Hobart Public Schools Selected to Participate in National High Schools that Work Conference

July 3, 2012/Hobart Public Schools Selected to Participate in National High Schools that Work Conference

Hobart Public Schools is one of two school districts selected by Oklahoma GEAR UP, Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, to participate in the national High Schools That Work Staff Development Conference. The conference, Engaging Students Intellectually, Emotionally, Socially and Behaviorally in Learning, will be in New Orleans, LA, July 11-14.

Hobart and Roland Public Schools were selected from the 24 GEAR UP School Districts for having the highest completion percentage on student, family and faculty federal data reporting. The data reporting is a requirement for participants of the statewide grant program.

Hobart will send three faculty members to the national conference: Cathy Hunt, high school principal; Tammy McCollom, special education coordinator; and Kim Reed, middle school geography and social studies teacher.

The 26th annual High Schools That Work conference will challenge participants to consider new ways to ensure all students are engaged in learning and motivated to become successful students and adults. The conference features more than 5,000 teachers, school leaders and nationally renowned educational experts who will gain practical strategies for improving school leadership, classroom instruction and teaching strategies, student engagement, and student achievement.

"Providing Oklahoma schools with an opportunity to participate and engage in activities and conversations about best education practices on a national level is a great way to boost the learning and college going culture in our communities,” said Oklahoma Higher Education Chancellor Glen D. Johnson. “If we place a high priority on providing meaningful professional development opportunities for our teachers, we are more likely to see better results in the classroom and in college participation.”

Administered by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, GEAR UP is a federal grant program offered through the U.S. Department of Education to provide opportunities for middle and high school students to acquire the academic skills, planning information, financial assistance and support they need to succeed in college.
For more information about GEAR UP visit www.okhighered.org/gearup or call 800.858.1840.

The U.S. Department of Education awarded Oklahoma with state GEAR UP grants totaling $20.5 million in August 1999, $20.6 million in August 2005 and $34.9 million in September 2011. The grants have been matched by more than $48 million from state and partner resources. From 1999 to 2011, GEAR UP received more than $45.6 million in federal funds. With the addition of the 2011 grant, Oklahoma’s GEAR UP program will ultimately receive more than $80.6 million in federal funds by 2018.