Education Committee Mission Statement:
To enhance the learning environment for all students (traditional and adult) in a manner that allows all to achieve maximum educational achievement and create opportunities.

Education Committee Goals:
Improve the quality of K-PhD education in the Black Belt, emphasizing life long learning and learning environments (including buildings).

Sub-Committees:

Facilities - Mr. Bill Braswell, Birmingham City Schools
Funding - Dr. Jack Riley, University of Montevallo
School Readiness - Dr. Samory Pruitt, University of Alabama
Student Achievement - Dr. Ella Bell, Alabama State University
Career Education - Dr. David Wilson, Auburn University

School Readiness Sub-Committee Proposal

• "Blueprint for School Readiness"
  The School Readiness Sub-Committee has examined the "state of young children" in Black Belt counties (see Attachment A), defined what young children need so that they arrive at school ready for success, reviewed the research of proven interventions (see Attachment B), and developed a plan of action. This Blueprint For School Readiness was developed with input from the statewide Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems planning through the Dept. of Public Health, the National Governor's Association "Building the Foundation for Bright Futures" and other compiled research of the Alabama Partnership for Children's System Mapping and other state's initiatives, "Good Start, Grow Smart", and the National School Readiness Indicators Initiative.
• The Blueprint is offered as the starting point for directing our resources and efforts toward what has proven to make a difference. Viewed as a structure for planning, funding, advocacy, accountability, and policy decisions, the goal is to develop community-wide support for the Blueprint as the comprehensive plan for children's healthy development and school readiness. To implement the plan, the support and leadership of all facets of the community are needed.

Student Achievement Sub-Committee Proposal

• "Black Belt Distance Learning Program"
  Deals with the expansion of the Distance Learning Program into the Black Belt, where students can take advantage of opportunities for otherwise not offered courses.
  
• The distance learning project utilizes the fiber-optic network connection to deliver live classroom instruction across various schools. It will also allow Black Belt Counties School Systems to tap in college courses for their advanced students.
  
• Planned Outcomes: To ensure that each student in a given school system has an equal opportunity to learn regardless of where they live or go to school (Goal #10).
  

Career Education Sub-Committee Proposal

• "Black Belt LEADS Program"
  The grant is intended to support efforts to make sure high-poverty schools are led by talented individuals prepared with the knowledge, skills, and attributes required to ensure every school is high performing. Specifically, the purpose of this grant is to assist local LEAs in greatest need to develop or enhance innovative programs that recruit, prepare, and support talented individuals to become principals and assistant principals.
• We have designed programs to recruit and retain new teachers while identifying and cultivating administrators within existing teacher pools, while simultaneously focusing on personal and professional development.
• Monthly, job imbedded professional development will be conducted for participants within each school system.

Education Committee Recent Accomplishments

• Creation of Superintendents Board
  Includes all 15 Public County and City School Systems from Black Belt
  First meeting, May 10th, 2005, Rosa Parks Museum, Campus of TUM
• WGBH/CCT Math and Science Program
  We understand that WGBH is rolling out online courses and materials in a variety of content areas, including physical science at the middle and high school levels, middle school mathematics, and early reading, and that the professional development and evaluation parts of the project will mirror that development. We welcome the opportunity for our teachers to receive facilitated professional development or will have access to the online resource collections and be able to use them on their own, serving as a sort of control group. For More info: www.teachersdomain.org