Governor Napoltano's P-20 Committee Goals and eLearning

Eb60831P20GoalsandeSATS

One of the foundations of the eSATS elearning design for K-12 education is to assure that it reflects and supports the implementation of current K-12 policy at the highest levels. The fun part is to anticipate and react to ever evolving policy.

Arizona’s lead education policy group is Governor Napolitano’s P20 Council. At their meeting August 22, 2006 they discussed their vision and two sets of goals.

Vision:

The freshman Class of 2012 will the first to graduate every student work and college ready for the 21^st century.

During the P-20 Council retreat in June the following five goals were developed (my summary):

http://www.governor.state.az.us/P20/documents/Agendas/082206_CouncilAgendaPacket082206.pdf

1. Align education from preschool through post secondary to life long learning;
2. Students achieve new graduation requirements with Algebra I in 8^th grade and many other vehicles such as individual education programs;
3. Academic success through parent and student support with communications and involvement;
4. Increase teacher capacity and supply especially in math, science and literacy, including teacher professional development;
5. Robust decision system with expand data capacity integrated with formative, summative, longitudinal and continuum assessment.

Governor Napolitano also presented eight of her top education issues that focused on the P20 council goals (n) from notes:

8^th grade Algebra I (2);

Zero dropouts with school attendance required to age 18 (2-addition);

Four year degree programs (1);

Teacher capacity and supply (4);

Math and Science pathway - college grants (1-additional);

Formative assessments for students, teachers and parents (5)

High school exit with two years of algebra – college success predictor (2-additional);

Data for decisions (5).

eSATS believes that this set of goals is comprehensive and if fully implemented could meet the P-20 Vision:

The Vision emphasis is on “every.” The Arizona centennial (1912-2012) freshman class will be the first, but they will not graduate until 2015. That gives Arizona ten years to transform K-12 education into a truly “no child left behind” operation.

We know that major statewide change takes place with situation assessment, alignment of leaders, vision, goals and objectives. Let’s assume the current work-results of the P-20 Council has put a cap on this part of the process.

Then creative individuals/small teams of champions (stewards) and strong legitimate leadership (governor+) develop strategies and implement the transformation. Transformation is required. Continuing the trend of academic improvement using reform, restructuring and continuous improvement with legacy methods are not good enough. Over the past twenty years their successes have been small.

The break transformation envisioned by P-20 demands major advances each year over the next ten years. The P-20 goals are nothing more than full graduation with mastery or competency learning to every Arizona standards with mostly B’s and A’s. The long accepted (non-grade inflated) bell shaped curve with a few F and a few A students with the rest in the middle is now out the window.

How to implement transformation?

Fortunately the complementary engines of transformation: systems design and eLearning methods are rapidly gaining strength and acceptance. The eSATS eLearning based systems design has been developed over many years. It has had significant components funded by the legislature and federal government over the past decade.

The neat aspect of a systems design is that it addresses all major issues simultaneously. It analyses strategies for timing with sequenced and parallel implementations; and specifies synchronized changes in process, systems, people, organizations and funding. For example the ten year (coincidence?) eSATS financial model addressed the new direct costs for effective adoption of eLearning for all Arizona students. It found that teachers could be give a 20% raise while cost savings with eLearning over legacy education would play about 80% of the total ten year eLearning adoption burden.

The other aspect of this comprehensive and ever improving eLearning System for Arizona’s Teachers and Students is that it provides the means to fully meet every P-20 and Governor Napolitano goal.

Let’s wrap up with some examples of eSATS eLearning implementation for each of the 5 goals:

1. Digital learning portfolios will follow the students through their life span, supporting no only individual learning plans but formal and informal relearning of material whenever needed.

2. eSATS’ SB1512 (2006) is investing $3million into an eLearning middle school math pilot system for 10,000 students that will address 8^th grade algebra I within the 6^th through the 9^th grade digital curriculum with online support.

3. Full 21^st Century communication systems will be established when 250,000 four year old computers are recycled annually into student’s homes – filling the digital divide. The eSATS design will be implemented using consulting advice from as the Learning Ecology Team from within the eSATS university based Digital Curriculum Institute.

4. Teachers will be funded for one mentor-master per 50 teachers and $1250 annual for professional development and education compared to the current $125 (pitiful for any information worker in the 21^st century.) Also the 20% extra salary will assure we can attract and retain our eLearning savvy and certified teacher. Our colleges of education will be transformed to educate eLearning savvy students, a big incentive for enrollment of best and brightest freshman.

5. The $2.5 funding of the data warehouse system at the Arizona Department of Education will be extended to a $30 per student range ($30 million) with significant expansion into comprehensive system that supports classroom, school, district and state. Decision support data that is formative, summative, longitudinal and granular will be accessed by all members of the student’s ecological learning system, including parents.

Note: All these above examples (including the focus on digital curriculum in 2) were developed years ago and incorporated in the initial 2003 eSATS 140 page system design.

Millennials -- These are the Childen in Schools Today

Eb60830millennials

How Are They DIFFERENT

GENERATION” – 20-year Cohort, whose attitudes, perspectives and workstyles are more similar to each other than to any other group

MILLENNIALS	GEN-X	BABY BOOMERS	WW II SILENT
5 - 25	26 - 41	42 - 60	60+

1. SPECIAL

o Sense They Will Contribute, Future-Focused

2. SHELTERED

o The Most Nurtured [Protected] Generation

3. CONFIDENT

o 66% Say They Will Have Ideal Job, Top Earnings

4. TEAM-ORIENTED

o Teens list “cooperation,” “teamwork,” & “technology” as the most valued work skills

5. CONVENTIONAL

o 94% of Teens trust Parents, 50% trust Institutions

o Marriage, Family, Community, Work/Life Balance are Priorities

6. PRESSURED

ü The “Most Over-Scheduled” Generation

7. ACHIEVING

o 90% of Teens agree: “It’s cool to be smart.”

• Opportunity To Balance Work w/ Other Interests

• Open, Honest Communication (#1 Question: “Why?”)

• To Be Part Of Something Significant

• Variety, Challenge, Diversity, Action (STIMULATION !!! )

• Access To Latest Technology

• High Compensation – Investment Capability

• Positive, Respectful Culture

• To LEARN (“Learning Is COOL!”)

• To Be Paired With Older MENTORS - ACCESS TO AUTHORITY

• To Be Involved In Defining Their Own Job, Work and Development

• FEEDBACK + REWARD

• Flexible Schedules

• Work-From-Home

• 24 X 7 Access

• To Know The Purpose Of ________________

• Work Choices, Including Outside Interests

• Work & Learn In SHORT CHUNKS

• A Voice In The Organization

• A 1-on-1 Connection With Authority Figures

• RELEVANT Assignments & Learning

• Clear Expectations – Respectful Feedback & Rewards

• Empowerment To Form/Join Ad Hoc TEAMS

• Nurturing and PROTECTION From Failure

• State-Of-Art Technology

Teachers and Employers Need to:

• Pair-up Millennials With Baby Boomers (not Gen-Xers)

• Schedule Formal Mentoring Sessions

• Create A Structured, Supportive Work Environment

• Mentor Should Be Authoritative, but Respectful

• Aim To Make Their Work Personalized, Learning Customized

• Work & Learn In SHORT CHUNKS (“Granular Learning”)

• Mentor Should Be Prepared For Millennials’:

– High Demands, Low Patience

– High Expectations, Need For Protection From Failure

– Assumption of Equal Status to Authority Figures

– Need For Technology, On-Demand Content Delivery

UPSIDE

• GOAL-ORIENTED

• TECH-IMBEDDED

• MULTITASKING

• PRO LEARNING

• COLLABORATIVE

• NATURAL TEAMERS

• COMMUNITY JOINERS

• WORK ISN’T EVERYTHING

DOWN SIDE

• ASK BOSSES “WHY”

• LACK BASIC SKILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• SHORT ATTENTION-SPAN

• NEED INDIVIDUAL PACE

• NEED SOCIAL OUTLETS

• FORM OWN “TEAMS”

• CONFLICT W/ WORK TIME?

• LEAVE WHEN DISSATISFIED

Unacceptable numbers of college graduates enter the workforce without the skills employers say they need….

…the quality of student learning at U.S. colleges and universities is inadequate and, in some cases, declining”

- Federal Commission on the Future of Higher Education, July 2006

“…employers [complain]… graduates with top grades come to them lacking critical skills in writing, communication, science or math.”

“A college degree is now about the equivalent of what a high school diploma used to be 30 years ago.”

This Blog extracted from a presentation at Arizona Technology Council by Mike Maynard

Mike Maynard

Predictive Index Arizona, Inc.

800-713-8344

602-743-5046

mmaynard@predictivegroup.com

Any Child Can Have an Expert Mind - Just Takes Years of Full Time Work

Eb60815ExpertMind

An article in the August, 2006 issue of Scientific American addresses an emerging brain-mine theory of learning that could have profound effect on the demand for eLearning. On the other side of the coin, it could be foundation for an emerging K-12 eLearning pedagogy. The title is Expert Mind by Philip E. Ross.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa006&colID=1&articleID=00010347-101C-14C1-8F9E83414B7F4945

An expert such as a chess master has what is called “apperception” – a rapid, knowledge-guided perception that does not require logical thought. This ability is far above the layperson with imposing credentials such as professional stock picker, wine connoisseurs or psychiatrists whose performance rarely exceeds un-credentialed amateurs.

