CERTI: From Brand New to Name Brand
Dr. Shantanu Tilak, Director of CERTI
“The development of the Center for Educational Research in Technological Innovation (CERTI) at CBA has been both organic and remarkable.”
It has been organic because CBA has been engaged in innovative education and experimentation with state-of-the art technology since its inception. Even in constructing the current school building, CBA students were involved directly in the assembly of desk top computers they would use in the classroom. Many capitalized on Microsoft certification opportunities that were built into the school curricula.
After decades of reaching out to build and cultivate relationships with faculty at institutions of higher education, and through dedication to becoming a clearinghouse for new knowledge and best practices in teaching students with special learning needs, CBA positioned itself to formalize its experimental identity by developing its own research center. CERTI’s development has been remarkable because the very idea of basing a research center within a small grade 1-12 school is exceptional and could have only occurred with the generous financial and volunteer support from our Hampton Roads community.
At this writing, CERTI has moved beyond being brand new to the point that it is now a new brand for CBA. This story begins with CERTI’s Advisory Council, comprised of an incredibly talented group of experts in their fields. Leading the way was Dr. J.D. Ball, long-serving Chair of CBA’s Education and Research Committee. Dr. Ball spent more than three decades at Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) serving as a clinical neuropsychologist and lecturer. Joining Dr. Ball on the Advisory Committee are Dr. Mindy Gumpert from Old Dominion University (ODU), Linda MillerDunleavy also retired from ODU, Dr. Taryn Myers from Virginia Wesleyan University (VWU), and Dr. Mary Roberts also from EVMS. And, of course, Dr. Judy Jankowski, Head of School at CBA.
The formation of this group evolved from the educational crisis precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, when it became clear that professional educators would have to make innovative, experimental decisions to cope with the demands of a COVID environment. The Advisory Committee began meeting weekly beginning in February 2021. The committees’ earliest achievements were a result of conducting several in-school research initiatives to inform decision making during this unprecedented time of pandemic with sound educational science. As the important work of the advisory committee grew, it became clear that a full-time leader was needed to move forward and expand the opportunities that clearly lied ahead. In January 2023, I was fortunate to be named the full-time Director of CERTI, a role that I am proud and excited to serve every day.
As I assumed my leadership of the Center, my primary goals focused on developing research initiatives tied to the provision of professional development for CBA’s teachers using innovative technology. Increasing regional and national awareness of CERTI and CBA by making professional presentations, engaging in collaborative research projects, and generating professional publications has been a fulfilling part of the work. And acquiring external grant funding to make CERTI self-sustaining as quickly as possible has been central to my thinking. So how has CERTI done so far with these goals?
I am proud to say that the faculty development initiatives have been very successful, being well received by the teachers and resulting in multiple publications and presentations around the studies produced. In addition to efforts related to professional development, empirical studies have also been initiated in the content areas as well as in the makerspace to better understand how we are implementing technology to engage our students. And CBA’s receipt of the Yass Prize for educational innovation, as well as receipt of a generous grant locally from The Blocker Foundation, has put CERTI on a solid financial footing.
My decision to forgo offers in higher education and to pursue the unique opportunity that CERTI has provided has been rewarded many times over and the success of CERTI has exceeded my wildest dreams. My next goal for the Center is to build out a Virtual Academy that will make a CBA education more widely available to students across the Commwealth. In competing for and beginning to invest funding associated with this creative initiative, CBA is collaborating with new technology companies and other independent schools around the country. This effort has evolved into CadetNet Virtual Academy, which was beta-tested last summer.
Chesapeake Bay Academy was once referred to as “the best kept secret in Hampton Roads.” Now, our new and still emerging brand is arguably that of the most research-centered, technologically sophisticated, on-site and online independent school for children with unique learning needs in the country. The CERTI Advisory Council has made the development and evaluation of the CadetNet offering its most important objective for the coming academic year. Studies about the curriculum development process involving the use of AI have already been presented internationally, and at this writing the program is just preparing to launch using both 2D and 3D technologies. As I continue to explore and expand the work of CERTI and CBA, I am inspired and grateful to establish my place, and that of CERTI, at the forefront of special education.