Harns Marsh Middle School Teacher Selected Teacher Of The Year
Harns Marsh Middle School teacher Allison Kerner has been selected as the 2021 Teacher of the Year.
Harns Marsh Middle School Principal Alex Dworzanski said Kerner is an absolute rockstar in the classroom, according to a news release from the Lee County school district.
The school district said Kerner took on the challenges of the lowest-performing English Language Arts 8th graders and has helped them improve their grades.
In addition to Language Arts, she also spends time coaching and mentoring other teachers.
Kerner began teaching at the school in 2016. In 2018, she was appointed the ELA Department Chair.
The increases in proficiency under her leadership improved Harns Marsh Middle Schools grade from a C to a B, the district said.
Kerner said she decided to become a teacher when she was a student at Mirror Lakes Elementary School where a teacher helped her and her family through the sudden loss of her sister.
Kerner became the first in her family to earn a college degree when she graduated from the University of South Florida.
I have aspired to become the kind of teacher I leaned on as a student, Kerner said in a statement. I absolutely believe, given the chance, any student can blow us away, rise to the challenge, learn and succeed.
Kerner will be nominated for Florida Teacher of the Year. For being selected in Lee County, she will receive a prize package valued at more than $2,000.
Earn College Credit For Padi Courses
How It Works
Validating the quality of the PADI System of diver education, many institutions and national educational councils around the world recommend PADI scuba courses for college credit, occupational certificates or educational funding. Find out how it works in your area.
United States
The American Council on Education through its College Credit Recommendation Service has evaluated and recommended college credit for 25 PADI courses and the Emergency First Response Instructor course. ACE is the major coordinating body for all the nations higher education institutions.
Want to learn more? Download an information sheet and Student Transcript Request form or contact PADI Americas at .
Australia
PADI Divers may receive credit for several PADI courses after completing a Nationally Recognized Training course through PADIs Registered Training Organization .
School students in Year 10, 11 and 12 completing their PADI course in Queensland , Tasmania and Western Australia may receive credit towards their Certificate of Education.
Want to learn more? Read PADI course credits for Nationally Recognized Training and Certificates of Education in Australia or contact PADI Asia Pacific at .
Canada
Scuba divers in Canada may also receive credit for PADI courses through the USA-based American Council on Educations College Credit Recommendation Service as explained above.
Europe, Middle East and Africa
For more information, contact .
Japan
New Zealand
Is Your Child Prepared For Advanced Courses
If youre reading this, your child may have expressed an interest in taking high school courses in middle school. And thats helpful, because interest is one of the most important factors of success here. In general, kids who are motivated do better than those who dont want to be there.At the same time, interest in advanced courses shouldnt be the only determining factor. You should also make sure your child is academically ready for high school courses in middle school. In general, this means he or she should have good grades. Has your child mastered all of the objectives of 8th grade or is capable of testing out of them? Also, take your childs schedule into consideration. If he or she is constantly busy with extracurricular activities, will there be time to handle the extra work of an advanced course? Finally, consider your childs maturity. High school courses may require more thought, focus and time than middle school courses, so make sure your child is prepared to put in the effort at a young age.
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Tips To Earning High School Credit In Middle School
So you want your middle schooler to start earning high school credit. Or, maybe your middle schooler has asked if they can. But, youre not sure how that works or even how to know if its doable. Its very simple, probably more than you think, I promise.
In this post, Im sharing a few things to help you get going in the right direction.
College For All Texans

College seems a million miles away when you’re in middle school. But believe it or not, middle school is the midway point to college. Which means it’s the perfect time to start planning your college educationeven if there’s only the slightest chance you want to attend. The choices you make now will make it easier to attend college later.
