State of Education
Palm Beach County
Glenn Thomas, Executive Director
February 12, 2014
Supports communication and collaboration between all
levels of education including training, from early
childhood through adult/graduate. This includes public
and private entities; local business/industry groups;
governmental entities; community based organizations;
workforce and business developers; social service
providers; and other not-for- profits and foundations to
improve student readiness for and access to industry
recognized certifications, post secondary certifications,
college degrees and in-demand careers.
Palm Beach County Six Pillars-2030
Talent Supply and Education Pillar
VISION
1.
Prosperity and High Paying Jobs
2.
Vibrant Communities
3.
Global Competitiveness
GOAL - Make Palm Beach County a vibrant
community, globally competitive providing its
residents with prosperity and high paying jobs.
•
•
•
Business & Industry Talent Needs (example: Florida-120,000 STEM
employees needed by 2020); developing “Human Infrastructure”.
Education and Training Focus (67% Industry Certification or Degree)
Talent “leakage” (Retention, Graduation, Completion, Placement,
Retraining)
Today’s Discussion:
Why do we care?
• Economic Prosperity for All: Education is key.
• Safe and Vibrant Communities: Environmental and arts concerns.
• Building on our most important resource; children and youth.
What are our choices?
• Public & Private, PreK-Graduate/Adult.
• Pipeline alignments: Education, Business, Industry and Government.
How are we doing?
• Data Trends: Moving the needle.
• Other indicators: Points of Pride.
What can we do to move the needle?
• Personal and family level.
• Business and community relationships.
Questions & Responses
Palm Beach County as Microcosm of USA
1950
2014
Global:
Little global competition
Very competitive global marketplace
Education:
% High School Diploma
% High School Diploma,
Higher degrees necessary
Population:
White dominated
Diverse
Local Industry: Agriculture & Tourism
Manufacturing, Service
Industry, Medical, Aerospace, Bio Technology,
Agriculture & Tourism
“Backyard”:
Small more isolated
Larger, more connected
Exchange:
Little technology;
physical interaction
Leveraging many technologies;
reduced physical interaction
Crime/Violence:
Localized, physical
Dispersed, technology connected
PBC Trends
US Census 1980-2030 Projected (graph)
1800000
1600000
1400000
1200000
Hispanics
1000000
800000
PBC Total
600000
400000
200000
0
2000 2010 2020
2012 PBC Students’ Demographics
• Early childhood
2012 – 272,686 (children 0-17) – 28% are Hispanic;
VPK (4 year olds) students in PBCSD total
1422 – 31% are Hispanic.
• Public school district (K-12)
2013-181,126 students – 29% are Hispanic.
• PBSC
2013-47,922 students – 25% are Hispanic.
• FAU
2013-27,858 students – 9% are Hispanic.
PBC Graduation/Completion Rates
Palm Beach County School District
2009
2011
2013
School Dist - Hispanic
66.7%
69.8%
75%
FL State – Hispanic
63.4%
69.4%
74.9%
School Dist – Black
55.4%
61.5%
63.8%
FL State – Black
53.7%
58.6%
64.6%
School Dist – White
80.3%
85.3%
85.5%
FL State – White
71.2%
76.2%
80.5%
PBC Has Many Excellent Options
• Early Childhood Programs: Children’s Services Council,
School District of PBC, Bridges, Quality Rating Systems,
training, incentives, networks, etc. – more than 400
licensed centers and 400 family operated facilities.
• Palm Beach County School District:
 VPK Number served by School District = 1422.
 185 Traditional schools and special centers, 181,126 students,
20,810 employees.
 Over 250 Choice programs: Magnets, Career Academies, IB,
Advanced Placement, Dual Enrollment, AICE, etc.
 Virtual options for credit recovery, home schooling, other.
 55 Charter schools serving 11,956 students (not including VPK).
 Pre-apprenticeship, adult education, GED options, etc.
Options- continued
• Private, independent and religious schools-More than
113 schools, with many grade combinations.
• Palm Beach State College with 4 Regional campuses
and 100+ programs of study including industry
certificates to baccalaureate degrees; community
focused, articulated and networked.
• Florida Atlantic University with 6 campuses and 170+
programs of study undergraduate and graduate
programs, substantial national and international
research involvement in Bioscience, Ocean Energy,
Medicine and Social issues.
Options- continued
• 31 Independent postsecondary institutions, colleges and
universities with outstanding programs and scholarship in
the arts, pharmacy, cultural studies, social sciences,
medical, etc. granting certificate, undergraduate, graduate,
professional degrees.
• Workforce Alliance provides job readiness skills, career
training, advising, employment assistance, employer
recruitment assistance and on the job supports.
• Business Development Board recruits major employers
needing highly educated, skilled and trained workforce, as
well as assisting expansion of existing business/industry
firms.
School District of PBC Points of Pride
•
The ten thousand Palm Beach County School graduates in FY 2012
garnered nearly $80 million dollars in scholarships; 92% say they plan to
attend more than 70 colleges and universities worldwide.
•
Education Week recognized the SDPBC as having the second highest
graduation rates in the state, exceeding the state average, and the eight
best in the nation.
• Newsweek and U.S. News Magazine recognized six high schools in PBC
with the distinction of Best High Schools in America 2012.
• The PBC School District offers instruction in 6 foreign languages and
American Sign Languages; ESOL support for 146 languages.
