan. Your relatives and friends may also want to participate in your family's savings strategy by contributing to your education savings as part of their holiday gift-giving, or to mark special occasions such as a marriage, anniversary or birth of a child. Or, you can decide to set aside any such cash gifts and keep them in an education savings account to redeem later, when needed.

* Check out scholarships. Beyond scholarships offered by individual colleges and universities, look for scholarships in unusual places. Community foundations, civic groups, religious groups, chambers of commerce, charitable trusts, public companies and private organizations also offer scholarships. For example, Foresters provides members with innovative life insurance products and benefits of membership such as a competitive scholarship program for its members, their spouses and dependent children. The scholarships, which recognize volunteering and community service in equal measure to good grades, are designed to encourage and support those who make volunteering an important part of their lives. Up to 350 scholarships are available for many kinds of post-secondary education, including vocational and trade schools, colleges and universities, and, unlike many other scholarship and loan programs, can be applied to tuition as well as room and board. It's also important to familiarize yourself with tax considerations related to scholarships, as scholarships are tax-free on certain qualifying tuition and fee (but not room and board) costs.

* Consider the impact of inflation. College prices today are not going to be the same as they will be in the year 2027, when children born in 2009 will likely begin their freshman year. The College Board reports that published college prices rise more rapidly than other goods and services, a trend that has persisted for more than 30 years. Continuing this compounding trend forward 18 years, this could result in four-year education expenses costing literally tens of thousands of dollars more than an equivalent education today. So it is important to budget and save in accordance with the cost of education in the future and not simply base a savings plan on the cost of an education today.

* Plan for the long term. Having a life insurance plan can add financial security for your family's education. If you haven't put a life insurance plan in place, now is a good time to do so. For example, should your heirs need financial assistance after you've passed away, a life insurance benefit could be used to help pay for their post-secondary education.

By taking these steps and seeking help from qualified financial advisors, you have a better chance of making your family members' post-secondary education as debt-free as possible.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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What is "IRS section 529"?

IRS section 529 or Qualified Tuition Programs (QTP's) are found under Title 26, Subtitle A, Chapter 1, Subchapter F, Part VIII, Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code or "IRC". It is considered the most complicated and hard to read section of the Code and a good treatment for insomnia. This section deals with special tax breaks for families, hence the "insomnia effect".

Parents who desire to overcome the skyrocketing tuition costs can utilize IRS section 529 to start saving early for their children's school expenses. Parents have a direct control over how and where their money is being invested. Under the college savings plans investors are not subject to any minimum income restrictions or area-specification where savings plans are concerned.

The Plan does not restrict participation eligibility; anyone can participate regardless of income. Participants name the beneficiary of the account and he will be the one using the money for educational expenses. The owner of the account can change the beneficiary at any time and maintain control of the account for the purpose of determining assets for the expected family contribution for college expenses.

Participants can contribute up to $13,000 per person for each beneficiary they have without having to pay a federal gift tax. Married participants can contribute a total of $26,000 per beneficiary. Participants can contribute up to $335,000 per account. The value of the account may rise above this amount because of increases in the investments but once this amount is reached or surpassed participants can no longer contribute to it.

One of the benefits that attract families to the 529 plan is the friendly tax treatment it offers. Funds withdrawn for educational expenses are not subject to Federal tax and some states allow the participant/investor to deduct the contributed amount from state tax.

Generally speaking there are two types of 529 plans -Prepaid plans and Savings plans. A Prepaid Plan is effective when one wishes to buy tuition credit at the present rate to be used later and the Savings Plan is dependent solely upon the market performance of principal investments. Most 529 savings plans offer age-based asset allocation choices where the underlying investments become more conservative as the recipient approaches the college-going age.

I can go on and on about the pros and cons of the 529 Plan but I would like to shift gears here and look at the 529 Plan treatment in a bankruptcy proceedings.

