Stevens Institute of Technology to direct U.S. Dept. of Education "Technology Innovation Challenge Grant" for National K-12 teachers' internet science training

HOBOKEN, N.J. – Stevens Institute of Technology will direct a five year, $9.3 million U.S. Department of Education "Technology Innovation Challenge Grant" to provide Internet training for kindergarten through 12^th grade teachers in three states, it was announced Sept. 22, by the Department and the White House.

The program, "Alliance+ (plus)," will allow more than 9,000 teachers in Arizona, Ohio and Florida, to receive hands-on training on integration of Internet technology in classroom science instruction. Support for this program includes an estimated $12 million commitment of matching funds from project partners.

In addition to Stevens, key project partners include: Polaris Joint Vocational School District, Middleburg Heights, OH, serving as fiscal agent and training partner, as well as the League for Innovation in the Community College, Mission Viejo, Calif.; Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland, OH; Miami-Dade Community College, Miami, FL; and Marciopa Community College, Phoenix, AZ. Other key partners include the regional school systems, Bank Street College of Education, New York, NY and Educational Testing Service, Princeton, N.J. Additional information on this grant can be found at ciese.org/alliance.

"Alliance+ unites the experience of 35 state, local and higher education partners and builds on a proven training model developed through extensive experience in New Jersey and successful adaptation in Cleveland, Miami and Phoenix," said Edward A. Friedman, director of Stevens’ Center for Improved Engineering and Science Education (CIESE). CIESE will oversee the program and its implementation centered at the community colleges in each of the three states.

"Through use of powerful Internet applications, Alliance+ addresses student learning in core content areas, teacher content knowledge and ongoing staff development. Approaches include supporting materials in a variety of formats, train-the-trainer strategies, continuous follow-up support and ongoing K-12/community college partnerships," added Friedman.

During the five year project, teachers will receive 30 hours of hands-on training, as well as in-school follow up. Curricula will be developed for Internet applications in elementary, middle and high school science classes. These curricula will also be restructured as undergraduate college courses by Bank Street College of Education and piloted by Arizona State University. Kent State University, Florida International University, Grand Canyon University and Barry University in their teacher education programs.

The Alliance+ program is an expansion of Stevens’ and project partners’ earlier $909,000 U.S. Department of Education grant for the "Alliance for Training for K-12 Teachers in Instructional Technologies: A National Internet-In-Education Teacher Training Program." This project is enabling teachers in Cleveland, Miami and Phoenix to learn how to effectively integrate the Internet into classroom science instruction. Stevens, the three community colleges and Polaris, are working in partnership with the League for Innovation in the Community College and PBS station Thirteen/WNET in this ongoing project.

Faculty and staff from Maricopa, Cuyahoga and Miami-Dade Community Colleges will participate in special institutes that prepare them to train mentor teachers from neighboring school districts in the cities of Phoenix, Cleveland and Miami, respectively. Stevens will also work with Rio Salado College in Phoenix (a part of the 10-campus Maricopa system) to develop and pilot on-line courses. Educational Testing Service will oversee evaluation and assessment for the project.

In addition to the metropolitan area training programs, extended outreach is also anticipated in Arizona and Ohio under the aegis of the respective state departments of education.

During the course of this project, the League for Innovation in the Community College will encourage and facilitate implementation of similar programs in other urban settings with community colleges serving as regional technology resource centers for teachers and schools. The League, which is a national leadership organization for community colleges, is based in California.

The program is also modeled in part on several Stevens teacher training programs throughout the New York and New Jersey area, including CIESE’s "New Jersey Networking Infrastructure in Education (NJNIE)." The NJNIE project, created by a $2.9 million National Science Foundation grant, brings the Internet to more than 700 K-12 New Jersey schools through training sessions and consultation. The Alliance+ program builds upon the experience of the League of Innovation in the Community College in promoting projects nationally with two year schools. Thirteen/WNET will provide leadership in the use of video materials as a training resource

The Center for Improved Engineering and Science Education at Stevens helps educators exploit the power of technology to improve instruction and bolster student achievement in mathematics and science. Advancements in student learning in these areas will create a more competitive, technological workforce that is better able to analyze and deal with a range of complex issues and problems. CIESE’s mission is accomplished through a variety of activities including direct collaboration with teachers and school systems, partnerships with community colleges and local school systems, videoconferences and hands-on workshops on the use of technology in science and statewide projects linking other universities and institutions with schools across New Jersey.

The League for Innovation in the Community College, as a nonprofit educational consortium of resourceful community colleges, stimulates experimentation and innovation in all areas of community college development and serves as a catalyst, project incubator and experimental laboratory for all community colleges.

About Stevens Institute of Technology

Founded in 1870, Stevens Institute of Technology is one of the leading technological universities in the world dedicated to learning and research. Through its broad-based curricula, nurturing of creative inventiveness, and cross disciplinary research, the Institute is at the forefront of global challenges in engineering, science, and technology management. Partnerships and collaboration between, and among, business, industry, government and other universities contribute to the enriched environment of the Institute. A new model for technology commercialization in academe, known as Technogenesis®, involves external partners in launching business enterprises to create broad opportunities and shared value.

Stevens offers baccalaureates, master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering, science, computer science and management, in addition to a baccalaureate degree in the humanities and liberal arts, and in business and technology. The university has a total enrollment of 2,150 undergraduate and 3,500 graduate students, with about 250 full-time faculty. Stevens’ graduate programs have attracted international participation from China, India, Southeast Asia, Europe and Latin America. Additional information may be obtained from its web page at www.stevens.edu.  

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