ICEI Programs – ICEI https://www.icei.co.il The Israel Center for Educational Innovation Sun, 11 Aug 2024 19:27:46 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8 https://www.icei.co.il/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/favicon-150x150.png ICEI Programs – ICEI https://www.icei.co.il 32 32 Atzmaut Plus https://www.icei.co.il/programs/atzmaut-plus/ Thu, 21 Dec 2023 09:23:14 +0000 https://www.icei.co.il/?post_type=programs&p=1679
Back to all Programs

Atzmaut Plus

Atzmaut Plus empowers more than 220 Ethiopian-Israeli families whose children study in ICEI’s network of schools in Rishon LeZion.

Atzmaut Plus - The Israeli center for educational innovation
Ethiopian-Israeli parents handing out Sigd treats to students

How it works

1

ICEI's Parent & Community Engagement Coordinators, who are of Ethiopian origin themselves, run programs to strengthen the parent-child relationship, bring parents on board as active partners in their children's education, and lead training workshops for school faculty to improve relations between teachers and parents.

2

ICEI closely collaborates with local community centers, welfare authorities, and non-profit organizations to help parents access existing services that can help their children and families.

3

Additional parent-focused programs include a Women’s Empowerment Group for Ethiopian-Israeli women to provide a safe and mutually supportive space for personal growth.

4

Reach for the Stars - ICEI organizes an annual event series of classroom meetings with inspiring role models from the Ethiopian-Israeli community, to demonstrate to all students and teachers successful integration of Ethiopian-Israelis and inspire Ethiopian-Israeli students.

5

ICEI staff work with participating schools to promote visibility of Ethiopian-Israeli culture and holidays, including Sigd and Memorial Day for Ethiopian Jews who perished on their way to Israel.

Testimonials

“It’s important that our schools are really seeing all our children for who they are, their roots and traditions. Each group brings its unique way of life and there’s room for all of us. The Atzmaut Plus Sigd celebration shows that it is on the map.”
Aliza Admasoa mother of two children, whose family is part of the Atzmaut Plus program

Participating Schools

ICEI currently runs Atzmaut Plus programming for families in the following schools in Rishon LeZion:

  • Zvulun Hammer
  • Vitkin
  • Sinai
  • Itamar
]]> LightSail https://www.icei.co.il/programs/lightsail/ Thu, 21 Dec 2023 07:41:16 +0000 https://www.icei.co.il/?post_type=programs&p=1666
Back to all Programs

LightSail

Used worldwide, LightSail is a powerful digital teaching and reading literacy platform that enables teachers to support their students’ independent reading. 

ICEI has adapted LightSail into a Hebrew platform loaded with 300 Hebrew books for grades 5-6.

LightSail - Read, write, learn, grow
2 students study in front of a computer screen

How it works

1

ICEI has translated LightSail's interface into Hebrew, and embedded vocabulary-building exercises and reading comprehension questions into each digital book. These exercises are "gamified," with children earning points for correct answers, all designed to encourage reading.

2

The books are leveled by difficulty according to the same system ICEI deploys in our in-class physical libraries.

3

ICEI 5th-6th grade students in select pilot schools can now access hundreds of Hebrew-language books on their laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

4

LightSail provides teachers with comprehensive metrics instantly, allowing teachers to track the reading progress of their entire class or of individual students, online or offline. Teachers can monitor the quality, not just the quantity, of their learners' independent reading.

5

When used in class, teachers can generate interactive reading groups, assign e-books to their students with just one click, and communicate with students on the platform during independent reading.

6

Outside of class, students and teachers can continue to communicate with each other asynchronously, at their own convenience, enabling more instruction possibilities.

Testimonials

“In today’s digital world, with children on their screens all the time, it’s great to have a platform that combines reading and technology. My daughter didn’t have much patience for reading before, but LightSail has motivated her to read more. Reading has suddenly become fun – the kids even compete with each other about who’s read more books!”
Danitparent at the Zvulun Hammer School in Rishon LeZion
“I love that there's a huge range of books and that I can choose a book by clicking a button. The questions in the books are fun and make me stop to think about what I've just read."
Hadar Davidanfifth-grade student at Zvulun Hammer School in Rishon LeZion

Participating Schools

LightSail in Hebrew started as a pilot program in ten schools within ICEI’s network. In the aftermath of October 7, 2024, ICEI expanded LightSail to eight additional schools. In the coming years, ICEI plans to develop an Arabic version of the platform.