The good news is, costs shouldn’t keep you from attending college. If you make a step-by-step plan starting now, you can make it happen! Here are a few tips to get you on the right track:
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Dual Enrollment Take A Single Class For Both High School And College Credit
Dual enrollment allows high school students to take single classes that earn both high school and college credit, usually taught at a local college or at a high school by a professor from a nearby college. Ten states require school districts to offer Dual Enrollment classes. Some states have comprehensive Dual Enrollment plans while some have more limited plans
How Advanced Courses Can Affect Your Childs Future
If youve never considered the idea of your child taking high school courses in middle school, its probably because youre not sure what the benefits are. After all, not every school even offers this option, so the perks are not yet widely known by most parents. However, if your childs school allows this, its important to consider the advantages for your student.
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Which Middle School Courses To Take If Youre Planning For High School & College
Its never too early for college-bound middle school students to start thinking about their high school career.
With the right planning and good study habits, the courses you take in middle school can help you earn high school credits and even help you graduate early.
eAchieve Academy is a free online public charter school sponsored by the Waukesha School District. Our middle school and high school classes are completely free for Wisconsin residents under 21. Part-time enrollment allows students to take 1-2 extra classes online and still attend their regular school.
Early High School Credits Earned In Middle School
How to get high school credits in middle school? That’s a big question! If you are sure your child is doing high school level work in an academic subject area like math, science, or foreign language in middle school, put that on your transcript and earn early high school credits!
My record keeping earned our family $187,000 in scholarships. Click this link if you could use that sort of college cash: The HomeScholar Record Keeping Samples
HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT EARNED IN MIDDLE SCHOOL
Algebra 1 Geometry World Language levels 1 & 2
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Is Your Middle School Student Interested In Taking High School Courses
If your child is breezing through middle school and you think he or she could benefit from being a bit more challenged, it may be time to consider high school courses. This option is becoming increasingly popular among high-achieving students who have their eye on college in the future. If youre intrigued, read on to learn how taking high school courses in middle school can benefit your child, and how to tell if he or she is ready for this option.
Section D: Course Eligibility
1. What is the process and timeline for requesting the Chancellor to approve another course for Level I ?
PROCESS FOR CHANCELLOR APPROVAL OF ADDITIONAL COURSES
The course eligibility rule provides opportunities for colleges to request Chancellor approval of the following:
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Wisconsin Law Allows Students In Grade 7 Or 8 To Earn High School Credits
There are three conditions middle school students need to meet if they want credit earned in 7th or 8th grade to count as high school credit:
Wisconsin Act 138 passed in 2013 says if the three conditions listed above are met, a school board may count a middle school students credit toward state graduation requirements for high school.
How Online Learning Helps Middle School Students Prepare For College

Virtual school has lasting advantages, including time management skills and critical thinking. For students motivated to succeed and forge their own path in life, online education is often a perfect fit.
eAchieve Academys students have a proven track record of academic achievement, receiving high scores on standardized tests, Advanced Placement, and college entrance exams. eAchieve Academys graduates have been accepted into colleges, universities, and technical colleges all over the country.
If you or your student have questions about earning high school credit or planning for college during middle school, our academic advisors are ready to help.
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Take A Free Clep Subject Exam For College Credit
The College Board offers 33 subject-based exams that cover material your student may have already learned in high school. More than 2,900 U.S. colleges and universities grant credit for CLEP exams, says the College Boards website.
Francine Massiellos daughter took Spanish 3 in high school, then took a CLEP test in French and received language credit in college.
Kerri Cook Halligan of Florida reminds other parents that CLEP exams are free to take. Her high school daughter is now studying for two CLEP exams in the hope of earning college credit.
Of course, colleges vary in the number of credits offered and for which CLEP exams credits can be given.
For example, the College of Charleston offers a varying number of college credits for high scores on CLEP exams in foreign languages, history, and social sciences, science, and math.
The University of Maryland grants credit for certain scores on the CLEP financial accounting, sociology, macroeconomics, microeconomics exams, calculus, among others.
Determine Your End Goal
There are a couple of reasons one might consider offering high school credits in middle school. Some people may want to get an early start on high school in order to graduate earlier.
Advanced learners can go at their own pace and work quickly through their lower level classes thus reaching the high school level sooner.
