Educators Tour Orange County and Osceola County Schools Today -Friday- at Southeastern University's National School Reform Conference.

Business Editors/Education Writers

Nova Southeastern University's National School Reform Conference

ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 5, 2003

Educators from across the country and around the globe anxiously climbed onto buses today (December 5) to visit nine schools in Orange and Osceola counties that were identified as having the best practices in education on day three of Nova Southeastern University's National School Reform Conference.

Hosted by NSU's Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services, the 5-year-old conference brings together public and private school educators from K-12 who seek to learn best practices from Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence, and other top performing schools.

Principal Gail Cropper from Washington Elementary School, Trenton, New Jersey, was anxious to see the best practices so that she could implement some at her school. Traveling with two of her colleagues - first grade teacher Hope Demitry, and Mary Ann Delate, facilitator for Accelerated School Plus program -- Principal Cropper hopes to continue the upward trend of her school. Washington Elementary was recently identified as one of 25 schools in New Jersey that is a top performer in academic achievement, and the only school in the Mercer County School District to gain the distinction.

"Our school received the Governor's Award because of student achievement, the professional development of our teachers and staff, and our parental involvement," she said. "Our next goal is to become a National Blue Ribbon School."

Gwendolyn Anderson, and Alvin Ellis, both science and math teachers at Denmark-Olar Elementary School, Denmark, South Carolina, boarded the bus to Rolling Hills Elementary School, Orlando, with their colleague - first grade teacher Patricia Hagood. Each anticipated hearing "great ideas" to implement at their school. Denmark Elementary, with a student body of 98 percent African American, and 96 percent receiving free/reduced lunches, has similar demographics to that of Rolling Hills.

"When we return we will give a faculty-wide presentation to share the information we received here at the conference and from Rolling Hills," said Ellis, a second year conference attendee, and one of the workshop presenters ("NASA in the Classroom - Free Resources," 3:15 p.m., Friday).

Anderson, who has taught for 23 years, has attended the conference for the past three years. Having been identified for her excellent and creative teaching style, she was a presenter at the "World Class Teachers," workshop on Thursday, and at the "Helping Great Kids Become Greater," workshop. (4:00 p.m., Friday).

"We are working very hard to get our kids where they need to be academically," she said. "We don't have a lot of resources, but we have smart kids and we're doing great things in the classroom. We're going to get there, and that's why we want to see the types of programs that Rolling Hills has implemented."

Rolling Hills Elementary has 720 students, most of who come from low socioeconomic environments and receive free or reduced lunches (over 93 percent). The population consists of 82 percent African American, 10 percent Hispanic and 4 percent Caucasian. In the 1995-'96 academic year, the school was declared "a critically low performing school," received a "D" status, and was on the verge of becoming the district's first "F" school. By 2002-'03, the school received an "A" status based on numerous factors, including the significant turnaround in student achievement and development, an increase in parental involvement and a dramatic reduction in student absenteeism - from 12 percent to less than 2 percent. According to the staff, the credit goes to the principal Patrick J. Galatowitsch, a visionary who believes that having high expectations for students, staff and parents will result in success.

"Implementing your vision provides the necessary prerequisite for creating an environment where great teaching can occur," he said. "Any mountain can be climbed - any child can be taught - it depends of your level of expectation. I believe all students will achieve only what you expect them to achieve."

After the school tours educators returned to the Contemporary for breakout sessions at 2:00, 3:15 and 4:15 p.m., before leaving for a reception, candlelight processional and fireworks display at Epcot.

MEDIA NOTE: Members of the media are invited to attend all Blue Ribbon sessions and events. RSVP to Mara Kiffin, NSU's coordinator of public affairs, who will be the on-site coordinator for all media. She can be reached throughout the conference on her cell phone at [phone].

Nova Southeastern University, with its main campus in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and student educational centers in Tampa, Orlando, Miami, West Palm Beach, and Jacksonville, Florida, and Las Vegas, Nevada, is the largest independent institution of higher education in the Southeast, and the 10th largest nationally. It awards associate's, bachelor's, master's, educational specialist, doctoral, and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields, including business, counseling, computer and information sciences, education, medicine, dentistry, various health professions, law, marine sciences, psychology, and other social sciences. The university also offers 16 undergraduate majors through the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences.

NSU's Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services, based at NSU's North Miami Beach campus, is the largest accredited graduate school of education in the United States with more than 10,000 students in more than 50 sites in the U.S. and abroad, and via a variety of distance education technologies. FGSEHS, a leader in distant graduate education for educators, organizational leaders, and trainers throughout the world, has more than 7,000 students in graduate education programs in Florida alone, including both online programs and live classes at NSU locations statewide.