Center for Academic Excellence:

What Works? Ask the Students! 10th Year Anniversary Survey

Calling all Academic All-Star Students!

If you have not completed the What Works? Ask the Students! Survey on our website—please do so today. We would like you to take part in the 10th anniversary online version of the 1995 survey —responses will be taken until November 1st. At that time, CAE will publish the aggregated results of the survey and a comparison to the 1995 results. Please ask your parents to assist you if necessary—there is an elementary and secondary version of the survey posted on our site: www.mncae.org.

What will this survey do for you? In 1995, the What Works? Ask the Students! Symposia and survey asked a representative group of 8th and 10th graders to describe what did and did not help them learn: what was important to them in terms of teaching, motivation, school culture, instruction, learning outcomes, receiving encouragement or insistence, feedback, the school environment and curriculum. Now, ten years later, the Center for Academic Excellence is asking students in Minnesota what works for them as learners. This survey will help to determine if your needs have changed, and whether they been met over the years?

The 1995 report is currently available as a PDF file on our site.

Six Chosen to Receive the WEM Foundation Educator Awards

In May the Center for Academic Excellence convened a Blue Ribbon Panel at the Minnesota Department of Education to review teacher applications and make recommendations to the WEM Foundation for the recipients of these awards. The Center for Academic Excellence is pleased to announce this year’s honorees that will be honored at an awards brunch in Octoberwhere they will receive an unrestricted $10,000 cash prize and a crystal apple from the WEM Foundation in recognition of their outstanding accomplishments and contributions to student learning.

Now in its seventh year, the WEM Educator Awards program, created by Whitney and Betty MacMillan and their WEM Foundation, is administered by the Center for Academic Excellence, in partnership with the service cooperative members of MRSA—Minnesota Regional Service Agency. This program helps recognize education’s often “unsung heroes”—educators who daily meet the challenges and opportunities of teaching in a variety of settings. Educators are first nominated by students, students’ parents, or colleagues. Those who accept the nomination provide additional information for review and consideration by the Center for Academic Excellence and a blue ribbon selection panel, which reviews and ranks the nominees.

In addition to the six statewide honorees, 18 educators were named as regional honorees for 2005:

Academic Coach of the Year
Margie Berg, Pine Island Public School
Jill Doschadis, Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley Schools
Billie Elavsky, Walker-Hackensack-Akeley High School
James Moon, Minnetonka High School
Kathy Simson, Wayzata East Middle School

Ethics in Education
Jean Andrews, Fridley Middle School
Kenneth Fiscus, Albert Lea High School
Mary Johnson, Sauk Rapids-Rice High School
Meredith Kehoe, Bemidji Public Schools
Marles Lange, Windom Public Schools
Lisa Pikop, West Central Area Elementary School

Teacher Achievement
Charlene Auge, Red Wing Public Schools
Dorothy Erickson, Detroit Lakes Middle School
Deborah Guthrie, Valentine Hills School, Mounds View School District
Holly Knudson, Marshall High School
ADawn Melbye, Lincoln High School, Thief River Falls
Tanya Siedlecki, Cambridge Middle School
Beth Swenson, Brainerd Public Schools

Visit our website: www.mncae.org for details on the WEM Educator Award program and to nominate an educator for an award in 2006.

Reach for the Stars

The popular Reach for the Stars catalog is being printed and will be available to school districts soon. This catalog contains information on approximately 100 statewide academic enrichment challenges, and competitions as endorsed by the state Academic League Council on the basis of six criteria related to the educational value and benefit to students and schools.

Printed copies of the catalog will be circulated throughout the state by the Center for Academic Excellence and a host of education partners—including cooperative members of MRSA (Minnesota Regional Service Agency), the Minnesota Department of Education, and several state educational organizations. A PDF version of the catalog will also be posted to our website: www.mncae.org for your reference.

Minnesota’s Academic All-Stars Honored at Camp Snoopy – Logo Contest Deadline Extended

Hundreds of Minnesota’s Academic All-Star students, joined by family and friends, were honored at Camp Snoopy in the Mall of America on August 5th at the annual “Gathering of Champions” celebration.

The Center for Academic Excellence (CAE), in partnership with the service cooperative members of MRSA—Minnesota Regional Service Agency and several sponsors are please to administer the Gathering of Champions. This celebration of student achievement was launched in 1990 by the Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation (MAEF) as a way of recognizing outstanding students in Minnesota’s elementary and secondary schools. This year, more than 3,000 students from nearly 140 Minnesota schools and school districts were named as Academic All-Stars by their school officials.

As part of their recognition, students were invited to attend a day at Camp Snoopy and participate in one of ten hourly recognition programs. During the recognition program students were entertained by magician Frederick W. Baisch, congratulated by more than twenty dignitaries, headed by Minnesota Education Commissioner Alice Seagren, and presented with an awards package including a commemorative certificate of achievement. After the recognition program students, and their family and friends, enjoyed discounted entertainment, and shopping at participating Camp Snoopy and Mall of American merchants.

For more details on the Gathering of Champions, visit the CAE website: www.mncae.org. The deadline for student entries for the 2006 Gathering of Champions logo contest has been extended to October 15th and all entries will be posted to the website in November. Vote for the design of your choice—the winning entry will be announced in January 2006 and will become next year’s “Gathering of Champion’s” logo.

by Bethany Malisheske, Morrison County Record

One hour.

That’s all the time it took for the student from Upsala to design the new logo for the 2005 Gathering of Champions.

Austin Johnson, who was a sixth grader at the time, submitted the design just before the Sept. 5, 2004 deadline. Using colored pencils as the medium, he came up with the stars and stripes logo at the family dining room table.

Johnson then had to wait until January to receive the email letting him know that his design had been chosen. His drawing had been displayed on the Center for Academic Excellence’s website where many could vote and comment on the drawings submitted. One comment stated that his design was liked best because it emphasized the academic component of the All-Stars program.

The mission of the Center for Academic Excellence is “to help improve, promote and recognize academic excellence in Minnesota schools.” The organization works in partnership with many of the state’s education associations and organizations. One of the programs is the “Gathering of Champions.”

Each year, school officials, including teachers and principals, are invited to name their top students as Minnesota’s Academic All-Stars. Selection criteria includes:

• Students who are top academic achievers (as measured by school policy or practice);
  
• Students who have made dramatic, positive turnarounds in their academic work or achievement; or
  
• Students who have finished first in a regional, state, national or international academic competition endorsed by the state’s Academic League Council.

Students who are chosen receive an invitation to attend the Gathering of Champions. On the first Friday in August at Camp Snoopy (Mall of America), a series of hourly recognition programs are held throughout the day. Each program features the parade of Academic All-Stars and participants receive commemorative memorabilia. This year’s program, held on Aug. 6, included give-aways, discounts at MOA stores, tickets to the State Fair, and more. For Johnson, designing the logo for this year’s gathering was not his only reason for attending. His Language Arts teacher, Jeanne Peterson, selected him as one of the All-Stars. In addition to being recognized for his academic success, he was also recognized for his artistic success during the program. His family (parents Steve and Sheri, sister Savannah and brother Axel) was a part of those gathered to congratulate the winners.

This was not the first contest Johnson had entered one of his drawings. He’s had entries at the Morrison County Fair and other competitions.

“He’s won a lot of awards,” stated his mother. “He’s been drawing and coloring since he was two.”

It was also not the first time Johnson had been named an All-Star. He was chosen in kindergarten, first, second, and fourth grade also.

With the All-Star program being K-12, it’s possible that Johnson could be chosen again. But regardless, his mark on the program is indelible. And he’s got the shirt to prove it.