Local technology director to discuss potential cost-savings of IlliniCloud

NORMAL - October 24, 2011. Lt. Governor Sheila Simon's Classrooms First Commission will hold a public hearing at a Central Illinois community college this evening to solicit testimony from parents, taxpayers and educators on how K-12 school districts can improve learning and efficiency.

Among those expected to speak is Bloomington School District 87 Technology Director Jim Peterson. Peterson was invited to present about IlliniCloud, a non-profit cloud computing consortium he developed with other districts and technology leaders throughout the state that provides virtual servers, online storage and software for 150 school districts statewide.

The public hearing at Heartland Community College, which begins at 4:30 p.m., is the second of four such hearings scheduled this fall by the Classrooms First Commission, a statewide group tasked with finding ways to improve learning and efficiency at the more than 870 school districts in Illinois. The commission's report is due to the Governor and General Assembly next summer.

"We are here to listen, discover efficiencies and promote what's best for students," said Lt. Governor Sheila Simon, chair of the Classrooms First Commission and the Governor's point person on education reform. "Our goal is to work with local communities to find savings in backrooms, so that more money can be used to support classrooms."

IlliniCloud was launched two years ago and offers its services to school districts in Illinois for a small annual fee. Use of IlliniCloud could save districts 30 to 60 percent on information technology costs according to Peterson. This is particularly useful for small districts that often lack the resources necessary to develop adequate information technology infrastructure.

"Despite the economic burdens that Illinois school districts face, they still have to provide the same services for millions of students, staff and parents each day," Peterson said. "The IlliniCloud was created by districts for districts to provide and extend those services in a more efficient way."

IlliniCloud hopes to launch a statewide data collection and warehousing system that would allow districts to quickly generate reports to track student performance and analyze other data such as food service and transportation costs.

Dr. Joseph Pacha, an associate professor at the Illinois State University College of Education, is also scheduled to present research he conducted on what factors lead to school closure among elementary schools, junior high schools and high schools. These factors include changes in education funding, school enrollment, per-pupil operating expenditures and equalized assessed valuation.  Pacha's research also found that among elementary schools, higher math scores decrease the likelihood a school will close.

"Most people believe that school closures come about as a result of lack of money and students," Pacha said. "But there are many other factors involved that if communities knew about them and worked to address them, they might have a very positive impact on the future of a school. Being able to identify those factors is what the study was all about."

The Classrooms First Commission members represent various stakeholder groups including teachers, school boards, principals, superintendents, parents and urban, suburban and rural areas. In its first phase of study, the commission will collect public input and review local and national research on educational efficiency and student performance.

"This is an important process for our education systems, and regional superintendents greatly appreciate the opportunity to participate and hear from those who really matter: the local voices," said Larry Pfeiffer, a central Illinois regional superintendent representing the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools on the commission. "Regional superintendents are integral to these discussions and the process schools pursue to reorganize and consolidate. We're committed to ensure everyone is heard and these challenges are debated and resolved in the right way."

Additional public hearings have been scheduled in Moline and Des Plaines.

To view the hearing schedule, watch streaming live video of the hearings, or to fill out an online survey regarding district efficiency, visit www.ltgov.il.gov.

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WASHINGTON D.C. -- There's no question that 2011 has been good for charter schools.

And if lawmakers in Michigan, New Jersey, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania can get pro-charter school legislation across the finish line in the next few weeks, 2011 could be a banner year for the taxpayer-funded public schools that are generally operated by independent organizations.

The reason for the banner year? President Barack Obama's "Race to the Top" education reform initiative and the Tea Party-fueled 2010 midterm elections that resulted in pro-charter school legislative majorities in a number of states.

That's according to Todd Ziebarth, the vice president of state advocacy and support for the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.

In an interview with Education Action Group, Ziebarth said that a number of cash-strapped states implemented policies favorable to charter schools, in hopes of winning "Race to the Top" education reform dollars.

Those commitments to charter schools were acted upon when a record number of reform-minded, Tea Party-friendly candidates were voted into state offices nearly a year ago. Since then, 16 states have passed nearly 30 laws to either expand or preserve the role of charter schools.