Others, like us, do it to free up time at the end of high school. I dont have any intentions of graduating Emma early. Im not sending her off to college early.
By getting some high school classes out of the way in 8th grade, shell have more time in later years to volunteer or find an internship. Thats where her passions lie, and I can free up time for her to pursue those opportunities if we spread high school out just a bit lightening her load at the end.
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How The Classes You Take In Middle School Affect Your College Prospects
Most colleges prefer students who have taken specific courses in high school. The way to make sure your high school transcript is attractive to college admissions offices is by planning ahead.
Many of the desirable courses can only be taken after completing basic courses first. The best way a middle school student can prepare for college is by taking the right courses in 7th and 8th grade.
College-bound 7th & 8th grade students should focus on mastering core subjects to prepare for more challenging coursework in years to come. Math, English, science, history, geography, foreign language, computer science and the arts all contribute not only to intellectual development but advancement to higher education.
Research has shown students who complete algebra by the end of 8th grade and geometry by the end of 9th grade are far more likely to go to college. Thinking ahead to college while still in middle school has other benefits. Students who pass classes in algebra, foreign language and computer skills are better qualified for AP classes and earned college credit in high school.
Think Of 8th Grade As Pre
The decisions you make in eighth grade may affect your college applications. Think about it: Right now, you’re deciding which courses you’ll take in high school, right? Well, your high school courses will go directly onto your college application.
Talk with your parents, teachers and counselors. That way, they can help you choose the middle school courses that will prepare you for high school.
So be sure you understand high school coursework and develop good study habits. Both will really pay off later.
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Is It Worth It To Take Ap And/or Ib Classes
Advanced Placement is a program of the College Boardpursuant to which many public and private high schools offer core subject classes such as AP Biology, AP English Literature and AP U.S. History containing college-level content.
After the course ends, a student may for a fee take the subject AP exam.
Less common than AP is the internationally-based IB program offered by some high schools. A student may take one or more IB subject classes, but to earn an IB diploma, a student must take a full set of IB courses in a range of subjects emphasizing broad knowledge, global education, and critical writing skills.
Colleges and universities vary in their policies as to their grant of advanced standing, placement or credit for high scores on AP exams or receipt of a full IB diploma.
Even if credit is not granted, colleges do consider taking AP or IB classes as evidence of a students willingness to challenge himself or herself academically.
College Credit Information Evening 9/1/2021 Presentation
Video Reocrding of the September 1, 2021 Parkway South High Webinar Presentation:
Presentation Slides from the September 1, 2021 Parkway South High Webinar Presentation:
Resource to check for the transferabilty of dual credit classes to the university of your choice. Use the college course name and number , and the college you wish the credit to transfer to. Transferology.com:
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How To Know If Your Student Is Ready
Things to consider
- Current attitude towards their studies.
- You must consider their overall interest in their current school work. If your student is already struggling with maintaining an interest in their school work, pushing them to do a higher level of work, or more complex work may not be beneficial. Instead, it could backfire and set your student back.
- That being said, their lack of interest or struggle with staying interested may be due to not being challenged. Ive experienced that with my kids often, at various ages and school levels. And when I challenged this with higher level work, or more complex work, they excelled. It was just what they needed!
Hayward Community Tackles Truancy

The college course met for two hours every Tuesday and Thursday. During one class session with instructor Nidia Sanchez-Rico, students took turns reading aloud sections of the college textbook that were projected onto a screen with some students tripping over words such as productivity, incompetence and psychosocial. Others read the material flawlessly.
Each week, Sanchez-Rico chose 20 words from the assigned chapter for the students to define and use in sentences to help them with the reading material, something she did not require of her college students.
I provide more support for them, Sanchez-Rico said of her middle school students.
After reading sections of the book, students discussed the content in small groups and later with the whole class. That day, the focus was on middle childhood the age of the students. They talked about their own families and home environments.
At the start of the course, students were shy, Sanchez-Rico said. But now they are talking and participating. They have confidence.
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