• Florida Ranks 6th Best in the U.S. on National Education Report
Card (Education Week)
Palm Beach State College Points of Pride
• Florida’s first public community college is now the largest institution of higher
education in Palm Beach County.
• With four locations and 52,000 students annually, Palm Beach State College is
the career launch pad for many local professionals ranking 11th in the US in
associate degree awards and 13th in associate degrees awarded to minorities.
• Many outstanding certificate programs are provided including welding,
Biotechnology and Environmental Sciences, Green Construction and Energy.
• Nationally recognized degree programs in nursing, with more than 20 health
science programs offered.
• Palm Beach State College offers four year degree programs to support
employer’s growing demand with Bachelor of Applied Science degrees in
Supervision and Management, and Information Management.
• The Banner Center for Life Sciences includes state-of-the-art, industry driven
curriculum products and services deployed statewide.
• The Center for Business and Entrepreneurship provides support and start up
services including the Small Business Development Center.
FAU Points of Pride
•
FAU students hail from all 50 states and more than 180 countries, engaged with the
activities of 250 clubs and campus organizations.
•
The Princeton Review has included FAU’s College of Business on its 2011 list of Best
Business Schools.
•
The School of Accounting consistently ranks in the top 10 nationally for its graduates’ high
passing rate on the National CPA Exam.
•
The field of Ocean Engineering was pioneered at FAU, in 1965 with the first Department of
Ocean Engineering in the country remaining a leader engineering education and research
through the only NSF funded “Energy from the Sea” lab on the east coast.
•
Students in FAU’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing achieved a passing rate of 95.77
percent on the national licensing exam.
•
With more than half of its student body classified as minority or international students, FAU
ranks as the most racially, ethnically and culturally diverse institution in Florida’s State
University System.
•
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute is an internationally recognized research center for
underwater exploration, medicines from the sea, and sea/estuarine life studies.
•
Medical College, Scripps, Bio Science opportunities.
Future Economic Trends
• Globalization
 PBC diversity is a cultural and employer benefit.
 Latin America as trading partner with emerging
economies (Port for Agriculture/NJ and Ohio).
 Global understanding including student language
fluency and cultural understanding (student
exchange on all levels grow adult networks).
 Distributed research/development, manufacturing
distribution, marketing/sales and reclamation.
Talent Supply and Education
Six Pillars 2030: Increase PBC median wage
• Support STEaM, skills, concerns of employers
• How: Move percentage of working age citizens
holding an industry certification or degree to 67%
by 2030 (currently at 47% US Census) (2011 20%
working age adults in PBC started, did not
complete certification or degree)
• Paired with recruitment of high skill/wage firms
• Challenge: Raise all PBC demographic segments
System Strengthening
• Higher standards; broad and meaningful involvement
at all levels; system feedback data and improvement.
• Better articulation/conversations/connections-for
transitions.
• More connections outside Education or Training
• More meaningful involvement in Education or
Training by and through all community segments.
• Stronger family understanding and involvement at
each level using all outreach agencies and
mechanisms (common message for common ends) .
The effort put forth by parents
has a bigger impact on their
children’s education
achievement than the effort
expended by either teachers or
the students themselves.
Must Try Harder: Evaluation the Role of Effort in Educational
Attainment. Review of Economics and Statistics, August 2010
Make a Difference: Take aways for Chamber Members
Early Childhood
•
•
•
Talking with child (higher order versus “business” like “come here” or “stop
that”) : 0 to 4 years old, 30 million words.
Family reading aloud or picture books (set examples, find regular time 1530 minutes) .
Everyday learning (grocery stores, car, household objects-what, why, how,
math, etc.).
Elementary School Level
•
•
•
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Child or joint reading aloud (“summer slide”, 30 minutes, leveled books/ebooks, magazines, example CSC-Literacy Coalition with School District and
Bridges centers).
Reducing school absences (absenteeism breeds lack of success, > 10
indicates potential risk factors)
Family, Community expectations including mentoring, role models,
visitations, etc.).
“Why” of science and math – taking things apart, math as a key tool of
STEaM.
Make a Difference: Take aways for Chamber Members
Middle School Level
•
•
•
•
One friend in all settings reduces bullying.
Reducing school absences; by looking at barriers and successes.
Connections and involvement in activities both in school and outside
of school.
Use all resources to learn including peers, technology, mentors & role
models.
High School Level
•
•
•
•
•
Career academies, applications of learning, and industry certifications.
Reducing school absences by looking at caregiver, part-time job, other
barriers.
Involvement in activities both in school and outside of school.
Planning and expectations to garner opportunities through service
and internship learning, mentor relationships, information, family
expectations and reality.
Get a head start into Post Secondary and career through advance
academics/dual enrollment/internship opportunities.
Make a Difference: Take aways for Chamber Members
Post Secondary
•
Transition to new culture, speed, (and time management), priorities,
finances, etc.
•
Parental expectations and support (focus long term).
•
Networking to leverage community resources and contacts to
potential employers.
•
Connection to others (study groups “learning communities”), learning
resources and supports (social, legal, behavioral, financial,
research/scholarship.
Some Potential Chamber Actions
• Florida Students left $100 million- Pell Grants on table in
2013 – FASA (grants versus loans).
• Mentoring, role modeling, career days, connection to service
opportunities, support expectations, etc.
• Paid or unpaid internships (students), externships (teachers).
• Outreach to organizations, media, families and students to
support local education initiatives like “Parent Academy”.
• Training, information and support to families and other
organizations—connections at all levels for a variety of
services, resources and opportunities.