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"The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) is in its 40th year of operation heading into the 2009-2010 academic school year. Housed in the Armada Hoffler Tower at Town Center of Virginia Beach, Virginia, the MEAC is made up of 12 outstanding historically black institutions across the Atlantic coastline: Bethune-Cookman University, Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Florida A&M University, Hampton University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina A&T State University, South Carolina State University and Winston-Salem State University."

"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

As part of the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI), the draft K-12 standards are now available for public comment. These draft standards, developed in collaboration with teachers, school administrators, and experts, seek to provide a clear and consistent framework to prepare our children for college and the workforce. Governors and state commissioners of education from 48 states, 2 territories and the District of Columbia committed to developing a common core of state standards in English-language arts and mathematics for grades K-12. This is a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO).

"The Council's Mission: CCSSO, through leadership, advocacy, and service, assists chief state school officers and their organizations in achieving the vision of an American education system that enables all children to succeed in school, work, and life. The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is a nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions. CCSSO provides leadership, advocacy, and technical assistance on major educational issues. The Council seeks member consensus on major educational issues and expresses their views to civic and professional organizations, federal agencies, Congress, and the public."

"Founded in 1967 at Sweetwater Creek State Park by a group of concerned citizens, the Georgia Conservancy collaborates, advocates and educates to protect Georgia's natural environment. Through its focus on clean air and water, land conservation, coastal protection, growth management and education, the Georgia Conservancy works to develop solutions to protect Georgia's environment and promote the stewardship of the state's vital natural resources. Called "the state's most influential environmental organization" by Georgia Trend magazine, the Georgia Conservancy, a statewide, nonprofit organization, serves as an advocate for clean air and water through programs such as Mothers & Others for Clean Air and as a founding member of the Georgia Water Coalition (GWC). The Georgia Conservancy, through its work with GWC, was active in the development of a statewide water management plan to ensure Georgia's waters remain clean, abundant and available for all Georgians. Today, the water program continues as the Georgia Conservancy works to influence and track the state's water conservation implementation plan as part of the statewide water plan, which passed by the state legislature in 2008. Other recent Georgia Conservancy successes, to name only a few, include: launching the Coastal Georgia Land Conservation Initiative in partnership with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Association County Commissioners. The initiative will protect critical coastal lands and promote sustainable land use and development practices through comprehensive mapping, education and technical assistance assembling and facilitating a team of air quality, policy and health experts to revise guidelines on appropriate outdoor activity when air quality is poor securing $250,000 in state funds to assist schools with installing pollution control devices on metro-area school buses. and, in 2008, teaching more than 292 teachers in 18 environmental education workshop

"Holocaust Issues The Office of the Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues develops and implements U.S. policy with respect to the return of Holocaust-era assets to their rightful owners, compensation for wrongs committed during the Holocaust, and Holocaust remembrance. The Office does this in a manner that complements and supports broader U.S. interests and initiatives in a Europe committed to democracy, pluralism, human rights, and tolerance. The Office seeks to bring a measure of justice and assistance to Holocaust victims and their families and to create an infrastructure to assure that the Holocaust is remembered properly and accurately. This is an important issue in our bilateral relations with countries of central and eastern Europe and with the state of Israel. Much of the Office's work relates to bringing closure to issues left outstanding during the Cold War. Before 1989, the governments of Russia and its satellites refused to permit research into Holocaust questions or the payment of compensation to Holocaust victims and their heirs. The end of communist governments in eastern Europe made it possible to extend Holocaust programs to those countries. In addition, the Office has been involved in facilitating negotiations to reach, and in implementing, various agreements on the subject of Holocaust-era claims. Class action suits in the United States in the 1990's set the stage for the negotiation of a settlement agreement with Swiss Banks and executive agreements with Germany, France, and Austria that dealt with claims arising from unpaid Holocaust-era insurance policies, as the use of forced and slave labor, the illegal seizure of private and communal property, and other personal injuries. The Special Envoy is a member of the boards of directors overseeing the French and German payments programs. He maintains close relations with Austrian officials administering the programs negotiated with the Austrian Government. He also serves as an ex-

"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"

