Stamford Teachers Attend GE Conference

The GE Foundation Convenes National Conference for K-12 Educators on Implementation of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and Assessments Brings Businesses, States and Districts Together, including CPS

(3BL Media / theCSRfeed) Orlando, FLA - August 1, 2011 - The GE Foundation, philanthropic organization of the General Electric Company (GE), will host leaders from Cincinnati Public Schools and six other urban school districts, state superintendents, business executives, teacher association members and educators at its annual conference July 18-22, 2011 to discuss how to facilitate successful implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and Assessments throughout the nation’s public schools.

“For our country to survive and thrive, our students must be globally competitive, and able to master the rigorous content, higher-order thinking and leadership skill sets that are the hallmark of 21st century learning embedded within Common Core State Standards,” said Mary Ronan, superintendent.
The first national meeting about CCSS and assessments, the GE Foundation Developing Futures in Education conference, is designed to inform and develop possible solutions to anticipated tasks and opportunities states and districts will face in effectively implementing the historic standards.
“Adoption of the Common Core by states was a historic event in education and one we believe will dramatically alter the landscape of education forever,” said Bob Corcoran, president of the GE Foundation.

Business leaders from across the country, including GE, The Boeing Company, and IBM, will meet for two days in a special session to discuss how companies can assist states and districts with the management capacity they will need to successfully implement and sustain the major organization changes required by the new standards and assessments. Participating organizations from Cincinnati are the Cincinnati Business Committee, The Strive Partnership, JPMorgan Chase and the Luxottica Group.

About 300 conference participants, including 33 leaders from CPS, will work closely with the writers of the mathematics and literacy standards, David Coleman, Sue Pimentel, Joe Willhoft and Jason Zimba and will hear from educators about the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Leaders of both assessment consortia – Smarter Balanced Assessments Consortium (SBAC) and Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) will lead sessions.

An agenda with a complete list of presenters and sessions is available online at www.gefconference2011.org. To learn more about CCSS and Assessments visit www.commoncore.org.

About Cincinnati Public Schools
Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) – a district of 57 schools serving a diverse population of more than 34,000 students in grades preschool to 12 – prepares students for life through rigorous academic programs, numerous enrichment opportunities and strong community partnerships. The district moved up into the Effective rating on the 2009-10 Ohio Report Card — the only urban district in Ohio to earn this high of a rating. In addition, CPS’ graduation rate has increased from just over 60 percent to 80 percent since 2002. Three of its high schools – Walnut Hills High School, Withrow University High School and Clark Montessori High School – are ranked among the top 1,000 public high schools in the United States, according to national magazines. CPS is in year eight of a 10-year, $1-billion Facilities Master Plan that will provide new or fully renovated buildings for all CPS students
To learn more about Cincinnati Public Schools, visit www.cps-k12.org.

About the GE Foundation
The GE Foundation, the philanthropic organization of the General Electric Company, works to solve some of the world’s most difficult problems. In coordination with its partners, it supports U.S. and international education, developing health globally, the environment, public policy, human rights and disaster relief. In addition, the GE Foundation supports GE employee and retiree giving and involvement in GE communities around the world. In 2010, the entire GE family — including businesses, employees, retirees and the GE Foundation — contributed more than $250 million in cash, products, and services to charitable organizations around the world. For more information, visit www.gefoundation.com.

About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) is an advanced technology, services and finance company taking on the world’s toughest challenges. Dedicated to innovation in energy, health, transportation and infrastructure, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs about 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.ge.com.
 
Citizenship at GE is more than a program or a set of good intentions - it is a full-time commitment built upon cultural behaviors and actions. These actions are integrated with business strategy and have defined goals, strategies and metrics that make it actionable and accountable.

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