Talent Ready Utah Board Unveils Statewide Master Plan to Expand Access to Computer Science Education
SALT LAKE CITY (Aug. 8, 2019) — The executive board of Talent Ready Utah released the Utah Computer Science Master Plan, a comprehensive four-year plan designed to meet Gov. Herbert’s goal to ensure every public K-12 student in Utah has the opportunity to learn computer science (CS) by 2022. During the recent legislative session, HB 227 assigned the development of a state master plan that achieves this ambitious outcome to Talent Ready Utah’s board. The development and approval of this statewide master plan is a significant step in Utah’s commitment to ensuring equitable CS learning opportunities and outcomes.
“I appreciate the leadership of the Talent Ready Utah board and the State Board of Education in creating a comprehensive and actionable strategy to offer computer science courses to all K-12 students in Utah,” said Gov. Herbert. “Computer science impacts every industry. Computing jobs are the number one source of new wages in the U.S. and are projected to grow at twice the rate of other jobs. Computer science is a new literacy, and we must ensure that all students across our state have the opportunity to learn and develop the skills needed to create their futures.”
The Utah Computer Science Master Plan was developed through a generous grant from the Pluralsight One Fund and the support, input and engagement of subject matter experts and stakeholders across industry sectors, including members of the Talent Ready CS Committee. Utah will be the 12th state in the nation to develop and implement a statewide CS plan. The depth of Utah’s plan marks a significant moment for the state of Utah as well as for other states looking for a path to improved student outcomes and teacher readiness around this critical subject.
“Computer science is now a foundational literacy that is critical to preparing Utah students to succeed in our technology-driven world,” said Aaron Skonnard, CEO of Pluralsight and co-founder of Silicon Slopes and member of the executive board of Talent Ready Utah. “Every school in Utah must teach computer science, and every student must have equality of opportunity to learn computer science regardless of whether they pursue a career in technology. With the approval of our state master plan, we now have a roadmap to achieve that outcome, and we are one step closer to delivering on Gov. Herbert’s goal of ensuring every K-12 student in Utah has the opportunity to learn computer science by 2022.”
The Utah Computer Science Master Plan is relevant to all stakeholders wishing to advance statewide CS outcomes. It charts a path to focused, strategic and needs-based action to be implemented by the Utah State Department of Education.
“The Utah Computer Science Plan identifies key needs, strategies and target outcomes across six essential categories that uplift the education system and its successful and equitable integration of computer science,” said Sydnee Dickson, state superintendent of public instruction. “The Board of Education is committed to increasing enriching, high-quality computer science learning opportunities for students across grade levels. Likewise, we are committed to building long-term and sustainable capacity within our local education agencies while prioritizing professional development opportunities for our educators.”
About the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED)
Under the direction of Gov. Gary R. Herbert, the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) provides resources and support for business creation, growth and recruitment, and drives increased tourism and film production in Utah. Talent Ready Utah, an initiative managed by GOED, develops industry and education partnerships to help build Utah’s workforce. Utilizing state resources and private sector contracts, GOED administers programs in economic areas that demonstrate the highest potential for development. Learn more at business.utah.gov or by calling (801) 538-8680.
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SAN ANTONIO – Preliminary findings from a new study of middle school and high school students suggest that they got more sleep and were less likely to feel too sleepy to do homework after their district changed to later school start times.
In fall 2017, the Cherry Creek School District in Greenwood Village, Colorado, delayed school start times for middle school by 50 minutes (changing from 8 a.m. to 8:50 a.m.) and for high school by 70 minutes (changing from 7:10 a.m. to 8:20 a.m.). Results show that one year after the change, self-reported sleep on school nights was 31 minutes longer among middle school students and 48 minutes longer among high school students.
“Biological changes in the circadian rhythm, or internal clock, during puberty prevents teens from falling asleep early enough to get sufficient sleep when faced with early school start times,” said principal investigator Lisa J. Meltzer, Ph.D., an associate professor of pediatrics at National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado. “This study provides additional support that delaying middle and high school start times results in increased sleep duration for adolescents due to later wake times.”
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that middle schools and high schools should start at 8:30 a.m. or later to support teen health, alertness and safety. However, a previous data analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that only 14% of high schools and 19% of middle schools started at 8:30 a.m. or later.
The study involved more than 15,000 students in grades 6-11 who completed online surveys during school hours before the start time change in spring 2017 (n=15,700) and after the start time change in spring 2018 (n=18,607). The survey included questions asking about weekday and weekend bedtime, wake time and total sleep time; sleepiness during homework; and academic engagement.
The study also found that the percentage of students who reported feeling too sleepy to do their homework declined after the school start time delay from 46% to 35% among middle school students and from 71% to 56% among high school students. Scores on a measure of academic engagement were significantly higher after the start time change for both middle school and high school students.
“The study findings are important because getting enough sleep is critical for adolescent development, physical health, mood, and academic success,” said Meltzer.
CCSD Superintendent Dr. Scott Siegfried said that the study supports firsthand feedback he’s received from students across the 108-square-mile district.
“I don’t know how many of our high school students have come up to me and said, ‘This has changed my life for the better.’ They’ve told me they’re getting up to an hour of additional sleep before school starts,” Siegfried said. “That extra sleep makes a real difference in terms of health and wellness. The input from our students and the numbers from this landmark study point to the same conclusion: The change in our start times has been a positive step and benefited our students’ everyday routines.”
