New Book Offers Proven Solutions to Achieve Equity in Education

prnewswire | March 05, 2019

The struggle to break the cycle of persistently poor outcomes for students from traditionally under-resourced demographic groups is not a new problem in California; but one team of educators is finding success in closing the gap. With their new book, Shattering Inequities: Real World Wisdom for School and District Leaders, authors Robin Avelar La Salle and Ruth S. Johnson propose that not only is sustainable change possible, it is achievable within any school system."Each chapter of the book opens with a story about a student or educator who will inspire and inform change," said Dr. Avelar La Salle, CEO of Orenda Education and co-author. "By personalizing the experience that so many of our students and leaders face, we hope to tap into their own 'equity heart' and join the journey to transform education."Shattering Inequities gives solutions to familiar problems facing school districts serving predominantly low-income, Latino and African American families. These students persistently perform below their white and Asian counterparts, even within the same school. And these outcomes have come to be a shared issue for the state; in 2017, California schools ranked 69.9 percent -- a C-minus -- and ranked 10th to last in the National Ranking (Noguchi, S., 2017).

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Last year, the assembly of the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization agreed to set an aspirational goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, reinforcing targets and commitments made already by both industry and individual states for the sector. While net zero provides a common goal for aviation, it comes with a recognition that this sector is likely to be one of the hardest to abate. Most stakeholders agree that meeting this challenge will require a broad approach, encompassing both operational efficiencies and changing the ways we fuel flight.

Spotlight

Last year, the assembly of the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization agreed to set an aspirational goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, reinforcing targets and commitments made already by both industry and individual states for the sector. While net zero provides a common goal for aviation, it comes with a recognition that this sector is likely to be one of the hardest to abate. Most stakeholders agree that meeting this challenge will require a broad approach, encompassing both operational efficiencies and changing the ways we fuel flight.

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Online Education

FP Canada™ Chooses Meazure Learning to Continue Administration and Delivery of Its Certification Exams

PRnewswire | July 26, 2023

Meazure Learning, a leading provider of end-to-end test development and delivery solutions for higher-education and professional testing organizations, today announced its continued partnership with FP Canada, a national not-for-profit education, certification, and professional oversight organization for financial planning in Canada. The agreement extends FP Canada's partnership with Meazure Learning for an additional five years. FP Canada grants and oversees the Certified Financial Planner® certification and Qualified Associate Financial Planner™ certification in Canada. CFP® professionals and QAFP® professionals have demonstrated that they have the knowledge, skills, experience, and ethics required to meet the financial planning needs of Canadians. Meazure Learning partners with FP Canada to deliver its certification exams securely across multiple modalities, providing convenience for candidates on the path to certification while also protecting valuable exam content. Candidates have the flexibility to take exams from home, through Meazure Learning's market-leading ProctorU Proctoring Platform, or in person through the Meazure Learning Test Center Network of highly secure professional sites throughout Canada. Meazure Learning is committed to providing a fair, equitable, and high-quality experience for every test-taker. "Exams are a critical step along FP Canada's paths to certification, and it's important for us to have a partner who helps us administer exams securely and reliably," said Tashia Batstone, President and CEO of FP Canada. "We are excited to continue this long-standing, collaborative partnership with Meazure Learning." "Meazure Learning is proud to provide the highest level of service to FP Canada and its stakeholders," added Timothy McClinton, Meazure Learning CEO. "Over the last 11 years, the two organizations have learned from each other and grown together to meet the needs of aspiring financial planning professionals throughout Canada. We are honored to continue our joint mission of moving each other—and the Canadian financial planning profession—forward." About Meazure Learning Meazure Learning provides secure, reliable, and convenient test development, administration, and delivery solutions for academic and professional credentialing programs. The tech-enabled services company combines human expertise with end-to-end software solutions to provide its suite of services and achieve the optimal testing experience. With remote, test center, hybrid, and event-based delivery capabilities, it adapts to the unique needs of each exam program and test-taker. Meazure Learning empowers its clients, test-takers, and industry leaders through its mission to move people forward in their educational, professional, and personal lives. About FP Canada Established in 1995, FP Canada is a national not-for-profit education, certification and professional oversight organization working in the public interest. FP Canada is dedicated to championing better financial wellness for all Canadians by leading the advancement of professional financial planning in Canada.

