Phase II: OETT/OK-ACTS Grants to Schools

Phase II, OETT/OK-ACTS Grants to Schools program, deepens the work for whole school learning. Administrators who have successfully completed Phase I Leadership training are eligible to apply for OETT Grants to Schools. The grants require schools to develop a collaborative proposal to implement three of the ten practices of high achieving schools with a focus on the development of a professional learning community using technology integration to increase student achievement. Awards for grant recipients include $40,000 in technology equipment and staff release time, and $25,000 for year-long professional development through the K20 Center’s OK-ACTS program.

The professional development component is individualized to meet the specific needs of each school for implementation of their grant goals and the specific technology purchased. At an initial grant planning meeting, the OK-ACTS staff collaboratively develops the professional development plan with the administrator and learning team for the year-long professional development. Over the course of the year, teachers receive between 30 - 40 hours of professional development in regular monthly sessions. These sessions are supplemented by quarterly meetings, site visits, a winter conference, and continued communication and collaboration with teachers via e-mail, teleconferences, or phone conversations.

Within the professional development sessions, OK-ACTS models various processes and the use of technology, and teachers work in collaborative groups completing authentic or problem-based activities. Various structures and processes, which teachers can take back to their classrooms, are integrated into the lessons as well as technology integration. The activities are relevant to teachers, builds on their prior knowledge of a situation, and offers opportunities for collaboration and personal reflection. These experiences and the time for reflection enable teachers to use and adapt the authentic experiences and technology-integration strategies that are modeled in the activities.