Educator Engagement Contract Awarded

PARCC EDUCATOR ENGAGEMENT CONTRACT AWARDED TO NATIONAL MATH AND SCIENCE INITIATIVE

 Washington, D.C. – June 19, 2012 – The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), a 24-state consortium working together to create next generation assessments in English language arts/literacy and mathematics, has selected the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) to lead the facilitation and management of the Educator Leader Cadres (ELCs). Through this effort, NMSI will support state efforts to build a growing network of K-12 educators and higher education faculty directly involved in Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and PARCC implementation efforts.

"Educator expertise is crucial to successfully implementing the Common Core State Standards and the new assessments," said Ohio Superintendent of Public Instruction Stan Heffner. "As a result of the PARCC Educator Leader Cadres, teachers will receive information and tools to support implementation of CCSS and PARCC through a practitioner's lens."

The Educator Leader Cadres – made up of 24-member teams of K-16 educators – will meet face-to-face and online to build expertise in the CCSS and PARCC; review sample tasks, items, and state-developed instructional materials; and guide and share best practices around state and local implementation efforts. By engaging in these efforts, the cadres will become leaders in CCSS and PARCC implementation and work to create a leadership network in every PARCC state made up of K-16 educators. These educator leaders can then provide support throughout their states, assisting regional and district efforts to prepare teachers for the upcoming transitions in peer-to-peer workshops and trainings.

"NMSI brings an excellent track record and substantial experience facilitating large groups of educators and preparing them to provide professional learning opportunities and share information with other educators," said Doug Sovde, Director, PARCC Instructional Supports and Educator Engagement. "The Educator Leader Cadres will establish a process for states to interact with education leaders and classroom teachers throughout their schools."

The National Math and Science Initiative submitted a proposal that provided innovative approaches to meeting the goals established by PARCC for the educator leader cadres. NMSI demonstrated superior logistical capabilities, including a schedule that directly addresses the timelines associated with the PARCC project; innovative solutions to organizational challenges, significantly minimizing costs to align with the estimated PARCC budget; and provided thoughtful approaches to the design and development of both face-to-face convenings and online convenings, utilizing robust and flexible technologies. NMSI has a strong network of proven partners and subcontractors, with a track record of successfully supporting the travel and logistics of convenings of this size and complexity.

PARCC received a grant as part of the federal Race to the Top Assessment Program to support state transition to and implementation of the CCSS and the PARCC assessment system. The Educator Leader Cadres are a major component of that grant.

Each PARCC state developed a process to select their ELC members. The first meeting to bring some of the ELC members together will take place this summer.

NMSI, launched in 2007 by leaders in business, education and science, works to improve student achievement in math and science across the American public school system. NMSI brings best practices to the education sector by replicating programs on a national scale that have more than 10 years of positive results. Through its teacher training division, Laying the Foundation, NMSI specializes in professional development for educators and has trained more than 36,000 teachers in this capacity. The organization, which has already developed Common Core State Standards resources and training for teachers, will train more than 10,000 teachers in 2012 alone.

Media Contact: Chad Colby (202) 419-1570, [email protected]