WASHINGTON, DC—Future Ready Schools (FRS) is calling all Texas-area school district leaders to attend a free two-day summit in Austin, Texas, on how to improve teaching and student learning outcomes through the effective use of technology. School leadership teams will gather on July 18–19, 2016, to work on creating personalized learning environments in their schools that are tailored to students’ unique strengths and needs. The summit is organized by the nonprofit organization Alliance for Excellent Education and the U.S. Department of Education.
At the summit, district teams will set a shared, student-centered vision for teaching and learning; create action plans for digital learning transformation; and learn how to create a culture of innovation in their schools. The teams will engage with national experts and regional colleagues to solve specific issues facing their districts. Superintendents will share stories of how they used digital tools and technology to transform their schools to a personalized learning approach.
“There’s a movement happening across the country to personalize learning for each student’s needs,” said Alliance President Bob Wise. “Major efforts to improve student outcomes are being led by local superintendents and are happening at the school and district levels, both in Texas and around the country. School district leaders can look to Future Ready Schools for guidance and support in creating personalized learning environments in their schools, in part by leveraging the effective use of technology.”
Under a personalized learning approach, teachers understand each student’s background, strengths, interests, and needs, and they provide individual students with targeted instruction and support in areas where they are struggling. Students have more learning opportunities inside and outside of the classroom, connecting work to their communities through real-world experiences.
This approach helps all students develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities that will prepare them for college, a career, and life. Personalized learning is at the center of FRS, which provides district leaders with a systematic approach to change that infuses high-quality teaching with the dynamic use of technology, resulting in more student engagement and better learning outcomes.
The Austin summit is one of several nationwide, and follows a successful summit in Madison, Wisconsin, in mid-June that drew more than fifty school district teams. The national summits are open to leadership teams from school districts where the superintendent has signed the Future Ready District Pledge—a commitment to implementing meaningful changes toward a digital learning transition that supports teachers and addresses the district’s vision for student learning.
Interested district leaders can take the pledge today, joining the more than 2,200 district superintendents across the country who have already signed.
FRS is also offering free, one-day workshops across the country that provide hands-on training to participants about the FRS interactive dashboard’s five-step planning process.
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The Alliance for Excellent Education is a Washington, DC–based national policy and advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring all students, particularly those traditionally underserved, graduate from high school ready for success in college, work, and citizenship. www.all4ed.org
Future Ready Schools (FRS) is a bold effort to maximize digital learning opportunities and help school districts move quickly toward preparing students for success in college, a career, and citizenship. FRS provides districts with resources and support to ensure that local technology and digital learning plans align with instructional best practices, are implemented by highly trained teachers, and lead to personalized learning experiences for all students, particularly those from traditionally underserved communities. FRS is led by the Alliance for Excellent Education alongside a vast coalition of organizations including the U.S. Department of Education. www.futureready.org.
