Education: Our Civil Right

On Saturday, March 28, over 100 parents, students, teachers, administrators and elected leaders gathered at Howard High School of Technology in Wilmington for "Education: Our Civil Right," a forum sponsored by the Delaware Black Caucus, the Rodel Foundation of Delaware, Verizon and DuPont.

The goal of the event was to open a dialogue on how to provide a world-class education to the urban community. Keynote speaker Victor Young, president of The Center for Collaboration and the Future of Schooling, stressed collaboration and the importance of "caring, culture and community" in building world-class schools.

Two Vision Network leaders, Evelyn Edney of Howard High School and Sondra Shippen of Kuumba Academy, participated in a panel that explored effective educational strategies, and specifically their experiences within the Network. Dr. Shippen credited the Network for helping break down barriers between charter schools and traditional public schools, and for focusing schools on areas that need improvement.

Read more.

Networkers Share Their Vision

In recent months, Vision Network participants have been visiting other Network schools in Delaware to share experiences, feedback, and best practices. Learning from others is one of the benefits for schools as they implement an instructional focus and best practices to support that focus.

Network schools also are eligible to apply for grants to help implement Vision 2015 initiatives. Last year, ten schools received grants that have enabled them to:

• Pilot online student assessments that provide immediate results and direction to students and teachers;
• Hold family workshops and provide at-home practice exercises in math;
• Conduct “neighborhood meetings” with families to communicate the instructional focus, school goals, and associated reading strategies;
• Develop reading and math labs; and
• Support a "Twilight Program" for students who are deficient in credits for graduation.

Mark Your Calendar!

Wilmington Charter Schools Open House

On Saturday, April 4, the Delaware Charter Schools Network is sponsoring a Wilmington Charter Schools Open House. Meet at Maurice J. Moyer Academy (610 E. 17th Street, Wilmington) and buses will take parents to visit five Wilmington-area charter schools.

Reserve your seat by April 2 by calling 302-778-5999. Children are welcome!

Girls Take Charge

On Saturday, April 18, Girls Take Charge will host a leadership training event at the University of Delaware. Girls Take Charge inspires and empowers high school and middle school age girls to become self-confident, courageous and compassionate leaders in their schools and communities. The training cost is $40.

Get the registration form here. For more information, please contact Amber Grant or the GTC program director Beth Mooney.


For information on other events open to the public, and to submit an event, please visit the Vision 2015 community events page.

Contact

To get the latest information on how to become involved with Vision 2015, please visit our web site, http://www.vision2015delaware.org, or e-mail us at info@vision2015delaware.org.

Verizon Foundation Awards $15,000 to Vision 2015

The Verizon Foundation has awarded Vision 2015 $15,000 to further accelerate the progress of Vision 2015, including the Vision Network of districts and schools. Since 2007, Verizon and the Verizon Foundation have provided $55,000 to this effort through contributions to the Delaware Business Roundtable Education Committee’s Vision 2015 Fund. (See a list of all donors here.)

Through its education and literacy initiatives, the Verizon Foundation strives to improve literacy and strengthen educational achievement for children and adults — preparing them for personal growth and success in the 21st Century.

"Vision 2015 represents cutting-edge thinking in the realm of education, and Verizon is proud to support such innovative initiatives. Together we can help Delaware's schools reach the goals set forth in Vision 2015 and ensure that all students are prepared to meet the challenges of today and the future," said William R. Allan, President of Verizon Delaware.

The Rodel Foundation has added an "Action Center" to its website to provide citizens with the tools to learn, communicate, and work together to help Delaware schools reach their full potential. The Action Center includes a blog, discussion forum, poll, and events calendar.

Also included in the Action Center is a "News" section, providing constantly updated information on education issues, both within Delaware and around the country.

Join the discussion, and add your voice. Just go to: www.rodelfoundationde.org and click on "Action Center."

The American Institutes for Research (AIR) is conducting an ongoing evaluation of the Vision Network and its efforts to improve student achievement in Network schools. The first-year evaluation, delivered in August 2008, indicated clear progress in improving school leadership, classroom instruction, and school culture among the initial group of schools and districts. There is now a sharper focus on instruction; principals are spending more time in classroom activities; teachers are more involved in collaborative decision-making; and family and community engagement increased.

The recent 2009 mid-year evaluation indicates that Network schools are making even more impressive improvements and are on track to improve student achievement. Specifically, a Network-sponsored trip to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, demonstrated how Network activities can improve student achievement, prompting Vision Network leaders to examine their own practices. The end-of-year report, due this summer, will evaluate progress on student achievement, discipline, attendance, and student-reported Conditions for Learning.

According to one participant, "There is nothing else out there in our state that offers the opportunities the Network offers."

"Delaware’s Vision Network is groundbreaking—no other program in the United States is as ambitious in its efforts to align state, district, school, and classroom education in a coherent commitment to reform."

~ American Institutes for Research evaluators