SMALL SCHOOLS PROJECT
In cities and states across the nation, schools and districts are creating small high schools or converting existing comprehensive schools into multiple small schools. These new and redesigned small schools demonstrate their success not only with test scores and satisfaction surveys, but also by demonstrating what students can do.

AMERICAN DEPLOMA PROJECT
For too many graduates, the American high school diploma signifies only a broken promise. While students and their parents may still believe that the diploma reflects adequate preparation for the intellectual demands of college or work, employers and postsecondary institutions know that it often serves as little more than a certificate of attendance. This site offers innovation and refreshment toward education reform designed to attach credibility to the American high school diploma.

THE EDUCATION TRUST
The Education Trust works for the high academic achievement of all students at all levels, kindergarten through college. The Education Trust focuses on the institutions most often left behind in plans to improve education— those serving concentrations of low-income, Latino, African American or Native American students.

EDUCATION/EVOLVING
This site describes ...generally approves and advocates...the quite radical changes now appearing in K-12 education. Be aware: Its perspective does depart somewhat from conventional thinking.

AVIDONLINE
AVID is an acronym that stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination. It is an in-school academic support program for grades 5-12 that prepares students for college eligibility and success. This site explains the process completely.

ACHIEVE, INC.
Achieve, Inc., is an independent, bipartisan, non-profit organization created by the nation's governors and corporate leaders to help states raise academic standards, improve assessments and strengthen accountability to prepare all young people for postsecondary education, work and citizenship.

EDUCATION COMMISSION OF THE STATES (ECS)
ECS keeps policymakers on the leading edge of what's happening in the states by gathering, analyzing and disseminating information about current and emerging issues, trends and innovations in state education policy. Staff specialists work in conjunction with ECS' Distinguished Senior Fellows, a team of nationally recognized experts on today's most critical education issues.

ANNENBURG INSTITUTE FOR SCHOOL REFORM
The Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University develops, shares and acts on knowledge that improves the conditions and outcomes of schooling in America, especially in urban communities and in schools serving disadvantaged children.

THE MILWAUKEE IDEA
The Milwaukee Idea is an initiative to forge vital and long-lasting community-university partnerships that enhance the quality of life for all and is committed to collaborative effort, the advancement of diversity and the creation of fundamental change for college campuses and their communities.

THE BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION
This site features articles about projects in Education, Global Health and other humanitarian topics which the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation funds through its extensive and generous grant program.

REFORM K12
ReformK12 serves as a forum for commentary and news relating to effective and practical education reform. Its founders strongly believe it is possible to transform our nation's schools, as long as we are working in the right direction.

EDUCATION LEADERSHIP TOOL KIT
A project of the National School Boards Foundation implemented by NSBA's Institute for the Transfer of Technology to Education with a grant from the National Science Foundation, this toolkit is a collection of tips and pointers, articles, case studies and other resources for education leaders addressing issues around technology and education.

THE CAMPAIGN FOR COLLEGE OPPORTUNITY
The Campaign for College Opportunity is a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization solely devoted to ensuring that the next generation of college-age students in California has the chance to go to college as promised by the state 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education.

NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL ALLIANCE
The National High School Alliance (HS Alliance) is a partnership of nearly fifty organizations representing a diverse cross-section of perspectives and approaches, but sharing a common commitment to promoting the excellence, equity, and development of high school-age youth.

COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS
Communities In Schools champions the connection of needed community resources with schools to help young people successfully learn, stay in school, and prepare for life.

SCHOOLMATTERS
SchoolMatters gives policymakers, educators, and parents the tools they need to make better-informed decisions that improve student performance. SchoolMatters will educate, empower, and engage education stakeholders.

AMERICA'S PROMISE
America’s Promise is a collaborative network that builds upon collective power of communities and partners to help fulfill the Five Promises for every young person in America.

THINK.COM
Think.com is a protected online environment for schools worldwide, providing a suite of tools for email, website publishing, research, discussion, and project collaboration. It's 100% free and contains no advertising.

