Vision 2015-Where are we three years later?

Vision 2015

Reports on Progress

The momentum toward world-class schools has never been greater in Delaware. October 2009 marks the third anniversary of the release of Vision 2015 and, as promised, we are reporting publicly on our progress. In collaboration with numerous partners in education, government,

and business and civic sectors, a lot has been accomplished, including:

· The launch and growth of the Vision Network to 25 schools serving nearly 20,000 students statewide

· Recommendations on how to spend every education dollar more efficiently and equitably

· A new student assessment system that will track student progress over time

· Improved early childhood education services for 7,550 children

· Expanded teacher certification process, which enables Teach For America and Teacher Residencies in Delaware

· The creation of Education Voters of Delaware to give citizens a greater voice in public education policies

To learn more, read our new three-year report at www.vision2015delaware.org and an update in the September 2009 PTA newsletter.

While the prospect for Delaware’s leadership as the “First State in Education” has never been greater, we still have a great deal of work ahead. We are committed to accelerating the pace by:

· Increasing the efficiency and equitability of our education funding system so our schools have the resources required to meet the needs of every Delaware student

· Providing intensive support to Delaware’s chronically low-performing schools

· Implementing rigorous academic standards in every Delaware school

· Recruiting, supporting, and keeping more highly-effective teachers and school leaders

· Closing the preparation gap by further improving early childhood education

· Expanding the Vision Network so world-class leadership and instruction are available in all Delaware schools

Congratulations!

Marbrook Elementary School in the Red Clay School District was recently awarded a Blue Ribbon Award of Excellence by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. The Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private schools that are academically superior or have shown dramatic improvement in student achievement especially among disadvantaged students. Marbrook Elementary was the only Delaware school to receive this recognition this year. Congratulations to all Marbrook students, faculty and staff for this outstanding achievement!

Read more from The News Journal.

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.

October 1, 2009

Hurry – Limited Seating Available!

Response has been overwhelming to the upcoming conference, Vision 2015 and Delaware’s Race to the Top, a leadership forum on October 27 at the University of Delaware. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will provide the keynote address at the conference, which also will feature Governor Jack Markell, Secretary of Education Lillian Lowery, and Vision 2015 Chair Skip Schoenhals. Panels of national and local experts will discuss how Delaware can recruit and retain more highly effective teachers and how we can meet the critical needs of chronically low-performing schools.

Due to the popularity of this event, the conference and formal luncheon are sold-out. However, limited seating and a box lunch are available so attendees can watch complete live-satellite coverage of the conference at Clayton Hall on the Newark campus.

For more details and to register, visit www.udel.edu/partnerships.

Other States Compete Seriously for “Race to the Top” Funds

With $4.35 billion in federal Race to The Top funds at stake, many states are working hard to distinguish themselves. For example, Colorado is widely seen to be a front-runner. Even before the announcement of Race to the Top, the state was home to one of the most innovative teacher compensation plans. Additionally, Colorado's General Assembly passed legislation this year to give the state more authority to provide direct support to low-performing schools and passed legislation last year to create a college and workforce readiness assessment. In response to the original RTTT announcement, Colorado also has removed its charter cap and released a plan to make its application even more competitive.

For more information on what other states

are doing, click here.

VISION-aries

"The Vision Network training taught me how to step back and really look at how I spend each day in our school. I learned ways to distribute management activities to assistant principals while also involving them more in instruction. Now, I spend approximately 60% of my time on instructional activities, up from about 30% last year."

-- Mark Steele, principal of Indian River High School, commenting on his experience as a participant in the Vision Network. An update on the progress of the Vision Network can be found online at http://www.vision2015delaware.org/.

Did You Know?

Education Voters of Delaware, Delaware PTA, and the Rodel Foundation can now be found on Facebook! Become a Fan of each organization and stay connected with all the latest events and news happening throughout the state.