On December 16, the California Department of Education (CDE) posted the Request for Applications (RFA) for $5.5 million in new Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) Competitive grants. Fifty-two school districts and direct-funded charters in CTAP Region 10 are eligible to apply for approximately $500,000 in regional funding through this program. Schools previously funded through the ARRA or NCLB EETT Competitive process ARE ELIGIBLE to apply for Round 9 EETT-C funds. The application must be received by the CDE no later than 5 p.m. on February 1, 2011.

CTAP Live Online workshops are FREE classes taught completely online. Workshops offer up to 2 professional development hours based on completion of an assignment related to the class. CTAP Live Online workshops are a free and easy way to improve on technology skills, learn ways of integrating technology in the classroom and communicate with educators from other districts in California.

The RIMS CTAP webinar rollout of the ARRA EETT Competitive grant was held on Friday, October 29. Feel free to download the Rollout Presentation; the notes section of each slide includes language from the RFA as well as answers to commonly asked questions and some clarification from the CDE. 

In this training, administrators, especially those doing district wide walkthroughs, will learn how to use calibration tables to help inform their feedback on content and curriculum alignment. Calibration tables pull together in one usable document the California content standards, benchmark expectations, STAR sample test questions, and California framework sample problems. The calibration tables present exemplars for each standard so that the practitioner can see what students should master without having to juggle numerous web sites and pdf documents.

The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) EETT Competitive Grant RFA is scheduled to be released on October 27, 2010. On October 29 at 10:00 am, RIMS CTAP is offering an informative webinar providing guidance on eligibility, program requirements, criteria, timelines, and guidelines for submission. The ARRA EETT Competitive Grant will provide funding based on student enrollment in Grades 7-12. The eligibiilty list is projected to be posted at the same time as the RFA. 

We would like to welcome Dennis Deets, joining RIMS CTAP as program manager.

Dennis taught for fifteen years, mostly high school mathematics, then was in site administration for ten years. Most recently, he worked with Cajon High School and Pacific High School in San Bernardino from 2006-2010. His wife teaches high school English, and his daughter attends St. Andrews University in Scotland.

To get in touch with Dennis, call RIMS CTAP at 909-386-2686 or via email at ddeets@ctap10.org