THINKQUEST
ThinkQuest is an international competition in which students and teachers are challenged to create the best educational websites. These sites are hosted in the ThinkQuest Library, a rich resource used by millions worldwide. Winners receive a trip to ThinkQuest Live and other valuable prizes.

MERRILL EDUCATION'S LINK TO TECHNOLOGY
Topics on this site include Technology and Society, Problem Solving, Learning Theory, Word Processing, Databases, Spreadsheets, Multimedia, Graphics, Internet, Distance Education, and specific content areas (language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and interdisciplinary areas).

MINDTOOLS
On this site, mindtools is described as a way of using a computer application program to engage learners in constructive, higher-order, critical thinking about the subjects they are studying. The learner enters an intellectual partnership with the computer and begins to access and interpret information, and organize personal knowledge in new ways. Mindtools are computer-based tools and learning environments which serve as extensions of the mind.

THE CRITICAL THINKING COMMUNITY
The Center for Critical Thinking and Moral Critique and the Foundation For Critical thinking, two sister educational non-profit organizations, work closely together to promote educational reform. It seeks to promote essential change in education and society through the cultivation of fair-minded critical thinking.

COLLEGE OPTIONS
College OPTIONS is a collaboration between California’s two major public university systems, local community colleges, local private colleges and universities, the county offices of education, the California Education Round Table Intersegmental Coordinating Committee (ICC) and The McConnell Foundation of Redding, California.

LOW INCOME INVESTMENT FUND
The Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF) is dedicated to creating pathways of opportunity for low income people and communities. LIIF fosters healthy communities by providing a bridge between private capital markets and low income neighborhoods. By investing capital and providing technical assistance to community development organizations, LIIF spurs economic advancement for the very poor.

THE DIALOG FOUNDATION
The Dialog Foundation was founded in 1997 by a group of community activists in Southern California to foster a common dialogue and understanding among people and cultures through educational, cultural and scientific activities. It is based on the idea that science and education are the two important means to improve our society and that with their efficient use can people from different walks of life come to a point where they can contribute to the well-being of society.

CHARTER SCHOOL BUSINESS
Charter School Business is a monthly newsletter dealing with business and financial issues facing charter schools. It contains an archive of all of the past issues of the newsletter and a "sign up sheet" where one can request to be put on the email list or fax list.

NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools is the national nonprofit organization committed to advancing the charter school movement. Its ultimate goal is to increase the number of high-performing charter schools available to all families, particularly low-income and minority families who currently don't have access to quality public schools. The Alliance provides assistance to state charter school associations and resource centers, develops and advocates for improved public policies, and serves as the united voice for this large and diverse movement.

THE TEACHERS' LOUNGE
This site allows teachers to post their lesson plans and resources and to work collaboratively to refine and perfect them.

CREATING A PORTFOLIO OF GREAT HIGH SCHOOLS
This site, created by the Bill & Me linda Gates Foundation, offers examples of creative and effective high school models.

HIGH TECH HIGH SCHOOLS
Another Gates Foundation site and features the unique approach to public education through the use and teaching of technology.

CENTER FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP (CASE)
A research and education center based at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, CASE promotes the entrepreneurial pursuit of social impact through the thoughtful adaptation of business expertise. Since its founding in 2002, CASE has sought to translate knowledge into effective entrepreneurial practice and help build the emerging field of social entrepreneurship.

SKOLL FOUNDATION: BACKGROUND ON SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
The Skoll Foundation was created by Jeff Skoll in 1999 to pursue his vision of a world where all people, regardless of geography, background or economic status, enjoy and employ the full range of their talents and abilities. Skoll, who was the first employee and first President of eBay, believes that strategic investments in the right people can lead to lasting social change.

THE INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS
The Institute for Social Entrepreneurs provides seminars, workshops and consulting services for social entrepreneurs in the United States and around the world.

