Monthly Archives: July 2019

Will Polk County improve the preparation of its high school students for bachelor’s degree-level STEM careers the way that Bay County has? It all depends on having outstanding individuals who are willing to make change happen.

Posted on July 28, 2019 by Paul Cottle

During my presentation to Polk County School Board members on Tuesday, I featured the success that Bay County schools have experienced in improving their students’ preparation for bachelor’s degree-level STEM careers and some of the individuals I’ve had the privilege … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Polk County School Board members take a look at how well the district prepares its students for bachelor’s degree-level STEM careers – and say they want to do better.

Posted on July 24, 2019 by Paul Cottle

Five members of the Polk County School Board led a discussion about how the district prepares its students for bachelor’s degree-level STEM careers during a meeting on Tuesday that ran for two hours and forty minutes – forty minutes longer … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

The campers who attended FSU-PC’s Nuclear Medicine and Science Camp should make the leaders of Florida’s post-Michael Panhandle hopeful

Posted on July 14, 2019 by Paul Cottle

I spent last week becoming more hopeful for the future of Florida’s post-Michael Panhandle. Nineteen campers attended last week’s Nuclear Medicine and Science Camp for middle and high school students at Florida State University’s Panama City campus. Every one of … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Black students in Florida’s STEM pipeline: Among middle school students who passed Florida’s Algebra 1 end-of-course exam this spring, black students are significantly underrepresented. But some districts are doing better on this issue than others.

Posted on July 9, 2019 by Paul Cottle

Taking Algebra 1 in middle school is a key milestone for students in the pipeline for bachelor’s degree-level STEM careers. So it’s disturbing that the percentage of black students reaching that milestone is so much smaller than the corresponding percentage … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

How many middle school students are taking (and succeeding at) Algebra 1 in your school district? In little Lafayette County, it’s a lot.

Posted on July 1, 2019 by Paul Cottle

During the school year that just ended, Lafayette County High School (which houses grades 6-12) had 96 8th graders – and 71 of them took Algebra 1 and the state’s end-of-course exam in that subject this spring. Fifty-six of those … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments