Round one finalists are invited to Washington D.C. on March 15th to defend their applications and convince Secretary Duncan and his review panel that they are worthy of the federal funding requested. Secretary Duncan stated in his conference call today that he is looking for states that show “courage, collaboration and commitment” in their face-to-face interviews with the review panel. Duncan also made it clear that RttT promises to “only reward excellence”.

President Obama stated when he introduced RttT in July of ’09 that the competition is designed to fund true educational reform as opposed to funding the status quo. Serious contenders must demonstrate a commitment to reform in the areas of using data to increase achievement, improving teacher and administrator evaluation and improving failing schools.

It’s obvious that the Obama administration and Secretary Duncan are serious about reform. The 16 finalists will be required to demonstrate a history of reform efforts and success with those policies. I imagine they will also be looking for states whose local legislatures have been busy backing up their RttT applications by passing educational reform legislation like charter school reform. I am sure that those states whose legislative bodies are ‘walking the walk’ when it comes to their applications will gain specific favor and consideration from the administration.

Don’t be surprised if there are very few states named as round one winners in April. I expect the Obama administration to send a clear message by selecting as few as 4 or 5 winners. The message to the losing states will be: “if you are not serious about the type of reform that RttT is initiating, do not expect to be awarded funding”. Let’s not forget that this is, in fact, a competition. If this is the case, and only a small handful of states are awarded funding in round one, this will leave a large sum of money for round two. Secretary Duncan stated in his conference call today that he only expects to award $2 billion dollars in round one, and possibly even less than that.

When the round one winners are announced in April the round one losers will be provided with feedback from the administration and can then revamp their applications and resubmit as part of round two in June. That is where things will really get interesting. States will be better prepared to apply for funds and the competition will be even stiffer. One thing is for sure, RttT is creating a lot of excitement in the world of education.

Jacob Gibson
Interactive Achievement

IA will be exhibiting at VAESP’s Annual Assistant Principals/Lead Teachers Conference March 22nd in Williamsburg, VA! This year’s conference will feature Gerard Robinson, Virginia Secretary of Education; Dr. Bill Bosher; Dr. Dan Mulligan; breakout sessions; educational exhibition; and more.

IA will be presenting our online Virginia SOL benchmark testing software. The software provides school divisions with a large bank of specifically aligned SOL test items to build and deliver both common and formative assessments. Online tests are then delivered with IA’s ground-breaking student test taking software, iTest. Real time results are available to allow teachers and administrators to make informed decisions about instructional processes.

IA will also be exhibiting its new weTest software! weTest allows teachers to test students using IA in conjunction with eInstruction’s Classroom Performance System (CPS), lovingly referred to by IA as eInstruction “clickers”. Teachers create an active classroom using weTest while reducing the demand on computer labs and reducing paper costs! Be sure to swing by and take an assessment using weTest; we are opening up an interactive challenge to all those interested! Choose your subject and grade level, create your own quiz/assessment in person which covers the SOLs you feel confident in knowing, and then challenge your colleague, Jacob Gibson, President of IA and/or Megan Flora, District Manager for IA who will be at the exhibit table. Sweets and prizes will be available for those with the highest scores (and those who smile in defeat!).

IA will also have additional information available for visitors to take with them about weTest, our Professional Development opportunities, and implementing IA in CTE and non-core subject courses. We look forward to chatting with all those who attend and embracing the wonderful opportunity VAESP has provided for administrators and educators in Virginia!

Meet Richard!

Full Name: Richard Maxam
Birth Date: November 27, 1969 (born on Thanksgiving Day)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Current City: Roanoke, Va
Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Information Systems Security
Marital Status: “married for 15 years as of January”
Pet(s): 1 cat
Position at IA: Director of Information Technology
Books: The Dresden Files and Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher and Dragonlance series by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis
“I am currently reading The Fires of Heaven which is the 5th book in the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan.”
Movies: Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Monty Python and the Holy Grail
“I also love comic book and superhero movies.”
College Team(s): University of Arizona – Wildcats
Favorite Quote: “The cake is a lie.”
Favorite Color: green
Favorite Teacher/Professor: “Chris Reid from ITT Tech in Arizona; a great teacher and friend that helped me prepare for the job I am doing today.”

