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Apply for 2010 Harvard Leadership Program RYHT Fast Facts Quiz Southern Education Foundation Report Important Dates
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Spend Your Summer at Harvard Are you a Texas public or charter school principal? If so, APPLY TODAY TO ATTEND HARVARD! Only a few weeks remain for outstanding school leaders to apply for the 2010 RYHT Harvard Leadership Program. The application deadline is March 31, 2010. Don't miss out on this chance to join an elite team of over 100 Texas public and charter school principals as they attend the Summer Institutes at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The program is dedicated to the support, development, and improvement of school principals and will expose the selected team to the foremost national and international experts in the fields of education and leadership. Raise Your Hand Texas will cover the full cost, including tuition, airefare, lodging, and a modest discretionary fund. Help us ensure that all Texas public schools benefit from quality campus leadership. If you know a principal who should take advantage of this opportunity, please forward this information. Don't have their email? Nominate your principal by emailing Elizabeth at Harvard_Program@RaiseYourHandTexas.org - we'll send them an application. Note: Applicants must apply through the RYHT website. Read more about the RYHT Harvard Leadership Program.  RYHT Fast Facts: Test Your Knowledge Raise Your Hand Texas is committed to keeping you informed on the issues affecting Texas public schools. How much do you know about Pre-Kindergarten? Find out today by taking this month's quiz brought to you by the letter P. Southern State's Budget Cutting Endangers Pre-K Gains The Southern Education Foundation (SEF) recently released a report warning Southern states against endangering critical, hard-earned gains in early childhood education as state legislatures in the region consider substantial cuts to education programs. The South continues to lead the nation in offering high-quality state-funded pre-kindergarten to 20 percent of the region’s three- and four-year-olds --- double the rate of the rest of the nation. In 2008, six Southern states ranked among the nation’s top ten states with the highest enrollment rates in state-supported Pre-K classes: Oklahoma (1st), Florida (3rd), Georgia (4th), Texas (6th), West Virginia (7th), and Arkansas (8th). A growing body of research indicates that the best way to ensure a student’s readiness to learn, reduce in-grade retention, and promote greater achievement at all levels is to substantially invest in the education of students prior to entering kindergarten or first grade. The continued education of three- and four-year old children in the South’s Pre-K programs represents a small but vitally important investment of state funds – even in economic hard times. Mark Your Calendar March 30, 2010 - Interim Hearing: Health, Campus Leadership and STEM House Public Education Committee 9:30 a.m., State Capitol, E2.036 The Committee will meet to consider the following interim charges: -
Study the role of public schools in promoting student health, providing health related information, and responding to infectious diseases, including the H1N1 virus. -
Study the best leadership and management practices of campus administrators for improving student achievement, with particular focus on effective leadership models for improving low-performing campuses. Make recommendations on how to implement successful strategies at scale. Review the current administrator certification process and make suggestions for improvements. -
Review policies to ensure the availability of quality science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curriculum to all students in primary and secondary education. Examine strategies to increase the supply and improve retention rates of teachers in STEM fields
Public testimony will be limited to 3 minutes per person. View a live broadcast. April 20-21, 2010 - Interim Hearing: Middle Schools Senate Committee on Education 9:00 a.m., State Capitol, E1.028 The Committee will hear invited and public testimony on the following charge: -
Review the state's education policy and initiatives regarding middle grades. Make recommendations to ensure a comprehensive state strategy for preparing students at the middle grades for high school retention and success. This review should include an examination of school-based strategies and best practices that encourage at-risk youth to finish school and that deter delinquency, drug abuse and violence.
Public testimony will be limited to 3 minutes per person. View a live broadcast. April 22, 2010 - Interim Hearing: School Finance Select Committee on Public School Finance Weights, Allotments & Adjustments Time and location to be determined. The Committee will hear invited and public testimony on issues related to the Public School Finance system. View a live broadcast. | 
