The 411 - News You Can Use About Broward Schools

Each new school year brings with it a sense of excitement and anticipation. This year, in Broward, that excitement is heightened by the news the District received in June from the state. School grades in Broward made a dramatic jump, earning the District itself a grade of “A.” The District had a record 144 regular elementary, middle and high schools earn “A”s, an increase of 50 from last year and 85.5 percent of our schools now have grades of “A” or “B.”

Only 30 of Broward’s schools received grades of “C” or lower, an improvement from the 2004/05 total of 65, and no Broward County Public School received an “F.”

Our efforts to focus on student achievement resulted in 81 schools receiving improved grades, including 47 elementary schools, 21 middle schools and 13 high schools. Twenty-two schools posted multiple grade improvements, including 15 schools that went from a “C” to an “A.” Tedder Elementary recorded a three-grade improvement, moving from a “D” in 2004/05 to an “A” this year and 16 high schools earned “A”s or “B”s, doubling last year’s total.

Gains such as these would not have been possible without a team effort. I congratulate and thank each of you for the determination you have shown to provide the best possible education for students.

While we are delighted with our overall results, we know that there is still work to be done. By working as a team there is no limit to what we can accomplish. What you do each day truly makes a difference in the lives of Broward’s children.

I look forward to working with you this school year.

High Schools and Centersto Participate in H.S. Professional Study Days

As part of the Superintendent’s High School Reform Initiative - a strategy to transform Broward’s high schools by increasing academic rigor, improving the learning environment and enhancing student performance – 19 high schools and three centers will participate in H.S. Professional Study Days this school year.

The initiative, which grew out of the joint efforts of the Broward Teachers Union and the District, provides each high school faculty an opportunity to schedule additional time for teacher professional development and training, in addition to time already set aside for that purpose. Each high school and center instructional staff voted on the issue, including which, if any, of the eight potential early release days available to them they wanted to use.

All professional study day activities will center on improving student achievement and will include curriculum discussions, teacher trainings, collaborative planning, department meetings, analysis of data for student improvement and more. The effectiveness of the study days will be evaluated at the end of the year.

Save $$$ by Using the Urgent Care instead of the ER

The American Institute for Preventive Medicine has calculated that the average cost for an emergency room visit is $462. Additionally, (www.timesunion.com) reports that the average wait time upon arrival is two hours and forty minutes. The ER is a 24-hour-a-day facility staffed by specially trained physicians and nurses that should be utilized when there is a life-threatening emergency, but studies show that half of all ER visits don’t qualify as true emergencies.

Urgent Care Centers are practical alternatives to treat minor injuries and illnesses. There are many advantages to using an Urgent Care Center. They can be accessed with only a co-payment; no appointment is necessary; and most centers are open late evenings, weekends and holidays. Most centers are located near residential areas, so a center may be closer to your home than a hospital.

If your health care need is urgent, but not a life-threatening emergency, go to an Urgent Care Center. It’s a decision that can save you time and money.

Please call your Humana or Vista HealthPlan on-site representative for a list of the participating facilities closest to you. Facilities are also listed online on your health insurance carrier’s Web site.

Conferencing Services
Save Both Time and Money
Fact:
• Every Broward County school and area office has at least one video-conferencing system to use for distance learning.
• Approximately 500,000 minutes of video-conferencing were used last year.
• The popularity of audio-conferencing has exploded to over 2.2 million talk minutes since July, 2005.
• Teachers, children and administrators have held conferences locally, nationally and internationally.
• Many innovative school district employees regularly use video or audio-conferencing as a way to combat skyrocketing gas prices and save travel time.
• The audiobridge has been upgraded to accommodate 294 users.
• Additionally, the audiobridge provides simultaneous data collaboration on either PC or MAC platforms.

To learn more about audio-conferencing or video-conferencing or to receive training, please contact Education Technology Services at 754-321-0484, or visit their Web site www.broward.k12.fl.us/cs).

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