BellSouth Foundation Awards $600K Grant to the University of Florida
May 24, 2006 - Posted in College Grant, Education NewsThe BellSouth Foundation today announced that the University of Florida College of Education will receive a $600,000 grant to develop a comprehensive strategy for measuring and assessing the outcomes of the BellSouth 20/20 Vision for Education initiative. The $20M initiative commemorates the Foundation’s 20th anniversary and is designed to bring engaging, rigorous, online instruction to students throughout the Southeast — particularly low-income and minority students — to address the growing achievement gap and improve graduation rates. The initiative focuses on strengthening state-led virtual schools and supporting e-Learning in the communities BellSouth serves.
Under the five-year grant, UF education researchers headed by education technology specialist Richard Ferdig, will develop standardized methods for evaluating the effectiveness of online education for students. In collaboration with BellSouth’s virtual high school partners, the researchers will then use the new evaluation tools to determine the best teaching practices and strategies for online instruction, particularly to students of diverse backgrounds.
“Studies have already proven that learning through online schooling is effective,” said Ferdig. “Our study will move beyond the question of whether virtual schooling works, focusing instead on when and how online instruction works most effectively. Our aim is to provide a comprehensive set of tools for regional virtual schools to improve the quality of online instruction and student performance.”
Ferdig’s co-researchers at UF are Tom Dana, professor of education and chairman of the college’s School of Teaching and Learning, and education technology doctoral students Erik Black and Meredith DiPietro.
The centerpiece of the evaluation plan for BellSouth 20/20 Vision for Education will include drawing on existing research and current virtual school practice to create a database of metrics useful for school improvement. The online database will provide multiple reporting mechanisms that will provide implications for funding, policy, and practice. It will also be used by the virtual schools to provide timely, continuous feedback for data-driven decision making and evaluation of existing policies and practice.
In addition, University of Florida researchers will test evaluation instruments to improve student performance and increase the quality of online instruction.
“University of Florida has a national reputation for innovative education research and this grant recognizes their expertise in virtual learning,” said Marshall Criser III, State President - Florida, BellSouth. “Our partnership with them will be instrumental in supporting our work with state-led virtual schools and furthering our e-Learning efforts.”
About BellSouth Corporation
BellSouth Corporation is a Fortune 500 communications company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. BellSouth has joint control and 40 percent ownership of Cingular Wireless, the nation’s largest wireless voice and data provider with 55.8 million customers.
Backed by award-winning customer service, BellSouth offers the most comprehensive and innovative package of voice and data services available in the market. Through BellSouth Answers®, residential and small business customers can bundle their local and long distance service with dial-up and high-speed DSL Internet access, satellite television and Cingular® Wireless service. For businesses, BellSouth provides secure, reliable local and long distance voice and data networking solutions. BellSouth also offers print and online directory advertising through The Real Yellow Pages® and YELLOWPAGES.COM(TM) from BellSouth.
BellSouth believes that diversity and fostering an inclusive environment are critical in maintaining a competitive advantage in today’s global marketplace. More information about BellSouth can be found at http://www.bellsouth.com.
About the BellSouth Foundation
The BellSouth Foundation is an endowed trust of BellSouth Corporation that is devoted to education in the South. Since its creation in 1986, the Foundation has funded over 595 grants and operated numerous special initiatives, with a total investment of more than $56 million. For more information about the BellSouth Foundation, please visit www.bellsouth.com/foundation.
About the University of Florida College of Education
The UF College of Education ranks 22nd among public education schools of the elite AAU institutions and is the state’s top-ranked education college. The college also has four nationally ranked academic programs: counselor education (ranked No. 2), special education (9), elementary education (12) and curriculum and instruction (22). The college enrolls more than 1,900 students in more than 40 bachelor’s and advanced degree programs, offered within five academic units: Counselor Education; Educational Administration; Educational Psychology; Special Education; and Teaching and Learning. Over the past century, UF education faculty have pioneered landmark initiatives such as: - Head Start - the community college system - the middle-school movement - Florida’s first laboratory school - and school counseling programs. To sustain the college’s innovative edge deep into the 21st century, college faculty are exploring ways to adapt cutting-edge technologies to increase student learning in the classroom. The college provides university-wide leadership in outreach to at-risk public schools through novel partnerships with schools and school districts throughout Florida. For more information about the UF College of Education, please visit www.education.ufl.edu.
Source: BellSouth Corporation