Executive Summary

The strength of our unique offering is based on a partnership and synergy between three successful business entities with excellent complementary educational skills and experience, including:

* The Training Place, Inc (an Arizona Minority Small-Business, SBA 8a Certified)
* SkillsTutor (a K-12 Houghton Mifflin Learning Technology)
* Global Literacy Foundation (an Arizona Non-Profit Corporation)

Our experienced, passionate team of professional educators knows that together we can provide much more quality and quantity to clients than if we were to work individually. The strength of the combined consultancies is that we can offer expert assistance from the conception of a cost-effective business idea through to its realization with improved academic outcomes, and then have ongoing input to assure continued growth and academic success. Small businesses, industry groups and large organizations could all benefit from the increased efficiency of a multi-skilled consultancy. We work together quickly and efficiently - and do not need to rely on others. The end result is improved Math success for Arizona students, a scalable future for Arizona schools and measurable diagnostics to monitor success continually.

Our SkillsTutor solution is a true Internet-based solution. It is designed to be ‘Site Based’ for the entire school to address the individual needs of each teacher and student. A district-wide report will be available in 2008 to monitor comparisons of SkillsTutor schools within the scope of this Proposal. This solution is especially helpful as a diagnostic and remediation tool to identify “needs improvement” curriculum areas and to target and teach students at-risk or excelling above grade level. It is most effectively used in classrooms, in computer rooms, in Special Education resource rooms and at home. Educators can draw on SkillsTutor’s 20-year successful history, case studies, and 1,600 online standard-based lessons and activities in areas such as reading, writing, language arts, math, algebra, science and social studies + 2-3 million satisfied users. Educators and students gain access using a standard Internet browser any time, day or hour. Our program is accessible 24/7 from anywhere there is an Internet access. Several schools using SkillsTutor have been designated as Blue Ribbon Schools and recognized for exemplary performance. We want to help Arizona’s eLearning Pilot Project to achieve similar successful outcomes.

In addition to SkillsTutor’s excellent curriculum, our team will take advantage of the recent popularity of the ASUS Eee PCs; they are being hailed as the “coolest laptops” around. These small, lightweight laptops have wireless capability, Internet access, simple interfaces, functional applications, and are “kid and teacher” friendly. They are so engaging, portable, and simple to use, they motivate users to have fun learning and discovering new skills.

Regarding professional development, we understand the needs of Arizona schools and recognize the importance of providing educators with techniques, strategies, and products that work. However, we also emphasize the importance of training and supporting how teachers implement this program successfully. The design of our professional development reflects current research on learning theory along with the work of the National Staff Development Council, and the National Educational Technology Standards. In addition, the professional development team with be familiar with and follow the guidelines set by the Arizona Professional Teacher Standards. Our professional development will build on what teachers know to enhance each teacher’s ability to comply with each of the nine standards and will foster the academic gains that this project demands. Professional development includes helping schools monitor usage to ensure that schools are using SkillsTutor effectively. If teachers are not using the content effectively, we find out what is wrong and intervene with the appropriate support.

In summary, our Proposal’s focus is to provide:

· A pilot program for digital middle school math content at schools that have at least 2 continuous grades at the sixth through ninth grade levels. All SkillsTutor Math content has been used to accommodate the remedial needs and capabilities with K-12 curriculum for all learners.

· Professional development that will ensure effective use of the digital math content, including integration and effective use of technology and curriculum, appropriate pedagogical strategies, remediation, and intervention.

· Comprehensive monitoring and accountability reporting for the teachers, schools, parents, legislature and ADE with appropriate student data based on sound psychometric principles.

· Wireless laptops to implement and integrate the digital curriculum for schools, students and teachers.

· A central delivery system capable of scaling to deliver curriculum to 50,000 students simultaneously at the highest reliability level both at home and school.

Our Proposal has an experienced, multitalented team to address adoption, implementation and outcome issues, and all levels of decision making, including state policy, state system development, district and school decisions and digital curriculum.

We believe that upon close evaluation the differentiation will be clear: Our comprehensive solution – curriculum, prescription and diagnoses, reporting and management, technical resources, and professional development, can provide the outcomes desired by the E-Learning Pilot Program in Digital Mathematics for Middle School Students.

Read the attached PDF Proposal below.