One year later

ARRA one year later --- It was a year ago this past week that Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act with a stunning $100 B for education. While much of the funding has yet to reach its intended beneficiaries, we think the impact at the state and federal level has been profound. To be sure, the anticipated cliff effect of when the funds stop flowing has enlivened debate, but we still think this is a once in a lifetime development of major proportions. Tell the Knowledge-able Sourcerer what you think.

Assessing interim assessments

The Center for Policy Research in Education released this revealing study suggesting that use does not follow the rhetoric when it comes to interim assessments as a tool for informing instructional change. What do you readers who are assessment experts think about this? Tell the Knowledge-able Sourcerer.

R&D for 3-D Learning

R&D for 3-D Learning --- The other day when we read this clever Maureen Dowd piece about the rise of 3-D movies we instantly thought about two things: is there some kind of equivalent innovation in education to immerse students in learning?; and are there any education innovators out there who are probing far-out and far-beyond ideas to really transform instruction? hey, how about developing an R&D pipeline to develop 3-D learning? Chat about it with the Knowledge-able Sourcerer.

Tiger and Toyota

We had a fascinating chat with Tim Waters the visionary leader of McREL the other day about sudden fall of Toyota this past week. It reminded Tim of the similarly stunning decline of Tiger Woods. It also conjured other collapses of leaders and innovators like Enron, Lehman Bros, Bernie Maldof, Gilbert Arenas, and, yes, the Roman Empire. In this era of innovation in education and the emergence of new kinds of leaders/entrepreneurs, are there lessons to be learned from the erstwhile stalwarts in other industries? hmmmm. Seems like there is ample for fodder here for a good discussion here.

Yes sir!! The Prez's FY 2011 Budget Request

Knowledge Alliance Applauds the President’s FY 11 Budget Proposal
Supports Vital Education Programs for Innovation, R&D, and School Improvement

Knowledge Alliance supports the general direction of the research-based education reform strategies contained in the President’s FY 2011 budget request to Congress today. We believe that the request effectively builds upon the innovation and improvement initiatives in the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act and paves the way for sustaining and scaling research-based innovations for school improvement in the years ahead.
We encourage Congress to support the President’s request for increased investments in such key initiatives as: the Race to the Top fund, the School Turnaround fund; Investing in Innovation program; the comprehensive literacy program and other research-based programs that help states and districts respond to the rapidly increasing needs of low performing schools. Indeed the need has never been greater or more urgent to deliver researched-based innovations to schools with the greatest needs to improve.

To support and supplement these innovative efforts, we also urge Congress to expand the scope of the federally supported knowledge infrastructure which includes such critical programs as the Regional Education Labs, Comprehensive Assistance Centers and the National Research and Development Centers, and the Research, Development and Dissemination fund. These programs provide the basic framework for generating new knowledge about what works, translating research to innovation and building the long term capacity of states and districts for significant change.

We are optimistic that the combined federal investments in innovation, school improvement, and research and development programs can make a major and lasting difference in improving our school systems.

Now is the time to unleash America’s ingenuity to solve our most pressing education problems, deliver break-the-mold, research-based solutions to our schools, and guide a new knowledge and innovation revolution in teaching and learning.

Knowledge Alliance looks forward to working with the Administration and the Congress to move this important agenda forward in efficient and effective ways in the months ahead.

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