2007 USDLA Award Press Release

PBS TeacherLine® Earns 21st Century Best Practice Award from the U.S. Distance Learning Association

Prestigious industry award given to PBS TeacherLine for its excellence
in the distance learning field, its innovative solutions and its instructional success

ARLINGTON, Va. (May 8, 2007) – The United States Distance Learning Association honored PBS TeacherLine with a 2007 Distance Learning Award Monday evening in Kansas City, Mo. PBS TeacherLine earned the 21st Century Best Practice Award, which recognizes pioneering organizations in the field of distance learning that have challenged existing practice by developing new and innovative solutions for distance learning instruction and employee distance learning training programs.

Studies have documented the link between teacher quality and its impact on student achievement. Schools and districts need effective professional development to create and retain a national corps of highly qualified teachers—particularly in America's high-need, at-risk schools.

To address this challenge, PBS TeacherLine has emerged as the leader in providing online professional development courses to preK-12 teachers nationwide. PBS TeacherLine offers more than 100 online courses in math, science, reading, instructional strategies and instructional technology to help teachers gain professional recognition and gain the knowledge and skills needed to improve student learning. The courses incorporate research-based design elements of effective teacher professional development, model teaching and learning strategies, build professional learning communities, and provide learner/facilitator satisfaction.

“We are truly honored to be recognized by the distance learning community for offering educators an innovative approach to professional development and adapting to the evolving distance learning field,” said Rob Lippincott, senior vice president of education for PBS. “While we have an expanse of online, facilitated courses nationwide, we are committed to developing new models for online learning that support local and site-based teacher professional development to meet districts’ and teachers’ specific needs.”

Founded in 1987, the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) supports distance learning research, development and praxis across the complete arena of education, training and communications in pre K-12, higher education, continuing education, corporate training, military and government training, home schooling and telemedicine learning communities. The USDLA created the annual Distance Learning Awards to acknowledge major accomplishments in distance learning and to highlight distance learning instructors, programs, and professionals who have achieved and demonstrated extraordinary achievements through the use of online, videoconferencing, and satellite/video delivery technologies.

In the last year alone, PBS TeacherLine served more than 10,000 teachers. Recently, PBS TeacherLine was recognized by its peers in the education industry, receiving a 2007 CODiE Award for the Best Online Instruction Solution from the Software & Information Industry Association.

According to Jeannie Dyke, PBS TeacherLine alumna and reading specialist at SY Jackson Elementary School in Albuquerque, N.M., “PBS TeacherLine courses give me the collaborative support and intellectual motivation to continue to refine and improve my delivery of the curricular standards.”

For more information about PBS TeacherLine, visit www.pbs.org/teacherline.

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 100 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. For more information, visit www.pbs.org/teacherline.

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. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org one of the leading dot-org Web sites on the Internet.