WIKIPEDIA FREE ENCYCLOPEDIA ON SOCIAL ENTREPRENURSHIP
Since its creation in 2001, Wikipedia has rapidly grown into the largest reference website on the Internet. The content of Wikipedia is free, and is written collaboratively by people from all around the world. This website is a wiki, which means that anyone with access to an Internet-connected computer can edit, correct, or improve information throughout the encyclopedia, simply by clicking the edit this page link (with a few minor exceptions, such as protected articles and the main page).

TEACHER QUALIFICATION INDEX (TQI)
The TQI developed for this website is a standardized rating system that reflects the credential status and experience level of teachers at each public K-12 school in California.

HIGH SCHOOLS THAT WORK
High Schools That Work is the nation’s largest and fastest-growing effort to combine challenging academic courses and modern vocational studies to raise the achievement of high school students.

EDSOURCE ONLINE: STANDARDS AND CURRICULUM OVERVIEW
This site helps to understand the sometimes complex nature of education standards and curriculum. It also offers an extensive glossary of educational terms and many links to other public education sites.

EPOCH LEARNING
Epoch Learning is a consulting firm specializing in the use of technology to improve learning for all ages. Through training, eLearning, media production, strategic consulting, and product development it helps education organizations get the most out of technology.

PROMISING AND EFFECTIVE PRACTICES NETWORK (PETNet)
PETNet, a division of U.S. Department of Labor's National Youth Employment Coalition, is a system for enhancing the quality of programs that link young people (ages 12 to 25) to work and education to promote a successful transition to adulthood.

EAST BAY CONSERVATION CORPS (EBCC)
EBCC is a comprehensive, nonprofit educational organization located in Oakland, California. Its mission is to promote youth development through environmental stewardship and community service and to further education reform and social change.

PARTNERSHIP FOR 21ST CENTURY SKILLS
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has emerged as the leading advocacy organization focused on infusing 21st century skills into education. The organization brings together the business community, education leaders, and policymakers to define a powerful vision for 21st century education to ensure every child's success as citizens and workers in the 21st century. The Partnership encourages schools, districts and states to advocate for the infusion of 21st century skills into education and provides tools and resources to help facilitate and drive change.

CARNEGIE FOUNDATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF TEACHING
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching is an independent policy and research center with a primary mission "to do and perform all things necessary to encourage, uphold, and dignify the profession of the teacher and the cause of higher education."

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE ORGANIZATION (IBO)
The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) is an international non-profit educational foundation, founded in 1968 in Geneva, Switzerland. The organization's original intent was to provide schools with an international curriculum which would be acceptable to universities around the world. This idea led to the creation of the IB Diploma Programme. The Middle Years Programme and Primary Years Programme were created in 1994 and 1997 respectively, allowing the IBO to offer educational programmes from the age of three to the end of the secondary level.

CURRIKI
Curriki is an online environment created to support the development and free distribution of world-class educational materials to anyone who needs them. Its name is a play on the combination of 'curriculum' and 'wiki' which is the technology it uses to make education universally accessible.

WIKIPEDIA
Since its creation in 2001, Wikipedia has rapidly grown into the largest reference Web site on the Internet. The content of Wikipedia is free, and is written collaboratively by people from all around the world. This Web site is a wiki, which means that anyone with access to an Internet-connected computer can edit, correct, or improve information throughout the encyclopedia, simply by clicking the edit this page link (with a few minor exceptions, such as protected articles and the main page).

COALITION OF ESSENTIAL SCHOOLS (CES)
Coalition of Essential Schools has been at the forefront of creating and sustaining personalized, equitable, and intellectually challenging schools. Essential schools are places of powerful student learning where all students have the chance to reach their fullest potential.

CALIFORNIA BUSINESS FOR EDUCATION EXCELLENCE FOUNDATION (CBEF)
All students in the United States can and must graduate from high school, and they must leave with the skills necessary for college, work, and citizenship. To meet this goal, CBEF identifies and invests in organizations that are working to improve the U.S. education system. Using academic achievement data from Just for the Kids-CA, the CBEE Foundation identifies and honors the highest performing schools in California.

