ELIZABETH, NJ — Elizabeth Public Schools was among 22 school districts throughout the United States selected to the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools.
The League, an initiative of Digital Promise, is a coalition of forward-thinking school districts and their leaders that represent an invaluable trove of insights, ideas, and experiences for how to transform teaching and learning. Elizabeth is considered to be part of this group as a result of its extensive technology program, highlighted by its 1:1 Leap into the Future initiative that provides a laptop/tablet for every student in grades three through 12.
Members of the League of Innovative Schools are selected from a competitive and national pool of applicants once a year through a peer-reviewed application process supported by Digital Promise. Superintendents apply to represent their districts and are chosen based on leadership, evidence of results, innovative vision for learning, and commitment to collaboration.
With the 22 new school districts that have been added, the League now includes 73 school districts in 33 states, representing more than 3.2 million students. League members share lessons learned, participate in national and regional forums, and partner with research institutions, technology developers, and one another to deliver better results for students.
The League was founded by Digital Promise, an independent, bipartisan nonprofit, authorized by Congress in 2008 as the National Center for Research in Advanced Information and Digital Technologies. Digital Promise was formally launched by President Barack Obama in September 2011 with a mission to improve the opportunity to learn for all Americans through technology and research.
The funders for Digital Promise include Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, The Grable Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Joyce Foundation, Laura and John Arnold Foundation, The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, Morgridge Family Foundation, The Verizon Foundation and The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
Members of the League will participate in a network of superintendents and district leaders leveraging technology to improve student outcomes while partnering with entrepreneurs, researchers, and leading thinkers in a testbed for new approaches to teaching and learning.
Superintendents, the representative of each League member, commit to attend League of Innovative meetings and to join working groups on a broad range of topics relevant to the changing needs of school districts. League members also engage with entrepreneurs to advance development of new products which help to meet district needs and to support research that expands what is known about teaching and learning with the use of technology. Elizabeth Public Schools were officially inducted at the annual League meeting in Pennsylvania on Oct. 25-27.
For more information, visit www.epsnj.org