11 Mar 2014

WQPT'S ANNUAL READY-TO-LEARN CONFERENCE COMING APRIL 26

By Lora Adams

MOLINE, IL -- WQPT, Quad Cities PBS, in partnership with Western Illinois University-Quad Cities, the Child Abuse Council, Child Care Resource & Referral, the Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency, Quad Cities Association for the Education of Young Children and Rock Island County Regional Office of Education, is offering a conference on early childhood Saturday, April 26 at the WIU-QC Riverfront campus.

The annual conference, which will be held from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., features 18 different breakout sessions for parents, childcare providers and childhood professionals.  Topics include assessing and building oral language, the autism spectrum, drum circle rhythms, early math, home environments, physical and creative movement, preventing behavior problems, 3-D art, using non-fiction literature and many other topics related to early childhood development.

The registration fee is $25, which includes three workshops, a light breakfast and a free children's book. All conference participants will receive a training certificate. CEU/CPDU credits and/or a college credit course through Black Hawk College are available for an addition fee.

For more information or to download a registration form, visit wqpt.org/rtl or phone (309) 764-2400.

WQPT has served eastern Iowa and western Illinois for 30 years and is a media service of Western Illinois University.

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11 Mar 2014

QCALM ANNOUNCES THEIR 2014 LABOR-MANAGEMENT SCHOLARSHIPS APPLICATION AVAILABILITY

By David Buller

Applications are available for the 2014 I. WEIR SEARS, Sears Manufacturing Company and LOUIS DE FRIEZE, United Food and Commercial Workers Union Scholarships. Two $1,000 Scholarships will be given at QCALM's Annual Awards Luncheon on April 17th 2014.

The purpose of the scholarship is to encourage graduating seniors from Henry, Mercer and Rock Island counties in Illinois and Muscatine, Scott, and Clinton counties in Iowa, to continue their formal education by attending a four-year college, university, community college or a vocational / technical school.

Applications are due by March 28th, 2014 and winning awardees will be notified by April 11th, 2014. The winning awardees and their parents will be QCALM's guest at their Award Luncheon.

Applications are available by contacting:

David Buller, CEO

Quad City Area Labor-Management Council
P.O. Box 1365
Moline, IL 61266
(309) 794-9194
bullerd@qcalm.org
11 Mar 2014

Mark Struve Earns Dean's List Honors at Maryville University

By Janet Edwards

ST. LOUIS, MO (03/06/2014)(readMedia)-- Mark Struve of Davenport, IA, earned Dean's List honors for the Fall 2013 semester at Maryville University in St. Louis.

Struve of Davenport,IA is currently studying for a Bachelor of Arts in History.

Maryville's undergraduate students are eligible for the Dean's List when they complete at least 12 Maryville University credit hours in a semester with a minimum of a 3.5 grade-point average on a 4.0 (perfect) scale.

About Maryville University

Founded in 1872, Maryville University of St. Louis is an independent, four-year, private university located in west St. Louis County. Designated by US News & World Report as the nation's top overperforming university, Maryville University offers more than 50 undergraduate majors as well as many master's and doctoral degree programs. Maryville University serves traditional college students and has flexible weekend and evening options for adult learners. Visit Maryville University at www.Maryville.edu.

05 Mar 2014

Chelsea White named to University of Iowa Dean's List

By Deborah Thumma

IOWA CITY, IA (03/04/2014)(readMedia)-- Chelsea White, a native of Maysville, IA, has been named to the University of Iowa's Dean's List for the 2013 fall semester.

Undergraduate students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering, and the Tippie College of Business who achieve a grade point average of 3.50 or higher on 12 semester hours or more of UI graded course work during a given semester or summer session and who have no semester hours of I (incomplete) or O (no grade reported) during the same semester are recognized by inclusion on the Dean's List for that semester.

Undergraduate students in the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine may qualify for the Dean's List with fewer than 12 semester hours of graded credit if deemed appropriate by the college.

College of Nursing students participating in clinical courses must have a total of 12 semester hours of earned credit, with eight semester hours of graded credit with a grade point average of 3.50 or higher.

05 Mar 2014

Darsani Reddy Named to Honor List of Oxford College

By Jill Hennecy

ATLANTA, GA. (03/04/2014)(readMedia)-- Darsani Reddy of Moline, Ill. was named to the Honor List of Oxford College, the two-year liberal arts division of Emory University located in Oxford, Ga., for the 2013 fall semester.

