FSU study: Older smokers have edge in quitting

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Earlier this week, I wrote a story about how colleges and universities are cracking down on smokers, hoping to get them to kick the habit.
Well, that might be a tough task, unless they’re nontraditional students, according to a new study from Florida State University. Older smokers appear to have a leg up on their younger counterparts, the study found.

Psychology professors Natalie Sachs-Ericsson and Brad Schmidt surveyed 88 smokers participating in a smoking cessation program. Of the participants who completed a follow up at least one month after the treatment, 68.4 percent aged 55 and over were smoke-free compared to 44.4 percent of younger smokers.
The survey found that older smokers were more likely to cite health concerns as the reason they wanted to quit, while younger smokers were more motivated by financial reasons or the desire to prove their self-control.
“Many of the older smokers have significant health problems,” Schmidt said. “When [...]

Source: South Florida Education Blog

Palm Beach County school receives national praise

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Egret Lake Elementary in West Palm Beach will be honored in January as a 2009 National Title I Distinguished School.
Schools federally classified as Title 1 have high percentages of students receiving free or reduced-priced meals.
The National Title I Association’s Distinguished Schools Program annually honors schools that have achieved high educational achievements.
Egret Lake Elementary Principal Becky Subin said her school was chosen in the category of “closing the achievement gap between subgroups.” The program reviewed the performance of students from different racial groups.
All 2009 Distinguished Schools will be honored at the 2010 National Title I Conference to be held Jan. 21-24 in Washington, D.C.

Source: South Florida Education Blog

FAU launches Middle East Institute

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Florida Atlantic University plans to have a stronger focus on the Middle East.
The university’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters is working with the Florida Society for Middle East Studies to create a Middle East Institute. The institute, which FAU officials say will be the only one of its kind in Florida, will be a focal point of academic and cultural programs about the Middle East. It will involve FAU faculty, students and visiting scholars.
FAU and the Middle East society are in the midst of a fundraising effort to raise $100,000 a year for activities, with long-range plans for a $9 million endowment, said Polly Burks, a spokeswoman for FAU’s College of Arts and Letters.
“FAU has long been committed to Middle East studies in both teaching and research,” said Manjunath Pendakur, dean of the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. “With the creation of the [...]

Source: South Florida Education Blog

State announces contests for Black History Month

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Florida is marking Black History Month in February with a series of contests for all students, as well as awarding the Black History Month Excellence in Education Award for educators.
The state is sponsoring an art contest for students in kindergarten through third grade, an essay contest for students in fourth through 12th grades, and a podcast contest for fourth through 12th graders. Requirements and rules for each of the contests are available at www.FloridaBlackHistory.com.
Gov. Charlie Crist also will honor three Florida teachers as Black History Month Excellence in Education Award winners. Nominees must be full-time African-American teachers in elementary, middle or high school. Nomination forms and rules also can be found on www.FloridaBlackHistory.com.
Winners of both the student and teacher contests will receive their awards at the annual Black History Month reception in Tallahassee.

Source: South Florida Education Blog

Redesigned website for Palm Beach County schools

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Coming soon: The Palm Beach County School District promises an updated website that’s more vibrant and user-friendly with “powerful search tools.”
Technology officials saw the new site is ready to go live in January after eight months of preparations. The Web address is: www.palmbeachschools.org.

“This new design was created with our online audience in mind,” Chief Information Officer Deepak Agarwal said in a statement. “It will be packed with high-quality videos, news, calendars and content that will be constantly updated.”
Schools may continue to operate their own distinctive websites.
The redesigned district site “will be a great source of information for our community,” said Mark Howard, project manager.
In September, a government transparency website called Sunshine Review gave Palm Beach County schools website an A-. The grade was based on the public’s ability to access information about budgets, meetings, elected and administrative officials, academics, and more.

