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Districts in Florida, Georgia split school prize

By WTOP Staff

MIKE SCHNEIDER
Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — In a first for the largest education award given to public schools nationwide, jurors decided to split the $1 million Broad Prize between two urban districts — a past winner with an established record in Georgia and an up-and-coming district showing recent gains in Florida.

Watching Monday’s announcement via live feeds from New York, educators from Gwinnett County Public Schools in metro Atlanta and Orange County Public Schools in Orlando celebrated Monday as each was promised $500,000 in college scholarships for their high school seniors.

The decision marked the first time in its 12-year history that the Broad Prize for Urban Education has gone to two districts. U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan named the winners, and the ceremony included a speech by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Gwinnett and Orange counties were the only two finalists picked from a pool of 75 eligible districts. Usually, four or five are chosen, but this year, jurors were disappointed with urban schools’ progress, which they found “incremental at best,” according to a letter from the jury.

But the two finalists stood out, though for different reasons, according to the jurors — including former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, former U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala, former U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings and former U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd, CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America.

Jurors found that Gwinnett County, a winner in 2010, is “consistently one of the top performers in Georgia.” And Orange County has “galvanized the community around raising student achievement — quickly and dramatically.”

“In the end, we decided both finalists deserved to win the 2014 Broad Prize,” Rendell said in the jurors’ letter.

The prize rewards districts for improving achievement among disadvantaged students. Criteria include state test scores, graduation rates, performance compared with similar districts in the state, preparation of students for college, and the closing of the achievement gaps between ethnic groups and low-and-high income students.

For some Gwinnett County students, the scholarships may mean the difference between pursuing a college degree or stopping their formal education after high school, said Lorna Gallimore, director of assessments at the district office, where educators rose from their chairs applauding when they heard the announcement.

“We recognize that all children can learn, and all parents want the same things for their children, regardless of their socioeconomic backgrounds,” Gallimore said.

In Orange County, the district has embarked on a major capital campaign, built smaller neighborhood schools and increased the number of magnet schools in the districts.

Because of a several-second delay in audio and visual components in the feed from New York, the 300-plus educators packed into an Orlando auditorium at first seemed confused about whether they had heard the announcement correctly. When they saw a graphic on the giant TV screen that it was a tie, they jumped out of their seats and cheered.

Dorina Sackman, an English-as-a-second-language teacher and Florida’s Teacher of the Year, said the key to the district’s improvement has been a focus on data-driven results combined with emphasizing the teacher-student relationship.

“You can have data, data, data all you want, but it’s the teachers who have those relationships with their children and understand their stories and infuse that into their knowledge of putting that into their lesson so the kids can master the content,” Sackman said.

The prize is sponsored by a foundation run by Edythe and Eli Broad, who made his fortune in home construction and insurance.

The districts “are doing something right with leadership and laser-like focus,” Broad said.

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Associated Press writer Ray Henry in Suwanee, Georgia, contributed to this report.

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Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mikeschneiderap

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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