"This year, we made pretty good progress in a number of states," Ziebarth said. "Hopefully, there will be more good news in the weeks and months ahead."

Ziebarth believes the year's biggest charter school victory occurred in Maine, which became the 41st state to allow the creation of charter schools.

North Carolina families won big when lawmakers repealed the cap that limited the number of charter schools allowed in the state.

Illinois passed a law that allows a state-appointed commission to authorize charter schools, instead of leaving that decision to self-interested school districts.

Expanding access to charter schools was part of Indiana's historic education overhaul.

But not all the charter school victories were glamorous and headline-grabbing, as Ziebarth points out.

For instance, Indiana, Wisconsin and Ohio all passed laws allowing charter schools to use a school district's surplus buildings, a move that allows charters to spend their resources on students instead of rent.

Teachers unions in several cities, including Boston and Toledo, have recently fought efforts to allow charters to use vacant public school buildings. Those were obvious attempts to stymie the competition.

"Shrinking state budgets makes funding charter schools a challenge," Ziebarth said. "Having access to public buildings really helps. And it makes sense because taxpayers have already paid for these buildings, many of which have been designated for educational purposes."

In New Mexico, charter advocates played good defense and staved off an attempt to impose a moratorium on charters.

Looking ahead, Ziebarth is "optimistic that we can finally break through in Alabama next year." He also expects charter schools will be allowed to expand in Missouri, and may be allowed to form in Montana - though that will have to wait until the state legislature reconvenes in 2013.

Ziebarth acknowledged that charters have "made pretty good progress in a number of states," but have suffered a few disappointments, too.

Several politically conservative states such as Texas, Idaho, Alabama and Mississippifailed to pass charter school measures in 2011. While Republicans run the show in those states, and typically favor school choice and charter schools, Ziebarth thinks there is a misperception among some that charters only benefit urban areas, and not rural and suburban communities.

Teacher unions also present a problem for charter schools. Ziebarth said the unions employ a three-pronged approach to stopping the spread of charter schools: legislation, litigation and organization.

If charter laws survive the legislative and legal hurdles, unions will often try to organize the charter school teachers. If the union succeeds in forcing charter schools to collectively bargain with employees, the schools lose their flexibility and innovation, and become virtually indistinguishable from their traditional public school counterparts.

Without a doubt, teacher unions will try to roll back the gains charter school supporters have made over the past year, Ziebarth said.

"Teacher unions are still fighting hard in statehouses across the country," he said.

The unions will continue to fight their charter school competitors, likely because charters have become so popular with families all across the country. Educationnews.org reports that "six school districts now have more than 30 percent of their public school students enrolled in public charter schools: New Orleans, Washington D.C., Detroit, Kansas City (Missouri), Flint, MI and Gary, IN."

The site also reports that the Los Angeles district has 79,385 students enrolled in charter schools, the highest  number in the nation.

Ziebarth believes the best way to inoculate charter schools from the volatility of politics is to make the movement as bipartisan as possible.

"But that's easier said than done," he said.

- Ben Velderman can be contacted at ben@edactiongroup.org, or by phone at (231) 733-4202.

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DAVENPORT, Iowa?St. Ambrose University officials are reporting positive trends this fall, in the form of top rankings from national publications, more students preparing for health care careers, and managed enrollment growth.

Two national ranking publications, The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report, have rated St. Ambrose University among the top universities in the region.

This is the seventh year in a row St. Ambrose has been selected by the Princeton Review as one of the best universities in the Midwest. In addition, St. Ambrose has maintained an average placement in the top 40 among peer institutions as determined by the U.S. News & World Report.

The Princeton Review, which uses student opinion data to determine their rankings. selected the university as one of 153 institutions of higher education it recommends for its "Best in the Midwest" designation.

Colleges named "regional bests" represent only about 25 percent of the nation's four-year colleges. Student opinion data, which led to the "best" designation, referenced small class sizes and accessible professors. "One of Ambrose's best features is the caring faculty and staff," said one student. An elementary education major reported that "coming to Ambrose was one of the best choices I have ever made."