SCHOOL WISE PRESS
This is a website that offers insight and comments about the nature of public education through the comparison of schools' statistical information, Q&A with educational experts and other means of revealing the sometimes opaque view of the subject.

JUST FOR THE KIDS - CALIFORNIA
An affiliate of the National Center for Educational Accountability (NCEA), Just For The Kids provides free, easy to understand data on every public school in California to help schools and communities raise student achievement.

THE CAMPAIGN FOR COLLEGE OPPORTUNITY
The Campaign for College Opportunity is a nonprofit organization solely devoted to ensuring that the next generation of college-age students in California has the chance to go to college as promised by the state's 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education.

ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION RESOURCE ORGANIZATION (AERO)
The Alternative Education Resource Organization (AERO) is a non-profit organization founded in 1989 to advance learner-centered approaches to education. AERO is considered by many to be the primary hub of communications and support for educational alternatives around the world.

BUILDING SCHOOLS FOR THE FUTURE
Resource list of links, books, and journal articles on the planning and design of learning environments for the 21st century from the National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities.

CALIFORNIA YOUTH DEMOCRACY ALLIANCE (CYDA)
CYDA) is a non-partisan non-profit group which grounds its roots in civic engagement and public policy. It encourages and involves high school and college youth in all the workings of the democratic process, and fosters youth leaders to engage in issues important to them, consult with subject experts and legislators, deliberate with peers and explore policy alternatives in local, regional and web-based forums.

AMERICA'S PROMISE ALLIANCE
Founded after the Presidents' Summit for America's Future in 1997 by former U.S. Secretary of State General Colin Powell, America's Promise Alliance is a collaborative network that facilitates volunteer action for children and youth.

PARTNERSHIP FOR 21ST CENTURY SKILLS
The organization brings together the business community, education leaders, and policymakers to define a powerful vision for 21st century education to ensure every child's success as citizens and workers in the 21st century. The Partnership encourages schools, districts and states to advocate for the infusion of 21st century skills into education and provides tools and resources to help facilitate and drive change.

CENTER ON REINVENTING PUBLIC EDUCATION
The Center on Reinventing Public Education studies major issues in education reform and governance in order to improve policy and decision-making in K-12 education. The Center’s work is grounded in the idea that the current system does not work as well as it should and that efforts to improve schools have to include a broad and fair look at the possibility of fundamental change in the institutions that provide them.

THE WHOLE CHILD
The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) has launched this public engagement and advocacy campaign to encourage schools and communities to work together to ensure that each student has access to a challenging curriculum in a healthy and supportive climate.

NATIONAL CLEARINGHOUSE FOR EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES (NCEF)
NCEF is a resource list of links, books, and journal articles on public and private funding options for the design, construction, renovation, lease, or purchase of charter school buildings.

CALIFORNIA SCHOOL FINANCE
Hosted by EdSource, an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization whose mission is to clarify complex education issues and to promote thoughtful policy decisions about public school improvement, this site details the complex issue of California's public school finance system.

NEW LEADERS FOR NEW SCHOOLS
New Leaders for New Schools promotes high academic achievement for every child by attracting, preparing, and supporting the next generation of outstanding leaders for our nation’s urban public schools.

NATIONAL YOUTH EMPLOYMENT COALITION
The National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC) is a membership network that improves the effectiveness of organizations that seek to help youth become productive citizens. Toward this end, NYEC sets and promotes quality standards; tracks, crafts and influences policy; provides and supports professional development and builds the capacity of organizations and programs.

PETNET
PEPNet, the Promising and Effective Practices Network, is a system for enhancing the quality of programs that link young people (ages 12 to 25) to work and education to promote a successful transition to adulthood.

NEW WAYS TO WORK
New Ways helps create powerful partnerships among schools, community organizations, the private sector, and government and community partners to ensure better access to quality educational and career opportunities for youth, particularly for our most vulnerable young people. These partnerships provide the means to use public resources effectively.

