Edgenuity Unveils New Algebra I Course
Scottsdale, AZ (PRWEB) June 02, 2014 -- Edgenuity, a leading provider of online and blended learning solutions, today announced the release of its new Algebra I course. This next generation interactive course is aligned to college and career readiness standards and incorporates data and feedback from the educators and students who use Edgenuity, creating an effective and engaging learning experience for students. The new course joins Edgenuity’s existing suite of courses aligned to college and career-readiness standards, including the Common Core, such as its middle and high school English Language Arts (ELA) courses, which recently received an EDDIE Award for excellence.
Algebra I is considered a gatekeeper course because it is the first in a series of higher-level mathematics courses that students need to succeed in college and life – and provides an understanding of the skills and concepts that are prerequisites for many careers, including those in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) fields. Countless studies show the link between success in Algebra I to increased likelihood of high school graduation. For example, a study conducted by the California Dropout Research Project found that in one district, students who passed Algebra I their freshman year of high school had a much higher graduation rate (70 percent) versus those students who did not pass (35 percent).
In developing the new course, Edgenuity focused on how to make the concepts and reasoning skills inherent in algebraic thinking accessible to all students—not just those who traditionally excel in mathematics.
• On-screen teachers model problem solving by thinking aloud, allowing students to understand how experts think about mathematics.
• Lessons include a guiding question to promote inquiry and focus on big ideas.
• Problems are scaffolded with a set of custom-built interactive tools, such as interactive coordinate graphs, virtual algebra tiles and other manipulatives, and equation solvers. Students work with these tools in guided step-by-step tasks early as they are learning concepts, and then gradually move to more symbolic and independent representations as they gain confidence.
• An abundance of rich graphics, charts, diagrams, animations, and simulations help students relate to and visualize the content.
• Performance tasks allow students to demonstrate understanding with meaningful, real-world applications.
Edgenuity conducted research on the tools with students and educators in partner schools, helping to refine and enhance the tools to ensure effectiveness.
“Algebra is critical to student success in college and career because it sharpens essential reasoning skills,” said Sari Factor, CEO of Edgenuity. “Our new Algebra I course raises the bar for accessibility, using multimedia and interactives to develop analytical problem-solving skills and to ensure mastery for students with a variety of learning styles.”
The full-year course focuses on the key areas of the Common Core model pathway for Algebra I and builds on the foundation established in middle grades by deepening students’ understanding of linear and exponential functions, and developing fluency in writing and solving one-variable equations and inequalities.
Emma Post, Sloane & Company, +1 (212) 446-1878, [email protected]
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