Minnesota Department of Education :

Applications Open for U.S. Senate Youth Program

Scholarship Applications are now being accepted for the U.S. Senate Youth Program. Two high school juniors or seniors from each state, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense Education Activity will spend an all-expense paid week in Washington D.C. and receive a $5,000 undergraduate college scholarship. The student delegates will tour the city and visit with the highest-level officials from each branch of government.

Applications are due Oct. 15, 2008. Names of students selected will be formally announced in Mid-December. For more information, visit the U.S. Senate Youth Program Website. View application.

Congratulations Carleen Gulstad -- Minnesota's 2008 Teacher of the Year

Hopkins North Junior High Language Arts Teacher Carleen Gulstad was awarded the 2008 Minnesota Teacher of the Year award on Sunday afternoon by Education Minnesota. “It’s my pleasure to congratulate Carleen on being named Minnesota’s 2008 Teacher of the Year. Through her creativity, she connects with her students so they are successfully engaged in their education. Ms. Gulstad is the kind of teacher we can truly celebrate in Minnesota,” noted Commissioner Seagren.

Additionally, Tuesday, May 6, is National Teacher's Day! “Research shows that after parents, teachers have the biggest impact on student success," said Seagren. “I encourage Minnesotans to use National Teacher Day as an opportunity to thank our teachers for their dedication to the education of our children.” View more information about Minnesota's Teacher of the Year. Find additional resources on National Teacher Day.

Minnesota Ranks 5th in School Choice Options for Students

According to the Choice & Education Across the States report by The Heartland Institute, Minnesota ranked fifth in school choice options that increase accountability and improve student achievement. Minnesota received an overall “B” in the report that sought to combine all aspects for school choice into one ranking.

“Minnesota has a long-standing commitment to providing public school choice to our families,” said Commissioner of Education Alice Seagren. “Providing students and parents with a variety of school choice options gives parents greater flexibility as they strive to provide their children with a quality education.” Read news release.

Minnesota Student Writing Scores Increase

According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), average writing scores for Minnesota eighth-graders increased from 148 in 1998 to 156 in 2007. The national average score is 154. “These test scores show that we are making progress to improve our students’ writing skills,” Minnesota Education Commissioner Alice Seagren said. “Yet, if Minnesota is going to prepare its students to compete globally, we have to do better than average nationally.” Known as the "nation's report card," the NAEP is a congressionally mandated project overseen by the National Center for Education Statistics to continuously monitor the knowledge, skills and performance of the nation's children and youth. Read news release.

Study Finds Majority of Minnesota Five-Year-Olds Prepared for Kindergarten in Key Developmental Areas

The majority of Minnesota children are prepared for kindergarten, according to a study released today by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). The Minnesota School Readiness Study found that between 90 percent and 97 percent of Minnesota five-year-olds were "In Process" or "Proficient" in five developmental areas necessary for success: physical development, the arts, personal and social development, language and literacy, and mathematical thinking. After five years of study, the report also shows a need for continued efforts to support at-risk children.

“Children entering kindergarten ready to learn is important to overall success in school,” Education Commissioner Alice Seagren said. “We are committed to improving the school readiness of our youngest children, especially those who are the most at risk.” Read report brief. Read news release.

Take Advantage of CLEP to Earn College Credit - Now Through June 30, 2008

This year Minnesota high school students have until June 30, 2008, to take up to six, free, College-Level Examination Program ® (CLEP®) exams as part of the “Get Ready, Get Credit” initiative. The testing window for the 2008-09 school year will be October 1, 2008-June 30, 2009.

“Minnesota students can accelerate their college education and receive credit for the rigorous courses they are taking in high school through the CLEP program,” said Education Commissioner Alice Seagren. “I encourage students to take advantage of the CLEP program to advance their education, save money for you and your family and increase the likelihood that you will finish a degree in four years.”

CLEP allows students to earn college credit while still in high school by earning qualifying scores on exams, and thereby saving money on college tuition. Read news release. For more information about CLEP.

MNParentsKnow Website Expands

Minnesota ParentsKnow Website offers Minnesota parents a convenient source of trusted knowledge about their child’s health, learning, development and safety.

“And now, Minnesota ParentsKnow Website offers parenting information to an increasing number of Minnesota parents,” said Education Commissioner Alice Seagren. The new information, for parents of children through age five, is in addition to the infant information already available on the Website. Ultimately, the Department plans to include information through grade 12.

MNParentsKnow.info is hosted by the Minnesota Department of Education and was developed as part of the Educate Parents Partnership, an early childhood initiative of Governor Tim Pawlenty funded by the 2006 Legislature. Read news release.

Increasing Awareness of Military Issues Within Minnesota Schools

Thousands of Minnesotans serve our country in the military and in turn, thousands of military families and children are impacted by their service. As leaders in education, we want every educator to know that children in their classrooms and schools may be affected by the military service of a parent or family member.

The Minnesota Department of Education has partnered with Governor Pawlenty’s Yellow Ribbon Task Force and other educational organizations to increase awareness of military issues within Minnesota schools. As part of this effort, we are making available informational resources for military children, families and educators.