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Austin Participates In Education
Your Guide to Engagement
Volume 6, May 2006
This month has been an exciting one for Austin Partners in Education as we celebrated our annual 'Salute' to Austin teachers and our Partners at the Palmer Event Center on May 3rd. AISD's teacher of the year Leigh Northcutt-Benson, a history and geography teacher at Travis High School, was announced. She will now represent AISD in the search for the 2006 Texas Teacher of the Year sponsored by the Texas Education Agency. The event is an opportunity to thank our most outstanding teachers, staff, and partners for their support in 2006.
The Austin community is truly blessed to have such an active community of organizations and individuals who care about and contribute to Austin's students in many small and large ways. The total contribution of time, talent, and treasure amounts to nearly $20 Million. Thank you one and all. Please read on for more about 2006 Salute and news about our latest programs ... and, of course, opportunities for involvement.
We thank especially, the partners who have helped develop academic programs in AISD schools; our continuing friend, Baker Botts LLP, sponsor of Literacy Champions at Allison Elementary; they provided not only funding for our ACEE Coordinator from the UT Dana Center, but also over 20 volunteers. We welcome 3M as the sponsor of Math Study Groups at Reagan High School. And we are thrilled to announce that A Glimmer of Hope Foundation has chosen to sponsor APIE's TechCorps Student Help Desk program in five eastside schools this fall. We are still seeking funding to expand the Tech Corps program to the rest of the AISD middle schools.
We will be focusing on Rigor, Relevance and Relationships this fall, as we work with AISD to develop collaborative study groups district-wide. This is a perfect opportunity for community involvement in the schools. Volunteers will be trained alongside teachers and they will work together to develop collaborative study processes in the classroom. Business professionals have an unparalleled chance to build relationships with students around academics, and to give them insight as to the relevance of their studies to potential careers. The classroom-based study group format provides the maximum amount of time with students, while allowing flexibility around career demands. For teachers, this format keeps volunteers on track with curriculum and provides leverage in key areas. I had the opportunity to work with an amazing teacher, Christina Stewart, in a Reagan High School Algebra class and have come to consider her a friend. I'll miss her, my fellow tutors, and my student team as we separate for the summer.
Kudos to our Computers for Families team; 600 families now have computers and internet in the home, $8 million dollars saved ... what a story!
You may have become aware of the development of an APIE tracking system for programs and volunteers. Our volunteers now browse AISD volunteer opportunities and sign up online, track their hours, and give us feedback, all across the internet. We've gone completely paperless in a year! This system has allowed us to bring in a 15% increase in volunteers; over 3000 total, while spending more time on school support and development of programs.
For more than a decade a small, nationally recognized architectural firm, Pfluger Associates (PA), has quietly given hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of services to the Austin Independent School District (AISD) to help it develop its bond proposals, design state-of-the-art school-to-career facilities, work on a fine arts facility, and help with special projects, all in support of the District's initiatives to continually improve educational opportunities for all students.
Pfluger Associates is a nationally recognized leader in the design of public schools. The firm has received numerous awards for its design of public schools. Instead of commercially capitalizing on this status for personal wealth building, this firm has chosen to focus its energies on investing in the design and construction of state-of-the-art career pathway facilities for the high schools. Under the leadership of Brad Pfluger, several critical community collaborative programs have been accomplished:
- In 2001-2002, Pfluger Associates (PA) donated the architectural services and architectural project supervision for the Culinary and Hospitality Institute at Travis High School.
- In 2003-2004, Pfluger Associates worked with the AISD bond committee in addressing a myriad of challenges that arose during the development of the bond proposal and public education leading up to the election. PA graciously gave countless hours addressing issues from new science labs to estimated costs for specific projects. Once the bond package was put together, Brad Pfluger helped underwrite its passage and spent several hours raising the funds so that the public would be educated on the content of the bond proposal and why it was needed.
- In 2005-2006, Pfluger Associates completed a two-year community collaboration, designing a 20,000 square foot automotive training center for Crockett High School which will be shared by AISD and Austin Community College students. Brad Pfluger personally made a number of site visits to high schools, community colleges, and automobile dealerships, taking the best features of these facilities and incorporating them into the design of a state-of-the-art facility.
Leading by example, Brad Pfluger has used his professional relationships with other professionals to get services donated. He continues to help with the implementation of construction projects by approaching subcontractors and suppliers and encouraging them to donate time and materials for the school-to-career collaborative. The members of this firm have made extraordinary personal sacrifices to lead this community in developing state-of-the-art facilities so that AISD has the finest facilities in the country for its career pathways.
Other Salute 2006 Award Winners recognized were:
- AISD Teacher of the Year: Leigh Northcutt-Benson
- APIE Hall of Fame: Doyle Valdez
- Rookie of the Year: DriveTime
- Good Things Come in Small Packages: Mexican American Research Center
- Business/Community Representative: Leif Johnson Ford
- Special Recognition for Hurricane Katrina Support: InKind, Inc.
- Volunteer of the Year: Su Nogay
- Mentor/Tutor of the Year: Liz Heiling
- Exemplary Staff Performance, Elementary: Ron Reed
- Exemplary Staff Performance, Secondary: Frances Miller Martinez
- Exemplary Staff Performance, Central Office: Patricia Dabbert
- Special Project/Program: Travis Community Education Foundation Mentor Support Program for Children of Incarcerated Parents
- Campus Spirit: Mathews Elementary School
- Texas School for the Deaf Partner of the Year: AT&T
A research-based approach to enhancing the math aptitude of AISD students was piloted by APIE in the 2006 spring semester. The program is based on work examining the effect of collaborative study on academic success by Dr. Uri Treisman, Professor of Mathematics and Director of the UT Austin Charles A. Dana Center. Collaborative math study groups were conducted in three AISD schools where six teachers in nine math classrooms worked on Algebra I, Algebra II and 6th grade math.
