The WestEd Regional Technology in Education Consortium (RTEC) is focused on: i) improving the quality of expert technology services, assistance, and support for the lowest-performing districts and schools in the Southwest Region; and ii) helping disadvantaged learners in the region gain the maximum possible benefit from using technology. Whether just getting started with technology in the classroom or creating innovative data systems to manage an entire school district — learners, teachers, administrators, parents, and community members will benefit from the innovative delivery system and quality network of service providers in our Consortium.
Objectives, Strategies, & Outcomes: The WestEd RTEC and our Partnership Network resources will be used to target the lowest-performing 1000 schools in California, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada, profile their reform needs, and coordinate the delivery of the best educational technology resources that match their needs. We have outlined four initiatives and eight strands of work, each designed to address the findings of current research, to respond to the recent results of several statewide and regional needs assessments, and to meet the mandates in the RTEC legislation. The four initiatives are:
- Getting Connected: This initiative focuses on increasing access to technology's benefits for disadvantaged and disabled learners in the region, including access to computers, the Internet, and ongoing support for students, their families, teachers, administrators, and community members.
- Connecting to Best Practice: The intent of this initiative is to ensure that the daily practice of using technology to support student learning in classrooms, schools, and communities throughout the region is increasingly informed by the latest research and strongly influenced by best practices in the region. There is a strong focus on teacher professional development and special opportunities for disadvantaged learners to gain both academic and technology-oriented career skills.
- Connecting to Leadership: This initiative concentrates on providing resources and professional development opportunities for school site and district leaders to help them make better data-driven decisions in their school improvement efforts and to help them better manage their technology investments.
- Connecting to Tomorrow: Technology developments are on a very fast track. New technologies and devices are appearing on the horizon that could play a significant role in helping to bring technology to all learners and educators in more powerful and easy-to-use ways. This initiative will promote these developments and help focus their potential on the region's real educational needs.
The WestEd RTEC expands WestEd's reach into the schools and communities of the Southwest Region, and focuses its expertise and that of its network of partners to help learners and educators use technology in more and more powerful ways to improve learning and further the reform efforts of our region's educational enterprises. For example,
read about how RTEC recently helped to bring Nevada State law into the digital age.
Consortium Members:
California Department of Education
Arizona Department of Education
Utah Department of Education
Nevada Department of Education
Los Angeles County Office of Education
Sacramento County Office of Education
California State University, Monterey Bay
Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network
Alliance for Technology Access
The George Lucas Educational Foundation
Director: Kurt Larsen
Contact: Kurt Larsen
Tel: 530.891.1433
Email: klarsen@WestEd.org
Link to our Web site: http://www.westedrtec.org/
This project is part of WestEd's Comprehensive School Assistance Program.
WestEd staff involved with this project:
Resources related to this project:
