The central goal of this initiative is the establishment, within each of the eight partner states (AL, DE, MS, MO, NH, PA, SC and WV), of a successful, sustainable, e-Learning for Educators program that will help address state-wide teacher quality needs and have impact on student achievement. This goal will be met by state teams comprised of the staff from the state department of education, a public broadcasting station, and other relevant organizations, supported by central resources, guidance, and consulting services made available through the overall initiative. Within each state, cadres of e-Learning instructors and e-Learning course developers will be trained and e-Learning courses will be developed to meet high priority state needs. Substantial numbers of teachers in each state will receive professional development via e-Learning, with a particular emphasis on teachers from Title I eligible schools and districts.

An independent evaluation will focus on goals, benchmarks, and outcomes for each project activity. The evaluation results will be used to inform ongoing improvement of the program within each state and the initiative as a whole. The initiative plan also includes six randomized design research studies to explore the impact of e-Learning for Educators courses on teachers' content knowledge and classroom practices, as well as on the achievement of their students. This series of research studies will provide replications across content areas, grade levels, and states to provide the first large-scale, replicated studies of the effect of e-learning on student achievement.

School districts grappling with achievement gaps, increasing student diversity, teacher shortages and attrition, and constantly changing instructional technology need professional development that delivers results—and online professional development support can help.

PBS has the necessary expertise to create and deliver successful online learning. Its current Ready To Teach-funded TeacherLine service has engaged nearly 10,000 educators in the last year alone, and experimental research suggests TeacherLine's positive contribution to improved student achievement.

PBS also understands the need and necessary steps to improve online professional development. Recent research suggests that it will be most effective when developed with the deliberate intent to integrate it with specific, research-based local models such as coaching, mentoring and communities of practice.

PBS is seeking Ready To Teach funding to build upon its record of accomplishment with PBS TeacherLine, advancing educational theory and practice by developing a new type of model for online professional and organizational learning. Going beyond online courses, the project will embed online professional development in comprehensive local initiatives for teacher quality, student achievement of rigorous academic standards, and school reform. Expected project outcomes include improved student achievement with a particular focus on math, reading, and language arts; improved teacher content knowledge and practice; and increased coherence of local professional development planning, particularly in Title I and high-need settings. PBS will dedicate implementation assistance to high-need districts and will involve them in all phases of the project evaluation: at least 50 percent of total program participants will work in Title I or high-need settings. Working with nearly 80 local stations and other organizations, the project will reach 40,000 educators per year nationwide by year five of the grant term. PBS looks forward to working with partners Hezel Associates, Indiana University, and Learning Point Associates to advance the field of online learning for educators and improve teaching and learning in America's classrooms.

The Educational Broadcasting Corporation (d.b.a. Thirteen/WNET), one of the nation's leading public television stations, is pleased to submit the following proposal for consideration for a three-year grant to support VIT AL (Video in Teaching and Learning) within the Ready to Teach 84.286 (Part B) program. Working with three distinguished partner organizations, we intend to:

• Identify and develop innovative educational and instructional digital video materials from our vast archive;
• Embed the materials in a digitally-delivered statewide student assessment reporting system being created with support from the New York State Education Department to provide teachers with the data and resources they need to improve achievement in math and English Language Arts for students in grades three through eight;
• Develop and deliver training to help teachers learn to utilize these resources, especially teachers in schools where there is a high percentage of Title I children;
• Develop and deliver training that moves the effective use of these resources into teacher preparation programs; and
• Use scientifically-based evaluation to determine the effectiveness of the resources in producing meaningful effects on teacher performance and student achievement.

Colorado's statewide public broadcasting network, Rocky Mountain PBS, the Colorado Department of Education, Responsive Research and Consultation, and Digital Directions, Inc., an educational multimedia company, have partnered to further develop and scale up delivery of an advanced, technology-based, sheltered-instruction, math intervention program targeting limited English proficient (LEP) students and other students. Major components include:

1. Increasing student achievement (in math and English language acquisition) of LEP students; using an experimental model, the project looks for gains in math and language proficiency by students using a specific technology-based math intervention;
2. Expanding and enhancing the Help with English Language Proficiency Program (HELP Program), an advanced, technology-based, math intervention that applies techniques to make content comprehensible to LEP students; addressing the cultural and linguistic instructional differentiation necessary for LEP students, and increasing participant engagement in math through the use of technology, targeting delivery to high- need middle schools that are highly impacted by LEP students, low socio-economic status, and low achievement in math;
3. Creating a system of professional development that supports and enhances the HELP Program; employing a variety of research-based delivery methods and accurately measuring the effectiveness of those delivery methods; and
4. Establishing the sustainability of the HELP Program and its ability to be replicated, by establishing a technology-based system of delivery and professional development systems.