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"What is the Freshman Transition Initiative (FTI)? If you are a middle or high school principal, teacher, curriculum developer or school counselor, you share our goal of increasing school retention and the success rate of the youth in your schools. To this end, The George Washington University's Freshman Transition Initiative, housed in GW's Graduate School of Education and Human Development's School Counseling Program, has studied and identified the most noteworthy and rigorous state standards in this area to develop what it considers to be a definitive set of Course Standards for Freshman Transition Classes. As schools, districts and states consider various high school reform strategies, we expect these standards will: Provide policy makers with a vision of what types of intervention strategies are possible; Provide a curriculum roadmap for teachers; Guide administrators in upgrading district or state standards; Encourage professional curriculum developers and textbook/software publishers to update or create appropriate commercial resources for the classroom"

"The Georgia Cyber Academy, a program of Odyssey School, combines the accountability of public schooling with the highest-quality distance-learning curriculum available today, providing an innovative, highly effective education for Georgia students. Georgia Cyber Academy (GCA) is a state-approved public online school program. The curriculum is provided by K¹², and is accessed via an Online School (OLS) as well as through more traditional methods, with materials-including books, CDs, and even rocks and dirt-delivered right to the family's doorstep. Parents and students are assigned their own highly qualified, state-certified teacher to help guide and track their progress through the curriculum. Student/student interaction is actively encouraged, so GCA students are always well-educated and well-socialized."

"The Georgia Cyber Academy uses the K¹² curriculum to offer Georgia students in grades K-8 an exceptional learning experience. With individualized learning approaches, the Georgia Cyber Academy and K¹² provide the tools kids need to succeed-in school and beyond. The Georgia Cyber Academy is one of the fastest-growing schools in Georgia, and here's why: Our experienced, highly qualified Georgia-certified teachers, who are available online and by phone. The exceptional, individualized K¹² curriculum, which covers both the core subject areas and electives. Based on decades of education research, this curriculum packages high-quality lessons with mastery-based assessments that ensure students achieve success at each and every level. The online planning and assessment tools, resources, and hands-on materials ranging from textbooks to microscopes, from rocks and dirt to beautifully illustrated classic children's stories, and much more. Our supportive school community, which organizes fun and informative monthly activities where GCA parents, students, and staff share their successes, helpful hints, and more. The high-quality, tuition-free public education that enables a learning experience that is individualized for each student."

"The world's largest privately held software company, SAS was founded in academia and has maintained strong ties to the academic community. Those ties grew stronger in 1996 when the company's founders looked back to the classroom and asked: Can the expertise we have developed over the past 25 years enable us to produce technologies that enhance learning? The answer-an enthusiastic Yes-came only after deliberating with educators. SAS Curriculum Pathways is the result of those deliberations. Three qualities have been crucial to our success."

"RJI Vision and Mission Reynolds Journalism Institute: Ideas. Experiments. Research. Solutions. 2009 The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI) exists to develop and test ways to improve journalism through new technology and improved processes. In partnership with media organizations and nonprofits, RJI delivers technological and strategic innovations in journalism and advertising. RJI was launched in 2004 with an initial grant of $31 million from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation . In conjunction with the centennial celebration of the Missouri School of Journalism, it officially dedicated its world headquarters in September 2008. This 50,000 square-foot facility on the University of Missouri campus has state-of-the-art resources to test and demonstrate new technologies, experiment with convergence news production and delivery systems, and conduct real-time and virtual seminars and conferences. RJI's work crosses diverse specialties within journalism, including media convergence, editorial content and methods, the evolution of advertising, innovation in management and the impact of new technologies. It also includes varied fields on campus such as law, computer science, marketing, education and other disciplines. The vision The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute is a world-class center for researching and testing new models of journalism in this era of technological advances. RJI makes the most of its location in a premier, hands-on journalism school at a research-extensive university and the collective creativity of visiting professionals and researchers. It assumes a leading position among centers devoted to journalism and media studies. Exterior view of the new RJI building on 9th Street in Columbia, MO. The mission The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute engages media professionals, scholars and other citizens in programs aimed at improving the practice and understanding of journalism in democratic soc

"What are Gizmos? ExploreLearning.com offers the world's largest library of interactive online simulations for math and science education in grades 3-12. We call these simulations Gizmos . Gizmos are: fun, easy to use, and help students develop a deep understanding of challenging concepts through inquiry and exploration. research-based, flexible tools used by teachers across all 50 states in a wide variety of ways. Gizmos are ideal for small group work, individual exploration, and whole class instruction using an LCD projector or interactive whiteboard. designed to supplement your existing curriculum. Gizmos are correlated to state curriculum standards and over 200 textbooks, making them easy to integrate into your instructional program. backed by first-rate training and professional development services that help maximize the value of your investment."

