Calcasieu Parish Receives 2007 Sylvia Charp Award

The Calcasieu Parish School System (CPSS) in Lake Charles, LA has been named the recipient of the 2007 Sylvia Charp District Award. The award is presented annually by T.H.E. Journal and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) in honor of T.H.E. Journal's late founding editor-in-chief, Sylvia Charp.

The Sylvia Charp award is given out to districts that demonstrate innovation and consistent effectiveness in deploying education technology throughout their district, a commitment to sharing technology with other districts, and use of ISTE's National Educational Technology Standards and Essential Conditions (or derivations of those standards).

Award organizers cited Calcasieu Parish for its technology planning with multiple partners, leadership development plans, "cutting-edge" concepts for implementation of programs to meet NETS conditions, community outreach and assistance programs, support of e-learning and virtual schools, teacher professional development (including workshops, mentoring, online courses, summer camps, and graduate credit programs), and efforts to improve access to technology.

The district also offers professional development programs for administrators, including Laptops for Leaders (for developing technology proficiency and focusing on online collaboration, technology integration, and site-based development and training) and LeadTECH (a program designed to help administrators understand the role of technology in facilitating student learning and improvements in schools).

"The Calcasieu Parish School System has been a leader in pioneering instructional technology in the state, nation and international communities for a number of years," said CPSS Superintendent Wayne Savoy. "In the complex educational systems that exist today, a major consideration for implementing excellent technology programs and pursuing new initiatives lies with the system's ability to generate, allocate, and restructure funds. The Calcasieu Parish School System maintains a significant commitment to technology leadership and envisions continued growth in emerging technologies."

The award will be presented to representatives of CPSS (including Savoy and Administrative Technology Coordinator Sheryl Abshire) at the National Educational Computing Conference (NECC), which will be held in Atlanta June 24 to 27. The award includes $2,000 toward NECC registration, travel, and housing for two representatives.

CPSS is the fifth-largest district in Louisiana, serving more than 32,000 students.

Read More:


:: READ MORE DAILY NEWS ::

Have any additional questions? Want to share your story? Want to pass along a news tip? Contact Dave Nagel, executive editor, at [email protected].

About the Author

David Nagel is the former editorial director of 1105 Media's Education Group and editor-in-chief of THE Journal, STEAM Universe, and Spaces4Learning. A 30-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art, marketing, media, and business publications.

He can be reached at [email protected]. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrnagel/ .


Featured

  • Abstract AI circuit board pattern

    Nonprofit LawZero to Work Toward Safer, Truthful AI

    Turing Award-winning AI researcher Yoshua Bengio has launched LawZero, a nonprofit aimed at developing AI systems that prioritize safety and truthfulness over autonomy.

  • abstract pattern of cybersecurity, ai and cloud imagery

    Report Identifies Malicious Use of AI in Cloud-Based Cyber Threats

    A recent report from OpenAI identifies the misuse of artificial intelligence in cybercrime, social engineering, and influence operations, particularly those targeting or operating through cloud infrastructure. In "Disrupting Malicious Uses of AI: June 2025," the company outlines how threat actors are weaponizing large language models for malicious ends — and how OpenAI is pushing back.

  • tutor and student working together at a laptop

    You've Paid for Tutoring. Here's How to Make Sure It Works.

    As districts and states nationwide invest in tutoring, it remains one of the best tools in our educational toolkit, yielding positive impacts on student learning at scale. But to maximize return on investment, both financially and academically, we must focus on improving implementation.

  • red brick school building with a large yellow "AI" sign above its main entrance

    New National Academy for AI Instruction to Provide Free AI Training for Educators

    In an effort to "transform how artificial intelligence is taught and integrated into classrooms across the United States," the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), in partnership with Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic, and the United Federation of Teachers, is launching the National Academy for AI Instruction, a $23 million initiative that will provide access to free AI training and curriculum for all AFT members, beginning with K-12 educators.