EDUCATORS DREAM OF AN X-FACTOR
Erin Lichty, X-factor winner, (right) looks on as Principal Travis Lichty and technology director Cathy Barnett taste cookies that Lichty's third-graders baked.
The second annual DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION X-Factor Student Achievement Grant was launched last spring, with the exclusive sponsorship of AutoSkill International, a company that creates intervention software solutions to help close the proficiency gap in K12 schools.
In 500 words or less, educators were asked, "What kind of program could you build to change the lives of your struggling students?" Applicants had to meet several criteria: They had to represent U.S. public school districts and propose a new school program. Their ideas had to be highly creative, with a focus on improving reading and math performance among at-risk, English Language Learner, low-income, minority or special education students. Proposals had to incorporate AutoSkill's Academy of READING or Academy of MATH as a central component, and entries were judged on the basis of four criteria: (1)scale—each idea had to be transferable to any size school district; (2)speed—an idea could not take long to implement; (3)sensibility—each idea needed to be practical; (4)success—results needed to be measurable.
Entries were submitted online with a deadline of October 15, 2008. We received hundreds of applications and were impressed by the quality and variety of the solutions that districts across the nation came up with. The ideas spanned the spectrum from skills-based technology reward programs to student-parent empowerment programs. This program brought us, the editors of this magazine, closer to our readership and your everyday challenges. We got a firsthand look at what we knew to be true —that districts nationwide are struggling to find affordable ways to raise achievement levels for the changing population of K12 students in the United States, and that administrators are dedicated and passionate about reaching all students. As an added plus, John Corcoran, reading expert and renowned author, worked with us as a guest judge.
We are pleased to announce that the winner of the 2008 X-Factor Student Achievement Grant, which includes $20,000 in seed money and $30,000 in software and services, is Erin Lichty, a teacher in the Antwerp Local School District in Ohio, for the Cookie Academy Project. Special needs students at Antwerp School will soon be enhancing their math, reading and technology skills through the formation of a cookie business. Their traditional classroom will be transformed into an interactive computing environment where they will integrate the new AutoSkill software with an interactive whiteboard, a projector and wireless tablets.
Two finalists were also selected. Donna Payne, curriculum director of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh Charter School in Pennsylvania, was chosen for her school's Living and Learning Arcade, an after-school program combining learning and competitive gaming. Kayla Ross, account secretary and grant coordinator of the Sulphur Bluff Independent School District in Texas, was selected for her district’s Reading Achievement Program for Individual Development (RAPID). Both finalists will be awarded a one-year unlimited site license for Academy of READING and Academy of MATH, plus the implementation and training required to get up and running on the programs, a $25,000 value.
Congratulations to the winners, and honorable mentions, and thank you to all who participated.
Editor
District Administration
