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School Zone
Chalk Board
20th
Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast — Defining the
Dream: A Time for Rededication
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida will present the
annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast on Friday,
January 19 from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the Prime Osborn
Convention Center. The Jacksonville Urban League will
honor tomorrow’s leaders, and speakers will include
Mayor John Peyton, Bill Bond and Isaiah Rumlin. For
more event information and to reserve a space,
click
here to view the flyer.
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2007
Countywide Student Voter Registration
Duval County Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland is
joining forces with Duval County Public Schools to
encourage high school students to register to vote. He
is planning the following events:
- School Liaison Meeting on
Wednesday, January 10 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the
Main Library Downtown
- Countywide Student Voter
Registration Drive on Wednesday, January 24 and
Thursday, January 25, at high schools throughout Duval
County
To read a special message
from Jerry Holland,
click here.
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2007 –
2008 Initial Teacher Florida Financial Aid
Applications for financial awards for the Critical
Teacher Shortage Student Loan Forgiveness and Critical
Teacher Shortage Tuition Reimbursement programs can be
found by visiting this
web
site.
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2007
Florida School-Related Employee of the Year Application
If you would like to nominate someone for this award,
please
click here for the nomination packet. Complete
the application, and send it through school mail to
April Bowers at #86W by Friday, January 19. There may
be only one nomination per school and/or department.
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Aim High
Logo
If you or anyone at your school is currently using the
Aim High logo, please discontinue the use of it. The Aim
High logo should be replaced with the DCPS logo. If you
need a copy of the DCPS logo, please
click here.
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AP
Workshops
Advanced Placement workshops for the following courses
have been scheduled. You must register through the
Schultz Center
web site. Each session is limited to 30 teachers.
- AP English Literature and
Composition—Tuesday, January 23 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- AP U.S. History—Wednesday,
January 24 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- AP English Language and
Composition—Thursday, January 25 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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Author
Faith Ringgold Visits Jacksonville
On Thursday, January 18 at 12:30 and 3 p.m.,
internationally-acclaimed author, illustrator and poet,
Faith Ringgold, will present a lecture entitled, “Faith
Ringgold: Story Quilts and Children’s Books,” at the
Main Public Library downtown. The lecture is free and
open to the public. Ringgold has authored many works
including Tar Beach,
Cassie’s Word Quilt and My Dream of Martin Luther
King.
During the evening on
Thursday, January 18, Faith Ringgold will appear at a
reception and book signing from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the
Ritz Theatre & LaVilla Museum to close her current
exhibit , “Faith Ringgold: Southern Roots.” This event
is free and open to the public. For more information
about either event, contact Kathy Graw at 630-1627.
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Annual
Arts Awards Nominations
The Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville celebrates
arts leaders annually at its Arts Awards Luncheon. If
you would like to nominate someone,
click here for an
application. The deadline for submission is Wednesday,
February 7. For additional information, contact Susan Demato at 358-3600.
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BCBS/Nemours
Question & Answer Sessions
If you have questions about the BCBS/Nemours insurance
status, please join DCPS and BCBS insurance
representatives for question & answer sessions on any of
the following days:
- Tuesday, January 9 at 4:30
p.m. at Englewood High School
- Wednesday, January 10 at
4:30 p.m. at the DCPS downtown headquarters
- Thursday, January 11 at
4:30 p.m. at Ribault High School
For more information, call
the Benefits Administration office at 390-2353.
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City of
Jacksonville Housing Programs
There are many programs offered through the City of
Jacksonville to help Duval County residents buy homes.
To learn more,
click here.
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Commissioner Winn Announces Department of Education 2006
Year in Review
State Board of Education Chairman T. Willard Fair and
Education Commissioner John L. Winn today announced the
Department of Education’s 2006 Year in Review. Student
academic performance and achievement are at record
levels, continuing their rise since the implementation
of the A+ Plan for Education in 1999.
“Florida students have shown
remarkable gains in academic achievement, but we must
never rest on the laurels of past accomplishments,” said
Chairman Fair. “With the support of Governor Crist and
the Florida Legislature, we will build upon these
successes and work together toward our collective goal
of improving education for every single student in our
state.”
With the passage of the A++
Plan for Education by the 2006 Legislature, Florida
continues to lead the nation in cutting-edge education
reform. Middle school students will, for the first
time, complete a personalized academic and career plan
during their seventh or eighth grade year. The Florida
Academic Counseling and Tracking for Students web site (FACTS.org),
an online advising system, will better engage students
in planning and making decisions for their future.