  • Harin, Ramle
  • Ma’anit, Ramle
  • Ben Zvi, Ramle
  • Shazar, Ako
  • Yavne, Hadera
  • Gamla, Katzrin
  • Alon Yizrael, Afula
  • Efrati, Bnei Ayish
  • Ofek, Bnei Ayish
  • Zevulun Hamer, Rishon LeZion
  • Sinai, Rishon LeZion
  • Vitkin, Rishon LeZion
  • Itamar, Rishon LeZion
  • Mevo'ot, Be'er Tuvia
  • Shavit, Rehovot
  • Levi Eshkol, Beit Shemesh
  • Dekel, Ashkelon
  • Arlozorov, Ashkelon
]]> Springboard to Success https://www.icei.co.il/programs/springboard-to-success/ Thu, 21 Dec 2023 06:57:57 +0000 https://www.icei.co.il/?post_type=programs&p=1598
Back to all Programs

Springboard to Success

ICEI’s Springboard to Success program, designed for grades 1-3, shares the same foundations as It’s Elementary! and builds on ICEI’s unprecedented success pioneering the rapid acquisition of basic reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. 

Springboard to Success addresses disparities in children’s school readiness when they enter first grade. Given the proven impact of our approach, participating schools often continue working with ICEI beyond the program.

A student reads in a notebook

How it works

1

Each elementary school principal is paired with one of ICEI's Principal Mentors – all highly accomplished and experienced former principals. ICEI’s Principal Mentor works closely with the principal to create a vision for the school, develop actionable annual work plans, and support their faculty.

2

ICEI’s Literacy Coaches join the faculty half-time to work closely with teachers to transform how they plan and teach their classes. They model new instructional methods in the classroom, offer valuable real-time observation, feedback, and co-teaching that build teachers’ skills and confidence.

3

ICEI teaches principals and teachers to use Medida, a comprehensive online data collection and analysis website developed by ICEI. This enables faculty to continually track the progress of each class and each student and to tailor instruction to meet their needs. Our data-driven approach means that no student gets left behind.

4

We create optimal learning environments, including in-class libraries of 500-1,000 books, categorized according to reading level. We enrich each classroom with a designated area for intimate frontal instruction in the form of short mini-lessons, with posters that encourage reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

5

Beyond the classroom setting, we support parents to become full partners in their children’s education and to improve communications and mutual respect between parents and faculty members.

6

Each year, students nationwide participate in ICEI’s Young Writers Competition , honing their storytelling skills and then celebrating their accomplishments in our annual awards ceremony.

Participating Schools

ICEI currently runs Springboard to Success in the following schools and communities:

  • Ofek, B’nei Ayish*
  • Efrati, B’nei Ayish*
  • Mevo’ot, Be’er Tuvia
  • Rona Ramon, Harish

* Schools that have continued with ICEI beyond the Springboard to Success program into additional grades

]]> Qalam https://www.icei.co.il/programs/qalam/ Wed, 20 Dec 2023 14:06:12 +0000 https://www.icei.co.il/?post_type=programs&p=1560
Back to all Programs

Qalam

Qalam (Arabic for pen, and an acronym in Arabic: قيادة, لغة, معرفة meaning “leadership, language, knowledge”) is ICEI’s groundbreaking multi-year intervention in Israel’s Arab elementary schools.

Using ICEI’s proven teaching methodologies, entirely reconceived for Arabic instruction, Qalam trains and supports principals and teachers to accelerate academic achievement in their schools. Qalam fully addresses the unique challenges and opportunities of Arabic language’s “diglossia” – the sizable gap between spoken and written Arabic. 

A student writes on the board

How it works

1

Each elementary school principal in Qalam is paired with one of ICEI's Principal Mentors – all highly accomplished and experienced former principals. ICEI’s Principal Mentor works closely with the principal to create a vision for the school, develop actionable annual work plans, and support their faculty.

2

ICEI’s on-site Arabic Literacy Coaches bring professional development into the classroom in real time under actual classroom conditions. The Literacy Coaches work closely with teachers to transform how they plan and teach their classes.

3

Data-driven instruction becomes part of the school’s DNA, thanks to ICEI’s online data tracking system, Medida, and ongoing guidance. This approach helps principals and teachers continually track the progress of each class and student and differentiate instruction to meet their needs.