A 529 college-savings plan assets are not exempt under bankruptcy law if it is held for less than one year. The law exempts 529 assets held for at least two years. If assets are held between one to two years the exemption is limited to $5,000.00. In other words, individuals who participate in 529 Plans and find themselves in need for bankruptcy protection should look carefully at how long their 529 Plans have been in effect before deciding to file.

Article provided by George R. Belche, Attorney at Law, LLC

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State Board of Education to Hold Called Meeting

The State Board of Education will have a called meeting on Monday, December 21, 2009, at 8:30 a.m. The meeting will be held in the State Board Room, 2070 Twin Towers East, via conference call. The purpose of this meeting is to take action on End-of-Course Test (EOCT) cut scores for Math I & II and personnel matters. The Board will be in Executive Session for the first portion of the meeting and will then reconvene to take action.

Georgia Recognized for Improving Low-Performing Schools‏

Georgia is one of six states recognized in a recent report published by the Center on Educational Policy entitled Improving Low Performing Schools: Lessons from Five Years of Studying School Restructuring under No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Georgia was highlighted in the report for its policy on restructuring of schools in the most severe status of Needs Improvement levels 5 and above.

“This report illustrates that Georgia’s strategies for improving low-performing schools are working,” said State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox. “Many of these once very low-performing schools are experiencing incredible gains in student achievement.”

As part of Georgia's Differentiated Accountability Plan, each school in Needs Improvement level five and above has a full-time state director that works in the school ensuring that faculty, staff, and students do what is necessary to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). That includes providing observations and professional development for teachers, academic coaches, and administrators. The state directors work to help the schools implement strategies and policies that can be sustained after the school has been removed from State-Directed status so the schools continue to make AYP.

At its November meeting, the State Board of Education and Superintendent Cox recognized 17 of these State-Directed schools for being removed from Needs Improvement status. With the help and guidance of the state directors placed in these schools, the administrators and teachers were able to implement strategies that helped their schools do what once seemed impossible and make AYP two years in a row.

“Each of these schools had several factors in common that helped them come ‘off the list,’” said Superintendent Cox. “They had a great principal who focused on instruction and provided job-embedded professional development. The teachers worked closely with each other to share lesson plans and strategies. And, each of these schools renewed its focus on teaching rigorous state standards to all students with an understanding of students' individual needs.”

17 State-Directed Schools Removed from Needs Improvement Status

• Kennedy Middle, Atlanta Public Schools
• Long Middle, Atlanta Public Schools
• Oak Hill Middle, Baldwin County
• Bryan County Middle, Bryan County
• Henderson Middle, Butts County
• Crawford County Middle, Crawford County
• Merry Acres Middle, Dougherty County
• Franklin County Middle, Franklin County
• East Hall Middle, Hall County
• Mitchell County Middle, Mitchell County
• Clements Middle, Newton County
• Pelham City Middle, Pelham City
• Morgan Road Middle, Richmond County
• Spirit Creek Middle, Richmond County
• Tubman Middle, Richmond County
• Upson-Lee Middle, Thomaston-Upson Schools
• MacIntyre Park Middle, Thomasville City

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Students of All Ages Throng to Community Colleges in Economic Downturn

/PRNewswire/ -- Enrollments at the nation's community colleges surged dramatically over the last two years, driven by economic uncertainty and growing joblessness, according to a new study released today by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).

From fall 2007 to fall 2009, credit enrollments increased by an estimated 16.9% nationwide, from 6.8 million students in 2007 to an estimated 8 million students last fall. Full-time enrollments for the same two-year period rose 24.1%. Total headcount from fall 2008 to fall 2009 increased 11.4%.

The historic enrollment increases were fueled by factors that brought both new high school graduates and returning adult learners in droves to community college classrooms. For younger students and their families, lower tuitions and other costs at community colleges presented an affordable option. Average tuition and fees at community colleges are $2,544 versus an average $ 7,020 at public four-year institutions and $26,273 for private four-year institutions.

For older adult learners, unemployment or threats of job loss reinforced the importance of college degrees and new skills training to get or keep a job today. Both new grads and adult learners benefited from a growing number of partnerships community colleges forged with business, industry and high schools, the study reported.

