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Inside this issue:
- Featured Article
- New Customers
- Fall Web Surfing
- We’re Growing!
- Look Into Our Crystal Ball
Welcome Back!
Ignacio Ybarra
With the passing of summer, it is time for things that are new – new school year, new budget cycle and a new excitement for the upcoming semester. We at Mizuni thought the new school year was the perfect time to launch our new, updated look as seen in this Newsletter. Stay tuned for the refreshed Mizuni web site in the coming weeks.
Also new is the deluge of information about the stimulus package. We thought it was appropriate for our featured article to provide a concise overview of the ARRA funds and describe some funding opportunities that may be of interest to you. Additionally, check out “Fall Web Surfing” for important web sites to visit to keep abreast of the latest with the stimulus package.
If you have any ideas that you would like to see featured in the Mizuni Buzz in the future, please send them to buzz@mizuni.com. |
Fall Web Surfing
What's new with the Stimulus Package?
Visit the US DOE ARRA web site
Make sense of the stimulus package at: EdWeek and ASCD
Leading the Charge for Real-time Data featuring Western Heights Public Schools
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We’re Growing!
Help us welcome the newest members of the Mizuni Team:
Sa’Linda Dickerson – Joining Mizuni as a Senior Project Manager, Sa’Linda Dickerson brings over 15 years of operational management experience to Mizuni. As a Senior Project Manager, Sa’Linda manages the day-to-day operational and tactical aspects for Mizuni’s multiple customer projects. When not keeping us on track, Sa’Linda enjoys spending time with her family and chasing after her five year old daughter.
Jayme Endicott – Jayme Endicott joins Mizuni as our newest Senior Customization Specialist. Having worked in public education for the last nine years, in the classroom as well as in technology departments, he brings a unique perspective and valuable technical experience to Mizuni. Jayme resides in Frisco, Texas with his wife Bonnie and “the girls” ... his Weimaraner-Husky ten year old puppies.
Laurie Collins – As Mizuni’s new Vice President of
State Solutions, Laurie brings a wealth of benefits to Mizuni.
Drawing from her prior experience as the Utilization Director for the SIF Association, Laurie will be using her vast knowledge working with districts and states as interoperable Mizuni solutions are implemented. Laurie is from Brownsburg, Indiana and enjoys reading, knitting and spending time with her husband Charles and their three college-aged children.
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Featured Article
Deciphering ARRA
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Learn more about the ARRA funds and how to apply them to the Mizuni Solutions.
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There are a lot of questions around the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. What funds are available for whom? How much is available in each fund? When will the money be distributed? The following is an overview of the $100 billion committed to education through ARRA. While most of the money will be available to states by the fall of 2009, states generally have until September 2010 to formally commit to how they will use the funds.
The majority of the federal funds for education will be distributed to states and districts through five main vehicles. Highlights include:
*See Innovation Fund section fund below for more details.
Additionally, $250 million has been allocated to states to develop and implement statewide longitudinal data systems. Specifically, these systems are intended to enhance the ability of states to efficiently and accurately manage, analyze, and use education data.
Innovation Fund
As part of the Secretary of Education’s Innovation Fund, $4.35b is available in Race to the Top grants to states making the most progress towards the Secretary’s “Core Reforms” or “Assurances”. These Assurances dictate that states address and provide data metrics to support four specific areas including the establishment of Pre-K to college and career data systems that track progress and foster continuous improvement.
An additional $650 million is available through the Secretary’s Investing in What Works and Innovation grants, competitive grants to Districts and non-profits that have made significant gains in closing achievement gaps to be models of best practices. Stay tuned for more information on the What Works and Innovation Grants in the Mizuni fall 2009 newsletter.
New Customers
Catoosa Public Schools, (CPS), Catoosa, OK
Located East of Tulsa, CPS has chosen the Mizuni Enterprise Data Management Solution to serve their 2,200 students. This solution includes the Mizuni Data Dashboards, Data Warehouse and SIF Integration Tools.
Klein Independent School District (KISD), Klein, TX
Located in northwestern Harris County, KISD serves more than 42,000 PK-12 students across 37 school campuses. KISD has chosen to implement the Mizuni Enterprise Data Management Solution to more effectively deliver real-time information to district stakeholders.
Spring Independent School District (SISD), Houston, TX
Located 20 miles north of downtown Houston, SISD serves over 34,000 PK-12 students in urban Harris County. SISD has chosen to implement the Mizuni Enterprise Data Management Solution to streamline the aggregation and distribution of student performance results.
Look Into Our Crystal Ball
We have been hard at work developing new features and products:
- In partnership with LunchByte Systems, we are pleased to announce the development of the Mizuni SIF Agent for LunchByte NUTRIKIDS! The certified agent is due for general public release on September 21st. Please contact us for more details!
- Enhanced Mizuni Data Warehouse Viewers: Enhanced Student and Teacher viewers includes access to student discipline, Edusoft & COGAT assessment data and period attendance for teachers! Be on the lookout for these new features in our August & September 2009 release.
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