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CONTACT:
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Achievement
Counts Needs Volunteers To Speak
To Students
-While
the school year may be drawing to a close, the Maryland Business
Roundtable for Education (MBRT) is already planning for next fall,
recruiting volunteers from the working world to participate in its
Achievement Counts Speakers Bureau.
The Speakers Bureau is part of a comprehensive campaign designed
to inform and motivate high school students about the rigorous coursework
they will need to take and complete while in high school in order
to succeed, whether they go on to college or directly into the workplace.
new volunteers welcomed!
Achievement
Counts Overview
To
view the Overview
in MS Word format,
click here
|
WHAT'S
NEW? |
2010
MBRT Board Policy Statements
In April 2010, the MBRT Board of Directors recommeded
Maryland educational and political leaders to move swiftly
to adopt Common Core Standards, to implement a comprehensive
Education Longitudinal Data System, and to adopt the
Education Reform Act of 2010 and adopted the following
endorsement >
2009
MBRT Board Policy Statements
In December 2009, the MBRT Board of Directors considered
the recommendations of the Governor's STEM Task Force
Report and adopted following
endorsement >
MBRT's
Streckfus Honored for Efforts to Improve Student Achievement in
Maryland
BALTIMORE, MD (4/29/09) --- June Streckfus,
Executive Director of the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education
(MBRT), will be inducted into the Maryland
Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame when the Chamber holds it's
annual Awards Dinner, held April 29, 2009.
For Streckfus, the induction marks the second major recognition
this month for a career spent working to improve student achievement
in Maryland. Earlier in April, Streckfus received the Thurgood
Marshall College Fund Award of Excellence "for inspiring our youth
and serving as a role model for young men and women who are focused
on reaching their full potential," according to Dwayne Ashley,
President and CEO of the Thurgood
Marshall College Fund.
Streckfus has served as Executive Director of MBRT - a coalition
of more than 100 Maryland companies that have made a long-term
commitment to support education reform and improve student achievement
in Maryland - since the organization was founded in 1992.
Since that time, Streckfus and MBRT have been in the forefront
of Maryland's school reform effort. MBRT consistently has worked
to achieve meaningful, measurable, and systemic improvement in
schools and student achievement by stressing high standards, rigorous
assessments, and strong accountability.
Under Streckfus' leadership, MBRT has also pioneered Achievement
Counts, an innovative and highly acclaimed campaign that demonstrates
the important connection between achievement in school and success
in the workplace. Elements of Achievement Counts include:
-
A Speakers Bureau comprised
of 2,600 volunteers that, to date, has made more than 200,000
presentations to eighth and ninth graders statewide;
-
Maryland Scholars, a program
that encourages students to take and complete rigorous high
school coursework, particularly in math and science; "
-
Parents Count, a website
that provides parents with information on how they can help
their children to succeed in school; and
- BeWhatIWantToBe.com,
an interactive, career-exploration website aimed at teens.
Both the business and education communities have recognized Streckfus
and MBRT for their successful efforts to involve business as a full
partner in comprehensive education reform. Previous honors include
awards from the National Alliance of Business, The Business Roundtable,
the U.S. Department of Education, the National Association of State
Directors of Vocational Technical Education, and the Maryland State
Teachers Association.
In addition, Streckfus has been named one of Maryland's Top 100
Women and the recipient of the Nancy S. Grasmick Excellence for
Minority Achievement Award. She received the Alumni Award as the
Outstanding Professional from the University of Maryland in 2007.
Beyond MBRT, Streckfus has served as Co-Chair of Maryland Governor
Martin O'Malley's Education Transition Team in 2006 and is currently
co-chairing the Governor's Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Math (STEM) Task Force. She is also a member of the U.S. Department
of Education's Negotiated Rulemaking Committee for Academic Competitiveness
Grants in 2007.
Prior to leading MBRT, Streckfus spent 11 years as a classroom teacher
before entering government service as State Administrator to U.S.