Source: South Florida Education Blog

Broward Schools superintendent says fund schools not rail

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Broward Schools are bracing for another round of budget cuts because state education officials underestimated student enrollment throughout Florida, according to Superintendent James Notter.
Because there are fewer students, “the state plans to reduce each district’s per student funding by $43 to $45. In Broward, this translates to another $8 million mid-year reduction,” Notter wrote to Florida’s Senate President Jeffrey Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, and Speaker of the House Larry Cretul, R-Ocala.
The district cut $150 million at the beginning of this school year, he said.
The Dec. 7 letter was sent during the special session on transportation, which approved a $1.2 billion Orlando commuter rail project. That move will strengthen Florida’s chances of getting federal funds for a bullet train.
Notter, however, said the state should do something else with its money and offered this idea: “I respectfully suggest that some of the remaining [stimulus money] or some of [...]

Source: South Florida Education Blog

Broward Schools superintendent says fund schools not roads

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Broward Schools are bracing for another round of budget cuts because state education officials underestimated student enrollment throughout Florida, according to Superintendent James Notter.
Because there are fewer students, “the state plans to reduce each district’s per student funding by $43 to $45. In Broward, this translates to another $8 million mid-year reduction,” Notter wrote to Florida’s Senate President Jeffrey Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, and Speaker of the House Larry Cretul, R-Ocala.
The district cut $150 million at the beginning of this school year, he said.
The Dec. 7 letter was sent during the special session on transportation, which approved a $1.2 billion Orlando commuter rail project. That move will strengthen Florida’s chances of getting federal funds for a bullet train.
Notter, however, said the state should do something else with its money and offered this idea: “I respectfully suggest that some of the remaining [stimulus money] or some of [...]

Source: South Florida Education Blog

Student and school get Sublimed

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Western High School in Davie and one of its students got Sublimed this week. Well, they got some green from Sublime, the vegan restaurant. Does that count?
John McKeever and his school each received a $1,000 on Sunday for McKeever’s second place finish in the Fort Lauderdale restaurant’s “It’s Vegalicious!” recipe contest. McKeever’s Sunshine Slaw, coleslaw with citrus, red cabbage and soy mayonnaise, will be added to the menu for a limited time.
Jack Naidus, a West Broward High School student, won first place in October for his soup recipe, but the contest isn’t over yet.
The contest is open to all teenagers attending one of Broward’s public high schools. Recipes must be 100 percent vegan—no milk, meat, eggs, etc.—and supply between four and six servings.
The deadlines for the four remaining categories are: Jan. 15 for pizza; March 1 for pasta; April 1 for entrees; and May 1 for dessert. [...]

Source: South Florida Education Blog

Atlantic High wins local academic championship

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Atlantic High School’s “A Team” recently won the Palm Beach County School District’s Academic Championship. The Delray Beach school has earned top honors five straight years.
In the tournament, teams of four students compete in a fast-paced, knowledge-based contest with a quiz-show type format. Question categories include English, fine arts, humanities, mathematics, science, social studies, technology and world languages.
The public can watched a recorded broadcast of the competition at 8 p.m. Jan. 11 on The Education Network, Comcast Channel 97.
Atlantic outscored teams from Spanish River, West Boca Raton, Park Vista, William T. Dwyer and Olympic Heights high schools.
Atlantic team members Tanvir Ahmed, Samir Borle, Lance Gurewitz, John Manov, Jessica Perfetto, and Craig Williams, will represent Palm Beach County at the state academic championships, April 15-17 at Walt Disney World resort.

Source: South Florida Education Blog

Palm Beach schools: 2009 year of ‘achievement’

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The Jeffrey Hernandez/academic initiatives debacle. The Gates Foundation grant disappointment. A principal demoted for misusing a credit card. 2009 would seem to be a year to forget for the Palm Beach County School District. Right?
Not according to a new report from the district’s public affairs department. It contains an extensive review of “good news” and positive developments in the school system:
Pahokee sixth grader Damon Weaver’s incredible interview of President Barack Obama. The first gold-certified green school in Florida. A state championship for Santaluces High School’s marching band. The fifth “straight year of an A rating from the state and the best test scores of all the urban districts in Florida.”
For a closer look at these and other accomplishments, check out the district report.

Source: South Florida Education Blog