Chess masters have a vast memory store house of game positions. These “chunks” are quickly drawn from long term memory and manipulated in working memory. To achieve this memory store house requires years of effortful study (key works) tackling challenges just beyond their competence. Top performers in any area gain this expertise by motivation from competition and joy of victory.

Using magnetoencephalography It was found that chess masters used the frontal and parietal cortices (recalling from memory) while the weak players had much more medial temporal lobe activity (analyzing new moves). Grand masters do no better than others on general tests of memory.

Herbert Simon of Carnegie Mellon University found that it took 10 years of heavy labor to master any field. Many recognized experts started as early as pre-Kindergarten prodigies (Mozart, Gauss, Bobby Fischer, Tiger Woods). Playing in the specific area does not develop “apperception” but intense study and training does. The operational aspect is scaffolded study support that delivers learning challenges just out of reach. The critical student factor is intense and long term motivation which needs to be supported with competition and success.

Innate talent does not seem to be a factor. Many tests of novices and experts of visual-spatial abilities, general memory, etc. show no significant differences. A Hungarian educator home schooled his two daughters and son up to 6 hours a day in chess, producing one international master and two grandmasters. He showed that grandmasters can be reared and woman can be grandmasters.

Motivation is a more important factor than innate ability. In music, chess and sports where expertise is defined by competitive performance rather than academic credentialing, professionalism is emerging at even younger ages. Invariably there exist dedicated parents and some times extended families.

Experts are made not born. Therefore K-12 education must be structured to support “effortful study” across the curriculum. The question would shift from “Why Johnny can’t read or do math?” to “Well, Johnny can learn to do anything in the world he wants to do!”

US Dept of Ed 4 Year Test of Digital Curriculum

Eb60812USDOESoftwareProductTesting

This week’s edition of Education Week (August 9, 2006) had a front page story. “Reporting of Software Product-Testing Stirs Debate.”

In 2003 the US Department of Education’s Institute for Education Sciences (IES) commissioned a $10 million study of fifteen eLearning products in 132 schools. The digital curriculum types differed, including the level of hybridization with textbooks and activities. The intent was use the “gold standard” of random assignment to test the educational effectiveness. There were 9,000 students and 439 teachers in the control and experimental groups. The enterprises providing the products for testing in the 2004-05 school year were:

Grade 1 – Early Reading:

Autoskill International, Riverdeep, Waterford Institute, Headsprout, and PLATO Learning;

Grade 4 – Reading Comprehension

Autoskill International, Scholastic, Pearson Digital Learning, Leapfrog Schoolhouse;

Grade 8 – PreAlgebra

Computaught, PLATO Learning, Meridian Creative Group;

Grade 9 – Algebra

Carnegie Learning. PLATO Learning, Meridian Creative Group.

The project will continue in a second phase for 2005-2006.

A year after the first phase the IES is about to release the first report (end of summer.) It will release only the aggregated findings for the four categories. The enterprises will receive the results on their products. For the time being the methodology of the national-level, randomized-trial evaluations and the individual product results will be kept under wraps.

Too bad! Arizona needs both to not only as experimental design methodology for our Middle School Math pilot RFP but to help locate and attract potential bidders. This theoretical approach is fine for high level theories on the current state of digital curriculum, but schools need tools now to. The admonition of “eat your vegetables” does little for market basket selections.

The past 20 years of research and Meta studies on K-12 eLearning shows that even primitive computer aided instruction and Internet with productivity applications will consistency produce an effect factor of .3 to .4 more learning for given time. We know eLearning works and is highly cost effective. Now we need “Consumer Reports” type of buying data (Ted the Ed.)

The intent was to have enterprises volunteer for a competitive selection process. There was a huge turn out in 2003 of 163 products with 17 selected (two were subsequently dropped). The companies can release their individual data from Phase 1.

The Phase 2 data will be broken out product by product for consumer comparison.

This pioneering effort by the U.S. Department of Education has broken new ground. Building on their data and process, the Digital Curriculum Institute design and implementation will be more comprehensive and collaboration with the eLearning digital curriculum Industry is expected to be strong.

Governor Napoltano at National Governors Conference Part 2

Our Governor Janet Napolitano seems to have shifted the focus of the National Governor Association by turning a powerful spot light by applying innovation to education.

www.eschoolnews/news/showstoryts.cfm?ArticleID=6503

“‘Innovation America’ plan aims to ready schools for 21^st-century success” is the headline.

