Indianapolis, Indiana — KnowledgeWorks Foundation, a national public education philanthropy, announced today a strategic partnership with New Technology Foundation (New Tech), an organization that has pioneered an approach to collaborative, technology-based learning and teaching designed to give students the knowledge and skills they need to compete in the Information Age. Barry Schuler, former CEO of AOL, was appointed as Chairman of the Board of New Tech Foundation.
“Our primary objective at KnowledgeWorks is to drive innovation in public education, and we believe that New Tech is the best-in-class, most highly-scalable approach to learning in the 21st century that we have seen.” said Chad Wick, CEO of KnowledgeWorks.
“We’re thrilled to have KnowledgeWorks and Barry on board to help us rapidly grow the New Tech network.” said Susan Schilling, CEO of New Technology Foundation. “Developing our nation's next set of leaders who come into adulthood with the ability to find and analyze information, solve problems, communicate solutions, and implement them has never been of greater importance."
These announcements were made together with Governor Mitch Daniels in Indiana (see video), where six New Tech schools currently operate and more than 22 schools are working toward implementation for 2009 and beyond. Indiana’s successful work with New Tech high schools in partnership with the Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning at the University of Indianapolis, business and economic leaders, and community stakeholders has become a strong model for linking high school education to economic development and was a key driver in KnowledgeWorks’ decision to invest in New Tech.
As part of this partnership, KnowledgeWorks will provide up to $10 million to New Tech over a four year period, along with operational guidance and strategic expertise, to help develop the infrastructure necessary to support the rapidly growing network of New Tech schools. The management teams have already begun working together over the past nine months, with a focus on operations and further developing New Tech’s technology platform.
Barry Schuler, former CEO of America Online, known for leading the AOL team that simplified the online service provider’s user interface, making it possible for millions of consumers to gain easy access to the Internet, will bring a vast amount of technology management experience to his position as Chairman of the Board.
New Tech Schools Transform Traditional Approach to High School Education
New Tech High Schools focus on project-based learning, integrated use of technology in the classroom, and fostering a strong culture of trust, respect, and responsibility. Working within state standards, New Tech’s projects are initiated and completed collaboratively by groups of students and then student work is stored in digital portfolios. Students’ grades are then based on a multi-faceted combination of content, oral and written communication, teamwork, critical thinking, and work ethic. Upon graduation, students understand their role on a team, how to identify and solve problems and are fully able to take responsibility for their own learning and adapt to a new environment.
“New Tech demonstrates that students will embrace learning when it is relevant, applied, and challenging and when they are part of a learning community,” explained Monica Martinez, Vice President of Education Strategy for KnowledgeWorks Foundation and interim COO for New Tech Foundation. “New Tech also demonstrates how teachers can be creative, personal, and innovative in the delivery of instruction while aligning projects and the curriculum to today’s standards.”
New Tech has quietly emerged as the most successfully-replicated approach to transforming high school education in the U.S. There currently are 39 public high schools in the New Tech network with over 8,500 students in 9 states, and another 13-15 schools expected to open by August 2009.
KnowledgeWorks Strengthens National Support of Innovation in High Schools
A key criterion in the decision to invest in New Tech is the degree to which they implement key parts of KnowledgeWorks’ highly praised, “Map of Future Forces Affecting Education.” Within the Map and the New Tech approach, teachers are re-envisioned as agents of learning — enabling and supporting learning processes and opportunities beyond direct instruction, learning is customized and personalized, and a media rich environment is an integral part of the learning process.
The decision to support high school education nationally builds on KnowledgeWorks success with Ohio high school initiatives, where its redesigned high schools have increased graduation rates in some of the most economically challenged districts in the state by over 30% since 2003. Although historically focused primarily on Ohio-based educational initiatives, KnowledgeWorks partnership with New Tech is a key step towards supporting and investing in more national educational initiatives.
Schuler, Former AOL CEO, Drawn to New Tech’s “Real-World” Preparation
As a business leader in the United States, Schuler was drawn to the New Tech schools because they present students with “real world” problems and then organizes them into small working teams in large, open, technology-enabled classrooms.
“Gone are the days of assembly line education.” explained Schuler. “The New Tech approach is exactly what increasingly competitive and global business leaders expect and demand in today’s public schools.”
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KnowledgeWorks Foundation, www.kwfdn.org, incubates and accelerates promising educational innovations throughout the nation. With a focus on transforming the national education landscape from a world of schooling to a world of learning, the foundation employs education experts and enlists innovative partners to equip our students to contribute in a global society hungry for talent and knowledge.
New Technology Foundation, www.newtechfoundation.org, is a school development organization that supports the start-up and implementation of 21st century high schools. The National Network of New Technology High School Network currently comprises 39 schools across the county, including schools in North Carolina, Indiana, Texas, California, Louisiana, Oregon.
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