View the individual videos below or visit our video section on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/ABECvideos.

"What if... Arizona" View video in a new window »	"When Children Learn, Nations Prosper" View video in a new window »
"Carpe Diem" View video in a new window »

THE EDUCATION COLD WAR
Craig R. Barrett, Ph.D.
Retired CEO and Chairman of the Board, Intel Corporation

"We won the Cold War by out-investing the USSR in smart weapons and new technology. We are losing the Education War by out-investing the world with the same old, tired technology."
We all agree on the need for improved K-12 education in the U.S. We have been talking about this need for over 30 years. We have analyzed every high-performing education system in the world, and we always find the same ingredients: good teachers, high expectations, and tension (feedback loops) in the system. Yet we have been unable to move the needle and see any improvement in our youngsters' overall performance relative to the rest of the world - in fact, while we have remained flat in performance, most of the world has improved. We won the Cold War by out-investing the USSR in smart weapons and new technology. We are losing the Education War by out-investing the world with the same old, tired technology (K-12 teacher training, classrooms, schools, and expectation levels that haven't changed in over 100 years). If this were really an Education War, we have already lost. When will we be brave enough to publicly admit the obvious, and move to change what we are doing in a meaningful way? The model for success is apparent in many countries and in isolated examples in the U.S.; yet we do not have the political will to really embrace reform and move forward. We do not need another study group to define the problem.

PANEL: REACTING TO THE CALL FOR REFORM - ACROSS THE INDUSTRIES
Richard Condit, Chief Administrative Officer, Sundt Construction
Mark Staudohar, CSP, President, ACCENT' Hiring Group
Julie Engel, President & CEO, Greater Yuma Economic Development Corporation

LESSONS FROM THE WORLD: HOW THE WORLD'S MOST IMPROVED SCHOOL SYSTEMS KEEP GETTING BETTER
Paul Kihn, M. Ed., M. Phil., M.B.A.
Partner, McKinsey & Company

How the World's Most Improved School Systems Keep Getting Better
McKinsey's earlier report, "How the world's best performing school systems come out on top," examined the common attributes of higher performing school systems. Now, "How the world's most improved school systems keep getting better," analyzes 20 systems from around the world, examining how each has achieved significant, sustained gains in student outcomes. Learn about the reform elements that moved these systems from poor to fair to good to great to excellent performance.

LESSONS FROM THE UNITED STATES: LEARNED FROM SCHOOL REFORM - LET'S NOT KEEP MAKING THE SAME MISTAKES
Paul Koehler, Ph.D.
Director, The Policy Program, WestEd

What can be learned about improving schools from the federally funded Comprehensive School Reform Program, funded at over $1 billion dollars between the year 1998-2006? Findings and recommendations should inform us so that the work in Arizona to improve the lowest performing schools can be done with good results.

WestEd recently completed an evaluation of the Congressionally authorized Comprehensive School Reform Program. The evaluation's analysis over five years found that the program did not yield comprehensively reformed schools nor was it associated with widespread achievement gains. This presentation will review the work of the program, its findings and recommendations and offer lessons learned.

STRATEGIES FOR HIGH PERFORMING SCHOOLS IN TIMES OF FISCAL RESTRAINT
Lawrence O. Picus, Ph.D.
Director Center for Research in Education Finance, USC Rossier School of Education and Principal, Lawrence O. Picus and Associates

School districts are likely to face continued fiscal stress for the foreseeable future. At the same time, pressure to improve student learning will grow. Successful districts and schools will need to develop a "theory of action" for student learning, and find ways to focus educational resources toward strategies to implement their plans. Picus will offer an evidence-based approach to the allocation of educational resources focused on student success.

THE TECHNOLOGY FACTOR: TRANSFORM SCHOOLS AND CUT COSTS
Thomas W. Greaves
Chairman, The Greaves Group, LLC

Students can learn at twice the normal rate in technology transformed schools. More surprisingly, these schools would cost the state less to operate than traditional schools. Hear about the groundbreaking Project RED study covering 997 schools, the impact of 135 variables on 11 different measures of academic success and financial impact. The results defy conventional wisdom.

TOMORROW - CAREER AND COLLEGE READINESS FOR ALL!
David Garcia
Associate Professor, Policy, Leadership & Curriculum, Arizona State University, and Director, Arizona Education Policy Initiative (AEPI)


Efrain Mercado
Director of Outreach, National Center for Educational Achievement|ACT, Inc.


Arizona grads - are they ready for college? In spite of our greatest hopes, how well are they prepared for the challenges of postsecondary education? Gain insights from recently published College Readiness Report. Then, as we rethink our work today, how will we gauge student success tomorrow? Learn about the Arizona Higher Performing Schools recognition program when we celebrate higher performers, study their best practices, and inspire others toward career and college readiness.

HOST SPONSOR

WORLD SPONSORS

NATIONAL SPONSOR



STATE SPONSORS

LOCAL SPONSORS