Following The Leaders Expands into MA; Lynn Public Schools to Lead in Federally Funded Program Offering New Technologies, Services for NCLB Implementation 10/7/2003
From: Kimberly Tulp of the Education Leaders Council, 202-261-2605, kbt@educationleaders.org or Leslie Tullio of FitzGerald Communications, 202-912-4415, ltullio@fitzgerald.com WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 -- A nationwide education initiative committed to providing schools and districts with technology resources and hands-on support, FTL today announced that Massachusetts is the newest state to join the program, working to improve academic achievement under the No Child Left Behind Act. Based on their leadership and commitment, 15 Lynn schools have been selected to represent the state in the federally funded program with plans to expand into additional schools throughout the state in the future. "Massachusetts has shown tremendous leadership in the drive to improve academic achievement for all students," said Faye Taylor, FTL Project Director and former Tennessee Commissioner of Education. "Through Following the Leaders, Massachusetts and Lynn Public Schools will tap into new technology resources for teachers that help ensure that no child is left behind. The district will be a strong example for others across the state and the nation to follow." Developed by Washington, DC-based Education Leaders Council and its partners, Following the Leaders is currently operating in: Alaska, Arizona, Illinois, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and West Virginia. During the 2003-04 school year, the second year of the program, it will expand in existing states, as well as add new states, to benefit approximately 100,000 students in 500 schools from 10 states. "Following the Leaders puts all the elements of the federal No Child Left Behind legislation into action in schools," said Michael Perik, CEO of Newton, MA-based Achievement Technologies, Inc., a founding partner in the program, providing participating schools with access to SkillsTutor, the online academic remediation program. "Linking student performance to state standards, classroom curriculum and teacher training, as well as increasing communications between all the stakeholders in a child's education are core to this program." The Lynn schools involved with the program will receive Following the Leaders flags. The first flag will be raised during a ceremony at Lincoln Thomson School at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 7. The additional schools participating in the program are: Brickett, Callahan, Drewicz, Fallon, Lynn Woods, Sewall-Anderson, Shoemaker, Sisson and Tracy elementary schools, Ford and Cobbet K-8 schools, and Breed, Marshall and Pickering middle schools. FTL Resources Include: -- Achievement Technologies: FTL works with Achievement Technologies to provide schools with its SkillsTutor technology. SkillsTutor is a proven, research-based instructional program designed to improve student achievement with remediation and enrichment lessons and tutorials, accessible from school and home. Achievement Technologies also offers all schools in participating states access to the Achieve Resource Center, an online library of more than thousands of curriculum resources linked to state standards. -- The Princeton Review: As part of the partnership with FTL, The Princeton Review, a leading provider of test preparation and admissions services, offers Homeroom, a Web-based subscription service designed to help teachers build classroom assessments, identify individualized needs and report student progress. Homeroom enables schools to align textbook resources to state standards and annual tests, adding new efficiencies in classroom planning. -- The Milken Family Foundation: FTL also partners with The Milken Family Foundation to focus on teacher quality and introduce the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP) in select schools. TAP works to draw more talented people to the teaching profession - and keep them there - by making it more attractive and rewarding to be a teacher. -- AccountabilityWorks: As part of its ongoing work with FTL, AccountabilityWorks provides a cost analysis of No Child Left Behind for states, as well as technical assistance to optimize state and local resources. These solutions help FTL fulfill its mission of providing the technology and tools necessary for rapid implementation of No Child Left Behind. By offering proven resources and support to schools, districts and states, Following the Leaders helps to address the goals of the new legislation -- to improve student achievement, increase accountability and enhance communications. Through FTL, schools will continue to demonstrate to the nation that the changes required under the law can and must be put into active practice to ensure that all children learn. About FTL FTL is a nationwide education initiative with expansion planned to more than 200,000 students in 10 states. Providing technology tools, educational resources and hands-on support, FTL allows teachers to better address individual student needs and effectively communicate with everyone involved in a child's education. FTL is a project of Education Leaders Council in partnership with Achievement Technologies, The Princeton Review, AccountabilityWorks, the Milken Family Foundation and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. For more information, visit http://followingtheleaders.org. About ELC ELC is a member-based organization comprised of advocates for accountability in education. This has been the cornerstone of the organization since its founding in 1995 and it remains critical to our students today. A nonprofit "action tank" based in Washington, DC, ELC believes that when teachers, administrators, parents and politicians are dedicated to success and contribute to education, all students can learn. This is why we are committed to advancing education and related policy at the grassroots and national levels to make education work better for students. For more information, visit us at http://www.educationleaders.org. ------ To learn more about Following the Leaders, please call 202-261-2600 or visit our Web site at http://www.followingtheleaders.org. Following the Leaders is a project of Education Leaders Council and its partners. | |