1.  eSATS Advocacy Coalition Formation Meeting
On the September 10th, 2004 the formation meeting of the eLearning System for Arizona Teachers and Students (eSATS) Advocacy Coalition developed the following:

Action Agenda
Members and their alignment: eSATS AC will form and self organize with steward-advocates knowledgeable about eLearning and convinced of its promise for increasing K-12 education student academic performance and retention;

Goal: Be the innovative force that leads implementation of eSATS design into all Arizona K-12 classrooms by 2012;

Strategy 1: (Now) Attract and organize an action oriented coalition of steward-advocates from the four major statewide communities that are required to act if eSATS is to be an success: eLearning enterprise, education, governance and business;

Strategy 2: (next 4 months) Support the coalition with self-limited volunteer professional efforts and organization’s resources, a small staff and light funding;

Strategy 3: (Oct-Dec)-Create a multiple thrust guerrilla awareness campaign of the virtues and need for eSATS design implementation;

Strategy 4: (Now-Mid Nov) Form task teams to develop critical expansions of the eSATS design in eight areas (see below for some details);

Strategy 5: (Now) Develop and redevelop deployment strategy for eSATS within the real economic, political, education, business and eLearning world (i.e. figure how to pull this off);

Strategy 6: (Now) Write a bill for the Arizona legislature that captures the state level funding, governance and organizational aspects of eSATS design;

Strategy 7: (Ongoing) Press forward to develop national support with other state partnerships, global enterprises and the federal government – specifically U.S. Department of Education.

Modus Operandi: The primary operational spirit will be collaborative task completion between respected professions who have over the past years raised enough issues, made enough plans and attended enough meetings and are now itching to get the job done;

Meeting Report
The meeting opened with me presenting a PowerPoint summary of the eSATS design and the proposed process for forming the eSATS Advocacy Coalition. With group response we reinforced the concept of transformation, not reform of K-12 education with eLearning and driving this innovative transformation with an advocacy coalition.

eSATS design is based on a comprehensive set of eLearning research, and expects national as well Arizona leadership support if the eSATS AC does its job. Discussion focused on making sure we emphasized the potential cost saving and student performance and student retention. Bryan Page of Apple will provide current research data on their 1:1 computer-student programs in 400+ schools. Jim Zaharis provided copies of the GPL sponsored study of P-20 integrated education system for Arizona based on community steward support.

The organizational task of the meeting was to organize the Advocacy Coalition that will drive the implementation of the eSATS design throughout Arizona’s K-12 education. The discussions and decisions focused on four immediate task areas: updating and deepening components of the eSATS preliminary design, create advocacy plan-materials, organized and launch the Advocacy Coalition (eSATS AC) and acquiring funding to support this initiative.

Extending Detailed Designs within eSATS Preliminary Design
Digital Curriculum: Flexible times and access will significantly increase course completion and grade level. AIMS will be severely challenged of it blocks the graduation of 30% of Seniors that have earned graduation credits. eSATS digital curriculum must be designed to meet AIMS (3) standards plus the other (8) academic standards. Helen Padgett is prototyping the IC3 technology test at ASU West for incoming education students. This could also be used as an assessment for the technology standard. When we talk of digital content we must realize that it is only a part of curriculum and all aspects of digital curriculum must be addressed. No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is supporting faltering students, but must also serve average and gifted. Technology focused schools (more computers-connectivity) are able to expand their effectiveness with advanced digital curriculum.

Professional Development system: The Arizona university system has created an integrated online nursing program from undergraduate through MS to PhD. This could be emulated for teachers. Rio Salado CC has the largest K-12 teacher graduate program in Arizona with 1200-1400 college graduates using the Rio Salado eLearning certification program to become K-12 teachers. Their program is mixed class-online => hybrid. Middle-school teachers have a hard time meeting the “Highly Qualified” level because they are short on math and science compared to high school teachers. There is a bill vetted by the business and educational communities but not passed in the legislature to educate teachers to the Arizona performance based standards. 

Connectivity – Computing system: School Facilities Board is casting off its support for the Cox Education Network and does not have responsibility for the “middle mile” build-out.” Sunset is on June 30th, 2005. Cox has lots of use data. Alternatives include wireless. One megabit could grow to a gigabit with simulations, etc. Need to talk bandwidth, not number of T-1 lines. Need open standards. 1:1 student to computer interface ratio must be achieved. Over the next eight years there will be many alternatives as well as the current desk top computer.

Strategy for eSATS Design Launch: Use innovation diffusion methodology. Full support to early adaptors: expand currently most advanced eLearning schools; cyber, charter and distributed new schools as alternative to new $50 million high schools. Ride huge Arizona student growth of 20%-40% over next 8 to 12 years with eLearning built into new schools or to avoid new construction. Look at summer school, after school and Saturday schools. Assure we are aligned with Tim Hogan and his continuous efforts for equal educational opportunity. Need legislative package and bill in September if possible. Ted will contact Mike Smith – ASA’s lobbyist and prior ALTP lobbyist. 

Organization: Ted will continue to lead the eSATS Advocacy Coalition until replacement leadership jells within an operational organization. A short term steering committee of Mike Keeling, Ted Christensen, Bob Rosenberg and Ted will develop a proposal for the group consider on a formal organizational structure for eSATS AC. Need leaders representing all four communities – business, governance, education and eLearning.

Fund Raising: Up to now this has been volunteer effort. But skilled amateurs are not enough to assure legislative success. A nest egg of $100,000 to $200,000 is needed to support writing the legislation and lobbying; consultants for deeper and broader studies and data search for the eSATS design; and developing and producing collateral materials, travel and some staff expenses, and advocacy campaigns. Currently GAZEL a 501c-6 eLearning industry association has the eSATS check book. The strategy will be to solicit support from eLearning enterprises while we develop our submissions to larger AZ corporations.

Advocacy: Skipped over as time ran out for discussion.

Administration-Assessment-Instructional Systems:  Skipped over as time ran out for discussion.

Advocacy Coalition Formation - continued:

Top of Page