The research abstract was published recently in an online supplement of the journal Sleep and will be presented Wednesday, June 12, in San Antonio at SLEEP 2019, the 33rd annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC (APSS), which is a joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.
Meltzer is also the senior author of another abstract from this study, “Impact of Changing School Start Times on Teachers/Staff,” which found significant benefits of later school start times for middle and high school teachers and school-based staff. They reported increased sleep duration due to later wake times, as well as improvements in daytime functioning.
“This is the first large study to examine the impact of healthy school start times on teachers and staff,” said Meltzer. “It is important to consider that this policy change, critical for the health and well-being of students, also impacts other members of the school community.”
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The study was supported by funding from a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Evidence for Action Grant.
Abstract Title: Impact of Changing Middle and High School Start Times on Sleep, Extracurricular Activities, Homework, and Academic Engagement
Abstract ID: 0819
Presentation Date: Wednesday, June 12
Oral Presentation: 11:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
Presenter: Lisa J. Meltzer, Ph.D.
For a copy of the abstract or to arrange an interview with the study author or an AASM spokesperson, please contact the AASM at 630-737-9700 or media@aasm.org.
About the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Established in 1975, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) improves sleep health and promotes high quality, patient-centered care through advocacy, education, strategic research, and practice standards. The AASM has a combined membership of 10,000 accredited member sleep centers and individual members, including physicians, scientists and other health care professionals. For more information about sleep and sleep disorders, including a directory of AASM-accredited member sleep centers, visit www.sleepeducation.org.
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STUDENTS BENEFIT FROM DAVID WEEKLEY HOMES SCHOOL SUPPLIES DRIVE
Salt Lake City, UT (August 8, 2019): David Weekley Homes, the nation’s largest privately-held builder, hosted its fifth annual, companywide School Supplies Drive in 18 cities across the country. In Salt Lake City, school supplies were collected for United Way of Salt Lake, which promotes social change for issues such as poverty, poor health and lagging educational achievement in the greater Salt Lake community.
“All these donations are going to help a lot of students have an impactful school year,” said Cheyenne Bigler, events intern with United Way of Salt Lake. “They will not have to worry about things such as having pencils.”
Approximately 8,000 school supplies were collected from the local community during the drive. This donation provided more than 100 students with the supplies needed for the school year.
“Seeing the amount of generosity coming from our homeowners makes me proud to be involved with the Salt Lake City Division CARE team,” said Crystal Sutton, administrative assistant with David Weekley Homes. “These school supplies will help so many children and families.”
The School Supplies Drive is a volunteer and philanthropic initiative of the company’s CARE program, which joins team members with homeowners, homebuyers, community partners and local nonprofit organizations to live out its purpose of Building Dreams, Enhancing Lives in each of the communities in which it builds.
CAPTION: David Weekley Team Members donated school supplies to United Way of Salt Lake.
About David Weekley Homes
David Weekley Homes, founded in 1976, is headquartered in Houston and operates in 20 cities across the United States. David Weekley Homes was the first builder in the United States to be awarded the Triple Crown of American Home Building, an honor which includes “America’s Best Builder,” “National Housing Quality Award” and “National Builder of the Year.” Weekley has also appeared 13 times on FORTUNE magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For®” list. Since inception, David Weekley Homes has closed more than 90,000 homes. For more information about David Weekley Homes, visit the company’s website at www.davidweekleyhomes.com.
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Press Release
USDA Invests in Rural Water and Wastewater Infrastructure in 24 States
Investments will Benefit 133,000 Residents in Rural Communities
Contact:
Weldon Freeman (202) 690-1384
Jay Fletcher (202) 690-0498
WASHINGTON, Aug. 8, 2019 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Utilities Service Administrator Chad Rupe today announced that USDA is investing $135 million in 49 projects to improve rural water infrastructure in 24 states (PDF, 170 KB).
“Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Perdue, USDA continues to partner with rural communities to address their current and long-term water needs,” Rupe said. “Modernizing water infrastructure will yield key health benefits and help spur economic growth – making rural places even more attractive to live and work.”
USDA is making the investments through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program. Rural cities and towns, water districts and other eligible entities can use the funds for drinking water, stormwater drainage and waste disposal systems in rural communities with 10,000 or fewer residents.
Below are examples of projects announced today that show how USDA is partnering to improve rural water and wastewater infrastructure.
USDA is announcing investments today in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington and West Virginia.
USDA had $2.9 billion available for USDA Water and Environmental Program loans and grants at the beginning of fiscal year 2019. USDA will make additional funding announcements in coming weeks.
View the interactive RD Apply tool or contact one of USDA Rural Development’s state or field offices for application or eligibility information.
In April 2017, President Donald J. Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January 2018, Secretary Perdue presented the Task Force’s findings to President Trump. These findings included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America. Increasing investments in rural infrastructure is a key recommendation of the task force.
To view the report in its entirety, please view the Report to the President of the United States from the Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity (PDF, 5.4 MB). In addition, to view the categories of the recommendations, please view the Rural Prosperity infographic (PDF, 190 KB).
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
