Alliance for Excellent Education Announces 2016 Future Ready Schools Summits and Workshops

Registration is now open for the 2016 Future Ready Schools (FRS) national summits and workshops to help school district leaders improve teaching and student learning outcomes through the effective use of technology. A project of the Alliance for Excellent Education, FRS is partnering with the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to offer free, two-day summits for school district teams to work with Future Ready facilitators to jump start their planning efforts and refine their vision for personalized student learning. FRS is also offering free, one-day training workshops to utilize the comprehensive FRS dashboard and learn how to systemically plan using the five-step planning process.

"With the new Every Student Succeeds Act requiring district planning efforts, Future Ready Schools provides the guidance and support for district leaders to create personalized learning environments in schools using technology to leverage quality teaching and better student outcomes," said Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia. "These summits and workshops are an opportunity for district leaders to learn, collaborate, and plan, with the goal of improving learning experiences for all students, particularly those from traditionally underserved communities."

Future Ready Schools Summits
The national summits are open to leadership teams from school districts where the superintendent has signed the Future Ready District Pledge-a commitment to implementing meaningful changes toward a digital learning transition that supports teachers and addresses the district's vision for student learning. More than 2,100 district superintendents nationwide have already taken the pledge.

Each summit enables FRS district leadership teams to set a shared vision for student learning; create action plans for digital learning; and network with other regional leaders who are engaged in FRS. To solve specific issues facing district teams, participants will have access to national experts, regional colleagues, and successful implementation examples, The district teams will engage in facilitated conversations, networking activities, and team planning opportunities.

The schedule for the 2016 FRS national summits is as follows:

  1. April 25-26: Austin, Texas
  2. May 19-20: Seattle, Washington
  3. June 2-3: Orlando, Florida
  4. June 14-15: Madison, Wisconsin
  5. November 14-15: Boston, Massachusetts

Future Ready Schools Workshops
These new one-day workshops offer school district FRS project managers hands-on training focused on the FRS dashboard-a comprehensive online planning tool to help school districts assess readiness, gather input, and create an action plan for digital learning through a five-step planning process. During the workshops, participants will gain an understanding of the dashboard and its various components. Designed for individuals, this training will provide project managers with tangible strategies for engaging team members in the effective use of the dashboard as an interactive, collaborative action planning tool.

The schedule for the 2016 national workshops is as follows:

  1. September 8: Salt Lake City, Utah
  2. September 29: Fort Thomas, Kentucky
  3. October 20: Albuquerque, New Mexico
  4. November 1: Washington, DC

Registration for the summits and workshops is now open online at futureready.org/summits.

Featured

  • Pangram Secures Funding for AI Detection Technology

    Pangram, which provides technology that detects AI-generated text, recently announced that it has secured nearly $4 million in pre-seed and seed funding, according to a news release. The most recent round of investments, totaling $2.7 million, come on top of the pre-existing seed fund of $1.25 million.

  • Empowering People Through Smart, Sustainable Campuses

    Sustainability is facing increasing scrutiny, with some questioning its costs and priorities. Yet for universities, it remains an essential driver of resilience, operational efficiency and long-term competitiveness. At the same time, there is a growing recognition that sustainable transformation is not just about reducing energy consumption and emissions to comply with tightening regulations ‒ it’s about creating vibrant, comfortable environments where people can thrive, innovate and connect. For university leadership, this is a complex balancing act, with rising energy costs and limited budgets only adding to the challenge.

  • Fellowes Launches New 3D Modular, Product Configurators

    Contract interiors and architectural solutions provider Fellowes recently announced the launch of new 3D modular and product configurators for several of its product lines, according to a news release. The new products offer SIF file integration and pricing for the Volo, Markerboards, Sena, and Rising product lines in connection with 3D Cloud, which provides 3D product visualization and 3D digital asset management.

  • Epson Receives Seven AV Industry Awards

    Projectors manufacturer Epson recently announced that it received multiple awards across the Higher Ed AV Awards, SCN Stellar Service Awards, and InfoComm 2025, according to a news release. The company was recognized for three projectors from its PowerLite L-Series line, accessories, installation process, and its customer support team.

Digital Edition