Futurekids Participates In Groundbreaking New Research Study Commissioned By U.S. Department Of Education
 
LONG BEACH, Calif. – (February 10, 2001) – Futurekids, Inc., a leading provider of educational technology solutions, in partnership with Newsome Park Elementary School will participate in a groundbreaking new research study called the Integrated Studies of Educational Technology (ISET). The study will be conducted by SRI (Stanford Research Institute International) on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education’s Planning and Evaluation Service.

“We are extremely honored to be a part of this landmark study. We anticipate that the conclusions will mirror our mission to help schools become futureschools by integrating real-life applications of technology into the teaching and learning process,” said Rick Harrell, Futurekids’ Vice President of the School Group. “Futurekids is truly catalytic in this transformative process. Partnering with Futurekids will facilitate the paradigm shift occurring in education today, resulting in more active and engaged learning brought about by an increased investment in technology training.”

The ISET study will focus on the success factors that contribute to effective vendor-school relationships regarding professional development in the use of technology. The purpose of the study is to discover how states, districts, administrators, and teachers perceive the current state of professional development in educational technology, and to determine what the best practices are for its use in schools and classrooms.

“Futurekids training solidified the collaborative learning model that is the vision of Newsome Park Elementary’s professional development of teachers in the use of technology,” said Pete Bender, Principal. “Student learning at Newsome Park significantly increased in every subject area, as measured by the increase of the 2000 Virginia Standards of Learning scores. The Futurekids curriculum allows the teachers to actively learn, practice and implement the use of technology as a tool to increase student learning.”

Additional research questions will focus on the contextual factors, such as strategies, resources, leadership, and evaluation that contribute to effective professional development in educational technology, and the circumstances under which the instructional use of technology results in significant changes in teaching and learning.

Analysis derived from the ISET study will provide the U.S. Department of Education with the critical data it needs to enable policymakers to make informed decisions about future federal investments in educational technology. This in turn will empower teachers with the learning tools they need to ensure students’ professional success in an increasingly technology-based world.
 
About Futurekids
Futurekids is the premier provider of technology teacher training solutions for schools and universities around the world. Futurekids has a 22-year record of success in technology education. Their core competency is providing technology training as it relates to teaching and learning. They have relationships and achievements with many key educational partners such as Intel, IBM and Dell.  Futurekids is privately owned with headquarters in Los Angeles, CA. For more information on Futurekids, please visit http://www.futurekids.com/.

Newsome Park Elementary School
Newsome Park Elementary School is part of the Newport News Public School District, in Newport News, Virginia. The school commenced its partnership with Futurekids in the spring of 1999 to encourage the professional development of teachers in relation to technology-curriculum integration.