CALIFORNIA PARTNERSHIP FOR THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
The California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley was created by Governor Schwarzenegger when he signed Executive Order S-5-05. The partnership brings state agency secretaries and Central Valley representatives together to make recommendations to the Governor regarding changes that would improve the economic well-being of the Valley and the quality of life of its residents. The 26-member Partnership, led by the Secretary of the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency, is composed of eight state government members, eight local government members nominated by their County Council of Governments and eight private sector members, along with two deputy chairs.

RETHINKING SCHOOLS
Rethinking Schools is a non-profit, online subscription magazine that publishes articles advocating elementary and secondary educational reform with a strong emphasis on equality and social justice.

PBLNET.ORG
This site was designed to provide web-based support for teachers, parents and children who are interested in Project-Based Learning, design and invention.

CALIFORNIA HOSA (CAL-HOSA)
HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) is a student organization whose mission is to promote career opportunities in health care and to enhance the delivery of quality health care to all people. Through this web site, members, advisors, and guests can access a wide array of services from basic organization information to online membership services.

THE LEXILE FRAMEWORK FOR READING
The Lexile Framework provides a common, developmental scale for matching reader ability and text difficulty. It enables educators, parents and students to select targeted materials that can improve reading skills and to monitor reading growth across the curriculum, in whatever circumstance reading occurs.

INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR LEADERSHIP IN EDUCATION
Founded in 1991, the International Center for Leadership in Education has a wealth of experience in assisting schools and districts in implementing organizational changes that translate into world-class curriculum, instruction, and assessment systems. International Center staff, Senior Consultants, Master Teachers and trainers share their expertise in the management of change, achieving high standards, curriculum development and customized solutions for our clients.

AGILEMINDS.ORG
Agileminds.org is a consortium of independent software companies who share a vision and a common mission - to deliver software solutions with business value using agile methodologies.

ON THE MOVE
On The Move is a nonprofit organization that promotes vibrant communities by building and sustaining effective leaders and highly functional organizations within the public sector.

CALIFORNIA CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION STATE PLAN
This site details California's plan for Career Technical Education (new name for vocational ed.)

PROJECT LEAD THE WAY (PLTW)
PLTW forms partnerships among public schools, higher education institutions and the private sector to increase the quantity and quality of students who graduate in engineering and engineering technology. it is all about teaching and learning. The hands-on, project and problem-based PLTW approach adds rigor to traditional technical programs and relevance to traditional academics.

HEALTH OCCUPATIONS STUDENTS OF AMERICA (HOSA)
HOSA is a student organization whose mission is to promote career opportunities in health care and to enhance the delivery of quality health care to all people. Through this web site, members, advisors, and guests can access a wide array of services from basic organization information to online membership services.

MAKE IT IN SCRUBS
This site gives information about the many employment opportunities available in the health care industry. Students can learn what it takes to become a health care professional, how much certain jobs pay, what education is needed, and more.

NURSES FOR A HEALTHIER TOMORROW (NHT)
NHT is a coalition of 43 nursing and health care organizations working together to wage a communications campaign to attract people to the nursing profession.

GLOBAL FOOTPRINT NETWORK
Global Footprint Network engages in programs that promote the science of sustainability. It supports a sustainable economy by advancing the Ecological Footprint, a measurement and management tool that makes the reality of planetary limits relevant to decision-makers throughout the world. Conceived in 1990 by Mathis Wackernagel and William Rees at The University of British Columbia, the Ecological Footprint is a resource management tool that measures how much land and water area a human population requires to produce the resources it consumes and to absorb its wastes under prevailing technology, and is now in wide use by governments, communities, and businesses to monitor current ecological resource balances and to plan for the future.

AEROVIRONMENT (AV)
AV develops and produces Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Efficient Electric Energy Technologies that enable its customers to rewrite the rules - of engagement, productivity, efficiency and safety - to their advantage. For over 30 years the company has established numerous groundbreaking milestones, including designing and flying the world’s first human powered aircraft, the
Gossamer Condor, and the first solar powered manned aircraft, the Solar Challenger. AeroVironment designed and built the GM Sunraycer, which set a record for solar powered automobiles, as well as Helios, a solar powered unmanned aircraft built for NASA that set the world altitude record at nearly 97,000 feet.

