Academy for Advancing Technology Leadership and Education in Schools (ATLES) New from MA-TLC: a Request for Proposals to participate in an incredible, grant-funded professional development opportunity Introducing ATLES Academy (Academy for Advancing Technology Leadership and Education in Schools) The Massachusetts Technology Leadership Consortium (MA-TLC) is pleased to announce a new leadership academy designed to help district and school leaders work as a team to address the challenges specific to their own schools and districts. This team-based professional development opportunity, worth several thousand dollars, is made available at no cost to districts through a grant from The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Unlike many programs that only focus on a planning institute, ATLES will provide resources and reinforcement to teams in advance of the institute and during the implementation process. Support from Academy professional staff starts before the first group meeting and continues throughout the school year. ATLES is based on a combination of three proven professional development models: MA-TLC’s own “Core Program for Superintendents and Principals,” the Authentic Task Approach developed by Learning Innovations at WestEd and the TCI Leadership Program developed by Mass Networks Education Partnership. ATLES is a partnership of Massachusetts Elementary School Principals Association (MESPA), Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), TERC, and Mass Networks Educational Partnership (MNEP). Program Details Teams will attend a four-day Institute held during the summer of 2004. Prior to the institute, an ATLES facilitator assigned to each team will help the group prepare for the institute in order to maximize value from the program. The facilitator will stay with the team during the Institute and provide up to two additional days of support during the following school year, including research, material development, or consultation in person or via telephone or email. Dates: Two sessions will be held: The evening of Sunday, June 27 through the afternoon of Thursday, July 1 The evening of Sunday, Aug. 1 through the afternoon of Thursday, Aug. 5 Place: The MESPA Education and Technology Center in Marlborough, MA Expenses: Accepted teams will be granted up to $5,000 to be used for professional development or other non-equipment costs of implementing their action plan. A grant from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will cover almost all expenses associated with participation in the ATLES Academy, including overnight accommodations at the summer institute (if requested), food, and materials. Districts are responsible for the cost of transportation and other expenses that arise during the preparation for and attendance at program events, as well those costs required for implementation of the action plan (beyond the $5,000 grant). These district expenses may include substitutes, stipends, materials, and equipment. Application deadline/info: All applications must be received or postmarked by March 15, 2004. The MA-TLC Executive Committee is responsible for overseeing the evaluation of all applications. You can submit your completed application form by email, fax, or by postal mail, or you can call the MESPA Education and Technology Center at 508-624-0500 to request that an application be sent to you. For more information about school or district tasks that are effectively addressed with the ATA approach, view these examples. Electronic Application Form Other than Section I, which you must sign and send to MESPA, you may complete this form digitally and email it as an attachment to mespa@mespa.org. Use this form only if you wish to complete your application digitally using Microsoft Word. To fill in the field forms, double-click the shaded area and replace the text with your information. You may also print it out and fax it to MESPA at 508-485-9965. You may also send a hard copy of this completed document to MESPA at MA-TLC, c/o MESPA, 28 Lord Road, Suite 125, Marlborough, MA 01752. Hand Application Form Use this form only if you wish to complete your application by printing it out and filling it in by hand or with a typewriter. You may fax your completed application to MESPA at 508-485-9965. You may also mail it to MESPA at MA-TLC, c/o MESPA, 28 Lord Road, Suite 125, Marlborough, MA 01752. Team Composition: Each team can have 4 to 7 members including key staff who bring an understanding of the challenge being addressed and the authority to design and implement an action plan. The team can be district-wide or school-based, depending on the problem to be addressed. Team members should be listed in Part II of the ATLES Academy application and should include some or all of the following positions, as appropriate: District leaders (superintendent, senior district administrators responsible for curriculum, professional development, or technology) School leaders (principal, department chairs, curriculum leaders, teacher leaders, technology integration specialists) Union leader (encouraged) Teachers Selection criteria: In MA-TLC's evaluation of each application, points will be assigned according to the factors below. All teams are encouraged to apply, even if they are not identified for improvement or are considered high need by the MA DOE. The overall quality of the proposal The suitability of the team composition for the problem being addressed; The presence on the team of one or more alumni of the MA-TLC "Core Program for School Leaders;" The district or school is "Identified for Improvement in Cycle II" by the MA DOE The district is identified as "High Need" by the MA DOE What is MA-TLC? The Massachusetts Technology Leadership Consortium (MA-TLC) was established in the spring of 2000 to develop a program of activities to support educational leaders in public, private and parochial schools throughout Massachusetts in putting technology to effective use to improve teaching and learning. The Consortium is a collaboration of five organizations that are collectively responsible for designing and implementing the program: Massachusetts Elementary Schools Principals Association (MESPA) Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (M.A.S.S.) Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) Mass Networks Education Partnership (MNEP) TERC This consortium receives funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation State Challenge Grant for Leadership Development program for comprehensive professional development activities that enable school and district leaders throughout Massachusetts to increase their abilities to lead systemic educational improvement efforts that include high standards for all students; inquiry-based teaching practices; multiple forms of assessment; effective team-building; data-driven decision making; and effective uses of technology in the classroom and for administrative functions. Site updated February 26, 2004 © M.A.S.S., MESPA, EDC, HARVARD, MNEP, TERC, 2000-2004 Web site developed by EDC, Center for Online Professional Development (COPE)