Senator Barbara A. Mikulski and Intergovernmental Coordinator and
Assistant to the Administrative Officer of Baltimore County Government.
Streckfus' induction into the Maryland Chamber of Commerce Hall
of Fame will take place on Wednesday, April 29, beginning at 5:30,
at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore, 300 Light Street in Downtown Baltimore.
For more information about the Awards Dinner, contact the Maryland
Chamber at 410-296-5247 or visit the Chamber's website at www.mdchamber.org.
# # #
November 8,
2007
MARYLAND
SCHOLARS CAMPAIGN BACKED BY POLITICAL, SCHOOL, AND BUSINESS LEADERS
STATEWIDE
 Program
Increasing Number of High School Students Completing Rigorous Courses
BALTIMORE, MD --- To help ensure that students throughout Maryland
will be better prepared for college and the kinds of jobs that are
likely to flourish here in the future, state political, school,
and business leaders are expected to pledge their support for the
Maryland Scholars program when the Maryland Business Roundtable
for Education (MBRT) holds its Annual Meeting today.
The
MBRT Annual Meeting , held from 9:30-11 a.m. at the Center Club,
100 Light Street in downtown Baltimore, is open to members of
the media.
The
Scholars program - a national initiative conducted in Maryland by
MBRT in partnership with Governor Martin O'Malley and State School
Superintendent Dr. Nancy S. Grasmick - is designed to increase the
number of students who take and complete a specific set of rigorous
high school coursework, including math through Algebra 2, three
lab sciences, and two credits of the same foreign language.
"Maryland
Scholars helps to motivate students to take and complete challenging
coursework and that, in turn, can greatly enhance their chances
of earning scholarships, graduating college, passing entry-level
employment tests, and increasing their earnings potential," says
MBRT Executive Director June Streckfus.
According
to Ms. Streckfus, taking the rigorous courses required to qualify
as a Maryland Scholar can also help more students in the state to
garner a larger share of the Academic Competitiveness Grants awarded
annually by the U.S. Department of Education.
Recently
released data indicate that while Maryland and Indiana are similarly
sized states with comparable student demographics, students in Indiana
received more than $6.6 million in Academic Competitiveness Grants
in 2006-07, compared to $2.7 million in Maryland - a 142 percent
difference.
Pell-eligible
students who qualify for Academic Competitiveness Grants earn an
additional $750 for freshman year college tuition and $1,300 for
sophomore year, provided they maintain a 3.0 GPA. The federal government
has allocated $4.5 billion over the next five years in Academic
Competitiveness Grants to help students who complete Scholars' coursework
pay for college tuition.
"This
is a great incentive, particularly for lower-income students,
to achieve at higher levels," notes Ms. Streckfus, "and the good
news is: it's working."
Maryland
Scholars is producing results. The introduction of Maryland Scholars
in jurisdictions such as Harford and Frederick Counties has resulted
in a marked increase in the number of students - particularly low-income
and minority students - taking and completing high-level math and
science courses, which ultimately will better position them to enter
and complete college or to qualify for higher paying jobs.
Data
collected by MBRT indicate that more than half (54%) of the graduating
class of 2007 in Harford County were Maryland Scholars - up from
36% in 2003 - while the number of low-income students qualifying
has more than tripled.
"Maryland
Scholars provides the blueprint for our children to succeed in
the workplace, in college, and in life," says MBRT Chairman Raymond
A. "Chip" Mason. "Maryland can continue to have a high-quality,
world-class workforce, but only if today's students work hard
and apply themselves now."
Governor
O'Malley has strongly endorsed the Maryland Scholars program and
supports providing a graduation certificate to all Maryland Scholars
completers in the state.