TOYOTA TAPESTRY
Administered by the National Science Teachers Association, Toyota TAPESTRY is the largest K-12 science grant program of its kind in the United States. Each year, the program awards 50 large grants of up to $10,000 each and at least 20 mini-grants of up to $2,500 each—an annual total of $550,000. Over the past 16 years, Toyota TAPESTRY has awarded more than $7 million in grants to 826 teams of teachers.

NATIONAL SCIENCE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION (NSTA)
Founded in 1944 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the NSTA is the largest organization in the world committed to promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. Its current membership of more than 55,000 includes science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives, and others involved in and committed to science education.

FORENSICS IN THE CLASSROOM
As part of its ongoing commitment to education, Court TV is pleased to bring forensics to high school science classrooms nationwide. This FREE, exciting new program conforms to nationally recognized standards and was developed as part of a continuing educational partnership with the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

EXPLORAVISION
ExploraVision encourages K-12 students of all interest, skill and ability levels to create and explore a vision of future technology by combining their imaginations with the tools of science. All inventions and innovations result from creative thinking and problem solving. That's what ExploraVision is all about.

CONNECTED
Founded by the James Irvine Foundation, ConnectEd, The California Center for College and Career, was formed as a hub for innovative practice, policy and research to expand the number of education pathways that prepare students for college and career. ConnectEd helps advance the role that academically rigorous career and technical education plays in reforming California high schools so that more students master the knowledge and skills they will need to succeed in tomorrow’s economy.

NATIONAL CONSORTIUM ON HEALTH SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION (NCHSTE)
NCHSTE is a national partnership of individuals and organizations with a vested interest in health science and technology education. The consortium was organized in 1991 to stimulate creative and innovative leadership for ensuring a well prepared health care workforce.

AMERICAN HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION (AHA)
Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. It is the national organization that represents and serves all types of hospitals, health care networks, and their patients and communities. Close to 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks, other providers of care and 37,000 individual members come together to form the AHA. Through its representation and advocacy activities, AHA ensures that members' perspectives and needs are heard and addressed in national health policy development, legislative and regulatory debates, and judicial matters. AHA advocacy efforts include the legislative and executive branches and include the legislative and regulatory arenas.

J. CRAIG VENTER INSTITUTE
The J. Craig Venter Institute was formed in October 2006 through the merger of several affiliated and legacy organizations — The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) and The Center for the Advancement of Genomics (TCAG), The J. Craig Venter Science Foundation, The Joint Technology Center, and the Institute for Biological Energy Alternatives (IBEA). Today all these organizations have become one large multidisciplinary genomic-focused organization. With more than 400 scientists and staff, more than 250,000 square feet of laboratory space, and locations in Rockville, Maryland and La Jolla, California, the new JCVI is a world leader in genomic research. And, through its education programs, the Venter Institute provides a broad-based community resource for science, math, and technology education for students of all ages. The Venter Institute’s team of science educators promotes “learning by doing” in the sciences and provides ample opportunities for individual discovery. Along the way, students are encouraged to explore the wonder and potential of the natural world, to consider science as a potential career, and to understand how scientific concepts apply to everyday life.

BIDWELL TRAINING CENTER
Bidwell Training Center is the creation of Bill Strickland, whose vision for the Center is to respond to employment markets in southwestern Pennsylvania by offering programs providing career paths and opportunities in the high-tech, culinary and medical fields. Mr. Strickland believes that education offered in an intelligent, planned and financially sound manner will bear real results for students and the entire community. He is also in the process of replicating the Center's successes in other parts of the country.

ESCHOOL NEWS
eSchool News is a K-12 decision makers' technology and internet newspaper with links to resources, conferences, funding, a buyer's center, videos and more. It also features special reports and best practices for educators, and news from classrooms across the country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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