Grants Provide Professional Development Opportunities for District Personnel

A group of 45 Union Parish Educators were given the opportunity to attend the Louisiana Computer Using Educators Conference in Alexandria December 1-3, 2004. Funding for this professional development was provided through the district’s FIRSTTech Grant. This grant requires a portion of the funds be spent on professional development. The conference allowed teachers to attend sessions that were of most benefit to their area of responsibility and the chance to network with attendees from across the state. Over 200 concurrent sessions along with other workshops, exhibits, and forums gave attendees the opportunity to gain knowledge in areas they were already familiar with or a chance to explore new horizons. Session topics included information on implementing federal and state mandates, distance learning, emerging technologies and technology integration across the curriculum. Union Parish was honored to have Tina Allen, Business Teacher at Downsville High School, present a session on Digital Yearbooks. Union Parish was also represented by Amanda Tull, Assistive Technology Program Coordinator. Amanda worked with other Regional and State A.T. Coordinators at the Assistive Technology Playground, an area set up for demonstrating equipment and software that meet the needs of persons who have special needs. A highlight of the conference was Region 8’s Louisiana Showcase, of which Union is a part of, along with 14 other school districts. Union Parish played a very important part in the success of the showcase with Charlotte Bowen serving on the planning committee and Rodney McPherson handling the activity station. Rodney McPherson also received special recognition as one of Region 8’s educators who have effectively integrated the use of computers into the educational process.

In the midst of consolidation and tax increase debates, the Union Parish School District received good news Thursday.

The system has been awarded a $497,050 federal grant for the district's innovative online testing program.

U.S. Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-Quitman, announced the awarding of the federal Fund for the Improvement of Education (FIE) grant that is earmarked for funding the second year of Union Parish's online assessment and interactive instruction program.

While the funds cannot be used for aiding the district's impending budget deficit, the grant does help finance a program that school officials credit with helping increase LEAP and IOWA scores last year.

Superintendent Tom Snell is getting criticism from some residents and School Board members for being out of town a lot lately, but he was at a conference in Orlando, FL, lobbying for these very funds, said Sharon Stewart, accountability supervisor.

"He had the foresight to see that technology is the future and go after these funds," Stewart said. "We really appreciate what Rep. Alexander has done to help us, too."

The testing program allows the district to create preparatory biweekly tests through a software program, said Charlotte Bowen, technology coordinator. The tests are then printed and delivered to each school. The results are uploaded into the computers. Based on the data, the software tells students what areas of study they should focus on, she added.

Last year the tests were only given in math, the district's weakest area, Bowen said. But the grant will allow them to expand the testing to language/arts and ensure that all third-through-eighth-grade students participate, she said.

After the program's first year, Bowen said LEAP math scores jumped 14 percent for eight grade students and 5 percent for fourth grade students.

by Jordan Blum
The News Star

Grants Provide Professional Development Opportunities for District Personnel

A group of 50 Union Parish Teachers, Principals and Administrators were given the opportunity to attend the 25 th National Educational Computing Conference in New Orleans June 19-23, 2004. Funding for this professional development was provided through the district’s FIRSTTech Grant and REAP Grant. Each of these grants require a portion of the funds be spent on professional development. The conference allowed teachers, principals, and administrative staff to attend sessions that were of most benefit to their area of responsibility and the chance to network with attendees from across the nation and other countries. Lisa Taylor, principal of Downsville High School stated, “The NECC Conference in New Orleans gave me many ideas of how to use technology as an administrator and how to encourage the educational professionals at Downsville High School in their quest for excellence.”

 

Many Union Parish attendees worked as volunteers, answering questions, pointing people in the right direction, and organizing and working the registration for the 5K Fun Run. A highlight of the week was Region 8’s Louisiana Showcase, of which Union is a part of along with 14 other school districts. Union Parish played a very important part in the success of the showcase with Charlotte Bowen serving on the planning committee, Rodney McPherson handling the 4 activity stations, and numerous teachers and principals showing up to work the 4 stations and answer visitors’ questions.

 

Nearly 300 concurrent sessions along with other workshops, exhibits, sessions, and forums gave attendees the opportunity to gain knowledge in areas they were already familiar with or a chance to explore new horizons. Session topics included information on implementing federal and state mandates, distance learning, emerging technologies and special populations along with technology integration across the curriculum. Sherry Boyd, teacher, said, “I can’t wait to use some of this in my class next school year. Thanks for the opportunity to go to NECC.”

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National representatives from RISO Corporation, Copy Graphics Inc. along with Jesse Fulmer, Vice President of Automated Imaging Systems Inc. of Monroe traveled to Union Parish to observe the testing and assessment program, which will provide online remedial software prescriptions for students. This program is a corporate agreement between RISO and Plato Learning Systems and is being piloted in Union Parish Public Schools through Federal Earmark appropriations made possible through the efforts of Congressman Rodney Alexander.

These executive respresented several regions of the country, including Boston, MA. Also present was Dr. Willie C. Johnson, Executive Director of Institutional Research and Technology for the Jackson Public School District, Jackson, MS. This distict consists of 57 schools with 39,000 students.

Superintendent Tom Snell, Charlotte Bowen, Rodney McPherson, and Tom Barnes demonstrated the current and future facets of the program. Mr. Snell expressed his pleasure in being able to highlight the advances Union Parish Schools are making in the area of data driven prescriptions for students. Union Parish School District is the first school district in the nation to utilize this program.

The Banner March 19,2004

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