Maryland
Scholars (www.mbrt.org/scholars)
is part of MBRT's Achievement Counts campaign, a nationally recognized
initiative that focuses on demonstrating to students, parents, and
educators the critical connection between achievement in school
and success in the workplace and in life. Launched in 1999, Achievement
Counts includes a speakers bureau (www.mbrt.org/speak),
a teen career website (www.bewhatiwanttobe.com),
and a webpage providing parent information to help children succeed
in school (www.mbrt.org/parents).
# # #
April 20,
2007
Assistant
U.S. Secretary Of Education Justesen Visits Baltimore
To See Maryland Scholars In Action
BALTIMORE, MD (4/20/07) --- Assistant U.S. Secretary of Education
Troy Justesen joined Maryland business and education leaders today
at Digital Harbor High School to see first hand why the Maryland
Scholars program is so successful in motivating students to achieve
at higher levels.
 Part
of the national Scholars initiative, Maryland
Scholars is designed to increase the number of students who
complete rigorous coursework in high school and, as a result, are
better prepared to succeed in college and/or the workplace.
Maryland Scholars is a comprehensive campaign led by the Maryland
Business Roundtable for Education (MBRT) - a coalition of more than
100 leading employers committed to improving student achievement
in the state - in partnership with the State Department of Education,
Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, and local school superintendents.
"Not only is Maryland the first state to implement the Scholars
initiative statewide, but it is also the only state that has several
years of impressive data in rigorous course completion," explains
MBRT Executive Director June Streckfus.
According to Streckfus, the Maryland Scholars course of study -
which includes four credits of English, three credits of Math (Algebra
I and II, and Geometry), three credits of Science (Biology, Chemistry
and one other lab science), 3 credits of Social Studies, and two
credits of the same Foreign Language - "has resulted in significant
increases in rigorous course completion, particularly among low-income
and minority students."
In Baltimore County, for example, the number of low-income students
taking and completing Physics has jumped 39%, while Algebra II has
seen a 23% increase since the introduction of Maryland Scholars.
Similarly, Harford County has experienced marked increases in the
number of low-income students taking and completing Algebra II (50%),
Chemistry (74%), a fourth science course (433%), and Foreign Language
(96%).
Maryland is also one of the first states to develop a number of
innovations to support Maryland Scholars. These include:
-
www.BeWhatIWantToBe.com,
a career exploration website developed for and by teens;
-
Speakers Bureau through which
more than 2,500 volunteers from Maryland's business community
speak to eighth and ninth graders statewide about the critical
connection between what they're learning in school and life in
the real world; and
- Parents
Count, a series of monthly messages and a website designed
to arm parents with effective strategies for helping their children
to succeed in school.
"We
wanted the Assistant Secretary to come away knowing that the U.S.
Department of Education's investment in Maryland is paying off,
and that our efforts here could be replicated elsewhere around the
country," notes Streckfus.
Assistant Secretary Justesen, U.S. Department of Education staff
members, and Terese Rainwater of WICHE
(Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education)-that coordinates
the Scholars Program nationally- attended several classroom presentations
at which MBRT's business volunteers spoke to ninth graders at Digital
Harbor about the importance of taking and completing rigorous coursework.
Maryland Scholars is part of MBRT's Achievement
Counts program, a nationally recognized campaign that focuses
on demonstrating to students, parents, and educators the critical
connection between achievement in school and success in the workplace
and in life.
For more information, visit www.mbrt.org
###
March 2007
Baltimore
County Website Created For – And By – Teens Helps
Students Prepare For Life After High School
BALTIMORE, MD (3/15/07) --- Thanks to the vision of Baltimore County
Executive Jim Smith and the innovations of the Maryland Business
Roundtable for Education, students in Baltimore County can connect
the dots between what they're learning today and their future careers
through a new website, launched today before an audience of high
school newspaper editors, reporters, and videographers at Dundalk
High School.
BeWhatIWantToBe.com/baltimorecounty
is the first of its kind - a localized web tool that offers Baltimore
County students rock-solid information about all kinds of careers
and how to prepare for them. The site features career profiles of
workers at dozens of Baltimore County employers, student activities
and links to careers and higher education resources available in
the County, facts about internship and scholarship opportunities
available in the County, and action steps students can take to get
on track for specific careers.