U.S. News & World Report ranked St. Ambrose University 40th?and in the top tier?among "Best Regional Universities - Midwest." The region includes 12 states.

Among university strengths related to high rankings are nationally accredited academic programs in Nursing, Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy. St. Ambrose offers one of only 41 post-doctoral orthopedic PT clinical residencies nationwide, the only master's level occupational therapy program in the state of Iowa, and a growing Master of Speech-Language Pathology degree program. A new $11.5 million health sciences education center offers students state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories.

"The growth in number of students seeking degrees in health sciences reflects both a response to community need for highly qualified health care professionals, and the strength of our programs," says John Cooper, vice president for enrollment management at St. Ambrose. "Our fall enrollment report is also showing the results of managed growth, while focusing on building strong neighborhood relations and providing appropriate facilities to meet the needs of current students."

A total of 2,752 undergraduate students are enrolled this fall, along with 815 graduate students. This fall, the most popular undergraduate degree programs include Business and Accounting, Education, Nursing, Psychology and Exercise Science. The most popular graduate programs include the MBA, Master of Organizational Leadership, Master of Social Work, Master of Occupational Therapy, Master of Speech-Language Pathology and Doctor of Physical Therapy. A new Mechanical Engineering degree program has been added this fall, the only one of its kind offered in the Quad Cities.

Founded in 1882, St. Ambrose is a coeducational, Roman Catholic liberal arts university with more than 3,600 students. It maintains an 11-to-1 student-faculty ratio while offering more than 75 areas of study, as well as master's and doctoral programs.

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Catholic school was one of only 7 Iowa schools to win 2011 US Education Department Blue Ribbon 

 

Davenport, IA - Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) visited students today at Davenport's St. Paul the Apostle Catholic School to recognize the school being named a 2011 Blue Ribbon School by the US Department of Education.  Only seven schools in Iowa received the award this year, including St. Paul's.

Braley met with members of St. Paul's student council before addressing the school's students in an assembly.

"My mother was a schoolteacher in my hometown, and my wife teaches high school in Waterloo - so you could say I have education in my blood," Braley said.  "Being named a Blue Ribbon School is no small achievement - only 305 schools in the entire country earned the distinction this year.

 

"Every school in Iowa should strive for this level of educational excellence.  After all, a world-class education is the foundation of our kids' future.  Quality schools lay the groundwork now for good-paying jobs and a stronger economy tomorrow."

 

Being named a Blue Ribbon School means meeting one of two criteria:

 

  1. High-performing schools. Schools that are ranked among each state's highest performing schools as measured by their performance on state assessments, or, for private schools, that score at the highest performance level on national tests.
  1. High-performing high-risk schools. Schools with 40 percent or more of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds that improve student performance to high levels as measured by national tests.

To be named a Blue Ribbon School, a school must be nominated for the distinction by the top education official in its respective state.  The Council for American Private Education (CAPE) nominates private schools in each state.

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St. Paul's one of seven Iowa schools to receive 2011 Blue Ribbon School Distinction from US Dept. of Education 

 

Washington, DC - On Tuesday, Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) will make a stop at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic School in Davenport to recognize the school for being named a US Department of Education Blue Ribbon School.

St. Paul the Apostle Catholic School in Davenport has been named a 2011 Blue Ribbon School by the US Department of Education.  The school, which serves grades K-8, is one of only seven schools in Iowa to receive the award.  Braley will meet with the student council and address the student body to recognize their achievement.

1:00pm                 2011 Blue Ribbon School recognition event

St. Paul the Apostle Catholic School

1007 E. Rusholme St., Davenport, Iowa

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'Grow. Evolve. Become.'