"The Institute for Library and Information Literacy Education (ILILE) is federally funded through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the U.S.Department of Education. ILILE was established to provide local, regional and national leadership in fostering successful collaboration among K-12 teachers and school library media specialists who are concerned with advancing library and information literacy in the PK-12 school curriculum. As part of the 2004 Omnibus Appropriations Act passed January 22, Kent State University received a $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education for the Institute for Library and Information Literacy Education (ILILE). In addition to this grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Kent State received a $1,975,000 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services in July 2003. U.S. Rep. Ralph Regula (R-OH), Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education recognized the benefit of additional funding for ILILE. "I am pleased to have been able to include federal funding for Kent State University to demonstrate how school librarians and classroom teachers can work together to enrich the curriculum of students. I am hopeful that the demonstration of this collaborative work will be used as a model to enhance the learning environment."-- U.S. Rep. Ralph Regula."

"An online learning program can help your school or district reach students in ways you may not be currently able. Whether you're in need of providing educational continuity programs, Credit Recovery programs for at-risk students, or just need a Mandarin class to augment your foreign language offerings, Aventa Learning can help. Since 2002, we have partnered with more than 1,000 districts around the country to help students in many unique ways. Aventa Learning has: Served more than 4,000 credit recovery students in partnership with Chicago Public Schools Provided curriculum and instruction for district-wide online schools in Denver and Houston Provided educational continuity programs for adjudicated youth in Santa Cruz County Whether you're a virtual school, charter school, school district or state education department, you can rely on Aventa to offer expanded educational opportunities to your students, help at-risk students succeed and accomodate students' unique scheduling needs without adding staff or classrooms. We offer one of the largest catalogs of online courses including core curriculum, electives and world language courses for middle school and high school, Advanced Placement (AP) and credit recovery courses."

"A Legacy of Education Education has always been a core value of the Walt Disney Company. Since 1945, when Disney became the first studio to bring educational films into schools, educators have turned to Disney Educational Productions for award-winning classroom media that enhances learning and unlocks student creativity. We believe that kids who succeed at learning grow to love learning, and it's that life-long celebration of curiosity and innovation that built the Walt Disney Company. Building Thinkers Every Day...For more than 60 years, our programs have been receiving numerous awards and accolades -- among them Oscars, Emmys, and honors from organizations such as the National Safety Council and Learning Magazine. Today we are harnessing the timeless power of immersive storytelling with the new possibilities of dynamic multimedia to provide teachers with the tools they need to engage, inform, and inspire learners of all types. We collaborate with educators, curriculum specialists, scientists, mathematicians, historians, writers, musicians, artists, and many other skilled and passionate experts to create compelling content based on national curriculum standards. Our classroom edition DVDs include public performance rights, educator's guides, exclusive educational bonus features, and assessment tools to reinforce key lessons."

"Discovery Communications To Launch New Multimedia, Multi-Year Science Initiative, "Be The Future," Supporting Obama Administration STEM Priorities -- DirecTV Boosts Support of Science Literacy with Move of Science Channel to Total Choice, Offering Millions of Additional Subscribers Access to Quality Science Programming -- November 23, 2009 (Silver Spring, Md.) Underscoring its commitment to leading in science-related programming and education, and answering President Obama's call to action to encourage science literacy, Discovery Communications today announced a new multimedia, multi-year nationwide initiative called "Be The Future." Over the next five years, Discovery will launch a programming block, education curriculum and tools to inspire student learning and careers in the sciences and support the White House's efforts behind science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. "Lifting American students from the middle to the top of the pack in STEM achievement over the next decade will not be attained by government alone," said President Obama. "I applaud the substantial commitments made today by the leaders of companies, universities, foundations, non-profits and organizations representing millions of scientists, engineers and teachers from across the country." "The exploration of science, technology and the natural world is central to the mission and DNA of Discovery Communications and we are incredibly proud to put the full muscle of our content and resources behind this critical White House initiative," said John S. Hendricks, founder and chairman, Discovery Communications. "Through 'Be the Future' we will spark the innate curiosity in school-aged viewers and people of all ages, help drive interest and leadership in science-related careers and inspire a lifelong interest in how science shapes our everyday lives." A sweeping, multi-platform initiative, "Be the Future" will be built on two primary Discovery businesse

"ABCmouse.com is a global education initiative of Age of Learning, Inc. Our goal is to help children build a strong foundation for future academic success by providing a comprehensive and engaging online curriculum to greatly assist early learners to succeed in pre-k, kindergarten, and early elementary school programs. ABCmouse.com is subscription-based, with no advertising, pop-up ads, or links to other sites. Children can learn and explore with their parents, or on their own (depending on age and ability), in a safe and secure online educational environment. We named our site ABCmouse.com because here children can learn important educational basics (often referred to as "the ABC's") through the use of a computer mouse, thus ABCmouse.com. At ABCmouse.com, the computer mouse comes to life as ABC Mouse, who serves as our site ambassador and guide to early learners everywhere."