The section is part of BeWhatIWantToBe.com, a website developed
by the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education (MBRT), a non-profit
coalition of more than 100 leading employers committed to improving
student achievement in the state. Created for - and by - teens,
BeWhatIWantToBe.com enables students to explore a wide range of
career options and to understand what they need to do in school
now in order to prepare for their career choices.
The success of the broader career website spurred Baltimore County
Executive Jim Smith and MBRT to explore the feasibility of "localizing"
a portion of the site in order to showcase the resources and range
of career options available in Baltimore County.
"The website shows students that Baltimore County wants to keep
and attract young talent and has a wide range of exciting career
opportunities available, provided that students possess the prerequisite
knowledge and skills," Smith says. "Graduates will have opportunity,
and Baltimore County can continue to have a home-grown, high-quality,
world-class workforce, but only if today's students work hard and
apply themselves now."
"BeWhatIWantToBe.com allows students to see for themselves what
successful young workers do, why they chose their professions, the
rewards and challenges of their lines of work, and how they prepared
in school to succeed following graduation," notes Baltimore County
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Joe Hairston. "In short, it frames
school performance so students can see the connection between what
they're learning in school today and what it takes to be successful
professionally and personally."
The partnership includes trusted adults from other organizations
who will promote student use of the Baltimore County section of
BeWhatIWantToBe.com: Police Athletic League; Baltimore County Public
Library; Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks; the
Baltimore County Workforce Investment Board; Baltimore County Office
of Economic Development; Baltimore County Executive's Education
Advisory Board; and the county chambers of commerce.
MBRT originally created BeWhatIWantToBe.com as one part of its nationally
recognized Achievement Counts program, a comprehensive campaign
that mobilizes parents, teachers, and business volunteers to motivate
students to achieve academic success.
The website continues the conversation begun with high school students
through Achievement Counts' Speakers Bureau, a highly effective
initiative through which business volunteers enter the classroom
to discuss with students how hard work in school pays off in life.
"The teen website illustrates exciting careers, demonstrates the
kind of knowledge and skills each career requires, profiles young
workers in a variety of professions, offers facts about salaries,
job outlook, and major industry employers, and provides information
about education pathways to these careers, internships, and scholarships,"
explains MBRT Executive Director June Streckfus.
The site also contains interactive challenges for students where
virtual jobs are featured, points are accumulated for completing
certain activities, and rewards (such as iPods and gift cards) are
earned by student participants.
Industries currently profiled on BeWhatIWantToBe.com include finance,
health, teaching, aerospace, IT, telecommunications, homeland security,
building, manufacturing, and energy.
"This innovative site gives Baltimore County students a meaningful
shot at a better life," says Maryland School Superintendent Dr.
Nancy S. Grasmick. "Just as important, it sends students a strong
message that working hard and completing rigorous coursework will
pay huge dividends, regardless of whether students go on to college
or directly into the workplace after graduation."
Achievement Counts funders include: Baltimore County Government,
Bank of America, Building Congress & Exchange Foundation, Community
College of Baltimore County, CitiFinancial, CitiGroup Foundation,
Constellation Energy Group, Corporate Office Properties Trust, Dollar
General Foundation, France-Merrick Foundation, IBM Corporation,
Legg Mason, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Macht Philanthropic Fund
- The Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore M&T Bank,
Maryland Construction Trade Association, Maryland Higher Education
Commission, McCormick & Company, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,
Northrop Grumman, Pepco, Provident Bank, Space Telescope Science
Institute, T. Rowe Price Associates Foundation, TIME Center, U.S.
Department of Education (MSDE / University System of Maryland),
Verizon, Villa Julie College, Wachovia Bank.
For more information about BeWhatIWantToBe.com, visit the site www.MBRT.org
or call MBRT at 410-727-0448.