"Jennifer Harris Edstrom , founder and principal consultant of Edstrom Educational Consulting, has a decade of assessment experience garnered from work with individual classrooms, state accountability programs, and national shelf products. After graduating from Wellesley College, she was certified to teach in the public school systems in Needham, Massachusetts, South Brunswick, New Jersey and Glencoe, Illinois. As a consultant for ETS, Ms. Edstrom was trained by Grant Wiggins's CLASS organization to author material for their Assessment Wizard program, a software program that assists teachers in developing authentic performance assessments. In 2002, Ms. Edstrom joined Riverside Publishing Company, where she oversaw the content development of high-stakes testing programs at all grade-levels and in all subject areas. Most notably, she worked closely with the Assistant Superintendent of Schools for Assessment and Arts Supervisor for the State of Washington in researching, developing, and implementing their Goal 2 authentic performance assessments in the areas of Art, Music, Drama and Dance, now being used across the state at the elementary, middle and high school grades. Ms. Edstrom left Riverside Publishing to found Edstrom Educational Consulting in 2005. Through her leadership, EEC has grown a large client base that includes notable educational publishing divisions, including Riverside Publishing, Holt-McDougal, and CTB/McGraw-Hill. In her role as principal consultant, Ms. Edstrom has acted as an advisor in the best practices of assessment, as well as authored assessment materials of the highest quality with attention to specifications. She has instructed educators in both small and large-group settings with a focus on all aspects of assessment, from testing best practices, types of assessment and creation of rubrics."

"The Zinn Education Project promotes and supports the use of Howard Zinn's best-selling book A People's History of the United States and other materials for teaching a people's history in middle and high school classrooms across the country. The Zinn Education Project is coordinated by two non-profit organizations, Rethinking Schools and Teaching for Change. Its goal is to introduce students to a more accurate, complex, and engaging understanding of United States history than is found in traditional textbooks and curricula. The empowering potential of studying U.S. history is often lost in a textbook-driven trivial pursuit of names and dates. Zinn's A People's History of the United States emphasizes the role of working people, women, people of color, and organized social movements in shaping history. Students learn that history is made not by a few heroic individuals, but instead by people's choices and actions, thereby also learning that their own choices and actions matter. We believe that through taking a more engaging and more honest look at the past, we can help equip students with the analytical tools to make sense of - and improve - the world today. For a more complete description, read the PDF A People's History, A People's Pedagogy . In 2008, with support from an anonymous donor, the Zinn Education Project distributed 4,000 free packets for teaching people's history to educators across the country. In a follow-up survey, the recipients requested more resources, which led to the creation of this upgraded website to provide teaching materials online. Read the fullreport (in PDF) on the distribution of the 4,000 packets here."

"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."

Since 2000, Study Island has been building and marketing online, state standards-based learning programs that are the most effective and easiest to use of their kind. Our in-house technical development and content teams design and create our programs, which are then sold to schools on a subscription basis through our direct sales force. Used by millions of students in thousands of schools across the United States, all of our programs are built specifically from state standards and are designed to create a very user-friendly experience for both students and teachers alike.

"The United States Distance Learning Association was the first nonprofit Distance Learning association in the United States to support Distance Learning research, development and praxis across the complete arena of education, training and communications. In 1987, the USDLA was founded on the premise of creating a powerful alliance to meet the burgeoning education and training needs of learning communities via new concepts of the fusion of communication technologies with learning in broad multidiscipline applications. An elected president, an Executive Committee, and a governing board now govern USDLA with Dr. John G. Flores as the Executive Director of the Association. The learning communities that USDLA addresses are: pre K-12, higher education, continuing education, corporate training, military and government training, home schooling and telemedicine. In addition USDLA is also focused on national and international technology based Distance Learning"

"Macmillan is an internationally recognised publisher of encyclopedias, dictionaries and reference works. The award-winning Macmillan English Dictionary was first published in 2002. Crafted by teams of lexicographers in Britain and the United States, it has as its source a corpus, a database containing millions of examples of English as used around the world. Extensive analysis of this corpus of real spoken and written text, using state-of-the-art software, has allowed the dictionary writers to reveal fresh information about how and when words are used. The dictionary has been regularly updated, and the latest edition, presented free online for the first time, includes a thesaurus , fully integrated into the entries. MacmillanDictionary.com also offers unique treatment of metaphor, showing how many ordinary familiar words and phrases have metaphorical meanings, although we do not usually realise this when we use them. MacmillanDictionary.com is the perfect free online dictionary - a one-stop reference for English speakers around the world."

