Hanban – asia society confucius classrooms network 2010 request for proposal

This Confucius Classrooms Network provides financial and professional support to schools that wish to expand or enhance an existing Chinese language program, or start a new one. In the pages that follow, you will learn more about what it means to be part of this Network – both what is expected of each participating program and the benefits of joining.

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  High quality Chinese language program
  
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  Commitment to continue improving quality and to make the program long-term
  
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  Strong leadership and local support
  
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  Willing to act as a model/assistance center for the region
  
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  Vision and capacity to partner with a school in China to enhance language and culture learning, as well as professional and leadership development
  
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  Organizer of cultural activities
  

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  Authorization to use the title “Confucius Classroom”
  
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  Assistance in identifying and developing a partnership with a school in China
  
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  A seed grant of $10,000 for the first year. (In the subsequent two years, funding will be based on annual project proposals).
  
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  Potential funding for half-time support for a NEW local teacher of Chinese for up to three years
  
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  Up to 5 placements for school administrators each year in the Chinese Bridge Delegation program in China
  
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  Up to 5 scholarships for summer camp for students who are learning Chinese
  
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  Up to 3 scholarships for teachers to attend professional development programs in China
  
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  One or two Guest Teachers from China to start or expand Chinese language classes or provide cultural enrichment activities
  
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  Participation in professional development with other high quality programs from across the nation
  
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  Organizational membership in Asia Society’s Partnership for Global Learning (for more information, see the Appendix), a network of individuals and institutions aimed at increasing students’ global competency
  
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  Attendance at our annual Confucius Classrooms Network Conference and the National Chinese Language Conference
  
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  Provision of 1,000 volumes of books, audio-visual, and multimedia materials and courseware
  

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  Commitment to continuous improvement of the program and willingness to participate in national activities of the Confucius Classrooms Network
  
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  Willingness to participate in the development and promotion of best practices in the field
  
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  Willingness to provide examples of student work, model lessons, and curricula that may be useful resources for others in the field
  
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  Submission of a brief annual report to Asia Society that details (1) program size and growth; (2) professional development offered; (3) outreach to other schools in the region and community activities; (4) plans for the next year; and (5) actual budget and use of funds
  

1. 
   General Narrative
   

In a narrative of 500 – 1,000 words, please provide evidence for the ways in which your current or proposed Chinese language program meets or intends to meet the criteria identified in the 4 Key Elements discussed above. Please make explicit reference to each of the 4 Key Elements in your narrative. Describe for us both the current status of the program and your vision for enhancing and expanding it in the future. Please include references to resources or aspects of your program that you feel would be worth sharing with others in the field. You should also discuss the ways in which the support offered through the Confucius Classrooms Network will be used to expand your program. Please describe in detail the role of a guest teacher or a new locally hired teacher in the next section.

     

2. 
   Guest Teacher and Local Teacher
   

Describe the role of your Guest Teacher(s) in the Chinese program and the school community, if your school/district current hosts them. If you would like to request one for school year 2011-2012, please explain how they may start or contribute to your Chinese program and how the school community will support him/her.

If you would like to request funding support in the amount of a half-time teacher salary (up to $30,000), in order to help hire additional Chinese language teacher starting in school year 2010-2011, please indicate so in the online portion of this Application. In a narrative below, please describe and clarify:

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   The purpose of hiring this additional teacher locally, e.g. adding more sections to your Chinese program, adding levels to the program, expanding enrichment aspect of the Chinese program to the broader school community.
   
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   Intention and plan on the part of the school/district to phase in funding support over the next 2-3 years to eventually fully cover this instructor on the school/district’s payroll.
   
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   Qualifications and requirements which this new hire must meet, e.g. academic degree, state certification, teaching experience.
   
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   The pay level at which this new teacher will be hired. (Please attached in a scan/PDF format the latest pay scale)
   

     

3. 
   Partnership Program Plan
   

One of the main expectations of a Confucius Classroom is the establishment of a sustainable exchange partnership with a school in China or the enhancement/expansion of an existing partnership. In a narrative of 500 – 1,000 words, please describe the strategies you will use to structure and sustain an ongoing partnership with a Chinese school. This would include the strategies for communication, specific activities that students will be involved in, and the kinds of projects or products you envision coming out of the partnership. If you have an existing exchange program with a Chinese school (or with schools in other countries), please also include a description of it, with specific reference to the nature and frequency of communication between students and faculty.

