Ed Elements Proud to Support the Design of Two NGLC Breakthrough School Winners
San Carlos, CA (PRWEB) May 14, 2014 -- Education Elements is excited to announce that two of the schools it supported through the planning phase for NGLC breakthrough grants won awards of $450,000 each to implement their innovative personalized models. With these two awards to Piedmont City Schools (AL) and Alliance College-Ready Public Schools (CA), Ed Elements has worked with 15 of the past and current winners.
According to NGLC, “A breakthrough school combines student-centered, personalized, blended, and competency-based learning approaches with high expectations for student achievement, all sustainable on public funding. In personalized learning settings, learning experiences are tailored to meet the individual needs, most effective learning styles, and interests of each and every student.” By transforming the instructional models and the learning environment, Piedmont and Alliance will also transform educational outcomes for students in both their schools.
Education Elements’ team of former educators and administrators worked with both winners in a highly collaborative process based on design-thinking. Together with teachers and leaders they developed a deep understanding of the needs and priorities of each school and worked to create instructional models that were uniquely suited to each school. In each case, the models reconsider traditionally held norms of schooling and focus instead on what is possible with the right amount of time, attention, training and courage.
In Piedmont, AL, Superintendent Matt Akin envisions that 100% of the students from his three-school school district will graduate from high school prepared for college and career. The middle school breakthrough design, mBolden Piedmont, focused on three goals: 1) advanced mastery, 2) relevance, and 3) student ownership and builds on their past investment in technology, infrastructure, talent and training. The model re-imagines how time is used to ensure that students master key concepts while also providing time for students to develop and deepen their interests in life after school by providing them with mentors and access to learning opportunities connected to their desired careers. According to Matt Akin, who was very involved in the design process, “Education Elements came to this process ready to listen and ready to bring their expertise to bear on our particular set of goals and challenges. They have an incredible team and we look forward partnering with them as we develop a transformational model for rural schools across the country.”
At Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, where Education Elements helped develop and support the BLAST model over the last few years, PACE High School takes blended learning in a new direction, creating a mastery-based learning environment where students own their learning and can enroll in college level courses to extend learning beyond high school content. PACE High School graduates will be able to graduate with an entire year of college credit completed. Judy Burton, President and CEO, said, “Ed Elements has been a strong partner for us and continues to help us push our thinking.”
Education Elements is a nationally recognized solutions company that helps districts develop and implement personalized learning strategies. Ed Elements' services help districts to create strategies, design instructional models and support teachers in integrating technology and instruction. Our platform provides students, teachers, and administrators each with a single entry point to access digital content and the detailed performance data they need to guide instruction and learning. This innovative cloud service offers simple and accessible data visualizations with actionable insights for users of all types. Education Elements has worked with over 100 schools across 40+ districts in the US; more than any other company.
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Amy Jenkins, Education Elements, http://edelements.com, +1 (415) 377-8292, [email protected]
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