FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
John L. Winn
Commissioner of Education
F. PHILIP HANDY,
Chairman
T. WILLARD FAIR,
Vice Chairman
Members
DONNA G. CALLAWAY
ROBERTO MARTÍNEZ
PHOEBE RAULERSON
KATHLEEN SHANAHAN
LINDA K. TAYLOR
MEMORANDUM
Contact Information:
TO:
District School Superintendents
Helen Lancashire
(850) 488-1842
FROM:
Cheri Pierson Yecke, Ph.D.
hlancash@tempest.coedu.usf.edu
DATE:
March 20, 2006
K12: 2006-39
SUBJECT:
Class of 2006 Top 20% Commissioner's Letter
We appreciate the assistance provided by your school district staff and counselors in identifying
the class of 2006 students who ranked in the top 20% of their class for the Talented 20 program.
Florida continues to focus on maximizing student achievement and student access to
postsecondary education opportunities.
Attached to this mem
orandum is a copy of the English version of Commissioner John Winn’s
congratulatory letter to the graduating class of 2006 students who were preliminarily identified
as graduating in the upper 20% of their class. This letter congratulates those students on their
scholastic accomplishment and explains that by graduating in the top 20% of their class they may
be eligible for the Talented 20 program, an opportunity to become eligible for admission to a
state university provided they meet remaining eligibility criteria. These requirements include
enrollment in a Florida public high school and graduating with a standard diploma in 2006,
completion of the eighteen core course requirement for state university admission, and taking the
SAT or the ACT by the first semester of their freshman year. It also encourages students and
their parents to meet with their high school guidance counselor for information relative to the
Talented 20 program and financial aid opportunities.
High school counselors play a vital role in helping to ensure that students who potentially qualify
for the Talented 20 program in the spring of 2006 (1) receive a transcript review to verify
courses in progress to meet the eighteen core course requirement for state university admission,
CHERI PIERSON YECKE, PH.D.
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CHANCELLOR, K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOLS
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325 W. GAINES STREET • SUITE 514 • TALLAHASSEE, FL 32399-0400 • (850) 245-0509 • www.fldoe.org
District School Superintendents
March 20, 2006
Page Two
(2) apply to several state universities that best meet their academic profile indicating that they are
potentially eligible for the Talented 20 program, and (3) complete financial aid and scholarship
applications.
The Department continues to be enthusiastic about the Talented 20 program and the expanded
opportunities it provides for these students. If you have any questions or need additional
information, please contact Helen Lancashire at 850/488-1842, Suncom 278-1842.
CY:hl
Attachment
cc:
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District Student Services Directors
District School Counselor Supervisors
High School Principals