Students must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher to be named to the Honor List.

Emory University is known for its demanding academics, outstanding undergraduate experience, highly ranked professional schools and state-of-the-art research facilities. Emory encompasses nine academic divisions as well as the Carlos Museum, The Carter Center, the Yerkes National Primate Research Center and Emory Healthcare, Georgia's largest and most comprehensive health care system.

05 Mar 2014

Harkin Office Now Accepting Applications for U.S. Military Academies

By Sen. Tom Harkin

DES MOINES - U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) announced today that his office is accepting applications for the United States' military academies for the class beginning summer of 2015.  Senator Harkin will nominate up to ten Iowans for every opening he has at each academy, with final selection for admission made by the individual academy.

"Each year I look forward to recommending many outstanding young Iowans to the service academies. It is a genuine honor," Harkin said.

Our nation's military academies offer Iowans educational opportunities for young people interested in military service. Students can specialize in a variety of fields at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, the Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs and the Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point.

Harkin enjoyed a successful military career. He joined the Navy and served as a jet pilot after graduating from Iowa State University in 1962.

Senator Harkin uses a competitive method to screen applicants, including the evaluation of ACT or SAT scores, high school grade point average, leadership abilities, and physical aptitude.  Harkin has also appointed an academy selection committee that conducts personal interviews with academy finalists.

Interested individuals should complete Senator Harkin's Service Academy Nomination application which can be found on his website at www.harkin.senate.gov/students/academy.cfm. Any additional questions should be directed to his Academy Nomination Coordinator, Tom Larkin, at 319-365-4504.

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05 Mar 2014

Austin Pyrtle accepted to Culver-Stockton College

By Heidi Lanier

CANTON, MO (03/04/2014)(readMedia)-- Austin Pyrtle of Davenport North High School, in Davenport, Iowa, has been accepted to Culver-Stockton College for enrollment in the fall 2014 semester. Along with acceptance to the College, Pyrtle has been awarded the Hilltop Scholarship, a four-year award. Pyrtle's anticipated major is musical theatre.

By attending Culver-Stockton, Pyrtle will benefit from the C-SC Advantage, which includes research, professional experiences, leadership opportunities, service learning, simulations, creative expression and travel studies.

Culver-Stockton College, located in Canton, Mo., is a four-year residential institution in affiliation with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). C-SC specializes in experiential education and is one of only two colleges in the nation to offer the 12/3 semester calendar, where the typical 15 week semester is divided into two terms, a 12-week term and a 3-week term.

04 Mar 2014

Reminder! Rivermont Collegiate Kindergarten Round-Up will be held this Thursday and is open to the Quad City community!

By Brittany Marrietta

When: Thursday, March 6th - 5:30 p.m.

Why:  Explore Rivermont Kindergarten! Meet teachers and experience curriculum with hands-on activities! Parents are encouraged to bring their future Kindergarten students. Childcare will be provided for siblings. This event is open to the community - join us!

Where:  Rivermont Collegiate, 1821 Sunset Drive - Bettendorf, IA 52722 (located directly off 18th Street, behind K&K Hardware)

For additional information contact Karen Roebuck, Director of Admissions & Marketing, at (563) 359-1366 ext. 302 or roebuck@rvmt.org
04 Mar 2014

Area students named to University of Kansas honor roll

By Christy Little

LAWRENCE, KS (03/03/2014)(readMedia)-- Approximately 4,620 undergraduate students at the University of Kansas earned honor roll distinction for the fall 2013 semester.

The students, from KU's Lawrence campus and the schools of health professions and nursing in Kansas City, Kan., represent 93 of 105 Kansas counties, 45 other states and 40 other countries.

Area honorees are as follows:

Joseph Boland, of Rock Island. He is the son of Mary Dewitte, Rock Island, Ill. Boland was named to the honor roll for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Rebecca Townsend, of Muscatine. She is the daughter of Betsy and James Townsend, Muscatine, Iowa. Townsend was named to the honor roll for the School of Music.