Richard hard at work on his compters.

Job(s) before IA: “I worked in the Water department for the City of Tucson, before that, I worked for Oro Valley Hospital in Arizona.”

Briefly describe what you do at your position with IA: “I am in charge of the Information Technology Department. I help keep everything up and running.”

On a scale of 1 – 10, how messy is your desk? 6

What is your favorite part about working at IA?“My favorite part of working for IA is working with lifetime friends where I actually have a chance to make a difference.”

What is your favorite snack at the office? Red Vines

We are all so glad that Richard knows what all of those wires are for and do!

Where is your favorite place to go out for lunch? Five Guys

Thoughts on Education? “Education is a wonderful thing and everyone should have a chance to get one. I also believe that education is always ongoing. Every day is a day to learn something new.”

What do you do outside of IA? “I am a Gamer, video games, board games, card games , etc…_Some of the games I like to play are Guild Wars, Munchkin, and Pinochle.”

Richard supplies the entire office with a variety of gum (which is always available on his desk)!

Of what should everyone own at least one? “a strong password”

What is most important to you? “friends and family”

Our enthusiastic Director of IT!

Thank you Richard for all you do for IA and our districts!

technology-based tool… that provides teachers, principals, and administrators with meaningful support and actionable data to systemically manage continuous instructional improvement, including such activities as: instructional planning; gathering information (e.g., through formative assessments, interim assessments, summative assessments, and looking at student work and other student data); analyzing information with the support of rapid-time reporting; using this information to inform decisions on appropriate next instructional steps; and evaluating the effectiveness of the actions taken. Such systems promote collaborative problem-solving and action planning…

IA offers such a technology-based IIS.  IA’s IIS allows schools and divisions to create and administer secure common assessments to all students.  In addition, IA also provides the ability for teachers to assess their students through formative assessments in order to collect meaningful and useful data to aid them in their instruction.  With a database of over 20,000 questions, IA meets the needs of creating and delivering formative, summative, and interim assessments.  All IA assessments can be administered either online or offline (paper and pencil).

After administering an assessment, teachers and administrators receive “rapid-time” or real time results and reports to which the IIS definition refers.  IA provides reports that drill down by school, teacher, student, standard, question, and answer choice. Our reports provide schools with insight about their instructional strategies and practices that are effective and those that are not.  These reports address the fundamental concepts of RttT and provide a better understanding of what our students are learning, what teaching strategies are most effective, while pinpointing division, school, and classroom areas for improvement.

The success of our nation’s schools depend on the effective collection and use of data to drive instruction.   IA’s IIS assists schools and divisions to achieve such success.

IA understands that implementing an IIS will be new for many divisions and also understands that many divisions will look to improve their existing processes.  IA is committed to making such transitions as smooth as possible.  IA provides thorough training, live remote assistance, email and phone support, tutorial videos, a district manager that is responsible specifically for the division, and additional professional development opportunities.  Professional Development sessions cover interpreting IA reports, addressing specific needs with specific strategies, writing quality assessment questions and more.  IA recognizes that providing teachers and schools professional development is critical to the success of Instructional Improvement Systems.

Learn more about how IA can provide your school or division with an IIS that will change the way you collect and use data to increase student achievement by visiting www.interactiveachievement.com.

The article pictures Jon tutoring at Westside Elementary, one of Roanoke City’s elementary schools. Westside Elementary is IA’s adopted school for this school year. IA employees visit classrooms at Westside weekly to help tutor children and assist in the classroom as needed. More on that project to come in a later blog! For now, check out the article!

http://www.vbfront.com/VBFront_Feb10/index.html

(From the drop down list, select the Tech/Industry Front section; we’re on pages 30-31!)