Her plan is to boost the global competitiveness including a focus on math and science. Her goal of educating America’s students to become innovators. The learning process of math and science will develop the student’s true problem solving skills. Her initiative is well beyond the generic call for school reform. She is actually proposing an effective means to get the job done.

Governor Napolitano has long been heralded for her and Arizona’s lead in educational technology. Empire High School was the first in the nation to go all digital last fall. A wide range of virtual-cyber schools and schooling permeate Arizona serving 10,000’s of students. Teachers can track their professional development through a partnership with TrueNorthLogic (Utah-based).

Governor Napolitano has a comprehensive approach for Arizona that includes both reform/restructuring and transformation of education. Her year-old P20 council is actively addressing the entire education system of Arizona. In close support are her Governor’s Council on Innovation and Technology, Aerospace and Defense Industry Commission (SMET). Governor’s Committee for Teacher Quality and Support and others. Currently most of the efforts are on marginal changes and realignments urgently needed to address critical issues in legacy education.

But last fall the GCIT education subcommittee delivered a transformative set of policy recommendations that addressed adoption eLearning in K-12 education to the P20 council. Innovation and education are now joined. In June Governor Napolitano signed into law a ten year eLearning Task Force and a $3 million middle school mathematics pilot.

Our eSATS initiative over the past few years has its first foot hold as we climb the cliff of K-12 eLearning transformation. We believe our governor is now on our belaying rope from the top. At least we are feeling a few gentle tugs.

Governor Napoltano at National Governors Conference Part 1

B60806GovatNAG1.doc

Our Governor Janet Napolitano is attending the 98^th National Governors Association (www.nga.org/ ) annual meeting in Charleston, South Carolina, August 5^th through 8^th. Arkansas’ Governor Mike Huckabee led off the conference plenary with a wrap-up speech about his NAG 2005-2006 initiative on Health and Wellness. Vice-Chair Napolitano will be elected Chairman for 2006-2007 on Monday. Her initiative will be on Education. Arizona’s progress with the governor’s P20 Council is expected to shape her leadership direction.

What about K-12 eLearning becoming a center point for the NGA 2006-2007 initiative? There is a progression of eLearning interest by the NGA since 2001.

An NGA study on the “State of eLearning in the States” 30 pp. addressed just post secondary education. http://www.nga.org/Files/pdf/060601ELEARNING.pdf

In 2005 the NGA first addressed K-12 with “Phase Two: Use of Virtual Learning to Advance High School Improvement.”

http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.9123e83a1f6786440ddcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=ad8df68ff8f87010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD

It seems to me that they are now ready for a serious look at the adoption of eLearning well beyond the advance improvement in a part of K-12 education. The 2006-2007 NGA Education Initiative should address all academic performance aspects of K-12 education with a systematic adoption of eLearning.

Adoption is accelerating in Arizona. In 1992 there was one school wide adoption of 1:1 eLearning. Starting in 1995 a number of charter schools went eLearning. Then 14 Cyber schools were formed to serve over 10,000 students. Out of state virtual eLearning providers now support approximately 20,000 Arizona students. In 2005 Tucson high school went 1:1 eLearning. In 2006-2007 expect several more 1:1 schools to transform to eLearning. Just about every district and school has implemented eLearning classes and systems and are poised to move on eLearning adoption. In 2007-2008 the Arizona Middle School Math Pilot funded $3 by the legislature will provide world leading eLearning to about 10,000 more students.

Sir Ken Robinson - Leading Expert on Creativity, Innovation and Human Resources will deliver his closing speech on the education of students to meet the challenges of living and working the 21^st Century. We hope that the NGA Education Initiative has pick up on the essence of eLearning.

http://www.washingtonspeakers.com/speakers/Speaker.cfm?SpeakerID=3758

What is the essence you might ask? The essence of eLearning is that if the NGA really wants to make progress on their eLearning Initiatives well beyond expectations, then eLearning is the only horse to ride.

We will keep you updated on what comes out of the NAG Annual Meeting as it progresses.

Chris Dede and eLearning taking Education out of Dark AgES

Eb60726ChrisDede

I just listened to a short (seven minute) talk by Chris Dede. Chris has been a long time thought leader and researcher on what has emerged as eLearning. He was at George Mason and is now at Harvard. The following may sound familiar since eSATS design and advocacy has “borrowed” freely from his work for the past 15 years.

Chris believes this is a dark age for K-12 education. Naïve ideas abound on learning. Economists have sold the public that they are better off if jobs to move oversees and they are. Health specialists are convincing people that many things which feel good are harmful to health.

