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Education News
North Carolina Education News
October 2008
Copyright © 2008 Queue, Inc.
IN
THIS ISSUE:
One-to-One Laptop Learning Succeeds at
RaleighÕs Centennial Campus Magnet Middle School
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Online Curriculum,
Professional Development, Evaluation Key to Achievement
Eighth-grade
students at Centennial Campus Magnet Middle School (http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fccms.wcpss.net%2F&esheet=5791292&lan=en_US&anchor=Centennial+Campus+Magnet+Middle+School&index=1) in Raleigh dramatically
improved performance in just one year in a one-to-one learning environment. A
partnership between the school and SAS (http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sas.com%2F&esheet=5791292&lan=en_US&anchor=SAS&index=1), the Friday Institute (http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fi.ncsu.edu%2F&esheet=5791292&lan=en_US&anchor=Friday+Institute&index=1) at North Carolina State
University and Wake County Schools created and implemented the program.
In
one-to-one learning, every student and teacher has access to a laptop. But
technology is only the beginning. ÒLet the curriculum drive the technology,Ó
advises Sharon Irby, project manager for CentennialÕs One-to-One Laptop
Initiative.
Irby
also emphasizes the importance of collaborative curriculum development,
organizational structure, strategic planning, teacher leadership, technical
support, evaluation and sustainability in one-to-one learning. In a Webcast (http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sas.com%2Fevents%2Fcm%2F501382%2Findex.html&esheet=5791292&lan=en_US&anchor=Webcast&index=1), Irby and Centennial Lead
Teacher George Ward discuss lessons learned, best practices and the value of
integrating technology into the classroom.
ÒStudents
today grow up with e-mail, IM, text messaging and video games. They
think with technology and they learn with technology. WeÕve witnessed in just
one year what a large impact it can make,Ó said Irby.
For
instance, the approximately 200 eighth-grade students with access to the
laptops have seen improvements not just in their computer abilities but in
classroom performance.
ÒI
see technical proficiency improving daily,Ó said Irby. ÒOur
eighth-gradersÕ scores on the North Carolina Computer Competency Test have
risen dramatically since last year.Ó
The
one-to-one initiative at Centennial is a collaborative effort between public
and private organizations. The Friday Institute assists with staff development,
observation and evaluation. Wake County Schools also contributes to evaluation
and provides infrastructure and technical support.
Ward
has witnessed the value of combining technology and curriculum. ÒMy class went
from being teacher-centered to student-centered. Students learning at their own
paces feel empowered.Ó
The
one-to-one environment has generated positive student results. ÒThe
eighth-grade math students were the only ones in our school to achieve high growth
as measured by the North Carolina ABCs accountability measures,Ó said Ward.
Ward says SAS Curriculum Pathways enhances
the curriculum heÕs already teaching. ÒWith SAS Curriculum Pathways, teachers
spend more time diagnosing studentsÕ strengths and weaknesses and less time
grading papers.Ó
This study describes how six state education agencies and
three local education agencies in the Southeast Region are adopting and
implementing Response to Intervention, an education approach designed to
provide effective, evidence-based interventions for struggling learners.
Response
to Intervention has garnered recent interest from policymakers, researchers,
and educators. Studies of its effectiveness have found it promising (Compton et
al. 2006; McMaster et al. 2005; Speece and Case 2001; Torgesen et al. 1999).
And state education agencies are increasingly interested in the approach. Yet
few published studies describe the experiences of states as they plan and
implement Response to Intervention.
This
report helps address that need. It supplies basic information about state
planning and implementation of the approach in Alabama, Florida, Georgia,
Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Although the report focuses
chiefly on states, it also illustrates implementation of Response to
Intervention with examples from three local education agencies.
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/southeast/pdf/REL_2008063.pdf