(Bettendorf, IA - October 14, 2011)    Brown Mackie College - Quad Cities will host an Open House Saturday, October 22, from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Grow Your Life. Evolve Your Mind. Become Your Vision.  Learn about targeted education for future careers and convenient "one course a month" day and evening schedules. Guests can meet the president, faculty, staff, students, and have the opportunity to tour classrooms and labs. Red Hot Brian Scott and Tony Tone from B100 will be joining us along with the Rock Island Metro Youth Group. The College will also be hosting an Halloween event. Families can bring their children to trick or treat.

There is no charge to attend the Open House. To register online, visit BMCOpenHouse.com.

EVENT:  Brown Mackie College - Quad Cities Open House
'Grow Your Life. Evolve Your Mind. Become Your Vision.'

DATE:    Saturday, October 22, 2011

TIME:     10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Where:   Brown Mackie College - Quad Cities
2119 E. Kimberly Road
Bettendorf, IA 52722

For additional information about the Open House or Brown Mackie College - Quad Cities, contact Ann Sandoval at (563) 344-1500 or visit http://www.brownmackie.edu/pr.aspx?ID=BMC2379.
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Brown Mackie College - Quad Cities is one of 27 school locations of the Brown Mackie College system of schools (www.brownmackie.edu), which is dedicated to providing educational programs that prepare students for entry-level positions in a competitive, rapidly-changing workplace. Brown Mackie College schools offer bachelor's degree, associate's degree, certificate, and diploma programs in health sciences, business, information technology, legal studies and design technologies. See bmcprograms.info for program duration, tuition, fees, and other costs, median debt, federal salary data, alumni success, and other important info.

NCSA 2011 Power Rankings Study Helps Prospective Student-Athletes Evaluate Strengths of Top College Institutions Around the Country

(Chicago, IL) - NCSA Athletic Recruiting is pleased to announce Augustana College is ranked 73rd among NCAA Division III universities in the 9th Annual NCSA Collegiate Power Rankings.

NCSA Athletic Recruiting's Collegiate 2011 Power Rankings assess the academic and athletics standards of all NCAA athletic programs across the country. The Power Rankings were developed to help prospective student athletes and their families evaluate the particular strengths of the top colleges and universities at the Division I, II and III levels.

"The Power Rankings are an objective tool to empower student athletes to find the right fit in a college or university, not only for its athletics, but academics as well," says Krause, CEO and Founder of NCSA Athletic Recruiting. "Our hope is to educate these student athletes and their parents on the importance of evaluating schools that will provide the education for an enriched, successful career after college, in addition to athletic success." concluded Krause.

The Collegiate Power Rankings from NCSA Athletic Recruiting are calculated for each Division I, II and III college and university by averaging student-athlete graduation rates, academic rankings provided by U.S. News & World Report, and the strength of athletic departments as determined by the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup.

These Power Rankings are only one example of NCSA Athletic Recruiting's commitment to redefining collegiate recruiting.  As the leading athletic recruiting network, NCSA connects more than 35,000 college coaches with student-athletes who hope to pursue both higher education and the chance to compete in athletics at the college level.

A comprehensive list of the rankings, both overall and by division, is available at: http://www.ncsasports.org/about-ncsa/power-rankings

To speak with NCSA Athletic Recruiting CEO and Founder, Chris Krause, about the 2011 Power Rankings, please contact me at 312.624.7437 or by email at tmenzione@ncsasports.org.

Tiffany Menzione
Public Relations Coordinator

Educators, public to testify on district efficiency, effectiveness

CARTERVILLE - Lt. Governor Sheila Simon's Classrooms First Commission will hold the first of several public hearings tomorrow in Carterville. The hearing will give parents, educators and taxpayers in Southern Illinois the opportunity to provide suggestions on making school districts more efficient and effective.

The hearing will feature testimony from Steve Webb, president of the Illinois Association of Rural and Small Schools and superintendent of the Goreville Community Unit School District 1; Richard Towers, superintendent of Christopher Unit School District 99; and George Wilkerson, superintendent of Ziegler-Royalton Community Unit School District 188.

Webb will discuss the need for commission members to focus on educational quality in their deliberations so that every student receives the education they deserve. Towers and Wilkerson will provide an update on the proposed consolidation of their two districts, which should allow their schools to provide a richer curriculum.