But attitudes about learning is still rooting in the 1800’s. The model of learning that drives K-12 education is out of date. Policies continue to expound that basic skills lead to a capable workforce, academic success can be measured with one number, and that all simple learning must be complete before complex learning can take place.

The next decade needs a globally competitive knowledge workforce, and these world views are not up to the task.

When the industrial revolution started in the early 1800’s England took a solid lead in adopting technology and a trained workforce with resulting global dominance for over a century.

The dominance countries in the information age will be those who use education system based on the integration of information technology with learning technologies (i.e. eLearning Ted the ed.) But our country is moving backward. Support is decreasing. (For example only 25% of the planned funding for federal support of eLearning is being appropriated: Ted the ed.)

All the major attributes our society we enjoy, including education, needs a flourishing and competitive economy. But education attitudes must change if we are to transform education for the information age.

In other countries, companies are focusing on higher level skills and educational technology. In the U.S. we must band our business, education, governance and technology communities together to promo educational technology and a 21^st century perspective. Public awareness is key.

The one thing that parents agree on is that they want more economic opportunities for their children than they had.

The federal government has made a good start with standards, assessment and access policies. But they must realize that this is just a start. It is now time for a next generation policy

The newest educational technologies must be applied to the skill building and education needs. But the teachers hold the key. There must be significant rewards for teachers that transform their practice to effective use of technology supported learning. – end –

Note: eSATS task team is having a wide ranging set of meetings in July and August with Arizona’s thought and influence leaders across the communities that Chris mentioned. We are seeing a profound change in attitude and awareness of the effect of an eLearning system design of which Arizona would be an early adopter. These folks are now fully aware that the key is the teacher who can transform the classroom to fully use the digital curriculum. We now need to bring the message to Arizona citizens.

Bill Gates and Educational Transformation

Eb60616Transformation

Today’s headline news: “Bill Gates … will allow others to run the company he co-founded and guided to dominance…” This richest man in the world (Forbes) had the skills, timing and luck to amass his $50 billion fortune by transforming an industry. Know he will spend most of his time giving it away with his foundation.

A key date noted in the AP article is: “1980: IBM chooses Microsoft to create the operating system for its first PC.” That’s why I mentioned luck. My brother-in-law Bill Clark IV was one of the designers of the IBM PC in Boca Rotan, FL. The IBM selection happened when he won the argument with marketing and within his engineering team for Microsoft’s DOS vs. Digital Research’s CPM. Could have gone either way!

Over the past 25 years, Microsoft and other software on our personal computers from has transformed many aspects of our business and personal life. But now a transformation is taking place. The software on our PC is being replaced by Internet centric computing (Google, Yahoo, eBay, etc.). Purchases of packaged software are now competing with advertising on the Internet as the business model. Over the next 25 years Microsoft and PC software faces huge challenges. They could fade like once dominant steam locomotive as the next technological wave sweeps our desktop.

What gives me fits is that we all know these transformations happen, but we rarely strategic plan, redesign, and implement to reap the early benefits. K-12 education was invented 300 years ago by the Prussians and implemented universally in the U.S. 120 years ago. Me-thinks K-12 might be ready to embrace a well proven transformation to eLearning. With plummeting costs of computing and increasing effectiveness of digital curriculum and online teacher professional development we are at the tipping point. What is it going to take to Arizona tip toward eLearning?

It’s not as simple as one person winning a single decision within a small IBM design team during a one-day structured dialectic in 1980. But it’s not impossible. A small Arizona wide team (10’s) with a modest group of supporters (100’s) has been making slow headway for the past ten years. Since 2004 the tempo has picked up. We believe that the year 2006 will the “one day in 1980” which will be seen as the historic eLearning tipping point for massive Arizona K-12 education. And maybe we’ll get real lucky and become the dominate education state as Microsoft became the dominate software company!

The best is yet to come.

SB1512 Rational and Committee Dynamic

eb0304SB1512Rational.doc

SB1512 eLearning digital (curriculum) institute; data warehouse will be at its most critical hearing next week:

Committee on K-12 Education

9:00 am Wednesday, March 29^th, 2006.

Members: Mr. Allen J; Mrs. Kirkpatrick; Mr. Stump; Mrs. Barto; Mr. Lujan; Mr. Nichols, Vice-Chairman; Mr. Farnsworth; Mr. O'Halleran; Mr. Anderson, Chairman; Ms. Garcia M

Bills to be heard:

SB1040 school districts; minor boundary changes (Waring)

SB1272 education technology committee (Huppenthal) (held from last session)

SB1382 AIMS test; dropout prevention (Hellon, Bee, Downing, et al)

SB1512 e-learning centered school system(now: e-learning digital (curriculum) institute; data warehouse) (Bennett, Bee, Hale, et al)

SCR1031 public programs; citizens (Martin, Blendu, Boone, et al)

You know the drill:

http://alistrack.azleg.gov/rts/login.asp to weigh in with your vote.

http://alistrack.azleg.gov/alistrack.asp to register on ALIS if needed.

