Beginning this fall, third and sixth graders throughout San Diego will use laptop computers to connect with their peers and work on projects that apply what they’re learning to real-world situations. Their teachers will use interactive whiteboards to help make lessons come alive, while reaching students who learn best through a variety of different learning styles. And school leaders will rigorously track student outcomes and use this information to improve instruction.

San Diego’s efforts are part of a five-year plan to reinvent the way students are taught in the city’s schools–and they could serve as a model for others to follow as district leaders look to put new federal priorities into action.

President Obama has challenged the nation to turn around low-performing schools, put highly qualified teachers into classrooms, and ensure that student achievement improves. At the core of these reforms is an emphasis on 21st-century teaching and learning in which technology is not merely present, but is used in the most effective ways possible.

Billions of dollars in grant money will be disbursed to schools this year as part of the second wave of federal stimulus funding, and districts whose goals align with the Obama administration’s stated priorities will have a leg up on the competition. That puts districts such as San Diego Unified in a good position, observers say, to leverage federal dollars to effect real change.

(For more on Obama’s vision for education, see the side story “San Diego’s vision aligns with Obama’s plans for school transformation.”)

Eileen Lento, government and education strategist for Intel Corp., one of San Diego’s corporate partners, commended the district’s efforts and said they embody the spirit of a true modern education.

“San Diego is demonstrating inspired leadership and vision with its systemic plan for transformation,” said Lento, who added that the district “is boldly stepping up to the challenges this country is facing”–including the need for teachers prepared to teach in a technology-rich environment, as well as more rigorous academic standards.

And Lento said San Diego students will benefit immensely from the city’s five-year plan.

“[Such an] innovative program will provide the children of San Diego [with] an engaging and personalized learning environment, mindfully designed to optimize teaching and learning through the interconnected use of visual [and] auditory [media], mobile computing, and formative assessment technologies across the curriculum,” she said.

Rejuvenating education

Obama repeatedly has stressed that the nation’s standing as a global economic leader will be at risk if the United States does not do a better job of educating students.

Toward that end, Education Secretary Arne Duncan has revealed four key priorities for the Obama administration. Every school in the country is encouraged to adopt rigorous standards, train and retain high-quality teachers, use data systems to track student progress continually, and turn around low-performing schools.