Mississippi e -Learning for Educators:

1. Mississippi e-Learning for Educators: Reaching Teachers Across the State

2. The e-Learning for Educators Initiative is a five-year initiative funded by a U.S. Department of Education Ready to Teach Grant.

3. MS is one of 8 participating states in the grant. Alabama Delaware Kentucky Mississippi Missouri New Hampshire Pennsylvania West Virginia E-Learning for Education Partners Education Development Center (EDC) Boston College Technology and Assessment Study Collaborative Public Broadcasting Stations E-Learning for Education Partners

4. Delivering Online Professional Development Courses Meeting state and district needs EDC Training Local Educators to Instruct and Develop Online Professional Development Courses EDC Facilitator Training Course (10 weeks) EDC Developer Training Course (10 weeks) Evaluating the Effect of MS Delivery of Online Professional Development Pre and Post Course Surveys BC Conducting Research on the Effect of High Quality Online Professional Development Separate research courses for participating teachers Components of the e-Learning for Educators Initiative

5. Office of Leadership and Professional Development • Provide all school personnel with a strong professional development curriculum • Professional development that will help address state-wide teacher quality needs and impact student achievement • Online learning can help school districts meet the challenge of providing effective professional development for teachers and administrators

6. E-Learning for Educator Initiative • Designed to help states meet critical requirements for improving student achievement • Seeks to address the needs of students in high-poverty, low-achieving schools

7. Partnership Concept

8. MS e-Learning Partnerships

9. Educator Licensure • Largest partnership with the MS eLearning for Educator Initiative • Interim One-Year Alternate Route Certification • Online Professional Development Institute (OPDI) was created • State Board of Education has made OPDI state policy • Committed to training 1800 teachers online January-May 2008

10. MS Teacher Center • Recruiting and Retaining Educators for America’s Children (REACH) Program. • E-Learning will provide on-line professional development course offerings to first year elementary and secondary teachers. • Incentives are contingent on completion of the online professional development workshop.

11. Innovative Support • School Improvement Division works collaboratively with School Support Teams to support LEAs with schools not meeting Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) • 71 MS schools not meeting AYP. • E-Learning for Educator Initiative will be utilized to meet the professional development mandate under NCLB for high need school districts • Research Study

12. MS has trained 36 facilitators and 24 workshop designers 115 workshops in 2007 90 workshops in 2008 2128 participants completed 2007 2300 enrollments in 2008 Average 10 workshops monthly Continuing Education Units (CEUs) issued-1,657 Research Study-64 MS teachers participating Course Development- 9 courses(2007) 4 courses are currently in development Instructional Leadership Depth of Knowledge Fit, Healthy, and Ready to Succeed Special Education: Inclusion Quick Facts

13. Survey Outcomes

14. Pre-Post Differences statistically significant (p. < .0001) Pre-FollowUp, Post-FollowUp Differences not statistically significant (p. = .37) No stat. sign. interaction (p. = .07) *State 8 shows a different pattern (T2-T3) than the other states, 1 stat. diff between states 1 and 8, p. = .04)

17. Quick Facts Quick Facts • More than 50% of the teachers report improvements in their instructional practices • 90% agree that when they used the eFE content in class, students appeared more interested in class • 89% agree that when they use eFE content, students had their diverse learning needs met • 84% agree that when they use eFE content, students showed better academic performance in content areas

18. Testimonials

19. I have really enjoyed this class.  I hope that the State Department continues to offer opportunities like this. My lesson plan will actually be carried out this year, as much as possible. I want to do the full plan next year. I changed it a little due to some exciting developments. I actually found someone who is going to provide us with Luna Moth eggs. I'm not sure who is going to enjoy this more. Thanks to everyone for all of the great input. I know that what I have learned will have a great impact on how I instruct my future students. I hope that everyone's upcoming summer is very relaxing for you! I really enjoyed this class. I learned a lot of new ideas on how to teach and assess different learning styles for students. I enjoyed all of the post and all of the responses. I especially want to thank Ms. Patterson and MDE for sponsoring this course. I hope we get the opportunity to continue these workshops.

20. I have really enjoyed this online class and the ideas and activities others have introduced. It has made me rethink many of the activities from the classroom and peaked my interest in finding new ways to help my special education students. Hope everyone enjoys the rest of the school year and your summer. • I have enjoyed this workshop/class.  It has refreshed my memory of learning styles.  I learned them while going through school, but that has been many years ago.  I had forgotten about some of them.  I plan to use them in my teaching now that I have been reminded of them.  My special needs students can not always learn by using the traditional ways of teaching.  I will be using many of the ideas I have learned in this class with my students. 

21. Questions Katrina Merriwether Mississippi Department of Education Division Director II kmerriwether@mde.k12.ms.us 601-359-3954