Hundreds of children, families, business and community leaders will come together throughout the state and nation Thursday at Lights On Afterschool events to celebrate the achievements of afterschool students and draw attention to the need for more afterschool programs to serve children nationwide who are unsupervised and at risk each weekday afternoon. There are more than 8,000 Lights On Afterschool events across the nation emphasizing the importance of keeping the lights on and the doors open after school. Lights On Afterschool activities celebrate the many benefits of afterschool programs and encourage lawmakers, businesses, and others to support afterschool funding.

“I am grateful for the schools and community partners that work together throughout the school year to provide enriching activities in safe environments so our children can learn, grow and thrive after school,” Secretary of Education Susan Bunting said.

Organized by the Afterschool Alliance, Lights On Afterschool has been celebrated annually since 2000. This year, more than one million Americans will demonstrate their support for afterschool by taking part in the only nationwide celebration for afterschool programs.

http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/loaFindEvent.cfm.

A newly released national poll illustrates that the high level of support for afterschool shown by those joining Lights On Afterschool celebrations extends to the overall population. The poll found that nearly 9 out of 10 adults (89 percent) believe afterschool and summer programs are important to their communities. The poll also found strong backing of public funding for afterschool and summer learning programs, with 2 out of 3 adults surveyed saying they want their federal, state and local leaders to provide funding for afterschool and summer programs. Demand for afterschool programs continues to far outpace the supply of existing programs. More work needs to be done to meet the great need for afterschool programs that keep kids safe, inspire them to learn and help working families.

Many afterschool programs around the nation are supported by funding from the Federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative. Since its creation, it has provided funding to allow millions of children to attend afterschool.

Lights On Afterschool is organized by the Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit public awareness and advocacy organization working to ensure that all children have access to quality afterschool programs.

john.hulse@doe.k12.de.us.

Media contact: Alison May, alison.may@doe.k12.de.us, 302-735-4006

Three Delaware schools are among the 362 schools that U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos recognized today as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2019. The recognition is based on a school’s overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.

Red Clay Consolidated School District’s The Charter School of Wilmington and Delaware Military Academy and Christina School District’s West Park Place Elementary School are among the 312 public and 50 non-public schools that will be honored at an awards ceremony November 14 and 15 in Washington, D.C.

School leaders will be invited to attend the national awards ceremony with a teacher representative from each of their schools.

The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools where students achieve very high learning standards or are making notable improvements in closing the achievement gap.

This coveted award affirms the hard work of educators, families and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content. Now in its 37th year, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed recognition on more than 9,000 schools.

The department recognizes all schools in one of two performance categories, based on all student scores, student subgroup scores and graduation rates:

• Exemplary High Performing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.
• Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s student groups and all students.

Up to 420 schools may be nominated each year. The Department invites National Blue Ribbon School nominations from the top education official in all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and the Bureau of Indian Education. Private schools are nominated by The Council for American Private Education (CAPE).

A listing of all National Blue Ribbon Schools in Delaware:

Charter School of Wilmington Wilmington 2019
Delaware Military Academy Wilmington 2019
West Park Place Elementary School Newark 2019
Cedar Lane Elementary School Middletown 2018
Lake Forest South Elementary School Harrington 2018
Selbyville Middle School Selbyville 2018
East Millsboro Elementary School Millsboro 2017
Olive B. Loss Elementary School Bear 2017
Seaford Central Elementary School Seaford 2017
Christ the Teacher Catholic School Newark 2016
Dover Air Force Base Middle School Dover 2016
Newark Charter School Newark 2016
St John the Beloved School Wilmington 2016
Sussex Academy Georgetown 2016
Cape Henlopen High School Lewes 2015
Lake Forest East Elementary School Frederica 2015
W. B. Simpson Elementary School Wyoming 2015
The Academy of Dover Dover 2014
John M. Clayton Elementary School Frankford 2014
Lake Forest North Elementary School Felton 2014
The Charter School of Wilmington Wilmington 2013
Richard A. Shields Elementary School Lewes 2013
Allen Frear Elementary School Dover 2013
Linden Hill Elementary School Wilmington 2012
Harry O. Eisenberg Elementary School New Castle 2012
Star Hill Elementary School Dover 2012
West Park Place Elementary School Newark 2011
Long Neck Elementary School Millsboro 2011
Nellie Hughes Stokes Elementary School Dover 2011
Christ the Teacher Catholic School Newark 2010
Newark Charter School Newark 2010
Robert S. Gallaher Elementary School Newark 2010
Woodbridge Elementary School Greenwood 2010
Marbrook Elementary School Wilmington 2009
East Millsboro Elementary School Millsboro 2008
Sussex Technical High School Georgetown 2008
Lancashire Elementary School Wilmington 2007
Etta J. Wilson Elementary School Newark 2007
Joseph M. McVey Elementary School Newark 2007
North Georgetown Elementary School Georgetown 2006
Lake Forest East Elementary School Frederica 2006
Fairview Elementary School Dover 2006
Long Neck Elementary School Millsboro 2005
Booker T. Washington Elementary School Dover 2005
Lulu M. Ross Elementary School Milford 2004
Frankford Elementary School Frankford 2004
Phillip C. Showell Elementary School Selbyville 2003
Corpus Christi Elementary School Wilmington 2001
Lord Baltimore Elementary School Ocean View 2001
Padua Academy Wilmington 1996
Seaford Middle School Seaford 1996
Sussex Technical High School Georgetown 1996
St. Matthew School Wilmington 1992
Corpus Christi School Wilmington 1990
Dover High School Dover 1987
Skyline Middle School Wilmington 1985
Christiana High School Newark 1984
Caesar Rodney Senior High School Camden 1984
Brandywine High School Wilmington 1983
Shue Middle School Newark 1983

Photographs and brief descriptions of the 2019 National Blue Ribbon Schools are available at http://www.ed.gov/nationalblueribbonschools

Media contact: Alison May, alison.may@doe.k12.de.us, 302-735-4006

Delaware educators who work in high-needs districts or content areas are eligible to apply for this year’s High Needs Educator Student Loan Payment program.

