Council receives $600,000 Wachovia Grant

Hillsborough Principal Wins $10,000 Award

Delve into the "Anatomy of School Improvement"

Find out more about the Council's Executive PASS program

Jeffrey Miller received the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Exemplary Partnership Award--Business Leader at a special event sponsored by the District at Parrot Jungle on March 30 th. Mr. Miller received the Award for his work with Hialeah Elementary through the Council’s PASS © program. A PASS CEO at the school, he sponsors a traditional PASS program and a PASS enhancement Parent Academy. Mr. Miller is a Council Board member and the President and CEO of Weeks Gas/Barbecue Superstore in Hialeah. More information about the impact of Mr. Miller’s work on student achievement and school improvement through PASS follows.

The Council extends its thanks and appreciation to Representative Ralph Arza. Representative Arza recommended a $500,000 increase in PASS funding in addition to the current $920,000 allocated in the proposed budget. Governor Jeb Bush has recommended$ 1.5 millionfor PASS in his budget. The Council also thanks the Governor, the Council Board, and PASS partners who advocated for increased PASS funding to scale-up PASS. We ask PASS supporters to continue to advocate for this increased funding that will help us implement PASS at more schools. There are currently 54 school models and 4 special PASS programs. PASS is partnered by the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE), the Florida Council of 100, and corporate and philanthropic leaders.

Raymond James Financial , Inc. is the first statewide sponsor of PASS. Their support will help fund many significant activities including PASS implementation and administration, maintenance of the statewide network, scale-up of PASS, ongoing evaluation and other efforts that involve and benefit all PASS schools. The Council extends its appreciation to Raymond James Financial Chairman and CEO, Thomas A. James, and also to Scott Curtis, company Senior Vice President and Council Board member. Their support will be acknowledged at the May 10 th Annual PASS meeting in St. Petersburg at Raymond James corporate headquarters.

At the March Council Board Meeting, Lydia Logan, the National Program Manager of the US Chamber of Commerce’s Business Education Network (BEN), was a special guest. BEN is a national coalition of businesses, educators, and education providers dedicated to advancing the global competitiveness of the U.S. education system and the success of students.  The Council participates in BEN and Council Executive Director, Dr. Elaine Liftin, was recently tapped to present at their October 2006 Summit. Ms. Logan shared some BEN’s priorities: Math, Science and Technology; Educator Development; and Standards/Accountability.

The Council unveiled its new version of SP SnapShot 2.0™, a student performance data tool at the Florida Educational Technology Conference in Orlando on March 23 rd. Some information provided by the tool: percentage of students making or below proficiency by grade; average student subscores by grade; status and trend reports; and No Child Left Behind and Adequate Yearly Progress measurements. It turns data into useful information for teachers and educators to tailor and individualize instruction and curriculum.

Two workshops were held for participants in the Council’s Wachovia Foundation Teachers and Teaching Initiative. The Council’s Wachovia program teams veteran teacher mentors with new/beginning teachers at selected PASS schools to help retain and develop the novice teachers. It includes workshops, onsite mentoring, and online learning modules developed especially for the program. The March 25 th and April 1 st workshops included the mentors, mentees, Council staff and some special presenters including Dr. Billy Birnie. The program is coordinated by Peter Bucholtz, Council consultant, who developed and implemented last year’s successful pilot and the ongoing three year program. The Council program is one of only 23 funded nationally by the Wachovia Foundation.

The Council wants to thank some recent donors and supporters of its programs and activities including: George & Carol P. Bayer, Publix Super Markets Charities, Inc., St. Joe Community Foundation, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, The Soffer Family, Turnberry & Associates, Inc., Gerry & Cathy Hogan, Uhlfelder and Associates PA, The Haskell Company, Kraft Construction Company, Inc., Kenco Communities, Inc., Randall McElheney, Mr. & Mrs. Tad Foote, Raymond James Financial, Inc., Leon County Public Schools, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Inc., Progress Energy Florida, Inc., The Robert & Mary Graham Family Fund within the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay, Vecellio Group, Inc., and P.L. Dodge Foundation.

Council Board Member and PASS CEO, Jeffrey Miller, Wins Miami-Dade Schools Exemplary Partnership Award--Business Leader

Jeffrey Miller was the winner of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Exemplary Partnership Award in the Business Leader Category. The Award was bestowed at a special District event on March 30, at Parrot Jungle in Miami. Mr. Miller was lauded for his work with Hialeah Elementary undertaken during the 2005-2006 school year.

“We couldn’t be more proud of Jeffrey. This Award is well-deserved,” said Council President and Executive Director, Dr. Elaine Liftin, who also attended the event. “Jeffrey embodies PASS and effective leadership. He brings all of his business expertise to this partnership and works tirelessly to increase student achievement. He is personally dedicated to the school, the staff, and especially the students—a true member of the Hialeah Elementary school family,” Dr. Liftin continued.

Below are some of Mr. Miller’s contributions that merited this award:

• gave $225,000 in funding for two PASS programs at the school, and some $25,000 in extra support, through in-kind resources
• developed strategic plan with focused objectives and business practices
• used 30% of PASS funds for incentives/rewards for teachers who contributed to FCAT improvement
• funded a $100,000 PASS Parent Academy to develop parenting skills supporting their students’ academic success, accomplished 10% gain in reading achievement, and increased meaningful parent involvement
• enlisted 15 of his Weeks Gas/Barbecue Superstore employees to volunteer
• funded a state-of-the-art computer lab, launched January 27, 2006, to improve literacy, helped with FCAT preparations, exposed students to technology, and developed parent technology and literacy skills
• initiated and led school activities to help and give back to the community, including hurricane relief funds and holiday donations and gifts
• hosted monthly barbecues to recognize/motivate perfect student attendance
• donated backpacks (with school name and logo) for all students

Here are a few Hialeah Elementary accomplishments directly supported by Mr. Miller’s efforts:

• raised Accountability grade from a C to a B; attained Adequate Yearly Progress
• contributed more than 300 volunteer hours (including employees) helping to raise volunteerism 150%
• helped increase (approximately 50%) staff's use of student performance data to drive and tailor student instruction
• raised visibility of school by developing and sponsoring highly attended and publicized events, such as the partnership launch with Governor Jeb Bush as a special guest, attended by some 1,000 community members
• provided professional development opportunities for staff through PASS and related Council for Educational Change programs, such as the Florida Leadership Academy
• helped to raise parent involvement through activities and the Parent Academy, outpacing last year's figures by about 100 hours and projected to increase by 5% at the end of this year
• supported a 65% decrease in student discipline referrals through student incentive/reward programs