Sunshine Connections

While the K-12 Conference took place I attended a meeting of the Statewide Advisory Council to which I am now a member. In partnership between the Department of Education, Microsoft Corporation and K-20 partners across the state Sunshine Connections has been created, and will be implemented as a new teacher/educator classroom management tool. Specifically it is a web-based portal of resources for educators that complements resources we already have available. It is organized around five kinds of information:

1. Student performance data from both the district and state (such as FCAT) organized in charts and graphs so users can aces the strengths and weaknesses of classes and individual students.

2. Curricular resources to support the new and revised Sunshine State Standards. Resources will include lesson plans to enhance what we may already be using.

3. Instructional strategies resources involving best practices or classroom management

4. Training/professional development resources that will allow teachers to learn about requirements for their IPDP plans and access in-service opportunities (some on line, many in the future will include video lessons).
5. Support resources including a statewide online, pre-populated Individualized Improvement Plan (IEP) for our students with disabilities.

If this sounds ambitious I would agree. But this has been in the works and has been partially implemented over the last year. When every district joins this connection we should see a seamless ability to obtain information on transfer students in a very quick manner. no more waiting for weeks for information on transfer students within the state.

A great meeting with lots of questions, concerns and hope. This particular committee also gave me an opportunity to meet up with three former State Teachers of the Year and compare notes. Great meeting!