Introduction

Our mission is to promote methods for improving the education system. While we recognize the magnitude of this challenge, we believe it is not insurmountable. The major barriers are problems of leadership, vision, and structure. We have a significant body of knowledge on the learning process, presenting information, organizing human activity, and communication. What is missing is an organization whose sole task is to be the nucleus in providing the required leadership, vision, and structure. Normally, this would seem to be the job of a government organization - but the very nature of the present education system precludes this.

What is required is a non-profit organization with no authority to impose solutions. Such an organization would have to develop a vision that is so compelling and easy to implement that the various educational systems voluntarily adopt it.

EduFX will strive to implement its vision and become that organization. The big question is how do we make our vision so compelling and easy to implement that schools will voluntarily adopt it? It will take time, hard work, significant funding, and probably more than a few adjustments along the way, but the following is our plan.

The EduFX operation consists of four distinct areas of effort—research, product development, advocacy, and specification/certification—that will command differing commitments of resources during the Company's five phases of growth. Phase 1 will emphasize research, Phase 2 will emphasize product development and Phase 3 will emphasize advocacy. In Phase 4 and beyond, the Company will focus on specification and certification. It is important to note there will be some level of effort in each operational area during every Phase of development.

Research

Initial research will focus on creating and refining technologies and techniques for use in MILE. Early tasks will center on developing effective technologies for using computers to measure student progress, to identify when students are having problems, to respond to problems appropriately, and to provide the teacher with timely and useful student information. Research will be broadened to include computer and noncomputer techniques to make content more compelling. EduFX will later explore alternative methods of managing the modules and implementing the module-based system. Research results, as well as associated recommendations, will be made available to the Public. EduFX fellowship teachers will be consulted on a periodic basis.

Product Development

Product development will evolve from building and deploying the initial modules to guiding and supporting third party developers. The Company's first module, Algebra I, will cover the requirements of a student's first semester in algebra. Additional prototype modules will be developed and field-tested through action research projects. EduFX will build, test, and modify each initial module until it delivers a superior learning experience. Partner schools, such as Aspire Public Schools and Rogers Middle School, will help test and provide feedback for improving the modules. The Company's commitment to teacher training will increase over time.

Product development work will gradually shift from internal development to encouraging and supporting commercial development. EduFX will guide developers in building key secondary, then middle, and finally elementary school modules, and provide final quality assurance testing and certification. To maximize potential product quality, developers will be provided with the results of continuing EduFX research. The Company will start a teacher fellowship program, involving a select group of teachers in the EduFX process. EduFX will continually refine MILE through a cycle of research, analysis, and modification of existing modules to improve teacher success, student achievement and curriculum adaptability.

Advocacy

Advocacy will encompass four related efforts: raising public awareness of MILE, seeking private foundation, corporate and government support, working with related nonprofits to improve education, and promoting the adoption of MILE by schools.

EduFX will raise public awareness through marketing and public relations campaigns. We will actively seek financial and non-financial support from public and private organizations. EduFX will collaborate with complementary nonprofits and will work with other nonprofits as opportunities arise. By continuing to form partnerships with schools, EduFX will ensure adequate sites for testing and help build a ground swell of support for new modules. Advocacy will become important when commercial firms begin developing modules, and will grow in importance until a critical mass of existing schools are converted to using MILE. Total advocacy effort will be inversely related to the number of schools using the EduFX system.

Specification/Certification

Specification will involve creating and managing dynamic groups of K-12 education stakeholders to build requirements for a standardized set of modules. EduFX will carefully select a group of educators, content experts, and other stakeholders for each module. The initial effort will be a complete specification for all key high school math modules. Specifications will include a mapping of module content to state content standards.

In conjunction with developing the specification process, EduFX will create and manage a formal process for certifying module compliance. The certification process will include a comparison of the content with the module's specification, a field test of the module, pre and post-standardized testing of students used in the field test, and an analysis of the results of student and teacher interviews. Results of the certification process will be made available to the Public. EduFX will continue to manage and improve the formal process for creating module specifications and certifying them. Ultimately, EduFX will have complete specifications for all essential K-12 modules and will ensure module compliance with published state and federal standards.