State update.

State update. State Update highlights the activities of members and otherorganizations at the state and regional level. Readers are encouraged tosend submissions to: Techniques, 1410 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314,fax (703) 683-7424, or e-mail jcahill@acteonline.org. MARYLAND--Maryland has joined Virginia in setting some of thehighest standards in the nation for prospective teachers. In lateFebruary, the Maryland State Board of Education not only approved higherqualifying scores for teacher certification but also a new certificationexam called Praxis, developed by the Educational Testing Service The Educational Testing Service (or ETS) is the world's largest private educational testing and measurement organization, operating on an annual budget of approximately $1.1 billion on a proforma basis in 2007. (ETS ETS Educational Testing Service (nonprofit private educational testing and measurement organization)ETS Emergency Telecommunications ServiceETS Electronic Trading SystemETS Engineering (&)Technical Services ).The board plans to replace the National Teacher Exam (NTE (NT Embedded) See Windows XP Embedded. ) with Praxisby June 2000. "We're sending a clear message that we're setting arigorous standard," Lawrence Leak, assistant state superintendentof schools, told The Washington Post recently. The board approved the certification changes despite concerns thatsuch a move will make it harder to find licensed classroom instructors,who already are in short supply. For more about Maryland's new teacher certification standards,visit the state education department Web site, www.msde.state.md.us. MINNESOTA--Students at St. Cloud State University are participatingin a real archaeological dig--inside their new campus library. In January, a construction crew was working on the library when itunearthed Unearthed is the name of a Triple J project to find and "dig up" (hence the name) hidden talent in regional Australia.Unearthed has had three incarnations - they first visited each region of Australia where Triple J had a transmitter - 41 regions in all. the remains of what appear to be some of the area'searliest pioneers. Since then, archaeology students have beenparticipating in this hands-on learning experience under the directionof Richard Rothaus, a SCSU SCSU St Cloud State UniversitySCSU Southern Connecticut State University (Southern)SCSU South Carolina State University (Orangeburg, South Carolina)SCSU Saint Cloud State University history professor and director of theuniversity's Archaeological Computing Laboratory. So far the teamhas found the remains of 16 people thought to have died in the 1840s or1850s. Rothaus believes the remains may be part of a communal cemeterythat existed before the area's first church was built in 1856. Although it does not include information about the archaeologicaldig, SCSU has set up a live Webcam of the library construction site. Goto www.stcloud.msus.edu/library/index.html. New Jersey--In January, Gov. Christine Whitman (R) introduced a newWeb site for New Jersey Virtual University. The site features an indexto more than 800 distance learning courses at 42 participating collegesand universities throughout the state. "The NJVU NJVU New Jersey Virtual University Web site continues my commitment to providing thehighest quality education to all of our state's citizens whether itbe for job training, career development or personal growth,"Whitman said in a press release. The site also features a section for new users that explains itsvarious sections and includes a "common questions" page. Through its participating institutions, NJVU offers undergraduateand graduate programs, as well as various certificate programs. VisitNJVU at www.njvu.org. OKLAHOMA--The State Board of Vocational and Technical Education hasnamed Ann Benson interim director of votech education. Benson, a 26-yearveteran of the Oklahoma Department of Vocational and TechnicalEducation, fills the vacancy created by Roy Peters, who resigned inFebruary to lead the Oklahoma Alliance for Manufacturing Excellence. Benson, who was assistant director, will serve as interim directorwhile the board conducts a nationwide search for a permanentreplacement. Gene Callahan, superintendent and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of Tulsa Technology Center Tulsa Technology Center is a Tulsa, Oklahoma public college and affiliated with the state of Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education. It offers courses in business and technology. ,recently wrote a letter to a syndicated cartoonist to teach him a fewthings about career and technical education. Callahan wrote to JerryScott Jerry Scott (born in South Bend, Indiana on May 2, 1955) is an American cartoonist. He lives in California with his wife, Kim, and two daughters. He is the creator of Baby Blues and co-creator of Zits. , creator of the Zits comic strip comic strip,combination of cartoon with a story line, laid out in a series of pictorial panels across a page and concerning a continuous character or set of characters, whose thoughts and dialogues are indicated by means of "balloons" containing written speech. , after a February 23 installmentsuggested that "tech school" was for losers. In the letter, which he copied to ACTE's executive office,Callahan defended the field and its students by referring to thelucrative careers that require the rigorous academic and technicalskills students can master at schools like Tulsa Tech. VIRGINIA--As part of the Prudential Spirit of Community Awardsprogram, Scott Sachs of Virginia Beach Virginia Beach,resort city (1990 pop. 393,069), independent and in no county, SE Va., on the Atlantic coast; inc. 1906. In 1963, Princess Anne co. and the former small town of Virginia Beach were merged, giving the present city an area of 302 sq mi (782 sq km). and Tyrell Nickens of Kilmarnockhave been named Virginia's top youth volunteers for 1999. Thenational awards program recognizes young people for outstanding acts ofvolunteerism and community service. A senior at Kempsville High School Kempsville High School is a secondary school located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States.Kempsville is one of five Virginia Beach high schools ranked in the top 1200 in Newsweek's 2006 ranking of American high schools. , Sachs founded the South HamptonRoads South Hampton Roads is a region located in the extreme southeastern portion of Virginia in the United States.Hampton Roads is the common name for the metropolitan area that surrounds the body of water Hampton Roads Harbor. Alliance for Youth and was co-chair of the mayor's RegionalYouth Celebration Summit. Both activities focus on determining andmeeting the needs of local youth. Nickens, an eighth-grade student atLancaster Middle School, created a Christmas fund that provided 300gifts to people with mental and physical disabilities throughout a10-county area. Nominated for the awards program by their respective schools, Sachsand Nickens each received $1,000. To learn more about the PrudentialSpirit of the Community Awards, visitwww.prudential.com/aboutpru/community/apczzl004.html.