MUNCIE, Ind. -- By the year 2005 Ball State University plans to have created the best elementary education program in the world.

To achieve that lofty goal, participants at an Elementary Education Design Event Friday began looking not from today's perspective, but as the program might exist in 2005.

"We are going to look back at how in 1998, the Department of Elementary Education embarked on an incredible adventure, deliberately setting out to reinvent teacher education," said Lawrence Smith, chair of Ball State's elementary education department, during the meeting at the Horizon Conference Center. The event drew about 100 people, including faculty members, representatives of non-profit groups, public school teachers, community leaders and university administrators.

The goal in 1998 was to develop a highly effective teacher education program that integrated all stakeholders and potential resources, including the university, schools, communities, families, local businesses, the Internet, technology, media, political resources, pre-service teachers and students, he said.

"We want to find out how we got here, what were the new programs and approaches used, and what mistakes were made," Smith said. "The group here is to review the last seven years without all the boundaries of rules and regulation normally set up when you look into the future."

During the 8-hour meeting, small groups of participants reviewed the major differences between the Ball State model in 2005 and how things were done prior to 1998. Also examined were the special challenges encountered in developing and implementing the program, key mistakes made, what relationships were developed or strengthened, and how did the individual play a role in the process.

The participants were told that in the fall of 1998, the department's revised program incorporated an unprecedented level of partnership between the university and area public schools, expanded service learning opportunities, introduced new technologies, and met revisions in state standards. Students enrolled were the first to participate in the new curriculum.

The group determined that the program was successful in 2005 because:

• The community had taken strong ownership of the education process. Every organization, business and group worked closely to develop well-rounded teachers.

• Technology was fully integrated into the school systems across the university and community.

• State mandated performance tests were used as learning tools and not as ways to punish teachers, administrators and students.

• Graduates of the program were more flexible and had endorsed the concept of life-long learning.

• Administrative hierarchy had been flattened, allowing more resources to go into the classroom.

The meeting was led by Jon Foley, a management consultant specializing in transition management, who urged participants to work together to help come up with the necessary information.

The meeting was productive because community members participated, which is a key step to helping the elementary education department address its future curriculum needs, said Roy Weaver, dean of Teachers College.