"Who & Why We Are Releasing possibility, changing lives In 1999, we set out to answer a call. It was a call voiced by a growing number of parents whose children's needs were not being met by traditional education models. Their children were bored by the pace of the traditional classroom, left behind by the pace of the classroom, or just getting lost in the shuffle. While traditional brick and mortar schools work for many children, they restrict many others for a variety of reasons. At K¹², our mission has remained steadfast: To provide any child access to exceptional curriculum and tools that enable him or her to maximize his or her success in life, regardless of geographic, financial, or demographic circumstance. We have become a leader in providing individualized, one-to-one learning solutions to students from kindergarten through high school across the country. These solutions have literally changed lives and opened up possibility for many children. Our biggest fans continue to be parents who are seeking to tap into their children's unique potential and who have seen what can happen when children can work at the right pace and with the tools, approaches, and content that make learning come alive."

"In2Books was created in 1997 to enhance the intellectually stimulating work available to students in low-income neighborhoods. A basic tenet of In2Books is that all children are capable of deep learning. Children cannot fully develop their learning potential without challenging learning experiences. In2Books promotes ambitious literacy learning in grades 2-5 by having students engage in authentic reading and writing experiences with adult pen pals. The pen pal experience is complemented by the classroom study of genre and genre-related literacy. From its inception, In2Books has focused especially on under-resourced neighborhood where many students come from low-income, culturally diverse backgrounds. The thought-provoking In2Books curriculum includes carefully-chosen, high quality diverse books and research-proven teaching strategies. The strategies are aligned to grade-level literacy standards and science, social studies, and language arts instruction."

The mission of TI:ME is to assist music educators in applying technology to improve teaching and learning in music. The History of TI:ME - In the summer of 1995 TI:ME was formed to address the following areas: First, there was a need to codify technology into a cohesive set of standards. Next, a certification process was explored to recognize the achievement of in-service music teachers in music technology. Finally, it became clear that there was a need for a new organization, national in scope and focused on the subject of teacher training in music technology. A National Advisory board was established and met in October of 1996 setting in motion the tasks that led to the creation of a world wide web site, the publication of a book of Strategies and a Newsletter The TI:MES, the criterion for membership, and the development of a comprehensive curriculum for in-service teacher training in music technology.

"Anytime Anywhere Learning Foundation Mission and Vision: Picture the happy, effective and contributing global citizens of tomorrow. Being lifelong learners and digitally fluent, they participate fully in every aspect of social and economic life. To make this picture a reality, today's students must learn differently. They must be granted an education that fosters their innate motivation to learn, that encourages academic rigor through relevant application, and that connects them with the world they will enter. This approach is often called 'anytime anywhere learning.' To take part in anytime, anywhere learning, students must be provided with: *A constructivist, international education where meaningful tasks subsume curriculum objectives. * A personal, portable computer with which to think about, construct and share ideas The Anytime Anywhere Learning Foundation is a not for profit organization whose primary purpose is to ensure that all children have access to unlimited opportunities to learn anytime and anywhere and that they have the tools that make this possible. AALF members are committed to making anytime, anywhere learning a reality for all students. We believe that this release of human potential is in the best interest of our children and society. Through the AALF, members access research, resources and a professional network, and create strong, sustainable, learning-driven, 1-to-1 technology environments."

