Polk County Public Schools, Staff
The State of Florida is a recipient of the Race To The Top (RT3) federal grant, and Polk County's portion is $14.2 million. This program reward states for raising student achievement and promoting reform. The money will be disbursed over a 4-year span and can only be used within the scope of the federal guidelines. Click here Race To The Top for more details on Race To The Top.
SCHOOL MEDIA/TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM AWARD
About the Shining Star Award
The Shining Star Award began as a project to promote collaboration among the technology leaders in Polk County Schools and has developed into a vehicle for recognizing the successful application of technologies within school programs as well as encouraging the adaptation of new ideas that will enhance learning for the next generation. The Information Systems & Technology and Learning Divisions partner each year to reassess the focus of the award to correspond with state initiatives and current research strategies on the effective use of technology.
We’re all a community of lifelong learners who play an integral role in supporting technology initiatives and the responsible use of technology by our students. The future belongs to students who will use technology to communicate, solve problems, manage, integrate, evaluate, create and acquire lifelong knowledge and skills in the 21st century. Click on the following hyperlinks for more information:
Congratulations Information Systems & Technology Division!
eRate, a percentage discount, schools receive for the acquisition of telecommunication services, Internet access and internal connections necessary for deploying technology into the classroom. The level of discounts for schools within the District is based upon the level of eligibility in the federal free and reduced lunch program. eRate funding was made possible through the Telecommunications Act of 1996 that was signed into law.
Congratulations Exceptional Student Education Department!
Polk School District received approximately $95,300.08 for the Polk County Assistive Technology Outreach Program. This purpose of the program is to increase access to learning and academic achievement for many of our exceptional student education (ESE) students through the use of communication devices and assistive technology. This program is a three prong program to expand the accessibility of assistive technology to the students in our schools. The first phase of the proposal includes the purchase of augmentative communication devices to be included in evaluation kits for several evaluation teams throughout our county, the second prong would create a teacher/parent lab where visual supports can be created to help students with special needs in their classroom setting and at home, and the third prong of the request is to fund the purchase of additional software and assistive technology to support our students who are struggling readers. The program will serve primarily ESE students, pre-school through age twenty-two, from throughout the Polk County school district. A county-wide as well as six school-based assessment teams will receive Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) evaluation kits for use during evaluations with their students. The county wide Local Augmentative and Assistive Technology Team (LAT) evaluates seventy to one hundred new students each year. Additionally, they continue to follow previously identified students to determine if their supports are still appropriate.
The Polk County Assistive Technology Outreach Program is to increase access to learning and academic achievement for many of our exceptional student education (ESE) students through the use of communication devices and assistive technology. This program is a three prong program to expand the accessibility of assistive technology to the students in our schools. The first phase of the proposal includes the purchase of augmentative communication devices to be included in evaluation kits for several evaluation teams throughout our county, the second prong would create a teacher/parent lab where visual supports can be created to help students with special needs in their classroom setting and at home, and the third prong of the request is to fund the purchase of additional software and assistive technology to support our students who are struggling readers. The program will serve primarily ESE students, pre-school through age twenty-two, from throughout the Polk County school district. A county-wide as well as six school-based assessment teams will receive Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) evaluation kits for use during evaluations with their students. The county wide Local Augmentative and Assistive Technology Team (LAT) evaluates seventy to one hundred new students each year. Additionally, they continue to follow previously identified students to determine if their supports are still appropriate.
Polk School District received sixty percent of $1,200,000.00 for equipment incentives and professional development. The District’s Information System & Technology Division staff entered in partnership with Osceola County and collaborated to design, coordinate and implement a grant program that benefits staff in both districts.
The primary purpose of this funding opportunity is to expand teacher and instructional program administrator involvement in the Florida Digital Educator Program. Increasing teacher exposure to innovative classroom instructional activities that promote and support effective digital resource integration and engaged student learning are important priorities for the program, in addition to the development of digital tools for teachers and students. The Florida Digital Educator Program is dedicated to authentic, data-driven, relevant, rigorous integration of technology across the K-12 curricula for the purpose of providing educators with the technology skills necessary to provide their students with opportunities to participate in project-based learning.
The objective of Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT), Part II project is to increase teacher exposure to innovative classroom instructional activities that promote and support effective digital resource integration and engaged student learning. The project will also expand teacher and instructional program administrator involvement in the "Florida Digital Educator Program.
The grant will combine the Florida Digital Educator training with the Peer Mentoring & Collaboration training to be offered at Florida Southern College several times during the summer for administrators and teachers from both districts. All training participants will receive instructional technology incentives, classroom visits for evaluation purposes by Florida Department of Education evaluation team and in service points once they have completed of training plus follow-up assignments.
Note: Upon receipt of your award notice, please forward a copy to Dell Griffin Quary, eRate/Technology Grants Developer. Thanks.