March 2007
 2006
- Year in Review
In 2006, MBRT's impact on student achievement and workforce preparedness
has broadened statewide and is affecting more than 80,000 students
each year.
Because of MBRT's efforts, in partnership with the Maryland State
Department of Education and local school systems, more students
understand the importance of academic achievement and the relevance
of workplace expectations, and more students are completing the
basics earlier and taking rigorous courses. As an honest broker,
trusted convener, credible partner, and reputable leader with an
unparalleled delivery system to students and innovative online tools
to support its efforts, MBRT has become a linchpin in statewide
- and national - efforts to ensure that today's students are well
prepared for challenging careers that will strengthen Maryland's
intellectual and economic competitiveness in the years ahead.
(Read full document 2006
Year in Review > )
|
Priorities
MBRT envisions that
achievement of our goals will result in the following realities:
- The Maryland
high school diploma signifies achievement of high standards.
- The public
carries the banner for educational excellence.
- The system
of continuous school improvement is self-sustaining.
MBRT focuses its efforts
in 2005 toward ensuring that students are well prepared for the future
workforce.
Ensure High School
Standards/Assessments Move Forward
- Communicate the
urgent need for student achievement of high standards to gubernatorial
candidates and other elected officials, school boards, and others.
- Communicate importance
of remediation and extra help for struggling students and lobby for
implementation of K-12 Interventions.
Demonstrate to
students/parents the connection between achievement in school and success
in the workplace.
- Expand Speakers
Bureau to all school districts and increase number of speakers to
2,005.
- Launch Teen website
that students, parents, and educators can use to explore and build
career options.
- Promote parent
messages through Parents Count website and at workplace.
Convince business
to recognize student achievement and use high school transcripts.
- Develop electronic
transcript through K-16 Council and pilot in 3 counties.
- Develop and market
on-line tutorial for human resources directors.
Provide advice
and technical assistance to build capacity within business community in
4 local school districts to begin to develop a model for systemic business
involvement at the district level.
Use Technology
to Support/Improve Learning, Management, and Workforce Preparedness
- Release and market
improved Maryland Plan for Technology in Education 2002-2005, that shifts
from access to effective use of technology.
- Complete analysis
and release 2005 On-Line Inventory and the Digital Divide Report.
- Support Baltimore
City Mayor's Technology in the Schools Initiative.
Ensure Adequate
Funding and Evaluating Effectiveness
Archives
September 8, 2005
Maryland
Schools Will Participate in American Diploma Project and Maryland Scholars
Baltimore, MD --- Maryland schools will participate in two new programs
designed to make certain high school graduates are prepared to enter college
or the workplace, it was announced today during the 2005 Annual Meeting
of the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education (MBRT).
see full release >
September
7, 2005
Maryland
Scholars Will Be Offered Statewide
Program Encouraging Rigorous Coursework Has Contributed to Remarkable
Results Among Low-Income, Minority Students
Baltimore, MD --- A program with a proven track record for increasing
the number of high school students who take - and complete - rigorous
coursework will be offered to school districts throughout Maryland, the
Maryland Business Roundtable for Education (MBRT) announced today at its
2005 Annual Meeting.
see full release >
June 13, 2005 MBRT
Wins PRSA's "Silver Anvil Award"
New
York, NY ---
The Maryland Business Roundtable for Education (MBRT), with its public
relations firm, Stanton
Communications, Inc., has won Public Relations Society of America’s
(PRSA) prestigious Silver Anvil Award for its “Achievement Counts” program.
Known as the “Academy Awards” of the public relations profession, the
Silver Anvil is awarded to organizations that have successfully addressed
a contemporary issue with exemplary professional skill, creativity and
resourcefulness. The national award recognizes outstanding strategic public
relations planning and implementation.
see full release >
June
13, 2005
MORE
HARFORD COUNTY STUDENTS ARE MEETING THE CHALLENGE OF RIGOROUS COURSES
Bel
Air , MD --- Data released today by the Maryland Business Roundtable for
Education (MBRT) indicate that more high school students in Harford County
are taking – and completing – high-level math and science
courses which ultimately will better position them to enter and complete
college or qualify for higher paying jobs.