Rachel Rauch, of Leclaire. She is the daughter of Rebecca Rauch, Leclaire, Iowas. Rauch was named to the honor roll for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Caitlin Doornbos, of Dewitt. She is the daughter of William Doornbos, Dewitt, Iowa, and Shannon Stuckert, Hutchinson. Doornbos was named to the honor roll for the School of Journalism.

The honor roll comprises undergraduates who meet requirements in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and in the schools of allied health; architecture, design and planning; business; education; engineering; journalism; music; nursing; pharmacy; and social welfare.

Honor roll criteria vary among the university's academic units. Some schools honor the top 10 percent of students enrolled, some establish a minimum grade-point average and others raise the minimum GPA for each year students are in school. Students must complete a minimum number of credit hours to be considered for the honor roll.

04 Mar 2014

THIRTY-NINE SCHOOL DISTRICTS SELECTED FOR FIRST TEACHER LEADERSHIP SYSTEMS

By Office of the Governor of the State of Iowa

By 2016-17, all districts will have option to participate

(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry E. Branstad, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds and Iowa Department of Education Director Brad Buck today announced the first group of Iowa school districts selected to launch teacher leadership systems next school year.

Top teachers taking on leadership roles to improve instruction and raise student achievement is the centerpiece of Iowa's landmark 2013 education reform package. New teacher leadership systems across Iowa will allow teachers to work in greater collaboration with colleagues and learn from each other instead of operating largely in isolation in their classrooms. Teacher leadership systems will be phased in over three years, with the goal of all districts participating by 2016-17, although whether to do so is a local decision.

Based on the recommendations of the 19-member Commission on Teacher Leadership and Compensation, Director Buck selected 39 school districts out of 146 applicants from across the state. The districts - serving a mix of urban, suburban and rural communities - enroll about one-third of Iowa students. Two of the districts will share teacher leadership systems. Selected districts are listed at the end of this press release.

Teacher leadership systems promise to help students learn more by better meeting their individual needs. They also will attract and retain more effective teachers by enhancing career opportunities and paying stipends for taking on extra responsibilities. With higher expectations for students, it's no longer realistic for one principal to provide all the instructional leadership in a school. Teacher and principal leadership teams can support the more complex work required to prepare students for a knowledge-based economy.

Districts were selected for the first round based on the strength of their application as well as geographic and size diversity.

"Selection of this first group of school districts to launch teacher leadership systems is an important step forward as Iowans work to restore our schools to best in the nation," said Branstad. "Iowans are committed to giving students a world-class education. Better utilizing teacher leadership to leverage other reforms moves us in the right direction."

"We are pleased that 146 school districts applied to be in the first group," said Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds. "Great teaching is the most critical factor affecting learning inside schools, and the teacher leadership systems recognize that teacher collaboration can be a game-changer."

"This first group of school districts will help transform education across Iowa," said Buck. "The state's role is to provide leadership and support so they can implement their teacher leadership systems in a way that best meets local needs."

Districts that applied to start teacher leadership systems next fall were required to set a vision and goals for what they plan to accomplish. They also had to address "must-haves," such as setting a minimum teacher salary of $33,500, improved entry into the profession, including mentoring for new teachers, and a rigorous selection process for leadership roles.

Districts selected will receive about $309 per pupil next school year to implement their teacher leadership systems. The annual cost statewide is nearly $50 million in FY15, growing to about $150 million annually in the third year. After the initial year of district implementation, the teacher leadership funding rolls into the Iowa school finance formula.

The next step for school districts is selecting their teacher leaders. Branstad's FY15 budget recommendations include $4 million for the Iowa Department of Education, working with Area Education Agencies, to provide technical assistance and leadership development for the districts in the first group implementing teacher leadership systems in 2014-15.

The selected districts are:

Benton

Bettendorf

Burlington

Cedar Rapids

Colo-NESCO

Council Bluffs

Davenport

Delwood

Dubuque

Earlham

East Marshall

East Union

Gilbert

Greene County

Hudson

Humboldt (in collaboration with Twin Rivers)

Johnston

Le Mars

Linn-Mar

Marshalltown

Mount Pleasant

Muscatine

North Polk

Norwalk

Oelwein

Ottumwa

Panorama

Pella

Rock Valley

Roland-Story

Saydel

Sioux City

Southeast Polk

Twin Rivers (in collaboration with Humboldt)

Van Meter

Waterloo

West Des Moines

Western Dubuque

Winterset

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