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Tracy Gray

Photograph of Tracy Gray
Tracy Gray
Director, NCTI
Director, Center for Implementing Technology in Education
Managing Research Scientist ,
American Institutes for Research

Tracy Gray is the director of National Center for Technology Innovation and a managing research scientist at AIR. Tracy is a nationally recognized expert in education and technology and has led numerous projects in the United States and internationally, examining the impact of technology on educational achievement. In addition, she has published and lectured widely on issues related to the integration of emerging technologies into the classroom and after-school programs. She recently published The Gateway to Student Success in Mathematics and Science for Microsoft and Teacher Learning Online: Improving the Teaching of Mathematics Through Better Professional Development for the U.S. Department of Education.

Before working at AIR, Tracy was vice president for youth services at the Morino Institute and was responsible for the design and implementation of the Youth Development Collaborative (YDC) pilot. That effort sought to understand the complexities of integrating technology into schools and community-based organizations. Under Gray's leadership, the lessons learned from the YDC led to the development of the YouthLearn Guide: A Creative Approach to Working With Youth and Technology and the YouthLearn Web site. Those award-winning tools serve as resources for teachers and staff interested in using technology to enhance educational programs for children.

Tracy also served as the first deputy executive director and chief operating officer for the Corporation for National Service (CNS). As part of the leadership team, she helped launch AmeriCorps, which enabled more than 50,000 members working in more than 1,000 programs to serve communities throughout the United States.

Tracy holds Ph.D. and M.A. degrees in education and psychology from Stanford University and received an A.B. in psychology from the University of California, Riverside. She holds a California secondary teaching credential and is bilingual in English and Spanish.

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Technology and Its Role In Increasing High School Success

Question 3: What funding is now available for high schools in regards to technology with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) 2009?

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), signed into law on February 17th, provides approximately $100 billion for education, creating a historic opportunity to save hundreds of thousands of jobs, support states and school districts, and advance reforms and improvements that will create long-lasting results for our students and our nation including early learning, K-12, and post-secondary education (U.S. Department of Education). Beginning in the fall of 2009, $650 million of the ARRA will be made available specifically for educational technology state grants.

ARRA outlines five core reforms that will help our nation meet the goal of dramatically improving student achievement:  (1) adopting rigorous college- and career-ready standards and high-quality assessments; (2) establishing data systems and using data for improvement; (3) increasing teacher effectiveness and equitable distribution of effective teachers; and (4) turning around the lowest-performing schools; and (5) improving results for all students, including early learning, extended learning time, use of technology, preparation for college, and school modernization. Beginning in the fall of 2009, $650 million of the ARRA will be made available specifically for educational technology state grants.

When investing ARRA funds, states, districts and schools should work cooperatively together to invest wisely. There are several best practices and online resources recommended for states to implement with ARRA funds such as: purchase and train teachers to use instructional software that help properly identify students with learning disabilities, utilize technology-enabled white boards and other assistive technologies, and use open education resources or purchase high-quality online courseware in core high school content areas.  Two highly noted resources I recommend you to review are: TechMatrix (www.TechMatrix.org) and the Ed Tech Locator (http://www.cited.org/index.aspx?page_id=110). TechMatrix is a powerful online tool for finding assistive technology products for students with disabilities. I also recommend the Ed Tech Locator which is a compilation of materials for teachers, administrators, technology coordinators and professional development coordinators to self-assess their progress within technology integration. The Education Recovery and Reinvestment Center (ERRC) will help districts, state leaders, administrators, and teachers find information and tools to meet their specific needs; from a calendar of related events to a school reform and improvement database, this center has extensive information to help all stakeholders wisely invest ARRA funds in technology integration.

References

U.S. Department of Education summary of ARRA (http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/implementation.html )

Center for Implementing Technology Education (www.cited.org)

Making Wise Ed Tech Decisions with ARRA Funds







Coming Soon!
Terry Salinger, Managing Director and Chief Scientist for Reading Research at the American Institutes for Research will be the featured expert for May. The topic of the month will be High School Literacy.