Sponsors

RHODE ISLAND GOVERNOR DONALD L. CARCIERI Donald L. Carcieri was inaugurated as Rhode Island's fifty-seventh Governor on January 7, 2003, and was reelected to a second four-year term in 2006. A native Rhode Islander, Governor Carcieri attended Brown University on an academic scholarship, graduating in 1965 with a degree in international relations. Following graduation, he taught high school math in public schools in Newport, RI and Concord, Mass. He began his business career at Old Stone Bank and, in the early 1980s, headed the Catholic Relief Service's operation in Jamaica, West Indies. Back in Rhode Island, he joined Cookson America , rising through the ranks to the position of Chief Executive Officer as well as Joint Managing Director of Cookson Group Worldwide. As governor, he has focused on greater accountability in the classroom, more funding for troubled and urban schools, and initiatives that enable students to better learn the critical subjects of math and science. Donald L. Carcieri, Governor Governor Carcieri’s education agenda ------------------------------------------------ ANNENBERG INSTITUTE FOR SCHOOL REFORM The Annenberg Institute for School Reform is a national policy-research and reform-support organization affiliated with Brown University that focuses on improving conditions and outcomes in urban schools, especially those serving disadvantaged children. The Institute pursues its work through partnerships with school districts and school reform networks in collaboration with national and local organizations skilled in educational research, policy, and effective practices. Rather than providing a specific design or model to be implemented, our approach to reform is to offer an array of tools and strategies to help districts strengthen their local capacity to provide and sustain high-quality education for all students. Warren Simmons, Executive Director www.annenberginstitute.org ------------------------------------------------ THE EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP The Education Partnership is an umbrella organization that oversees programs at the grassroots level and develops education strategies, policy, and legislation at the district and state level. Its mission is to improve academic achievement through improved leadership and governing policies at the state and local level that result in the measurable, continuous advancement of student performance. The Partnership intends to create and "spin off" programs that model dynamic progress in academic achievement, best-practice community partnerships, and exemplary educational leadership at both the state and local level. Through collaborations across the state with other community-based education organizations, chambers of commerce, ministerial associations, parent advocacy groups, affiliated state and local agencies and other education stakeholders, it seeks to build more informed and sustained demand for better public schools. Valerie Forti, President www.edpartnership.org ------------------------------------------------ URBAN EDUCATION POLICY PROGRAM AT BROWN UNIVERSITY The Urban Education Policy Program prepares students for a variety of professional careers involving policy analysis, planning, and development in urban public education. The twelve-month program integrates research, theory, and practice, grounding academically rigorous coursework in the day-to-day realities of practice through internships in local urban education policy settings. Based in Brown's Education Department, UEP provides students with concepts and core skills in areas including data analysis, economic theory, urban politics, the role of urban demographics in creating sound education policies, and promising models for schools and education systems that enhance urban education. The program draws on the urban education policy expertise of the Annenberg Institute to augment the practical and interdisciplinary aspects of the curriculum. Kenneth K. Wong, Director http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Education/uep_intro.php ------------------------------------------------ NATIONAL GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION CENTER FOR BEST PRACTICES Founded in 1908, the National Governors Association (NGA) is the collective voice of the nation's governors and one of the most respected public policy organizations in Washington, DC. Its members are the governors of the fifty states, three territories, and two commonwealths. NGA provides governors and their senior staff members with services that range from representing states on Capitol Hill and before the Administration on key federal issues to developing and implementing innovative solutions to public policy challenges through the NGA Center for Best Practices. The Center is organized into five divisions; the Education Division provides information on best practices in early childhood, elementary and secondary, and postsecondary education, including teacher quality, high school redesign, reading, access to and success in postsecondary education, extra learning opportunities, and school readiness. Dane Linn, Director, Education Division, NGA Center for Best Practices http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.50aeae5ff70b817ae8ebb856a11010a0/ ------------------------------------------------ THE RHODE ISLAND FOUNDATION The Rhode Island Foundation pursues its mission of "connecting private philanthropy to the public good" guided by certain principles or core values: Permanence, through stewardship of funds held in perpetuity; Integrity, through a commitment to independent governance, objectivity, and honest leadership; Vision, through understanding the importance of innovation and diverse perspectives; Accessibility, through an organizational culture that makes it easy and comfortable for all segments of our society to feel connected to their community foundation; and Partnerships, through a willingness to make connections and work with donors, community organizations, government, other local funders, national foundations, and others to augment and make more effective its own resources. Ronald V. Gallo, President and CEO www.rifoundation.org ------------------------------------------------