Alexandria, Va. – September 25, 2009 – The National School Boards Association (NSBA) has announced the three 2009 Salute Districts, recognized for their use of technology to support innovative strategies that promote student achievement and organizational efficiencies.
The 2009 Salute Districts are Jeffco Public Schools in Golden, Colo.; Cullman City Schools, Ala.; and Newport News Public Schools in Virginia. The Salute District honor is a recognition program of NSBA’s Technology Leadership Network that showcases innovative school districts that have effectively used technology solutions to support all facets of their work.
"Although Salute Districts are selected for their systemic approach to technology use across the entire organization, reviewers noted each submission highlighted different components that contribute to their successes. The development of professional learning communities and re-imagined school libraries, the desire to address equity in learning resources, and hiring a Director of Innovation to ensure a commitment to forward-focused thinking are some of the key ideas that should be considered if other districts want to experience similar successes," said Ann Flynn, NSBA’s director of education technology. The three Salute Districts will be honored during NSBA’s 2009 T+L Conference in Denver, October 28-30.
Jeffco Public Schools, which educates nearly ten percent of the children in Colorado, or nearly 86,000 students, was selected for developing an approach that ensures instructional needs drive every technology decision. From the organizational chart to the creation of professional learning communities and teacher-librarians who play a key role in the district’s commitment to preparing students with 21st century skills, this district has made decisions that ensure its technology investments support systemic change rather than random projects.
Cullman City Schools is proof that size does not matter when it comes to innovation. With just under 3,000 students, it embarked on an ambitious one-to-one learning project for all seventh to twelfth grade students in 2005. Recognizing that children in the district did not have the same access to technology resources, a comprehensive professional development program was implemented to ensure that new instructional strategies, along with the new laptops, would maximize the learning experience for all students.
Newport News Public Schools reflect the rich diversity of its community with just over 30,400 students. The mission statement in the district’s strategic technology plan notes the district’s goal is to “promote and facilitate the effective and innovative integration of technology into the schools and workplaces.” While many mission statements remain just words on a page, this district created the position of Director of Innovation to oversee professional development, instructional technology, and the student career pathways to implement its vision.
Since 1987, NSBA's Technology Leadership Network (TLN) has served local district leadership teams that establish policy and implement technology decisions to enhance teaching and learning, administrative operations, and community outreach.
Founded in 1940, the National School Boards Association (www.nsba.org) is a not-for-profit federation of state associations of school boards representing 95,000 local school board members throughout the United States. Its mission is to foster excellence and equity in public elementary and secondary education through local school board leadership. NSBA represents the school board perspective in working with federal government agencies and national organizations that impact education, and provides vital information and services to state associations of school boards throughout the nation.
# # #