As many of you are aware, President Obama’s Race to the Top Fund is rapidly coming to fruition. Over the past week, 40 states (including Virginia and North Carolina) and Washington, D.C. submitted applications to compete in Phase I of Race to the Top (RttT). Obama’s RttT grant totals over 4 billion dollars, and he has requested another 1.35 billion for his FY 2011 budget. Obama stated in his State of the Union address on Wednesday, January 27th that

“…we need to invest in the skills and education of our people. This year, we have broken through the stalemate between left and right by launching a national competition to improve our schools. The idea here is simple: instead of rewarding failure, we only reward success. Instead of funding the status quo, we only invest in reform – reform that raises student achievement, inspires students to excel in math and science, and turns around failing schools that steal the future of too many young Americans, from rural communities to inner-cities. In the 21st century, one of the best anti-poverty programs is a world-class education. In this country, the success of our children cannot depend more on where they live than their potential…”

Through Race to the Top, the government is asking States to advance reforms around four specific areas:

• Adopting standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace and to compete in the global economy;
• Building data systems that measure student growth and success, and inform teachers and principals about how they can improve instruction;
• Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most; and
• Turning around our lowest-achieving schools.

Awards in Race to the Top will go to States that are leading the way with ambitious yet achievable plans for implementing coherent, compelling, and comprehensive education reform. Race to the Top winners will help trail-blaze effective reforms and provide examples for States and local school districts throughout the country to follow as they too are hard at work on reforms that can transform our schools for decades to come.

CTE and Non-Core Classes

Now your school or district may use IA assessment software in more of your classrooms! Adding a CTE or non-core class to IA will allow teachers to:

*build a database of questions addressing specific subject and competency
*use items from your database to create quizzes and exams
*use Quick Key Testing which allows teachers to administer existing exams
*view instant interactive results reported by student, subject, competency, class, teacher, and school
*easily identify areas for remediation as student work towards certifications

Pricing based on class enrollment

weTest

Use your eInstruction clickers with IA! We are pleased to present weTest which allows teachers to deliver IA content and collect useful data using eInstruction clickers! weTest benefits include:

*opening up computer labs
*allowing for small group and classroom testing or review
*providing teachers with an alternative to online testing
*assisting with student accommodations
*reducing paper costs

weTest Licensing is available for individual classrooms or buildings

Professional Development

Interactive Achievement believes that teachers are central to student success; that is why our staff development sessions are designed specifically with teachers in mind. The below sessions are interactive, hands-on activities that are presented in a practical and teacher-friendly manner. Material is tailored to meet the specific needs of your school or division. Participants receive an approach that is designed to enhance a school’s or teacher’s current efforts with tangible products and skills that can be implemented immediately in the classroom.

“Enhancing the Effectiveness of Interactive Achievement”
This staff development focuses on gaining an extensive understanding of IA reports and using this knowledge to learn how to use data to drive instruction. Teachers will identify what SOL material was not mastered, pinpoint specific remediation needs, and evaluate their own instructional stategies.

“Addressing Specific Needs with Specific Strategies”
During this session, teachers will be provided with instructional stategies that address specific English or math weaknesses as identified by your school division. This “prescriptive” approach assures that teachers are receiving assistance in an area needing improvement. Presentations are hands-on and participants will leave with ready-made strategies to use in their classrooms.

“Writing Quality Questions for Quality Results”
This session is designed to clearly explain how SOL questions are formatted. teachers will learn to write their own quality questions that directly reflect the format and style students see on end of course tests. Sessions may be adapted to meet specific school needs including specific core subjects, grade levels, etc. Through guided practice, teachers will learn to create questions that can be used immediately.

Pricing is available for half or full day sessions

Sam and one of his famous GoTo Assist highlighter drawings.

Full Name: Samuel Cain Lackey
Birth date: June 16, 1983
Hometown: Rocky Mount, VA
Current City: Roanoke, Va
Education: Lynchburg College
Marital Status: Single “wink”
Position at IA: Director of Customer Support
Books: The Floating Opera by John Barth, The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
Movies: Fletch, 12 Angry Men, The Dark Knight
Music: “anything from the 80’s”
Favorite Quote: “A ship is safe in the harbor, but that’s not what ships are for” -William Shedd
Favorite Color: blue
Favorite teacher/professor: “Dr. Lipani – An English professor from Lynchburg College; one of the most engaging people that I have ever met.”