The statistics compiled by MBRT – a non-profit coalition of leading
employers that have made a long-term commitment to improve student achievement
in Maryland – show that from 2003 to 2004:
- 191 more Harford
County freshmen had completed Algebra I by ninth grade (an eleven percent
increase);
- 73 more high
school students completed Chemistry (a five percent increase) and;
- 457 more seniors
completed a fourth science credit (a 48 percent increase).
see
full release >
May
19, 2005
"Challenges
to American Competitiveness in Math and Science"
Testimony
by
June E. Streckfus, Executive Director
Maryland Business Roundtable for Education
to the
U.S. House of Representatives
Committee on Education and the Workforce
Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness
The Maryland Business
Roundtable for Education (MBRT) is a statewide, nonprofit coalition of
leading employers that has made long-term commitment to support education
reform and improve student achievement in Maryland.
Since 1992, the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education has played
a major role in transforming education. Led by an outstanding Board of
top corporate CEO's, MBRT provides a consistent, strong voice: pushing
for achievement of high standards; demanding a system of education that
prepares all students for the rigor of college and the workplace; building
strong, effective partnerships with all those who have a stake in educational
excellence and a quality workforce; and challenging and motivating students
to perform at high levels.
In Maryland, the bar has been raised on what students are expected to
know when they graduate ...
see
full testimony>
May 13,
2005
MORE
FREDERICK COUNTY STUDENTS MEETING THE CHALLENGE OF RIGOROUS COURSES
Frederick, MD ---
More Frederick County high school students are taking and completing high-level
math and science courses that will enable them to enter and complete college
or to qualify for good paying jobs with decent benefits, according to
data released today by the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education
(MBRT).
Statistics
compiled by MBRT - a non-profit coalition of leading employers that have
made a long-term commitment to improve student achievement in Maryland
- indicate that in the span of one year, from 2003 to 2004:
- 336 more Frederick
County freshmen had completed Algebra I by ninth grade (a 15% increase);
- 218 more high
school students completed Algebra II (a 10% increase); and
- 488 more seniors
completed a fourth science credit (a 60% increase).
When looking at
the disaggregated data, the rate of increase in Frederick County high
schools among low-income and minority students is significant:
- 55% more students
living in poverty completed Algebra I by ninth grade;
- 57% more African
American students completed Chemistry; and
- 80% more Hispanic
students completed a fourth science credit.
see
full release >
March
22, 2005
Technology
Use in Public Schools Not Being Maximized
Tech’s Power Lies in Way It Is Used to Accelerate Student Learning,
Report Finds
BALTIMORE, MD ---
Although
Maryland’s public schools continue to boast a strong technology infrastructure,
the technology is not being used for higher-level, analytical or problem-solving
activities, according to the results of the Maryland Business Roundtable
for Education’s (MBRT) eighth annual survey of technology in public schools,
released today to the Maryland State Board of Education.
According to the new MBRT survey, only 13% of public schools statewide
report their students are using technology to display data on a daily
or almost daily basis. Only 9% of schools report that students use technology
to “manipulate, analyze, or interpret information” daily or almost daily.
“The primary objective of the state’s enormous investment in technology
is improved student learning, but that can only be achieved if students
are making effective use of those technology tools daily,” says MBRT Executive
Director June Streckfus.
“The data from this report clearly indicate that this is not happening,”
Streckfus asserts. “It is imperative that schools better prepare our students,
and technology tools can and should be key contributors to academic success.
But the benefits will not materialize if the technology is not used effectively
and frequently in the classroom.”
see full release >
September
2004
New
Parents Count Site Offers Sound
Advice To Help Kids Succeed In School
The beginning
of a new school year also marks a new start for Parents
Count, the one-stop resource where busy parents can quickly and easily
get good information, helpful tips, and sound advice to help their children
succeed academically.