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Corporate Learning Systems

D2L Unveils D2L for Business

PR Newswire | September 21, 2023

D2L, a global learning technology company, today announced the formal launch of D2L for Business – a corporate learning solution designed to maximize return on investment (ROI) in learning and help empower employers to attract, retain, onboard, and upskill their workforce. D2L for Business combines the benefits of an existing network of world-class education providers, skill development solutions, and expert consulting services along with D2L's world class Learning Experience Platform (LXP) and authoring tools, creating one integrated, easy-to-use corporate solution. The 2023 World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report predicts that 44% of workers' skills will be disrupted in the following five years – rising significantly from 35% in 2016. And, according to D2L's 2023 White Paper, 80% of U.S. adults expressed some interest in pursuing additional skills training over the next 12 months. "With recent rapid advancements in AI, the changing nature of jobs, and skills shortages, it's essential for employees to continue to upgrade their skillsets – and for businesses to offer the right learning to remain competitive in the talent market," said John Baker, CEO of D2L. "For over two decades, we've helped hundreds of organizations drive their business forward with the right learning for the skills they need. D2L for Business will help take our customers to the next level with a simple, seamless, and personalized mix of technology and services to help fuel a skilled workforce prepared to take on the future." D2L for Business helps employers maximize organization-wide learning ROI and their workforce's satisfaction, retention, and internal mobility through: Skills Mapping and Pathways: D2L for Business uses AI-driven algorithms and industry experts to help develop a comprehensive skills audit, map skills to careers, and identify custom learning pathways for desired careers and skill sets. This helps businesses create a skills pipeline aligned with business objectives, fill open roles, and close skills gaps. Network of World-Class Education Partners: D2L for Business can help businesses streamline their learning administration through a curated provider network of industry-leading universities, colleges, and training organizations. Employers can easily deploy a centralized catalog of career-aligned programs and courses to talent at every level of the organization. Customized Learning: D2L for Business can help businesses create and deliver their own customized digital learning experiences through D2L's LXP. This can enable organizations to rapidly scale and deploy learning that aligns with their strategic goals. Learning Analytics: D2L for Business offers built-in insights to help maximize businesses' ROI with a birds-eye-view into learner progress and outcomes. Employers can gather integrated, organization-wide data about course completion rates and employee skill development, and then make data-informed decisions to help ensure future-readiness. "When it comes to revamping your learning and development program, it's important to have a plan in place that's going to take your business to the next level, and into the future," said Melissa Stein, Officer of Learning & Development at Tompkins Financial. "Tompkins specifically chose D2L as its corporate learning platform for its flexibility, ability to provide content in all areas of learning, and its two decades of trends-focused, forward-looking innovation." D2L for Business can help empower companies to make their skilled teams a competitive advantage, future-proofing their organization to fuel growth. For more information on D2L for Business, please visit https://www.D2L.com/solutions/corporate/. About D2L D2L is transforming the way the world learns—helping learners of all ages achieve more than they dreamed possible. Working closely with clients all over the world, D2L is supporting millions of people learning online and in person. Our growing global workforce is dedicated to making the best learning products to leave the world better than they found it. Learn more about D2L for K-12, higher education and businesses at www.D2L.com.

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Corporate Education and Training

YouScience® Brightpath Empowers Educators and Students for Academic and Career Success

PR Newswire | August 25, 2023

Based on nationwide research, the majority of high school graduates face a lack of preparedness in making crucial college or career decisions upon graduation, often feeling uncertain about their chosen educational or career paths. • Nearly 75% of high school graduates did not feel fully prepared to decide on their future career or education during high school. • 37% of high school graduates are not sure they are where they want to be in their education or career path Moreover, the strain on counselors and teachers–due to heavy workloads and limited resources–exacerbates the issue by creating gaps in essential discussions about postsecondary opportunities. There is an acute need for solutions that bridge this gap, and help students who are struggling to transition from high school to college, trade school, and career. YouScience® is the leading technology provider dedicated to solving the skills gap crisis for students and employers. Thousands of middle schools, high schools, colleges, universities, trade schools, chambers of commerce, and employer partners use various applications from YouScience. The award-winning education technology company recently launched YouScience Brightpath, which supports educators in addressing critical issues facing students in one unified platform. With Brightpath, educators can: 1. Personalize students' education pathways for increased academic and career success. 2. Provide deeper purpose for classwork by supporting real-world career outcomes into every student's educational journey. 3. Connect students to their future by bridging the gap between education and industry in meaningful and personalized ways. 4. Support every student's growth through the major transitions between middle school to high school, high school to post-secondary learning, and from the classroom to careers. "Brightpath has been an incredible tool to measure student growth in the classroom," said Joel Casiday, from Coldspring-Oakhurst High School in Coldspring, Texas. "Our teachers can give their pre-assessment at the beginning of the year and then the certification exam for the course at the end of the year. The student receives real-time certifications and the teacher has valuable data that shows student growth and instructional impact. With the launch of the career research tools and all the full Brightpath suite offers, our students will be poised for success after graduation." YouScience Brightpath makes it easier for educators to help students connect what they are learning in the classroom to real-world applications. This includes career and technical education (CTE) programs, skill certifications and credentials, and resume creation. "Having a comprehensive platform that helps us connect what students are learning in the classroom with real-world career opportunities turns education into a tangible experience," said Thalea Longhurst, State CTE Director for the Utah State Board of Education. "Local employers also like YouScience Brightpath because they can engage with students, who have the aptitudes and certifications they need, to start building a talent pipeline. It opens doors and opportunities for all Utah students to have a successful future—whether that's 4-year college, trade school, or jumping into a career." Research shows that helping students discover their aptitudes, and building personalized high school and postsecondary pathways, enables student success. In 2022, nearly 80% of high school graduates reported feeling better prepared to choose their educational and/or career pathway based on understanding their natural aptitudes. "Unleashing student potential is at the heart of what we do," said YouScience CEO Edson Barton. "To do that we must empower educators with the best professional tools. Brightpath makes it easier to collaborate across schools and districts, between middle and high schools, and from grade to grade. Brightpath is designed for today's professional educator. Speed, ease of use, scalability, and systems simplicity is top of mind." About YouScience YouScience is the leading technology provider dedicated to solving the skills gap crisis for students and employers. Its end-to-end platform, YouScience® Brightpath, connects education with career applications designed to help students unlock their potential for future pathways. YouScience leverages proven research, artificial intelligence, and industry input to help individuals identify their natural talents, validate their skills and knowledge, and get matched with real-world educational and career pathways in high-demand occupations. YouScience is the preferred choice of individuals, parents, educators, and counselors to guide and support educational and career pathways, currently serving more than 7,000 educational institutions and nearly one million users.

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