"The Associated Press is the backbone of the world's information system serving thousands of daily newspaper, radio, television and online customers with coverage in all media and news in all formats. It is the largest and oldest news organization in the world, serving as a source of news, photos, graphics, audio and video. AP's mission is to be the essential global news network, providing distinctive news services of the highest quality, reliability and objectivity with reports that are accurate, balanced and informed. AP operates as a not-for-profit cooperative with more than 4,000 employees working in more than 240 worldwide bureaus. AP is owned by its 1,500 U.S. daily newspaper members. They elect a board of directors that directs the cooperative. AP supplies a steady stream of news around the clock to its domestic members, international subscribers and commercial customers. It has the industry's most sophisticated digital photo network, a 24-hour continuously updated online news service, a state-of-the-art television news service and one of the largest radio networks in the United States. It also has a commercial digital photo archive, a photo library housing more than 10 million images. AP has received 49 Pulitzer Prizes, more than any other news organization in the categories for which it can compete. It has 30 photo Pulitzers, the most of any news organization. The Associated Press is the essential global news network, delivering fast, unbiased news from every corner of the world to all media platforms and formats. Founded in 1846, AP today is the largest and most trusted source of independent news and information. On any given day, more than half the world's population sees news from AP."

"The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) administers federal government job training and worker dislocation programs, federal grants to states for public employment service programs, and unemployment insurance benefits. These services are primarily provided through state and local workforce development systems."

"The Georgia Forestry Association, one of the oldest conservation organizations in the United States, was founded in 1907. At that time, tree farming was a family tradition. Land was passed from generation to generation and with it, a love of the land that became our heritage. Through the years, GFA has worked with landowners in protecting their property rights and adopting sound land management practices to ensure that our forests continue to provide clean air, clean water, soil conservation, wildlife habitat, recreation and products that we all use every day. Georgia's forests are vital to lives of many state residents, from private landowners and foresters to loggers and thousands of others employed by the forestry community. Who better to manage Georgia's forests than the very people who want to see them prosper? The Georgia Forestry Association is committed to protecting our forests and their future. For 100 years, GFA has been the "voice of forestry," working to educate business, environmental and political leaders about responsible forest management practices, reforestation, benefits derived from forestry and landowner rights. In turn, GFA serves as a resource, keeping members informed of legislative and regulatory issues that can affect the long-term health and value of forested land. GFA also provides a diverse resource of technical information that can help you better grow your forestry investment. GFA members can assist in implementing responsible land management practices and offer sound advice on making the most of your resources."

"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 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."

"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."

"A worldwide leader in interactive professional education, the University Alliance Online provides unprecedented access to the nation's top universities - offering you the skills and credentials you need to take your career to the next level. Through the University Alliance, these accredited universities bring the classroom to you with instructor-led, multimedia programs and comprehensive, high-quality curricula. Choose from a variety of professional certificates in high-demand disciplines, or earn your associate's, bachelor's or master's degree. You'll gain skills you can apply immediately on the job, while enjoying the freedom to complete your coursework anytime and anywhere Collaborating with the University Alliance, nationally recognized universities provide classes via state-of-the-art interactive delivery - offering a "better-than-live" learning experience. This allows you an easy work-life balance, as you schedule your classes around your busy lifestyle. No actual classroom attendance is ever required, yet you'll receive the same top-notch education as on-campus students - and degree candidates will have the option to walk with their graduating class. All University Alliance partners are consistently rated among America's best universities in national publications such as U.S. News & World Report and BusinessWeek. Interactive Online Technology Through a state-of-the-art e-learning system, you'll be immersed in a multimedia environment that lets you study at your convenience, around your busy schedule. And you won't be alone. Each course is carefully designed to maximize your interaction with fellow students and instructors alike. In fact, many students find they participate and enjoy themselves more in this online format than they ever did in a traditional classroom. It's the easiest, most convenient way to balance work, school and family. Interactive Classroom Tools Keep You Connected Our online classroom is se