"About PracticePlanet You want an easy-to-use tool to prepare your students for high-stakes tests. Your students want learning that's fun. Everyone wants to see test scores soar. Give your students the PracticePlanet advantage! It's Online PracticePlanet's study strategy takes full advantage of the technology available via the Web. The program contains a comprehensive bank of test items. Management of data is precise yet simple. There are no messy print materials-and data is automatically aggregated electronically. It's Targeted PracticePlanet's pretests identify areas of strength and weakness; students practice the assigned concepts, posttests show his or her level of growth. PracticePlanet's reporting feature gives you real time student data to pinpoint areas needing additional work. It's Motivating and Fun A variety of media keeps PracticePlanet content engaging and interactive. Students are rewarded with motivating, fun games and receive immediate feedback and test results that help them stay focused. Students who use PracticePlanet at school or at home will explore a new world of success on standardized tests. Teachers who use PracticePlanet will appreciate its effectiveness and ease of use. Administrators will appreciate the improvement in test scores and Adequate Yearly Progress. Standards-based Assessment For the last number of years-and especially since the enactment of No Child Left Behind legislation-states have been held increasingly accountable for the academic achievement of the children who attend their public schools. Most states have undertaken the tasks of codifying their academic standards and correlating curriculum and instruction to those standards. Most states have also implemented criterion-referenced summative assessment programs that annually test their students' growth in skill and knowledge. Each state test is developed using selected critical standards from the state's published ac

"The Tritone Music Series is an applied, internet-based, keyboard and piano music training system that introduces the beginner to the fundamentals of music and performance through a series of interactive multimedia lessons and activities. It serves as an aid to the music specialist teacher and the classroom teacher in providing a consistent level of content and musical instruction to students. Tritone's integrated e-learning courseware includes: 1. Tritone Music Series - a comprehensive online music curriculum based on an internationally proven popular piano methodology developed by Great West Music. Beginner Music 1 is the first course of the series. It consists of three learning modules plus an exam and teaches the fundamentals of music and performance. Musical concepts are introduced through a rich multimedia (text, audio, graphics, video, and animation) environment. Lessons are reinforced with fun, interactive and motivating activities that provide instant feedback and address all types of learning. Structure - Each learning module is divided into a series of units and a quiz. Each unit consists of chapters and within each chapter are lesson and activity pages. At the end of each unit and at the beginning of most units are a summary, work sheets and review. Tritone Music Series content can be customized to meet grade learning outcomes. 2. Javatrax - an assessment sequencer specially designed to help the student develop good practicing habits so that they can learn their songs more effectively. Javatrax simulates the process of the student playing along with the teacher as they learn each stage (hands separately and hands together) of a song. Javatrax assesses the student's performance and gives a graphical display of pitch, timing and expression so that they can see where improvement is needed. Javatrax is also used for sight-reading and ear training drills. 3. Javakeys - a virtual keyboard feature incorporated into Tritone's Javatrax evaluatio

"Launched in the West Virginia school system in 2007, Globaloria is a unique pilot course in public middle schools and high schools where students are creating original Flash-based video games about educational topics and social issues using an online social network for learning. Four WV colleges are also offering Globaloria to their students. Hailed by local, state, and national education leaders as a model for educational transformation, Globaloria increases student mastery of state content standards and objectives and 21st-century knowledge and skills by immersing students in a learning-by-doing, STEM game design and programming curriculum that incorporates the latest social media technology tools. Support for Globaloria is provided by Governor and First Lady Manchin, the West Virginia Department of Education, the WV Department of Education and the Arts, Benedum Foundation, Verizon WV, Knight Foundation, Caperton Fund, West Virginia University, and Marshall University."

"Young Audiences, Woodruff Arts Center (YAWAC) is Georgia's leading provider of arts-in-education programming. Part of the prestigious 31-chapter national Young Audiences organization, YAWAC brings the power of live arts experiences to Georgia students from pre-school to high school. From a small organization of nine artists in 1983, YAWAC is celebrating more than 25 years of service and has grown into a force in arts education, with more than 65 professional roster artists and ensembles that reach nearly 640,000 students each year in 50 counties statewide. We fulfill our mission - to transform the lives and learning of young people through the arts - by providing a dazzling and culturally diverse array of curriculum-based assemblies, workshops and residencies in music, dance, theatre, literary and visual arts. From Chinese dance to Russian gypsy folk music, from fabric collage to classic fables, YAWAC offers children a world of possibilities for learning through the arts."

"Psychologists who study mood have found that your sense of control over external events plays a big role in determining your mood. I believe this explains why so few people choose to get involved in education. In a set of classic psychological studies, researchers observed that feeling unable to control events is associated with a depressed mood. How does this apply to education? When most of us look at the shortcomings of our educational system, we feel little power to influence events. We do not feel that we can make a difference. That's depressing, so we tend to turn away and devote our energies to something where we can feel what psychologists call internal locus of control. It doesn't have to be that way. There are many things that we can do to improve education, particularly if we focus on the areas where we can make a difference. For the GIS community, the place where we can make a difference is in the area that I call geo-literacy, the slice across the science and social studies curriculum that depends critically on geographic analysis. Together with ESRI and other organizations, National Geographic is creating opportunities for geographic professionals to make a difference in education and experience an internal locus of control."