There have been a number of discussions about the three parts of SB1512. The “what” is presented in the bill. I thought I would explore the context of the bill and “why” of each element.

CONTEXT

The eSATS systems design resulted in a three year build out of the K-12 eLearning intellectual infrastructure and piloted eLearning Centered Schools followed by full 1:1 eLearning build out for every Arizona student over the next seven years. SB1512 has the three most critical elements for year one of the build out.

WHY

15-1650 Digital Curriculum Institute

The eSATS systems design team focused on the teacher-student for the center of it’s design. The most critical eLearning decisions to be made by the teacher and district for the student are:

What is the most effective digital curriculum for the course segment?

Should legacy curriculum of books-lecture-worksheets be used or is digital curriculum the better choice?

Book adoptions are for the whole student body for 5 to 7 years. Digital curriculum is rapidly evolving. Digital curriculum is making gains each year in cost, effectiveness, access, formative assessment and filling the gaps not covered within the 100+ K-12 courses of instruction. The school districts and teachers need state level practitioner services that will be provided by the university based Digital Curriculum Institute to make their decisions on digital curriculum deployment.

After digital curriculum decisions are in made, then the rest of the system can be specified and implemented: teacher education and professional development; computers-connectivity-instructional systems; technical support; and the instructional assessment with data driven decision support system.

SB1272 Education technology committee (within ADE) is complementary. SB1272 will provide eLearning data from within Arizona K-12 school, collected and analyzed by ADE. This will data will be critical for the DCI to create and deliver its services as DCI studies the world of digital curriculum outside of Arizona K-12 districts.

Also: The digital curriculum institute needs the Integrated Instruction and Data System Warehouse to deliver its services and support its research.

15-1044 Integrated Instruction and Data System Warehouse

Rally Cry: “You cannot manage what you cannot measure!”

The data driven decision support system needs to serve the classroom, school districts, Arizona Department of Education and our reporting to the federal government. Much work has taken place to build this system at both ADE and within the districts. The development was started to minimize paper reporting of standard data. The system is evolving to address increasingly sophisticated needs to support instruction, formative (student) and summative (governance) assessments, and research/decision support needs.

As a founding president of an Arizona software company in 1982 whose bank asset-liability decision support software is being used by the top London and New York banks I can tell you that the task is difficult, takes time, requires skilled experts and must be adequately funded. An IBM study on ten states showed that the five with State centric K-12 systems were investing $5 million a year at the state level. The others that had a District – State collaborative system were spending $1 to $2 million at the state level.

I had a chance to speak with the new Chief Information Officer at ADE. She said the magic system design word – extensibility. This means that what ADE is building now can be extended in capability, connectivity and scope into the future.

With the skilled consultant on board and design document approved for Phase I ADE must be supported with adequate funding starting in July 2006 and not lose another critical year. The Government Information and Telecommunications Agency (GITA) has a over-site team to review the following Phases and work with ADE to knit together the system to required standards. The major districts are working on forming a coalition to develop the data collection, oversight, interfaces, change management and roadmap that they need to become a working partner with ADE.

The appropriation will proved adequate funding to support development at the State level for the next year. During this time significant progress can be made in developing the roadmap and district part of the system. At $2 per student, it is a good start on the invested to provide much better decisions on how to spend the $96 Billion over the next ten years as Arizona grows from 1 million to 1.3 million students.

To repeat: “You cannot manage what you cannot measure!”

15-1650.01 Arizona eLearning Task Force

Advocates with influence and expert power are a critical for the start of an innovation process. But at as the innovation takes off the reins must be shared with governance having legitimate power. The eLearning Task Force will knit together the critical State level entities and provide guidance and legitimate support for the ten year long-haul required for effective eLearning rollout.

Digital Curriculum Institute => eLearning/Research/Enterprise Institute

Phase I: Digital Curriculum Institute as proposed in Senate Bill 1512 will be based in Arizona

university system. Its practical task is to assess, make recommendations from the universe of K-12 digital curriculum. This wisdom and advice will be provided by a portal based knowledge system for educators. From this data the DCI can determine gaps in K-12 digital curriculum, specify solutions and advocate with providers. A hands-on extension service to schools and teachers is expected build to 100 curriculum experts and 150 instructional technologist extension agents. With the multitude of eLearning aspects at each of our universities it is expect that the DCI will have a networked flavor to its organizational design. The funding requirement for 1:2 matching funds requires outside enterprises, companies, foundations and philanthropists to become seriously engaged with the DCI. This positions the DCI as to develop and extend its reach and contributions to K-12 education.