4

ICEI creates motivational learning environments, including in-class libraries of 400 Arabic books, leveled according to difficulty. We upgrade each classroom with a designated area for frontal instruction in the form of short mini-lessons, with posters that encourage reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

5

Research shows that school-parent partnerships in education positively impact students’ academic outcomes. We empower parents to fully engage in their children’s education while fostering mutual respect between parents and faculty members.

Testimonials

“This program is the ‘Waze’ of our school. Without it, we’d be lost. We’re only at the beginning of first grade and our students already know how to read. Our classrooms are calm, with many success stories, and I have more time for everyone and everything.”
Principal, Omar Ben Alhatab School, Umm al-Fahm
“Improved reading and critical thinking skills are helping my students not just in literacy, but in all subjects. My students are improving in math at a rate I couldn’t have imagined before."
Teacher, Yesodi Aleph School, Be'ene

Participating Schools

ICEI currently runs Qalam in the following schools and communities:

  • Omar Ben Alhatab, Umm al-Fahm
  • Yesodi Aleph, Be’ene
  • Almanar, Kfar Kassem
  • Alsalam, Arara**
  • Jabour Jabour, Shfaram**

**Also part of Meisharim

]]> It’s Elementary! https://www.icei.co.il/programs/its-elementary/ Sun, 10 Dec 2023 12:50:32 +0000 https://www.icei.co.il/?post_type=programs&p=867
Back to all Programs

It’s Elementary!

It’s Elementary!, ICEI’s flagship program, is the most comprehensive and ambitious Whole School Improvement Program for grades 1-6 in Israel. The program strengthens literacy fundamentals and basic learning skills instruction so that children can succeed in elementary school and beyond.

Three female students are reading a book

How it works

1

Each elementary school principal is paired with one of ICEI's Principal Mentors – all highly accomplished and experienced former principals. ICEI’s Principal Mentor works closely with the principal to create a vision for the school, develop actionable annual work plans, and build and support her school leadership team and general faculty.

2

ICEI’s Literacy Coaches join the faculty full-time to work closely with teachers to transform how they plan and teach their classes. Literacy Coaches model new instructional methods in the classroom, offer valuable real-time observation and feedback, and co-teaching that builds teachers’ skills and confidence.

3

ICEI teaches principals and teachers to use Medida, a comprehensive user-friendly online data collection and analysis website developed by ICEI. This enables faculty to continually track the progress of each class and each student and to tailor instruction to meet their needs. Our data-driven approach means that no student gets left behind.

4

We create optimal learning environments, including in-class libraries of 500-1,000 books, categorized according to reading level. We enrich each classroom with a designated area for intimate frontal instruction in the form of short mini-lessons, with posters that encourage reading, writing, speaking, and listening. In upper grades, we integrate cutting-edge digital teaching and learning platforms such as LightSail and CET–The Center for Educational Technology’s Korim (Readers) non-fiction texts platform.

5

Beyond the classroom setting, we support parents to become full partners in their children’s education and help improve communication and mutual respect between parents and faculty members.

6

Each year, students nationwide participate in ICEI’s Young Writers Competition, honing their storytelling skills and then celebrating their accomplishments in our annual awards ceremony.

Testimonials

“It’s revived my passion for teaching. ICEI’s precise, professional, and differentiated instruction model has completely transformed how we teach. The children are actively engaged in learning and love coming to school. And guess what? The teachers love coming to school too!”
AhuvaTeacher, Harin school, Ramle
"Every school in the country should join this program because once they do you’ll see different children, better citizens, and better parents. The method has proven itself in the field to be highly effective and powerful. It completely transforms the quality of school management and leadership for the long term."
Moshe AmarPrincipal of Yavne School, Hadera

Participating Schools

ICEI currently runs It’s Elementary! in the following schools and communities:

  • Ben Zvi, Ramle
  • Harin, Ramle
  • Ma’anit, Ramle
  • Dekel, Ashkelon
  • Arlozorov, Ashkelon
  • Shavit, Rehovot
  • Yavne, Hadera
  • Zvulun Hammer, Rishon LeZion
  • Vitkin, Rishon LeZion
  • Sinai, Rishon LeZion
  • Itamar, Rishon LeZion
  • Shazar, Akko*
  • Alon Yizreel, Afula*
  • Gamle, Katzrin*
  • Nitzanim, Karmiel*
  • Shalom Aleichem, Betzet*
  • Yachad, Holon*
  • Levi Eshkol, Beit Shemesh*
  • Shoham, Afula*
  • Hatomer, Beit She’an*
  • Menachem Begin, Nof Hagalil*

*Also part of Meisharim

]]>