Sam hard at work.

Briefly describe what you do at this position: “Keep customers happy!”

How would your co-workers describe you? “I would like to think that they would say I am a hard worker with a good sense of humor and laid-back personality. I know that they would say that I am one of the clumsiest people that they have met.”

On a scale of 1 – 10 (10 being very messy) how messy is your space/desk? “5- definitely something that I am constantly working on.”

What is your favorite part about working at IA? “Every day at IA is a little different. I not only get to work with an amazing staff compromised of some of the most energetic and hard working people that I have ever worked with, but I also get to work with different school personnel from across the state. I thoroughly enjoy coming to work each and every single day.”

What is something our school districts may be surprised to find out about you? “I have a debilitating fear of public speaking….and clowns.”

What is your favorite snack at the office? Blueberry Yogurt

Where is your favorite place to go out for lunch? “Alejandro’s – hands down”

What is your proudest accomplishment while working at IA? “I would have to say my first solo remote assistance call. I spent my first week at IA learning the program and how to use the remote assistance but the idea of handling a remote assistance call by myself from start to finish was nerve racking. I remember having a “deer in the headlights” moment at first but quickly got over it. Just knowing that I could do was one my favorite moments.”

Thoughts on education? “I think educators have the great responsibility of being one of the most important part of children’s lives during the most impressionable time of their lives. It is a tremendous responsibility and it makes my day being able to assist educators daily.”

Our fun-loving Sam!

What do you do outside of IA? “I enjoy playing racquetball, riding my bike, and reading. There isn’t anything better than a good read on a rainy day.”

Of what should everyone own at least one? “a pair of flip flops”

What is most important to you? “a strong work ethic”

Thanks Sam for all you do!!!

Office manager Lida Miles helps a customer shop at the Community Christmas Store.

Employees of Interactive Achievement took time out to get in the holiday spirit by volunteering at the Community Christmas Store of the Roanoke Valley. On Friday, December 11th several employees from IA and their family members participated in helping members of the community shop for the holidays. The Community Christmas Store (CCS) mission is to assist families in need in a dignified manner during the holiday season. The CCS goal is for recipient families to select their Christmas items according to the individual needs and preferences of each family member.

The CCS is a “homegrown” organization and concept operated solely by volunteers that work year-round to collect donations, hold fundraisers, and to find a generous building owner willing to donate the use of the building for the store during November and December. The volunteers shop for goods, assemble shelving, and stock the store. They review applications from potential shoppers, and purchase specifically for the needs, sizes, and ages of eligible applicants. The store is setup like a department store with separate departments for women, men, teens, children, babies, housewares, food, and toys. Volunteers take a customers around to each department that he/she is eligible for or work in a specific department and help load items into the customer’s. All customers receive an additional box of food upon their departure.

IA will be exhibiting at VSTEs 24th Annual Technology in Education Conference November 30-December 2, 2009 at the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center. VSTE sponsors the most popular statewide technology in education conference in Virginia with over 1,000 attendees over 125 concurrent sessions.

IA will be presenting its online Virginia SOL benchmark testing software. The software provides school divisions with a large bank of specifically aligned SOL test items to build and deliver both common and formative assessments. Online tests are then delivered with IA’s ground-breaking student test taking software, iTest. Real time results are available to allow teachers and administrators to make informed decisions about instructional processes.

IA will also be exhibiting its new weTest software. weTest allows teachers to test students using IA in conjunction with eInstruction’s Classroom Performance System (CPS). Teachers create an active classroom using weTest while reducing demand on computer labs and reducing paper costs!

Finally, IA will be discussing its new professional development offerings for school divisions. IA’s suite of professional development sessions include hands-on workshops for both teachers and administrators. Sessions are offered on effective use of data, best instructional practices and quality test item creation. Don’t miss an opportunity to learn more about how IA’s professional development series can help your school increase student achievement!