D.O.E. to Host Student Success Summit, April 27
Event will offer strategies and resources to prepare students for success after high school
(DOVER, DEL.) April 10, 2007 — The Delaware Department of Education (DOE) will host a Student Success Summit on Friday, April 27, at Dover Downs to share resources and information that educators can use to prepare students for success in college, work and life. “High school is not just a right of passage that our children must get through. It should be a springboard for success that provides every student with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed, and the ability to self-initiate,” said Education Secretary Valerie Woodruff.
The Student Success Summit is part of DOE’s Reaching Higher for Student Success initiative, which encompasses a range of educational programs and activities designed to revitalize public middle and high schools. Superintendents, principals, curriculum directors, school counselors and other educators have been invited to participate in the event, which will feature:
- Keynote remarks by Dr. Robert Barr, an international expert on teaching at-risk children and author of numerous books on the subject, including The Kids Left Behind. He will share practical, usable best-practice strategies that can be implemented at district, school, and classroom levels, including “Seven Secrets of Success” that have been proven to work.
- A demonstration of the online resource, Career Cruising, that will be made available statewide for public schools to implement a Student Success Plan (SSP) for every 8th and 9th grade student in the 2007-08 school year. SSPs are individualized plans that help students explore their college and career options, and make the right curriculum choices to reach their goals.
- A student panel led by Dr. George Tilson, Ed.D., of TransCen, Inc., which conducted several youth forums across the state in fall 2006. They will present the findings of those forums and discuss the importance of the student view and their involvement in high school improvements.
- Workshops on topics including career and technical education, how to build partnerships that prepare students for life after high school, advisement programs, how to personalize the school experience, and how to use all available resources to support student learning.
“It’s been a challenge to get where we are today, but I’m pleased to say that the time is right for this initiative to succeed. The planets are aligned and many people and organizations, both locally and nationally, are working together toward a common goal—to prepare students for success in life,” Woodruff said. “Our students have told us to expect more of them, but they need our help and they need to know that we care about them as individuals. Each student needs to make a connection with at least one adult in their high school who is watching out for them and rooting for them. That’s a critical element of our Reaching Higher for Student Success initiative, and we’ll be working with every district statewide to make it happen.”
The Student Success Summit is just one component included in the Reaching Higher for Student Success initiative. Other components include:
- Individualized Student Success Plans
- New graduation requirements aligned with college entrance requirements
- Expanded Advanced Placement offerings
- Improved career and technical education
- Free college tuition for an associate’s degree
- Real-world experiences for students
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Delaware's Department of Education is committed to promoting the highest quality education
for every Delaware student by providing visionary leadership and superior service.
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Contact Info.
Alison Kepner Delaware Department of Education 401 Federal Street, Suite #2 Dover, Delaware 19901 Phone: (302) 735-4035 Fax: (302) 739-4654 Email: akepner@doe.k12.de.us |
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