Fourth-grader Nicholas is a homebound cancer patient who attends Plainview Elementary School in rural Chesterfield County, South Carolina. This year he was provided a laptop and webcam as part of Chesterfield County School District's Student Technology and Education Proficiency (STEP) initiative. Prior to the implementation of the STEP program in…

In a school bent on systemic reform, teachers, students, and leaders rally around what is needed to improve student learning, understand the pervasiveness of their efforts, and support educators however possible. In recent years, many schools that demonstrate improvement in student learning have used technology as integral to their transformation,…

Historically, very little, if any, research that meets the scientifically based standards as defined by the No Child Left Behind Act has been conducted on the effectiveness of educational technology. Clearly, the educational technology community most invest in research and evaluation studies to better guide the effective use of the investment, as…

Provides examples of best practices in technology integration from five Technology Innovation Challenge Grant (TICG) programs, funded through the Department of Education to meet the No Child Left Behind technology goals. Highlights include professional development activities in Louisiana and New Mexico; collaborative learning applications; and…

The demand for professional development for integrating technology is growing. According to the MDR report The Impact of No Child Left Behind, when leaders were asked about the areas in which they feel their teachers need the most training over the next year or two, technology integration came in fourth behind "assessment," "dealing…

Accountability for student learning and support of evidence-based instructional approaches are critical responsibilities for teachers. Both are particularly significant with the current reliance on state standards, assessment tests and the No Child Left Behind Act (Shanahan 2002). Every elementary teacher must have research-based resources to help…

In an effort to meet local, state, and federal demands for education reform, school leaders are scrambling to identify effective strategies for delivering and reporting on technology professional development and how it impacts school reform. School leaders nationwide are critically evaluating their return on investment as it relates to technology…

Consider Adequately Yearly Progress (AYP) a misnomer, or least an understatement; satisfying its mandates demands a far greater than adequate effort. Established in the No Child Left Behind Act, AYP requires that districts and schools show a minimum, prescribed level of growth in student achievement, until the year 2013-2014, when every eligible…

About two years ago, Ohio's school district, like many other districts nationwide, was beginning to feel the first effects of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Reading scores at many of Ohio's elementary schools were unacceptably low, and one school in particular--Fairmount Park Elementary School--had been labeled as "in need of…

Sometimes, state requirements really are helpful, resulting in projects that positively affect teachers and students. The requirement for school districts and area education agencies (AEAs) to submit annual progress reports (APRs) to the state, based on student data, resulted in a technology project with wide-reaching implications. Using the…