U of A to Sponsor Discussion on Innovative Education Ideas

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A small, rural Benton County school district forged partnerships with community groups to offer a free summer program in which children spent time learning in the morning and having fun swimming or going to the library in the afternoon.

That’s one of several education initiatives that will be the focus of a daylong discussion sponsored by the University of Arkansas College of Education and Health Professions. The conference will bring state legislators, business leaders, educators from preschool through college, and students together from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 17 at the Global Campus in Rogers.

The event is free and open to the public; to be put on a waiting list for a seat, email prwetzel@uark.edu.

The Education Renewal Zone in the College of Education and Health Professions is co-sponsoring “Eye to the Future: Education, Youth, and the Economy” with the University of Arkansas Razor C.O.A.C.H. program and the Northwest Arkansas Education Service Cooperative.

Elizabeth Smith, director of the Education Renewal Zone, said the event was designed to meet several goals:

•  Provide an opportunity for discussions among educators, business leaders and legislators

• Show examples of the impact of the Common Core State Standards on schools

• Showcase programs working in local schools that support college and career readiness
  

• Enhance the alignment of instruction from preschool through college through improved communication.

Tom Smith, dean of the College of Education and Health Professions, and Javier Reyes, vice provost for distance education at the U of A, will welcome participants.

State Sens. Joyce Elliott of Little Rock and Johnny Key of Mountain Home will speak as part of a business panel moderated by Kim Davis, project director of the Northwest Arkansas Council. Others on the panel will include representatives of Northwest Arkansas companies, who will talk about what skills they look for in employees.

Concurrent sessions in the morning will focus on topics such as innovative, successful projects being implemented at large schools such as Springdale and Fayetteville and small schools such as Decatur; partnerships from preschool through college that meet diverse needs of students; programs promoting college and career readiness; Common Core State Standards and how they are positively affecting local classrooms; and Adopt-A-Classroom partnerships. Adopt-A-Classroom is a program started two years ago by the Education Renewal Zone that pairs U of A faculty and staff with local teachers.

Participants will take part in roundtable discussions about education issues during lunch, which will be provided free.

Megan Witonski, assistant commissioner of the Arkansas Department of Education, will lead two sessions in the afternoon. Witonski will facilitate a discussion about what qualities, skills and habits are expected of today’s students. Then, she will moderate a panel of students who will answer questions about their experiences in school. Participants may submit questions for the students and other feedback throughout the day using a text-messaging tool called Poll Everywhere.