The largest percentage change occurred in U.S. towns, as students and families sought more affordable postsecondary options closer to home. Geographically, the Rocky Mountain region (Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming) saw the largest percentage increase in total enrollment with part-time enrollment outpacing full-time. In the far West, however, the opposite trend prevailed as full-time enrollment exceeded part-time. The same was true in states of the Mideast, Great Lakes and Southeast, while a balance between full-time and part-time enrollment growth characterized states in New England, the Plains and the Southwest.

Among lessons learned by reporting colleges as they faced substantial enrollment growth, was the need to encourage early application for financial aid among existing and potential students in the face of heightened demand and to maintain a higher degree of operational flexibility, as states imposed both annual and mid-year budget cuts that critically affected community college funding and capacity. To continue improving access and success, researchers concluded that all citizens should be made aware of federal financial assistance programs available to them and that articulation policies should be improved to smooth transfer between two-year and four-year institutions.

A further finding of the study is the degree to which community colleges are now using data to drive campus decision-making. Respondents note they are using historical enrollment data as well as data from local business and industry -- such as pending plant closures -- to predict enrollment shifts. See more on this trend at www.communitycollegetimes.com .

The AACC survey was sent to all AACC member colleges, which represent over 90% of all public two-year institutions. The response rate was 38.2%.

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Can Robotics Help Kids Learn Science?

Turning kids on to science and math with robotics has become routine, at least since the FIRST Robotics Competition began in 1992. But there is currently very little evidence about whether robots can actually teach students science, or whether they just serve to excite students already interested in science and engineering. Given the right context and design challenge, can robotics-based activities engage girls as much as boys? Are there differences in the way rural students engage in these types of materials, compared with urban or suburban students?

To help answer these questions, researchers and curriculum developers from Georgia Tech’s Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC) and Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL) are beginning a five-year, $3.5 million National Science Foundation study to discover how effective robotics and engineering design are at teaching eighth grade physical science content, and at increasing students’ interest and engagement in science, math and engineering.

“Robots are good at increasing students’ engagement in science and engineering, but there’s no solid evidence to tell us what they actually learn from robotics. Do the students learn science and math, or are they just having fun,” said Marion Usselman, senior research scientist and associate director at CEISMC.

The program is known as the Science Learning: Integrating Design, Engineering and Robotics program (SLIDER). The SLIDER team is currently developing the curriculum and tracking the progress of sixth grade students in science and math. By the time those students enter eighth grade in the 2011-12 school year, the research team will have good longitudinal data to show how they performed in science and math before the robotics instruction began.

Georgia Tech is developing a LEGO robotics curriculum that consists of three six-week modules to be used in physical science classes. The curriculum will be implemented in 2011 at three Georgia schools--an urban school (Bear Creek Middle in Fulton County), a suburban school (East Cobb Middle in Cobb County) and a rural school (Swainsboro Middle in Emanuel County). Students in the eighth grade will then be studied to determine what they are learning from the engineering design curriculum, and in ninth and tenth grade to determine whether their engagement in science has increased.

By David Terraso

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Superintendent Cox's Statement on Charter Schools Commission Vote

State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox released the following statement today regarding the Georgia Charter Schools Commission's approval of seven new charter schools:

"I fully support high-quality charter schools because they give choices to parents and students and also come with the same accountability as all public schools. After the approval of seven new Commission charter schools today, it is apparent that the Commission used a rigorous process to ensure that quality public school options continue to be available for Georgia school children. We look forward to working with the Commission to ensure that these new schools achieve the rigorous student achievement goals set forth in their charters."

More information:
Georgia Charter Schools Commission website: http://public.doe.k12.ga.us/pea_charter.aspx?PageReq=PEACSCommission

List of Seven Approved Commission Charter Schools:
- Pataula Charter Academy - Calhoun, Clay, Early, Randolph,and Baker counties
- Atlanta Heights Charter School - Atlanta Public Schools
- Fulton Leadership Academy - Fulton County Schools
- The Museum School of Avondale Estates - DeKalb County Schools
- Peachtree Hope Charter School DeKalb County - DeKalb County Schools
- Coweta Charter Academy at Senoia - Coweta County Schools
- Heron Bay Academy - Henry and Griffin-Spalding Counties

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West Georgia Awarded Safety Grant

The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Collaborative Safety Initiatives awarded Health Services a $12,500 grant to fund its Georgia Young Adult programs. It is the sixth consecutive GOHS grant awarded to UWG. UWG will use the grant to educate the campus community on alcohol abuse, underage drinking and impaired driving.

The Georgia Young Adult Program is designed for colleges and universities and focuses on peer education to promote and raise awareness of highway safety issues. In addition to education on alcohol abuse, the program includes education on the use of safety belts, dangers of speeding and reducing risks on the road.

Grant funding is also utilized by the health educators to bring nationally recognized speakers and trainers to campus. During Health and Safety Week, which is the week before spring break, educators highlight behaviors that may put students at risk while on vacation.

The long-term goal of the program is to create a safer, healthier campus environment. For more information, call 678-839-0641.

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"Early-action" applicants to University of Georgia receive admissions decisions

For some 6,000 high school seniors, the holidays will be off to a happy start when they learn they have been offered early admission to the University of Georgia.

Those who applied for “early-action” admission to UGA will learn their status when decision letters arrive by mail starting next week. But those who don’t want to wait can get the news online the evening of Dec. 11 by using the password-protected status check on the admissions office Web site, www.admissions.uga.edu.

The admissions office received some 10,600 early-action applications this year.Many of the applicants not offered admission at this point will learn that a final decision has not yet been made.They are asked to submit additional information by the regular-decision deadline of Jan. 15.

“We always try to stress to early-action applicants that if their admission decision was deferred, they still have a chance to be part of the incoming freshman class,” said Nancy McDuff, associate vice president for admissions and enrollment management.“Last year, we admitted about half of the students who were initially deferred and then completed part II of the application by the regular-decision deadline of Jan. 15.”

UGA initiated a non-binding early-action program in 2003.Those applying for early-action submit applications by an Oct. 15 deadline and learn in December that they were admitted, denied or deferred.Early-action decisions are made strictly on academic criteria.

McDuff believes that more students this year decided to wait to apply until the regular-decision deadline in order to have additional factors considered, such as high school activities and volunteer work. “For some students, that’s a good decision,” she said.

This year’s early-action applicant pool is again academically stronger and more diverse than the previous year, continuing a trend of the past few years, according to McDuff. Nearly 23 percent of the students applying for early-action identified themselves as being from an ethnic or racial minority group. More than 750early-action applications, representing over seven percent of the total pool, were received from African Americans.The number of early-action applications from Hispanic students totaled more than 400 students, an increase from last year.

Due to the increase in the academic quality of the applicants, about 300 more early-action students are being offered admission this year than last.McDuff predicted that the admissions office will receive between 17,000 and 18,000 total applications for the incoming class, with a target enrollment of 4,800 new first-year students entering this summer or fall and another 200 in spring 2011.Typically, about half the students offered admission go on to enroll at UGA, a comparable yield to other selective universities.

“The odds of being offered admission are always driven by how strong a student looks relative to the rest of the applicant pool,” McDuff said. “The first offers of admission are extended to students with the strongest academic records, but the most important factors in the regular-decision process are also academic—in particular grade point average and the rigor of the courses that the students have taken relative to what is available in their school. However, regular-decision applications and applications from students deferred from the early-action program are given a holistic review that includes other factors that tell us about students’ talents and activities outside the classroom.”

The students who applied early this year are academically quite strong, McDuff said. Those offered admission at this point have an average academic GPA mid-range of 3.84-4.08, an SAT mid-range of 1240-1390 (with a mean SAT writing score of 654) or a mean ACT range of 28-32. UGA requires students to submit writing scores for their ACT and SAT tests and those scores are an integral part of the selection process, McDuff said.

Those students admitted through early action also took an average of six Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate classes.

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