Created under Governor John Carney, Delaware’s educator student loan repayment program provides eligible educators with up to $2,000 a year to repay their student loans. Educators who work in certification areas in which Delaware has a shortage or educators who work in Delaware high-needs schools are eligible to apply.

Educators can apply for the loan repayment program online (https://www.doe.k12.de.us/Page/3846) through 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 1, 2019.

For the 2019-2020 academic year, the budget for this program increased to $700,000.

Learn more about the importance of the program from first-year recipients at https://youtu.be/_DEc-bGclvM.

Media Contact: Alison May, alison.may@doe.k12.de.us, 302-735-4006

Top state medalists represented Delaware at the National Technology Student Association’s (TSA) Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) conference held at the National Harbor, Maryland Friday through Tuesday.  Students competed in high technology and in leadership contests such as computer-aided design; dragster design; engineering, inventions & innovations; leadership strategies; manufacturing prototype; medical technology; on-demand video; promotional graphics; structural engineering; system control technology; video game design; robotics, website design and more. The conference was the largest in the organizations history, with more than 8,500 individuals in attendance from through the country and world. It was also the largest national attendance in Delaware TSA history with 147 participants.

Highlights include:

• Apuroop Mutyala of MOT Charter School elected to serve as Vice-President of National TSA
• Delaware students earned 14 top 10 national honors
• Kathy Sheehy of Dickinson High School (Red Clay Consolidated School District) awarded Chapter Advisor of the Year
• Stephen Lee of PS duPont Middle School (Brandywine School District) awarded Chapter Advisor of the Year
• Postlethwait Middle School (Caesar Rodney School District) honored with Legacy Chapter of Excellence award

Results:

Place                    Contest                                                           School

2^nd Place               STEM Animation                                            Cab Calloway School of the Arts Middle School (Red Clay)

3^rd Place               Challenging Technology Issues                      Postlethwait Middle School (Caesar Rodney)

3^rd Place               Digital Photography                                        Postlethwait Middle School

3^rd Place               Leap Legacy Chapter of Excellence Award     Postlethwait Middle School

4^th Place               Forensics Technology                                     Newark Charter Jr/Sr High School (Charter)

4^th Place               Children’s Stories                                           Postlethwait Middle School

4^th Place               Prepared Presentation                                   MOT Charter School (Charter)

6^th Place               Leadership Strategies                                     Cab Calloway School of the Arts Middle School

7^th Place               System Control Technology                           Caesar Rodney High School (Caesar Rodney)

7^th Place               Webmaster                                                     Caesar Rodney High School

8^th Place               Digital Video Production                                Caesar Rodney High School

8^th Place               Promotional Marketing                                  Cab Calloway School of the Arts Middle School

9^th Place               Debating Technology                                     MOT Charter School

10^th Place             Extemporaneous Speech                               Cab Calloway School of the Arts High School

Participating Schools (Districts):

• Alexis I. duPont High School (Red Clay)
• Bayard Middle School (Christina)
• Cab Calloway School Of The Arts High School (Red Clay)
• Cab Calloway School Of The Arts Middle School (Red Clay)
• Caesar Rodney High School (Caesar Rodney)
• Fifer Middle School (Caesar Rodney)
• H.B. duPont Middle School (Red Clay)
• Henry C. Conrad Schools of Science (Red Clay)
• Milford Central Academy (Milford)
• MOT Charter School (Charter)
• Newark Charter High School (Charter)
• Newark Charter Jr. High School (Charter)
• Postlethwait Middle School (Caesar Rodney)
• Selbyville Middle School (Indian River)
• Sussex Central High School (Indian River)

The Technology Student Association (TSA) is a Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) dedicated to students interested in the future of invention, innovation, engineering, and technology. Through TSA, members have the opportunity to participate in technology-focused competitive events, take part in community service work, and become leaders for the organization in their school, state, and at the national level. TSA incorporates curricular and co-curricular experiences to emphasize the importance of knowledge, leadership, skill development, and teamwork. To learn more about Delaware TSA, please contact Mike Fitzgerald by phone at: (302) 735-4015 or by email at: Mike.Fitzgerald@doe.k12.de.us

More than 100 students and advisers from across the State of Delaware joined nearly 10,000 other members the 41^st annual HOSA-Future Health Professionals International Leadership Conference in Dallas, Texas. Delaware students represented the First State in competitive events, including: medical math, epidemiology, physical therapy, forensic medicine, dental science, medical assisting, biomedical laboratory science, and more.

Delaware HOSA is a career and technical student organization dedicated to students who are interested in pursuing their future in a career in healthcare. Through HOSA-Future Health Professionals, members have the opportunity to participate in career-focused competitive events, take part in community service work, and become leaders for the organization in their school, state, and at the international level.  HOSA-Future Health Professionals incorporates curricular and co-curricular experiences to emphasize the importance of knowledge, leadership, skill development, and teamwork.

The following students were recognized in the Top 10 in their competitive event:

To learn more about Delaware HOSA, please contact Peg Enslen by phone at: (302) 857-3339 or by email at peggy.enslen@doe.k12.de.us. A list of all national finalists can be found online at: http://ilc.hosa.org/sites/default/files/2018%20Secondary%20Event%20Rankings.pdf.

Media Contact: Alison May, alison.may@doe.k12.de.us, 302-735-4006