“These bold reforms inject a
new vision for education in Florida,” said Commissioner
Winn. “I am optimistic these measures will better
prepare middle and high school students for the
challenges ahead of them.”
Ninth graders entering high
school in the 2007-08 school year will now be required
to earn 16 core academic credits and eight elective
credits in order to graduate with a high school
diploma. As part of their eight electives, they will
select a four credit major area of interest as part of
their personalized education and career plan.
“We have seen tremendous
gains in student performance over the past eight years,
particularly among some of our most struggling students”
said State Board of Education Vice Chairman Philip
Handy. “As new leadership takes the helm, I am
confident that we will sustain the momentum.”
Highlights from 2006 include:
- Results of the 2006
Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) cycle
show student performance continues to climb, with
record numbers of students in grades three through 10
proficient. Seventy percent of elementary school
students are performing at or above achievement level
3 (on grade level), up from 54 percent in 2001. Middle
and high school students achieved similar results,
with 57 percent of middle school students reading at
or above grade level (up from 48 percent in 2001) and
37 percent of high school students scoring at or above
grade level (up from 32 percent in 2001).
- Florida continues to close
the achievement gap, with 39 percent of
African-American third through tenth grade students
reading at or above grade level, up from 26 percent in
2001. Hispanic students also made jumps in
achievement, with 50 percent reading at or above grade
level, up from only 35 percent in 2001.
-
The 2006 Florida
Legislature approved a record-breaking $23 billion
budget for K-20 education. This will ensure that our
teachers will be rewarded for outstanding student
performance, more students will succeed in reading
with $111.8 million dedicated to reading instruction,
and an increase of 43 percent in class size reduction
operating funds over last year will assist school
districts in their efforts to comply with the
requirements of the voter-mandated amendment. In
addition, per pupil spending increased 9 percent and
student financial aid realized a 21 percent increase
from 2005.
- For the first time,
parents are now able to view their child’s FCAT
reading and mathematics scores on the Internet. In
addition, the secure web site,
www.fcatparentnetwork.com, features detailed
information on the meaning of the scores and provides
resources to improve student performance in the
future.
- A record number of Florida
schools earned an “A” or “B” school grade. Since the
implementation of the A+ Plan for Education in 1999,
the number of schools earning an “A” or “B” jumped
from 515 to 2,077. This is four times the number of
high performing schools seven years ago, and 233 more
than in 2005. In addition, the number of failing
schools is on the decline, down to a fourth of the
number of failing schools in 1999. This year, nearly
1,800 public schools statewide received $157.6 million
in school recognition awards for earning an “A” or
improving at least one school letter grade from the
previous year.
- The A++ Plan for
Education, passed by the 2006 Legislature, implements
middle and high school reform measures that will
inject rigor and relevance into the curriculum and
classrooms. Students will have more choices and more
opportunities to cultivate their interests and career
goals. The Department of Education worked with school
districts across the state to identify and approve 440
major areas of interest that will be part of required
high school coursework for students entering ninth
grade in the fall of 2007.
- A record number of Florida
high school graduates – 66,299 – took the American
College Test (ACT) in 2006, up from 58,302 in 2005. Of
all high school graduates, 44 percent took the ACT in
Florida compared to 40 percent nationally. Florida's
Hispanic students continue to outscore Hispanic
students across the nation with an average composite
score of 19.6 compared to the national average of
18.6.
-
Additionally, record
numbers of Florida students are taking the Scholastic
Aptitude Test (SAT). More than 94,601, or 63 percent,
of Florida's 2006 high school graduates took the SAT.
This is the largest number of Florida students to ever
take the SAT. The most noteworthy increase in the
number of Florida students taking the SAT is among
minority students. Overall, minority student
participation has increased from 39 percent in 1999 to
44 percent in 2006. Nationwide, the percentage of
minority test-takers has increased, but at a slower
rate than in Florida. In Florida, African-American
students comprise 14 percent of the test takers,
compared to 11 percent nationwide. Hispanic students
in Florida comprise 21 percent of the test-takers,
compared to 11 percent nationwide. Also, Florida saw
the greatest increase in public school Advanced
Placement (AP) exam-takers compared to all other
states from 2005 to 2006.