     
Partnership Development Matrix- a guide to show what a Confucius Classroom is and how it could develop in terms of developing a partnership with a Chinese school.

4. 
   Chinese Language Program Plan
   

In a narrative of 500 – 1,000 words, please describe the ways in which your program will use the funds and resources offered through the Confucius Classrooms Network to support the development of an innovative and sustainable Chinese language program.

     

     

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   学校简介（可以包括学校历史，学生和教师人数，中文学生人数，中文教师人数，硬件设施，荣誉称号等等）
   

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   办学理念
   

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   中文在学校发展策略中的地位、现状、以及扩展或提高的计划
   

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   若准备接受自愿者教师或申请经费雇用本地教师，请在此说明
   

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   与中国学校校际交流的经验（若已有合作学校），以及今后深入开展合作的计划
   

6. 
   社区包括家长的支持态度
   

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   孔子课堂项目运作和管理人员构成的计划
   

8. 
   经费申请以及校方投入的计划
   

The mission of Asia Society’s Partnership for Global Learning (PGL) is to ensure that the next generation of high school graduates in the United States is prepared for the challenges and responsibilities of an increasingly interdependent world.

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  Expanding the number of schools offering Chinese through publications such as Creating a Chinese Language Program in Your School: An Introductory Guide, DVDs including Learning Chinese in American Schools, field leadership, convening and communication, the National Chinese Language Conference, and the Confucius Classrooms Network.
  

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  Creating globally-focused school models of excellence, and developing tools, curriculum, and best practices to create students who graduate both college-ready and globally competent. The centerpiece of this work is the International Studies Schools Network, a national network of small urban secondary schools devoted to international studies and world languages. With support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, these schools are successfully preparing primarily low-income and minority students for college, work, and citizenship in a global age and act as models for school reform. Also, Going Global: Preparing Our Students for an Interconnected World and an upcoming guide on adding an international dimension to elementary schools are among a range of tools provided to educators.
  

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  Promoting global learning as a key component to high-quality afterschool programs and as a means to collaborate with schools to achieve essential 21^st century outcomes for youth. Our recent guidebook and DVD Expanding Horizons: Building Global Literacy in Afterschool Programs provides promising practices and resources to the field. We are now working to assist statewide afterschool networks across the country to integrate global literacy into their professional development systems.
  

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  Fostering national and state policy initiatives including the States Network on International Education, a network of more than 24 states developing policies and action plans to promote international education in their schools, revise curriculum standards and teacher preparation to incorporate international content, harness technology, and expand world languages. Further, a national policy statement co-signed by leading education and business organizations, Putting the World into World-Class Education, provides options for federal policy change.
  

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  Sharing best practices from around the world by connecting schools in the United States to schools in Asia, as well as organizing a series of Asia-Pacific Forums on Education in China, India, and the United States to discuss the challenges of globalization to education. A new initiative, Learning With the World, will build on these efforts to bring together educators in America, Asia, and the world to focus on solutions to common problems and issues in education.
  

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  Web Resources provide a broad range of background knowledge about Asia, curriculum materials, graphic resources, video and audio resources, and other materials to support education about Asia.
  

The Confucius Classrooms Network is an innovative new project aimed at developing a national network of 100 exemplary Chinese language programs over the next three years. Starting with 20 pioneer schools in the first year, our “Confucius Classrooms” will serve as model sites for developing the field of Chinese language teaching in American schools. Through the establishment of an online community, targeted professional development for Chinese language teachers in the network, and annual Confucius Classrooms Network conferences, we are creating the infrastructure for the development of effective and sustainable Chinese language programs for American students. The Initiative asks each of its schools to implement an innovative project aimed at enhancing or expanding its Chinese language program, and to develop an ongoing partnership with a school in China. This project has been established with the support of an International Experts Committee and an Honorary Advisory Committee, and in partnership with Hanban, the Chinese government agency spearheading the establishment of Chinese language programs overseas. The first Confucius Classrooms will be announced in December 2009.

