Group items tagged

ATTAIN builds upon the successful education technology programs that began with No Child Left Behind and focuses more on systemic school redesign through the innovative use of technolog

A stand-alone workshop has less than a 5% chance of actually changing teacher practice in the classroom. However, if you add on-going and embedded professional development, provide professional learning communities where teachers interact with their colleagues, and ensure on-going support from coaches and administrative staff, the chance of really affecting teaching and learning increases dramatically -- to nearly 90%

y using online resource hubs and other tools for collaboration, i.e. blogs and discussion boards, and including virtual or in-school coaching and mentoring, schools, districts, and states are beginning to see gains in teaching quality and student achievement. The greatest successes are seen with professional development that includes high-quality content, is tailored to the needs of students, takes advantage of the assets of technology, and is embedded in professional learning communities to enable teachers to actively participate.

NTIA will have a total of $4,549,000,000 to award to grant recipients that will be available until September 30, 2010. Of the amount provided, NTIA will use about $3,749,000,000 for infrastructure-related grants; not less than $200,000,000 for competitive grants for expanding public computer center capacity; not less than $250,000,000 for competitive grants for innovative programs to encourage sustainable adoption of broadband services; and up to $350,000,000 to develop and maintain a broadband inventory map.

The call for higher, more rigorous standards and increased global competitiveness have made the traditional school day and calendar largely insufficient to ensure that all students graduate from high school with a diploma and ready for college. Expanded learning time, a schoolwide strategy that entails redesigning and lengthening the school day and/or year by at least 30 percent to help support teaching and learning for all students, can be particularly beneficial for low-income students, minority students, and English language learners.

"What I've asked Arne Duncan to do is to make sure that he works as hard as he can over the next several years to make sure that we're reforming our schools, that we're rewarding innovation the way that it's taking place here," Obama said at Capital City Public Charter School.

if ( show_doubleclick_ad && ( adTemplate & INLINE_ARTICLE_AD ) == INLINE_ARTICLE_AD && inlineAdGraf ) { placeAd('ARTICLE',commercialNode,20,'inline=y;',true) ; } But the windfall also could mark the beginning of a deeper transformation of schools seven years after the No Child Left Behind law mandated an expansion of testing and new systems for school accountability.

he stimulus bill would help the Obama administration hammer three themes: "First and foremost, protecting children. Secondly, saving and creating jobs. And third, pushing a significant reform agenda."

The stakes are high, as this may be the most important opportunity school reformers get in the foreseeable future to make a difference. That said, the governance and accountability structures accompanying these funds will likely make or break their effectiveness. How then should the department distribute these funds? What criteria should be used? How should the department evaluate recipients and ensure that the process is fair and transparent? And, importantly, how can the administration support educational entrepreneurs without the perception of cronyism

My big fear is we will spend $80 billion and have no clue what worked. We’ll be at the same place. Whatever we do, I want to urge that we do it in a careful, serious, evaluative framework."

The codes that every district and school must adhere to constrain opportunity for innovation. This $650 million fund does allow for some creative work and partnership beyond traditional school structures to innovate.

This is an opportunity not just to apply for funds for your district, but to engage with mayors, parents and other community members to sustain innovation and change.

Removing a school library media specialist, who is an expert [at helping students acquire 21st-century information skills], from a library becomes a disadvantage for the students in that school," she said.

he American Recovery and Reinvestment Act contains funding for educators to implement innovative strategies in Title I schools that improve education for at-risk students and close the achievement gap. The funding is flexible and, for the most part, the control rests in the hands of local and state superintendents--and spending some of it on school libraries would be a wise investment, ALA asserts.

Morris said that schools had to hurry so that the plans could be brought to the school board before unrolling any major changes, such as changing the school calendar, which could take time to put together before next school year. The budget deadline is June 30. No final decisions have been made, the school board has yet to weigh in, and it is unclear when the final plans will be chosen

The teachers union plans to file a charge that San Diego Unified violated labor law when patching together the plans, alleging that it dodged the union on issues that must be bargained, such as how many days teachers work. It contends that such changes can only be brought to the union, not directly to teachers, just as individual schools cannot ask teachers to change their salaries without going to the bargaining table.

While Grier has earned praise for his fast pace and passion for change, that same speediness has sparked criticism for failing to get input from parents and teachers on his plans. And with millions in stimulus money at stake, those arguments are even more pressing, especially as tension builds between the stimulus goals of doing new things and saving jobs that already exist.

Establishing a system for identifying and training highly effective teachers to serve as instructional leaders in Title I school wide programs and modifying the school schedule to allow for collaboration among the instructional staff. Providing new opportunities for Title I school-wide programs for secondary school students to use high-quality, online coursework as supplemental learning materials for meeting mathematics and science requirements. Developing and expanding longitudinal data systems to drive continuous improvement efforts focused on increased achievement in Title I schools. Districts are also encouraged to consider using these funds to support and improve preschool and early childhood development programs which are an existing allowable use for Title I.

Obtain state-of-the art assistive technology devices and provide training in their use to enhance access to the general curriculum for students with disabilities, including online professional development, online student courses and learning opportunities, and electronic records management for student progress monitoring and data-based decisions for instruction/intervention. Provide intensive district-wide professional development for special education and regular education teachers that focuses on scaling-up, through replication, proven and innovative evidence-based school-wide strategies in reading, math, writing and science, and positive behavioral supports to improve outcomes for students with disabilities. Develop or expand the capacity to collect and use data to improve teaching and learning. Expand the availability and range of inclusive placement options for preschoolers with disabilities by developing the capacity of public and private preschool programs to serve these children. Hire transition coordinators to work with employers in the community to develop job placements for youths with disabilities.

. The ARRA SFSF funds provide an opportunity to jump start school reform and improvement efforts while also saving and creating jobs and stimulating the economy. California received $2.56 billion in SFSF for K-12 LEAs.

Congressional leaders and the Obama administration have courageously faced down one of the problems that would sustain a continuous downward spiral - the inadequate use of technology in educating our children.

ronically, our schools, where the next generation of workers will be taught to learn and work, are dead last among all industries in using technology effectively. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act recognizes that technology in our schools can be a powerful accelerator of change by spurring innovation, creating jobs, and giving our children the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills that will allow them to take their place in the world economy as winners, not runners-up.

In Greene County, North Carolina, schools provided students with a 24/7 laptop, and ensured that teachers had access to high quality, on-going professional development. When the program began five years ago, the college-going rate was 24%. Technology has brought about dramatic change and the percentage of students enrolling in college has increased from 24% to 84% in 2007.