No Child Held Back Selects Williston North Dakota School District as First Recipient of the No Child Held Back Education Innovation Grant

New York, NY, October 31, 2013 --(PR.com)-- The No Child Held Back Consortium announces the first, No Child Held Back Education Innovation Grant has been awarded to the Williston School District in Williston, North Dakota. The grant will provide $10,000 to the Williston School District #1 to develop and implement an overall technology strategy for the school district. The No Child Held Back Education Innovation Grant is a $5 million grant that provides $10,000 to 10 schools per state that was launched in September of this year. The Williston School District1 outlined in their application, their need to develop an overall strategic technology plan for the district that is both short and long term.

“The purpose of the No Child Held Back Education Innovation Grant is to provide schools the tools that the need to bring comprehensive and innovative education programs to the students in the way that will enrich their learning experience,” said Yovel Badash, of the No Child Held Back Consortium. “In applying for the grant, the Williston School District outlined a key need and objective of how they will be able improve the quality of education for students in their district with the grant. We are glad to name them our first of many recipients of the grant.”

“It has been a goal of the Williston Public School District #1 to improve communications with parents and community and this new webspace will allow this goal to be achieved, said Dr. Viola LaFontaine, Superintendent of the Williston Public School District. As a superintendent, we are pleased with the progress to be made on the webspace. Inputs about is encouraged, please share your thoughts in the comment area of the site, under the contact us link area.”

The Williston Public School District is a system of public schools serving Williston, North Dakota and the surrounding rural area. It actually consists of two districts - District #1 and District #8. District #1 serves the city and District #8 serves the rural area. The Williston Public School District is using the grant to revamp their existing website to invite greater interaction with students and parents. The district for the long term wants to use the grant to develop virtual learning and online communities for teachers. The district is confident with the No Child Held Back Education Innovation Grant and utilizing strategies that are outlined in the book, "No Child Held Back" that will be able to enhance their student’s education, provide a more structured technology strategy for the system that will promote greater interaction with students, parents, and teachers.

The No Child Held Back Education Innovation Grant which coincides with the start of the school year, is meant to empower educators and schools. While current plans call for only 10 schools per state, it is the hope of the No Child Held Back Consortium to allow larger states based upon population to have more than 10 schools participate over time.

The No Child Held Back Consortium tackles and offers solutions on such issues as parent and student empowerment, increasing course variety, utilizing technology, and most importantly revisiting and redirecting the role of the education system. Without common sense approaches to education that allow our students to learn, the American Dream will become the American Myth to many students. The No Child Held Back Consortium offers this. The No Child Held Back Education Innovation Grant is the latest effort to make the American Dream a reality for American students.