Part of the nationally acclaimed Achievement
Counts campaign created by the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education
(MBRT), Parents Count utilizes a newly designed, interactive website (www.mbrt.org/parents)
to arm parents with practical, easy-to-use, and readily available strategies
for helping their children to achieve in school. MBRT has also established
a statewide network for issuing the messages through emails, newsletters,
and fact sheets to parents at their place of work and through school systems.
"Research shows that no single message affects a child more than one delivered
by his or her parent," says MBRT Executive Director June Streckfus. "That's
why we believe it is so important for parents to be effectively involved
in their children's education and to understand - and act upon - the issues
that will make a critical difference in their child's ability to meet
high standards and make wise choices as they transition from elementary
to middle to high school and onto college and the workplace."
see
full release >
September
9, 2004
MBRT Expands
Achievement Counts Program In Response To State’s High
School Requirements
BALTIMORE,
MD --- To support the state's efforts to strengthen high school graduation
requirements in 2009, the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education (MBRT)
announced plans today to intensify its nationally recognized Achievement
Counts campaign, expanding its speakers program to reach more than
75,000 middle and high school students this fall, while launching a teen
website to help students explore careers and better understand what it
takes to get a good job.
"Achievement Counts represents a comprehensive response by Maryland's
business community to ensure that high school graduates are prepared to
succeed in college, in the workplace, and in life," MBRT Executive Director
June Streckfus told an audience of 300 area business executives, educators,
and elected officials, including Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele,
during MBRT's Annual Meeting, held today in Baltimore.
see
full release >
August 24, 2004
State's
Tech Investment In Schools Is Paying Off
Problems Persist, Though, in High Poverty Areas
BALTIMORE, MD ---
As students prepare for a new school year, a report released today (Where
do we stand in 2004?) by the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education
(MBRT) indicates that the substantial investment
in technology for Maryland's public schools made by the state and local
districts, the federal government, and the private sector over the past
eight years is paying off.
According to MBRT's seventh annual survey of technology in Maryland public
schools, access to technology is at an all-time high. Overall, Maryland
has reached its goal of one high/mid capacity computer for every five
students, while 93% of all classrooms statewide are connected to the Internet.
The state also has made clear gains in how technology is being used by
students, teachers, and administrators. For example, 42% of schools now
report that students use technology to "plan, draft, proofread, revise,
and publish written text every day or almost every day," versus 34% in
the previous survey. Similarly, 49% of all schools report that students
gather information and data from the Internet, online services, and reference
software, versus 36% in the last survey.
"Maryland continues to make significant progress in maintaining its commitment
to provide all public school students with access to technology, and regular
opportunities to participate in meaningful and challenging activities
that make use of technology," says MBRT Executive Director June Streckfus.
see
full release >
October 2003
AWS PRESIDENT
NAMED NATIONAL FRIEND OF EDUCATION FOR 2003
BALTIMORE, MD ---
Robert
S. Marshall, President of AWS,
Inc., is the recipient of the 2003 National Friend of Education Award,
presented annually by the National Association of State Boards of Education
(NASBE).
Marshall, who chairs the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education's
(MBRT) Committee on Technology
in Education, was honored by NASBE for his pioneering work in developing
an on-line system for tracking technology inventory in Maryland's public
schools.
"Bob Marshall has revolutionized Maryland's ability not only to collect
data on what technology is in our schools, but also to analyze and report
how that technology is being used, how it is impacting learning, and where
it is not being utilized effectively," says MBRT Executive Director June
Streckfus.
MBRT's Committee on Technology in Education is responsible for the development,
implementation, and monitoring of the Maryland Plan for Technology in
Education. The Plan was approved by the State Board of Education in December
1998.
