Oklahoma HSTW Updates

2008 HSTW ASSESSMENT
Assessment Opportunity for Ninth-Graders
2008 HSTW Ninth-Grade Student Survey – SREB announces the opening of registration for the 2008 HSTW Ninth-Grade Student Survey! The Ninth-Grade Survey is optional for HSTW sites, but many schools have found it helpful in their school improvement efforts. The survey cost is $1,000 for a random sample of 100 students. Orders are due by March 28, 2008. The survey administration window is April 1-30, 2008.

The Web-based survey asks students about their use of the habits of success, including reading skills, note-taking skills, and other study skills that all students must master in order to successfully complete the HSTW-recommended curriculum. The survey also provides valuable information regarding how prepared ninth-graders felt for high school, their guidance and advisement experiences, the expectations teachers had for them, and extra help they may have received.

The Ninth-Grade Student Survey takes approximately 45 minutes to complete. The survey should be administered by rotating groups of students through an adult-supervised computer lab over a period of one or more days. The computers used for survey administration must be connected to the Internet and equipped with an up-to-date web-browser (e.g., Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator or Safari). Students may not complete the surveys outside of school.

Additional instructions regarding random sampling of students and survey administration are available on the SREB website. Survey results will be distributed to sites as PDF files on CD ROMs in early fall of 2008.

For more information and to order the Ninth-Grade Student Survey, please visit SREB at http://www.sreb.org/programs/hstw/Assessment/assessindex.asp#Ninth. Contact aaron.boyd@sreb.org or allison.timberlake@sreb.org if you have any questions.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Oklahoma Counselor Conference
The For Counselors Only Conference will be Thursday, March 6 at Moore Norman Technology Center, South Penn Campus, 134th and South Penn, Oklahoma City. Online registration is available on the State Department of Education’s home page under SDE conferences at http://sde.state.ok.us/home/defaultns.html. Contact J.C. Smith, Coordinator of Counseliing, SDE, (405) 521-3549 if you have questions.

ACT's 12th Annual Southwest Region Assessment Conference
This year's conference will be held at the Historic Menger Hotel in sunny San Antonio, Texas from Tuesday, April 29, 2008 through Thursday, May 1, 2008. Conference and registration information is now available at http://www.act.org/southwest/placement.html. Secure your hotel room before the deadline of April 1, 2008!
SREB’s 22nd Annual HSTW Staff Development Conference – Register NOW!
The 22nd Annual High Schools That Work Staff Development Conference will be held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee, July 9–12, 2008.

“The purpose of the 22nd Annual HSTW Staff Development Conference is to inform state, district, school and teacher leaders about practices in high schools and middle grades schools that will increase high school completion rates and postsecondary and workplace success of students.” — Gene Bottoms

Obtain additional information, download the brochure, and register on-line at http://www.sreb.org/programs/hstw/professionalDev/SummerConference/2008ConferenceIndex.asp.

22nd Annual HSTW Staff Development Conference
Block your rooms now! Skills for Success in the 21st Century is this years conference theme hosted at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, Nashville, Tennessee -- Wednesday, July 9 - Saturday, July 12, 2008. Register on-line, complete a call for proposal to present a best practice, review opportunities for pre-conferences, and other conference details can viewed at: http://www.sreb.org/programs/hstw/professionalDev/SummerConference/2008ConferenceIndex.asp.

RESOURCES
Oklahoma Career Information System (OKCIS) Blog
OKCIS is the latest addition to the CareerTech Blogging Community in an effort to provide timely updates. The Blog will replace the bi-monthly newsletter so be sure to sign up for the email notification of new postings. It is as easy as entering your email address on the Blog page at http://okcis.blogspot.com. Contact Natalie Gay, Career Systems Specialist, ODCTE 405-743-5573 or ngay@okcareertech.org if you have questions.

Be sure to visit the rest of our Blogging community

Business and Industry Service: http://okbis.blogspot.com/
Pre-Engineering: http://okpreengineering.blogspot.com/
High School That Work: http://okhstw.blogspot.com
Tech Centers That Work: http://oktctw.blogspot.com

KeyTrain Resource
Jack Reese, KeyTrain representative, shared a publication that was developed by KeyTrain and a Tennessee higher education professor to examine the PASS objectives and match them to the skills taught within KeyTrain. This document can serve as a tool to help you continue to prepare students to succeed in both academic and career objectives. While this document is helpful in addressing student learning gaps for EOI tests and other purposes, it should be noted that no official endorsement is attached to this resource and it should not be used to award academic credit for work on KeyTrain. If you are interested in a copy of the KeyTrain Resource contact Cheryl Bell at cbell@okcareertech.org.

Assistive Technology Center at ODCTE
The Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education is partnering with Oklahoma AbleTech to expand the statewide reach of the assistive technology demonstration and loan programs. The Information Commons, on the second floor, at ODCTE in Stillwater houses the ODCTE/AbleTech program. Oklahoma ABLE Tech provides a broad array of AT (assistive technology) on a statewide basis to persons across the life span. ODCTE has customized their AT equipment inventory to focus on resources needed in CareerTech programs across the state and may include communication, computer access, vision, hearing, daily living, environmental adaptations, learning/development, health, safety and recreation. Print and online software and equipment is available to assist people with disabilities access information. ODCTE not only has students and teachers who may benefit from accessing AT in traditional classroom settings, but can also impact the employment of individuals with disabilities who are enrolled in specific trades and industry courses. Appropriate AT accommodations for these students may open up career opportunities never before considered. ODCTE/AbleTech offers opportunities to explore and try before you buy and short-term loan of AT equipment and devices.

Contact the ODCTE/AbleTech Assistive Technology Center at 405-743-6882 or 405-743-5162
www.okcareertech.org/informationcommons for additional information. To receive the ABLE Tech e-News via email send an email to abletech@okstate.edu to sign up.

Welcome to Blogging HSTW

SPRING IS COMING!! What an exciting time this is. I want to welcome you to the Oklahoma High Schools That Work Blog. I hope you take the time to visit us online to learn obtain forms , review calendar updates and other pertinent information. Now we will be blogging to share many exciting resources and professional development opportunities for school improvement efforts. This will help as you prepare Oklahoma students to pursue high tech, high wage, and high demand jobs.

We are located on the web at www.okcareertech.org/hstw. Come and visit us. High Schools That Work is one of the nation's fastest growing school improvement initiatives. Our goal is to get 85 percent of the students to meet the reading, mathematics, and science goals established by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB.) If you want to learn about Oklahoma's HSTW efforts at your school you can contact one of HSTW site coordinators or the state HSTW coordinator.

We hope that you will bookmark us and come to visit often. We will showcase many of the exciting opportunities to enhance student engagement and opportunities for learning across Oklahoma.