- Florida’s high school
graduation rate was 71 percent in 2005-06, a slight
decrease from 71.9 percent the previous year. Even
with the decline, more students than ever – 136,070 –
graduated on time in 2005-06, an increase of 4,563
students. A Dropout Prevention Task Force was
convened to develop strategies to help Florida’s
struggling students stay committed to graduation.
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Opening
Doors to Home Ownership
The Jacksonville Housing Finance Authority (JHFA) is
partnering with local lenders to provide financial
assistance to moderate-income working professionals who
are buying a home in Duval County. To learn more,
click
here.
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Public
Education Task Force Meeting
JCCI’s Public Education Task Force meeting is scheduled
for Thursday, January 25 at 4 p.m. in the JCCI
conference room. If you are interested in attending
this event, send an e-mail to
Chandra Echols.
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Update on
BCBS and Nemours Relationship
Recent changes to insurance policies affected
out-of-pocket expenses for DCPS employees who utilized
physicians and services at Nemours Children’s Clinic.
Contract negotiations between DCPS’ insurance provider,
Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Nemours Children’s Clinic,
are still in process. However, an agreement between the
two is very close. Below, you will find an update on
the situation. If you have further questions, three
information sessions have been planned for this week.
All are listed in this issue of School Zone.
Q. What is the
status of the network negotiations between BCBS and
Nemours?
A. Nemours and BCBS have been
negotiating a contract renewal for the past several
months. Both sides have expressed an interest in
resolving their disagreement over the reimbursement
amounts and other contract terms. The negotiations have
become quite visible over the past several weeks. A
dialogue between the parties continues and DCPS has
expressed concern for a fair agreement and one that is
not disruptive to patients depending on the continuation
of medical care.
Q. How does the
impasse affect my health plan coverage?
A. Physicians at Nemours were
participating providers in the Traditional network of
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida through December 31,
2006. The Select Plus and Premier Plans included Nemours
as an In Network provider. The contract arrangement
between Nemours and BCBS terminated on December 31,
2006. Currently, Nemours would be treated as an out of
network provider. Under the Select Plus Plan the out of
network deductible is $500 individual and $1,000 family,
with services covered at 50 percent coinsurance, and an
out of network maximum out of pocket of $2,500
individual and $5,000 family. Under the Premier Plan the
out of network deductible is $500 individual and $1,000
family, with services covered at 70 percent coinsurance,
and an out of network maximum out of pocket of $3,250
individual and $6,500 family. The coinsurance is based
on reasonable and customary charges and patients may be
charged the difference between the reasonable and
customary charges and the out of network provider billed
amount.
Q. What are my
medical care options?
A. Option 1—Members can continue
to seek medical care at Nemours on an out of network
basis and subject to the additional out of pocket
maximums listed above.
Option 2—Members may select another
network pediatric specialist in the Jacksonville area.
Option 3—Members may
seek medical care at Mayo Clinic for certain pediatric
services. We called Mayo Clinic and found they will
treat patients who are at least 16 years of age in most
pediatric subspecialties. Patients 12 years of age and
older will be seen for issues involving: ophthalmology,
orthopedic surgery, and otorhinolaryngology (ENT).
Patients ages 1 to 5 will be seen for allergy condition,
also.
Option 4—Pediatric patients at an in
network hospital have all services rendered at that
hospital treated as in network. For example, a child
scheduled for surgery at Wolfson Hospital with an out of
network provider (Nemours surgeon) will be subject to
the in network expenses. Under this example, Nemours
would be paid as an in network provider at 80 percent
coinsurance and the member would pay the 20 percent and
any amount over the reasonable and customary amount if
Nemours would not accept the allowed amount paid by BCBS.
Q. Can I use my
Flexible Spending Account (FSA) EZ Reimburse™
MasterCard™ Card toward the deductible or non-network
expenses?
A. Yes, the amount available on
the account may be used as payment toward any eligible
medical expense.
Q. What can members
do to get more information at this time?
A. Members seeking specific
information on medical treatment options are encouraged
to call BCBS Customer Service at 800-352-2583. In
addition members with specific needs may call the BCBS
on site representative, Crystal White, at 904 390-2323.
DCPS is also closely monitoring this situation.
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Unsung
Heroes Celebration
You are invited to join Communities in Schools and Take
Stock in Children as they celebrate mentoring and honor
their community partners on Thursday, January 25 from
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Morocco Shrine Auditorium.
For more information, call 354-5918.
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