Phase II: There could be a number of near term enhancements to the DCI. Discussions with the Advanced Distributed Learning System out of the Office of Secretary of Defense and Institutes of Defense Analysis addressed their interest in creating an ADL Co-Lab for K-12 education to collaborate with their four other US and one European eLearning Laboratories. The Air Force Research Laboratory at Gateway Airpark in Mesa is to move to Wright Patterson Air Force Base. The seventy percent of the world class eLearning research cadre could be retained to work within the DCI structure. A recent Arizona project for the Office of Secretary of Defense address the design and business case for a global elearning research communities of practice portal and data base. The implementation of this design would put the DCI in the center of knowledge world wide eLearning research. The skilled staff at DCI would develop and operate a service to field test and provide sound data on new eLearning products and services. This collaborative operation with Arizona schools would provide the most advanced and effective eLearning products to Arizona student, and position Arizona as the go-to place for eLearning providers. Through being the knowledge source of K-12 eLearning research, products and effectiveness the DCI would support national and global advocacy for eLearning research and adoption for K-12 education.

Phase III:

Create and operate statewide field testing operation for digital curriculum

be the advocacy center for greatly increased funding for elearning research in Arizona

K-12 digital research institute transforms into l/r/e institute

like the biodesign institute with direct linkages to elearning enterprises

build major laboratories and virtual Arizona and global research partnerships

become recognized as the center of the elearning research universe.

Arizona l/r/e institute is seed for system

like NASA: global network of l/r/e’s

like NIH: Arizona l/r/e is major campus like Bethesda and Arizona schools like U.S. research hospitals

like NSF: Arizona l/r/e manages global research roadmap and funding for thousands of principle investigators

benefits for AZ elearning enterprises

innovation driver at many levels

research driven product development

comprehensive knowledge of and guidance over the global elearning R&D community.

effective field testing at doorstep

abundant elearning savvy workers

elearning enterprise cluster collaboration

Digital Curriculum Institute – Launch Concept

eb60218DigitalCurriculmInstitute.doc

The Digital Curriculum Institute is seeing favor with the Arizona legislature with 8-1 and 10-1 votes in the Senate K-12 Education and Appropriations committees. If the bill passes and the funding is unchanged, implementation will be within the Arizona university system. The funding is $1 million launch funds with additional $3 million from the state to match $6 million from other sources (business, foundations, …) There are three primary launch tasks:

1. Research: Survey all sources of existing digital curriculum. Determine which have educational effectiveness for specific courses and grade levels, and align with Arizona academic standards.

2. Provide Knowledge Access with a web portal for the data and knowledge base to support acquisition decisions of digital curriculum to school administrators, staff, teachers and parents. Data from the Arizona Department of Education’s IDEAL (Integrated Data to Enhance Arizona’s Learning) system will provide field data from digital curriculum being used in Arizona’s schools.

3. Support: Develop and field a cadre of specially trained education technologists who work as on site agents with school administrators, staff, mentors, teachers and parents.

Operating under the auspices of Arizona’s Board of Regents the Digital Curriculum Institute could and maybe should be distributed within the five current campuses. The following concept suggests the readiness of Arizona’s university system to create a flourishing Digital Curriculum Institute.

Location: Arizona Polytechnic (Mesa) would house the main DCI because of their focus on a practical education and support. Also the Air Force Research Laboratory is on their campus, one of the world’s leading distributed eLearning research operations.

Research: All Arizona universities conduct eLearning research and their research communities would be linked to the DCI. ASU’s Technology Based Learning and Research entity could be the linkage point for DCI.

Knowledge Access: Lots of talent and systems expertise from early ASPIN to current level is available to develop and maintain a high accessible and open K-12 digital curriculum knowledge management system. Linkage, collaboration and two-way knowledge flow through ADE’s IDEAL would be critical.

Support: ASU College of Education graduate program graduates instructional technology experts who could seed the extension program. Arizona School Services through Educational Technology (ASSET) under KAET at ASU has been delivering support statewide to teachers for decades. UofA Agriculture College has vast experience in organizing and operating extension services. NAU has been delivering online/video distance and remote site education statewide for decades.

There is the talent, experience and the will within our university system to build an effective digital curriculum knowledge system and deliver the goods to Arizona’s 50,000 going on 65,000 teachers and curriculum directors.

