Program Name: Project Explore
Nominator's Name: Robert Fazio
Nominator's Telephone Number: (201) 271-2085
Title: Principal
The nominated school system is: Middle School
Organization: Christopher Columbus School
Districts: Union City School District
Address: 1500 New York Avenue
City/State/Zip: Union City, NJ 07087
District Superintendent: Thomas Highton
District Telephone Number: (201) 348-5851
Date of Program Initiation: September, 1993

Union City is among the nation's most densely populated and low socio-economic communities. Over 75% of the households use English as a second language, and are predominantly single parent families. Union City has faced numerous educational challenges.

In September 1993, as Union City was implementing its plan for systemic improvement, Bell Atlantic began implementing its advanced network plan, Project Explore, thus facilitating a partnership. Computers were supplied at school and at home to all 135 seventh graders and their teachers at Christopher Columbus School.

The cooperative business partnership between Christopher Columbus and Bell Atlantic has provided our students access to the most innovative technology available. Project Explore focuses on the delivery of interactive multimedia on demand applications over the public switched telephone network.

Area 1: Goals:

The district implemented substantive changes in 1989 with the main goal of formulating a curriculum that supports the development of thinking, reasoning and collaboration skills throughout the disciplines rather than emphasizing rote learning and whole group/lecture modes of education. Under the plan, students learn by doing and demonstrating their proficiencies through writing research papers and carrying out projects.

Project Explore has enabled educators to reach out to students and their families by employing a program that harnesses technology, and empowers educators with new tools for making learning more equitable by sharing resources, providing problem solving and critical thinking skills. The use of laser discs, the Internet, CD ROM, audio-video servers, and Mosaic were fully integrated into the school's curriculum. Integrating technology into the curriculum, coupled with a restructured environment has been a successful combination.

"The real value here is that the students are encouraged to evaluate the information and make decisions regarding the importance and relevance of the data. No longer do they have one text book that tells them all they need to know about a topic. They do collaborative research and as a class determine the facts that are important for them to know and remember." Kathleen Tully, Project Manager, Project Explore, Bell Atlantic

Area 2: Activities:

Our staff has proven its commitment to evolve and explore new ways of teaching and learning as attested by our involvement with innovative programs and ongoing, self directed staff development. Interdisciplinary multimedia projects are made possible through teacher collaboration and the use of technology. Student and parent databases have been established that have provided a linkage to information for the entire school community. Student work is exhibited in digital portfolios and in multimedia presentations and exhibitions. Internet has provided unlimited information for our students research based projects and has afforded us the opportunity to showcase the efforts of our multifaceted school community. A video yearbook was produced, taped and edited by students using in house video production equipment. Columbus has received a grant from the NJ Coalition of Essential Schools to pursue exploration of school reform initiatives. This has enabled the entire school community to continually address, discuss and implement school improvement plans.

Area 3: Evaluation:

Remarkable progress has been made by those students involved in the project such as marked improvement in standardized test scores and in writing skills, significant declines in absenteeism and a jump in the number of students transferring in, coupled with a declining rate of students transferring out. The attendance for both students and teachers is now above the state average. The annual district wide student mobility rate has dropped from 44% to 22% and to only 12% at Columbus.

Over the past three years, the percentage of eighth grade student at Columbus School who passed the New Jersey State Early Warning Test increased on average of 250 percent in Reading, Math and Writing. In addition, the percent of 8th graders that passed all three parts of the EWT test has risen by nearly 19% in the last year alone.

The project has been a prime success story with a new and challenging curriculum that has connected students to each other and remote banks of knowledge.

"Columbus Middle School is an amazing success story which serves as a model for all inner city schools. From a low of just 24% of its student passing the EWT in 1992 to the current rate of 78.8% (1995) passing attests to the wonderful achievements accomplished through restructuring the curriculum, school day, extensive staff development and the infusion of technology." Fred Carrigg, Executive Director of Academic Programs Union City Board of Education

Over the last four years Columbus School has been working with the Education Development Center to help integrate technology into the school curriculum.

"Training sessions were conducted for teachers, who in turn, held sessions for parents. This team approach to implementing education reforms has sparked an interest in involvement for all players. Christopher Columbus School has been a model of a home-school connection from which parents have an opportunity to learn skills that are critical to employment in the future." Andres Henriquez, Senior Research Associate, EDC/CCT

Area 4: Stability:

Christopher Columbus School's commitment to technology is based on research and the goal to improve student outcome. The entire budget is planned and reviewed by a school based planning team using the process of shared decision making. It is through this process that monies are efficiently allocated to meet student needs. Local funding supports the district wide technology plan along with QEA funding for the educational improvement plan.

The district has demonstrated its long term commitment to Project Explore every step of the way. The district is currently engaged in replicating the program's classroom components in one of its high schools and one of its elementary schools. There are plans to adapt the project district wide by using a central server.

Columbus has attained a great deal of recognition for Project Explore. The schools' progress was recently profiled in prestigious publications such as Education Week, The New York Times, Bill Gate's new best-selling book, The Road Ahead, and the NII KickStart Report. Christopher Columbus School received the NJ Association of Supervisors and Curriculum Development Award for 1995, presented for Columbus' outstanding program for its integration of technology into the core curriculum. At the National Conference on Educational Technology held in Washington D.C. United States Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley congratulated Union City's successful effort.

"In Union City, N.J., at the Columbus School they have literally turned the school around. What was once the kind of place you might not expect to find students of the information age is now a prime success story with a new and challenging curriculum. We are already seeing dramatic results by the students- vastly improved standardized test scores, increased attendance, and increased and awakened interest in learning by students who have not responded to traditional instruction." Richard W. Riley United States Secretary of Education at his March 7,1995 National Conference on Educational Technology

Most importantly, on Thursday, February 15,1996, President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore chose to visit Christopher Columbus School to announce the $2.5 billion Technology Literacy Challenge. They were able to experience first hand the technologically advanced middle school that Mr. Clinton hopes other schools in America can duplicate.