Through this novel program APIE served 200 students using 46 volunteer math coaches. Led by Freescale Semiconductor, who provided 35 professionals, the coaching was made possible by the generosity of employees from Legerity, Applied Materials, Pearson Testing, UT, the Urban League, City of Austin, and APIE. These volunteers committed to weekly visits to the math classes throughout the semester, providing over 18 hours of service per volunteer. In the classroom, the teachers presented a lesson and the coaches worked alongside the students solving problems using collaborative methods.
In addition to helping with math study, these volunteers provided a positive link between school and career. For example, one coach brought a chip wafer to his 6th grade math class and a lively discussion took place about calculating yield. This type of real world discussion helps answer students' common question of, "Why do I have to learn this?" The volunteer math coaches stayed very true to their commitment, giving a 92% retention rate over the full semester.
Teachers have expressed satisfaction with bringing volunteers into their classrooms and providing them with support during class. Having math coaches allows teachers to focus on the students who need the most help, while the volunteers coach the students to work collaboratively on the assignment.
It is APIE's intention to expand this highly successful program into other AISD schools next year. Further information can be obtained by contacting APIE at 512-637-0900 or aglaser@austinpartners.org
Without the volunteer support of leaders from the community, APIE would not be able to achieve its strategic purpose. In a variety of capacities, these leaders bring depth and breadth of knowledge from their fields of expertise. Two such volunteers are Sari Waxler and Dr. K.C. Cerny, and it is with great appreciation that APIE is proud to recognize them as featured volunteers.
Sari Waxler
For the past 6 years, Sari Waxler has served AISD as GEAR-UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) Project Director. As an APIE Board member and chair of the Math Study Groups Committee, Sari has volunteered countless hours in the development and implementation of collaborative APIE Math Study Groups. Sari's focus included defining the Math Study Groups pilot program, coordinating school administrators and teachers, training volunteers, and facilitating meetings for program improvement. Sari generously shared her knowledge and experience from her 31 years in AISD.
Sari's integrity, strong work ethic and good sense of humor can all be factored into the success and value of this dynamic volunteer!
Dr. K.C. Cerny
Dr. K.C. Cerny, founder and managing partner of Management Information Analysis, is a cherished asset of Austin Partners in Education. Over a seven year period, beginning in 1996, Dr. Cerny assisted with technology projects in various AISD high schools. During this same period, Dr. Cerny and his firm were key resources in assisting the establishment of Seton Hospital's school nursing program.
In 2002, Dr. Cerny joined the APIE Board, and in 2004 he became Chair of the APIE Technology Committee. In this capacity, Dr. Cerny has played a vital role in facilitating technology discussions within the school district. Bringing together the right mix of key AISD personnel and members of the business community and higher education field, topics have ranged from distance learning to the development of technology career pathways. During Dr. Cerny's tenure as Technology Committee Chair, APIE has developed and implemented a series of innovative technology programs including Tech Corps, Dell TechKnow, and Lay Technologists.
In 2005, Dr. Cerny became Co-Chair of the APIE Strategic Planning Committee, where his depth and breadth of experience in strategic planning proved invaluable in bringing clarity and refinement to APIE's strategic planning process. Dr. Cerny's contributions over a long period of time to APIE and the District, through his management and technology expertise, have had an immeasurable impact on the District.
By the end of the 2005-2006 school year, approximately 600 AISD students will have computers and internet access at their fingertips. This achievement is part of an APIE program where students have not only received re-imaged computers, but also training provided by the CapMac Users Group and the Urban League. In addition, one year's free internet dial up service has been generously provided by Grande Communications.
When this project is completed at the end of the school year, AISD taxpayers will have been saved over $8 million dollars of interest payments through the Qualified Zone Academy Bond (QZAB) initiative. Moreover, it will have provided families, who did not have the means to purchase a computer, with a re-imaged iMac or PC to help in the education of their children. It is very exciting to see the many happy faces of children who have received a computer and to hear comments like, "I'm studying caterpillars in class and now I can do research about caterpillars at home!" This is another example of how APIE is striving with AISD and the community to improve the quality of education for the District's children.
In honor of National Volunteer Week, APIE hosted a Spring Time Round Up to celebrate AISD's growing volunteer base and the school staff who support them.
Over 220 people from across the District turned out for the celebration held at the Texas Land and Cattle Restaurant. The restaurant generously donated the space and food for the event. In addition, several Austin restaurants donated gift certificates that were used as door prizes for the event. The Driskill Grill, Mangia Pizza, Iron Cactus, Texas Land and Cattle, Guero's, Cool River and Black Eyed Pea all supported the event with gift certificates that were highly sought after.
School coordinators who submitted the annual data collection by April 7th were entered in a drawing for two roundtrip plane tickets, courtesy of Jet Blue Airlines. The raffle was held at the Round Up and Evelyn Howard from Sims Elementary was the lucky winner.
As they left, volunteers received appreciation gifts, complete with custom notepads donated by 3M. 3M's donation was so large that APIE now has notepads to offer to schools to use in future volunteer recognition events at their respective campuses.
Attendees commented on the good time, great food and prizes, the opportunity to mix with other volunteers and school coordinators and how much it meant to them to be recognized and appreciated for their contribution to our District's schools.
The event would not have been such a success without the enthusiasm of the volunteers and school coordinators or the wonderful donations from community partners. The unanticipated response was so great, that APIE is now looking for larger venues for future events.
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