But why stop there? Lets pick up the concept in my next blog.

Cheers!

Ted

Theodore C. Kraver Ph.D.

President

eLearning System for Arizona Teachers and Students Inc.

Not-For-Profit 501 c(3) volunteer advocacy organization

225 West Orchid Lane

Phoenix, AZ 85021

602-944-8557(d) tkraver@qwest.net azeLearning.org

How to Support eLearning Legislation

Support eLearning Legislation Now

Subtitle: Your written vote from your desktop on SB1512 can really make the difference.

Each of us wants to influence legislation vital to our interests. Unfortunately few of us can travel to the capital for a hearing, wait around for a two or more hours and then state our case to the legislative committee. Lead advocates usually provide effective verbal testimony. But your written message and vote can be critically important.

Here is how the “Request to Speak” system works from your desktop in the age of the Internet.

First you have to make a real (not virtual) trip to the Arizona State Capital – 17^th Avenue and West Washington. The parking lots east of the capital (also west) are fairly open at the beginning or end of weekdays and on Friday when the legislature is not in session. Register yourself at a Kiosk in the lobby of either the Senate or the House. Take about 3 minutes and you are on your way again.

1. Then with your sign in name and password you can "Request to Speak" in an efficient manner (3 minutes at your desktop). You just key in a short, crisp message with yes, no or neutral recommendation on passing the bill:

Request to Speak Login:

http://alistrack.azleg.gov/rts/login.asp

2. If you don’t know when bill is to be heard, key in your bill number in the top bar, right side of screen and find this information under Show Senate/House Agendas.

Arizona Legislative Information System Homepage:

http://www.azleg.state.az.us/default.asp

3. Put in name and password and select House or Senate, Click, input the bill number;

4 Then fill in your organization (self is just fine), select “For” as your stance on the bill, put in your comments; and select No when it asks if you want to speak.

Why do all this? The reason is that the committee chairman usually reads each comment just PRIOR TO VOTING on the bill and tallies the For, Neutral and Against stances. You can have direct influence on an undecided legislator just before they cast their vote. Usually there are only a few comments read. A large volume with For stances makes a real impression.

One trip to the capital and you are set to influence legislation for life. Our SB1512 for the eLearning Centered School System will be heard in the K-12 Education committee this coming Wednesday afternoon, February 15^th. We need your written support.

Cheers

Ted Kraver --- eLearning System for Arizona Teachers and Student

602-944-8557 tkraver@qwest.net eb60211NewDemocracyRequestToSpeak.doc

How to Support eLearning Legislation

Support eLearning Legislation Now

Subtitle: Your written vote from your desktop on SB1512 can really make the difference.

Each of us wants to influence legislation vital to our interests. Unfortunately few of us can travel to the capital for a hearing, wait around for a two or more hours and then state our case to the legislative committee. Lead advocates usually provide effective verbal testimony. But your written message and vote can be critically important.

Here is how the “Request to Speak” system works from your desktop in the age of the Internet.

First you have to make a real (not virtual) trip to the Arizona State Capital – 17^th Avenue and West Washington. The parking lots east of the capital (also west) are fairly open at the beginning or end of weekdays and on Friday when the legislature is not in session. Register yourself at a Kiosk in the lobby of either the Senate or the House. Take about 3 minutes and you are on your way again.

1. Then with your sign in name and password you can "Request to Speak" in an efficient manner (3 minutes at your desktop). You just key in a short, crisp message with yes, no or neutral recommendation on passing the bill:

Request to Speak Login:

http://alistrack.azleg.gov/rts/login.asp

2. If you don’t know when bill is to be heard, key in your bill number in the top bar, right side of screen and find this information under Show Senate/House Agendas.

Arizona Legislative Information System Homepage:

http://www.azleg.state.az.us/default.asp

3. Put in name and password and select House or Senate, Click, input the bill number;

4 Then fill in your organization (self is just fine), select “For” as your stance on the bill, put in your comments; and select No when it asks if you want to speak.

Why do all this? The reason is that the committee chairman usually reads each comment just PRIOR TO VOTING on the bill and tallies the For, Neutral and Against stances. You can have direct influence on an undecided legislator just before they cast their vote. Usually there are only a few comments read. A large volume with For stances makes a real impression.

One trip to the capital and you are set to influence legislation for life. Our SB1512 for the eLearning Centered School System will be heard in the K-12 Education committee this coming Wednesday afternoon, February 15^th. We need your written support.

Cheers

Ted Kraver --- eLearning System for Arizona Teachers and Student

602-944-8557 tkraver@qwest.net eb60211NewDemocracyRequestToSpeak.doc