"Bob has made a significant, lasting impact on our public education system
and on the lives of students in Maryland," says Brenda Welburn, NASBE
Executive Director. "He has played a key role in helping the state narrow
the digital divide among students. In addition, through his work with
AWS, he has broadened the application of technology in schools across
the nation."
AWS, which Marshall
co-founded, is a pioneer in developing engaging educational tools for
schools and colleges. The company's core offering, WeatherNet
Classroom, is a unique, Web-based weather teaching tool that uses
live weather data to enhance student achievement.
Previous winners of NASBE's Friend of Education Award include Microsoft
Chairman Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda, Intel Corporation Vice President
Keith L. Thomson, and Paula Harper Bethea, Chair Emeritus of the United
Way of America's Board of Governors.
The Friend of Education Award will be presented to Mr. Marshall Saturday
evening, October 18, at the President's Dinner as part of NASBE's 2003
Annual Conference. The conference is being held at the Wyndham Inner Harbor
Hotel in Baltimore.
The Maryland Business Roundtable for Education is a coalition of more
than 100 major Maryland employers committed to improving student achievement
in the state.
# # #
Maryland Plan
for Technology in Education 2002-2005
Since
1995, significant progress has been made in establishing a strong technology
infrastructure in our schools and providing access to that technology.
Steady progress has also been made with regard to the knowledge and skill
levels of our teachers in using the basic technology. However, only
limited progress has been made toward the effective and seamless integration
of technology across the instructional program. Little progress
has been made in what research has shown to be the most effective use
for improved student learning - namely the application of technology and
digital content to engage students and foster higher level critical thinking
and problem solving skills. In addition, new technology and applications
to support learning and improve administrative functions are developing
at a rapid rate. It is in this light that Committee on Technology
in Education has developed this revised three-year plan for 2002-2005.
To view this report, go to http://www.msde.state.md.us/technology/md_tech_plan.html.
To view the Press Release, click
here.
ACHIEVEMENT COUNTS:
- Speakers Bureau
In an effort to
motivate students to perform at higher levels, MBRT is reaching out
to 9th grade students to let them know that business values their
performance in high school and that employers will be asking to see
their transcripts as part of the hiring process. A speakers
bureau was established to make interactive classroom presentations
in Maryland high schools. (View the Speakers
Bureau page)
- Parents Count
We're kicking
off the MBRT's new monthly series of web and workplace messages for
parents. Every month between September and June , MBRT will
release a letter to employees, package of articles, fact sheets and
e-mail messages giving helpful information and pointers on a specific
topic of great interest to parents of school-aged children.
The idea is to better enable parents to help their children do their
best in school. (View the Parents
Count page)
ANNUAL MEETINGS:
TECHNOLOGY:
- Effective
Practices for Using Technology in Maryland Schools
The Maryland Business
Roundtable for Education is pleased to provide this online report
highlighting effective uses of technology in Maryland Schools. The
report was compiled by MBRT’s Committee on Technology in Education
(COTE) which is comprised of leading experts and representatives from
business, higher education and state and local public education.
COTE would like to thank the teachers and administrators across Maryland
that put time and effort into documenting their use of technology.
Through efforts like this we hope to expand the effective use of technology
with a goal of improving student achievement in all Maryland Schools.
To view this report,
click here.
- Measuring
Up: Maryland's Progress in Using Technology in Schools
Results of the
1999 Teacher Technology Survey - a comprehensive questionnaire through
which teachers provide information about the use of technology in
their schools.
To view
this report, click here.
(To view this document, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader.)
Download
Adobe Acrobat Reader here
WORKFORCE
NEEDS SURVEY:
- 1999 Workforce
Needs Survey Release
During the
summer of 1999, we conducted the second Workforce Skills Survey among
Maryland employers to help identify skills gaps, plan for future workforce
needs, and gauge employer satisfaction with recent high school graduates.
Results were released on October 21, 1999. For more information,
please visit: Workforce
Needs Survey 1999
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