Members of the public will also have the opportunity to testify and can provide both oral and written testimony. Time will be allotted on a first-come first-serve basis.

Those who are unavailable to attend can watch streaming live video of the hearing at www.ltgov.il.gov. Individuals can also submit their ideas on how to improve school district efficiency using a new online survey at the same web address.

The Classrooms First Commission is a 20-member panel that will examine spending that is far removed from the classroom with the goal of cutting bureaucracy and redirecting tax dollars toward students.

DATE: Thursday, Oct. 13

TIME: 11:30 a.m.

PLACE: O'Neal Auditorium, John A. Logan College, 700 Logan College Road, Carterville

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PELLA, (10/10/2011)(readMedia)-- A Central College admissions representative will soon be visiting area high schools. All students are invited to visit the representative in the schools' counseling centers to learn more about Central.

Admissions counselor Jessica Steward will visit Alleman High School at 9 a.m. on Thursday, October 20.

Admissions counselor Brynn Phillips will visit Durant High School at 2 p.m. on Monday, November 7.

Admissions counselor Brynn Phillips will visit Mid-Prairie High School at 11:15 a.m. on Tuesday, November 8.

Central College is a private, four-year, residential, liberal arts college in Pella, Iowa. Central's academic program offers 39 majors leading to a bachelor's degree along with pre-professional programs and advising. Central was recognized in the 2010 U.S.News & World Report's annual rankings of the best liberal arts colleges in the nation. Central's study abroad program was included in the programs to look for section.

More information about Central College is available at www.central.edu or by calling 877-462-3687.

At-risk students walk to highlight the importance of increasing Iowa's high school graduation rate

DES MOINES, Iowa - Oct. 10, 2011 - Dozens of at-risk students will lead their communities in the Walk Across Iowa event Tuesday, Oct. 11. The purpose of the walk is to increase awareness for Iowa Jobs for America's Graduates, a program that helps students graduate from high school.

iJAG helps students at the highest risk of dropping out to stay in school, graduate, and ultimately increase graduation rates in communities across the state. Since iJAG began in Iowa 12 years ago, the program has helped more than 7,000 students graduate, with an average 93% graduation rate, compared to Iowa's 89% statewide average. Approximately one-sixth of iJAG students are the first in their family to graduate.

"The iJAG program is an amazing resource for high school students in danger of dropping out of school," said Sue Cheek, iJAG board member and director of talent management for MidAmerican Energy Company. "MidAmerican Energy has been a sponsor of the program for several years. We value the continuous economic impact iJAG has on the state, not only today, but for years to come. The program truly changes lives."

The iJAG program partners with 13 Iowa communities to support 26 iJAG in-school programs. iJAG programs allow specialists to work with students during the school year and summer months on academics, career skills, leadership and career guidance. The program helps students to graduate and provides assistance one year after high school as they transition to college or enter the job market. More than 43% of iJAG graduates have continued on to college.

Concluding the Walk Across Iowa event, students and business leaders will join Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, iJAG Board Chair, at 3 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 11, on the west steps of the Iowa State Capitol. The students will present signatures collected from communities supporting iJAG to Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Reynolds. The Governor will sign a proclamation in support of the students' efforts and iJAG's mission. A Student Success Reception will follow at the State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust St., from 4 to 6 p.m.

More than 1,000 students are expected to take part in the iJAG walk. In each community, iJAG students tell their success stories to local business owners, legislators and community leaders along the walking route. To learn more about iJAG, visit www.ijag.org.

Schools with iJAG programs:

 

Cedar Rapids Jefferson

Cedar Rapids Washington

Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln

Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson

Council Bluffs Wilson

Creston

Davenport Central

Davenport Kimberly Center

Davenport North

Davenport West

Des Moines East

Des Moines Hoover

Des Moines Lincoln

Des Moines North

Dubuque Hempstead

Dubuque Senior

DMACC

East Moline United Township

Keokuk

Marshalltown

Ottumwa

Perry

Sioux City North High School

Sioux City North Middle School

Waterloo East

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