[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 53 (Wednesday, April 27, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E799]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




TRIBUTE TO FORT BEND, ISD FOR WINNING THE AWARD FOR BEST DISTRICT-WIDE 
                     MOCK STUDENT ELECTION PROGRAM

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                             HON. RON PAUL

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 27, 2005

  Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to congratulate the Fort Bend 
Independent School District (ISD) for winning the award for having the 
best district-wide mock student election program in the nation from the 
American Association of School Administrators and the National Student/
Parent Mock Election. Fort Bend lSD's program is an innovative 
educational project combining resources from the social studies, math, 
and education technology departments to create an interactive website 
containing election resources, an online voting location, and a 
database of election results.
  Fort Bend students can use the database to study election results, 
create spreadsheets, and draw conclusions about the election process. 
The website also includes information for parents, including a link to 
the county registrar's office for voter registration. Another part of 
the program involved the county election board deputizing teachers so 
the teachers could register adults, including eligible high school 
students, to vote in the 2004 election.
  Each school within the Fort Bend ISD individualized its mock election 
by having candidates debate and the students decorate the polling 
places. Students also studied potential campaign strategies for the 
candidates they supported. Student participation were very strong, with 
over 40,000 votes cast.
  The curricula developed to analyze mock election results were made 
available to elementary, middle and high school students. According to 
the National Student/Parent Mock Election, which evaluates similar 
curricula nationwide, Fort Bend lSD's curricula was very strong. 
Particularly impressive was Fort Bend lSD's utilization of Microsoft 
Excel to analyze and generate summaries of the election results.
  Fort Bend lSD's mock student election project was an innovative use 
of technology and community support to educate children about the 
electoral process and thus prepare them to be active, and informed, 
citizens. I am proud to pay tribute to the teachers, administrators, 
parents, and especially the students of Fort Bend ISD for winning the 
award for the best mock student election project in the nation from the 
American Association of School Administrators and the National Student/
Parent Mock Election.

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