Our third National Chinese Language Conference (NCLC 2010), co-sponsored with the College Board, will be held in Washington, D.C. April 21–24, 2010, and will continue to serve as the principal national forum for supporting the growth of Chinese language programs in the United States. The conference aims to engage policymakers, offer support to schools seeking to establish and sustain high quality Chinese language programs, and to explore critical issues in the field, including building ongoing partnerships with Chinese schools, early language acquisition, and Chinese across the curriculum. We will also help schools understand the larger contexts for Chinese language education by offering a focus on contemporary Chinese arts and culture, as well as sessions on teacher preparation programs and Chinese in higher education.

As US education sees an explosion of interest in establishing high quality Chinese language programs, many schools are struggling with the daunting task of building programs that are effective and sustainable over the long term. Asia Society continues to lead the charge in this area with the upcoming release of our DVD, “Learning Chinese in American Schools.” Offering a number of case studies, including the growth of Chinese language programs in the city of Chicago and the state of Minnesota, the DVD aims to illustrate best practices for establishing effective Chinese language programs, including a segment entitled “Why Chinese and Why Now” that is designed to help educators and policymakers make the case for Chinese language education in their communities.

Working with a select team of language, content, and technology advisors, we are developing a unique set of interactive online Chinese language learning materials focused on integrating social studies content with language learning experiences for students in elementary, middle, and high school Chinese language programs. Taking a historical perspective on the development of contemporary Chinese society, we are developing three major thematic units on (1) environmental issues, (2) economy and trade; and (3) the exchange of culture and ideas. These materials are designed to be used by Chinese language teachers, social studies teachers, and others interested in building interdisciplinary content into their Chinese language program. The first lessons will be available online early in 2010.

Through a monthly electronic newsletter, Asia Society’s Chinese Language Initiatives team continues to engage educators, policymakers, and other interested stakeholders in the developing field of Chinese language education. We provide online resources aimed at helping administrators start effective Chinese language programs, helping teachers learn about best practices in curriculum and instruction, and offering thought leaders in the field perspectives on language acquisition, partnerships and exchanges, and the integration of Chinese language and other academic content in American schools. We also continue to distribute publications that offer support for schools interested in establishing new programs or enhancing the scope or quality of existing ones, such as our “New York Task Force on Chinese Language Initiatives” and “Creating a Chinese Language Program in Your School.”

Hanban is a Chinese government agency committed to making Chinese language and culture teaching resources and services available to the world, to meeting the demands of overseas Chinese learners, and to contributing to the formation of a world of cultural diversity and harmony.

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  To devise policies and development plans for promoting the Chinese language internationally under the leadership of the Chinese Language Council International;
  
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  To support Chinese language programs at educational institutions of various types and levels in other countries;
  
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  To guide the Confucius Institute Headquarters in the establishment of Confucius Institutes;
  
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  To set criteria for teaching Chinese as a foreign language and assessment; to develop and promote Chinese language teaching materials;
  
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  To set standards for certifying teachers of Chinese as a foreign language and training of such teachers; to send Chinese teachers and volunteers on missions abroad; to provide certification examination for teaching Chinese as a foreign language;
  
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  To set criteria for establishing online learning of Chinese as a foreign language and to build a website platform for access of relevant resources;
  
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  To develop and promote different varieties of assessment tools for Chinese as a foreign language.
  

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  Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms have witnessed steady development while emphasizing quality education. By the end of 2008, with the cooperation of 78 countries and regions, Hanban has established 249 Confucius Institutes and 56 Confucius Classrooms. A special work committee has been set up by Hanban to inspect and guide the work of Confucius Institutes around the world.
  
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  A series of “Chinese Bridge” delegations, summer camps, scholarships, competitions have strengthened education exchanges between China and other countries.
  
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  Selection and training of Chinese teachers has been reinforced and nearly 4,000 teachers and volunteers have been dispatched to more than 109 countries.
  
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  Research, development and teaching materials have benefit thousands of schools in more than 100 countries with the distribution of more than 1.3 million volumes.
  
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  Confucius Institute Online has been officially launched to offer Chinese courses and teaching resources globally.
  
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  The development and management of Chinese language examinations, which reached 310,000. Over 128 overseas examination sites have been established in 51 countries.