TALENT DEVELOPMENT
Catapult Learning | February 09, 2023
On February 8, 2023, Catapult Learning, a provider of student intervention programs and professional development solutions for instructors in K-12 schools, announced that it was chosen by the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) to deliver professional development (PD) and coaching services to educators in K-12 schools to enhance student outcomes. The four-year state contract contains a one-year renewal option for a fifth year.
MDE will provide at least 25 new instructional math coaches in collaboration with Catapult Learning. The first group will serve educators in Greenwood-Leflore Consolidated School Districts and Jackson Public at seven elementary and middle schools. Throughout the year, MDE will incorporate additional schools.
Catapult Learning's experienced math coaches provide online, in-person, or job-embedded coaching, in-person modeling and co-teaching, individualized action plans, classroom observations, professional development, lesson plan development, and summer enrichment for administrators. Additionally, it provides PD for over 500 school districts annually on vital education topics such as mathematics, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), literacy and The Science of Reading, social-emotional learning, inclusive practices, and mental health.
Scalable and adaptable, the company's PD addresses the requirements of schools and districts of all sizes through online, face-to-face, and job-embedded support. PDNow, the company's online platform, offers asynchronous learning in addition to workshops and coaching, allowing educators and leaders to benefit from over 200 hours of online workshops, community interaction and just-in-time resources.
About Catapult Learning
Catapult Learning, a division of FullBloom, provides K-12 schools with experienced coaches who implement intervention programs for students and PD solutions for teachers. The company's PD services enhance the capacity of educators and administrators to increase and maintain student achievement. Its intervention programs support struggling students with individualized instruction based on their specific needs. By partnering with over 500 school districts nationwide, the company promotes academic and professional growth outcomes. Catapult Learning is accredited by Cognia and has been awarded the System of Distinction honor in 2022.
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EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY
Imagine Learning | February 14, 2023
Imagine Learning, a digital curriculum solutions provider, has recently launched its new unique education initiative, Imagine AscendTM, addressing the urgent learning needs of students with disabilities across the United States.
As a part of the initiative, Imagine Learning has integrated Winsor Learning, a nationally recognized provider of intervention and supplemental literacy products for the science of reading in the teaching field. Since 1997, Winsor has offered products and services for literacy intervention for dyslexic and at-risk students. It uses the Orton-Gillingham approach and supplemental whole-class literacy curriculum for K-5 grades. In addition, it offers structured literacy materials for multi-sensory reading instruction for pre-K-12 students, and more than 4,000 school districts follow them.
Imagine Ascend TM, an initiative of Imagine, is an educational solution for special students, connecting digital curriculum with virtual instructors, providing a sustainable solution for district-level staffing, and increasing special education programs' graduation rates.
CEO and Chairman of Imagine Learning Jonathan Grayer said, "This is a seminal moment for Imagine Learning as we commit significant time and resources to serve the needs of our most vulnerable students." He added, "The acquisition of Winsor Learning, coupled with the launch of Imagine Ascend, establishes Imagine Learning at the forefront of innovative curriculum delivery for more than seven million students with disabilities. We've seen first-hand the impact of pandemic-driven learning loss and have heard directly from our education partners that they require specialized curriculum to address the needs of students with disabilities who have been disproportionately impacted. We take the responsibility to deliver interventions for these learners seriously and our commitment remains constant: to ignite learning breakthroughs, partner with schools and teachers, support families, and to deliver improved outcomes for every learner."
(Source – Business Wire)
About Imagine Learning
Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Imagine Learning, an e-learning solutions provider, has been empowering educators for the learning requirements of every student since 2004. It provides solutions for early learners, assessments, STEM, TEKS, state standards correlation, digital math instruction, math fluency, quantile measures, Lexile measures, common core, response to intervention, multi-sensory instruction, differentiated instruction, WIDA correlated, early childhood education, students with disabilities, struggling readers, English language learners, language, and literacy instruction. In addition, it offers core instructions, supplemental and personalized intervention courses for grade level, and digital-first K- 12 programs.
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EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY
Sophia Learning | February 13, 2023
An online-learning and on-demand platform, Sophia Learning provides general education-level courses to higher education level students and recently announced a partnership with one of the world's leading edtech platforms Labster, for virtual lab and interactive science. The partnership delivers college-level science courses incorporating Labster's simulation content designed to meet the higher education needs of Sophia Learning's students and working adults. Sophia Learning is an associate of Strategic Education, Inc., a nonprofit with a mission to reduce the cost of higher education while increasing student success and job readiness.
The American Council on Education (ACE®) recommends the Chemistry lab course made with Labster for college credit. This signifies that many colleges and universities may accept course credit from it towards a degree. In addition, ACE® is looking at other courses to see if they should be recommended for credit. These courses are a good way to get college-level credits in STEM fields at a low cost.
Sophia's Chemistry Lab course was first launched in December with Labster simulations. Sophia Learning will use Labster's simulations to build four more online lab courses in 2023. To help students finish the lab simulations, the courses will have extra Labster content like lab reports, manuals, formative assessments, and introductory videos. Sophia Learning courses with Labster-integrated labs include Introduction to Chemistry, Microbiology, Human Biology, Anatomy and Physiology I and Anatomy and Physiology II.
Labster allows teachers to use the internet to explore, improve, and add to their science lessons and classroom activities. Labster's STEM-related virtual lab simulations catalog now has more than 300 titles. These simulations can be used in more than 50 academic courses. In addition, the browser based Labster simulations can be performed on a range of the most commonly used devices, from desktop computers to iPad and tablets to Chromebooks.
Independent research and case studies show that the gamification techniques and fun, real-world scenarios of the Labster simulations get students more interested and involved. Learners can explore simulations on their own in high-tech labs through their web browsers, eliminating schools from spending millions building new facilities. Students can try out Sophia Learning courses before signing up for a low-cost monthly plan to take college-level courses. In addition, Labster virtual labs and interactive science solutions are available for free to educators.
About Sophia Learning
Sophia Learning offers high-quality online college-credit courses with a curriculum tailored to students and working adults. In addition, the platform provides lots of online, low-cost general education-level courses for college credit that ACE® recommends. Over 1,000 colleges and universities received Sophia's transcripts. The company was established in 2012 and believed in making personal and professional affordable and accessible at every educational career stage.
About Labster
Founded in 2011, Labster is committed to making fully interactive virtual training simulations. These simulations help students learn more by piquing their natural curiosity and showing them how science applies to the real world. The simulations can be used in various ways, from a complete lab replacement to an additional learning activity. As a result, more than 5 million students in high school universities across 70 countries have used Labster to conduct realistic experiments, practice skills in a risk-free environment and learn key science concepts.
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