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Executive Summary 2006-2007
Cooperative Education Exchange Program

GOAL 1: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
To strengthen the programmatic and leadership skills, economic understanding, and international competencies of economic educators in the United States and eligible countries

Training of Trainers

NCEE’s guiding philosophy is that well-prepared teachers are the cornerstone of educational excellence. In order to maximize the number of teachers trained in market economics in our partner countries, NCEE created the Training of Trainers program. Through four weeks of seminars, educators in the eligible countries receive intensive training in economics and pedagogy. The aim is to develop a core of highly skilled, well-trained individuals who can effectively train teachers in economics in their home countries. NCEE will conduct one Trainers program in 2006-2007.

Training of Teachers

The training of teachers is at the heart of NCEE’s work in the United States. The professional development NCEE offers for teachers in partner countries emphasizes an active learning approach and introduces basic economic concepts to teachers with limited background in economics, through a series of creative lessons. This year, introductory workshops will be offered in Mexico and South Africa. These workshops provide NCEE with a way to demonstrate our materials and methods, generate interest in further training, and respond to interests of Ministries of Education or other organizations.

Economics in the Elementary Classroom

A five day workshop on economic education in elementary schools will bring together graduates of the Training of Trainers program from the former Soviet Union and central and eastern Europe to expand their knowledge of methods, curriculum, and materials appropriate for elementary students, with a focus on active learning.

Training of Writers

The Training of Writers program develops and refines participants’ skills in writing economics lessons for K-12 teachers. The workshop brings together 24 economic educators from the eligible countries and the United States for systematic training on how to write instructional materials for teachers, after which they write and extensively revise lessons with feedback from U.S. instructors via electronic mail.

Training of Writers Program for Ukraine

For the past two years, two Ukrainian Trainers have been trained as co-faculty in the Training of Writers program with a goal of developing their skills in instruction on lesson writing and offering feedback to lesson writers. With assistance from the U.S. Writers faculty and NCEE, the Ukrainian co-faculty developed a plan to offer a Training of Writers program for Ukraine. The Ukrainian faculty has decided to conduct the program in Russian. Twenty Ukrainian educators will participate in this pilot program.

Summer Institute for U.S. Teachers

Each year, NCEE training and materials equip thousands of teachers to help millions of students develop skills they need to think and choose as consumers, savers, investors, citizens, workforce members, and participants in the global economy. To further this mission, NCEE will organize and conduct a summer institute for forty U.S. high school teachers to provide them with materials and teaching strategies to introduce globalization topics in their economics and social studies classes.

GOAL 2: CAPACITY BUILDING
To support the development of economic education practices, programs, policies, and delivery systems in eligible countries

 

Alumni Projects

Alumni Projects provide matching funds to graduates of the Training of Trainers program to support development and improvement of economic education in their countries. Through this program, partner organizations conduct workshops, translate or adapt NCEE materials, develop websites, publish brochures and newsletters for teachers, conduct briefings for educational leaders and mass media, and carry out other activities to further economic education.

Organizational Support

To help partners build economic education infrastructures, NCEE will assist leaders in building effective nongovernmental organizations through support for partner organizations in five countries (Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Romania, Russia, and Ukraine).

Translation and Materials Briefings

NCEE will provide partner organizations with funding to translate the revised standard introductory workshop agenda and teaching materials into local languages. Funds will also be provided to support the distribution of these materials to graduates of the Training of Trainers program

Observers at Training of Trainers Seminars

NCEE will invite education decision-makers from newly eligible countries to observe at a Training of Trainers seminar to introduce them to the training and materials provided by NCEE and to strengthen their commitment to improving economic education in their countries.

Observers at Teacher Workshop

NCEE will invite nine education decision-makers (three from state level education agencies and six from universities in three Mexican states) to observe at NCEE’s first Introductory Level Teacher Workshop in Mexico.

Technical Support for Newly-Eligible Countries

Based on specific needs of each country, NCEE will provide support for activities in Egypt, Indonesia, Mexico, and South Africa. The activities will be designed to help build sustainable infrastructures for delivering economic education to teachers and students.

 

GOAL 3: MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT
To provide and stimulate the development and dissemination of high quality instructional materials for teaching economics in the United States and eligible countries

Translation and Publication of NCEE Materials

Even as international partners develop their own instructional materials, there remains a need for high quality translated lessons. Focus: Globalization will be translated into Ukrainian, and copies will be printed and distributed.

Development of Workshop Leaders’ Handbook for Focus: Globalization

To help councils and centers for economic education organize and conduct effective professional development programs for U.S. classroom teachers, NCEE will develop a web-based workshop leaders’ handbook for the new Focus: Globalization volume.

GOAL 4: EXCHANGE
To promote the exchange of ideas, methods, and materials among economic educators in the United States and eligible countries

Study Tours on Economic Education to the United States

Study tours will provide educators from eligible countries firsthand exposure to exemplary economic education delivery in the United States. Selected graduates of the NCEE Training of Trainers program will travel to university-based centers or state councils for economic education in the NCEE network. Through visits to resource centers, observation of classrooms and workshops, field trips, cultural activities, and meetings with council and center staff, as well as education, business, and community leaders, international visitors gain knowledge and experience that will help them as they develop economic education delivery systems in their own countries. NCEE will organize arrival orientations for international visitors that will prepare travelers for the experience. After the Study Tours, participants and their hosts will meet in Washington, D.C. with representatives of governmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations.

Study Tour to the United States for Leaders

This study tour will expose key educational leaders from Mexico and South Africa to economic education in the United States and demonstrate the degree of support and coordination necessary at the local, regional, and national levels for the successful delivery of economic education. Visits will focus on the role of NCEE and affiliated councils and centers in the area of teacher professional development.

Study Tours on Economic Education in Transition Economies

Two teams of twelve U.S. economic educators will travel to Lithuania or Romania to meet with local teachers, economic education leaders, ministry and business representatives, and non-governmental organizations; and to visit schools, economic education centers and councils, factories, banks, and other institutions. Participants will gain a firsthand experience of education in transition economies, as well as an understanding of economic, political, and social conditions there. NCEE will organize pre-departure orientations that will prepare travelers for the experience.

Classroom Partnerships Support

NCEE will continue support for classroom partnerships. Four Illinois and four Romanian and two Colorado and two Lithuanian high school teachers developed classroom partnerships in which teachers and students engaged in collaborative projects and established on-going communications. In 2006-2007 these partner teachers will introduce the projects to new groups of students. NCEE will also support several new partnership programs.

Network-to-Network Exchange

In Fall 2006, three NCEE-affiliated council and/or center directors will lead study tours for four teachers from their states or service areas to an NCEE partner country. Network leaders will also host two international visitors each for study tours to the United States in Spring 2007.

Participation in International Conferences

NCEE will sponsor participation of U.S. and international economic educators and NCEE staff in international conferences conducted by organizations of economic educators and social studies educators.

International Education Showcases

NCEE will continue the International Education Showcase program introduced in 2001-2002. This program will provide support to university centers and state councils that work with school and community groups to showcase activities that educate American students for participation in a global economy.

GOAL 5: RESEARCH AND EVALUATION
To conduct evaluation and research activities in the United States and eligible countries

Program Evaluation

NCEE will subcontract with an external evaluator, ORC Macro International Inc., to manage and conduct the evaluation component of the CEEP. Activities will include evaluation of the Training of Trainers program, the Training of Teachers workshops, and data collection and analysis through an Alumni Survey.