Austin, Texas (Feb. 7, 2008) Texas Computer Education Association Annual Convention – PBS TeacherLine, the premier provider of online professional development courses for educators, announces today the launch of its new program Course Licensing for Schools and Districts. The flexible course licensing program enables schools, districts and education service agencies to expand their staff professional development programs or create a new initiative in a way that is cost-effective.

Over the past several years many districts have invested in course management systems to meet the increased demand for e-learning opportunities for students. With these systems, schools have the technological capability to deliver curriculum and instructional content online for students and teachers. However, high costs and lack of time and resources often prevent schools from developing their own professional development courses for teachers. It can cost more than $50,000 to create a graduate-level course.

“As schools and districts face budgetary constraints, our course licensing program provides educational institutions with a convenient, affordable way to deliver high-quality online professional development to teachers to meet their learning goals,” said Melinda George, senior director of PBS TeacherLine. “The flexibility of the program is also important to districts. They can modify the courses to address the unique needs of their institutions, which is particularly critical when there are changes in local or state standards and regulations.”

PBS TeacherLine Course Licensing for Schools and Districts allows educational institutions to select from more than 100 research-based courses in reading/language arts, math, science, instructional strategies, and instructional technology. The courses incorporate the rich use of technologies such as audio, video, interactives, and online discussions to address multiple learning styles. Through PBS TeacherLine courses, teachers build content area knowledge, learn to apply research-based strategies to classroom activities and integrate technology into the curriculum in ways that nurture student achievement.

The licensing program provides numerous other benefits:

• Strategic course design, workloads and assignments that have been tested by leading educators

• Control over the learning process and course facilitation

• Predictability and cost control in annual budgeting process

• All usage permissions in place

• Opportunity to brand courses and offer them under the school or district’s name, within its online learning portal

• Compatibility with most popular course management systems and open source delivery platforms.

PBS TeacherLine offers two affordable course licensing plans: flat-rate pricing based on organization size for unlimited learner usage, or per-seat pricing based on number of enrollments per course so institutions only pay for what they use. Site licensing terms include a one-time set-up fee of $750, an annual license fee and options for content updates.

Teachers can earn professional development points or continuing education units for these courses, depending on their district’s requirements.

PBS TeacherLine course licensing plans are available to schools, districts and education service agencies throughout the United States. In Texas, PBS TeacherLine is available through PBS TeacherLine of Texas, a consortium of Texas PBS stations managed by KLRU in Austin and KLRN in San Antonio.

More Information

For more information about PBS TeacherLine, visit www.pbs.org/teacherline. A full course catalog is available online.

To learn more about PBS, go to www.pbs.org.

About PBS TeacherLine

PBS TeacherLine is committed to helping teachers acquire the skills they need to prepare students for a successful future. PBS TeacherLine provides high-quality, affordable professional development through facilitated, online courses, collaborative learning communities, and exemplary Internet-based resources. Currently, more than 90 courses across multiple subject areas are offered. Teachers can earn continuing education units, professional development points and graduate credits for course completion. The courses have been developed in conjunction with leading education organizations, including Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL), Education Development Center (EDC), Concord Consortium, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and International Society for Technology Education. Created in 2000, PBS TeacherLine is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education for $6,046,811. This represents approximately 85 percent of the total program funding. The remaining 15 percent is funded through in-kind support from PBS and through program income.

About PBS

PBS is a media enterprise that serves 355 public noncommercial television stations and reaches more than 75 million people each week through on-air and online content. Bringing diverse viewpoints to television and the Internet, PBS provides high-quality documentary and dramatic entertainment, and consistently dominates the most prestigious award competitions. PBS is a leading provider of educational materials for K-12 teachers, and offers a broad array of other educational services. PBS’ premier kids’ TV programming and Web site, PBS KIDS Online (www.pbskids.org), continue to be parents’ and teachers’ most trusted learning environments for children.

Contacts

PBS
Kevin Dando
703-739-5073
kdando at pbs dot org
www.pbs.org

PBS TeacherLine
Tim Lum
703-739-5252
tlum at pbs dot org
www.pbs.org/teacherline

C. Blohm & Associates, Inc.
Charlene Blohm
608-839-9800
charlene at cblohm dot com
www.cblohm.com

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